“When did he get out of the car?” Maia just realized that she didn’t even notice Buck leaving the car, nor did she see Cedric entering it. He held her hand and kissed it. “Half an hour ago.”Maia was stunned, “Half an hour ago?” She couldn’t believe she didn’t notice it at all.“You were too focused on the book.” He chuckled and held her hand tighter.“What about you? When did you get in here?” Cedric said, “Half an hour ago.”Buck saw him coming over and exited the car of his own accord. It was just that she was so engrossed with the book, she didn’t even raise her head once. She didn’t bother herself with the sounds around her as well, much less notice them.She looked at him awkwardly. Perhaps she was indeed oblivious to everything. “Maybe I really was too focused on the book.”He chuckled and said in her ear, “You’re so focused you forgot all about your husband.”“Where do you get the idea I’d forget about you?” Maia regretted what she said the moment it came out of her
“Okay. The rest of my life. Not one second less.” He answered. Maia looked at the book. Should she have continued to investigate the matter?She wasn’t sure if she should, but she knew Cedric was right. The closer she was to the truth, the more danger she was in. However, he would try to keep her safe by putting himself in the most dangerous position possible if she left it alone.Lowering her gaze, she bit her lips. She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let him take on all the dangers…All of a sudden, her phone buzzed. A stream of notifications popped up on her phone. She took out her phone and was stunned when she saw the notifications. Grabbing Cedric’s arms instinctively, she said, “E-Errol and Elena had just announced the date of their wedding to the public.”His eyes gleamed mysteriously. Maia checked her phone and found that this news was now one of the top ten trending searches. The netizens were having intense discussions about it.“Dang. Am I seeing this right?
Very soon, Maia went out the door according to the time she had set with Elena. Elena was already there when Maia arrived at the bridal boutique. She smiled the moment she saw Maia and waved at her. She took brisk steps towards her.“You’re here, Maia!”Elena still looked as innocent as Maia first met her, but she could no longer see her the same way. “Have I kept you waiting for long?” Maia smiled and asked.Elena shook her head and signed, “Not at all. I have just arrived here myself. The staff gave me some wedding dresses. I was about to go through them when you arrived!”Then, Elena took Maia’s hand and led her into the boutique. “I need your advice, Maia. I have no idea which ones I should pick. All of them looked so wonderful.”Maia nodded and went on to pick the dresses, “What gave you the idea to buy some ready-made wedding dresses?”With the Welbeck family’s financial standing, Elena could’ve easily customized a wedding dress for herself. She could’ve hired a top-not
Buck was very efficient. He wrapped up the investigation in less than five minutes. He called Maia once again and sent a bank statement to her phone at the same time. “I’m done investigating, Ms. Maia. Elena is a regular contributor to several charities. She made donations to orphanages all over Prismara. However, none of the donations were explicitly listed under her name even though she transferred the amount from her bank account.”“What name does she use, then?”“Mr. Errol’s.”Maia was so stunned to hear it, her grip on her phone tightened. “What did you say? Did she make a donation under Errol’s name? Had she been using his name for the charity affairs?”“That's right,” Buck answered.Maia hung up the phone and read the bank statement Buck sent her. It was true. Elena had made every single transaction, but she made the donations under Errol’s name.What was she trying to achieve? Did she do it to gain Errol’s favor? Was she trying to show the public how kind-hearted she wa
Victoria probably thought Nancy was going to take away the man she loved from her. That was probably why she was so worked up. She would never think that Aiken and Nancy’s date was merely an act. ‘Stygian Nation’ was all they ever talked about.Still, it could end up working out well for everyone. Victoria would have a clearer idea of what she wanted now, and Spencer would know just how important Nancy was to him. Maia was basically doing a favor for both of the girls and helping them land the men of their dreams. On top of that, she got the adaptation rights for the ‘Stygian Nation.’ It was a win-win situation for everyone!…As expected, Aiken and Nancy’s date was the hottest trending gossip on the internet that night. They became the most searched topic in the blink of an eye!It broke the internet and congested the social media servers. Every single netizen wanted to chime in on Aiken’s dating life.“Aiken has a girlfriend now! He looks so happy!”“I came here for gossip but
Aiken started babbling the moment Maia picked up his call. “Aiken.”Maia tried to stop him several times to no avail. He continued to ask her a barrage of questions. She could not get a word in edgewise. Cedric frowned when he heard Aiken’s incessant questions. He swiped the phone from Maia and said in a commanding, blood-chilling tone, “Shut up!”Aiken took a sharp breath and fell silent at once. Maia could finally hear herself think. Then, she said, “Haven’t you always wanted to know for sure how Vicky felt about you? If she isn’t fazed in the least or marries the next man she bumps into, wouldn't that mean she doesn't care much about you at all?”With that, Aiken finally simmered down. “I guess you can say that, but I really want to win her heart. If it turns out that she actually loves me, then she has to be heartbroken now. How am I supposed to explain my relationship with Nancy to her? Please don’t throw me under the bus, Maia.”“You and Nancy weren’t dating and you certa
Buck started to grasp the whole story once Baz had explained it to him, “So, that’s how it is.”Then, Baz patted Buck’s shoulder, “Ms. Maia had her eyes on both of their talents. The ‘Stygian Nation’ needs that. On top of it, she needed a legitimate reason to ask them to attend the party tonight. By doing that, she’d be able to secure the adaptation rights from Nancy much earlier.”Realization hit Buck again. Baz concluded, “In short, Ms. Maia killed three birds with one stone. She brought Spencer and Nancy close, as well as Aiken and Victoria. At the same time, she secured the adaptation rights much earlier.”“Are you saying that Ms. Maia secured the adaptation rights, regardless of whether Spencer and Nancy were going to be an item?” Buck understood the full picture at last. He looked at Maia with admiration and gave her a thumbs up, “That’s badass, Ms. Maia. Three birds with one stone. Wonderfully done!”She looked at him and smiled. Everything was going to work out tonight, she tho
Victoria panicked. Nancy was right there and yet Aiken had thrown himself onto her.“I didn’t hug the wrong lady. I meant to hug you, Vicky. I can only do this when I’m drunk. Otherwise, you would’ve beaten me up. Now that I’m drunk, you’ll have to hug me back or I’ll fall.” Aiken flashed a smile at Victoria and let out a stench of alcohol. “Aiken…”“I love you, Vicky.”Victoria had been pushing him away earlier, but now she was stunned at what he said. She was not alone in feeling that way. In fact, everyone present felt the same way. Nobody had expected Aiken to confess his love to Victoria!“I love you, Vicky!” Aiken leveraged the ‘drunken’ state he was in and shouted the same thing over and over again. Victoria was completely blindsided by it.Spencer, on the other hand, looked grim. His expression grew darker each time Aiken shouted that he loved Vicky. At last, he could not stand it. He dashed right at Aiken, grabbed him, and punched him right in the face!Everyone exclai
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