Chapter 20
Cecilia turned her head without answering, then suddenly asked, "That journal—when do you plan to return it to me?"
Edward's brow furrowed slightly.
"Behave well, and I'll give it back," he replied dismissively, closing his eyes again.
So that had become another bargaining chip. Cecilia laughed. The sound was soft, but in the confined space of the car, it felt jarringly harsh.
Edward's eyelids twitched, but he didn't open them.
---
Inside the Clifford Villa, Joanna sat on a rosewood sofa in the living room. Hearing movement, she looked up to see the pair standing in the doorway, her face immediately blooming into a smile.
"Ed, Cece, you're finally here."
Edward's gloomy expression vanished the moment he crossed the threshold. "Grandma, it's chilly outside. Why aren't you wearing something warmer?"
"Seeing you two warms my heart more than any extra layers could."
Joanna took Cecilia's hand. "You've lost weight—your face is all bones. Has Ed been giving you hard time? Tell me, and I'll set him straight."
Cecilia forced a smile. "No, Grandmother. I've been busy with projects at work. Probably just haven't been resting enough."
"No matter how busy work gets, you must take care of yourself." Joanna patted the back of her hand, then turned to give Edward a reproachful look. "And you—even as the boss, you don't know to cherish your wife? Look how exhausted she is."
Edward didn't respond, just picked up an orange from the coffee table and began peeling it methodically.
Just then, a sweet voice called from the entryway. "Mrs. Joanna Clifford, I've come to visit you!"
Rachel walked in carrying an elegant fruit basket. Seeing Edward and Cecilia, her smile faltered momentarily. "Eddie, you're here too. What a coincidence."
Edward remained silent, while Cecilia laughed inwardly. Rachel's timing was impeccable.
Rachel sat down on Joanna's other side. Joanna chatted with her pleasantly, but her gaze kept drifting back to Cecilia.
A woman's intuition is remarkably sharp. Cecilia sensed that Joanna understood her purpose clearly—essentially, as a womb.
After dinner, Edward's phone rang with an overseas video conference call from the Dawnview City branch. He excused himself to the study.
Rachel immediately picked up the teapot with a helpful smile. "Grandma, let me brew you some tea to aid digestion."
Only Joanna and Cecilia remained in the living room.
Joanna took Cecilia's hand with a soft sigh. "Cece, tell me honestly, are you unhappy?"
Cecilia's eyelashes fluttered. Joanna's hand was warm and dry, with the comforting wrinkles unique to the elderly.
"No, Grandma. Please don't worry."
"Child, you carry everything yourself. Ed has always been stubborn, with such a cold temperament. Has he been treating you poorly?"
Cecilia shook her head, her voice barely audible. "He's... good to me." Even she didn't believe this lie as she spoke it.
Joanna didn't press further, changing the subject instead. "I heard from Ed about your brother's illness... Poor child. Cece, I know you're sensible, but remember—you're now the Clifford family's granddaughter-in-law. If you face any difficulties, don't struggle alone."
She paused. "Even without Ed, I'd gladly consider you my granddaughter. If you need money for anything, or if you've suffered any grievances you don't want to share with Ed, come to me."
Joanna's tone grew solemn. "I have some personal savings. Don't ever let yourself suffer, understand?"
Money. Always money. Edward used money to buy her freedom, while Joanna wanted to use money to give her freedom.
"Grandma..." she choked up. "I'm fine."
Before she could finish, Joanna's face suddenly turned deathly pale as she collapsed backward.
"Grandma!" Cecilia cried out, terrified. "What's wrong?"
At that moment, the study door burst open as Edward rushed in, having heard the commotion.
"Grandma!" He leaped forward, catching Joanna in his arms. "Call the doctor, quickly!"
As servants ran to summon the private physician, Edward demanded through clenched teeth, "What happened?"
Cecilia opened her mouth, but extreme fear rendered her speechless.
Rachel, returning from the kitchen with a tea tray, leaned against the doorframe, breathing heavily, her face filled with lingering shock. "Eddie, I think I heard Cecilia talking to Grandmother about money... she was crying... and then Grandmother suddenly..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone present understood her implication.
Something exploded in Edward's mind. Just that afternoon, he had humiliated her with money and threatened her with her first love's journal.
She had endured silently, only to run to his beloved grandmother to complain, to ask for money, even at the risk of upsetting an elderly woman with heart problems? Was this her revenge?
Edward, holding his grandmother whose breathing grew increasingly faint, slowly raised his head to look at Cecilia.
His expression was no longer angry or mocking. It was an icy coldness mixed with towering rage and profound disappointment—the look one gives a mortal enemy.
He wouldn't give her the journal of her beloved, so she came for the life of his. Fine. Very well.
Cecilia was pushed aside like a superfluous ornament.
The family doctor rushed in to provide emergency care. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor exhaled with relief, nodding to Edward. "She's stable for now, but we need to get her to the hospital immediately."
Edward's tense body finally relaxed slightly. He stood up, instructing the servants to prepare the car.
Only then did he remember Cecilia. He walked toward her step by step, his towering shadow completely engulfing her.
"You will stay right here. If anything happens to Grandma," his voice squeezed through clenched teeth, each word dripping with venom, "I will make your brother pay with his life."