Chapter 300 In Love with Him

Cecilia returned to her office.

She checked the time and suddenly felt no anticipation for it.

She originally thought Alaric would come back today.

But it didn't matter if Alaric didn't return.

She wouldn't have to spend extra time on him and could focus more on her work.

With that thought, Cecilia forced herself to dive back into her work.

Currently, she had detailed the division of labor for the entire department and needed to focus on a few particularly tricky projects.

She flipped through the ledger made by the department of planning.

Her eyes suddenly paused on the municipal planning project for Innovation Arc.

This project was a major focus for Serenovia City this year and for the next three years. It would be planned and developed as a model for international cities and would set the standard for the Yakurosean Empire's evaluation of world-class cities. In other words, whoever secured the major construction rights for this project would be set for the next five years, enjoying a steady stream of income without much effort.

In the past, the Kingsley family secured this project.

Logically and ethically, this should have been a project for the Lockhart Group, given their expertise in real estate. The Lockhart Group would have been more qualified than the Kingsley family, which specialized in transportation. However, in a bid to make up for the Kingsley family's previous operational losses, Cecilia had Theodore hand over the project to them. As a result, the Kingsley family made a substantial profit from this project, propelling them to rival the Whitaker Group's assets and even surpass the Lockhart Group and House of Everhart Bank.

This time around, Cecilia wasn't about to let the Kingsley family have their way.

She intended to make them pay dearly.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Cecilia glanced at the screen and answered, "Seraphina."

"Cecilia, I'm so bored I'm about to lose it," Seraphina complained on the other end of the line.

"Aren't you at work? How can you be bored?" Cecilia asked.

"It's precisely because I'm at work that I'm bored out of my mind," Seraphina responded, her frustration evident. "You have no idea what position my dad has put me in!"

"What position?" Cecilia's curiosity was piqued.

"Finance," Seraphina said, almost in tears.

"Finance isn't so bad. It gives you an early look at the company's earnings, which is good for understanding the business."

"But I can't make sense of any of it! The numbers look like ancient hieroglyphics to me. I'm dreaming about spreadsheets at night. I'm going nuts!"

"So, what do you need from me?" Cecilia asked.

Seraphina's complaints were no surprise; she always turned to Cecilia with her troubles.

"I need you to have dinner with me tonight. I need to vent, or I swear I'm going to lose it."

Cecilia checked the time.

She had planned to stay late at work to review the development of the South Bay Area project.

After thinking it over, Cecilia decided, "Alright."

It seemed like the right time to check in on Seraphina. After all, she had been married for a while now, and Cecilia hadn't really made time to catch up on her married life.

Suddenly, Cecilia felt like she wasn't doing enough as a friend.

"Let's meet at 6 PM at the usual spot."

"Will Dashiell be there?"

"Can you please not mention him in front of me?" Seraphina snapped.

Cecilia rubbed her ears, puzzled.

She thought, 'Why is Seraphina so worked up?!

'Soon enough, you'll see, Dashiell… he's not so bad.'

At 6 PM, Cecilia arrived at the Cozy Hearth restaurant with Augustus in tow.

Seraphina had already been waiting in the private room.

Cecilia had come straight from work, but given the evening rush hour in the city, traffic was inevitable. House of Everhart Bank was farther from here compared to the Lockhart Group, so it was no surprise Seraphina had arrived early—she must have left work ahead of time.

Cecilia thought, 'Atticus really has his work cut out for him if he wants to get Seraphina to focus on her job… it's proving to be quite a challenge.'

"Hang on a sec, let me finish this game and then I'll catch up with you," Seraphina said without looking up from her phone, fully engrossed in her game.

Cecilia felt a bit exasperated.

It seemed like everyone around her was playing games these days.

She was the odd one out, not playing, and it made her feel out of place.

"Go ahead and play. I'll order the food," Cecilia said, accustomed to the situation.

"You know my favorites, right?"

Cecilia nodded.

With that, Seraphina turned her attention back to her game, her focus unwavering.

After a few minutes, Cecilia had finished ordering and was waiting. Seraphina, clearly frustrated, muttered a curse under her breath, "Damn it, I lost again!"

Her irritation was palpable.

Cecilia couldn't quite understand why a single game could be such a big deal.

At that moment, she thought of Cassius.

She remembered how Cassius would always shout whenever Alaric made a mistake during a game.

"Seraphina, how about I introduce you to a friend of mine?" Cecilia suggested.

"Who?" Seraphina asked, reluctantly putting her phone down and trying to calm herself.

Since getting involved with Dashiell, nothing had been smooth sailing for her.

She was used to it.

"Cassius."

"That idiot?" Seraphina scoffed.

Cecilia bit back the comment, "He's a lot like you."

She was worried Seraphina might take offense, though it was true they were very similar.

"By the way, I've noticed Alaric's campaign isn't going too well," Seraphina said suddenly, shifting the topic to something more serious.

Cecilia nodded.

"I've seen both candidates' campaigns. Dominic isn't exactly outstanding, but he's quite devious. Besides his public rallies, he's even hired people to canvass door-to-door. He's really pulling out all the stops and spending big on this campaign. On the other hand, Alaric's been off in the middle of nowhere. How is that supposed to generate any buzz or draw crowds? You should get Alaric back sooner rather than later. With his looks, he might still be able to make a difference."

So Seraphina was eyeing Alaric's looks, then.

"Alaric has his own plans."

"Plans that look like… a subtle surrender." Seraphina was sure of herself.

"Alaric's not like that."

"Oh, really? At the end of the day, Alaric's just a playboy. Even though people call him a time management master, he's still more about having fun than actually being productive."

"I have faith in him," Cecilia said, unwilling to explain further.

Because, frankly, she wasn't sure how to explain.

After all, she didn't know what Alaric's plans were.

"Cecilia, are you in love with Alaric?" Seraphina asked suddenly, her tone serious.

Cecilia's heart skipped a beat.

It felt like she'd been hit with a revelation.

"Are you in love with him?" Seraphina pressed, a mischievous grin on her face. "You must be, to be so unconditionally supportive. Just like how you used to be with Dominic."

"Alaric is not like Dominic," Cecilia said, her tone suddenly serious.

"I never said they were the same…"

"And my feelings for Alaric are definitely not like what I had for Dominic," Cecilia said firmly.

Seraphina furrowed her brow.

She thought, 'Did I say something wrong?'

Cecilia's sudden seriousness caught her off guard.
Deserted Wife Strikes Back
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