Chapter 8
Joanna beamed at the scene. "Look at that! Getting married has taught him how to care for someone. Rachie, you need to find a boyfriend who treats you this well."
Rachel's nails nearly dug into her palm, though her face maintained a polite smile. "Eddie is so good to Ms. Mellon. I've known him for years and never seen him be so attentive."
Cecilia held her teacup, sipping quietly without responding.
Edward seemed oblivious to the barb in Rachel's words. He picked up an apple from the coffee table and began peeling it methodically with a small knife.
The peel formed one continuous, dangling ribbon. He cut the peeled apple into small pieces, speared one with a toothpick, and held it to Cecilia's lips.
"Open up."
Cecilia was completely shocked. Under the watchful eyes of Joanna and Rachel, she felt like a wind-up doll, mechanically opening her mouth to accept the apple piece.
"Is it good?" he asked, his eyes containing a hint of amusement she couldn't quite read.
Cecilia could only nod.
"Eddie," Rachel finally couldn't hold back, her voice tinged with hurt, "you never used to eat apples."
"I like them now." Edward didn't even look at her as he speared another piece and ate it himself, then pushed the rest toward Cecilia. "She likes them."
With that, he'd both staked his claim and drawn the line.
Rachel's expression finally turned sour.
For the next hour, Cecilia experienced firsthand what it meant to be the "CEO's exclusive darling."
When Joanna asked about her work, Edward casually replied: "She's interning in Legal, just dabbling. Lets her experience life. But if it's too tiring, I won't have it."
When Joanna asked how they met, Edward said with a straight face: "Love at first sight. She was being plied with drinks, and I happened to be passing by."
As he spoke, he held her hand, his thumb gently stroking her skin.
Cecilia suddenly thought Edward was wasting his talents not pursuing an Oscar.
Rachel's expression had deteriorated from unpleasant to ashen. She excused herself early, claiming to feel unwell.
After Rachel left, Joanna's smile dimmed slightly. She pressed a lustrous pearl bracelet into Cecilia's hand, holding it firmly while repeatedly instructing, "If anyone mistreats you, come to me. I'll back you up."
That genuine affection was like a small flame, kindling a soft corner in Cecilia's barren heart.
"I will, Grandma."
Perhaps this transaction wasn't entirely cold after all.
After dinner, Edward received a call. "There's an issue with the South American acquisition. I need to head to the office for an emergency meeting."
After hanging up, he instructed Cecilia, "Keep Grandma company for a while. The driver will take you home later."
With Joanna absent, the Edward whose gaze could drown someone in tenderness instantly reverted to his usual self.
Cecilia sat with Joanna for another half hour before saying goodbye.
The Maybach smoothly exited the residential area. She looked at the exquisite pearl bracelet on her wrist. Joanna had said it was passed down through generations of Clifford brides.
Now it adorned the wrist of a counterfeit like her.
Suddenly, a red Porsche cut in from the side. The driver startled, slamming on the brakes.
Rachel got out of the red Porsche and tapped on the window.
"You can go. My driver will take her home," Rachel told the driver.
The driver looked uncertainly at Cecilia. Curious about Rachel's intentions, Cecilia nodded.
After the driver left, Rachel's gaze swept over her. She got straight to the point. "Do you know why he fed you apple slices?"
She answered herself, "Because I love apples but hate peeling them. He practiced until he could peel them in one continuous strip, just for me."
Cecilia's fingers curled slightly on her lap.
"And that love-at-first-sight story," Rachel laughed softly. "Years ago at a party, some entitled rich kid was forcing drinks on me. Eddie intervened and later destroyed that guy's company. That's how protective he is."
She turned her head, watching with interest as the color drained from Cecilia's face.
"He's quite the actor, isn't he? Those loving gazes, those intimate gestures—did they make you feel loved?"
Rachel leaned back against her seat. "In reality, everything today was meant for me. He's trying to get back at me for abandoning him when he was in trouble. You're just a prop."
Cecilia's heart felt gripped by an invisible hand, squeezing until she could barely breathe.
So that was it. The main audience member was Rachel. Cecilia was just a last-minute stand-in.
"So you came to gloat that you're his true first love?" Cecilia's voice was as still as a dead pond.
Rachel reacted as if she'd heard the funniest joke. "No, I came to tell you your true value."
She leaned closer to Cecilia, lowering her voice to deliver the most venomous truth, one word at a time.
"Eddie married you for three reasons: to appease his grandmother, to get revenge on me, but most importantly, to fulfill his grandfather's wish—producing an heir for the Clifford family."
Rachel's gaze fell to Cecilia's stomach.
"Clifford family rules state that only after the eldest grandson has a child can he inherit the largest share of the family trust fund. I have health issues and can't have children. He needs a healthy, clean womb, preferably attached to someone presentable enough to be seen in public."
"Didn't he tell you? I suppose for people like you, $5000,000 for two years of youth and a baby is quite a bargain."
Cecilia felt ice-cold. She thought she'd sold her dignity, but from the beginning, all he wanted was her reproductive function.
Rachel smiled with satisfaction at Cecilia's pale face. "I've said what I came to say."
She opened the car door. "Ms. Mellon, good luck."
The red Porsche roared away.
Cecilia sat in the car for a long time, until the Hughes family driver gently tapped on the window. Only then did she move, like a puppet with its strings cut.
Back at the mansion, she changed her shoes and was about to go upstairs when the front door opened.
Edward entered, carrying the night's chill and a hint of fatigue. Seeing Cecilia, he merely lifted his chin slightly.
The face that had gazed at her so lovingly at the Clifford villa now showed only its usual cold detachment.
He walked upstairs without hesitation, brushing past her and leaving directly.