Chapter 72 My First Love
Nathaniel didn’t respond to her invitation. Instead, he said indifferently, “I don’t have time.”
Stella didn’t expect him to reject her so decisively.
The thought of what had just transpired between him and Cecilia made her unconsciously clench her empty hand into a fist.
Stifling the discomfort in her heart, Stella turned to look at Cecilia and asked, “Cecilia, will you be able to attend? We have our university reunion after the showcase. Who knows, seeing our old classmates might jog your memory”
Nathaniel’s gaze had also fallen.
had also fallen upon her.
Cecilia had just expressed her wish to regain her memory to Nathaniel. Finding it difficult to reject Stella, she agreed, “All right.”
After picking up the invitation, she left the office.
Seeing that Cecilia was also going to the showcase, Nathaniel felt tempted to join her too,
Eventually, he agreed to go after persistent coaxing from Stella.
As Stella silently observed the changes in Nathaniel, her resentment toward Cecilia grew even stronger than before.
On the other hand, after leaving Nathaniel’s office, Cecilia couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
She almost had it…
In the evening, as per the time stated on the invitation, Cecilia had her driver take her to the opera house.
As soon as she arrived, she noticed quite a few famous people and media personnel present.
There were also some former college classmates.
Stella had booked the concert hall and the exhibition hall of the opera house. Entry was strictly limited to those who were invited. Anyone else was turned away.
Cecilia entered with an invitation in hand and was guided to a spot that offered a broad view.
From there, she had a view of most of the venue.
At first, she didn’t quite grasp Stella’s intentions, not until she saw that familiar silhouette before the performance began. Then, she understood.
Surprisingly, Nathaniel had also arrived. He sat in the first row,
Didn’t he say he wouldn’t come?
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Chapter 72 My First Love
Cecilia couldn’t help but scoff. Whenever he faced Stella, he never truly rejected her.
Stella was brimming with satisfaction.
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With Nathaniel present, the media flocked to cover Stella. All the news about her was positive.
Those affluent college classmates who used to look down on her were now vying for her attention, hoping to get close to Nathaniel. They were all relentlessly pursuing her.
However, their plans had fallen through. This was because Nathaniel was surrounded by bodyguards, making it impossible for anyone to get close to him.
From a distance, Cecilia couldn’t tell what Nathaniel said to his bodyguard.
Before long, a bodyguard respectfully approached Cecilia.
“Ms. Smith, our CEO has requested your presence.”
Without any reason to refuse, Cecilia stepped forward.
For a moment, all eyes were on her.
“Isn’t that Cecilia?”
“Didn’t they say she was dead?”
“Exactly! She has come back from the dead!”
The classmates who knew Cecilia were whispering amongst themselves.
Cecilia sat next to Nathaniel under the weight of curious gazes from all around.
“Mr. Rainsworth, why did you summon me? Is there something you need?”
Nathaniel’s sharp gaze fell upon her. “Didn’t you say you wanted to recover your memory? I’m here to help you.”
For some unknown reason, a sense of unease began to creep up from the bottom of Cecilia’s heart under his scrutinizing gaze.
Fortunately, Stella took the stage at that moment.
On stage, Stella immediately noticed Cecilia sitting with Nathaniel. A glimmer of hidden emotion flashed through her eyes, but she didn’t let it show.
Before she began to sing, she slowly started to speak.
“The song I performed today is a new one, dedicated to my first love, who also happens to be the only person I’ve ever loved.”
First love, the only one she had ever loved…
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Chapter 72 My First Love
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Back then, everyone in the school knew that Stella, a pauper, had managed to latch onto the influential Rainsworth family, specifically Nathaniel.
Hence, everyone knew she was referring to Nathaniel.
Since it was essentially an internal performance, some people began to cheer.
Send Gifts
Chapter 73 A Successful Launch
Compared to those outsiders, Nathaniel appeared significantly more composed.
Stella’s gaze fell back onto Cecilia. “Although my first love and I went through many twists and turns, and we didn’t manage to marry, I believe that we will eventually be together.”
This was essentially a veiled warning to Cecilia.
As the accompaniment began, Stella’s new song, “Ray of Light in the Dark,” started to play. The melody was graceful and deeply moving.
For some reason, as Cecilia listened, it felt strangely familiar. However, she couldn’t quite recall where she had heard it before.
–
“The melody is quite good. It’s just a shame that she ruined the song.” Nathaniel remarked slowly from beside Cecilia.
Cecilia was trying to recall where she had heard the melody before when her attention was pulled back by Nathaniel.
Although Stella started her career as a singer, her voice was not really that impressive.
Nathaniel looked at Cecilia and said, “I remember that you used to enjoy singing too.”
Had he not mentioned it, Cecilia would have nearly forgotten.
Perhaps it was her mother Paula’s influence, Cecilia had a keen sense for music from a young age. However, she had hearing impairment, a condition that was detrimental in the music industry. Nathaniel had chanced upon her humming a song once. She sounded great.
