Chapter 75

Liliana's heart had died at the peak of her love for Cedric. The decision to divorce had come so suddenly that her world had turned to ash in an instant. But the feelings she had for him couldn't be extinguished overnight.

She had learned her lesson. This time, she would make sure there was no next time.

"Who are you kidding? I've had, what, five boyfriends?" Juniper said, looking a little flustered at the question of love. She used to envy the way Liliana's eyes would light up when she talked about Cedric. She had wanted to find a man who could make her feel that way too. She'd found a couple, but both relationships had ended, and after each breakup, her relief had outweighed her sadness. It had been like, not love.

Liliana hugged her knees to her chest, unable to shake the foul mood from being manipulated by Cedric.

Juniper's anger softened into pity. "Just think of it as being bitten by a dog. It's not like it was the first time you slept with him." That was how Liliana had rationalized it the last time he'd forced her to come back. The thought did make the knot in her stomach loosen slightly.

"Eat something." Juniper handed her the bag of breakfast. "We still have to work. You can't let this destroy you."

Liliana took the food and forced herself to eat, swallowing down the complicated mix of sorrow and bitterness along with her breakfast. A new worry began to creep in: the unfinished work from last night. She could only imagine how Nina would punish her for it.

Cedric's internal clock always woke him at six-thirty. Despite the long night, he woke up right on time. The warm body that had been in his arms was gone. The bed was a mess, and he was alone.

*Liliana left.* His intuition told him she wouldn't be downstairs making breakfast like she used to.

He picked up his phone from the nightstand, dealt with a few urgent emails, and then fell back into his thoughts. He felt a prickle of discomfort a sense that forcing himself on her last night had been wrong. But Timothy had been the one to lie. And Liliana had been dressed to seduce. What did he have to feel guilty about?

With that thought, his mind cleared, his expression returning to its usual composed state. The fact that she had run off first thing in the morning was just another sign of her insolence. He scoffed internally, got up, dressed in a suit, and went downstairs just as Timothy arrived to pick him up.

Timothy quickly got out and opened the car door for him. Once inside, Cedric

crossed his legs and picked up his tablet to review his schedule.

"Mr. Forrest, we heard from the police," Timothy reported as he started the car. "The person who caused Mrs. Forrest's accident was indeed a relative of the victim in Hale's case." It was unclear whether they had intended to scare her or kill her. The police had only just found conclusive evidence this morning and were on their way to make an arrest. The truth would come out during the interrogation.

"What's the status of Attorney Kerr's investigation?" Cedric asked, his voice cold.

"He's looking for one final piece of evidence," Timothy replied. He had been in constant contact with the lawyer.

Cedric's brows drew together. "Tell him to speed it up."

The sooner Hale's case was resolved, the sooner Liliana would come back. These disruptions were affecting his focus, which meant they were affecting his work.

"Yes, sir!" Timothy acknowledged.

When Cedric arrived at Zephyr Group, Sylvia was already waiting for him in his office, holding a file. She stood up as he entered. "Cedric, why are you so... late today?"