Chapter 205 Kidnapped

Chapter 205 Kidnapped

Hearing such honest words, Jasmine smiled slightly. In that instant, her red lips and white teeth, her curved eyebrows and eyes, looked absolutely stunning.

Cecilia was momentarily dazed by such a beautiful smile, yet inexplicably felt a hint of coldness.

"The fact that you can say this proves you're very smart!" Jasmine praised, then immediately put away her smile and ordered with a serious face, "Leave him!"

Cecilia had long known they weren't suitable for each other.

But Ethan was so wonderful, she wanted to give it a try.

Cecilia met her gaze and firmly stated her position, "If this is what he wants, then I will definitely consider it!"

The implication was obvious—outsiders had no right to interfere.

But Jasmine had once been a powerful and ruthless leader. To Jasmine, Cecilia's words sounded like childish talk, naive and immature.

"My wishes are his wishes. He only needs to obey, and so do you!" Jasmine shot back even more forcefully. "You're a good woman—attractive, capable, and ambitious. You want to grow your business, and I can help with that. Your daughter wants to attend a good school or study abroad, I can help with that too. But wanting Ethan? That's not happening!"

Cecilia couldn't help but blurt out, "Why?"

"It's obvious—you're not suitable! The Campbell Family will never allow him to marry a woman like you. His marriage can only be decided by the family!"

Jasmine's merciless words struck Cecilia's chest one by one, making her heart break layer by layer, becoming bloody and raw in the face of reality.

She remembered Aurora had said the same thing.

Children of these wealthy families seemed to have unlimited glory, but in reality, they couldn't even control their own marriages.

She heard Jasmine continue, "Whether he loves you or not, whether you have a child or a marriage history, and regardless of that Stella Grayson who drove him crazy—when it comes to family interests, you all have only one choice, and that is to give up!"

That Stella Grayson who drove him crazy?

Hearing this name, Cecilia knew immediately—this was the woman Aurora had mentioned countless times. Was she just a substitute for her?

"You have no other choice. The Campbell Family will never allow outsiders to inherit the family's wealth and resources." Jasmine paused, then continued, "If you have any requests, just say so. I will do my best to fulfill them!"

Her tone was arrogant, making Cecilia very uncomfortable.

"You can take your time thinking about your requests. Come find me when you're ready. Mina, show our guest out!" With that, giving Cecilia no chance to speak, Jasmine got up and walked upstairs.

Mina Wood, who escorted her out, was that arrogant woman from the quality department. She was Jasmine's person, which explained why she had made things difficult for Cecilia back then.

It seemed she had been watched by the former leader of Apex Ventures Corporation from very early on.

Of course—with a corporate titan like Ethan, countless women tried to attach themselves to him. To protect their family interests, how could they not keep a close watch on him?

Cecilia had anticipated this day would come, just not this soon.

Jasmine's intention today was obvious—nothing more than threatening and bribing Cecilia to leave Ethan.

First, she threw out a stack of photos, then stated her purpose, and finally offered tempting conditions.

If she complied, she would probably receive a substantial sum of money.

But if she didn't comply, what Jasmine might do to her child and family went without saying.

Jasmine's tactics were extremely seasoned.

Ever since learning that Ethan had seized back his power at Apex Ventures Corporation, Cecilia understood that his foundation at the company was still unstable.

After witnessing the cunning of the previous leader, she worried even more about Ethan, and about herself.

On the way back, Cecilia thought about many things.

The people and things she cared about in this life were now all laid out before her. She couldn't just muddle through in confusion.

Since she couldn't do that, she would resolve things one by one.

Even though she was just an ordinary person, powerless against authority, she still wanted to live according to her own wishes.

She drove around by the river, letting the cold wind blow through the car window crack until her head became clearer and clearer, then she headed back.

But as she drove, she noticed something was wrong—someone was following her.

Could it be Jasmine's people?

Cecilia observed the rearview mirror while shaking her head.

Jasmine had just met with her and hadn't gotten an answer yet—there was really no need to press so hard.

But if not her, then who?

Cecilia deliberately slowed down and even got out at a shop to buy something.

She had just identified the following vehicle when it disappeared. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and continued driving.

The place where Jasmine had met her was at a secluded club in the suburbs, quite far from the city center.

Just as she was about to get on the ring road highway, a van suddenly rushed out at a quiet intersection and blocked her path, forcing her to brake hard.

Several large men jumped out of the van and rushed toward her. Cecilia quickly locked the car doors and tried to pull out her phone to call for help.

They moved too fast. She didn't even have time to find a number and could only randomly tap one to dial.

Before the call connected, they smashed the window with a safety hammer.

Cecilia screamed for help. The large man who squeezed into the car pinned her down, then covered her nose and mouth with something. Within seconds, everything went black and she lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on her side on the ground. Her legs and feet were tied, her mouth was taped shut, and her throat was dry. She couldn't make a sound.

She tried to move—half her body was numb, and her head was foggy. She struggled to sit up, freeing the arm that had been pinned underneath.

Sitting on the ground, Cecilia scanned her surroundings and found herself in an abandoned warehouse filled with various random items.

Thinking of those large men she'd seen before losing consciousness, a nameless fear suddenly arose.

Before the incident, she had made a call, but after dropping her phone, she didn't know if it had connected.

Cecilia didn't dare pin her hopes on a call that might have gone nowhere. Her mind kept racing, trying to guess who was behind her kidnapping.

Jasmine's meeting with her was impromptu, and she hadn't told anyone. Who could know her whereabouts and intercept her halfway?

Moreover, she'd only been back in business for just over six months. Apart from Sebastian and Brenda, she couldn't think of anyone else she'd offended enough to use such crude and brutal methods against her.

But if it really was Sebastian, what was his purpose in doing this?

Just to vent?

It couldn't be him. Sebastian only cared about profit. If it were him, he would simply want to get money, the company, or resources from her.