Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Losing the Ability to Love

When Cecilia Croft put down her phone, her eyes met the man’s probing gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and a slightly unnatural expression flickered across her face.

"Jasmine said she had to leave early. Let’s eat."

Sebastian Hawthorne grunted in acknowledgment, not the least bit surprised.

After the meal, Sebastian Hawthorne drove her back to the Croft residence.

He parked the car at the Croft Residence Entrance. As Cecilia Croft opened the door to get out, he grabbed her wrist.

"I’ll come pick you up first thing tomorrow morning to go to the Quillans’."

Cecilia was about to refuse, but he released her wrist and added in a low voice,

"Before you refuse me, imagine the consequences of displeasing me."

Cecilia understood the threat in his words and could only nod reluctantly. "I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then."

Sebastian Hawthorne hummed in assent, the stern look on his face softening.

Cecilia ducked out of the car. After closing the door, she turned to him, her voice polite.

"Thank you for the ride home, Mr. Hawthorne. Drive safe."

Sebastian Hawthorne watched her and nodded. Before he hit the gas and drove off, he said lightly,

"I think I’ve figured out why the Croft Group ended up in such a state."

Hearing this, Cecilia took a step closer to the car and asked eagerly, "What’s the reason?"

Sebastian Hawthorne met her clear gaze, the corners of his lips lifting into a smirk.

"I guess you traded all your intelligence for your looks."

The moment the words left his mouth, the car sped away.

Cecilia was left sputtering in a cloud of exhaust fumes, grinding her teeth in helpless rage where she stood.

"Miss Cecilia, you’re back?" Auntie Zane’s voice sounded from behind her.

Cecilia took a deep, sharp breath, quickly composing herself.

"Yes, Auntie Zane, I’m back." She turned to face Auntie Zane, a bright smile spreading across her face.

’I’ll just pretend Sebastian Hawthorne was complimenting my looks! As for the part about me being brainless, I’ll just act like I didn’t hear it.’

Entering the living room, Cecilia saw that the light in the study was still on. It was obvious that Ruby Croft was still working late. Frowning, she pushed the door open and went in.

Ruby Croft heard the sound and looked up. Seeing it was her, she showed no surprise and said calmly,

"You’re back."

Cecilia paused. Her sister looked as if she’d known all along that she’d be back, not a trace of surprise in her eyes. Cecilia let out a small huff and walked over to Ruby.

"Sis, why aren’t you surprised at all?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

She leaned gently against her sister’s chair and casually picked up a document from the desk, flipping through it.

Ruby Croft didn’t stop her work, her eyes remaining on the document on her computer screen.

"You’re so smart. I knew you’d figure out a way to get Sebastian Hawthorne to bring you back."

A complex emotion flashed through Cecilia’s eyes. Her sister’s tone was so certain. She couldn’t help but bite her lip and murmur,

"How did you know Sebastian Hawthorne would definitely bring me back?"

"He’s not exactly an easy person to get along with."

Ruby heard the frustration thick in her voice and glanced sideways at her.

"He might be aloof with others, but surely he wouldn’t be that cold to you."

Cecilia was silent for a few seconds, then she leaned in close to Ruby’s face and asked softly,

"Sis, I don’t get it. Why are you so sure?"

She spoke with such confidence, as if she had Sebastian Hawthorne completely figured out.

Seeing her sister leaning in so cheekily, Ruby pushed her head away. Her eyes went back to the computer, and she spoke while scrolling through the document with her mouse.

"Didn’t you ask me last time what exactly the Croft family owes Sebastian Hawthorne?"

Cecilia nodded.

Ruby stopped scrolling the mouse, her voice calm as she gave the answer.

"You."

"You are the debt our Croft family owes Sebastian Hawthorne."

"The marriage alliance between the Croft and Hawthorne families was decided by our elders. Sebastian Hawthorne always knew he had a fiancée five years his junior, and he had always been rather accepting of the family’s arrangement. But then, his intended bride ran off. For someone whose life had been nothing but smooth sailing, it must have been a significant blow."

Cecilia remembered the first time Sebastian mentioned what the Croft family owed him—the restrained, sorrowful look in his eyes—and felt a pang in her chest.

She lowered her gaze, feigning a calm silence, but the document in her hand wrinkled from her tight grip.

Ruby glanced over, reached out, and gently pulled the document from her hand, placing it back on the desk.

"So, even though you broke off the engagement with Sebastian, he’s probably still thought of you as his fiancée all these years."

Cecilia’s heart lurched, and she quickly shook her head.

"That’s impossible."

Before she left Karthus, she and Sebastian Hawthorne had never even properly interacted.

For the most part, it was she who was secretly paying attention to him.

Since Sebastian Hawthorne and Jasmine Vance’s brother, Finn Vance, were good friends, Cecilia would occasionally see him at the Vance family home.

At the time, she was only fifteen or sixteen, just experiencing the first stirrings of love.

Sebastian Hawthorne’s appearance and demeanor were the most distinguished among all the rich young heirs. Knowing that their families had an engagement agreement, she was smitten at first sight.

Her mother had always been against the Croft family using her as a tool to curry favor with the Hawthorne family. At first, she had been resistant, too. But after seeing him in person, her resistance transformed into a young girl’s secret crush.

Ruby continued to tidy the documents on her desk as she spoke quietly with Cecilia.

"And why would that be impossible?"

"In Sebastian Hawthorne’s magnificent life, there were only two categories in his world: what was his, and what was not. By breaking the engagement against all odds, you introduced a third category into his world: ’what was almost his.’"

"When a person’s life has been too easy, when the whole world seems to revolve around them, and then suddenly an anomaly occurs... it’s actually quite hard for them to get over it."

Ruby leaned back in her chair, looking up at Cecilia, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips.

"Anything is possible. Because he can’t let it go, you’ve become special to him. That’s just human nature."

A flash of astonishment crossed Cecilia’s eyes. After a long moment of silence, she walked dazedly to the sofa in the corner of the study and sat down.

Ruby’s gaze followed her.

Seeing her sitting dejectedly on the sofa, she immediately put down her work and stood up.

Cecilia raised her hands to cover her face, trying to hide her emotions in her palms. Her voice came out muffled.

"I’m not the best choice for his marriage alliance. That’s just an illusion; I’m not that special. He knew ten years ago that our statuses were unequal. Ten years later, he’s only more aware of it. Men are actually much more pragmatic than women."

"I’m well aware that, to him, I don’t have that kind of value."

Ruby detected the verge of tears in her voice and pulled her into an embrace.

"Why would you say that? You’re already more than good enough."

’She wasn’t this upset the last time she came back.’

Cecilia rested her head against Ruby’s chest and shook it.

Ruby raised a hand and gently stroked her back, murmuring,

"You still like him a lot, don’t you?"

Cecilia was stunned by Ruby’s sudden question. She lifted her head and stared blankly at Ruby, her eyes, rimmed with red, now welling with tears.

"Sis, I..."

She opened her mouth to deny it, but Ruby gently interrupted her.

"There’s no need to lie to your sister."

"We’re sisters; we understand each other. How could I not see how you feel about him?"