Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Getting someone there was just a phone call away.

If Cordelia knew Ellington was hurt, she'd drop everything and come running.

But Ellington's reaction caught Liliana off guard—left her genuinely bewildered.

He'd already pushed the blanket aside, ready to swing his legs off the bed. Then he stopped mid-motion and sat back down.

"Ellington?"

Liliana didn't overthink it. She assumed he'd just realized his leg injury made moving around a bad idea.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

His reaction sent a ripple of unease through her.

He cared about Cordelia so deeply. This wasn't how he should be reacting. He was too calm—like he didn't care at all.

Had something happened between them that she didn't know about?

"Ellington! You're scaring me! What's going on?"

He finally looked over. His eyes were cold, heavy with something dark and brooding.

But he simply closed his eyes, then opened them again. All that remained was indifference.

"It's nothing. You should leave too."

It didn't matter if she didn't know he was hospitalized. He'd find a way to get the news to her himself.

"What?" Liliana's eyes went wide, the sudden movement tugging at the wound on her forehead. "Hold on—I'm on an IV too! How am I supposed to leave? Ellington, what is going on in your head?"

Had he completely lost his mind?

But Ellington only gave her a detached glance. "Once your IV is done today, switch to a different room."

"Why?"

Why on earth would he make her switch rooms? If she wasn't here keeping watch, wouldn't Sloane have an even easier time making her next move?

Ellington offered a single reason—one that left her speechless yet impossible to argue with.

"It's inappropriate for a man and a woman to share a hospital room."

Liliana wanted to scream. These ridiculous old-school propriety rules!

They were family. How was it inappropriate?

But from start to finish, Ellington never responded to her suggestion about calling Cordelia.

Something was wrong.

How hard was it to make one phone call?

If he refused to reach out, fine. But the real danger was another misunderstanding building between them out of thin air.

With Ellington's stubborn refusal to say what he actually felt, any new misunderstanding would only push Cordelia further away—with his own two hands.

What Liliana didn't know yet was that she'd already been "let go" from Vogue Vortex.

Her workload had been dumped entirely onto Cordelia, plunging her into another stretch of relentless busyness.

She had no time to check on Ellington's injury for now, but with Flynn by his side, nothing too terrible could happen.

His old injury flaring up again…

Would he end up like those three years before—unable to stand?

Flynn's words lingered in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake them.

Maybe it was better not to see him for a while. She'd heard his wedding to Sloane was already in the works. The ex-wife had no business showing up to that.

Besides, a whole week had passed and Ellington hadn't called once. Not even Liliana had reached out. They probably had their own plans.

---

Avery came in carrying two pieces of news. One look at that beaming smile told Cordelia both were good.

"Cordelia, the partnership between the White Group and Vogue Vortex is officially confirmed. The White Group's luxury jewelry line needs a new collection designed, and Vogue Vortex is handling it. Mr. White specifically requested you to lead the overall design."

"If this project goes well and the reception is strong, headquarters is willing to make an exception and transfer you early."

The dream she'd chased three years ago suddenly felt within arm's reach.

Two pieces of good news, one after the other. Cordelia didn't know how to react.

"A designer personally handpicked by Mr. White! Cordelia, you're about to be famous."

Other colleagues heard the news and crowded around with congratulations. "The White Group's jewelry brand is a pretty well-known luxury label. Once Cordelia's involved in the design, she'll never have to worry about landing clients again. She could practically skip coming to work."

"Normally, the fastest transfer to headquarters takes at least a year at Vogue Vortex. Cordelia's been here less than six months. Proof that divorce is the ultimate career booster!"

Everyone offered their congratulations. Someone even suggested a celebration. Cordelia declined every offer.

She didn't feel there was anything to celebrate.

Maurice had requested her only because of his connection with Ellington. Without Ellington pulling strings, she was just an obscure, self-important little designer nobody had heard of.

As for the headquarters transfer—when she traced it back, that too owed something to Ellington's help.

What did any of this really mean?

Sometimes Cordelia genuinely wondered—if she'd never met Ellington, what would her life look like?

Would it truly be more brilliant than this?

There was no way to know. The thought experiment was pointless.

Even if the project came through Ellington's connections, she had absolutely no reason to turn it down.

But when Cordelia signed her name on the project proposal, she didn't feel any lighter.

"What's wrong?"

Griffin watched her.

Once, he could see it in her eyes—the yearning for Vogue Vortex, the fire for her design dreams. But now her gaze was clouded with too many things. That original purity was gone.

Like right now. She'd just learned she could transfer to Vogue Vortex headquarters, and she didn't look happy at all.

Griffin wanted to see her happy.

Cordelia shook her head. "It's nothing. When does the work start? I noticed I'm not the only designer on this."

"Whenever you're ready." His smile faded slightly. "Cordelia, aren't you happy?"

If he didn't ask, knowing her, she'd keep it bottled up forever.

Happy?

Should she be?

Maybe. After all, she'd landed a project most people would kill for.

Cordelia was silent for a few seconds, then turned the question around. "Griffin, if everything a person achieves comes through someone else's help—or rather, is handed to them—does that glory truly belong to her?"

The question silenced Griffin too, but he wasn't pondering her dilemma.

"That scenario breaks down into a lot of different cases. But if you're talking about yourself, then yes—that glory absolutely belongs to you."

Maurice and Ellington had a long-standing relationship, and a close one. A little digging made that obvious. No wonder Cordelia had asked that question.

She thought she'd gotten this project because Ellington pulled strings?

He almost laughed. What was going on in her head?

"Cordelia, Ellington isn't Flynn. Yes, he has personal feelings for you. But when it comes to the White Group partnership, I think you can trust him—and you can trust yourself a little more."

Flynn would protect Ondine even when her designs had fatal flaws. He'd look the other way for the sake of family business alliances. But Ellington wouldn't.

Cordelia had the talent to handle this. She just needed the opportunity—and someone who could see her brilliance.

It just so happened that the person who helped her had a connection to Ellington.

"Your previous jewelry designs were very well received. Mr. White already told me himself."

Cordelia looked through the project proposal again.

Finally, a smile returned to her face.