Chapter 340: Mistaken for Elliot

Cecilia rubbed her aching neck and stepped outside. Magnus was in such agony he couldn't rise. "Cecilia," he gasped, "how dare you have people attack me? Do you know who I am?"

Cecilia glanced at Sven, who without hesitation, delivered another kick to Magnus's chest. "Drop the charges!" Sven commanded icily.

Magnus struggled futilely. Panic rising, he pleaded, "All right, all right, I'll drop them." Sven remained unmoved. The servants, witnessing their young master restrained, dared not intervene.

Magnus felt excruciating pain, tears welling in his eyes. "Cecilia, I messed up! Please make him stop. I might not survive this." He only addressed her so formally when thoroughly beaten.

Cecilia's thoughts drifted to her childhood. Magnus used to hit her; she'd fight back, often winning because he was younger. Afterward, he'd cry, pleading, "Cecilia, I was wrong." But Paula always intervened, hurling objects at Cecilia. Once, a vase had struck Cecilia's head, painting the world red with blood. After that, Cecilia, battered and terrified, stopped fighting back.

Gathering herself, Cecilia turned to Sven. "Let's go," she said.

"Okay."

Inside the mansion, oblivious to the Maybach parked beneath the large tree outside, Nathaniel tracked Cecilia's location via her phone, discovering her biological mother resided there. He'd sent men to assess the situation. A bodyguard reported Magnus had choked Cecilia, only to be beaten until he coughed up blood.

Nathaniel listened silently. Mason commented, "Magnus is something else. Without Mrs. Rainsworth, who knows how much worse it would have been?"

Five years prior, Magnus and Paula had plotted to sell Cecilia to an elderly man. Cecilia refused, and they fled abroad, fearing retaliation. Had Nathaniel not intervened, eliminating the old man to protect Cecilia, would their comfortable return have been possible?

"Tell me," Nathaniel said, for memories recounted by others were always incomplete. The pieces wouldn't fit. Mason began to explain, but then spotted a small figure at the mansion's back door. His eyes widened. "Elliot Reese!" He'd mistaken Jonathan for Elliot.

"Who?" Nathaniel asked.

"Mrs. Rainsworth and Calvin's son!"

Nathaniel's heart sank. "Bring him to me."

"Yes, sir." Mason ordered Jonathan's apprehension.

Jonathan, ostensibly helping Vivian collect a package, was seized from behind as he approached the mansion. He attempted a sweeping kick, but his short legs proved ineffective against the bodyguard.

"Who are you? Let go of me!" Jonathan demanded, his dark eyes flashing. The bodyguard, startled by the child's commanding tone, noted the resemblance to their boss and hesitated. "It's him! Locating him hasn't been easy."