Chapter 219 Be Your Own Dynasty

Chapter 219 Be Your Own Dynasty

Cecilia stood frozen at the door the moment she heard those words.

Nathan and Seraphina's daughter—the real Cecilia—had died because of her?

Sophie heard it too and tried to rush out, desperate to demand the truth, but Cecilia grabbed her arm and held her back.

If she truly was Stella, then what they were saying had to be true.

From outside the door, Cecilia heard Gavin reply to Ethan. "Don't underestimate me. I've been planning this for years. I wanted to take it slow—build a relationship with Cecilia first, let her have her revenge with her own hands. But I never expected they'd already have their eyes on her, that they'd try to strike first. If they're so eager to wipe us out, then I won't go easy on them either."

A flash of ruthless resolve flickered through Gavin's eyes—there and gone in an instant. His tone shifted back to its usual irreverent drawl as he teased Ethan. "Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should worry about yourself. Your mother went to Cecilia and told her to leave you. Your fiancée showed up and ran her mouth. And if I'm not mistaken, the Pierce family has made a move against Cecilia too. You can shield her once or twice, but can you really handle every single time? I suggest you come up with a permanent solution—deal with all the messes clinging to you once and for all. Otherwise, don't be surprised if Cecilia really does walk away."

"She wouldn't dare!" Ethan shot back, overbearingly confident.

Cecilia, still inside, heard every word and ground her teeth in fury. From that moment on, right up until she was discharged, she refused every single one of Ethan's visits.

On the day she left the hospital, Sophie, Helen, Gavin, and Damon all came to pick her up. Ethan alone was barred from the room.

He watched as Cecilia was ushered into the car by the group and driven away, frustration and desperation churning inside him.

Gavin, of course, couldn't resist twisting the knife. "That's what you get for running your mouth. Well, look at you now—Cecilia really is done with you."

"And you're so much better? Kicked out of your own company, and you still have the nerve to strut around in front of me?"

"You're comparing yourself to me? I'm her real brother!"

"Gavin!"

Seeing Ethan about to snap, Gavin immediately caved. He scrunched up his nose and offered some conciliatory reassurance. "For the sake of all our years of friendship, I'll keep an eye on Cecilia for you—make sure none of those other guys swoop in. You just speed up taking care of that mess of yours. If you need help, say the word."

Ethan clapped a hand on Gavin's shoulder and ground out through clenched teeth, "Thanks!"

---

Back at home, her parents had already prepared a full meal to celebrate her and Molly's recovery and discharge from the hospital.

The lively group ate their fill, laughter filling the room, and then gradually trickled out. The house settled into quiet stillness.

Cecilia put Molly to bed, coaxing her gently until she drifted off. Then she walked back out to the living room, sat down, and finally asked her parents about her origins.

Even though she had braced herself, hearing the answer from their own lips still cut deep.

"Dad... Mom... I'm so sorry."

If it weren't for her, their real daughter would still be alive.

"Don't blame yourself. We lost her, but we found you. You've stayed by our side in her place. That's more than enough for us."

Cecilia listened, and in her heart she made a silent, unbreakable vow: She would take care of them, ensure they lived out their remaining years in peace and comfort. This was a debt she owed the real Cecilia, and she would repay it in full.

---

Three years later.

After countless trials and obstacles, Vertex Holdings Group had finally and successfully completed its joint project with Apex Ventures Corporation.

Victor arrived with a new project proposal, hoping to continue the partnership, but Cecilia politely declined.

"Ms. Nelson, are you sure you won't reconsider?"

Cecilia offered a calm smile. "No, thank you. Now that Vertex Holdings Group has merged with Horizon Innovations Group, our focus going forward will be smart interior home design. Traditional renovation work no longer aligns with our business philosophy, and our workers aren't suited for it either."

More than anything, she wanted to carve out a space that was entirely her own.

"Fair enough. Business may not work out, but goodwill remains. I sincerely wish Horizon Innovations Group nothing but greater success from here on."

Horizon Innovations Group had gone public two years ago, thanks in no small part to Damon's assistance.

"Thank you, Mr. Phillips."

---

Before leaving for the day, Cecilia decided to swing by Damon's office to finalize some project details. But just as she reached his door, she heard unmistakably flirtatious sounds drifting from inside.

She never would have guessed—Helen had actually gone and won Damon over.

One was her best friend, the other her close friend and business partner. Seeing them find each other, Cecilia felt genuinely, wholeheartedly happy for them.

She chose not to interrupt. Turning around, she headed back to her own office. The moment she stepped inside, a strong arm hooked around her waist and pulled her into a firm embrace.

She caught the familiar scent of vanilla and pushed against him in protest. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ethan replied, and then sealed his lips over hers.

They didn't part until both were breathless.

"Ethan, don't push it. Who gave you permission to kiss me?"

For the past three years, she had poured herself into building her career and being there for her daughter and her parents. Her relationship with Ethan remained exactly what it had always been—neither too close nor too far.

"No one. I wanted to," Ethan answered with blunt honesty, then added, "I came to take you home from work."

Cecilia pushed him away and headed toward her desk chair. "I can get home on my own. I don't need you."

Ethan followed right on her heels. Leaning casually against her desk, he looked down at her with an imperious gaze. "Then how about giving me a ride? I need to go to Golden Haven."

"What are you going there for?"

"Someone invited me to dinner."

