Cecilia Nathan hesitated for a moment before retorting, "What if I really am pregnant?"
Damian Hawthorne sneered, "Don't test my patience."
Cecilia Nathan lowered her head with a bitter smile.
'Pregnant...'
Never mind him; even she didn't believe it.
She had been taking birth control pills, so the chances of her being pregnant were very small.
Over the past few years, since he didn't want to get married, she was the one who took the pills.
'Forget about getting pregnant now; it'll probably be difficult for me to conceive in the future, too.'
The more Cecilia Nathan thought about it, the more upset she became. Her eyes reddened. "Damian Hawthorne... have you really never thought about getting married?"
The atmosphere instantly grew awkward.
"Married? To whom?" Damian Hawthorne stared at her, a faint glint in his deep, dark eyes. "To you?"
Cecilia Nathan's face paled slightly. Just as she was about to say something, Damian Hawthorne said coolly, "I've told you before. We're only dating. Marriage is off the table."
"You've crossed a line."
'Right, I've crossed a line.'
It was agreed upon from the start. They were just together, purely together, with no emotions involved, and certainly no marriage.
Cecilia Nathan's lips tightened. She felt a sharp pain that shot from her heart to her fingertips.
"Is the reason you won't get married because of Miss Hughes?"
Damian Hawthorne's brow furrowed slightly. "It has nothing to do with her."
'Then what if Serena Hughes wanted to marry you?'
Cecilia Nathan wanted to ask, but she didn't say the words out loud.
Some questions would only lead to embarrassment if asked.
Thinking about what those people had said, Cecilia Nathan felt as if a knife were twisting in her heart.
The pain in her heart didn't subside until long after Damian Hawthorne had left.
She leaned against the wall, like a drifting duckweed, with nothing to hold onto.
'Just a game?'
'I don't want to play anymore.'
「Early the next morning, at the Hawthorne Family villa.」
Cecilia Nathan was packing her things. As she dragged her suitcase to the door, she saw Damian Hawthorne, who had been standing there for who knows how long.
A cigarette dangled from Damian Hawthorne's lips as he leaned against the doorframe, a roguish smile on his face. "Sneaking back just to pack this stuff?"
Cecilia Nathan was surprised. "How did you get back so quickly...?"
She was wearing a white lace slip dress, the tantalizing lines of her chest partially visible.
Ever since she got together with him, she had never been shy about showing off her figure.
This simple attire could maximize her charm.
Damian Hawthorne sighed. His large, well-defined hand fell on Cecilia Nathan's wrist and pulled her forcefully.
Like a caged bird, Cecilia Nathan was trapped in his embrace.
The faint scent of tobacco from his body washed over her.
Cecilia Nathan lowered her gaze, sensing the desire in his low, husky voice.
His hand landed restlessly on her waist and began to tease her with practiced ease.
Cecilia Nathan felt a mix of annoyance and helplessness. He knew her body too well.
Although she repeatedly warned herself not to give in, she still trembled with excitement at his every intimate touch.
Over the past few years, Damian Hawthorne had already gained complete physical control over her.
But this time... Cecilia Nathan reached out to stop Damian Hawthorne's roaming hand. "Five minutes? A quickie?"
Damian Hawthorne had extremely high standards in that department. Suggesting a "quickie" was an insult to him.
The tide of passion in Damian Hawthorne's eyes quickly receded. He twisted her arm, pinning her against the wall, his dark voice filled with an undeniable dominance. "Five times."
Cecilia Nathan shook her head firmly. "I booked a flight for tonight."
Damian Hawthorne's gaze swept over her suitcase. "Where are you planning to go this time?"
Previously, whenever she was in a bad mood, she would go on a long trip, but she always came back before long.
In the years she'd been with him, she had always been obedient and well-behaved, capable of handling any bad mood on her own.
Damian Hawthorne assumed this time would be no different.
"Damian Hawthorne." Cecilia Nathan looked up and stared at him fixedly. "Let's break up."
"Still throwing a tantrum?" A smile played on Damian Hawthorne's lips. "Wherever you're going this time, I'll go with you."
"You'll go with me..." Cecilia Nathan retorted, "Then what about Serena Hughes?"
