Now You Want Me? Too Late

An unpleasant memory from the past surfaced in the back of Cedric’s mind.

Back then, Cedric had hated Thomas for marrying Amber, the woman he loved. He remembered how bitter he had been back then.

He had humiliated Thomas at work, deliberately given him impossible workloads, and made his life miserable whenever he could. And eventually, he had taken Amber back.

But even after Thomas resigned and left the country, Cedric’s hatred hadn’t disappeared. Years later, when their paths crossed again, the old resentment had returned.

That rainy night, he had pushed Thomas in front of a speeding car and killed him.

Cedric’s fingers suddenly twitched. He could almost see that night again.

For years, he had buried the memory deep inside himself. He had convinced himself that no one knew. No one had seen what he had done. No one could ever connect him to Thomas’s death.

But he felt exposed when she mentioned Elena was actually Thomas’s daughter.

"No..." The word escaped her lips in a faint whisper. "That can’t be true."

His mind kept rejecting the truth. But Amber’s furious expression told him otherwise.

Cedric felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

He had always believed Elena was nothing more than an orphan the Sinclair family had taken in. He had never imagined she was Thomas’s child. And he certainly had never imagined that one day she would become the wife of the most powerful man in the city.

His face paled.

With the Rowan family’s wealth and influence, Elena had become untouchable. If the truth about Thomas’s death ever came out, he would be finished.

’No, no...’ Cedric turned his face away, trying to hide the panic rising inside him. ’They cannot find out. I have to do something. I can’t let that woman stay with Elias.’

"Elena suffered so much." Amber’s broken voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "When I left her, I thought Thomas would take care of her. But I never knew he died when she was still young. She grew up like an orphan in the Sinclair family."

Her heart twisted at the thought. She had missed her daughter’s entire childhood. She hadn’t been there when Elena needed her.

Then pain hardened into anger.

"And that bastard Noah cheated on her." She clenched her fists. "He added even more pain to the life she had already suffered. I’ll never forgive him. And I’ll never forgive you either."

She thrust a finger at him.

Cedric’s heart dropped. A thought crossed his mind. ’Did she find out? Does she know I killed Thomas?’

"If you hadn’t stopped me from bringing Elena with me back then, she wouldn’t have gone through all this," Amber accused him. "She suffered because of you."

Cedric released a silent breath, relieved. ’She doesn’t know anything.’

But anger returned quickly. "Don’t pin everything on me," he roared. "You chose me. You decided to marry me, leaving your husband and child. I didn’t force you."

Amber went silent.

The words struck somewhere deep. Because she couldn’t deny them.

She had made that choice. She had walked away. It was her who had left Elena.

"You wanted a luxurious life, a life that Thomas could never have given you. You chose Vivian over Elena. Now, don’t play victim."

He strode away.

"Where are you going?" Amber barked.

Cedric paused right at the doorstep. He gritted his teeth. "None of your business." He glanced back at her over his shoulder. "You are not going out of this house without my permission. And you are not meeting that woman again."

His tone turned threatening. "If you go against my word, I’ll make sure you pay."

He stormed out. The door slammed shut behind him.

Amber remained standing in the middle of the room. Her shoulders slowly sagged. Her face crumpled as fresh tears filled her eyes.

"I am sorry, Elena," she sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "I am so sorry. Forgive me, please."

As soon as he stepped outside, Cedric got into his car and slammed the door shut. His face was still twisted with anger. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

The call connected after a few rings.

"I told you to find a way to kidnap Elena," he hissed. "Several days have passed, and there is still no result. What the hell are you people doing?"

"Mr. Sterling, kidnapping Mrs. Rowan is almost impossible," the man replied anxiously. "Her security is extremely tight. The guards follow her discreetly wherever she goes. If they suspect anything, they’ll kill me before I get anywhere near her."

Cedric rubbed his forehead in frustration. "What about the others?" His voice turned impatient. "Don’t tell me Elias has guards following every member of the Rowan family."

"Almost." The man hesitated before continuing, "Whether it’s the Rowan family mansion or the penthouse, there are guards everywhere. The old man barely leaves the house anymore. And whenever he does, security follows him closely. There is no opportunity to get near him."

He paused. "And the little boy..."

The man sighed. "A bodyguard has been assigned to him ever since the kidnapping attempt. Mr. Rowan made sure nothing like that could happen again."

Cedric’s jaw tightened. His plans were becoming more difficult by the day.

"What about Evelyn?" His voice carried clear irritation.

"She is busy with her new office," the man replied. "And these days, her ex-husband has been picking her up and dropping her off. It seems they are reconciling."

Cedric’s eyes narrowed.

Unlike Elena, Evelyn might still be vulnerable. And the man hadn’t mentioned guards following her.

A slow, calculating smile appeared on Cedric’s face.

He knew Evelyn’s nature well.

She was stubborn, independent, and fiercely protective of her freedom. She wouldn’t tolerate someone following her everywhere. Even if Elias had assigned guards to protect her, she would probably find a way to shake them off.

That could be the opening he needed.

"Follow Evelyn." His voice became cold. "Don’t rush. Watch her carefully. The moment you see an opportunity, take her."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

If he could take Evelyn away, he could control Elias. He could make him do anything he wanted.

"She is Elias’s twin," Cedric continued. "She is the one person who can make Elias lose his judgment."

"Understood, sir."

"Keep watching her and report everything to me."

"Yes, sir. I’ll keep you updated."

The call ended.

Cedric lowered the phone. His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction.

If Elias wanted to destroy everything he had built, Cedric would make sure Elias paid an even higher price.

"Elias... You think no one can touch you. This time, you will lose."

Cedric knew Elias would never calmly watch his sister suffer. He would abandon business deals, destroy alliances, and use every resource at his disposal to get her back. That was exactly what Cedric wanted.

"Let’s see how powerful you really are when the person you love is in my hands."