The Percy Family Heir's Scandal Leaks Again!

Cecilia Davis sat curled up in the master bedroom, scrolling through photos of Edward Percy and Jessica Brown.

The photos were taken secretly, but from a sharp angle.

Through a car window — the two of them, going at it hard.

Cecilia let out a cold laugh, tossed the photos into the trash, and felt a wave of deep exhaustion wash over her eyes.

"Do I really have to cut it?"

"Ma'am, this is Mr. Percy's request. Only if you cut your hair as short as Ms. Brown's can we clear up last night's rumors. Of course, you don't have to go — that is, if you never want to see your brother again."

Edward's assistant Leo spoke with a dismissive air, not a trace of respect in his eyes.

As if she, the so-called Mrs. Percy, was nothing more than a joke that nobody needed.

And honestly, that's exactly what she was.

Edward's affair with the short-haired woman had blown up on social media, causing a massive stir.

It had gotten so bad that major shareholders were demanding a meeting to address the scandal.

Plenty of people were looking to use this moment to squeeze out whatever they could for themselves.

And her husband's solution? Make her chop off the long hair she was so proud of and copy the look in those photos.

Pass her off as the woman in the pictures.

The humiliation couldn't have been more obvious.

A sharp ache ran through Cecilia's chest.

After a long silence, she lowered her eyes and slowly gave in. "Fine. I'll cut it."

She told herself — this would be the last time she ever swallowed her pride for Edward.

Edward didn't even bother getting a proper hairdresser. He just had Leo bring over a pair of scissors.

She lay on the bed, numb, feeling strand after strand of her carefully grown hair fall away.

Her heart went cold.

A few minutes later.

She watched her hair — the hair she'd spent years growing — get dropped on the floor like garbage. It felt nothing short of pathetic.

She followed Leo to the car.

At the shareholders' meeting, Cecilia spotted Edward the moment she walked in. He was standing on stage.

He wore a black suit, but carried himself with a lazy, careless ease — top button undone, eyes sharp and a little arrogant, the whole vibe utterly indifferent.

The lights flickered below. Reporters' voices quickly filled the room.

"Mr. Percy, we've heard your marriage is falling apart because of another woman. Is that true?"

"Falling apart?"

Edward fixed his gaze on the reporter and raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk.

He looked completely calm, a faint smile on his lips. He wasn't angry — but the pressure he gave off was suffocating.

Even the reporter who'd asked the question instinctively swallowed hard.

Everyone knew the Percy family heir had a bad temper and was famously difficult to deal with.

He lazily lifted his eyes, about to speak — then caught sight of Cecilia walking toward him.

The words died in his throat. Right there in front of everyone, he suddenly curved his lips into a smile.

Then he stepped forward and pulled Cecilia close, his arm wrapping around her waist, his voice soft and tender.

"Honey, they're saying we don't get along."

They looked close and intimate, but Cecilia felt nothing but numbness. Her stomach was turning.

This marriage had worn her out completely.

So much so that the man she'd loved for years now looked almost unbearable to her.

She didn't pull away. She let him keep his arm around her waist.

Until the reporters surged forward at the sight of them, turning their questions on Cecilia.

"Mrs. Percy, what do you have to say about your husband spending the night with another woman? Did you know who she was?"

"Mrs. Percy, you've said many times that Mr. Percy loves your long hair. When exactly did you cut it?"

After that last question, Edward glanced over at her with an amused look, his eyes landing on the back of her shoulders.

Right there in front of everyone.

Cecilia faced the cameras, met the barrage of questions, and calmly ran a hand through her uneven short hair.

"Last night was a private moment between me and my husband. We love each other deeply. There has never been a third party."

The reporters stared at her jagged, uneven hair.

The length was exactly the same as in those secretly taken photos from the night before.

The room erupted.

One sharp reporter quickly shifted tone and said with a grin, "So the woman in the photos was actually Mrs. Percy all along. You two really are something."

"Sounds like a couple just keeping things exciting outside the house."

Cecilia heard every word, and felt nothing.

Five years.

If they were really that happy, how did things ever get this bad?

The truth was right there. The rumors fell apart on their own.

The reporters left, looking a little deflated.

The crowd cleared. Cecilia made her way back to the lounge.

The moment she stepped through the door, a hand yanked her back.

The next second, she was pinned down on the sofa.

Edward gripped her wrists hard — hard enough to feel like he might snap her in two.

He grabbed her chin, looking at her the way you'd look at a trapped animal.

"Not bad, the story you spun. But your acting was terrible. Even with the most expensive treatment in the world, that haircut doesn't come close to Jessica's."

He ran his fingers over her blunt, out-of-place short hair and let out a mocking laugh.

"'Deeply in love' — coming from your mouth, that's got zero credibility."

Cecilia's eyes landed on the hickey on the side of his neck.

It stung to look at.

And made her feel sick.

She hadn't actually said anything wrong. She and Edward had loved each other — deeply, once.

At their deepest, she'd rushed into a burning building alone to save him, and he'd taken three bullets from kidnappers for her.

But now they could barely stand the sight of each other.

"You're right, I can't compare to Ms. Brown. She's devoted to you. But I wonder — if Julia knew, what would she think..."

Cecilia smiled faintly.

The moment she said it, Edward's expression shifted. He clamped down on her wrist, his voice dropping low and cold.

"You don't get to say Julia's name. If it weren't for you back then, the rescue team would have gotten to her in time."

The Ms. Brown Cecilia mentioned was actually one of the Percy family's adopted daughters — Julia.

The two families had been close. After the Brown family tragedy, the Percys took in Julia and Jessica, who were twins.

As they grew up, Julia developed feelings for Edward.

But Edward only ever saw Julia as a sister. Instead, he'd pursued Cecilia with everything he had.

Until Julia died in an avalanche — and Jessica left the country.

When Julia was in danger, she'd called Edward.

Edward had been celebrating Cecilia's birthday and missed the call.

But based on Jessica's testimony, Edward believed Cecilia had deliberately ended that call for help.

"I've said it before — what happened that day had nothing to do with me."

Cecilia's heart felt hollow. She spoke in a near-flat tone. "Besides, taking care of your late love's sister all the way to bed — Mr. Percy, that's quite a way to show you care."

Cecilia had explained herself about that day more times than she could count.

But Edward never believed her.

The dead had become untouchable in his mind.

Over the years, Edward had kept company with plenty of young women who shared Julia's features.

But Cecilia never expected this.

That Edward would end up with Jessica.

When she'd gotten those photos yesterday, she'd recognized the other Percy family adopted daughter almost instantly.

Thinking about the two of them together made her stomach turn.

Edward's expression darkened, his mood turning ugly. He stared at her with cold eyes, his thumb roughly grazing her lips.

"So what?" His voice dripped with contempt. "You're not fit to be compared to any of them. You're just a woman I've used up and thrown away."

With that, Edward slammed the door and left.

Cecilia watched him go, already numb.

Not a single ripple moved through her heart.

As if five years of loving Edward had been nothing more than a quiet, forgettable dream.

As if the person who'd risked her life to save him had never been her at all.

She sat there in silence for a long time.

The past five years played through her mind like a film reel.

This marriage. Edward.

She should have stopped expecting anything from either of them a long time ago.

A long while later.

She picked up her phone and made a call. "Mr. Windsor, that proposal you mentioned — I accept. I'll marry you."

"On one condition: you cover my brother's surgery costs, and you help me get back that plot of land in Westside District."