Chapter 371

Daniela saw Cedric too.

As she got closer, the sharp scent of alcohol hit her.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked, her eyes darting towards his car.

There was a driver sitting inside.

Relieved, she let out a small breath before adding,"Why are you here so early?"

The night before, Ryan had told her he'd be going out for drinks with Cedric.

When Ryan didn't come home, Daniela eventually gave up waiting and went to bed after midnight.

This morning, when she asked the building's security guard,he mentioned that Ryan and Cedric had been out drinking until the early hours. Naturally,she thought Cedric would still be sleeping.

"I just wanted to stop by," Cedric replied. On the drive over, his mind had been racing as he pieced together the questions he wanted to ask. But the second he arrived and saw Daniela step out,every word he'd practiced vanished. His mind was a mess.

He wanted to prove he was worth something.someone deserving of love, even though he knew it was a risky move.

Alexander had once warned him that he'd end up just like him, but Cedric brushed it off as nonsense.

He had gotten this far on his own.

While he wasn't on Daniela's level financially, he never saw himself as beneath her.

Cedric had his own unique sense of pride.

Yet, relationships were the one area where he felt completely out of his depth.

His pulse pounded in his ears, and he feared blurting something out only to be met with the response he dreaded most.

After a moment of inner struggle, Cedric finally forced himself to speak, meeting Daniela's curious gaze. "I'm heading out on a business trip. Just came to grab my luggage."

Daniela studied him carefully. "A business trip? That's strange. I haven't heard about Phillips Group closing any out-of-town deals lately."

Cedric's response was stiff. "It's an old client. Just keeping up connections."

The moment he said it, he noticed the tension in his tone and quickly added, "It's, uh, sort of urgent."

Daniela gave a small nod. "Okay."

He feIt her gaze linger on him and tightened his fists."Actually, it's not that urgent."

Daniela frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Cedric,still hesitant to let the matter rest, couldn't bring himself to ask directly. His mind raced in all directions before he finally blurted, "So do you want me to leave?"

Daniela looked at him and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

"If you just ask me to stay, I won't leave. I'll stay here in Olisvine for good," he replied.

Daniela figured he was probably still under the influence of last night's drinking. "If you've got work to handle, just go. It's only for a few days-it's not a big deal."

Disappointment surged through Cedric at her casual response. He clenched his fists tightly, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "So, it really doesn't matter to you if I'm here or not, does it? Am I just like Alexander in your eyes? You stayed with him out of gratitude, and with me, it's out of pity, I guess. You couldn't bear to see me falling apart, so you gave me a chance. But you never truly cared about Alexander, and you don't care about me either. When he said he was leaving,you didn't hesitate to let him go. And now that I'm saying I'll leave, you're completely fine with it. You didn't even think to ask me to stay. That just proves you don't feel anything for me."

Daniela stared at him, confused. "What are you saying?Are you even talking to me? I can't hear you."

Cedric shook his head, weariness etched across his features. "Forget it. I'll just grab my things."

Sensing something wasn't right, Daniela opened her mouth to say something, but Lillian's voice called out from afar.

Daniela responded and turned back to address Cedric,only to see he had already disappeared into the villa.

Meanwhile, Elyse was at home when a phone call nearly sent her over the edge.

Standing by the front door, she took Nina from the driver, her expression clouded with unmistakable displeasure.

She placed Nina onto the sofa with little care before recording a voice message to send to Natalie.

"Darling,when are you coming back? Nina's stupidity is driving me insane! I can't believe I gave birth to such an airhead. She asked me for fancy bottles of wine to get Cedric drunk, and guess what? He was completely sober, and she got wasted instead and was sent home.Do you know what that means? It means even when she threw herself at him, he didn't want her! What a humiliation for this family!"

Elyse ended the recording with an exasperated huff.

A reply came from Natalie minutes later. If one wasn't listening closely, her voice could easily be mistaken for Daniela's.

"Mom,don't stress. Whatever's happening with Cedric and Daniela, he's going to be mine in the end."

Elyse's eyes lit up with astonishment. "Sweetheart,your voice-it's uncanny how much it sounds like Daniela's. How on earth are you pulling that off?"

Natalie, ever the psychologist and a keen observer of human behavior, had a small smile in her tone as she replied, "It's just a little trick I picked up. I've been experimenting lately. Don't worry, I'll be back next week." Elyse was so overjoyed she nearly clapped her hands.

Natalie had always been her pride and joy-the type of daughter who excelled in every field, earning the admiration of teachers and the envy of other parents.

"Alright, sweetheart, I'll be counting the days," Elyse said warmly before ending the call.

But her excitement evaporated the second her eyes landed on Nina, stretched out on the sofa.

Nina had slept the entire day.

When she finally began to stir, she noticed Elyse sitting on the couch,watching the news.

Elyse heard the movement but didn't bother to look over, her voice cold as she asked, "You're awake?"

Nina blinked, still piecing together her fragmented memory.

She pulled off the blanket covering her and frowned at her wrinkled dress. "Mom, how did I get home?"

"The driver brought you back. Nina, do you remember what I told you when you were little?"

Nina adjusted the blanket nervously, her unease growing. "What do you mean?"

Elyse's gaze didn't soften as she continued, "I told you that a person should only try what they're actually capable of. You recall that, don't you?"

Nina bit her lip but didn't reply.

Elyse's simmering anger boiled over as she gestured at Nina's disheveled state.

"Look at you! Do you even realize how ridiculous you looked? If you don't have the skill, stop pretending otherwise.You wasted my expensive wine, and Cedric doesn't even care about you. He never has. From this moment on, don't even think about stepping foot in Elite Lux again."

Nina's eyes widened in disbelief. Panic set in as she sat up straighter. "No, Mom! Please, just give me another chance! I can make it work!"