Chapter 152 The Token He Gave Her
Cecilia's instinct drove her to look away from that glaring tombstone.
But the second her gaze shifted, her body suddenly went rigid, her mind completely froze.
Next to the tombstone that belonged to "Cecilia," there was actually another tombstone.
Simple in style, made of heavy stone, completely different from the extravagant white tombstone beside it.
It was actually her grandfather Patrick's grave!
How could this be?
An extreme coldness instantly pierced through her entire body.
Her fingertips immediately lost all sensation.
Cecilia stared hard at that tombstone, her mind completely blank, even her breathing stopped.
Rufus caught every subtle change on her face.
He was very satisfied with the shock he saw.
This finally confirmed his suspicion.
Rufus released Cecilia's hand, stepped forward, and stood between the two tombstones, laying everything out word by word.
"Her last wish before she died was to be buried with her grandfather. I made it happen for her."
Made it happen?
Cecilia whipped her head around to look at Rufus.
The hatred blazing in her eyes was so intense it almost became solid, wanting nothing more than to tear him apart.
She wanted to be buried with Patrick because she wanted to return to the small town that raised her, return to that peaceful land, far away from all the conflicts and pain.
Not to have Rufus forcibly dig up Patrick's remains from his homeland in this way and lock them in this hellish place called "Eternal Cecilia"!
This wasn't fulfilling her wish!
This was desecration! This was grave robbing!
How dare Rufus?
How dare he do this to Patrick! Making Patrick, who had ended his own life to help her escape, unable to rest in peace even after death!
"You!"
Cecilia's lips trembled violently, her throat dry and painful, every word incredibly difficult to say, carrying the taste of blood.
"Rufus, what exactly did you do to his grave?"
"What did I do?" Rufus raised an eyebrow, seeming not to understand her anger. "I moved his grave here, used the finest coffin, chose the best location with the best feng shui, right beside her. Isn't this what she wanted?"
A sweet metallic taste surged up her throat. Cecilia was almost driven to cough up blood by Rufus's absurd logic.
"By what right! By what right did you touch his grave! What gives you the authority!"
"Authority?" Rufus laughed lightly.
"I'm her husband."
"Is that authority enough?"
"You goddamn scum!"
Hot liquid suddenly slid from her eyes without warning, burning her skin.
It was burning tears woven from endless anger, regret, and self-blame.
Cecilia hated herself.
Hated herself for not getting the ashes back sooner, hated herself for not even being able to protect Patrick's final peace!
Seeing her break down in tears, Rufus's heart was gripped by a twisted pleasure.
But immediately following that was his deeper, sharper scrutiny.
He stepped forward, grabbed her chin, and forced her to lift her head.
"Why are you crying?"
His thumb roughly wiped away the tears on her face, his gaze carrying both investigation and oppression, wanting to see through her disguise and peek into the secrets of her soul.
"Aren't you Amelia?"
"This is Cecilia's grandfather. Whether he's dead or alive, where his grave is, what does it have to do with you?"
"Why would you cry for him?"
Cecilia suddenly snapped back to reality, all her emotions instantly reined in, forcibly suppressed.
She couldn't let him find out, absolutely not!
She slapped away Rufus's hand, turned her face away in embarrassment, messily wiping her tears, her voice hoarse from both agitation and suppression.
"Can't I think of my own grandfather?"
"When my grandfather passed away, I wasn't by his side either! I didn't even get to see him one last time! Seeing this old man's tombstone, I'm reminded of my own loss. Do I need Mr. Chapman's approval for that too?"
Her reason was reasonable and proper, even carrying the sadness of human nature.
But Rufus didn't believe a single word.
He had seen too many people's tears—fake ones, sincere ones, sad ones, joyful ones.
But the look in her eyes just now.
That kind of grief that came from deep within her bones, wanting to destroy everything, absolutely couldn't be explained by simple "being reminded of one's own loss."
"Is that so?" Rufus sneered, clearly not accepting this explanation.
"Your grandfather? I don't remember your file mentioning such a person."
"Do my family matters need to be written in my personal file?" Cecilia immediately retorted, her brain racing to fabricate details. "He died too early, my mom doesn't want to talk about it. Should I bring it up every day? Rufus, you're overstepping!"
She met his gaze, adding without backing down.
"Or is it that in your eyes, shedding even one tear for that woman called 'Cecilia' is a crime?"
This sentence precisely hit Rufus's sore spot.
He moved closer, trapping Cecilia again between himself and the cold tombstone.
"Amelia, you're telling more and more lies."
"I don't need to explain anything to you!" Cecilia turned sideways, trying to avoid the suffocating oppression emanating from Rufus. "Rufus, I'm warning you for the last time, you have no right to restrict my personal freedom in any way! If today's incident happens again, I'll call the police immediately and apply to the court for a restraining order!"
"Restraining order?"
Rufus laughed lowly, his chest vibrating, the laughter full of mockery and disdain.
"You think that piece of paper can stop me?"
He stopped laughing, bent down, his gloomy eyes level with hers.
"Amelia, let me tell you. As long as I don't want you to, you won't even be able to leave here. Do you believe me?"
"I've checked your background many times. It's very clean, abnormally clean."
Rufus's voice became even lower.
"A girl who grew up in a small town, never received advanced design education, yet can produce designs that shock the entire industry."
"An ordinary nurse from an ordinary family, yet intimately familiar with the craft details of top luxury brands."
"And you know the Chapman family's layout and my habits like the back of your hand."
"Amelia, how do you explain all this?"
Cecilia's heartbeat skipped for a moment, but her face remained calm. "I'm observant, is that not allowed? As for the rest, it's just your wild speculation!"
"Speculation?" Rufus smiled.
"What great speculation."
"You know too much about Cecilia's affairs. So much that it makes me think you're not some relative at all, nor some pen pal."
Rufus slowly straightened up, looking down at her, his tone becoming cold and certain.
"Every time you look at me, there's hatred."
"That kind of hatred isn't rejection of me as a stranger, but bone-deep, unforgettable hatred."
"You know her last wishes inside and out, you empathize deeply with her grandfather."
"So then..."
After speaking, Rufus took something out from inside his suit jacket.
It was a jade pendant.
The jade wasn't top quality, with minor chips at the edges, but years of wearing had made it smooth all over, giving off a soft luster.
Rufus spread the jade pendant in his palm and held it before Cecilia's eyes.
"Look at this." His voice was very low, carrying a tone of certain judgment.
"Do you really have no memory of it at all?"
It was the token he had given her on the boat back then.
Cecilia's pupils suddenly contracted.