He thought that she would undoubtedly be famous if she were to sing the
song.
Cecilia hadn’t expected that he would still remember her fondness for singing. Back then, he hated noises at home the most.
“Is that so? I can’t recall,” she responded.
Beneath the dim light, Nathaniel cast a deep gaze at her and asked, “Do you remember that Stella’s first love was me?”
His reason for coming this time was to observe how Cecilia behaved when confronted with Stella.
He didn’t believe that Cecilia would be indifferent to Stella’s words.
“You were the one who snatched me from her
grasp.”
Nathaniel stared intently at her as he enunciated every word.
Nonsense!
Chapter 73 A Successful Launch
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Back then, he was the one who had broken up with Stella first. Only after their separation did Nathaniel’s and Cecilia’s families begin discussing marriage arrangements.
Such blatant distortion of truth stirred up a wave of indignation in Cecilia’s heart, but she couldn’t let it show. “Is that so? I may have hearing impairment, but I’m not short–sighted. Was my charm so lacking in the past that I had to compete with her for a man?”
Who wasn’t capable of having a silver tongue?
Nathaniel’s expression turned slightly rigid.
“Do you
think other men are better than me?”
Had there not been other people around, he would have definitely sought a thorough explanation.
Sensing that he was getting angry again, Cecilia decided to stop pushing. “I was just making a comparison, Mr. Rainsworth. Don’t overthink it.”
How could Nathaniel possibly not overthink?
When Cecilia returned, it was as if she had become a completely different person!
He wanted to say something more, but Stella had already finished singing her song.
Aside from hearing the first two lines of Stella’s song, he didn’t listen to the rest of it.
When the melody ended, everyone around began to applaud.
Though Stella’s singing was average, the melody of this new song was genuinely pleasing to the ears. It was notably better than all the songs Stella had sung before.
Some people had boldly predicted that the song would become famous as soon as it was released.
The launch of Stella’s new song was a great success.
Surrounded by the crowd’s flattery, Stella’s gaze inevitably fell upon Nathaniel. A sense of satisfaction was evident in her eyes.
At last, she proved once again that she was no less than Cecilia!
After the media left, Stella went straight to Nathaniel, In front of Cecilia, Stella’s eyes were full of pride.
“Nathaniel, I knew you would come. You never miss any of my important moments.”
As Cecilia watched this scene unfold, she couldn’t quite put her feelings into words.
Upon hearing Stella’s words, the classmates who were still present naturally assumed that Nathaniel had come for her.
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Chapter 74 Are You Afraid Of Me
Nathaniel did not discredit her in front of so many people.
“Nathaniel, will you join us at the gathering later?” Stella asked again.
Since Nathaniel was irritated by Cecilia’s words earlier, he deliberately agreed in her spite her. “Sure.”
An entire floor of a five–star hotel had been reserved.
presence to
As soon as Nathaniel arrived, he was immediately surrounded by Stella and a group of scions.
Meanwhile, Cecilia sat alone at the side.
At that moment, a woman, dressed in an innocent style, approached her.
“Did you see that? Only our Stella can get the attention of Mr. Rainsworth. After all, his first love. was Stella.”
Cecilia knew the speaker. She was Stella’s best friend, Yvette Harrison.
As Cecilia held a glass of wine and took a sip, she casually remarked, “Judging from your behavior, anyone who doesn’t know better will think you were Nathaniel’s first love.”
Yvette intended to take a stand for her best friend, but a single comment from Cecilia nearly made her lose face.
Not wanting to stir trouble, Cecilia got up and left.
On the other hand, by the time Nathaniel managed to extricate himself from the crowd, Cecilia was nowhere to be found.
After exchanging a few words with Stella, he too left the place.
Amidst the torrential downpour, a luxurious Cadillac trailed behind Cecilia’s car.
It wasn’t until Cecilia returned to Ninth Ville that the person inside the Cadillac finally shifted his
gaze away.
Nathaniel picked up his phone and called Mason. “How’s your investigation going?”
“Someone is constantly trying to obstruct us, but we’ve found out that Ms. Smith went to Erihal after leaving the country. It will take some time to get into the details,” Mason replied.
“Hmm.” Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Erihal!
He hadn’t expected that Cecilia was living there all those years.
Chapter 74 Are You Afraid Of Me
No wonder he couldn’t find her despite searching for her for several
years.
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Judging from Cecilia’s unusual behavior that day, he became increasingly certain that she was hiding something from him!
Right after Cecilia finished a phone call with her sons, she received a call from Stella.
“I’m outside where you live. Let’s meet.”
Outside Ninth Ville, Stella stood beside a minivan.
As Stella walked toward Cecilia, she took a moment to glance around.
“This place really is grand, comparable to the Smith residence,” Stella hinted subtly.
