Chapter 51 Why Does He Look Like He Was Abandoned?
"Hey, wanna come along?" Robert asked, looking for Cordelia's approval.
Cordelia shook her head slightly.
Alaric never liked her hanging out with his friends.
In three years of marriage, Alaric never introduced her to Aurora's teacher and his wife.
Now that she and Alaric agreed to a divorce, she had no status and no reason to bother them.
Robert nodded awkwardly, "Alright, I'll head in then."
Cordelia acknowledged him with a nod and walked towards her office.
Seeing that her mood hadn't changed much, Robert sighed.
Cordelia seemed gentler than her sister Evelyn.
But while Evelyn was cold on the outside and warm inside, Cordelia was the opposite—warm on the outside, cold on the inside.
Behind her gentle exterior hid a heart of ice.
Cordelia helped her colleagues with a few patients' issues in the office, then clocked out on time.
As she stepped out of the hospital, a stranger blocked her path.
"Ms. Stone?"
The man, wearing sunglasses, stood in front of Cordelia.
Cordelia took a step back, maintaining a safe distance.
"And you are?"
To her surprise, as she stepped back, he stepped forward, closing the gap.
With a smug smile, he removed his sunglasses.
Cordelia paused, not recognizing the man before her.
Tyrell, seeing her confusion, raised an eyebrow and leaned closer.
"Ms. Stone, it's Tyrell."
Hearing the name, Cordelia found it familiar.
He was one of the real estate developers Dominic introduced to her during a dinner when the Stone Group was in trouble.
"Hello."
Cordelia smiled politely, then turned to leave.
Tyrell Baldwin, seeing her intention to leave, followed her backward.
"Ms. Stone, are you here for a check-up?"
Cordelia frowned, answering patiently, "No, I work here."
Her voice was calm, her gaze distant.
Tyrell, being an investor, was someone the Stone Group couldn't afford to offend, especially now that they were just getting back on their feet.
Tyrell perked up at her response.
"I didn't know you're a doctor. I've been feeling unwell lately. Maybe you could check me out? My chest hurts, and I can't sleep at night."
As he spoke, Tyrell grabbed Cordelia's hand, pressing it to his chest.
He'd set his sights on Cordelia at the dinner.
But he'd been too busy taking over his father's position to pursue her until now.
Seeing her today, Tyrell wasn't about to let her go easily.
Cordelia yanked her hand back, her gaze filled with disgust.
"Mr. Baldwin, if you're unwell, please make an appointment. I'm off duty."
With that, she quickened her pace to leave.
Tyrell laughed and grabbed her wrist.
"No offense, Ms. Stone. Where do you live? I'll give you a ride."
Cordelia, with a stern face, tried to shake off his hand, but he held on tightly.
"Let go!" Cordelia frowned.
Tyrell's grip remained firm. "Ms. Stone, give me a chance to make amends. I'm not a bad guy. What are you afraid of?"
Cordelia's expression hardened. "If you don't let go, I'll call security."
Tyrell raised an eyebrow, unfazed.
As the only son of the Baldwin family, he'd always gotten what he wanted.
Now that the Stone Group was struggling, he felt he had the upper hand.
After all, the Stone Group had been an easy target recently.
Cordelia used all her strength to shake off Tyrell's hand, stumbling back several steps and bumping into a solid chest.
She froze, turning to see Alaric standing behind her.
She bit her lip, her eyes pleading for help.
She had never encountered a man as shameless as Tyrell.
Alaric looked down at her, his heart softening as she bumped into him.
He took his hand out of his pocket and placed it on Cordelia's shoulder, his gaze fixed on Tyrell.
Tyrell, seeing Alaric's possessive look, hesitated.
"So, Mr. Hughes is also interested in Ms. Stone. I'll back off then."
The Baldwin family ranked in the top five in Shadowpine, but the Hughes family was firmly number one.
With their immense wealth, the Hughes family's assets were double those of the third-ranked Howard family.
And the Pierce, Wilson, and Howard families were all allied with the Hughes family.
Tyrell knew better than to compete with Alaric for a woman.
Alaric's eyes were sharp, his voice low and cold.
"Back off? I don't need you to back off for me."
Tyrell realized his mistake and quickly apologized.
"Sorry, Mr. Hughes, my bad."
Alaric gave him a cold look, disgusted by his sleazy demeanor.
"Leave."
Tyrell, relieved, left immediately, not daring to stay.
Cordelia let out a quiet sigh of relief, noticing Alaric's hand still on her shoulder. She pursed her lips and took a few steps forward, causing his hand to slide off naturally.
"Thank you, Mr. Hughes."
Her voice was soft and calm.
Alaric watched her, his fingers tingling with the warmth from her shoulder. He stared at her face, his expression complex.
"You're welcome."
His voice was flat, his face returning to its usual impassive state.
Cordelia pressed her lips together and walked away.
Alaric watched her until she got into her car before looking away.
Robert, standing nearby, spoke quietly.
"Mr. Howard is hosting a gathering tonight. Are you attending?"
Alaric nodded.
"I'll go."
Robert nodded and immediately informed Bruce.
At Moonlight Lounge.
Julian noticed Alaric drinking alone and nudged the woman beside him.
"Go keep Mr. Hughes company."
The woman glanced at Alaric's cold, brooding face, hesitated, but reluctantly moved to sit next to him.
"Mr. Hughes, let me join you."
Before she could finish, Bruce walked over and sat between her and Alaric.
He had arrived late due to some urgent business at his company.
Bruce dropped a bombshell as soon as he arrived.
"You got divorced?"
The others turned their attention to Alaric.
Hadn't Alaric wanted a divorce for a while?
Why did he now look like the one who'd been dumped?