Chapter 521 - 517: I’ll Take Him On

"Miss," Mrs. Yates said to Cecilia, her expression serious.

"You just said Jeb has helped you, and that he trusts you so much he’s left his wife and children in your care. That means you’re definitely going to help him, right?"

Cecilia Sterling nodded.

Mrs. Yates continued, "In that case, I’ll consider you one of our own. I’m not asking for much. You have to talk to her more, make her think about Jeb and not divorce him. Please?"

"Ma’am, is talking really enough to solve this?" Cecilia’s tone shifted as she deftly took control of the conversation.

Just as she’d expected, Mrs. Yates looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"

Cecilia’s expression grew serious. After a moment of thought, she said, "I think my sister-in-law is actually a very sentimental person. She and my brother now have two children. She wouldn’t be considering divorce so lightly."

"But if external factors keep bothering and pressuring her, then who knows what could happen."

"External factors?" Mrs. Yates asked, confused, her brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

Cecilia hesitated, her expression becoming troubled. "Like my brother’s younger brother, for instance. I’ve heard he’s asking around for Zelda’s address. I promised my brother I would look after her and the children, to make sure she could have a peaceful pregnancy and give birth safely. That’s why I set her up at my place to prepare for the delivery."

"They’re full brothers. My sister-in-law just had a baby. If my brother’s younger brother keeps this up right now, isn’t he just pushing her away?"

Mrs. Yates seriously considered Cecilia’s words. Mulling them over, she had to admit they made some sense.

Cecilia continued, "And then there’s you, Ma’am..."

"Me?"

"Yes. Your role in all of this is actually even more important."

"What do you mean?" At this, Mrs. Yates’s attention sharpened.

"Look, with my brother locked up, you’re the bridge between my sister-in-law and this family. Everyone has a heart, and a woman is at her most vulnerable after giving birth. If you treat Zelda with genuine, wholehearted kindness during this period, will she still have the energy to think about all that other nonsense?"

Mrs. Yates nodded as she listened, thinking it made perfect sense.

"Honestly, instead of worrying about her divorcing my brother, you should be on her side—for Jeb’s sake, and for your grandson and granddaughter. If you pour all your energy into being good to her, would she ever want to leave this family? My brother will be out in a few years..."

"That’s no problem," Mrs. Yates said quickly. "I came here specifically to help her through her postpartum recovery."

Cecilia struck while the iron was hot, laying on the flattery. "Of course you can do it. You’re a woman and a mother yourself. You can put yourself in her shoes. You’d do anything for your children, and my sister-in-law is the same way. Would she really have the heart to let her kids grow up without a father? Unless she’s pushed to the absolute limit, she won’t go for a divorce."

Mrs. Yates nodded in agreement, impressed by how accurately Cecilia had analyzed the female psyche.

With that, Cecilia drove her point home. "So, Ma’am, you know exactly who is making my sister-in-law want to leave this family. If you want to keep her, you need to be on her team!"

Mrs. Yates stood frozen to the spot, her mind—never her sharpest tool—working overtime to process everything Cecilia had said.

Seeing her reaction, Cecilia knew her words had hit their mark. She calmly washed an apple and said, "Ma’am, why don’t you take a moment here to think over what I’ve said and see if it makes sense. I’m definitely going to help my brother, and you’re obviously looking out for him too. That means we need to be pulling in the same direction. If we’re working against each other, it’ll just turn into a tug-of-war, won’t it?"

"Pulling in the same direction..."

"Exactly! I’ll keep encouraging my sister-in-law to think about my brother, and you can give it your all being good to her. With a two-pronged attack, we can definitely help my brother keep his wife, his children, and all his assets!"

Mrs. Yates nodded instinctively. Cecilia smiled faintly. "Give it some more thought. I’m going back now. Someone needs to be by Zelda’s side, and I can’t really count on a man like Duane for that."

With that, Cecilia turned and walked away.

Back in the hospital room, Zelda Warner noted how long Cecilia had been gone. She had no idea what the two of them could be talking about.

Hearing the door open, she instinctively tried to lean over and see who it was. Cecilia hurried in. "Zelda, don’t move."

Seeing that she was alone, Zelda immediately asked, "Where is she?"

Cecilia sat down without a hint of rush, picked up a fruit knife, and began peeling the apple. "She was probably a little stunned by what I said. She’s off digesting it right now."

She glanced up at Zelda Warner. "My guess was right. The old woman might be sincere in wanting to be good to you, but Tony Yates definitely put her up to something. She’s trying to find out about the assets my brother left behind."

"I sensed it too. The moment she started asking questions, I knew something was off," Zelda Warner murmured. "Your brother’s mother is uneducated and easily led. She just puts on this fierce, shrewish act so she wouldn’t be taken advantage of while raising her children alone."

"She’s easily influenced. When your brother was here, she listened to his every word, and Tony didn’t dare say much. Now that your brother’s away, he’s the only son she can rely on. Of course she’s going to listen to whatever he says."

Cecilia sliced off a piece of apple and handed it to Zelda Warner. "Don’t you worry about all that," she said softly. "I’ll deal with Tony Yates. And since the old lady is so easily influenced, it’ll just be a matter of who’s got the slicker tongue."

"Just listen to me. From now on, whenever you’re around Mrs. Yates, just keep talking about how good my brother is and let her see how you feel about him. Then, every now and then, mention the stress and trouble Tony Yates is causing you. Don’t do anything else."

"Being in a bad mood during your recovery will only slow it down. You can’t afford to develop any postpartum health issues. How would I ever explain that to my brother?"

Zelda Warner couldn’t help but smile. "I know. I’ll take good care of myself, for your sake too. You eat some. It’s actually quite sweet."

A good while later, Mrs. Yates returned. The moment she entered the room, she announced joyfully, "Zelda! Let’s get you packed, we’re changing rooms!"

Zelda Warner was stunned and didn’t react for a moment. "Huh?"

"I just went and asked. The best room in this hospital is the private suite. It has a sofa bed, so I won’t have to go back and forth. I can stay right here and take care of you."

"This room is too small. My daughter-in-law deserves the best. You just lie here and don’t move a muscle. Someone will be here soon to wheel you over. I’ll just pack your things. Young man, come in and give me a hand."

Duane, who was at the door, heard her and came in, instinctively glancing at Cecilia.

Suppressing a laugh, Cecilia nodded. Only then did Duane step forward to help.

She exchanged a look with Zelda Warner. They both knew the old woman had taken Cecilia’s words to heart.