Chapter 67

It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head, extinguishing her brief flicker of excitement.

"In that case, please just let me know when the official request is approved."

The message was clear: she would not be asking Cedric for help.

Attorney Kerr tactfully dropped the subject. "Of course."

For the past few days, Liliana had been deliberately avoiding anything related to Cedric. She had even uninstalled the news apps on her phone to stop seeing headlines about him. Attorney Kerr's casual mention of his name brought all the emotions she had suppressed rushing back to the surface.

It also reminded her of something she'd forgotten: she still hadn't sent the divorce agreement to Zephyr Group. She had no intention of ever returning to that house. Maybe Cedric would finally believe she was serious if the papers were delivered to his office. But she knew she'd never get past security if she went herself.

After some thought, she prepared a new copy of the agreement and sent it via a local courier service.

She spent the entire weekend at home studying, turning down Juniper's invitation to go out again. After all, she was starting at Cyan tomorrow. Interior design wasn't overly complicated; even after two years away from the field, she quickly caught up on the latest trends.

At eight o'clock on Monday morning, she reported to Cyan. The receptionist led her to a desk in the design department. "Miss Preston, this is Designer Shepherd's station. You'll be assisting her from now on."

Designer Shepherd wasn't at her desk, but a photo on her workstation showed a woman with a sharp, ear-length bob, looking incredibly competent. Nina Shepherd, thirty years old, was a rising star who had won numerous national design awards. Liliana had heard of her.

"Thank you," Liliana said with a smile. "Where will I be sitting?"

"Designer Shepherd is arranging your desk. She just stepped out to the restroom. You can wait here." The receptionist, busy with other tasks, left her standing there.

The designers normally arrived at eight-thirty, so the department was mostly empty except for a young woman about her age sitting ina, corner cubicle, stealing glances at her Liliana, not naturally chatty, simply offered the girl a small smile and continued to wait.

People slowly trickled in. Some greeted her warmly, others gave a polite nod, and a few ignored her completely. But there was still no sign of Nina.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the department. Nina stormed in, clutching a briefcase, her face a mask of fury. She shot a venomous glare at Liliana before marching straight into the design director's office.

"How many times do I have to say it? Stop assigning me these pretty faces!"

"I don't want her..."

"What, are you trying to force me out? If I leave, this whole department will collapse..."

Liliana's face, though carefully made up, grew pałe. The makeup was the only thing hiding her mortification She felt a mix of pitying and

Qu

mocking stares from the others in the office. She frowned, not because she was embarrassed, but because she was afraid of losing the job she had just secured.

Finally, after some unheard words from the director, Nina's shouting stopped. A few moments later, she emerged from the office, still scowling. She slammed her

briefcase onto her desk and pointed. a finger toward a vacant desk in the

corner. "You can sit over there."

"Okay," Liliana replied, unfazed by Nina's attitude. Talented people were often arrogant. In a way, Nina's open hostility was easier to handle than Cedric's impenetrable silence. As long as she could stay, that was all that mattered.

Her new desk was right next to the young woman from earlier. As Liliana sat down,

the girl offered her a smile devoid of pity. It was a smile of solidarity.

Liliana started organizing her workspace. When she was done, she opened her laptop.