"Are you suggesting that she adapt herself first?""Yeah."Maia nodded, her tone cold. "Indeed, she needs to get used to it. After all, she will spend countless years facing the cold walls of prison."She clenched her fists tightly. He reached out and held Maia's hand, gently loosening her slender digits one by one."A person like her isn't worth it," Cedric said, looking at her fair palm. Due to the excessive force from clenching her fist, her well-groomed nails left visible marks.He felt distressed and blew on her hand. "Does it hurt?"Maia shook her head. "Not at all. And you? Does it hurt for you?""With your palm like this, of course it hurts." Cedric knew that wasn't what she was asking.Maia pursed her lips and spoke again, "I mean... Although Rita is not your biological mother, she has been your mother for over twenty years. People have hearts, and even if I send her to prison, you really don't feel anything at all..."Before Maia could finish her sentence, he had a
"Extra merit points are not necessary. How about a little reward?" “Reward? There’s no reward for you!” Maia wanted to step back, but her back was already against the door. Instead of letting him have his way with her pressed against the door, she decided it would be better to make a quick exit. She tiptoed and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips.Cedric was dazed for a few seconds. After all, the feeling of having his crush kiss him voluntarily was quite different. Maia took advantage of this moment to gently push him away, swiftly creating distance between them."The dishwasher is done." Maia quickly left, but instead of heading to the kitchen, she immediately ran to her bedroom. She stood at the bedroom door but had not closed it yet."Cedric, could you please take the dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away? I have already given you the reward, and you should perform better." With a mischievous smile, Maia said again, "The guest room is over there. If you r
“Are you sure?” Buck rolled down the window and waved at Cedric, who was standing nearby, “Howdy, Mr. Cedric.” Maia cast a glance out the window. He was opening the car door. Buck could read the room. So, he rolled down the window at the back.“I’ll take your car today, Maia. Okay?” Maia nodded and rolled up the window quickly. Buck laughed, “Did you hear the tone he called you, Ms. Maia? He exuded masculinity and charm when he talked to you earlier. “His voice was electric and the way he called your name was so seductive. You guys are just meant for each other!” Buck slapped his own thigh, excited. She realized he was making a joke at her expense. She smiled. “Do you still want your bonus for the month?”Buck clammed up at once. After a while, he muttered, “Bet you learned that from Mr. Cedric.”“Buck Harvey!” She heard his mutterings and called him by his full name.Shutting up immediately, he drove the car out of the underground garage. At the same time, Cedric started u
“Your father is the CEO of Dudley Corporation. My company has had multiple collaborations with your family company. Dudley Corporation has sponsored a considerable number of our films and television dramas. Of course I would know who you are.”“If you know who I am, then you should also know that you’ll be sorry to cross the Dudleys. You might be the CEO of Starlight Entertainment, but that doesn’t make you special. I’m not going to let it slide if you pick on Spencer!”“Are you going to fight me even if you know you have no hopes of winning?”“That’s right!” Nancy nodded without any hesitation. Based on their brief conversation, Maia was sure that Nancy loved Spencer very much. Spencer was a nobody and she was worried he was being picked on. Thus, it was understandable for her to speak in such a blunt manner.“I come in peace today. I don’t intend to make Spencer’s life difficult, nor am I questioning him. I’m not here to pick on him.” Maia looked at Nancy and said calmly, “The pa
She was the victim! Her eyes were swollen with tears and her hands trembling, Maia gripped the flash drive tightly when Nancy gave it to her. This was the piece of evidence she had waited for so long. However, she felt no exhilaration that her revenge was soon at hand. Instead, she felt hurt. The pain, despair, and helplessness she felt when Rita pushed her off the building back then washed over and crushed her. She felt so hurt it was difficult to breathe.Cedric saw the tortured look on her face and held her hand. He pried open her fingers carefully, took the flash drive, and tucked it into his pocket. Then, he pulled her to his side and held her slender waist. Lowering his head to her ear, he said softly, “From here on out, I’ll always be with you.” His deep voice was soothing, as though he could read her mind. He knew she was in pain.Maia raised her head and locked eyes with him. She thought she saw a flash of pain in his eyes. Was he in pain too? Was it because of her and
“Are you guys serious? It’s bad enough you’re not letting me leave. Do you have to act all lovey-dovey in front of me? Do you guys get a kick out of it?” Nancy made some cutting remarks and looked like she was about to cry again. Maia saw it and said, “You love Spencer.”“Anyone with eyes can see that. However, he doesn’t love me back. I’ve tried with him for more than three years, but no dice.” Nancy hung her head low in dismay.“Who told you that he doesn’t love you back? He just wasn’t honest about it.” She raised her head and looked at Maia immediately, “Are you making fun of me?”“Not at all. What do I stand to gain from that? I have a way to make him admit the fact that he loves you. I can make it so the two of you become a couple and your parents are going to give their blessing for both of you to get married.”Nancy’s eyes, which were blurry with tears, gleamed at that. She went from sad and miserable to hopeful in a second. “Are you sure you can help me with that, Maia?” She
