The Second Act Revenge (Oneida and Jackson)
The Second Act 325

Chapter

325

The figure reaching out was Oneida. She gripped the hot soup bowl in her hand, her gaze sharp and cold as she stared down Cece. Her features were severe, her presence overwhelmingly intimidating. As her fingers tightened slightly, her knuckles stood out, as if she was a second away from crushing the porcelain bowl. Cece was startled by Oneida's sudden approach. She hadn't expected Oneida to burst forward with such agility. Oneida was quicker on her feet than she had imagined. The maid at their side, sensing Oneida's arrival, instinctively let go of her grip. And so, at this moment, the scene turned into a stand-off, with Oneida and Cece each holding onto one side of the soup bowl, neither willing to let go. "Let go," Cece demanded, her voice steady as she recovered from the initial shock, her eyes glaring daggers at Oneida.

Oneida gave her a cold glance and scoffed, "What if I don't?"

"You..." Cece's eyebrows knotted in frustration, on the verge of an outburst.

At this point, Oneida's back was turned to the dining room door while Cece, facing her, could see the doorway perfectly. Cece's eyes paused, clearly spotting something. Her expression changed the next moment, showing a hint of agony, "Oneida, why are you trying to take my soup?"

Oneida, confused, just tightened her grip on the bowl, pulling it toward herself-when suddenly, Cece launched herself at Oneida. She didn't hit Oneida, but the soup in her hands splashed over. Cece fell to the ground in a calculated tumble. The hot soup spilled all over her. Cece bit her lip in pain, her expression turning increasingly agonized. But Oneida, watching this, felt neither joy nor satisfaction. When things don't add up, there's a demon at play. This abnormal behavior of Cece had to mean something. Oneida's eyes flickered, and she swiftly turned around-to replace that, as she had suspected, Jackson stood at the entrance of the dining room, tall and straight. He was dressed in a sharp dark gray suit, his deep eyes cool and detached, his handsome features indifferent. There was a lack of clear emotion on his face, just the solemn depth in his gaze focusing on both Oneida and Cece. A certain realization tightened Oneida's grip involuntarily. So that's how it was Cece's drama all made sense now. By crashing into her and falling, in Jackson's eyes-it undoubtedly seemed like Cece fell and got herself covered in soup all because Oneida was trying to snatch the bowl away. Cece had become the perfect victim.

"Ouch, it hurts!" Cece continued to lay there, her face scrunched in pain, cold sweat beading on her forehead, "This soup is scalding..."

Then, Jackson strode forward, his deep-set eyes fixed on Cece, his handsome face as unreadable as ever.

"Jackson," Oneida called out first, her voice urgent, her eyes locked on the man in front of her. She didn't want Jackson to misunderstand her. Yet, she was torn, thinking that if Jackson truly misunderstood her, that would mean all his prior words were for naught. His affection, then, was too cheap. If he couldn't even trust her, what love was there to speak of? With that thought, Oneida's fists clenched, her eyes blazing as they bore into Jackson as if trying