It was almost 6 p.m., and Maia wondered why Aiken hadn’t arrived yet as she gazed into the distance. Cedric approached her and held her hand. “Let’s board the plane.” Maia yanked her hand free as she saw two people approaching. “Your family is here.”Rita hurried over, pulling Zera along. “Why didn’t you tell me that you chartered a flight?” Rita smiled motherly at Cedric. “It’s too windy out here. Let’s board the plane.”Pulling Zera along, Rita tried to board the plane, but Maia stopped her. “Did I say you could board the plane?”Rita snapped, “Why should I ask for your permission?”“Because I’m the one who chartered it.”Rita was stunned. Composing herself, she asked, “Cedric, is that true?”“Absolutely.”“You’d better not be lying to me. How could this be? What about me and Zera?”“I’m sure you can find your own way home,” Cedric said coldly, without even looking at them. “I don’t care! I’m your mom, and we’re going back with you!” Like a madwoman, Rita tried
Cedric nodded. “I promise. Now, could you please let me go? Let’s just sit down and talk.” Why was he still holding her hands when they were just having a chat? “You’re learning fast.” Cedric teased. She was getting better at identifying his loopholes. He eventually relented and let go of her. “Maia, you should try their fruitcake cookies.” Aiken quickly took the seat that was next to Maia. Maia nodded. As she was about to reach for the cookies, Cedric grabbed one and tossed it into his mouth. Then he turned to her and instructed in a surly tone, “You can’t eat them.”“They are my gifts. Why can’t I eat them?”“There’s mango in them, and you’re allergic to mangoes.” Aiken immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had a mango allergy.”“Who told you that?” Maia refuted and grabbed a cookie. Cedric stopped her by grabbing onto her wrist. “I know you’re just doing this to spite me, but you shouldn’t joke around with your health.” His frown deepened as he snatched the c
Cedric had already informed Baz to prepare access to the VIP exit. Those reporters outside were wasting their time because they would not be able to see them. “Mr. Cedric, the car is ready. The family doctor is also waiting for you at your residence,” Baz informed Cedric politely. Cedric nodded and got into the car without saying a word to Maia.Just then, Maia's cell phone rang. She answered the call, knowing it was Nigel from the caller ID. “Hi, Nigel.” “Maia, are you already at the airport? I’m here to pick you up.” Maia took a glance at her surroundings and quickly sent Nigel her location. Soon after, Nigel was there along with Aiken’s drive home. “Maia, let me send you home!” Aiken smiled charmingly at her as he gestured for her to get into his car. Before Maia could decline his offer, Nigel parked his car in front of her and got off. “Maia, let’s go.” “There’s no need to trouble you. I can send her home.” Nigel knew who Aiken was the moment he set eyes on him. Hi
“Say that again." Cedric grabbed her wrist and gave her a deadpan look.“I’ve said it over and over again. I don’t love you anymore, and I won’t love you again. The Maia you knew is dead!” He pulled her in and kissed her lips to silence her. Maia’s eyes were wide with shock as she struggled against his embrace. She bit his lips hard and shoved him away from her. Cedric cried out in pain as her shove caused him to pull his back injury. He smirked as he wiped the blood off his lips. “It’s enough as long as I love you.” Just then, the car pulled to a stop. Baz tried to remain invisible as he got out of the car quietly. Maia studied her surroundings. Prismara Hill was brightly lit, and when she saw his villa, the memory of that winter day came rushing back into her head. She did not want to continue sharing the same room with him, so she exited the car. The chilly night wind calmed her down as her mind cleared up. She took a deep breath and called Buck. Sadly, her cell phone was sna
Another roar of the thunder woke Maia from her trance. She quickly rushed to shut her windows while calming herself. There was no need to think about the past. Everything was over. …The rain continued to fall all night and did not stop until dawn. “Mr. Cedric, you should allow the doctor to check on you.” Oswald came into Cedric’s bedroom, trying to get him to cooperate. Cedric had changed everyone who worked in his villa after what had happened to Maia. He also went to great lengths to reclaim Oswald. Oswald had been his caretaker since Cedric was a child, and Cedric knew he could trust him.“Baz, you should help me out here. Aren’t you Mr. Cedric’s assistant?” Oswald yelled at Baz.Baz did not know what more he could do. “You know what Mr. Cedric is like. I can’t change his mind if he doesn’t want to listen.” He looked over at Cedric. The man stood by the window, overlooking Prismara Hill’s rainy view. Baz muttered, “Ms. Maia used to love looking at the rain. However,
“You’re not to blame.” Maia's mother once told her that even though Homer had cheated on her with Yvette, the child they had was innocent. Hope could not choose her parents, so she should not be held responsible for their actions. Maia would never forget it. “Thank you, Maia. I thought you hated me, so I avoided you and my brother. Thank you for accepting me as part of your family!” Hope smiled sincerely. She was so happy that she was about to start dancing. “So, what brings you here?” “I know my mother has wronged you and Errol. I’m not going to ask you to forgive her. But I’d like to ask you to see Dad. Ever since the news, he has been sick. He told me he wanted to tell you something, but you wouldn’t answer his calls.” Hope pleaded. “I don’t wish to see him.” “I know that he has hurt you deeply. Still, he’s your father. Just see him one last time, please! I was given some winery shares. I will return them to Errol as long as you see Dad. I can give you anything!” “What did y
Maia knew that he was crucial to the company. That was why she had gone all the way to Eldertown.“Do I have anything planned after 4 p.m.?” Maia asked. “Nope, nothing.” Maia nodded. She was planning to leave early today. “Buck, I want you to look into the news about Zera oppressing the careers of other female actresses.” “Are you going to sue that bitch?” “I know what she’s like. How dare she try to rob my sister of a job opportunity? Someone like her doesn’t deserve to be idolized.”Buck nodded in agreement as he added, “Did she really steal one of Ms. Hope’s jobs?” “You seem quite concerned about about my sister,” Maia teased.“No, I was just curious. I think she’s a good actress!”“Well then, you should investigate this thoroughly. Don’t you want to teach Zera a lesson too?”“Of course, I do! I’ll make sure to find out everything I can!” Buck vowed.After Buck had left Maia’s office, she could not help but notice that he was being rather emotional. Maia smiled kno
“I’m sorry, Maia. I can only apologize for everything that has happened. Please, let Yvette go. I promise that we’ll never do anything to hurt you or Errol again!” Homer pleaded pathetically.A sad smile crept onto Maia’s beautiful face. This man was her father, but all he ever did was hurt them. Now, he was even begging for forgiveness on behalf of the woman who had hurt her and her brother.“It pains me to know that mother had chosen to spend most of her life with you. You're just a piece of shit that would use her memory in exchange for another woman’s freedom!” Maia found this situation so ridiculous that it made her laugh. Maia’s outburst caused Homer to lift his head. His eyes were red and moist with tears. However, Maia did not know who they were for, and it did not matter anymore.She took a deep breath and studied the wooden chest before walking towards it. She questioned solemnly, “Did you have anything to do with my mother’s death?”“W-what do you mean? She died by s
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