Chapter 91

Liliana walked quickly. By the time Cedric came out, he only caught a glimpse of her back as she disappeared around a corner. He pulled his arm from Sylvia's grasp. "You continue with the measurements. Stay out of my business."

With that, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Sylvia stood frozen, watching as they parted ways, a faint, triumphant smile playing on her lips.

Nina was already on the second floor taking measurements, completely unaware of what had just transpired. When Liliana returned, Nina immediately noticed something was wrong. "Were you crying? Is everything alright at home?"

"It's fine. I'll deal with it after we're done here," Liliana said, not bothering to deny it. She hadn't looked in a mirror, but her eyes felt swollen and puffy.

Nina, despite her initial prejudice against Liliana for getting the job through connections, had a decent heart. "If you need to go, I can finish up here by myself."

Liliana shook her head, taking the notepad and pen from her. "Let's do it together." She didn't want to neglect her work. Only by proving her dedication could she earn Nina's respect and secure her place at the firm.

They worked quickly, finishing all the measurements within an hour.

"Miss Woods said they're in the garden," Nina said after texting Sylvia. "Let's go let them know we're leaving."

"Designer Shepherd, you go ahead. I'll wait for you by the door," Liliana replied, unwilling to see them again.

"Alright." Nina waved her off and headed to the garden.

In the back garden, by a koi pond, Cedric stood feeding the fish, his back to Nina. She couldn't see his expression, but she could feel the heavy, oppressive mood radiating from him. Sylvia stood a short distance away, her eyes fixed on him.

"Sylvia, we're all done," Nina said quietly as she approached.

Sylvia turned, noticing Nina was alone. "Where's Designer Preston?"

Nina gestured toward the front of the villa. "She had a family emergency, so we're heading back now."

Their conversation reached Cedric.

He glanced toward the front of the house and saw Liliana standing by the car under a streetlight. She was looking down at her phone, the curve of her slender neck exposed A soft sme touched her tips, and her brow once furrowed, was now smooth. She was probably texting Douglas. Some emergency. More like she had

a man waiting for her at home.

Liliana's words from earlier echoed in his mind: *"I put you first in everything... because I loved you."*

Her love was certainly fickle if it could be transferred to someone else in the blink of an eye. But he had to admit, her attitude toward him lately was a world away from how it had been for the past two years. The fealization only soured his mood further. He wanted her back the way she was-obedient and compliant.

As he was lost in thought, Sylvia saw Nina off and walked back toward him. Cedric looked toward the entrance again, just in time to see Nina'scar disappear from view He tossed the rest of the fish food into the pond. "Something came up. I have to skip dinner."

He went back inside, grabbed his car keys, and left in a hurry.

On the way back, Liliana was silent, but Nina, for once, was chatty.

"You know, the design of that villa is really unique, don't you think?"

"It's alright, I guess," Liliana answered vaguely. She had never been confident in her own style, just putting together things she liked.

"It seems you don't have an eye for it," Nina concluded, labeling her an amateur. As

a well-regarded designer, Nina was certain that even more famous names in the industry would have appreciated the house.