Cecilia only recently discovered that the current resident of the Smith residence was Stella.
After Stella achieved success and fame, she spent a substantial amount of money to purchase the Smith residence.
“Surely, you didn’t ask me out just to talk about houses, Ms. Ross?” Cecilia said.
“Of course not.”
Stella steadily approached Cecilia. “I’m here to ask you to willingly step down from Rainsworth Group and return overseas.”
Everything that Nathaniel had done for Cecilia that day left Stella feeling a bit unnerved.
She was afraid that Nathaniel might have actually fallen for Cecilia!
Cecilia laughed. “On what grounds?”
Stella choked up.
Cecilia looked back at Stella, her eyes filled with mockery. “Are you scared of me?”
Stella felt a jolt in her heart under Cecilia’s gaze. “What can I possibly be afraid of? Do you still see me as that penniless orphan from before? I can have everything I want now! I used to envy you, Cecilia, but now, I pity you. I pity you for the loss of your father and the downfall of your family. I pity you because even though your mother is alive, it feels just like not having one at all.”
Stella lifted her hand and held Cecilia’s shoulder. Smiling radiantly, she asked, “After all these years, do you know where Paula and your younger brother have gone? If you don’t want them to find out you’re back, then get lost back overseas! Someone like you who has lost everything should rightfully stay overseas and never return, understand?”
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hapter 75 The Plagiarized Song
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Cecilia was calm. “You really think so highly of yourself, don’t you? Have you ever taken a single step on your own in your journey so far? Would you have even survived if it wasn’t for the Smith family? Would you have become an A–list celebrity if it wasn’t for Nathaniel?”
Leaning close to Stella’s ear, Cecilia lowered her voice as she taunted, “Don’t think I’m unaware of the schemes you were involved in overseas after graduation. Do you think Nathaniel and his family will still accept you if they found out?”
Long before returning, Cecilia had already made ample preparations.
In order to successfully acquire what she wanted, she even went out of her way to investigate Stella.
Upon investigation, she discovered that Stella, known for her innocent goddess persona, had quite an eventful few years abroad.
Stella’s eyes widened in shock.
She thought she had hidden her past well, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
“You really didn’t lose your memory, did you? Believe it or not, I’ll tell Nathaniel.”
Cecilia was not at all intimidated. “Oh, really? Then do you believe that Nathaniel will see those. videos tomorrow?” she challenged.
Stella choked up again.
She truly didn’t expect Cecilia to become so sharp–tongued after her return.
“Cecilia, what do I have to do for you to let me and Nathaniel be happy together?” Stella began to play the pity card. “Apart from Nathaniel, I haven’t done anything else to wrong you, have I? I beg you to let Nathaniel off. You will be doing yourself a favor too,” Stella pleaded, tears welling in her
eyes.
“Did you spare me back then?”
Not wanting to lay eyes on that pretentious woman, Cecilia turned around and walked away.
After Cecilia had departed, the tears in Stella’s eyes completely vanished. There was only fear left
in her heart.
She was afraid that Cecilia would reveal her experiences abroad to Nathaniel.
If Nathaniel found out, she would be done for.
No way! Absolutely not! Cecilia, you are the one who forced me!
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Chapter 75 The Plagiarized Song
“Ceci, did you sell your song to Stella?”
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Cecilia couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Central Media, where Stella used to belong to, has approached me before. They wanted to buy the rights to my music, but I turned them down.”
Upon hearing this, Vivian became furious instantly. “Ceci, have you seen the news about Stella’s new song release? That song, “Ray of Light in the Dark, has plagiarized your music!”
Upon hearing Vivian’s words, Cecilia opened her computer and looked up the new song released. by Stella
The day before, she felt a sense of familiarity, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it.
However, when she listened to it again, she remembered a tune that she had casually composed a few years back.
“I remember you had a song called ‘Ray of Light‘, Ceci. She hardly changed the name!” Vivian. scoffed.
Since Vivian had taken a particular liking to the melody, she remembered it very well.
“I remember that I didn’t bother about it anymore after posting it on a niche platform,” Cecilia said.
“When Stella couldn’t buy your song, she resorted to stealing it. What a crafty tactic!”
As Vivian spoke, she simultaneously searched for information on her
computer.
“Ceci, do you know that some of the songs Stella sang were bought and some of them were stolen?”
Are you sure you don’t know the meaning?
I’m not a fan of Stella, but I really like this particular song,
Don’t you know the story behind this song? It’s a love confession written by Stella after waiting for Nathaniel for four years. I genuinely feel for Stella because she waited for Mr. Rainsworth for so many years. Now that his ex–wife has passed away, she finally got what she wished for.
I wonder what sc*mbag daddy will think if he hears this.
Felix didn’t know how to respond. After some thought, he lowered his voice again and said, “You’re not allowed to tell anyone else. I’m telling you, my uncle never even liked Ms. Ross.”
“This is just your one–sided claim.”
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