Chapter 280 The Wedding Is the Best Bait
In the living room of the Hensley Mansion, the whole family was rarely all gathered together.
Robert and Mabel had been brought over as well. Seeing their daughter and son-in-law return safely, the two elderly people were overwhelmed with emotion, their eyes red.
"Stefan, you have been through so much!" Mabel said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You have lost so much weight. Come here, let me take a good look at you."
"Mom, I am fine." Stefan had a gentle smile on his face as he comforted the two elders. "It is all behind us now."
Dione sat nearby, watching this warm scene, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face, too.
But beneath that smile, there was a lingering worry she could not shake.
"Stefan, about Rufus..." She finally spoke up, breaking the warmth.
As soon as that name came up, the atmosphere in the living room instantly grew heavy; even the air felt thicker.
The warmth in Stefan's eyes faded, replaced by coldness.
"The police have issued a nationwide alert. All his assets have been frozen. He will not get far."
That was what he said, but everyone present knew very well that Rufus was not an ordinary criminal.
He was calculating, ruthless, and had a crazed obsession with Cecilia.
A man like that, hiding in the shadows, was a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment, keeping everyone on edge.
Over the next two weeks, Harmony City seemed calm on the surface.
The Hensley Group's stock price quickly rebounded after Stefan's return, even surpassing its pre-incident high.
Martinez's Diner became incredibly popular because of all the attention from the incident, with long lines forming outside the door every day.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
But Rufus had completely vanished without a trace.
The quieter he was, the more anxious Cecilia felt.
She understood Rufus.
He was not someone who would just give up. He had to be waiting in some dark corner for a chance to strike a fatal blow.
And their planned wedding date was approaching.
That evening, Stefan cautiously brought it up. "Amelia, our wedding... should we postpone it?"
He did not want this ceremony, which should be filled with happiness, to be overshadowed by any threat of violence.
"As long as Rufus is not caught, we can not truly relax. I do not want anything to go wrong at the wedding."
"So we just keep waiting?" Cecilia looked up, meeting his eyes directly. "Rufus is so cunning. If he does not show up for a year, do we wait a year? If he does not show up for ten years, do we wait ten years?"
Stefan fell silent.
That really was not a solution.
"Besides," Cecilia continued, "I have a feeling he will not just let this go. He must be waiting for an opportunity, a chance to get revenge on both of us at once."
Her voice was soft but carried a cold certainty.
"Like our wedding."
Stefan's pupils suddenly contracted. "You mean..."
"Turn the tables on him. If he wants to make a move at our wedding, then we turn the wedding into a trap to catch him."
"No." Stefan rejected the idea at once. "It is too dangerous. I absolutely will not risk your safety."
There would be so many people at the wedding, and Rufus was already desperate. He was capable of anything.
Stefan did not dare think about what could go wrong, and he would never allow it to happen.
"Stefan, listen to me." Cecilia cupped his face, her eyes completely serious. "We can not live in his shadow forever. It is better to face this head-on. Only by completely dealing with him can we truly start our new life."
"But a wedding is such an important moment in a woman's life." Stefan's voice was full of heartache and reluctance. "I do not want it tainted by any schemes or calculations. That is not fair to you."
He already owed her so much.
He just wanted to give her the best of everything to make up for it, not ask her to turn her once-in-a-lifetime wedding into bait.
"What is unfair about it?" Cecilia smiled, trying to sound casual. "As long as the person standing with you at the end, making vows, is me, then that is the perfect wedding for me."
She blinked, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"Besides, who says we can not have a perfect wedding?"
"After we completely deal with this Rufus problem, you can throw me another one, right?"
"Then you can make it as grand as you want, invite as many people as you want, and I will not say a word."
Stefan looked at the light in her eyes—confident, resilient, and with a cleverness that made his heart skip.
He could not argue with her.
And he had to admit, she was right.
Rather than passively waiting for Rufus to strike, it was better to take the initiative and keep everything under their control.
Stefan sighed helplessly and affectionately tapped her nose. "I really can not do anything about you."
"So you agree?" Cecilia's eyes lit up.
"Do I have a choice?" Stefan lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. "But you have to promise me something. I will handle all the planning, and I will eliminate every possible danger. You are not allowed to put yourself at risk like last time."
His tone was gentle but absolutely firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Otherwise, I would rather hide away with you for the rest of our lives than let you get hurt even a little bit."
"Okay, I promise." Cecilia nodded obediently.
After reaching an agreement, they began discussing wedding details, like the guest list.
Cecilia looked at the draft list, her finger moving across it, then suddenly paused, looking a bit hesitant.
Stefan noticed her reaction. "What is wrong?"
Cecilia pressed her lips together and said softly, "There is one person... I think maybe we should invite him."
She looked up, meeting Stefan's gaze openly.
"His name is Charles. He is a friend I have known since childhood. In my past life, when I was at my lowest, he was the only one who kept trying to pull me away from Rufus."
Stefan listened quietly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his movement gentle.
"Then invite him." His voice was calm and warm. "Amelia, anyone who held a light for you during the dark times in your life deserves my most sincere gratitude."
Warmth flooded Cecilia's heart.
She nodded and took out her phone, preparing to find Charles's contact information.
She opened his social media account, which had not been updated in a long time, and was surprised to see that just last week, he had posted a new photo.
The background was a Ferris wheel at an amusement park, with afternoon sunlight falling on him. He was smiling brightly and cheerfully.
Next to him sat a girl with smiling eyes, affectionately leaning against his shoulder.
The caption was simple, just one line.
"Us."
Cecilia looked at that photo for a long, long time.
Then she smiled too—a smile that came from deep within, relaxed and relieved.
How wonderful.
He had moved on, too, and had his own fresh, sunny life.
Cecilia quietly closed her phone and set it aside.
"What happened? Not inviting him anymore?" Stefan asked.
"No, not anymore." Cecilia shook her head and leaned back into his embrace, her voice light.
"Let him live his own life well."
"Not interfering is the best blessing."