Hearing this, Damian Hawthorne's brow twitched slightly.
As if he'd thought of something, he crushed out his cigarette and said in a hoarse voice, "Then be careful on your own."
Cecilia Nathan smiled in understanding.
'As expected, Serena Hughes is still more important.'
She pushed her suitcase to the elevator.
Damian Hawthorne asked again, "You went to the hospital yesterday?"
Cecilia Nathan's steps faltered.
"Are you not feeling well?" Damian Hawthorne's tone was probing.
Cecilia Nathan's fingers tightened. "It's nothing," she said lightly. "Just a stomach bug."
"Mm, then come back soon."
Cecilia Nathan lowered her eyes and said nothing.
'Come back soon?'
'This time, I have no intention of ever returning to the Hawthorne Family.'
After leaving the Hawthorne residence, Cecilia Nathan, carrying bags big and small, walked into an apartment that had been vacant for several years.
She had bought this apartment when she first came to Korsyth. It had been empty ever since. The furniture was new, so she only needed to buy daily necessities.
Cecilia Nathan looked at the small amount of money left on her bank card and fell into deep thought.
After getting together with Damian Hawthorne, he had never been stingy with her when it came to money.
Now that she had left the Hawthorne Family, she had to start a new life.
Just then, a text message came from her good friend, Chloe Sutton:
"Cecilia, come join our show! With your talent for playing the violin, those other contestants are no match for you."
Chloe Sutton was a host at Korsyth Television Station. She was currently hosting a music program and had been wanting Cecilia to participate for a while.
Cecilia Nathan scrolled through their chat history and saw the show's payment.
One hundred thousand.
It was not a small sum.
Cecilia Nathan quickly made her decision.
「The next morning, Cecilia Nathan arrived at the main hall of the Korsyth Television Station.」
The hall was bustling with people, and admiring glances were frequently thrown her way.
Cecilia Nathan had deliberately dressed up today. She wore a modern Chinese-style brocade jacket, her long hair pinned up with a jade-and-gold butterfly clip. She looked elegant yet bold.
"Cecilia!" Chloe Sutton, clacking on sky-high heels, walked briskly over to Cecilia Nathan and gave her a tight hug. "My dear, you're finally here! Our station director heard your violin piece and has high expectations for you."
Cecilia Nathan knew that Chloe was trying to build her up in front of the station director.
"Thank you, Chloe."
"We're good friends, why are you being so polite... Oh, right!" Chloe lowered her voice, her expression a little unnatural. "I saw Damian Hawthorne at the station today. He was with a woman, signing her up. He even had a special meeting with our show's director. Cecilia, tell me the truth, did you and Damian break up?"
Cecilia Nathan pressed her lips together and said nothing.
'The person Damian brought must be Serena Hughes.'
With Damian Hawthorne's influence, he probably did more than just sign Serena Hughes up; he was likely planning to make her famous in the industry.
Serena Hughes was a recent graduate from a music conservatory. If she gained some fame, her future path would be much smoother.
"Yeah." Cecilia Nathan didn't hide it. "We broke up."
Chloe Sutton's eyes widened. "Did Damian Hawthorne cheat on you?!"
"We were never really together in the first place," Cecilia Nathan said with a self-deprecating laugh.
Chloe's face filled with sympathy. "That bastard! He's going to regret losing you!"
Cecilia Nathan fell silent.
Over the years, it wasn't as if no women had pursued Damian Hawthorne, but he had never responded to any of them.
Until Serena Hughes appeared. Then, Damian Hawthorne became a completely different person.
"He's different with Serena Hughes," Cecilia Nathan said with a small smile. "He's probably found his true love this time."
Thinking of how protective Damian Hawthorne was of that woman, Chloe gritted her teeth in frustration. "Damian Hawthorne sponsored our show for thirty million and told us to take good care of her. Thirty million... he's certainly generous with his money."
Cecilia Nathan suppressed the pain in her heart and forced a smile. "Let's not talk about him. We should go meet the station director first."
"Cecilia Nathan!"
Suddenly, a sweet, delicate voice cut through the air.
Dressed in a white dress, Serena Hughes clicked over in her high heels. "Are you here to see Mr. Hawthorne?"