Lahat ng Kabanata ng In The Heart Of Cedric’s Affection: Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

After hanging up, Sophie turned to Jeanna beside her. "Just as you wished, the entire private fund is spent.""What? Why pin it on me? You know, you're the boss. You can't just act unreasonably!" Jeanna protested, clearly taken aback.For Sophie, the recent incident involving her bag being snatched was a minor inconvenience she handled with surprising calm.Unbeknownst to her, the seemingly random event was orchestrated, entangling numerous hidden agendas.-"Did everything proceed as I instructed?" Vivienne asked over the phone."Don't worry, Ms. Kerrigan. Everything went exactly as you planned. Ms. Luxford didn't contact the police, just as you predicted," the man on the other end replied.Vivienne sat on the edge of her bed, her expression one of cold satisfaction. 'Sophie? The renowned Ms. Luxford of the Luxford family wouldn't bother calling the police over a mere 12,000 dollars.""Ms. Kerrigan, about our payment..." the man asked."I'll transfer it soon. Remember, this h

"Tell me, what is this?" Cedric dramatically tossed a photo stack, scattering it at Sophie's feet.Sophie looked at him in shock, thinking, 'Why are these photos here? I had thrown them into a drawer, yet now they ended up in Cedric's hands?'"Did you search my office?""Yes! Otherwise, would you admit it?"Cedric's icy interrogation shifted Sophie's expression of surprise into a smile. "Admit? Admit what? Cedric, do you think you can pin the disappearance of your son on me with just a few photos? Isn't that absurd?""And what about this?" Cedric noticed her cold smile, which only served to deepen the darkness in his eyes. A printed bank transfer slip was thrust in front of her, its lightweight paper settling into her chilly palm."Who did you transfer this money to?"Cedric had planned to take Tristan to see his grandfather that day but woke up to find his son missing. Only the Father's Day gift Tristan had made was left on the table. Surveillance footage from the night before

The sudden ring of Sophie's phone interrupted her exhausted silence.Recognizing the caller ID, she inhaled deeply to steady her breath before answering. "Hello, Linda."Linda's worried voice came through. "Ms. Luxford, I've just been informed that Cedric was at the office. Are you... okay?"Sophie managed a smile. "He's already been here. I'm fine.""Are you still at the club? It sounds unusually quiet," Linda asked, her voice laced with worry."No, I returned briefly to check on my luggage. Please have the driver pick me up in an hour," Sophie lied, using her pre-packed bags as an excuse to mask her real intentions and not raise any alarms."Alright. I'll arrange for the driver to pick you up in an hour."Ending the call, Sophie headed to the elevator, her fingers trembling slightly as they pressed the call button. She leaned against the cool marble wall, watching the numbers descend to the ground floor.The elevator arrived. As Sophie straightened up to step in, she was sudd

"Is it really necessary to panic so much? She's an adult and not kidnapped. Maybe she just stepped out for a walk," Sean remarked, trying to diffuse the tension with a forced smile. He often found that women seemed to overreact to the slightest provocation.However, even without her former status as Mrs. Carlson, Sophie commanded enough respect to be considered fearless."You know nothing, Sean!" Jeanna snapped back fiercely, her glare intense, effectively silencing him."We should wait a bit more. If Ms. Luxford doesn't return soon, we'll call the police," Linda proposed, glancing at her watch.Given the limited time before the flight and Sophie's well-known punctuality and meticulous planning, the possibility that something had gone amiss was high.-As Sophie regained consciousness, she found her head feeling hazy and her body weak. She became aware of a cool, salty breeze starkly contrasting with the muggy climate. Soon, she realized she was close to the edge of a cliff, with

Sophie heard her own distorted words play from the recording device. "I really worry about your son. He is adorable but doesn't understand what being a bastard means. He'll grow up under scrutiny and gossip, his innocence pierced early. How pitiful."If you're capable, find a way to take the position of Mrs. Carlson. But I warn you: I won't let you or your son off easily."The thick threat added a chill to the cold wind.Sophie frowned. Although she seemed to have said these words, they had clearly been tampered with, twisting their original meaning."Do you have anything else to say?" Cedric's cold voice cut through the wind as he lifted the recording pen to her face, his eyes icy and piercing.Sophie knew some misunderstandings were futile to explain. He believed Vivienne's lies and her explanations would be useless.Biting her lip, she clenched her hands. "Think what you want. I have nothing to say.""Sophie!" Cedric's gaze bore into her, his eyes defiant and proud. His brows