No wonder Celia had joined CC—she was King all along.
When Rosalie impersonated King, Celia had only watched her with a cold, mocking smile.Rosalie had struggled for years, pouring every ounce of energy into proving herself, yet Celia defeated her effortlessly.
It was Celia who taught her the cruelest lesson: a counterfeit will always remain a counterfeit.
Rosalie collapsed to the ground, her face drained of all color.
"Rosalie," Celia's voice cut like ice, "I don't want to see you again. Leave Yecheng immediately—and never appear before me again."
With a wave of her hand, two bodyguards dragged Rosalie away. Once she was dealt with, Celia turned her gaze on the Su family.
Li Lan trembled, her voice shaking. "Cici, please… listen to our explanation. We were deceived by Rosalie. We mistook a fish eye for a pearl."
Celia's clear, bright eyes fell on them like a blade."Old Madam Su, President Su, Madam Su… judging by your faces, are you considering adopting me back into the Su family now that you know I'm King?"
The three froze, their expressions stiff.
Celia's lips curved into a cold smile as she fixed her gaze on Su Changrong."President Su, do you remember the bid the Su family submitted to CC?"
Su Changrong nodded nervously. "I remember, I remember."
Celia arched a brow, her tone laced with mockery."Back then, you thought Ethan Sun was the one who helped you. In truth, Ethan Sun is nothing. I wanted to give the Su family a chance at cooperation. I wanted to help you—but you insisted on throwing me into that degenerate Ethan Sun's bed."
Su Changrong's face went stiff, his lips trembling but no words coming out.
After Celia had walked away, CC had returned the Su family's bid documents. They thought it was because they had offended Ethan Sun. But in reality, they had offended Celia.
Celia—King—the true power behind CC—had been right beside them all along, yet they were too blind to see.
Now, Old Madam Su, Su Changrong, and Li Lan were consumed by regret. If only they had treated Celia with kindness, the Su family would already be thriving and prosperous.
But they hadn't. And now it was far too late.
So this was what Madam Song had meant by "what a pity."
"In truth," Celia continued coldly, "you're no different from Rosalie. Selfish. Hypocritical. You cling to people when they're useful, and discard them once they're not. I gave the Su family a chance once before. You spat on it. So there will not be another."
Her voice sharpened as she gave the final verdict:"I summoned you here today to sever ties. From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Su family. Guards—see them out."
The Su elders' faces went pale.
Old Madam Su's voice shook with desperation. "Cici, we—"
Celia's eyes hardened, her tone merciless."If you don't leave now, I'll have the Su family blacklisted across the entire fragrance industry. Then you'll understand that letting you walk away like this is already my greatest mercy. Otherwise, with a single word… I could erase the Su family completely."
Their hearts trembled violently. For the first time, they realized they didn't recognize the young woman standing before them.
This was the girl they had abandoned in the countryside. Li Chong had refused to let her attend school. She'd entered elementary school years late, repeated her college entrance exams, and ended up at an ordinary university. On paper, she had no impressive background, no dazzling academic record. No one knew where her talent for perfumery had come from.
She was a mystery—carrying within her a power so vast and unfathomable it felt as though she had been hiding it all along.
Overwhelmed with regret, the three of them could only stumble away in a daze.
"Let's go…" Old Madam Su's voice cracked.
The study fell silent once more.
Celia stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, alone. Her gaze softened as her thoughts drifted back more than two years ago, to the moment she first arrived in Yecheng.
She had been filled with hope, longing for a family, yearning for home.
She had searched tirelessly—for her father, her mother.
But when she finally arrived, she discovered the truth: she was nothing more than an abandoned child.
Unloved. Unwanted. Homeless.
A secretary stepped forward quietly and bowed."King, President Fu is here."