Chapter 173

The other end of the line was silent.

Liliana glanced at her phone screen to confirm the call was still connected.

She spoke again. "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."

Given Sylvia's prideful nature, she wouldn't agree readily to a threat. It made sense that she would stubbornly remain silent.

However, Liliana had expected that even if Sylvia caved, she would still say

something nasty.

Instead, after Liliana finished speaking, the other person hung up with an abrupt click, without uttering a word.

Or maybe Sylvia was still on the video call with Cedric and couldn't talk freely? A strange feeling crept over Liliana.

Conceding defeat with silence wasn't Sylvia's style either.

Her fine brows knitted together, her delicate features clouded with faint confusion. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps from upstairs pulled her back from her thoughts. She looked up and saw Cedric coming down.

He hadn't slept all night, and though there was weariness in his expression, he was still surrounded by a powerful, undeniable presence.

Liliana put her phone down, hugged her knees, and went back to looking at the designs, pretending she hadn't seen him.

Cedric had intended to make a coffee to wake himself up and walked over to the machine.

He was struck by how unusually quiet she was.

Turning slightly, he saw her sitting by the window, looking displeased.

"Make a cup of coffee and bring it upstairs in a bit."

He shifted, leaning against the kitchen island with his hands on the edge, issuing his order.

She gets a job, doesn't even make much money, and already she's getting lazy.

He'd worked hard all night, and she couldn't even show a little concern?

Liliana remained seated and met his

gaze "Why don't you make it yourself and take it up That way

Thất

won't overstep, disturb your work, and make you angry again

"Hah." Cedric let out a short laugh and walked around the island toward her.

He stood while she sat, her eye level landing directly on his toned midsection.

He bent down and gripped her jaw, seeming even more annoyed than she was.

"You didn't seem to have this much of an attitude when you were spending the day at an exhibition with another man."

Liliana froze. He knew she went to the exhibition with Douglas Sewell?

"It was just a perfectly innocent visit to an exhibition. It was far less time than you spend alone with Vice President Woods."

Refusing to back down, her large, expressive eyes reflected Cedric's face as it slowly filled with anger.

He clenched his jaw, the line of it sharp and tight.

"We were working. What about you?"

Of course. Cedric could always use 'work' as a cover for his sordid relationship with Sylvia.

By that logic, wasn't it outrageous for Liliana to meet up with Douglas at an exhibition?

"We're friends."

In Cedric's eyes, her confident justification was just a pretext.

The man's cold, disdainful gaze made Liliana's chest tighten.

"Then from now on, you're not allowed to be friends with him."

Cedric released her and rubbed his wrist.

He was truly exhausted from working all night. Perhaps the fatigue was making him

irritable, causing him to dredge up old issues.

His rough movement made her lower her head.

"I didn't want Sylvia living in our

marital home, but you didn't agree. I didn't want her to be the company's vice president and you didn't agree to that either. I'm just a decoration, this wife of yours. So in what capacity are you telling met can't be friends with Douglas?"

Cedric gritted his teeth. "I ask you to make a cup of coffee and you

refuse, but you've certainly learned

how

to stir up trouble."

He completely ignored her unreasonable outburst, having lost his desire for coffee,

and turned to go back upstairs.