Regret in His Wake (Hannah and Zachary) novel Chapter 24

The living room was eerily empty, save for Cedric and Cecilia. Cedric gazed at his second wife, disappointment etched in his eyes.

Before heading abroad, he had anticipated a hectic schedule and left his trusted assistant and housekeeper to manage things back home for Cecilia. However, barely a month into his stay overseas, both had joined him there seeking refuge. It turned out Cecilia, eager to make her mark, had promptly fired them and replaced them with her own people.

Meanwhile, he heard rumors about Zachary crashing his car twice for an old flame, abandoning his own responsibilities. It dawned on him that under Cecilia's influence, Zachary had become utterly dependent and ineffective. The Cole family was known for their ruthless decisiveness, always prioritizing family interests. They were expected to bounce back from heartbreak swiftly, not lean on someone else for five years.

Yolanda, too, had run rampant, bullying classmates at school. Cecilia had merely thrown money at the problem, never once holding Yolanda accountable. This neglect allowed Hannah to be bullied by the siblings when she married into the family, with Cecilia turning a blind eye.

"I'll be staying here from now on. You need to go to the countryside and recuperate," Cedric declared, sealing Cecilia's fate with a single sentence. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the man before her. "Do you really hate me that much?"

Cedric met her gaze. "If I truly hated you, the divorce papers would have been in front of you the day I returned." With that, he turned and walked into the study, not sparing a glance at her reaction.

Inside, Zachary and Yolanda stood silently before their father. Their memories were filled with Cedric being abroad, so they had grown closer to Cecilia. The study's atmosphere was stifling, the clock ticking ominously before Cedric finally spoke.

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