Overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions, Cordelia let out a long sigh.
Seeing Declan about to leave, she called out abruptly, “Where do you think you’re going?
“Come with me upstairs.”
The servant arranging the tea set overheard her and glanced up, slightly surprised.
Then she quickly bowed her head, not daring to stare any longer.
As Cordelia firmly pulled Declan toward the stairs, Conrad, who had been immersed in his book, looked up and watched their retreating figures. His eyes held a trace of confusion.
Cordelia and Declan had had a terrible fight. After that, she had forbidden him from going upstairs, and they had lived separately ever since.
She’d even packed up all his belongings from the villa and thrown them out.
What was going on?
Cordelia dragged Declan all the way into the upstairs bedroom. The spacious room still held their wedding photo hanging on the wall opposite the bed.
But the ironic part was, she hadn’t kept it as a token of love.
It was there to remind herself how foolish she had been to ever marry him.
Cordelia noticed Declan’s gaze lingering on the photo, but she didn’t dwell on it.
After the search for Darrell, she was tired and sank wearily onto the foot of the bed.
“It’s getting dark, Where are you going? We found Darry and Raddy, but that’s not the end of it. There’s still so much to deal with.
“Skipping classes at such a young age? How infuriating! I’m just glad Elty is well–behaved.”
Declan cut in, his tone slightly helpless, “Elty skips class too. And he’s got even bigger problems.”
Cordelia opened her mouth, but no words came out.
All she felt was a headache coming on.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, “Since all three of our children are struggling, that makes it even more impor- tant for us to guide them properly. I know you’re busy with work, but we can’t neglect their upbringing.
“They’ll inherit everything you’ve built. Are you really willing to watch them destroy the empire you’ve spent your
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entire life striving for?
“You and I may have our differences, but these are our children. We can’t just give up on them, can we?”
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She spoke earnestly, her eyes fixed on him as she laid out her heartfelt thoughts. Yet to her disappointment, his ex- pression remained icy, utterly unreadable.
Though she had only spent a few hours in his company, it was clear there were deep–rooted issues between them.
She knew hoping to salvage their broken relationship might be naive, but they couldn’t simply stand by while their children lost their way.
“Say something!” she urged.
Declan watched as Cordelia’s lips moved tirelessly.
She had never said something like this before. Could amnesia really change a person this much?
Whatever the outcome might be, he decided then–he would take that gamble.
He nodded. “Alright. We’ll work together to discipline our children.”
“Good. At least we share the same goal now. Handshake?”
She extended her hand, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. After a brief hesitation, Declan took it.
Her skin was soft and smooth, and though she was no longer in her twenties, she remained as striking and beautiful as
ever.
He released her hand and turned to leave.
But just then, her voice stopped him again. “Why are you always in such a hurry to go? Who’s out there that attracts you so much?”
Helpless, he halted in his tracks.
She went on, “Darry says he likes video games and smoking? Fine. We’ll let him play and smoke as much as he
wants.
“You have games and cigarettes, don’t you?”
Declan nodded.
“Bring some to Darry. And lock him in his room. He’s not to come out no matter what. Also, call his teacher for leave.”
Cordelia was dead serious about disciplining their children. And it began that very night.
After Darrell had run back to his room, he expected Cordelia to come deal with him.
To his surprise, it was Declan–always stern and cold–who entered.
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Without a word, Declan placed several video games and packs of cigarettes on the desk.
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“I’ve requested a week’s leave for you. Stay home. Play and smoke as much as you want. No one will say a word. If you run out, come to me, and I’ll give you more.”
Darrell was a bit intimidated by Declan’s cold, serious expression.
Then he remembered–it was because of Declan’s failings that Cordelia had asked for a divorce. Emboldened by the thought, he pushed his chest out again in defiance.
“Why should I do what you say? That’ll just make me look weak,” he shot back.
“Do as you wish,” Declan replied coolly.
Then he walked out and locked the door from the outside.
He even posted someone beneath Darrell’s window to keep watch.
At first, Darrell showed no interest in the games Declan had brought over. But after a nap, boredom got the better of him, and he decided to flip through the titles.
To his surprise, they were all the hottest games everyone was playing right now. His mood lifted instantly, and he soon became absorbed, playing with growing excitement.
Time flew by unnoticed. When he finally felt hungry and decided to head downstairs for something to eat, he realized his door was locked.
He started to kick the door violently, and the maid reported it to Cordelia at once.
Cordelia was meticulously applying skincare in front of her mirror. Time was so cruel–she’d just discovered a tiny wrinkle at the corner of her eye. Panicked, she nearly felt the urge to slather on the entire jar of eye cream.
“He’s hungry? Then bring some food to his room,” she replied calmly.
As the maid nodded and left, Cordelia stood up and glanced at the clock. It was already 11:00 p.m. Where was De- clan? He was cutting into her precious beauty sleep.
In her pajamas, she went to the study. After a few symbolic knocks on the door, she immediately pressed down on the door handle and entered.
Declan had already moved out of the villa. Though a few of his personal items remained in the study, no company documents were in sight.
When Cordelia entered, he was sitting motionless before the computer, the room thick with cigarette smoke. It was so choking that she instinctively took a step back.
“What are you still doing here? It’s so late. And stop smoking!
“You’re just as much of a handful as our children. Turn off the computer and come to bed. Now.”
The usual coldness on Declan’s face softened almost imperceptibly, a trace of something warmer flickering in his
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eyes.
Without a word, he shut down the computer and followed her to the bedroom.
When they had decorated the bedroom, they’d specifically asked for two large walk–in closets.
After Declan moved out, Cordelia had shifted some of her belongings into his closet.
He hadn’t left much behind–just a few items occupying a small corner.
She had noticed them earlier while washing up and had wondered if he was having an affair.
But right now, marital troubles felt far less urgent than dealing with their children.
“Take a proper shower. I’m going to sleep first,” she urged.
With that, she climbed into bed and wrapped herself tightly in the large blanket.
However, after tossing and turning, she found herself unable to sleep.
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Her mind wandered back to the days when she and Declan were just teenagers. Back then, he had been so handsome and clever. Their families had been friends for generations, and they had gotten along quite well at first.
But he was so rigid and boring. And he loved lecturing and tattling.
Because of him, the homeroom teacher had rapped her hands with a ruler more than once. Even her own father seemed to prefer him…
Just as she was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened.
In the darkness, Declan walked out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
His skin still glistening with moisture, dark hair clinging to his scalp.
She was grateful for the darkness, which hid his bare chest.
Even though they had three children together, this version of her had no memory of ever being intimate with him.
Hurriedly, she buried her head under the blanket and pretended to be asleep.
Declan saw all her movements, no matter how slight they were,
It had been so long since they last shared a bed, it felt like another lifetime.
He towel–dried his hair, lifted the edge of the blanket quietly, and slipped beneath it.
The mattress dipped under his weight. Cordelia lay stiffly, doing her best impression of a corpse.
But her old sleeping habit took over–she had hogged most of the blanket underneath her.
There wasn’t much left for Declan. With a soft tug, he pulled both her and the blanket into his arms.
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