"I'm sorry about that, Kendrick," Celena said, letting out a sigh. She shot Kendrick an apologetic look. Kendrick, however, had his mind on something else entirely. He smiled courteously at her and replied, "It's fine, Celena! We're friends, so there's nothing to worry about!"Meanwhile, Liam leaped on his scooter as soon as he hung up and sped toward the Manor House Kitchen. He drove so fast that he arrived within 20 minutes and caught sight of the happy trio the moment he stepped in. Celena and Jovie were sitting across from Kendrick, the three of them smiling as they chatted merrily. Kendrick was feeding Jovie, with the child occasionally cracking up as though she had heard a hearty joke. Celena, on the other hand, wore an expression of tenderness as she watched Jovie being fed so patiently.The three of them looked like a perfect little family, and that made Liam's blood boil."Jovie!" he called out.Jovie turned at the sound of her name, and the moment she caught sight of
"Besides, it's been ages since I've seen Celena. Now that I'm back and we've bumped into each other, I just want to treat her to a meal and catch up. The cost isn't a big deal!"Kendrick's words were loaded with unspoken meaning.He was practically saying that when it came to dining with Celena, money was no object.Any regular guy would have blown his top if he heard that, but Liam was anything but regular.Liam just gave a cool "Oh," then feigned confusion about Kendrick's intent, asking, "So, Mr. Hyde, you're saying I can order anything I fancy since you're footing the bill today?"Caught off guard, Kendrick still nodded with supreme confidence, casually assuring Liam, "Absolutely, Liam, take your pick. Anything goes. I'm covering it all today!""Well, Mr. Hyde, since you're being so generous, I won't hold back either!"Liam let out a sly chuckle and then instructed the waiter to bring one of every signature dish on the menu!He did not stop there, he ordered the priciest wi
The meal ended in an eerie silence.When the bill arrived, Kendrick's attempt to play the cool, collected gentleman in front of Celena crumbled. His face twisted in agony. The food alone, not counting the drinks, had racked up a bill of over 75 thousand dollars!Sure, splurging on Celena would not have made him bat an eye, even if it cost ten times more. However, blowing that much cash on Liam, that freeloader, was a bitter pill to swallow.To add insult to injury, Liam, who could not hold a candle to Kendrick, had somehow managed to sweep Celena off her feet. It gnawed at Kendrick's pride.However, with Celena watching, Kendrick bit back his frustration and reluctantly pulled out his card to settle the astronomical bill.Celena caught sight of the bill's total and winced. The dinner had cost a fortune, and Liam had ordered most of it. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. "Kendrick, I'm so sorry..." she began, her face etched with remorse. She hesitated, but then her sense of
The man in the gray suit, flanked by his bodyguards and the armed soldiers, ushered middle-aged man, Lukas Rhodes, into the Manor House Kitchen.That display caught the eye of everyone nearby, from the pedestrians on the street to the patrons inside the restaurant.Even Kendrick and his companions, who were just about to leave, found themselves rooted to the spot, captivated by the unfolding drama.Kendrick's eyes widened in shock and excitement when he recognized the middle-aged man in the crisp military uniform. "Isn't that Mr. Rhodes, the commander-in-chief of our state garrison??" he blurted out, his face alight with recognition.Celena, on the other hand, looked on with confusion, not knowing the man. "Kendrick, is that Mr. Rhodes from the state garrison?""Yes, it is!""Celena, hang tight for a sec. I need to go say hi to them!"Brimming with eagerness, Kendrick made a beeline for the man.However, before Kendrick could get anywhere close, he was blocked by two guards, th
Kendrick strode up to Celena with the eagerness of a boyfriend, while Liam might as well have been invisible."Celena, come on, come on! Let's get inside quickly. I'm gonna introduce you to someone really important!"However, just as Kendrick reached out for Celena, Liam stepped in, blocking his hand."Mr. Hyde, remember who you are. Trying to take my wife's hand right in front of me? That's not exactly cool, is it?"The friendly look on Liam's face was gone, his features twisted into a scowl, his eyes icy as they locked onto Kendrick.Kendrick snapped back to reality, flinging Liam's hand away. The thrill on his face was gone in a flash, replaced by a frosty glare."Liam, I let it slide just now, but don't think for a second I'll put up with your nonsense!"Kendrick's face was stormy as he jabbed a finger toward the armed soldiers. "Liam, see that? That's Mr. Rhodes, a bigwig from the state. I'm about to introduce Celena to him!"He sneered at Liam, "And you are a good-for-not
"And another thing, do you even know who we're talking about here? Celena meeting someone as influential as this can only be good for her. And you're trying to stand in her way? "Kendrick finished speaking and gave Liam the cold shoulder, not bothering to hold Celena's hand any longer. With a meaningful look, he said, "Celena, let's not dawdle. We should head inside.""Sure." Celena cast a lingering glance at Liam, then nodded to Kendrick and turned to make her way to the restaurant.Liam's face twisted into a scowl, his eyes icy as he stared down Kendrick. "So what if he's a major general in the state garrison? Think he's a big deal? My wife needs to rub elbows with the high and mighty, and I can introduce her to bigger fish than you!"Kendrick was caught off guard for a second, then his expression turned stormy, and he gave Liam a look of pure disdain. "Really? I must be hearing things."Liam, are you trying to be the comic relief here? I know all about you. You're nothing but
Kendrick had tried to maintain his gentlemanly front for Celena's sake, avoiding any serious confrontation with Liam.However, after hearing Liam's bold claims, he lost his composure.To Kendrick, a gem like Celena was way out of Liam's league—a total mismatch.He was determined to break them up. Celena might be married, but she was still as enchanting as ever.Celena was shooting Liam warning looks, silently begging him to dial it back and get out of there with Jovie.However, Liam was not paying her any attention.Just then, Yrian showed up with four bodyguards in sleek black suits, heading their way."Kendrick, what's the holdup? Let's move it. We can't keep Mr. Rhodes waiting!"Kendrick whirled around at the sound and gave Yrian a quick, respectful nod. "Mr. Lachman, my apologies. We're heading up now.""Mmhmm."Yrian's attention, however, was already on Celena, taking in her flawless figure, her striking features, and the elegant air about her. His eyes sparkled with a t
Kendrick did not even try to hide it when he laid his cards on the table about Celena, not caring that Liam was right there.He did not give Liam a second thought.To Kendrick, Liam was just a deadbeat who lucked out by marrying into the family. They are not even in the same league!Liam's face turned to stone as he listened, his brows knitting together, his gaze icy as it locked onto Kendrick.However, Yrian, the savvy businessman, was not about to let things get awkward. He laughed it off and steered the conversation elsewhere. "Let's drop it, folks. We're all friends here, right? Let's head on up and not keep Mr. Rhodes hanging."Without waiting for Liam's input, Yrian led the way to the already booked private room.Kendrick, with Yrian having spoken, could not really push it. He looked down at Liam like he was doing him a favor and said, "Alright, your lucky day. Come on, then."Celena hurried to straighten up her outfit, a flush of excitement on her cheeks as she followed t