Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Maybe it was the alcohol. Cordelia fell asleep quickly that night.
She had a long dream.
She dreamed she'd gone somewhere far away. Her parents couldn't come with her. There was no one by her side.
No Ellington. No Griffin.
The place was completely unfamiliar—but when she looked up, she saw a building with 'Vogue Vortex' on it, different from the one back home.
Was she happy?
After waking, Cordelia kept trying to recall how she'd felt in the dream.
When she'd finally reached Vogue Vortex headquarters—finally achieved the dream she'd chased for years—she hadn't felt the joy she'd expected.
She didn't know why.
The dream faded from her mind quickly.
The collaboration notice had come through. Starting today, no more calling in sick or skipping work every other day.
Over the weekend, Cordelia took her parents to the hospital for their follow-up exams.
Jasper had wanted to keep the checkup from Cordelia—he didn't want to take up her time. But Cordelia mentioned that Xanthe's injuries from the earlier car accident should also be reexamined, and neither of them could refuse after that.
While getting them registered, Cordelia ran into Ellington being discharged.
These encounters always came without warning.
Cordelia gave him a nod—a greeting, nothing more. She didn't intend to linger.
He could walk on his own now. That was good.
"Cordelia, wait."
Seeing she wasn't going to speak to him, Ellington's expression shifted. He stepped forward to block her path and reached for her arm. "We—"
"My parents are here for their checkups. I need to get them registered. They're waiting for me."
If she got pulled into a conversation with Ellington now, there was no telling how long it would drag on.
Cordelia gave him one cool glance, sidestepped him, and headed for the registration desk.
He stood frozen in place. Then he turned and watched her join the line, complete the registration, and walk away.
She never once paused for him.
She wouldn't stop for him anymore.
Cordelia had already given him three years of her life. What right did he have to ask her to stay?
Sometimes love was just another word for emotional blackmail.
But Ellington followed her anyway. He couldn't help it.
---
"Ellington…"
Sloane had just picked up her prescription. She looked up to see Ellington hurrying in one direction.
Even from behind, she knew. The person he was chasing was Cordelia.
Today was Ellington's discharge day. Flynn had passed the information to her specifically so she could seize the chance to spend time with him.
She never stood a chance.
Sloane hesitated only a moment before following him.
She'd heard Cordelia would soon be transferring to Vogue Vortex headquarters. Once that happened, she'd have all the time in the world to make Ellington fall for her.
---
Cordelia accompanied her parents to the orthopedic clinic.
The checkups went smoothly. Both were recovering well. The weight Cordelia had been carrying all morning finally lifted.
It was past noon by the time they left. Not until the Sinclair family's car pulled away did Ellington force himself to look away.
He'd been trailing Cordelia the entire time—close enough to watch, careful enough not to be seen.
"Ellington, we should head home."
His eyes turned ice-cold in an instant.
'We'? 'Home'?
Since when did Sloane dare say something like 'going home together' to his face?
Ellington didn't turn around.
"You and I have nothing to do with each other. The Carnegie Villa will never be your home."
A hairline crack appeared in Sloane's perfect composure.
She wanted desperately to demand an answer—even if he and Cordelia were impossible forever, would he still never give her a chance?
But her upbringing wouldn't let her.
Whether Ellington liked it or not, she was still technically his fiancée.
She still had a chance.
---
After that, Cordelia threw herself entirely into work.
The collaboration with the White Group demanded precision. Cordelia didn't dare slack off for a second, leaving no energy for matters of the heart.
She also discovered that Maurice at work was nothing like Maurice in casual settings. He radiated authority. During their design discussions, Cordelia found herself instinctively avoiding his gaze.
It wasn't fear exactly—just the commanding presence of the White Group's CEO.
After one session, Maurice paused on his way out. "You and Ellington—where do things stand?"
Cordelia's tone was flat. "Where can they stand? We're divorced. I don't have the bandwidth for relationship issues right now."
Her composure was almost unsettling. Maurice studied her a beat longer than necessary.
"As his friend, I hope you'll give him another chance. As your business partner—I hope you won't give up on your dream."
But love and dreams were rarely compatible. She could only choose one.
"Thank you."
Give Ellington another chance?
Cordelia lowered her gaze. After Maurice left, she returned to her office.
Maybe.
Who knew what the future held?
Time heals all wounds. If someday she still loved Ellington, and if he happened to still remember her—a future together wasn't impossible.
But that wasn't her priority right now.
Cordelia sat down and went back to revising her designs.
---
The design work continued for a full month.
When Maurice finally signed off on the finished drafts, Cordelia let out a long breath of relief.
"Now we wait for the jewelry prototypes. I'm looking forward to seeing how this collection performs on the market."
Maurice smiled, visibly pleased.
He had a feeling this collection would sell exceptionally well.
"Hopefully."
For an entire month, Cordelia had barely paused to breathe.
After the designs were delivered, Griffin gave her a short vacation and suggested she travel somewhere to decompress.
Cordelia thought it over. It wasn't a bad idea.
She'd never actually traveled anywhere on her own before.
"By the way—have you heard about Ellington?"
The question came from Griffin. Cordelia was silent for two seconds. "You mean the broken engagement with Sloane?"
"Yes." Griffin chose his words carefully. "Flynn can no longer interfere with the Carnegie Group's operations. Word is Ellington has also taken over Flynn's overseas dealings. Maybe it's time to give him another chance."
Cordelia said nothing.
Hearing this from Griffin, of all people, genuinely surprised her.
She was aware of the recent upheaval in the Carnegie family. Bits and pieces had reached her.
Lloyd was in prison. The Lawson family had fallen. The Lawson Group had gone bankrupt. Ondine was mired in debt disputes. And Flynn, after a string of costly misjudgments, had been forced to hand authority over to Ellington.
Now it seemed no one stood between her and Ellington anymore.
"We'll see."
Before long, she'd be leaving for Vogue Vortex headquarters.
When it came to love, she wouldn't be reckless again.
---
Cordelia left work on time that day.
When she spotted the familiar car parked downstairs, she couldn't help but pause.
Then a pair of arms pulled her into an embrace she knew by heart.
This time, Cordelia didn't pull away. A smile slowly curved her lips.
She heard the tremor in his voice.
"Can we… start over?"
The End
Hey everyone, I'm sorry — some things have come up at home recently, so I haven't had time to keep going. This story will end here for now. Thank you all so much for reading! I'll be back soon.