Chapter 5

The splash drew everyone's attention.

A crowd had gathered around them.

Vivian snapped back to reality and couldn't help cursing under her breath.

There were people everywhere at the banquet.

Edward noticed the commotion and rushed over to pull Jessica and Cecilia out of the pool.

Jessica was a mess after falling in. She bit her pale lips and leaned against Edward's chest.

"Edward, don't blame Cecilia. She didn't mean to drag me in..."

Water dripped from the tips of her hair, and she looked utterly pitiful.

Cecilia, on the other hand, simply took Vivian's towel and wiped herself down, her expression completely flat.

Edward draped his jacket over Jessica and turned a cold stare on Cecilia. "Did you do this?"

That tone. It was exactly like five years ago.

Cecilia calmly met his eyes, but that look on her face only made Edward angrier.

"Cecilia, wasn't it enough that you drove Julia to her death five years ago? Jessica just came back to the country. Why are you still going after her? Is the Percy family name really worth this much to you?"

Cold water dripped down her. The crowd buzzed with whispers.

"Did Mr. Percy just say Mrs. Percy hurt someone?"

"No wonder they can't stand each other. Turns out Mrs. Percy drove the Percy family's adopted daughter to her death."

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. There's a lot going on in that family."

The looks around her were full of disgust and contempt.

All these years, the Percy family had kept things quiet to protect their reputation, and there was never any solid proof. But tonight, Edward laid all the blame at Cecilia's feet in front of everyone.

Leaving her with nothing to say in her defense.

Beside him, Jessica bit her lip, eyes glistening with tears.

"Forget it, Edward, stop. Cecilia just doesn't want to lose you..."

Before she could finish, Cecilia walked straight toward her, picked up a glass of wine, and threw it in her face.

"Shut up." Cecilia wiped the splattered wine from her hand and said coldly, "I've heard enough of that garbage. Don't pretend you don't know exactly what happened."

"Enough!" Edward grabbed her wrist hard, his eyes sharp with contempt. "How long are you going to keep up this act? You're disgusting, Cecilia."

What a mess.

Cecilia felt the cold and damp soaking through her clothes, but inside she was strangely calm.

She had always told herself that the distance between her and Edward had grown from a misunderstanding years ago.

But the truth was simpler than that. He just never loved her enough.

She was done waiting.

"Let's get divorced." Cecilia slowly lifted her gaze and finally said the words.

"I'll have someone send you the divorce papers shortly. We're done."

Without waiting for Edward's reaction, she turned and walked away.

She was still soaked through. Even with the towel around her, she looked like a wreck.

Edward watched her go, his brow furrowed.

This was the second time she'd brought up divorce.

Did she really think he couldn't live without her?

If it weren't for making her pay for what she did to Julia, he would have cut ties with her long ago.

Vivian looked at the two of them and let out a scornful laugh. "You two really deserve each other. Do you think everyone else is stupid? Or do you think, Jessica, that no one saw what actually hap—"

Edward went still.

"Edward, I don't feel well..."

Before Vivian could finish, Jessica pressed a hand to her chest, her face draining of color, and let out a faint cry.

Edward saw her color change and immediately bent down and scooped her up, his voice gentle. "You fell in the water. You could catch a cold. Let me take you somewhere to rest."

---

After Cecilia left, she was heading back toward the lounge when a man in a secretary's suit politely stepped in her way.

"Ms. Davis, my employer is waiting for you."

Cecilia recognized him immediately. It was Nolan, Charles's personal secretary.

She paused, then quietly followed him.

Nolan brought her upstairs to a room and arranged for her to change and freshen up.

When Cecilia came back out in fresh clothes, she noticed a man sitting on the sofa.

He wore a bespoke suit, tailored by hand. His features were striking and refined, cool in expression but impossible to ignore.

There was a quiet, composed elegance about him — understated, almost non-threatening, and yet something about him made people instinctively wary.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, his voice low. "That dress suits you."

Charles.

The man who only existed in rumors.

The head of the Windsor family, and her future second husband.

She had assumed he wouldn't be here tonight.

The dress Charles had chosen was a surprisingly good fit — a soft, comfortable knit dress that, against her features, softened her usual sharpness into something gentler and warmer.

The kind of look that felt like home.

Cecilia ran her hand over the soft fabric, then noticed the hot tea that had been set out for her. She was a little caught off guard by the thoughtfulness. After a moment, she spoke.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Charles kept his gaze on her and said, unhurried, "Your lawyer should have gone over the divorce agreement with you already. Once you and Edward are officially divorced, we can move forward with the wedding. As for tonight — I'll have someone set the record straight. I've already sent someone to pull the security footage from the pool area."

Cecilia paused.

She hadn't expected Charles to notice any of that, let alone offer to clear her name on his own.

She looked down for a moment.

This was only the second time they had met.

And yet he was willing to take her side.

After a moment, Cecilia spoke up. "Mr. Windsor, did you know me before? I'm not sure if you're aware — marrying me might not do your reputation any favors..."

When Charles first proposed the idea of marrying her, Cecilia had hesitated.

At the time, she hadn't fully let go of Edward, and Charles was still a stranger to her.

But seeing him again now, she found herself with more questions than before.

Charles was quiet for a beat. "No, I didn't."