Chapter 471: Succumbing to Her Threats

Nathaniel tightened his grip, as though to meld them into one. No matter what Cecilia did, she couldn't free herself. Her body burned, and in desperation, she yelled, "Nathaniel, let go!"

Nathaniel's throat tightened, but he refused to release her. "Let's sleep together tonight," he proposed. His breath fell on her ear, reddening it. He gently lifted her with strong hands, effortlessly placing her on the bed.

"Don't do this—" Before Cecilia could finish, an urgent voice called from the doorway. "Mommy, Mommy!" It was Elliot.

Nathaniel's eyebrows furrowed. Cecilia attempted to rise, but Nathaniel's weight was immovable. "Nathaniel, hurry up and move!" she hissed.

He ignored her, turning towards the door and shouting, "She's asleep; come find her tomorrow." Elliot, frozen for a moment, then knocked more forcefully. "You scoundrel, give me back my mommy! Waa! Mommy! Mommy…" He couldn't bear to watch his mother bullied by his father.

Hearing Elliot's cries, Cecilia, unsure if they were genuine, was overcome with worry and bit down on Nathaniel's shoulder. He winced, drawing in a sharp breath, but didn't move, holding her tighter.

"Be good, listen to me, and stay with me tonight, and from now on, I'll listen to whatever you say."

Cecilia bit harder. Nathaniel grunted in pain. Outside, Elliot continued, "You meanie, if you don't hand over my mommy, I'm calling the police!"

Cecilia tasted blood, briefly releasing her bite. "Nathaniel, if you continue this way, I won't bother with you anymore."

In the past, Nathaniel wouldn't have succumbed to her threats. But the thought of Cecilia disappearing again terrified him, and he released her.

Cecilia quickly wriggled free, flung open the door, and stepped outside. Seeing his mother, Elliot's eyes welled with tears. "Mommy, are you okay?"

"Of course. I was merely helping Mr. Rainsworth with his clothes; he was having difficulty." Cecilia's face was flushed.

Elliot sighed in relief. His father had lied, but thankfully, he'd persisted. "Mommy, look at me in the clothes you bought! Aren't I adorable?" He twirled in his dinosaur outfit.

"You're so cute! My little Eli is the most adorable boy on the planet. Here, let me take a picture of you."

"Okay." Elliot, a bit of a narcissist, believed himself far handsomer than his brother, Jonathan, though his illness prevented him from attending school.

While Cecilia photographed Elliot, Nathaniel changed clothes and emerged looking neat. Coincidentally, Cecilia captured this moment. The photo showed two strikingly similar figures, their similarly colored clothes resembling matching parent-child outfits. They looked like a real father and son. Cecilia, unaware, saved the photo.

Chapter 471: Succumbing to Her Threats

When Elliot saw his father, his eyes filled with disdain. He insisted on switching places before continuing their "photoshoot." After many photos, Elliot contentedly fell asleep with Cecilia.

Early the next morning, Cecilia received a call from Sven. "The person who hurt you yesterday has been identified: it's Cassandra."