Chapter 165
Liliana hadn't smiled in front of Cedric in a long time.
Especially not a genuine smile like that.
Cedric tried to recall, and realized she had hardly smiled at all since she returned.
He remembered her smiling during their two years of marriage, but those smiles had always been tinged with a cautious desire to please.
Inside the car and inside the house felt like two different worlds.
She carefully replied to Douglas's message. She always seemed to be saying 'thank you' to him.
But if not 'thank you,' she didn't know what else to say.
It took her a long time to craft her response.
[I'll see it through to the end. You keep up the great work too, Douglas!]
Douglas loved design, but he also had the Sewell family business to manage.
Juggling the family company while pursuing his own dream was undoubtedly difficult.
After sending the message, Liliana put her phone back in her pocket and got out of the car.
The bright moonlight enveloped her as she walked toward the house.
With every step, the smile on her face faded a little more.
By the time she entered the villa, her small, delicate face had resumed its usual world-weary expression.
Liliana walked through the foyer and immediately saw the man standing by the floor- to-ceiling window, smoking.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
She had arranged with Erma that she wouldn't need to come on weekends.
Yesterday, a Saturday, the Dowager Forrest had been out, so there was nothing to do at the old residence, and Erma had come over to cook.
Erma wasn't supposed to come today, but here she was, returning so late without having made dinner.
Cedric took a deep drag from his cigarette, the swirling smoke obscuring his handsome features.
It also concealed the storm brewing in his eyes, but it couldn't hide the formidable aura emanating from him.
Liliana had intended to apologize and then quickly start making dinner.
However, his gaze pinned her to the spot, making it impossible to move.
The man's eyes were ice-cold, and his sharp jaw was clenched-a clear sign of anger.
Was it because she had refused to have dinner with him today?
She didn't think that was something worth getting angry about, not for Cedric.
Their eyes met, their gazes clashing in mid-air, and the air crackled with tension.
After a moment, Cedric moved first, walking toward her.
He shifted the hand holding the cigarette slightly back and wrapped his other arm around her neck, pulling her into his chest.
"Where have you been, Mrs. Forrest?"
The last three words were ground out from between his teeth.
The tender skin on Liliana's neck reddened under his grip, stinging with pain. "I had something to do, so I went out."
A smirk played on Cedric's lips as he pressed her, "What was it?"
"I went to a design exhibition," Liliana said, her hands pushing against his chest.
Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could clearly feel the heat of his body.
It was scorching, making her feel uncomfortably warm and acutely aware of their proximity.
Her little finger brushed against the
left side of his chest, and his strong, steady heartbeat sent her own heart thudding in response.
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"And how was it?" Cedric tilted his head and took another drag from his cigarette.
His brow was furrowed, and the
elegant line
herv
of his profile came into view. She has always been
powerless against his ever
move.
A strange sensation, a mix of tingling numbness and pain, spread through her heart.
Her throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't speak.
His current state told her that no matter what she said, he would be angry.
But saying nothing wouldn't stop his anger either.
"What's the matter? Didn't you understand it? You're already taking on private clients and designing villas at Expo Manor, yet you can't Sat understand a design exhibition? Then what were you doing there?"