Chapter 353: Take the Check

The next morning, Cecilia discovered all her carrots were gone. She searched extensively but found none, so she substituted them with other ingredients for her oatmeal.

Nathaniel was absent that morning; he had gone to the hospital.

In the dimly lit basement, Calvin slowly opened his eyes, bound to a wooden bench. Blood flowed freely from a head wound; his body was bruised and battered. The pain was excruciating, as if his wounds had been soaked in salt water.

A voice echoed from across the room. "Mr. Rainsworth, this man is quite skilled. I had fifteen men, and they were all injured. We only subdued him with great difficulty," Mason reported to Nathaniel.

Calvin looked up to see Nathaniel lounging in a chair. Noticing Calvin's movement, Mason announced, "He's awake."

Calvin knew Nathaniel's men were responsible. Only he knew he'd sought out Cecilia; foreign interference was impossible at this stage. His complacency at home had left him unguarded, without a bodyguard.

"Nathaniel, did you really think bringing me here would make Ceci accept you again?" Calvin smirked coldly. "If she wanted you, she wouldn't have had a child with me."

Nathaniel's expression hardened. "Is that so? What if you were to disappear?"

"She'll despise you even more for depriving her child of a father," Calvin stated calmly. He knew how to inflict profound pain.

His words struck a nerve, but Nathaniel wouldn't spare him so easily. His subordinates repeatedly kicked Calvin, who remained silent, lips pressed tight.

Mason watched, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. Were it not for Calvin's attempt to steal another man's wife, he would have been truly courageous.

After Calvin collapsed in a pool of blood, Nathaniel rose slowly. "Throw him out. Whether he lives or dies is fate's decision." He wouldn't deliberately take a life.

"Understood."

Nathaniel returned to his accommodations. He bathed to wash away the blood, and by the time he was dressed, a medical team awaited. His sight remained impaired, but he was determined to reclaim his memories, not to learn of his past with Cecilia secondhand.

"Mr. Rainsworth, the medication's taking effect. You've been recalling memories. You'll need weekly treatments. Maintain a calm state of mind afterward. Your memory will be fully restored soon," the doctor assured him.

Returning home at four in the afternoon, he found Cecilia absent. Their neighbor arrived, offering cured meat. "Nathaniel, we made this ourselves. Take it."

Nathaniel started to refuse, but the neighbor asked, "Nathaniel, have I seen you somewhere before? You look like a big movie star."

Thinking of Nicholas's television appearances, Nathaniel replied indifferently, "We've never met." He then produced a check. "Thanks for the meat. Fill in the amount yourself."

The neighbor stared, bewildered. Nathaniel closed the door. He couldn't reveal his identity yet; the new company's establishment required time. The neighbor, offended by Nathaniel's demeanor, was left displeased and decided...