“Yes,” Cordelia answered honestly. “My mom rarely likes something, so I quite wish to fulfill this wish for her. Since you’ve already bought it, I can’t snatch it from you.”Janine smiled. The girl was well-taught. Young girls who were graceful and composed like her seemed to be getting rarer nowadays.She suddenly thought of Nelly. She had picked her as her future daughter-in-law in the past because she found their families to be on equal footing. It might benefit the Bakers if Zephyr were to marry Nelly. She was also decent looking and was alright standing next to Zephyr.It was just that Janine later realized that the Tanner heiress did not have the grace and composure of an heiress, nor did she have the ability and skills to run the family business at all! Instead, she had traveled to Chaiseland countless times in a year to get close to Janine or shop till she dropped.Janine was extremely annoyed by her!She hated beauties without a brain. Moreover, Nelly was barely a beauty…
Cordelia tucked Xyla behind her and looked at Janine in alertness. She tried to say as calmly as possible, “Madam, my mother doesn’t feel well. Please don’t talk to her like that!”Janine looked surprised. “What’s wrong with her?”“It’s not my place to disclose it.” Cordelia wrapped an arm around Xyla’s shaking shoulders. “I’m going to send her back now!”“Wait…”Janine failed to hold them back as Cordelia quickly took Xyla out of the gallery.Janine’s assistant asked her softly, “Madam Baker, do you need me to check them out?”“What’s there to look into?” Janine gave him the side eye. “Could I not know her when we grew up together?”Her assistant shut up and quietly backed away.Janine looked at Cordelia and Xyla’s fading backs in deep thought. She then looked down and realized that the scarf Xyla had bought had fallen to the floor in their hurry just now.She picked it up and smiled.“So old, and you still like the same thing! Sigh, did you think you were still a princess?
Zephyr was informed that Janine was already back when he returned to Zen Residence. He got changed and went upstairs to greet her.“Mom, are you happy with the room?”“Mm, it’s alright.”Janine had just made herself coffee, and the room wafted with its aroma. She took a sip and scanned around.The room was spacious and bright. The floor-to-ceiling window faced the mountains, and the room decoration was tasteful. Even a small ornament felt luxurious.She sat on the soft lamb leather couch.The place was great, but she felt an inexplicable sense of distance.She could not help wondering where Xyla was living. With a considerate and caring daughter, the room she was in must feel much warmer than this place…Zephyr noticed her oddity. “Mom, what’s the matter?”Janine took a deep breath. Her gaze at him was slightly disappointed.Zephyr noticed that she seemed to be shaking a little and asked, “Are you cold?”“Mm.” She tugged her shawl. “I’m not quite used to the weather here aft
Zephyr’s expression was cold with a deep gaze. He looked at Janine quietly.He did not know why she had such a prejudice toward Cordelia, but he knew that he would do his all to protect the woman he loved.“It’s set,” Janine said impassively. “You and Nelly have no marriage agreement, but both families have been in that understanding for years. It could be tricky to take care of it.“But you don’t have to worry. I’ll get it sorted with the Tanners!”Janine approached him and patted his shoulder twice. “Just do as I say. Spend some time with the girl I told you about!”“That’s impossible,” Zephyr uttered icily.The atmosphere froze, and it felt like the temperature had plummeted.Janine looked at him with a stern gaze.Zephyr said clearly, “Mom, if you insist, I’ll pull all my shares out from Imperial Media!”“What did you say!?” Janine was alarmed.“You probably know already. Rules in Centrolis are different from Melorian.” His voice was flat, but each word was impactful.“I
“You…” Janine’s smile was doting. The more she looked at Cordelia, the more she liked her.Cordelia let her in, and Xyla was shocked to see Janine.“Mom, she’s here to visit you.”Xyla was silent for a moment. Seeing that Cordelia was still standing at the side, she told her with a smile, “Go do your shopping. I’ll chat with her for a bit.”Cordelia pressed her lips and stayed rooted.“Nothing to worry about!” Xyla waved a hand. “This woman here is my best friend!”It was only then Cordelia nodded, but she softly told Xyla to hold on to her phone and call her instantly if anything happened before she left.Janine had a gaze of complicated feelings as she watched Cordelia leave.“Envious, huh?” Xyla arched her brow, getting up to boil some water for tea and chuckling smugly. “I could tell back at the art exhibition. You’re very envious that I got a daughter!”Janine rolled her eyes. This woman had not changed—she still had to be better than her in everything! Forget it. She wou
Emotions rippled in Xyla’s eyes.A while later, Janine was struck with realization and blurted, “Those medicine formulas!?”She knew that the ancestors of the Irwins were royal doctors in the palace and had been for generations. They later combined the local herbs unique to Southeast Aciatic and came up with a set of formulas that they used until this day.Xyla nodded with mixed feelings.Janine looked at her. “Those formulas were supposed to be yours! Rowan giving them to you is returning them to the rightful owner, yet you’re still hung up on him?”“The formulas aren’t mine,” Xyla said softly. “The Irwins’ formulas had long been lost. My grandfather later sponsored a medical student, Rowan’s birth father, who became our family's right-hand man. The medicine formulas… were his creations.“The whole set of medicine went viral back then, but… since I left the family, all types of medicine produced by the Irwins’ drug manufacturing factory have switched formulas.”Janine was stunn
“Hey, Xyla.” Janine suddenly gave it a thought. “If you sell these formulas, I’m afraid they’ll be more than invaluable, right? Ha, it seems like Rowan isn’t entirely atrocious. He has given you a way out!”She quickly calculated in her mind. The profit generated in the medicinal drug industry was immeasurable.“Surprise, surprise, Xyla. What you have is more valuable than the Baker Group!”“Nonsense!” Xyla stuffed her mouth with cakes. “I’m not selling these!”“You…” Janine rolled her eyes. “You’re just so stubborn! I don’t even know how much my daughter-in-law’s suffered with you…”“What daughter-in-law?” Xyla was stunned.“You forgot?” Janine said seriously, “We agreed back then. If you have a daughter and I have a son, we’ll become in-laws!”“No way! My daughter’s taken!”Disappointment flashed in Janine’s eyes. “She’s… married?”“Not yet. But soon!”“It doesn’t count when she’s not married yet!” Janine was worked up again.Xyla looked at her up and down disapprovingly a
Cordelia thought that Zephyr should not be busy since it was near lunchtime, but she had no idea that a terrifying storm had just ended in the meeting room on the other end.In spite of it, Zephyr’s heart melted listening to the soft and sweet voice. No matter how big a temper he had, it was gone like the wind. He smiled, looking affectionate and indulging.Cordelia waited for a bit upon hearing there was no sound on the other end and asked nicely, “Are you… busy? Did I interrupt anything?”“No,” he replied in a low tone.“Then what are you doing?”“Do you want to hear the truth?” The man chuckled.“Of course!”“Missing you.”The two words colored Cordelia’s cheeks pink as she clutched her phone.“What about you?” Zephyr asked as well, “What are you doing?”“I’m missing you too,” Cordelia said softly.Zephyr grinned. The ominous cloud that had been fogging him was all gone.The others in the meeting room looked at Robert with an expression like they had seen a ghost in broa