Chapter 60: Looking Like Cecilia

“Did you see Ms. Lilja? She was enormous, and she had the audacity to come on a blind date!”

“Hahaha, she’s like a dinosaur! She stomped around so much, the whole house shook.”

“And then there was Ms. Skog, with her fiery red lips—she was practically a ghost.”

“Who’s next?”

“The Kennedy heiress, apparently. I hear she just returned from studying abroad.”

“Returned from abroad? Must be quite liberated, then?”

“Later, let’s have her dance for us. If she’s good, she’s in the running. Hahaha!”

Their crude laughter made Cecilia frown. She finally understood why those refined socialites left in such a rage after their blind dates. This wasn't a blind date; it was entertainment for his friends. Cecilia was grateful Vivian hadn't come; Vivian would have been devastated.

Escorted inside, the usually understated elegance of the place felt tainted. Several beautiful women were clearly there to provoke the socialites. When Cecilia arrived, they erupted in derisive laughter.

“Oh, she’s wearing a mask!”

“Is it because you’re too ugly to show your face?”

Their taunts echoed, but Cecilia remained unmoved. Her gaze fell on Zachary, the man at the head of the table, engrossed in cards and drink. Only someone immensely powerful could gather Tudela's heiresses for his choosing.

And indeed, it was the Prince of Tudela. If Nathaniel was Tudela’s tyrant, Zachary was its prince; one controlled the economy, the other, survival. They were inextricably linked.

Zachary didn't look up, and so didn't realize that this wasn't Vivian, but Cecilia. Seeing Cecilia’s silence, someone sneered, “Is the Kennedy heiress mute?”

Cecilia, believing Roland wouldn’t further trouble Vivian, turned to leave. Suddenly, a drunken man blocked her path.

“Ms. Kennedy, you were supposed to be on a blind date with Mr. Sinclair. Why are you leaving without showing your face?”

“Take off your mask—” He reached for her.

The crowd urged, “Quick, see if she’s mute!”

The man did more than remove her mask. He grabbed her, intending to assault her.

Outside the Imperial Garden, an SUV waited. Sven, frowning at his earpiece, told Jonathan, “Wait here.”

“All right,” Jonathan replied.

Inside, the man ripped off Cecilia’s mask, momentarily startled by her beauty. His demeanor immediately grew more aggressive; he reached for her clothes. But then, he was kicked across the room.

“Cough… cough… Who kicked me?”

Sven shielded Cecilia, his imposing presence silencing the room. The man, still defiant, was about to call for security when another man saw Cecilia’s face and exclaimed, “She… she looks like Cecilia!”

The Smith heiress was well-known among Tudela’s elite. Who wouldn't want to be the Smith family's son-in-law? Even though the family’s fortunes had declined, Cecilia remained recognizable, having been married to Nathaniel and frequently bullied by Zachary. Everyone knew, however, that the Smith heiress had died four or five years ago.

That remark drew Zachary's attention. He looked up from his cards, his expression unreadable.