Chapter 490

Lately, Daniela hadn't been sleeping well, and her distress was evident on her face.

Nina leaned in to whisper to Lillian, "Do you know when Cedric is due back? Daniela can't go on like this."

Watching Daniela, who was absorbed in her phone,Lillian responded, "Old habits die hard."

Nina was left puzzled by her remark.

On the day Cedric was due back from his trip,Daniela went to the airport to meet him.

The separation had been too much for her to bear.

As she waited at the terminal, the sight of Cedric filled her eyes with tears.

Silence filled the car on the drive back.

"I have to swing by the office first." Cedric finally broke the silence.

Confused, his secretary glanced at Cedric. "Mr.Phillips, there's no rush at the office today. It's been a while since you've been home. Wouldn't it be better to start there and deal with work tomorrow?"

Clenching his knees, Cedric replied tersely, "There's an urgent meeting I must attend."

The secretary opened his mouth to object but the tense air in the car stopped him.

Just then, Daniela's phone vibrated.

It was a text from Russell. "Daniela, there's a big new assignment."

Disinterested, Daniela was about to ignore it when another alert popped up.

"Someone's willing to pay big to have Cedric kidnapped. And this time, it's no small sum-a staggering five hundred million."

Daniela's fingers flew across her phone keyboard."Who's the client?" The mission was to abduct Cedric and take him to a specified location.

Russell responded, "Anonymous. It wasn't routed through HQ but a subsidiary. Alita wants to know if we should accept."

"Proceed," Daniela responded.

"Easy two hundred million for us. And Cedric's drawing a huge bounty, five hundred million just to snatch him, no murder. Seems someone's really fixated on him."

Russell found humor in the situation, but Daniela was far from amused.

The thought of Cedric with someone else was unimaginable to her.

Noticing Daniela's frequent messaging, the secretary gave Cedric a look, silently asking whether she would accompany them to the office or head home.

Cedric pressed his lips together, showing a rare sight of timidity the secretary had never seen before. Cedric didn't particularly wish to avoid going home;his greater fear was that Daniela might confront him with a divorce agreement, a scenario he felt unprepared to face.

At the airport, his first impulse was to flee upon seeing Daniela, yet he couldn't stand the thought of leaving.

When Daniela glanced his way, Cedric tentatively suggested, "Maybe we should head home first?"

Putting away her phone, Daniela replied, "Weren't you supposed to return to your office? I'mn free now;I could join you."

Cedric's face betrayed a tumult of emotions.

Daniela asked, "Is there a problem? Shouldn't I come along?"

"Yes, of course, you should come," Cedric quickly responded, his voice eager. "I'd be glad for your company."

Silence fell as Daniela returned her attention to her phone.

Upon their arrival at Phillips Group, Daniela stepped out briskly, with Cedric a few paces behind. To an onlooker, Daniela might have appeared to be the CEO.

She paused, waiting for Cedric, who seemed reluctant to close the distance, making it feel as if she were leading a tour of the workplace.

Once they entered his office, Cedric promptly locked the door.

Outside, his secretary rubbed his sore nose, the slight bump still lingering, and let out a quiet chuckle.

It looked like the tension between them had finally eased, and they were back on better terms.

The recent days had drained him; Cedric had been overworking himself, and the secretary had not slept in 48 hours.

Inside the office, Cedric brewed a cup of coffee for Daniela before sitting down across from her. The skies outside mirrored the mood indoors, heavy and somber.

Cedric was grappling with feelings of injustice and the fear of losing Daniela.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a meeting?" Daniela asked.

" actually wanted to talk," Cedric replied. Evading the issue any longer was futile, especially since Daniela appeared prepared to address it, leaving no room for further avoidance.

Attempting to assume his typical negotiating posture, Cedric found himself unsettled by just one look at Daniela's expression.

"| need to be honest about that night at the charity gala. I did it on purpose. I apologize, Daniela," he said candidly.

Daniela acknowledged his admission with a nod,taking a sip of her coffee."Okay."

"It wasn't my intention to cause you embarrassment. I was just feeling overwhelmed and unfortunately chose the most destructive way to provoke a reaction from you. We were both unhappy. I assure you, no matter what the future holds, I won't repeat such an action," Cedric expressed earnestly, his voice full of regret. "I really missed you during my business trip, but I was too scared to reach out. Josie mentioned you've been having trouble sleeping.guess it was my absence."

"You're right, it was because you were gone," Daniela said straightforwardly.

Her confirmation comforted Cedric, yet he restrained any burgeoning hope.

He even pondered if Daniela valued him merely for the solace he provided.

Such solace was easily replaceable. Daniela,with her charm, could easily attract countless admirers far and wide.

He felt his offerings were light in comparison.

"The day I came to your office, I saw a document on your desk. What was it about?" Cedric paused for a few seconds before finally asking, "I caught the word 'agreement,' but I didn't see the rest. What was it?"

After a tense pause, Daniela responded, "It's a divorce agreement."