Chapter 3 Your New Sweetheart

Faye trailed behind Cedric as they exited City Hall half an hour later. She was holding a copy of their marriage certificate.

"Are you going back to the hotel?" Faye asked him as she put the marriage certificate into her bag.

"The hotel?" Cedric looked puzzled by her question.

"Don't you need to go back to work?" Faye smiled. "Did you take a leave just to get married?"

He chuckled. "Something like that …"

"Treat me to a meal, then." Faye didn't feel like returning home, and her best friend was still at work. All of a sudden, she didn't know where to go.

"What do you feel like eating?" Cedric asked.

"Freesia," she replied. "Did you drive here?"

"Yes." Cedric nodded and led her to a Maybach parked nearby.

Faye was speechless. "Is this yours?"

Cedric sensed that she had misunderstood him from her expression. He cocked a brow before replying, "No."

The car was registered under his assistant, Mason.

"I didn't know …" She smiled before continuing, "You could borrow such a luxurious car as a hotel waiter."

Cedric was confused as Faye mistook him for a hotel waiter. Suddenly, he recalled the property division clause he had crossed out. He instantly became curious.

He wondered if she'd only included it because she thought he was poor and would have nothing after the divorce. The daughter of the Brown family appeared different from the rumors, after all.

To some extent, it intrigued him.

Freesia was a fine-dining restaurant in Jeorgia City. It became really popular in the last two years. Its lavish interior and exquisite dishes left everyone in awe.

However, what amazed people the most was the incredible flavor of the food. Almost everyone who ate there was impressed by how delicious it was.

Rumor had it that the restaurant was fully booked for the next three months. Even wealthy individuals struggled to get a reservation.

Faye didn't think much about the meal or if a waiter like Cedric could afford it. She didn't plan on him treating her either. She just wanted to be with him and get to know her new husband.

She strolled into the restaurant indifferently without noticing Cedric's expression. If she'd looked, she would have caught the apathy on his face, even more so than hers. He also exuded an air of wealth, his domineering stance exceeding hers.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?" Faye was immediately stopped by a waiter as soon as she entered.

She shook her head. "No."

"I'm sorry, but we operate on a member reservation basis," the waiter replied apologetically. "Unless you are a black card member, you need to make a reservation in advance—"

"Faye?" Tracy's voice came from beside them before the waiter finished speaking. "Are you here for a meal?"

Tracy happened to arrive with Anthon at that moment. The couple were holding hands.

"Since you just returned from abroad, you may not know this. You need a reservation to enter. And not only that, you have to make the reservation more than a month in advance," she explained.

She then leaned in closer to Anthon and said, "We're meeting Mr. and Mrs. Lynch for lunch at noon today. You're welcome to join us if you don't mind. Is that okay, Anthon?"

Tracy looked up at Anthon tenderly. "You and Faye used to be together, and she's also my sister. I'm sure your parents won't mind, right?"

Anthon looked at Faye and then at Cedric next to her. He sneered, "There won't be a problem if she joins us, but … he can't."

It was only after hearing this that Tracy noticed the tall, handsome man standing next to Faye. She looked Cedric up and down before smiling at Faye. "Hey Faye, is he your new sweetheart?"

Sweetheart?

Tracy's choice of words amused her.

Anthon's tone was scornful. "My parents won't share a meal with some unknown man."

Faye's brows furrowed as she became pensive.

Weren't they the ones who had set her up with Cedric? How could they not recognize him? Or, could someone have made the arrangements on their behalf? Was that why they'd never met him before?

"Thank you, Mr. Lynch Junior and my sister, for your gracious offer. However, there's no need to trouble yourselves." Faye sneered. She was about to retrieve a card from her bag, but Cedric was faster. He handed his card to the waiter instead.

"Will this do?"

The waiter's eyes lit up, and he quickly took Cedric's card. After verifying the card, the waiter then respectfully apologized. "My apologies, esteemed Freesia black card member, for not recognizing you earlier. Forgive me if I offended you."

When Cedric and Faye didn't respond, the waiter continued tremblingly, "Please come with me to the VIP room on the top floor."

Faye looked at Cedric in surprise. She wondered how he had such a card. At that moment, he radiated the powerful presence of a president.

She turned to see Tracy's and Anthon's faces. They appeared gloomy, their features shrouded in disbelief.

"Well then, we'll be going in first," Faye smirked. She took Cedric's hand and walked away gracefully.

Once they entered the VIP room, she looked at Cedric thoughtfully. "That card …"

"It was in my friend's car." Cedric smiled devilishly.

"Shouldn't you tell your friend if you're going to use his card?" She raised a brow. "It's rude not to!" she mentally added.

"It's a special occasion," he replied. Cedric didn't correct her misconception and played along.

Faye found him strange. She wondered if he could be the heir to a wealthy family, working as a hotel waiter only for the experience.

Cedric casually sipped his tea and noticed Faye staring at him."Why are you staring at me like that? Have you fallen for me already?"

She was dumbfounded. "Mr. Shaw, narcissism is considered a very serious illness. You should get it treated soon."

"If I'm ill, then aren't you the cure for my affliction?" He grinned.

Faye felt unsure how to respond to Cedric's teasings. She cursed him in her mind for being such a flirt. He had probably broken a lot of hearts throughout his life.

Cedric noticed her discomfort and stopped teasing her. "Order whatever you like."

"The food here isn't cheap, you know." Faye smiled cheekily.

"Don't worry. I have savings," Cedric reassured her. He thought of the hundreds of billions of dollars he had amassed. It wasn't a problem at all to buy her a meal.

"Well then, I guess there's no need for me to be considerate?" Despite what she said, she couldn't bring herself to be so heartless. She managed to stop herself from ordering the most expensive dishes.

After making her selections, she passed the menu to Cedric. "Have a look. You can add any other dishes you want."

Cedric smiled as he looked through the menu. He pointed at a few dishes to add to their order. Once they were done ordering, they were left alone in the private room.

Faye rubbed her chin as she searched for conversation topics.

"Are you a local?"

"Of course."

"How many people do you look after at home?"

"Two."

"What?" Faye was taken aback.

"You and me," he clarified.

Once again, she was rendered speechless.

"Are you currently renting or staying at the hotel dorm?"

Cedric went silent.

Faye cleared her throat. "Sorry. I don't mean anything by that."

Faye thought his silence was because he was afraid she would abandon him due to his financial status.

She clarified, "I'm asking because you can stay with me if you don't have your own place. I happen to own a small condominium unit near the hotel. It's renovated and has been unoccupied for a while. It may not be large, but it's sufficient for the two of us."

"The two of us?" Cedric wondered. He noticed the ambiguous look in her eyes.

She rolled her eyes. She knew he had misunderstood her again.

"Don't think I'll be interested in you just because we're married. I have no interest in men, so don't even think about seducing me."

"Shouldn't I be the one saying this?" he thought and didn't respond.

Faye crossed her arms. "As per the agreement, any physical intimacy must be consensual. You can't force anything unless the other party is willing."

"Does she see me as some hungry beast?" Cedric wondered.

He found himself at a loss for words.

Faye suddenly raised her voice, looking serious as she asked, "Are you very short on money?"

He wasn't, but …