Chapter 526: Do You Hate It?

Cecilia’s body tensed as she tried to push Nathaniel away, but he wouldn't budge. "Very funny," she said. Nathaniel didn't answer; instead, he kissed her.

Cecilia felt a rush of heat, her blood seeming to flow backward. She bit his lip. Nathaniel, unfazed by the pain, continued the kiss. Unable to stop him, Cecilia's eyes reddened with anger, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth.

"Do you hate me?" Nathaniel asked, gently cupping her face, his fingers brushing her lips.

Cecilia avoided his touch. "What would you do if you saw pictures of me in bed with someone else?"

He was silent, as she expected. While he remained quiet, she bit his shoulder again, near her previous bite mark. "Why aren't you answering?" she demanded.

Nathaniel pulled her closer. "I'll kill him."

Cecilia stared, stunned. "And what would you do to me?"

Nathaniel, taken aback, took a moment to compose himself. "I'd lock you up and break your legs," he finally replied.

Cecilia, dismissing it as a joke, decided to end the conversation. "Let me up," she said, her waist aching.

Only then did Nathaniel release her. "What did Magnus want from you?" he asked seriously.

"Nothing much. He just told me Paula got bailed out by pretending to be sick," Cecilia replied curtly. She mused that Paula was lucky to be older; if younger, she'd probably have faked a pregnancy.

Nathaniel said slowly, "These days, faking a medical report is difficult, but exposing it isn't easy either. I'll have Zachary look into it."

"No need," Cecilia immediately refused. "I don't want to owe him any favors."

"He owes you his life. This is a small matter. Even if I didn't ask, he should still help," Nathaniel countered.

"I'll think of another way," she insisted, knowing accepting Zachary's help meant forgiving him for past actions.

Nathaniel, surprised by her stubbornness, asked, "So, what's your plan?"

"That's a secret for now."

Cecilia, having lived abroad for years, had a network of contacts. She remembered Eric's father, a renowned neurosurgeon. Recently, Charlotte had agreed to write a song for Eric after the new year.

"If there's nothing else, I'm heading out," Cecilia announced, going to her room to contact Eric.

Alone, Nathaniel grew curious about her secret plan.

In her room, Cecilia called Eric. A deep voice answered quickly. "Ceci, I've been waiting for your call! Are you ready to give me my new song?" Eric, vacationing on a beach in swim trunks, was attracting female attention despite his sunglasses.

"I have the song, but in exchange, you'll do me a favor," Cecilia said.

It was her first request. Eric, intrigued, teased, "You want me to father Jon and Eli? Sure, no problem!"

"Be serious. I need you to ask your father to conduct a brain tumor diagnosis for me."

Eric immediately straightened. "Is someone in your family sick?"

"No." Cecilia briefly explained Paula's situation.

Understanding, Eric said, "Oh, that's a small thing. Don't worry; my dad's an expert at spotting fake illnesses. He'll know right away if she's faking it."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."