جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 50

Gina leaned over to Lily now and then, whispering a few words. Lily looked a little reluctant but still nodded silently.Soon, Manager Wilson and Miles came down to greet them. At that moment, Lily finally put away the design draft.Cecily suddenly felt something was very off.The moment Manager Wilson saw her, his eyes lit up and he almost walked straight toward her. But Miles stepped on his foot—subtly but firmly—forcing him to rein in his expression. Instead, Manager Wilson walked over to both sides politely and said,“Cecily, Gina, I assume you’re both ready?”Both women nodded.But the way Manager Wilson’s smile warmed when looking at Cecily, and cooled slightly when he turned to Gina, wasn’t lost on anyone. Still, he remained courteous.“I heard you and Lily arrived right after lunch. That’s pretty proactive.”Lily’s face stiffened, but Gina tugged at her hand and smiled smoothly.“The earlier we get here, the better prepared we are. That way we can stay steady no matter what ch

“Great—since Mr. Boucheron and Manager Wilson said they’ll look into it, you’ll be fine, Cecily!” Laura finally exhaled, snapping Cecily out of her thoughts.Cecily’s gaze slid past Laura’s shoulder to Gina and Lily standing a short distance away.She’d never liked Gina. Now her impression of her had cratered.Gina met Cecily’s eyes. She flinched for a second, then lifted her chin and walked over, all smug. “Cecily, I didn’t expect you to lack the courage to admit your mistakes in public. No wonder my cousin never had eyes for you.”Cecily almost laughed from sheer anger.If lying through your teeth were a sport, Gina would be the world champ.“So—has anyone had eyes for you?” Cecily’s patience snapped. Her tone went icy as it cut straight at Gina. “You tried to seduce him, failed, and then set me up. Gina, is this project really that important to you? Important enough to ditch basic decency and shame?”At the word “seduce,” Gina’s face twitched. “Stop slandering me, Cecily. You’re th

The moment Cecily got into the car, the cool rush of air-conditioning finally eased away the suffocating summer heat.Vince was leaning back in the seat with his eyes closed, his forehead broad, nose sharp, and even with those deep, narrow eyes shut, his face was still striking. With his tall build and sharp features that carried a touch of Western flair, he seemed to exude a kind of effortless elegance in everything he did.Hearing Cecily’s thanks, he cracked his eyes open, gave a faint nod, but didn’t look at her. Then suddenly, his gaze shifted.“What happened here?” His long, well-shaped hand reached out and brushed her chin. A bright red, finger-shaped mark stood out against her pale skin, harsh and ugly.Vince’s brows drew together, a flash of ice sliding into his eyes.The chill in his gaze stung Cecily. His touch was light—barely grazing her—but it burned against her skin, and she reflexively turned her head away. “It’s nothing,” she said quietly.The movement exposed more of

Cecily and the boy both lifted their heads.Not far away, a graceful woman stood at the other end of the fountain. She looked no older than thirty, though she must have been closer to forty. Beautiful, elegant—but right now her face carried quiet worry and sorrow.--Inside the villa, Vince handed his jacket to a housemaid, who slipped slippers in front of him.“Sir, Mr. Gavin Boucheron has been waiting for you in the study,” she said, then tactfully retreated to the kitchen.Vince knocked, stepped inside—only to be barked at immediately:“Wait by the door!”The voice was old but still sharp and commanding. Whoever heard it could tell Gavin wasn’t in a good mood.Vince’s brows flicked up. He closed the door and stood perfectly straight in place, not moving an inch closer.Only after Gavin finished brushing the last stroke of his calligraphy did he glance over. Seeing his most troublesome grandson obedient for once, his dark mood eased a little. He waved his hand irritably. “Fine, come

Vince didn’t look back. From the side, his features were all hard lines and seriousness. Cecily had no idea what went down upstairs between him and grandpa Gavin, but clearly it hadn’t gone well.He still didn’t speak—he just tightened his grip on her hand.When they reached the car, Miles hurried over and opened the back door.Vince let Cecily get in first and followed after her, never once letting go of her hand.Once they were both seated, Cecily snuck a glance at him. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows drawn tight; his whole face looked shadowed. The hand holding hers felt like he’d forgotten it there…“Vince…” she tried carefully.Only then did he seem to hear her. He followed her gaze to their hands, narrowed his eyes a touch, and slowly let go.Cecily exhaled. The air in the car felt heavy, but thankfully they reached the Garcia Family estate soon after.“Thanks,” she said quietly, stepping out. She’d only gone a few steps when she turned back and tapped on his w