Chapter 15
Samuel frowned at him. "What do you mean?"
Tanner gave a bitter laugh. "Edward is a monster! He had his eye on my sister and used her brother's illness to blackmail her into signing that agreement! Even when I went to confront him, I was thrown out. What could I do?"
As he spoke, he secretly observed Samuel's expression.
Sure enough, the anger on Samuel's face gradually gave way to shock and sympathy.
Everything Tanner said perfectly confirmed all of Samuel's negative suspicions about Edward.
Power. Coercion. Transaction.
"He keeps Cecilia locked up in that mansion, won't let her go out, won't let her work," Tanner pressed on. "You saw it yourself at the police station—is that how a husband treats a wife? That's a prison guard with an inmate!"
Seeing Samuel taking the bait, Tanner immediately pleaded, "Samuel, I'm begging you, can you help my sister? Get her out of that hellhole? I'll do anything you ask if you can free her!"
Samuel looked at the tearful Tanner, seemingly heartbroken over his sister, and his resolve hardened.
"Don't worry," he said. "I won't let him get away with this."
---
Monday at Summit Enterprises Group's Legal Department.
By the time Cecilia emerged from the subway station, the legal department's group chat was exploding.
[Did you see? Cecilia took the subway today!]
[The big shot trial run is up?]
[Told you, a man like Mr. Clifford was just after something new. Once he got bored, he tossed her aside like trash.]
Cecilia ignored the gossip. As she was organizing some old case files, a gentle female voice spoke above her.
"Cecilia, back at work? Are you feeling okay?"
Marlee stood there in a perfectly tailored business suit, looking at her with concern.
"I'm fine."
"Good to hear." Marlee smiled. "The executive office has some urgent pre-acquisition due diligence cases. Mr. Scott specifically called and requested your help."
Executive office? Mr. Scott?
Cecilia's heart sank.
Marlee seemed to read her hesitation. "Here's the basic material to familiarize yourself with. The executive team will coordinate with you this afternoon."
She added, "Work is work. Don't mix in personal feelings."
The condescending tone wasn't lost on anyone nearby. The implication was clear: not only had Cecilia been discarded, she was being dragged back to work, squeezed for every last drop of value.
Cecilia stared at the mountain of folders on her desk and suddenly understood.
Edward had simply changed his game.
The best way to humiliate someone is to destroy what they take the most pride in. For Cecilia, that was her professional work.
Cecilia's fingertips brushed the cover of the top file, the cool touch making her strangely calm.
She looked at Marlee. "Thanks. I'll do my best."
Cecilia's composure made Marlee inexplicably uncomfortable. She said nothing more and returned to her office.
Cecilia pulled the stack of files toward her.
[Feasibility Analysis for East Asian New Energy Company Acquisition,] [European Semiconductor Industry Patent Barrier Research,] [Southeast Asian Logistics Network Integration Legal Risk Assessment]...
These weren't just challenging for an intern—even experienced lawyers would struggle to get through any one of these in a short time.
He wanted to crush her with work?
Well, she'd show him exactly what his five million dollars had bought.
All morning, Cecilia didn't drink water, didn't use the bathroom, didn't even look up.
During lunch break, colleagues passed by her desk in small groups on their way to eat, instinctively lowering their voices.
"What's she trying to prove? Does she think Mr. Clifford will look at her again?"
"Exactly. She's already finished. Why struggle? If it were me, I'd have resigned already. Every day she stays is just more embarrassment."
A young female colleague holding a coffee cup quietly objected, "But those cases... I get a headache just reading the titles, and she's actually working through them..."
"She's just being stupid. What good will it do even if she does well? The credit goes to management, but the blame for mistakes falls on her. Just wait—in three days, she'll be crying her way out the door."
Cecilia tuned out the chatter, her brain working at full speed.
She couldn't lose.
If she lost, she truly would have nothing left.
---
By evening, most people had left the office. Cecilia rubbed her sore eyes and checked her progress. In one afternoon, she had organized all the basic materials for the first East Asian acquisition case. Even she was surprised by her efficiency.
She was about to continue when her phone vibrated.
[Off work yet? I'm coming to pick you up.]
It was from Samuel.
Cecilia stared at the message for a few seconds before replying.
[No need. Working overtime.]
The message had barely sent when Samuel called.
"Overtime?" Samuel said. "You're an intern still working past midnight. Is he deliberately making things difficult for you?"
"Samuel, this is my job."
Samuel went quiet for a moment. "I spoke with Tanner. Edward threatened you with your brother's illness to force you to sign that contract. This isn't a legal marriage—it's coercion! We can go to court and petition to have the marriage invalidated!"
Cecilia's mind went blank.
Tanner? He went to Samuel? And said all that?
"Cecilia? Are you listening?"
"Samuel." Cecilia felt as if she'd been stripped naked, nothing but humiliation left. She gritted her teeth. "It's not what you think. You can't trust Tanner."
"Why not? You're just too kind, too patient. Cecilia, just say the word and I'll help you escape him!"
"I don't need help!" Cecilia blurted out.
Silence fell on the other end.
Cecilia realized her reaction was excessive. She took a deep breath. "Samuel, thank you for your concern. But this is my problem. Please don't interfere anymore, okay?"
She hung up, switched her phone to silent, tossed it in her bag, and refocused on the documents in front of her.
What Cecilia didn't know was that every word of her conversation with Samuel had been transmitted clearly to another phone through some technical means.
---
In the executive office.
Edward sat in darkness, the cigarette between his fingers glowing and fading.
Escape him?
His face was hidden in shadow amid the swirling smoke.
He picked up the internal phone on his desk.
"Teddy."
"Mr. Clifford."
"Tomorrow, add a performance agreement to that Southeast Asian project in the legal department. Tell them if it's not done well, the entire department's year-end bonus will be cut in half."
"...Yes, sir." Teddy hesitated, but couldn't hold back. "Mr. Clifford, isn't that a bit... harsh?"
"Isn't she capable?" Edward said coolly. "Then let her prove it."
The news about the performance agreement hit the legal department like a depth charge on Tuesday morning.
The entire department's year-end bonus now hinged on a project in an intern's hands. Overnight, every look directed at Cecilia changed.
She had become public enemy number one.