Chapter 110: Chapter 110: She Knew Her Place

The chef turned his head and smiled warmly when he saw Cecilia Croft.

"Hello, Miss Croft."

Cecilia Croft replied blankly, "Hello."

She couldn’t immediately recall where she had seen this person before, so she wore an awkward smile.

The chef said, "Sebastian is in the study."

"Okay." She gave a slight nod and tactfully excused herself from the kitchen.

’Anyone who could call Sebastian Hawthorne by his given name must be on good terms with him.’

’Perhaps she really had met him before.’

Puzzled, Cecilia Croft walked to the study door and knocked.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I’m here."

"Come in," came Sebastian Hawthorne’s deep voice.

Cecilia Croft pushed open the door and stepped inside. After a brief hesitation, she left the door ajar and walked over to Sebastian Hawthorne to give her report.

Sebastian Hawthorne’s gaze remained fixed on his computer. He didn’t spare her a single glance, and she couldn’t tell if he was even listening.

Cecilia Croft carried on with her report, then slid the tablet she’d brought with her in front of Sebastian Hawthorne.

"These are the suspicious contracts I found at the company today. I suspect Jude Sheridan is secretly transferring company assets."

Only then did Sebastian Hawthorne shift his attention from his computer. He reached for the tablet she had presented and began to examine it.

Cecilia Croft leaned forward slightly, pointing to a photo of Jasper Willowby on the tablet.

"I plan to start my investigation here."

"Once we have conclusive evidence, we can recover the four and a half million in company assets."

Sebastian Hawthorne lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes as dark and deep as ink.

"Do you think all I want is just this four million?"

"Of course, it’s not just about getting the money back. Those who’ve done wrong must be punished. If we don’t make an example of him, everyone at the many companies and businesses under the Hawthorne Group might follow suit. Wouldn’t the Group be picked clean by then?"

Cecilia Croft’s reply was calm and her attitude was strictly professional, showing no hint of reluctance or hesitation at the prospect of Jude Sheridan facing prison time.

Sebastian Hawthorne lowered the tablet, his gaze deep and inscrutable as he watched her. He remained silent for several seconds.

Cecilia Croft remained poised and calm, serenely accepting Sebastian Hawthorne’s scrutinizing gaze, though her heart inexplicably began to race.

"He was your boyfriend for seven years, after all. Embezzling such a large amount from the company... the sentence won’t be short. Can you really bear to let that happen?"

’The Hawthorne Group’s legal department was notoriously tough; they would definitely push for the maximum sentence in a lawsuit like this.’

Cecilia Croft’s expression was solemn. "Mr. Hawthorne, it’s true Jude Sheridan and I were together for seven years, but we’ve already broken up. I have nothing to do with him anymore, so there’s no question of whether or not I can bear it."

’She truly felt no reluctance at all.’

’For the past six months, or perhaps even longer, Jude Sheridan had been orchestrating a grand scheme behind her back.’

’Transferring the assets was probably just the first step. He must have also fabricated a series of poor management events for Vantage, racking up massive bank debts to stage an inevitable bankruptcy. And all that debt would have undoubtedly fallen on her head.’

’By the time Lynn Willowby appeared, what energy or means would she have had left to fight back?’

’But Jude Sheridan probably never expected that she had witnessed these kinds of tactics back when she was just a girl.’

’The mess Titus Croft had made for the Croft Group still hadn’t been cleaned up.’

’He probably also never anticipated that she was dead set on leaving him, which is why she sold her shares in Vantage at the first opportunity.’

"Business is a battlefield. Showing mercy to an enemy is like forging the sword they’ll use to plunge into my own chest. I’m not that foolish."

Only after Cecilia Croft finished her speech did she see a flicker of admiration deep in Sebastian Hawthorne’s eyes.

Seeing that his expression had softened, she finally felt some of her tension ease.

Sebastian Hawthorne averted his gaze.

"Not so foolish, indeed. Though, being with a man like that for seven years suggests you’re not that smart either."

Cecilia Croft: "..."

’One relationship had turned into a permanent stain on her life that she could never wash away.’

’What terrible luck.’

A small smile touched the corners of Sebastian Hawthorne’s lips. He picked up the tablet from the desk and handed it to her.

"The fact that you’re reporting this to me means you already have a plan. You handle it. I just want to see the results."

Cecilia Croft took it with both hands. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Hawthorne. I will deliver a satisfactory result."

Sebastian Hawthorne’s brow furrowed. He shot her a sideways glance, clearly displeased.

Cecilia Croft was confused. Certain she hadn’t said anything wrong, a look of bewilderment flickered in her eyes.

Sebastian Hawthorne gave her an indifferent glance, then looked back at his computer and ignored her.

Cecilia Croft squirmed uncomfortably, completely unaware of what could have been wrong with what she had just said.

’It really is true that serving a monarch is like accompanying a tiger.’

She took a quiet breath, mustered her courage, and made her request.

"Mr. Hawthorne, the office area on my floor is still empty. Would you consider sending some people over? Most of the employees at Vantage are Jude Sheridan’s people; Assistant Zimmer is the only one I can rely on."

Sebastian Hawthorne did not respond.

Cecilia Croft pressed on, "If your people arrive sooner, they can familiarize themselves with the situation at Vantage. That way, when my mission is complete and I leave the company, the handover will be much smoother."

She was thinking entirely of how to facilitate the Hawthorne Group’s future takeover of Vantage.

Sebastian Hawthorne had no reason to refuse.

However, the man in the office chair lifted his face to look at her, his expression unreadable. His gaze was so intense it made Cecilia Croft feel as though she had done something wrong.

"Wh-what’s wrong?"

Sebastian Hawthorne looked hesitant, but he finally spoke. "Are you that eager to finish your task and leave the company?"

Cecilia Croft nodded frankly.

"Yes, I am."

’Her joining the company was, from the start, an unspoken arrangement of mutual exploitation between her and Sebastian Hawthorne.’

’Her sister was having health issues, so naturally, she wanted to fulfill the conditions of their agreement quickly and return to Karthus.’

Sebastian Hawthorne looked at her. He nodded, his voice low and raspy as he spoke.

"Fine."

Cecilia Croft couldn’t comprehend his sudden displeasure, nor his swift resignation to the idea.

Fortunately, a knock came at the door, and the chef’s voice followed.

"Dinner is ready. You two can continue your talk after you’ve eaten."

Sebastian Hawthorne nodded. "Okay."

Clutching the tablet to her chest, Cecilia Croft said respectfully,

"I’ll be heading back now, then."

Sebastian Hawthorne’s voice was low and toneless. "Eat before you go."

Just as Cecilia Croft was about to refuse, the man’s deep voice spoke again.

"It’s just one more pair of chopsticks."

His words left her no room for refusal.

Cecilia Croft had no choice but to graciously accept.

As Sebastian Hawthorne rose from his chair, his gaze fell on her bare feet, and he froze for a moment.

Cecilia Croft followed his gaze and looked down, then said with an awkward smile,

"I couldn’t find any shoe covers when I came in."

Sebastian Hawthorne frowned. "Wasn’t there a pair of slippers?"

Cecilia Croft lied with an awkward smile, "I didn’t notice. This is fine, though. It’s refreshing."

’How could she dare touch something that belonged to the lady of the house?’

’She had that much sense, at least.’