Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Cyrus Hawthorne Has Gone Mad
Cyrus Hawthorne has gone mad.
In just three days, Vaughn Pharmaceuticals faced a devastating blow under his relentless strike, nearly reaching the brink of bankruptcy. Jade Shepherd and Howard Vaughn had no choice but to sell their villas and shares to fill the enormous gaps in the company.
But the more they tried to fill in, the bigger the gaps became, completely depleting all their financial resources, leaving them helpless.
Overnight, the Vaughn Family fell from a minor elite in The Imperial Capital to bankruptcy, with luxury cars, villas, and assets all seized by the bank. This caused similarly sized companies to panic, fearing they might be next.
But it wasn’t over yet. In less than half a day, a video recording from a bar booth and a set of scandalous high-resolution photos appeared on the screens of commercial buildings in the business district of The Imperial Capital, showing from every angle!
Almost everyone passing by saw these recordings and photos!
The public wasn’t unfamiliar with these things, as it had been a major news story a week ago. Because of Ann Vaughn’s special status, the buzz never entirely died down, and people continued to discuss it.
People instinctively thought it was conclusive evidence meant to overturn the previous public relations narrative of the Hawthorne Corp: that Ann Vaughn was innocent!
But when they saw those high-resolution evidences clearly, each one of them widened their eyes.
The woman caught between several punks in the full bar booth video, behaving ambiguously and exposed—
was Cynthia Vaughn!
The screen played the video, even with sound, with kissing and panting noises, almost unbearable to watch!
Even though these things quickly were removed from the commercial building screens, they spread across the internet, triggering countless heated discussions and continuous scolding.
The abuses and slanders Ann Vaughn had suffered before were now all returned to Cynthia Vaughn, with equal intensity and severity.
"Bang!!"
Sound of something being smashed was heard for the fifth time from the ward on the seventeenth floor of the First Hospital.
"Get lost! Take everything away. I’m not eating!!" Cynthia Vaughn harshly threw the apple she was holding onto the ground and swatted away the lunch box from the nurse’s hands.
The hot soup from the lunchbox splashed onto the nurse’s hand, burning her and making her take several steps back. She wanted to say something but saw the fierce look in Cynthia Vaughn’s eyes, as if she wanted to devour her.
"What are you looking at? Do you believe I’ll dig out your eyeballs?!" Cynthia Vaughn stared sinisterly at the nurse’s eyes, as if she was cursing her internally like those online.
That bitch Ann Vaughn is already dead, yet still making her life miserable!
Who could have spread those videos and photos? She would definitely not spare that person, never!!
The nurse endured the pain on her hand and quietly said, "I didn’t, Miss Vaughn."
"How dare you talk back to me?! Do you believe I’ll—" Cynthia Vaughn’s face twisted as she grabbed the fruit plate beside her, trying to smash it towards the nurse.
Just then, the door to the ward opened.
A tall and imposing figure entered slowly, dressed in a deep, cold black suit, surrounded by an intense chill that instantly dropped the temperature in the ward.
"You go first. Have your medical expenses reimbursed by my assistant." Cyrus Hawthorne glanced at the shivering nurse and said in a deep voice.
The nurse quickly nodded in gratitude as she backed out.
Cynthia Vaughn’s ferocious and distorted expression almost couldn’t be concealed upon seeing Cyrus Hawthorne. She tried hard to put on what she thought was a gentle and graceful smile, and explained: "Cian, I was just... too angry about those false news on the papers. You know I’m not that kind of person, right?"
No one had come to visit Cynthia Vaughn in the past two days.
Not even her always doting parents, nor did Cyrus Hawthorne show up. Every time Cynthia Vaughn asked the nurse for her phone, she was refused.
Hence, she was completely unaware of the Vaughn Family’s bankruptcy.
The scandal from three years ago was revealed, and she learned about it through the newspapers.
Without even thinking, she knew how the outside world was discussing her now. The good reputation she had painstakingly built over the years was utterly destroyed!
When Ann Vaughn had suffered these things, she only felt delighted, wishing she’d be trampled even harder!
But now that it was her turn, Cynthia Vaughn wished she could gouge out the eyes and cut the tongues of those who watched the videos and pictures, so they’d never speak of this for a lifetime!
Only Cynthia Vaughn didn’t realize how appalling her bizarre expression appeared.
Cyrus Hawthorne lowered his eyes slightly, a sardonic smile lurking on his cold, stern face.
In the past, he must have been blind in both eyes and heart to not see through her clumsy acting, unable to discern truth from falsehood.
"Eat first." He said softly, placing the meal box he held on the table, but showed no intention of serving.
Cynthia Vaughn initially thought he would immediately comfort her in his arms, promising to resolve the online scandal, but he hadn’t even mentioned it.
Then she thought, maybe Cian was just worried about her not eating well and hurting her stomach?
After all, she had just had surgery.
Thinking about it, Cynthia Vaughn felt sweet, opened the meal box, and saw dishes she loved, giving her some reassurance.
"Maybe because you prepared it for me, I find it delicious." Cynthia Vaughn showed a bashful smile, having several bites.
Cyrus Hawthorne stood aside, his thin eyelids concealing the emotion in his eyes, his thin lips slowly curling, "Then eat more."
"It’s really tasty, only..." Cynthia Vaughn hesitated with a shy smile, "It seems like the texture is a bit odd."
"Because there’s an extra ingredient."
"What is it?" Cynthia Vaughn looked expectantly at Cyrus Hawthorne, already guessing the answer inside.
It must be his love for her.
Cyrus Hawthorne lowered his eyes and smiled, his voice low and tender, "Ann Vaughn’s ashes."
Cynthia Vaughn’s hand holding the chopsticks suddenly stiffened, her stomach churned, then she abruptly shoved away the meal in front, leaned over the bedside, and vomited all she had just eaten.
Like she wished she could vomit out her liver, all the stomach acids turned out, leaving her face pale as a sheet, her body trembling incessantly.
She simply couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
"Why? Didn’t you always want to claim everything of Ann Vaughn’s and eliminate her happily? Why vomit?"
Even as foolish as she was, Cynthia Vaughn realized at this moment that Cyrus Hawthorne’s voice was no longer tender, low like a devil from the Eighteenth Abyss, speaking.
"Cian, Cian, I don’t understand what you mean..." Cynthia Vaughn’s heart trembled, her back bent from vomiting, trying to reach for the water she sipped earlier to rinse her mouth.
"That water bottle contained the blood from Ann Vaughn’s heart. Was it tasty?" Cyrus Hawthorne spoke as if conversing casually, his expression calm, voice gentle, showing no lethality.