Chapter 382: Serve Prison Time
Nathaniel was momentarily taken aback. "It depends on the mistake," he replied. "If it's something like what you did, I won't let him go to jail. I can handle this with money."
Jonathan, however, interpreted this as a willingness to serve prison time for him. An unusual emotion inexplicably arose within him.
Cecilia's call for dinner interrupted their conversation, prompting them to leave the room. She watched them depart in what appeared to be peace. Jonathan was a miniature version of Nathaniel. Cecilia recalled Jonathan's surprising offer to sleep with Nathaniel—a highly unusual event, given Jonathan's past. She hesitated, unsure whether to tell Nathaniel about the child; after all, they were father and son. She believed Jonathan wanted his father's presence, merely refraining from explicitly stating it to comfort her.
After dinner, Charlotte called. "Boss, quickly turn on the livestream. Paula is dancing."
Cecilia immediately returned to her room and turned on her computer. The video showed Paula, in dance attire, her weight betraying her age. In her youth, countless admirers had adored her performances; now, only a handful of elderly men offered encouragement in the livestream's comments. Young viewers occasionally accused her of being flirtatious and inappropriate. Even witnessing this, Cecilia's resentment didn't diminish significantly. Paula, after all, was doing this for her other daughter—a daughter with another mother.
"It's so pitiful," Charlotte said. "Once a renowned female dancer, now reduced to livestreaming for a meager audience. She's really going all out for her daughter. Boss, did she offend you?" Charlotte knew Cecilia wouldn't act without reason.
Cecilia replied, "Lottie, she is my birth mother."
Charlotte was stunned. She knew Martha, Cecilia's nanny, had shared details of Cecilia's difficult past, but she was unaware Paula was a renowned dancer. Paula should have been financially secure decades ago. Why did she let someone else raise her daughter? "Boss, isn't she too biased? I've been with you for five years, and I've never seen her call you even once. If she knew the melody she longed for was composed by her daughter, she'd be filled with regret."
Cecilia chuckled wryly. "No, she won't. Enough about that. Go ahead and sign the contract with her." She would have mocked me if she knew I composed that piece. That's how it's always been since I was a kid. No matter how exceptional I am, she'll never acknowledge it and will always belittle me.
Cecilia continued watching the livestream, a stark contrast to her childhood yearning to watch her mother dance. She found it boring and closed the stream.
After the livestream, Paula saw the comments and grimaced. Nevertheless, she smiled, sharing news of securing exclusive rights with Cassandra.
Cassandra, a mirror image of Paula in her youth, was dancing gracefully in the studio. Paula approached, saying, "Cassandra, I've secured the exclusive rights for you."
Cassandra's expression changed. She tossed Paula her phone, displaying the livestream. "Don't you know how old you are? You still showed up in public like this. Even if you're not embarrassed, I am. Everyone knows you're my father's new wife. My mom wouldn't have embarrassed me like this." Her "Mom" was Queenie.
Paula was about to reveal the truth to Cassandra.