Chapter 535

Chapter 535

Forgive her?

Those twenty-plus years of being treated coldly and ignored, along with the grievances and resentments deeply carved into Cecilia's bones—how could a few words possibly erase erase all that?

But if she didn't forgive her, Teresa's aged, desperate appearance kept resurfacing in her mind, making her feel uneasy .

Harold had been listening the whole time without interrupting.

Only after Cecilia finished speaking did he slowly say, "Cecilia, in the end, this decision has to be yours. Whether to believe her or forgiver her—just follow what your heart tells you."

His voice wasn't loud, but it had a reassuring strength that seemed to untangle the messy knot of emotions in Cecilia's heart a little.

"I just... my mind is really confused," Cecilia said, letting out a soft breath.

"Then don't rush to a conclusion," Harold said, looking at her. "Give yourself some time. Whatever you choose, I'm on your side."

Cecilia looked up and found his eyes gentle. This kind of unconditional trust was something she'd never experienced in her twenty-plus years with the Green family.

Seeing her expression soften , Harold changed the subject, his voice taking on a lighter tone. "In a few days, the Glover Group will be hosting a charity gala. I happen to still need a date. Ms. Green, would you be free to attend with me?"

Cecilia was taken aback.

A charity gala? Hosted by the Glover Group?

The way she was now...

"I..." Cecilia hesitated. "I have nothing now, and things with the Green family aren't settled yet. I'm afraid... I might cause you trouble."

She didn't want to drag Harold down because of her problems.

"Cecilia, I believe in your abilities," Harold said seriously. "Besides, to me, you've never been nothing."

Those words made Cecilia's heart skip a beat.

She looked away from him and said quietly, "I... let me think about it first."

Harold didn't push her, just nodded gently. "Okay. If you change your mind, just let me know anytime."

In the end, Cecilia didn't return to Elsie's villa. Instead, she found a hotel in the city center to stay at for now.

She needed a quiet place to sort through her messy thoughts.

She had just finished washing up, her hair still damp, and was about to lie down when the hotel room doorbell rang at an inconvenient time.

Cecilia frowned and looked through the peephole. Two well-dressed women stood outside, their demeanor carrying a hint of arrogance.

They were distant relatives from the Glover family. She'd run into them a few times at parties before, and they'd always been dismissive of her.

She opened the door, her tone not particularly polite. "Can I help you?"

One of the older women, Harold's distant cousin, looked Cecilia up and down as if appraising some cheap goods. "Ms. Green, we heard you've 'fallen on hard times,' so we came specially to check on you. After all, you did have some connection with the Glover family before."

The younger one, her daughter, curled her lip and added sarcastically, "Mom, you can't put it that way. Ms. Green is a free woman now—maybe she's latched onto some better opportunity and doesn't want to go back to the Green family."

Listening to their back-and-forth, Cecilia found it amusing.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Are you two here to laugh at me, or to pry into my private life? If it's the former, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed—I'm doing just fine. If it's the latter, I'm even more sorry to say that my business isn't for outsiders to comment on."

Harold's cousin's face stiffened, then she snorted coldly. "Cecilia, don't be ungrateful! We're just concerned about you! Now that you don't have the Green family backing you, you think you can still be as glamorous as before? Dream on! I advise you to be realistic and find an honest family to marry into. At least you'd have someone to depend on."

"Depend on?" Cecilia sounded like she'd heard the joke of the century. "My support has never been the Green family, and it certainly won't be just any 'honest family.' As for being glamorous or not, that's my own business. So I won't trouble you two to worry about it."

She paused, her eyes suddenly turning cold. "If there's nothing else, please leave. I have no room for you two here."

With that, she shut the door, blocking out the mother and daughter's shocked and angry expressions.

At the hospital, Ronald finally woke from his deep sleep.

His stomach burned with pain, and his head felt heavy and foggy.

"Mr. York, you're awake!" Albert's voice carried some relief.

Ronald pressed his forehead, taking a while to recover before speaking hoarsely, "Where's Elsie?"

"Ms. Forbes... she brought you to the hospital last night and stayed all night. She just left this morning." Albert paused, his expression somewhat complicated. "Ronald, something happened online."

Ronald's brow furrowed as he took the tablet Albert handed him.

When those offensive headlines and malicious comments appeared before his eyes, the atmosphere around him instantly dropped to freezing.

"Who did this?" His voice was cold as ice.

"Initial investigation shows Missy Forbes is involved."

Ronald closed his eyes hard, and when he opened them again, they were bloodshot.

He immediately tried to get up, but Albert held him down. "You're still very weak. The doctor said you need to rest!"

"I'll handle this small matter." A cool voice came from the hospital room doorway.

Elsie walked in, carrying an insulated food container.

She set it down on the bedside table and looked at Ronald calmly.

“Since you’re awake, eat something first.”

Ronald's gaze locked onto her, his voice unsteady with emotion. "Elsie, don't worry about what's online. I'll make them pay!"

Elsie showed no reaction to his protectiveness.

“There’s no need,” she said flatly. “Those accusations aren’t entirely wrong. My reason for returning wasn’t pure. And I’m not the real Olivia—I did take over her identity.”

Ronald's heart sank. “Elsie… what are you saying?”

“I did scheme to stay by your side,” she continued evenly, as if speaking about someone else. “I used Elsy. And yes… I resent you.”

Ronald stared at her, his throat tightening.

After a long pause, he struggled to speak. “That’s different. You—”

“It’s not different,” Elsie cut him off. “Mr. York, I don’t want to revisit the past. As for the rumors—truth will reveal itself.”

Her calm detachment only deepened the helplessness in his chest.

He knew she still blamed him—for everything he had misunderstood, for all the hurt he had caused.

"Elsie, can we talk?" His voice softened, carrying a trace of pleading. “I know I was wrong. I—”