Chapter 12: Chapter 12: She Came at a Bad Time

During Cecilia Croft’s hospital stay, Jude Sheridan and Jessica Keller grew increasingly bold in their actions.

Just three days into her hospital stay, she had already received numerous anonymous messages from company employees. Some even bluntly told her that the relationship between Jude Sheridan and Jessica Keller was inappropriate.

For a rookie fresh out of school to receive such special treatment from a company president—any rational person could see the ambiguous nature of their relationship. And yet, Jude Sheridan actually thought he was hiding it well.

Over the past few days, the only contact from Jude Sheridan was a single daily text informing her of his schedule; he showed no other concern.

Perhaps because she had seen his true colors, Cecilia Croft didn’t much care.

Her injuries weren’t severe. After a three-day hospital stay, once the pain subsided, she checked out and returned to her grandmother’s villa to recuperate.

During her convalescence, the wedding planner messaged her to confirm a change to the wedding photo that would be displayed at the event.

[Miss Croft, are you sure you want to change to this photo for display at the wedding venue?]

Cecilia Croft had never requested to change the display photo, so she immediately sent a "?" in reply.

The planner replied instantly.

[Yesterday, a member of our staff called President Sheridan to confirm some details about the wedding. They said that you answered the phone and requested the change.]

Cecilia Croft understood at once what had happened.

’Jude Sheridan was indulging Jessica Keller so much that he even let her answer his phone calls at will.’

Seeing that Cecilia Croft hadn’t replied for a while, the planner cautiously asked again.

[Miss Croft, so... should we confirm the change?]

The planners all agreed that the photo Cecilia Croft had originally chosen was the most suitable for display.

The replacement photo was a long shot; you couldn’t even see her face clearly.

[Go ahead with the change.]

’Since Jude Sheridan was letting Jessica Keller leave her mark all over their wedding, then she didn’t mind giving him a ceremony he would never forget.’

The planner tried to reason with her, but seeing that Cecilia Croft was resolute, they had no choice but to follow her instructions.

They then tried to schedule a meeting with Cecilia Croft to discuss other details.

Without a second thought, Cecilia Croft told them to stick to the original plan.

Not wanting to press their luck, the planner wisely ended the call.

Cecilia Croft put her phone away and lay back on a lounge chair in the courtyard, her eyes lightly closed. The afterglow of the sunset, hanging far in the sky, shone down on her, and a quiet stillness settled over everything.

What she didn’t expect, however, was a visit from Giselle Sullivan, the president of Jessica Keller’s company.

The woman stood at the door holding a gift box, her expression somewhat haggard.

A flicker of confusion crossed Cecilia Croft’s eyes as she got up to open the door.

"President Sullivan, what brings you here?" She stepped aside, inviting her guest into the courtyard.

Giselle Sullivan sighed, her voice full of grievance.

"President Croft, Grandeur Enterprises is in real trouble this time. I found a pretext to fire Jessica Keller yesterday, and that very night, President Sheridan announced he was pulling his investment in our company and halting the project."

"We’ve already spoken with President Sheridan multiple times today and even made concessions on the profit margins, but he still insists on pulling the funding."

With the project already halfway launched, Jude Sheridan’s sudden withdrawal was bound to stir up outside speculation. Naturally, other potential investors would be too scared to get involved.

Giselle Sullivan had run out of options, which was why she had come to Cecilia Croft.

The partnership with Grandeur Enterprises was one Cecilia Croft had personally brokered; she was well aware of the profits this project could bring to Vantage.

She had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into Vantage. She certainly wasn’t going to stand by and watch Jude Sheridan throw a tantrum, sacrificing Vantage’s interests just to stick up for Jessica Keller.

Meeting Giselle Sullivan’s anxious gaze, Cecilia Croft spoke with solemn resolve.

"Rest assured, President Sullivan. Vantage will not withdraw its investment in this project."

Giselle Sullivan replied, "But President Sheridan’s office has already sent over the termination agreement. He even had Jessica Keller deliver it to me personally."

She gritted her teeth just thinking about the smug, arrogant look on Jessica Keller’s face as she’d entered her office.

Grandeur Enterprises was, after all, an established Silvercrest company with over a decade of history. If it weren’t for their recent cash flow problems, they never would have sought a partnership with Vantage.

To stand up for "the other woman," he had a complete rookie publicly humiliate the president of Grandeur Enterprises. It was tantamount to a public declaration of war.

’Jude Sheridan has really gone off the deep end.’

"President Croft..."

Giselle Sullivan’s heart sank a little when Cecilia Croft showed no immediate reaction.

Cecilia Croft guided Giselle Sullivan to a seat in the courtyard and said calmly,

"I will handle this matter and see it through to the end. The project will absolutely not be stopped."

With Cecilia Croft’s assurance, Giselle Sullivan’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. Her floodgates opened, and she began schooling Cecilia on various techniques for how to handle "the other woman."

Cecilia Croft simply smiled without saying a word.

’It seemed like everyone, Jude Sheridan included, assumed she would never leave him. That must be why he had been so audacious lately.’

The next day, Cecilia Croft went to the Vantage offices.

On her way in, the company staff who saw her all had looks of pity in their eyes. A few employees she knew well greeted her, but their expressions were unnatural.

Assistant Zimmer’s reaction was the most exaggerated of all.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran right into Assistant Zimmer, who was waiting to get on.

He had been wearing a calm, composed expression, but the moment he saw her, terror flared in his eyes as if he were facing a formidable enemy. He even started to stutter.

"P-President Croft, what... what are you doing here?"

Cecilia Croft glanced at his awkward, panicked expression before her gaze shot toward Jude Sheridan’s office. She spoke in an icy tone.

"Did I come at a bad time?"