It only took Rita several seconds to commit the wicked act, but Maia was plunged into an infinite abyss of despair. The video kept playing on a loop. However, she did not dare to watch it anymore.Fighting hard to control her trembling body, she shut the laptop forcefully. She could never forget the pain and sorrow when she was pushed off the building and the video took her right back to that moment of despair.Curse that Rita Larkin!Maia bit her lip so hard the skin broke and blood seeped out, but she showed no sign of letting go.“I told you not to watch it. Why didn’t you listen to me?” Out of nowhere, she heard a deep voice. His tone indicated that he was scolding her, but mostly, he was heartbroken to see her like this. Then, Maia was pulled into his arms.“S-She pushed me off the building.” Maia said with a shaky voice. On the other hand, Cedric’s eyes shifted a little. It was full of menace. He felt her genuine fear and held her tight.“You didn’t know, Cedric. I was so s
“You did, Maia.” His voice was deep, but it was terrifyingly seductive too. Then, he kissed her passionately. Her hands accidentally brushed past some of the documents on her desk, and they fell onto the floor. The clattering sounds snapped Maia back to her senses. He had almost tricked her again!Then she pushed against his chest and stopped him from taking things to another level. She looked so alert that it made him chuckle. He stopped in his tracks. He might have been teasing her for the past few days, but his heart ached to see her like that. It was just that she was too tempting. Still, he could hold it in for her sake. As he tidied up her slightly wrinkled shirt, he said, “You’ll have to stop tempting me.”Maia was startled for a few seconds. When did she tempt him? He was the one who…Her face turned red, and she pushed him away at once. “Don’t you need to return to your company, Cedric?”“I was going to, but I got worried about someone,” he said flirtatiously. He k
Amanda came to sit next to Maia as she said, “I’m glad you’ve noticed this as well. Lauren is usually quite into the drama that she’s watching on TV. Today’s episode was a sad one, so I was wondering why she was still so happy watching it.” Lauren smiled back at them and replied, “I’m just really happy. I’ve never thought that I’d be able to see my eldest son again and that he has such a kind and beautiful wife by his side. “Eddie was also able to find his loved one, and I was lucky enough to be a grandmother. I never thought that I’d be able to go on a family trip with all my sons.” She started to tear up.“Lauren, don’t cry,” Maia said as she handed Lauren a handkerchief to dry her tears. Lauren wiped her tears as she smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just being dramatic.” She looked around and asked, “Where’s Cedric? Is he with Eddie?”Maia nodded. “Yeah. This new project is a bit of a hassle, so he went over to try to help.” Lauren sighed, “Eddie’s father an
Cedric just smiled when he saw Maia’s worried reaction. “You sure you’ll keep your promise?” Maia tugged the blanket closer to herself and nodded. Maia would not dare to say no. If Cedric decided to do as he had said, she would just end up in bed the whole morning. “We can register our marriage anytime. You mean it?” She knew that Cedric was just baiting her, but she had no choice. She did not know what he would do next. When she glanced at his handsome face, her heart could not help but skip a beat. Just then, Cedric took out two pieces of paper from the bedside drawer. Maia was taken aback as she saw the document. They were marriage registration forms, and they were already filled in. “T-This was a setup! You’ve already had this all planned out from the beginning!” Maia scanned through the forms and was surprised to see that the only section left empty was the signature. Maia did not know when Cedric had started to prepare all this, but it looked like it had been a whil
Cedric glanced at Baz and asked, “How does it feel to miss someone so much?”Baz’s smile froze as he shook his head quickly. “Now, I can finally understand why you hate being separated from Ms. Maia.”Cedric just looked at Baz coldly. Baz quickly added when he noticed Cedric’s glare, “I’m just saying that you love your wife very much, and that man who’s like you would definitely understand.”“That’s a fact,” Cedric replied as he turned around and walked back into the bedroom. Baz immediately stopped him as he asked. “Mr. Cedric, why don’t you tell Ms. Maia the real reason why you’re so against calling Ms. Lauren your mother? Why didn’t you tell her the scars on your back were inflicted by Ms. Rita?” It was a horrible and unimaginable part of his childhood. “I don’t want to frighten her.”“But it’s difficult for you as well, Mr. Cedric. Calling Ms. Lauren your mother brings back horrible memories for you too.” “It doesn’t matter. I’ll do anything for her.” Cedric replied as he
