Chapter 49

"She complained to you again?" Cedric sneered.

The word "again" made Stoddard realize something was wrong. "She didn't complain. I asked."

Cedric's lips curled into a dismissive smirk. "Don't cover for her."

"I'm not covering for her," Stoddard insisted. "Cedric, a man needs to—"

"You can play by yourself. I'm going to find Mom."

The bright lights of the grand living room illuminated the disconnect between father and son. Since Cedric had taken over the family business, Stoddard had retired. As he gradually disengaged from work, Cedric threw himself into it, and communication between them dwindled. It became even worse after Cedric married and moved out, only returning once a week on Saturdays, if he wasn't busy. Even then, he spent most of his time discussing work with his mother. When he was truly swamped, they might not see him for a month.

Stoddard watched his son ascend the stairs, lost in thought. "I retired so I could spend more time with my wife," he murmured to himself. "I hope I haven't inadvertently created problems for Cedric's marriage."

In the rooftop greenhouse, Liliana trimmed a bouquet of sunflowers, stem by stem. Dowager Forrest sat in a nearby wicker chair, watching her with a warm smile. "If there's anything else you like, just tell Grandma, and I'll plant it."

At night, the glass room offered a stunning view of the starry sky, and the air was fragrant with the scent of countless flowers. Liliana loved it here. "I love whatever you plant, Grandma," she said with a smile. "Shall I cut a few more for your room?"

"Of course." Seeing Liliana happy made her even happier. "Those lilies will be blooming in a few days. We'll cut them and make dried flowers for your marital home."

The "marital home" wasn't the house she and Cedric currently lived in. The Forrest family owned many

esteem

properties, but to show their esteer for their new daughter-in-law, they had bought another villa for the couple before the wedding. It was a new build and hadn't been decorated yet, so they hadn't moved in.

Thinking of that house brought a pang of sorrow to Liliana's heart. She had designed the interior herself, pouring all her favorite styles into it For three months before the wedding, she had been completely absorbed in the project, creating a unique design from scratch avoiding popular trends. That home, once the repository of all her dreams, was a place she would now never live.

"Okay," she agreed anyway.

After finishing the sunflowers, she cut a few more flowers and helped Dowager Forrest arrange them in her bedroom.

About half an hour later, dinner was served. Liliana, Dowager Forrest, and Stoddard had been seated for a while before the mother and son, deep in a work discussion, finally appeared.

Cedric pulled out the chair next to Liliana and sat down, his sharp eyes glancing at her profile. She was chatting with Dowager Forrest about something, a soft smile playing on her lips.

He scoffed inwardly, his eyes filled with scorn. Had he been wrong about her or was she just an expert actress? Lately, she had been

testing his patience time and again. She had the entire Forrest family wrapped around her finger even his stoic mother cracked a smile in her after all this. time, she was finally showing her true colors, trying to use his family to control him?

presence Or perhaps

A fool's dream.

"Mom," Liliana said, addressing Mirabelle.

Mirabelle had intimidated Liliana right from the start. Their first meeting had set the tone, with her future mother-in-law subjecting her to a cool, assessing stare, as if appraising an object for its worthiness to join the family.

She had expected a difficult, demanding mother-in-law. But after the wedding, Mirabelle had kept her distance. On the rare occasions they did interact, she was cold but never unkind. Over time, Liliana had grown used to it.

"You look like you've lost weight," Mirabelle observed, noting that Liliana's already slender jawline seemed sharper. "You should eat more."