Ignored When Chasing: Why Cry After I Got Engaged-Chapter 31: Suspicion

Cecilia Nathan opened her mouth, her voice hoarse. "There was no heartbeat."

Frances Bennett sighed. "The news said the baby was Hugo’s. I believe you, dear. You’re not that kind of person."

"I’ve watched Hugo grow up since he was little. If the baby had been his, he would have proposed to you long ago. He’s not like Damian... Hugo is a responsible young man." At this, a hint of sadness crept into Frances Bennett’s voice. "And don’t blame Damian, either. He has his own hidden troubles... Do you know why he’s pursuing that Serena Hughes?"

"I don’t need to know." Hearing their names again, Cecilia Nathan felt nothing but a calm emptiness.

She and Damian Hawthorne had nothing to do with each other.

Who he pursued, who he loved—it had nothing to do with her.

Seeing Cecilia Nathan’s indifference, Frances Bennett knew this wasn’t the right time for such a conversation.

"In a few days, it’s Damian’s maternal grandfather’s birthday. I still hope you can come. Don’t worry, this time, you can just be a guest. I won’t make you cook again."

Frances Bennett added a few more words of advice before hanging up.

’I thought Frances Bennett would blame me for losing the baby. I never expected her to sound as if she had already prepared herself to lose this grandchild.’

’Perhaps for her and Damian Hawthorne, it was better that this child was never born.’

Because it was a minor procedure, she was free to leave after a quick check-up.

Cecilia Nathan still wanted to stay in her own little house.

She had smelled the scent of hospital disinfectant for too many years. She didn’t want to smell it ever again.

「On a small road not far from the Hawthorne Family’s old estate.」

Serena Hughes walked away, a backpack slung over her shoulders.

This area was filled with the estates of wealthy families, one after another. It used to be a place where the rich retired.

But as the urban area expanded, the residents of these old estates gradually moved closer to the city center.

Serena Hughes wandered around the outside of the estate, her astonishment growing with every step.

She knew the Hawthorne Family was rich, but she hadn’t realized just *how* rich.

The estate was so vast she couldn’t see the end of it; it was nearly the size of her school.

Just then, Serena Hughes suddenly saw an old woman collapsed on the ground ahead.

Serena Hughes jumped, startled. She tried to step around her, but the old woman reached out and grabbed her.

"Young lady, could you please... take me to the hospital? I’ve sprained my ankle."

Serena Hughes shrieked in fear, yanked her leg back, and snapped at the old woman, "There are so many insurance scams these days! I’m not taking you anywhere. Call 911 yourself!"

’I’ve read so much news about people getting extorted. One lawsuit could leave you bankrupt.’

Her family wasn’t well-off, and she was broke. To her, an old woman like this was like the plague incarnate.

"I’m not trying to scam you..." The old woman’s face was crinkled with pain. The moment she looked up at Serena Hughes, her expression shifted from shock to joyous surprise. "You... You..."

Serena Hughes ignored her and tried to kick her away, but the old woman grabbed her again.

This time, the old woman seemed to use all her strength. "Child, my child, who is your mother? Tell me, where is your mother?"

With a look of utter disgust, both frightened and appalled, Serena Hughes finally kicked the old woman away and bolted.

Halfway through her escape, Serena Hughes recalled the bag the old woman had dropped in the corner. It looked somewhat familiar.

’That bag... it looks like one of those designer bags from a luxury store that cost millions.’

Serena Hughes’s heart began to THUMP-THUMP.

When she got home, Serena Hughes told her mother what had happened.

When she heard it was a wealthy old woman, Mrs. Hughes’s face turned a little pale.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Serena Hughes asked suspiciously.

"N-nothing..." Mrs. Hughes turned away and sat stiffly in her chair, lost in thought.

That night, Mrs. Hughes told her husband about it.

"Honey, my mother... she found Serena. I think she recognized her." Seeing his wife’s dazed expression, her husband’s heart ached for her.

"If she’s found us, then let’s stop hiding. Your family is well-off. If Serena returns to the fold, it will be good for her."

"You’re right. I’m tired of hiding after all these years."

...

「Hawthorne Group Headquarters.」

In the president’s office on the twenty-eighth floor, Damian Hawthorne flipped through the files in his hands, his expression turning cold as he read what his assistant had found.

"Why does Serena Hughes have amnesia too?"

"Well... it’s not impossible that it’s a coincidence," the assistant said, trying hard to find an excuse. "Back when Miss Luna was with you, you couldn’t find anything about her past. Now, we can suddenly find Miss Serena’s past so easily... Don’t you think it’s a little too easy? It’s almost as if... someone intentionally let us find it."

At this, the assistant’s voice grew quieter. "But, President Hawthorne, I wanted to investigate further back then, but you told me not to. You even said that Luna was Miss Serena..."

’It wasn’t that I didn’t want to investigate thoroughly. It was just that back then, when President Hawthorne heard Serena Hughes play the violin, he acted as if he were under a spell, dead set on believing she was Miss Luna.’

"Serena Hughes can play ’Eye of Love’."

"President Hawthorne, the piece Miss Serena plays... it’s not necessarily one she composed. Maybe... other people can play it too." The assistant suddenly realized his words might be adding fuel to the fire.

He glanced up at his boss and swallowed nervously.

Damian Hawthorne clutched the documents, a cold sneer on his face as his fingers tightened fiercely.

The papers in his hand were slowly being crushed into a ball.

"President Hawthorne..." the assistant called out nervously, afraid his boss might do something rash.

’God only knows how important Miss Luna is to our boss.’

’Over the past few years, President Hawthorne has spent an untold amount of money, practically turning all of Veridia upside down, and still hasn’t found a single trace of Miss Luna.’

’He finally found Serena Hughes and thought she was Miss Luna, only to find out it was all a big mistake.’

’And what’s worse, because of Serena Hughes, our President Hawthorne has completely offended the kind and gentle Miss Cecilia Nathan.’

Thinking of Miss Cecilia Nathan, who was always so pleasant to everyone, the assistant sighed internally. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

’If Serena Hughes isn’t Luna, then this would truly be a case of giving up a diamond for a rock.’

"Investigate further." Damian Hawthorne narrowed his eyes, toying with the crumpled ball of paper. "Find out where Serena Hughes learned that music."

’Amnesia, and she knows "Eye of Love".’

’Everything made sense, and yet it made *too much* sense.’

"President Hawthorne, what if... what if Serena Hughes isn’t Miss Luna?"

’Not Luna?’

Damian Hawthorne toyed with the paper ball, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

’Serena Hughes’s behavior at the old estate proved she knew about my past with Luna.’

’She just happens to have amnesia, and she just happens to know "Eye of Love".’

Damian Hawthorne’s hand, toying with the paper ball, suddenly froze.

’I remember... Serena Hughes was recently asking Cecilia Nathan for some sheet music.’

Damian Hawthorne looked at his assistant. "Find out exactly what sheet music Serena Hughes was asking Cecilia Nathan for."

’Perhaps the assistant is right.’

’It’s not necessarily a piece that only Serena Hughes can play.’

’It’s possible... that someone else can play it too.’