Chapter 30: Not a Big Deal

Zachary clasped his head in frustration and shouted. His assistant, beside him, was confused. "Mr. Zachary, what's wrong?"

Zachary snapped out of it and looked at him. "Let me ask you something. If someone saved your life, unbeknownst to you, and you treated them poorly, why wouldn't they tell you they saved you? If they did, you wouldn't be against them!"

The assistant pondered before replying, "It's simple. First, perhaps she thought you knew who saved you. When you didn't ask, she assumed you weren't grateful, so telling you wouldn't make a difference. Second, maybe she didn't think saving you was a big deal, so she didn't mention it."

Saving someone isn't a big deal...so it didn't need mentioning. Cecilia had never mentioned all she'd done for Nathaniel and everyone else. So, she really didn't care.

A sharp thorn seemed lodged in Zachary's throat, causing unbearable pain. At Seabay Villa, Zachary returned to find a familiar figure sitting in the courtyard.

"Zach, you're back," Stella said, rising to meet him.

Looking at this once-familiar woman, Zachary felt a sense of strangeness. Stella approached, easily buttoning his shirt, giving the impression of a couple. "You're all grown up now, and still so careless," she teased playfully.

Zachary coldly pushed her hand away. "What do you want?" Stella rarely acted so attentively without reason.

Ignoring his cold tone, Stella got straight to the point. "Zachary, I heard Nathaniel went looking for Cecilia. How did that go?"

Zachary met her gaze. She was feigning innocence. "Cecilia has been dead a long time. Didn't I tell you? What are you so afraid of?"

Stella was taken aback. "I'm just curious. The Rainsworth family helped me in the past. Cecilia was at fault, but they were kind. Zachary, what's wrong? You've been acting strangely lately."

They helped me! Zachary thought, seeing no sign of Stella repaying the Rainsworth family's kindness. Concealing his thoughts, he gestured to the emerald pendant nearby. "Maybe it's because Dad keeps asking about the emerald pendant. Didn't I give it to you? Give it back, and I'll give you something else."

Stella's expression shifted, revealing unease. "I'm sorry, I lost the emerald pendant."

Lies! Zachary calmly observed her, curious to see how long she could maintain her facade.

That night, when Stella left, Zachary didn't arrange for an escort. As she sat in the minivan, Stella felt uneasy. "You're dead. Why do you keep causing me trouble? Why didn't you tell me about the pendant?"

She bit her lip. A loud clap of thunder echoed. Stella jumped, seeing a familiar building collapsing in the distance, illuminated by lightning.

The driver exclaimed, "Isn't that the Smith family's landmark building? How could it be demolished?"

Days later, Nathaniel ordered the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Smith family's building. Even high society was puzzled. Was he simply throwing money away?

Much later, Zachary found Nathaniel sitting silently, eyes closed. Unable to contain himself any longer, Zachary finally spoke up for Cecilia. "Nathaniel, what happened then had nothing to do with Cecilia. It was all orchestrated by her mother and brother…"