Chapter 1757 Love Cannot Be Forced


    Years ago, Nichs had been the target of an assassination attempt.


    Without hesitation, Cecilia had shielded him, taking the hit in his ce. The scar on her back was proof of that moment-one she had carried with her ever since.


    For the longest time, she had believed it was Nathaniel she had saved, convinced that he was the one indebted to her.


    Nichs swallowed, but the bitterness in his throat refused to fade.


    "How could you give me psychological medication?" Cecilia demanded, her voiceced with disbelief.


    Even now, she struggled toprehend it. The person who had once been kind and outstanding in their youth had somehow twisted into someone paranoid and obsessive.


    Across from her, Nichs took a slow sip of his coffee, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the mug.


    "I had no other choice. All I wanted was for us to start over." As the words left his lips, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "The truth is... you''ve already moved on, haven''t you? You''ve been in love with Nathaniel all along."


    Cecilia''s brows knitted together in confusion.


    Nichs pressed on. "You don''t even remember Nathaniel, yet you still didn''t want to be with me during the year we spent together. Why? Wasn''t it because you had already fallen for him?"


    That year abroad with Cecilia still haunted him. No matter how much time they had spent together, no matter how close they had been, she would always instinctively shy away from his touch-like a reflex she couldn''t control.


    Nichs''s gaze flickered to Cecilia''s abdomen. "How many months along?" <i>How many months?</i>


    Cecilia frowned, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"


    "How far along are you? Didn''t you and Vivian go for a check-up recently?"


    Realization dawned on Cecilia-he hadpletely misunderstood. He thought she was pregnant when, in reality, it was Vivian.


    Before she could correct him, Nichs'' expression darkened. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he said, "You''ve really let me down. You im not to remember Nathaniel, yet you''re carrying his child? Tell me, did he force you, or was it your choice?"


    This wasn''t the Nichs she had once known. The warmth, the gentlemanly demeanor-all of it was gone. What remained was a man whose words cut like a de, sharp and bitter.


    Cecilia''s grip tightened around her coffee mug, the temptation to throw it in his face ring hot within her. But in the end, she forced herself to remainposed.


    Taking a slow, measured breath, she met his gaze head-on. "I''m not pregnant. And even if I were—what business would it be of yours?"


    Nichs''s gaze flickered, his expression unreadable.


    Cecilia met his eyes, her tone firm and unwavering as she delivered a warning." asked you here to make one thing clear-I don''t love you, Not now, not ever. There was nevera beginning for us, and there never will be an end. So stop overthinking this."  swnovel


    With that, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the café without looking back.


    Nichs remained in his seat, motionless. He should have felt sorrow, regret― something. But all that lingered was a slow-burning anger.


    He hated being betrayed more than anything.


    Outside, as Cecilia stepped onto the sidewalk, she spotted Jocelyn standing by a


    car.


    Jocelyn noticed her as well, giving her a polite nod. "Ms. Smith."


    Cecilia returned the gesture, equally courteous.


    Just as she turned to leave, Jocelyn suddenly quickened her pace, hurrying after


    her.


    "Ms. Smith, Mr. Nichs meant no


    harm. You have no idea how difficult these past years have been for him When he was abroad, he was confined to a sterile ward, unable to go anywhere. He spent countless days alone, just sitting there, staring at your picture." Jocelyn ''didn''t know what hade over her today, but for some reason, she feltpelled to tell Cecilia everything.  swnovel


    Cecilia stopped in her tracks. For a fleeting moment, she hesitated. A part of her wavered at Jocelyn''s words, but she hadn''t forgotten the outrageous things Nichs had done.


    She turned to Jocelyn, her gaze steady. "Let me ask you something. If you loved someone, would you do anything to have them-even if they already had a family, children?"


    Jocelyn fell silent.


    She already knew her answer. No, she wouldn''t. She had watched Nichs marry a woman he didn''t love, had silently endured her own feelings, never once


    ve


    interfering-because she understood something Nichs never did.  swnovel


    Love couldn''t be forced.


    Cecilia continued, "Besides, what he feels for me now... I don''t think it can even


    be called love anymore."