“Is that true?” Gigi asked her grandmother.Lauren nodded and said, “Of course it is. Has grandma ever lied to you?”“Wow! Grandma, what was Daddy like when he was a kid?” Gigi was excited. She was not sleepy anymore as she pestered Lauren to tell her more. “Whenever I brought him to attend events, he would always cry. I still remember he had wet his pants once in kindergarten.” Gigi covered her mouth and giggled happily. Amanda laughed and looked at Eddie. “Did you really wet your pants?”Eddie palmed his forehead and told his mother, “Stop embarrassing me in front of my daughter, Mom.” Lauren just smiled happily back at her son. At the same time, Maia tugged on the hem of Cedric’s shirt and questioned cheekily, “Did you wet your pants when you were a kid?” Cedric drew her into his arms in response and threatened, “Maia, it seems like you won’t be able to go to bed tonight.” “I’m not afraid of your empty threats,” Maia replied. “Are you sure about that?”Maia nod
It was hard to believe he’d change his mind out of nowhere. She blinked and gawked at him. She almost forgot to breathe because of the sheer shock. Her face turned red from it, too. “Hey, breathe.” Cedric frowned. He realized her eyes were widening and her cheeks were completely reddened. Then, her lungs worked, and she started drawing breath again. She gripped the hem of his shirt instinctively. “Hmm?” Cocking his brow, he looked at her casually while taking her hands in his. “Do you want to know why I changed my mind?”She nodded immediately. Needless to say, she wanted to spring that question on him, but she wondered if she should. On the other hand, he merely chuckled and didn’t say anything. All he did was fix a deep, passionate stare at her. His eyes were filled with love and affection when he did it. Realizing that he wasn’t going to talk, she was bewildered. “W-Why aren’t you saying anything?”His grin widened at what she said. Reaching out, he pinched her fair ch
Taking his hands, she rested her fair cheeks on his palm.“Is there another reason you did it?” She asked. “I had someone plant something in the painting.”“What do you mean?” She pressed.“A wire.”Then, it hit her. “D-Does this mean you knew Fidelia would buy the painting at all costs?”“Mm-hmm.” He nodded.Pursing her lips, she said, “I guess it tracks. After all, Fidelia will surely buy anything you donate to Nordic College. She loves you so much that she peeled an entire bowl of prawns for you.”“Do peeling prawns mean she loves me?” He cocked his brow.She nodded instinctively.“Well, then. Do you know how much I love you now?”Maia was initially pondering something, but she was scattered the moment she heard what he said!Her face turned red. She couldn’t decide if she should nod or shake her head now. The only thing she could do now was change the topic. “Wait a minute. I just asked Gigi to bid on it. Did I almost mess up your plan?” Her brows were furrowed. She
“Maia!” Amanda called out to her and hastened over. “D-Did you just say I was already on trending search?”“Mm-hmm.” Nodding, she handed her phone to Amanda. Amanda saw the search topic ‘Amanda Tate Burst Out Laughing.’ and was rooted to the spot.“H-How’s this already up there?”Maia chuckled. “There are so many people in the dining hall. There’s no way you can keep it from spreading on the internet for long. Even Gigi and Eddie got on the trending search. They were right behind you. “Valentines Group has also started working on the public relations angle. I browsed the internet and didn’t find any overly vicious remarks either. None of the marketing accounts were trying to stir up trouble either. All of Gigi’s pictures were censored as well. So, there’s nothing to be worried about here.”Amanda let out a sigh of relief at what she said. “It’s a good thing that no one attacked Gigi on the internet. Otherwise, I’m going to start chasing them with a machete that’s one foot long!
“Why, you!” Fidelia took the glass of fruit juice from the table and spilled it all over him!The sticky juices clung to his cheeks for a second before rolling down them.“Listen up, plastic face! It doesn’t matter if I can’t lay a finger on Maia because Cedric loves and protects her. It isn’t your place to make fun of me! Who do you think you are, Neilson? “You’re nothing more than my family’s lap dog. Look at how stiff your face is. You’ve wasted a perfectly good glass of fruit juice!”Staring at him angrily, Fidelia warned him nastily. She was so gripped with rage that her chest was rising and falling hastily. Then, she gritted her teeth and threw the empty glass at him.Catching the glass midair, he lowered his head. “You make a fine point, Ms. Fidelia.” Wiping the fruit juice from his cheeks, he apologized again. “Please calm down, Ms. Fidelia. You have to look at where we are now. It’d be wise not to make Mr. Thomas mad again.”“Are you seriously warning me again? Who do
Maia made up a reason so Amanda could take Gigi away. Amanda nodded, carried her daughter, and left the scene. All Gigi did was speak the truth, but Fidelia’s face grew grim and shot the three-year-old girl a terrible look. It was clear that Fidelia might do something outrageous to Gigi again if she didn’t divert her attention from the little girl. After all, Fidelia didn’t care about the consequences of her actions at all!So, she looked at Fidelia and said, “I’m not sure why you kept trying to win my husband’s heart, but I’ve been sitting here the whole time. Are you ignoring me on purpose? Or, are you so arrogant that you care only about Cedric and nobody else?”Fidelia immediately shifted her gaze to Maia. Glaring at her, she directed all of her anger and frustration at Maia. “What are you trying to say, Maia? My dad saved Cedric’s life. So, is there anything wrong with me peeling the shrimp for him? What’s the problem if I try to win his heart? What does it have to do with