Cecilia assumed it was just another excuse, but when she got home, she realized he'd been telling the truth. The ones who had invited him were her parents—and Molly.

Molly had grown noticeably taller. The moment she saw Ethan, she lit up and flew into his arms, demanding to be picked up.

Cecilia could only watch with a resigned expression. This habit of Molly's—judging people by their looks—she wondered if it was genetic.

After dinner, as Ethan prepared to leave, Nathan spoke up. "Cecilia, see Mr. Campbell out."

Seraphina added from the side, "And if you're not coming back tonight, just let us know so we can lock the door."

Molly let out an envious sigh. "Mommy, are you going to spend another beautiful night with handsome Ethan?"

Cecilia shot her a glare at such an outrageous remark. "What do you know? Don't say nonsense."

Ethan's place in the Bayview Nature Reserve wasn't far from Golden Haven—about a twenty-minute walk.

The two of them walked side by side down the road, neither speaking, savoring the rare, quiet stillness between them.

Then, suddenly, Ethan broke the silence. "Brenda is dead."

Cecilia paused for a moment, then replied evenly, "Everything she did, she chose for herself."

She had chosen to take drugs. Chosen Sebastian. Chosen to blame all her misfortunes on everyone else.

She had wanted someone to lean on, and she had believed Sebastian could be that person.

She never understood that in this world, relying on anyone else is never as reliable as relying on yourself.

And pinning your hopes on becoming the trophy wife of a scumbag like Sebastian—well, that was a fate destined for ruin.

Thankfully, Cecilia had come to her senses in time. She had walked away from that worthless man and scorned the gilded cage of being some rich man's wife. If she hadn't, the woman she was today would be an entirely different story.

Speaking of rich families—Cecilia's gaze flickered sideways toward Ethan.

Over these three years, he had openly defied Jasmine, privately broken off his engagement to Aurora, and carved the Pierce family's ancestral business out of Apex Ventures Corporation, severing every leverage the Pierce family had over him.

Everyone had predicted that Apex Ventures Corporation would be dealt a devastating blow. No one expected that, after weathering the storm, Ethan would propel the company to even greater heights, turning it into one of the world's top global enterprises.

"What are you looking at?" Ethan's attention had been fixed on Cecilia the entire time. The instant her gaze landed on him, he caught it.

"You're good-looking. Can't I look?" Cecilia shot back playfully.

A smile tugged at the corner of Ethan's mouth—the kind of devastatingly charming smile that could make anyone weak in the knees. "Go ahead. Look all you want."

As the words left his lips, lights flickered to life all around them. From seemingly nowhere, Ethan produced a bouquet of roses. He dropped to one knee, holding the flowers, and spoke with deep, earnest gravity. "Cecilia, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"

Over these three years, Ethan's lofty, untouchable image had been completely dismantled in Cecilia's eyes.

So even now, with him kneeling on the ground, his voice soft and almost plaintive, she didn't find it strange at all.

"I have no plans to return to the Grayson family. We wouldn't be a match in status. You still want to marry me?"

"If you'd asked me that three years ago, I might have understood. But now? You're the CEO of a publicly traded company. Asking me something like that—don't you think it's a little foolish?"

Cecilia bristled at that. "What's foolish about it? You're the fool. You're handsome, rich, single—why on earth would you insist on marrying a divorced woman like me?"

"Because you're Cecilia. No matter what you become, as long as you're willing to come to me, I'll devote my life to protecting you."

---

One day, half a year later, the Crystal Peaks Hotel was booked out entirely.

It was the day Ethan, CEO of Apex Ventures Corporation, and Cecilia, president of Horizon Innovations Group, were to be wed.

Some said they were perfectly matched. Others whispered that Cecilia was merely clinging to Ethan's coattails.

Cecilia heard those murmurs, and a faint, untroubled smile graced her lips.

What others thought—she no longer cared so much. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

The wedding march swelled. She looped her arm through Nathan's and walked toward her groom.

Ethan, today, was dashing and radiant, impossibly handsome—like a prince, drawing every gaze in the room.

His eyes never strayed from Cecilia, tender and full of deep, abiding affection.

When Nathan placed her hand into Ethan's, and they stepped forward together, it was only then that Cecilia truly felt what it meant to walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder, in shared joy.

From the moment she had walked away from Sebastian, she had sworn an oath to herself: from now on, she would be her own gilded house.

And now, she had done it.

Step by step, she had grown stronger on her own, forcing those who wished her harm to keep their distance.

The Graysons, the Campbells, the Colemans—none of them could control her life and death at will anymore.

Perhaps there would be even more people like the Hughes family waiting in the future. But she was no longer afraid.

The officiant spoke the wedding vows in a ringing voice. When he asked if she was willing to marry the man standing before her, she finally had the courage to answer, loud and clear, "I do!"

---

That night, tangled together in bed, passion running deep, Cecilia suddenly asked Ethan a question. "When did you recognize me?"

Ethan, still diligently moving above her, gazed down at her with eyes full of love and a knowing smile. His lips brushed against hers as he answered, succinct and to the point, "The first time we met."

Cecilia blinked in surprise, then grumbled with mock indignation, "You big liar."

Ethan's response was a sharp, deliberate thrust. The sudden jolt sent a shockwave through Cecilia, and every last coherent thought scattered. Every sense, every nerve, surrendered and drowned beneath his relentless assault.

The night stretched long before them.

And their happily ever after—it had only just begun.