Chapter 115

Why had he suddenly gotten married? Did he love her?

Marriage and children were a part of life's natural progression. Two years ago, the Dowager Forrest had been pressuring him relentlessly. He'd had no intention of marrying, but her meddling had become unbearable. Finally, he remembered the old family arrangement, the marriage pact made when they were children.

When he went to the Preston family to propose, it wasn't the first time he had seen Liliana. He had done his research beforehand. She was obedient, always listening to her parents, even though they were far from deserving of such devotion.

And that was exactly the kind of wife he needed.

He wasn't repulsed by her. In fact, her figure and appearance had intrigued him from their very first meeting. Bringing her home had worked out well; for two years, their life together had been harmonious. It proved his initial choice had been the right

one.

As for her recent misbehavior... that was in the past. They were a good match.

He found himself suddenly looking forward to returning to their old routine: coming home from work to a delicious dinner she had prepared, the bath she would draw for him, the way she would personally press his shirts for the next day.

The more he anticipated it, the slower the time passed. He powered through a mountain of paperwork, glancing at his watch more times than he could count, until finally, it was six o'clock.

Cedric drove home and parked in front of the villa. As he stepped inside, the main lights were on. He was changing his shoes when he heard the familiar sound of hurried footsteps. Liliana, just like she always did, coming to take his coat and—

"Young Master, you're home."

Erma, the new housekeeper, stood before him, wearing one of Liliana's old aprons. She took his briefcase. "Dinner is ready. Would you like to bathe first, or eat?"

Cedric was silent for a few seconds, then placed his watch in the jewelry box on the entryway table. "Where is my wife?"

"She's upstairs, madam."

Erma had worked for the Forrest family for years and was the picture of professionalism. With her here, Liliana would no longer have to handle these tasks.

"I'll shower first," Cedric said, unbuttoning his shirt as he headed upstairs.

He pushed open the bedroom door. Liliana was working. She had set up a small desk on the bay window seat, which was covered with a laptop and various papers.

She glanced up at the sound of the door. "You're back." Her tone was neutral lacking both warmth and coldness. The bright smile and eager affection from before were gone.

"Mm," Cedric grunted, then disappeared into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the room, disrupting Liliana's

concentration. She was working on the design for Expo Manor Every corner every detail, brought back a flood of memories from when she had first designed the house two years ago. The joy she had felt then was a stark contrast to the sorrow she felt now.

A news alert popped up on her screen: *Zephyr Group CEO Risks Offending Shareholders for Vice President Woods.* She had already seen it a couple of hours ago. The article featured an interview with Shareholder Lockwood, who passive-aggressively claimed Cedric had disrespected him, an elder, for Sylvia's sake, even threatening to force him to sell his shares. Lockwood said he was old and just wanted a quiet life, so he had no choice but to swallow the insult. But he was speaking out now because he was afraid Cedric was being blinded by Sylvia, claiming she had no real ability and had only gotten her position because of Cedric's favor. He feared that one day, she would lead Cedric to ruin.

Liliana remembered that Sylvia had started in public relations at Zephyr Group. The scandal was escalating, yet the PR department had remained strangely silent.

*Click.*

The bathroom door opened. Cedric emerged, a robe hanging loosely from his shoulders. He saw Liliana still sitting by the window, lost in thought, and walked

over.

"Even if you have work, I don't want it encroaching on your evenings."

Liliana didn't think he was actually concerned about her, but she started packing up

her things anyway. "Okay. Erma has dinner ready. Let's go down."

She was wearing a black nightgown. The style itself was simple, not particularly sexy.