Chapter 6 Cedric Is Here!

"How dare you hit me, Maia? I'm your stepmother, for heaven's sake!" Yvette shouted angrily.

She addressed the bodyguards, "Get her! They won't be going anywhere, even if they hand over the Pinot Nuage formula, got it?"

Knowing who the boss was at the winery now, the bodyguards followed her orders.

"Get your hands off me!" Maia struggled, but she was no match for these men.

"Yvette, what the hell are you doing? Let Maia go!" Tess tried to run over, but two bodyguards grabbed her. "It was Hans Larkin who wanted Maia to marry his grandson. You can't afford to cross him!"

"Hans Larkin?" Yvette burst into laughter. "He's bedridden and can barely look after himself. What can he do to me? Maia's father doesn't want her, and neither does Cedric. No one will lift a finger to save her, you see? And there's nothing you can do about it!"

"You asshole!" Tess shouted, but the two bodyguards held her back.

"Beat her up!"

A bodyguard marched over with a baton and struck Maia hard. She fell to the ground and glared at Yvette as she coughed blood.

Yvette strolled over in her high heels and stepped on Maia's hand.

"Maia, you know the Pinot Nuage formula, don't you? I think you're smarter than your brother. Why don't you hand it over and spare yourself the pain?"

Maia shut her eyes, determined not to yield. She vowed to make them pay if she survived this ordeal.

"Fine. You asked for this!" Yvette crushed the back of Maia's hand beneath her heel.

Maia trembled in pain, her face paling. Still, she endured it, her hatred growing within.

At that very moment, a Rolls-Royce sped onto the estate. The car door opened, and a man exited the car holding a black umbrella.

"Ma'am, Mr. Cedric is here!" a bodyguard shouted as he saw him.

Determined not to let Cedric see her that way, Maia forced her eyes open and struggled to rise. However, she fell back heavily, splashing rainwater and blood in the process.

Cedric looked terrifying as he gripped the handle of his umbrella.

Maia smiled bitterly. Lying on the ground allowed her to hear his footsteps.

"Mr. Cedric, why have you come out in this heavy rain? You should’ve given us a heads-up," Yvette said, attempting to be ingratiating. She understood that Cedric was a prominent business tycoon, and she dared not offend him.