Chapter 51
At the top floor of Regalia Hotel…
Marcus reclined in the spacious chair, his gaze lost in the distant fog above the sea. The weather was bleak today, and the fog seemed endless, much like the knot in his heart.
“Are you not interested in Mr. Z Hamerton? You’d shoot up to high society if he took a liking to you!”
The words echoed in his mind, but he tightened his grip on the wine glass, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He hadn’t meant to go so far with his teasing, but he hadn’t anticipated such a strong reaction from her. Not only had Cordelia been distant these past few days, not allowing him into the bedroom, but she also remained icy and cold toward him. She went about her usual duties—preparing meals, cleaning the house—but kept a polite distance.
It was suffocating. Even Marcus, who was typically calm and composed, felt his sanity slipping. If he could turn back time, he would have regretted speaking without thinking.
The sound of a helicopter landing nearby snapped him out of his thoughts. The wind stirred by the rotating propellers ruffled his hair and lifted the corner of his shirt. Josiah got off the helicopter with his usual enthusiasm and ran toward Marcus, but as he approached, he noticed something was off.
Marcus hadn’t even touched the extravagant white truffles and caviar Josiah had arranged, and the sight of his friend in such a mood immediately concerned him.
Josiah took a seat across from Marcus, his eyes flicking over to Fredric, hoping for any indication of what was going on. But Fredric was just as confused, quietly sipping his coffee without saying a word.
The silence stretched on, and Josiah, unable to stand it any longer, chuckled awkwardly in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Uh, Z… I showed Cordelia’s sales proposal to some of the directors under me. They loved it! They said it was done so professionally, and they even want to recruit her to our company!”
He was hoping to see Marcus lighten up, but instead, his friend’s expression grew darker, and he glared at him. Josiah’s heart sank. Something was definitely wrong.
Josiah, trying to steer the conversation, hesitated before asking, “My assistants say the collaboration can happen, and Bowfest Foreign Trading wants to meet too. Should I go?”
Marcus snapped, “This is your company’s business, not mine. Why are you asking me?”
Josiah looked confused. “Isn’t that what you wanted? To keep her out of the Jenners’ reach and let her enjoy a good meal and rest at the Splendor Dynasty… as long as she didn’t see you. That’s why I had her put in a room.”
Marcus’ fury flared up. “You already got her in there! Why didn’t you send a stylist to dress her up for the banquet?”
Josiah froze, surprised by the sudden shift. “But if I did that, wouldn’t your identity be exposed?”
Marcus growled, “She’ll find out sooner or later! What’s the difference between sooner and later!?”
Josiah stared, bewildered. “You didn’t say that before! Why the sudden change?”
“Can’t even handle something this small! You’re useless!” Marcus shot to his feet, glaring at Josiah before storming off.
Josiah remained dazed, staring at the spot where Marcus had disappeared. He looked to Fredric, who simply chuckled, not offering any words of wisdom.
“What’s going on with him? Hormonal imbalance?” Josiah asked, still processing the outburst.
Fredric didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Josiah with an amused expression. “Since when has he been ‘normal’ ever since meeting Cordelia?”
…
Meanwhile, Cordelia sat blankly in front of her computer, her mind elsewhere. The sales report on her screen blurred into nothingness, and it took a while for her to snap out of it when Annie’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“What’s wrong?” Annie asked, concerned as she entered the room.