She raised her hand and slapped herself hard on the face!The sound shocked everyone present! The bodyguards and servants, witnessing this, fell to their knees in fear, and even Jimmy quickly lowered his head."Miss, please calm down. Don't do something to hurt yourself," Jimmy advised the emotionally unstable Lauren.In the distance, the wedding march became even more pronounced, and every note seemed to mock her."Cedric!" Lauren shouted again, crying, pleading, "I’m begging you. Don't go any further. I was wrong, so wrong! My son... I almost took his life!"This statement stunned the entire crowd. Even Jimmy, who had followed Lauren for years, was shocked.Cedric, within Needlewood, heard it too. He paused for a moment, lips curled into a cold smile, but showed no signs of stopping, continuing to move through the sharp thorns."Don't go on! Please!" Lauren choked completely.She covered her mouth, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face, watching as the white shirt grad
Maia could not be bothered to deal with him and looked at the servant standing nearby, asking, "Has the officiant arrived yet?" Lauren was supposed to be the officiant for the wedding. The ceremony was about to begin, but there was no sign of her. What was going on?"The ceremony is ready, and we can't afford to miss the timing!" said the servant.Maia frowned but showed no intention of walking through the arch."I want to see Lauren! She promised to be my officiant. How could the head of the Fox family not keep their word?""Miss Maia, you are in no place to be making demands. You know, Cedric's life is in our lady's hands," the servant threatened.However, Maia remained indifferent to such threats."If she doesn't appear, don't expect me to marry Nigel!"Her clear water-like eyes underwent a subtle change, and in her pristine white wedding dress, her skin appeared even whiter. The gown fluttered in the wind, emanating a cold aura. This chilly temperament made people feel
"You knew all along... You knew you were my son."With each word from Lauren, she took a step back. She could hardly stand. "Yes," was Cedric's firm reply. His expression remained unchanged, calm as ever. However, this calmness only caused Lauren to tremble even more. She forced a bitter smile, lowered her head, and spoke in a nearly desperate tone, "So you knew all along, but you refused to acknowledge me, your mother, even when you were covered in blood, piercing through the thorns. You still didn't want me." "Yes," he said again, unwavering. Maia stood there, her hand gripping his arm, tightening gradually. The palm of her hand was ice-cold. She finally understood everything. His kneeling was not just to secure a chance to call her, it was also to repay the debt of Lauren giving birth to him. He had known he was Lauren's son all along. All he needed to do was assert his identity, and Lauren would have confirmed it through a DNA test. However, he deliberately chose not to
"What do you want?" Lauren sensed the cold aura and her eyes changed slightly. "Whether it's the son you've been yearning for over twenty years or the jade pendant you've been searching for over twenty years, you won't get them in this lifetime!"Then, with a wave of her hand, Maia forcefully threw the jade pendant into the nearby lake! There was a splash, and ripples appeared on the lake. The jade pendant sank into the lake, disappearing without a trace. Everyone present was stunned. The jade pendant was a symbol of the Fox family, and she had just threw it into the lake like it meant nothing.Maia turned around and walked toward Cedric. She looked at him, smiling. "Let's go home." She had been domineering just a moment ago, but now her voice became sweet and tender.He smiled, "I can't stand, support me." As he spoke, he placed his arm on her shoulder, leaning half of his body against her. Although it seemed like he was putting his weight on her, he did not actually want t
"No... no, Maia, I can explain, I..." Nigel looked terrified, wanting to explain, but was rendered speechless.When he saw the woman approaching him, he turned and ran away in embarrassment, lacking even the courage to face the situation. Nigel's words seemed extremely affectionate, but they were nothing but lies. This so-called affection completely fell apart with the appearance of this woman.Seeing this, Maia could only smile and shook her head gently."Who is she?" Cedric asked."Nigel's girlfriend? He took her to Vicky’s shop before, and Vicky mentioned it to me. Knowing that Lauren wanted to marry me to Nigel before coming to Nordic City, I deliberately kept a trump card and brought her to Nordic City too, planning to surprise Nigel."Cedric sneered, "From the looks of it, it's indeed a surprise."He lowered his head and kissed Maia's forehead."My Maia is amazing."Maia was stunned, not understanding. "Huh?""My last rival is off the stage."Maia was speechless.Aft
Maia's expression was solemn, and there was no hint of joking in her demeanor. However, Cedric's brows tightened even more."What did you say?""Lie down, pretend to be dead!" Maia lifted the white cloth, nervously glancing towards the door. "Quick, they might be searching room by room now! Don't hesitate! It'll be troublesome if they barge in."For Cedric, he wouldn't mind if they barged in. He could easily take them down, saving him the trouble. He lifted his hand and touched her slightly blushing cheek, asking, "Is there any reward in lying down?"Maia was momentarily stunned. This guy was still thinking about rewards? Continuing to watch the door anxiously, she nodded hastily. “Yes, yes, there are plenty of rewards."Cedric smirked. He didn't hesitate and lay down. For the sake of his Maia, he had done everything, even playing dead.Maia quickly covered him with the white cloth. Then she hid under the bed, and the hanging white cloths completely concealed her. After about t
Cedric's brows instantly furrowed. However, Maia casually responded, "It's quite easy. First, play dead, then jump out of the mortuary window, and finally escape through the hospital's garbage room. I'm familiar with the terrain, and those bodyguards couldn't find us after going around in circles." Baz was left speechless. He stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open, looking at Cedric in disbelief. Cedric frowned, giving Baz a cold stare. Baz quickly closed his mouth, suppressed a laugh, and nodded in agreement. He gave Maia a thumbs-up, "Ms. Maia, you're truly amazing." Maia waved it off, thinking Baz was praising her for escaping the bodyguards. In reality, Baz praised her for making Cedric play dead again, climbing out of a window, and traversing the hospital's garbage room. Maia had achieved a feat no one could have imagined, even with Cedric's renowned status. Baz patted Cedric's head, thinking this might be love's power. Fischer started the engine and aske
Baz, working in the back seat, was so frightened that he almost dropped the tablet. However, he reacted swiftly, securing the tablet immediately. He knew very well the consequences if he accidentally woke up Maia.Listening to this lullaby, Baz couldn't help but murmur to himself. “Is he really singing? Ms. Maia is too incredible. She managed to make Mr. Cedric do so many unbelievable things. But, to be fair, Mr. Cedric's singing is nice. As someone who is tone-deaf, I truly envy him!”Maia was genuinely tired that day. She leaned against him and soon drifted into a peaceful sleep. Maybe it was because he was by her side, or perhaps it was because he was singing the lullaby, but she slept even more soundly.Cedric watched her tranquil sleeping face with eyes full of deep affection. His Maia... In less than a day, she made him play dead, climb windows, and go through the garbage room. Now, she made him sing a lullaby for her. Yet, he was willingly doing all of it.He gently caressed
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