Chapter 253

Joyce had never confessed it to anyone, but she had a peculiar fascination with hands.

The very frst time she laid eyes on Cedric, her attention was immediately drawn to his hands/

They were striking, long, and impeccably clean, with neatly trimmed nails that gleamed faintly under the light.

His hands were a perfect blend of strength and elegance, exuding an effortless grace in every movement,no matter how mundane.

Now,as she watched him gently stroke the head of a fluffy little puppy, a strange flutter stirred within her.

Shirley had dared to approach him, so why shouldn't she?

With Daniela momentarily out of the room to take a phone call, Joyce made her way downstairs and took a seat beside Cedric.

Mindful of his reputation for valuing personal space, she maintained a polite distance-close enough to speak, yet far enough to avoid making him uneasy.

"Cedric, do you like Daniela?"

It was a question that didn't really require a response. Cedric's feelings for Daniela were practically common knowledge. But Joyce had her reasons for asking.

Predictably, Cedric stayed silent.

"Shirley filled me in about you," Joyce pressed on. "Cedric, let's make a deal."

Cedric kept his eyes glued to the television, showing no interest in her words.

Joyce, certain that Cedric was listening despite his indifference, carried on. "I'll leave Alexander and marry you.Someone of your status will need to settle down eventually and have a family. I'll give you complete freedom, and all I ask is ten million a month. What do you think?"

Cedric finally turned his head, giving Joyce a cool glance before chuckling. "Not much to look at, but your ambitions sure are bold."

Convinced she had an edge, Joyce pushed further. "No matter how close Daniela is to you, she's only interested in men. She's no help to you. You'd be better off choosng me."

Daniela walked back into the room, catching the tail end of Joyce's statement.

Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Choose who?"

Joyce was fully aware of how crucial it was to stay on Daniela's good side, especially now that Daniela was running the robotics company. "Oh, it's nothing. We were just chatting about a TV show."

Joyce rose to leave but leaned close to whisper to Cedric, "Think it over," before making her way upstairs.

Daniela took her seat, but before she could say a word, Cedric gently tapped her fingers.

Their fingers were just about to intertwine when Lillian unexpectedly turned around.

Cedric reflexively straightened up as Lillian squinted at him and asked,"Cedric, what were you doing just now?"

Cedric couldn't help but think that crowded places were definitely not for him. He couldn't even hold his wife's hand.

With a quiet sigh, he shrugged it off and said casually, "Just watching TV."

From that point on, Lillian kept turning around, even going out of her way to physically separate them.

Cedric clenched his jaw, narrowed his eyes, and glanced over at Ryan, who was engrossed in typing. "Would you mind taking her out of here? I'd really appreciate it."

Ryan let out a brief chuckle. "Sorry, but I don't make the rules."

Cedric clicked his tongue in frustration. "How can you be so spineless?" Ryan looked up with a grin, his eyes clearly saying, "Same goes for you."

That night, Cedric remained in the living room, stretching his stay until midnight.

He assumed Daniela had already turned in, yet Lillian was still wide awake.

"Liflian, why are you staring at me like that?" he asked.

"You're acting oddly. Cedric, let me make something clear: loving someone doesn't mean you have to be with them. Do you understand what I mean?"

Cedric muttered,"Yes."

Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't suppress a feeling of smugness.

Loving someone didn't equate to being with them

Yet,he already had her.

Daniela was his wife, after all.

It had been a whole month now.

Lillian fixed him with a steady stare, and Cedric, feeling cornered, quickly sent a message to Ryan, who was still in the room.

Ryan set aside his laptop, stood, and suggested, "Lillian, come join me for a late-night snack."

Lillian declined with a curt,"NO."

Ryan nodded nonchalantly."Oh, well, I'll go alone then. That place had great food last time."

He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

Cedric leaned back in his chair with a faint smile playing on his lips. "The restaurant owner is quite friendly,too. She's made a few hints about wanting to have a fling with Ryan."

Lillian sprang to her feet and dashed after Ryan. Cedric chuckled to himself, turned off the TV, and headed upstairs.

Daniela, though exhausted, hadn't quite drifted off. She could tell the instant Cedric entered the room.

Cedric gently lifted the blanket, taking care not to disturb her at first.

When the warmth of the room seeped in, he reached out and pulled Daniela into his embrace.