Bound to Him

Chapter 9: A Perfect Little Lie

Miranda smiled at Chloe with flawless regret.

“It’s such a pity you weren’t there last night. Oh, right. Why weren’t you there?”

Chloe’s expression stiffened.

Not long ago, in order to sit in the front row of a certain designer brand’s first show in Ashbourne, Chloe had spent more than four million on orders without blinking.

She had shown off everywhere, boasting about her close relationship with the brand.

She wanted to use it to raise her status among the socialites who looked down on her.

But before the show could even happen, the brand became involved in a serious plagiarism scandal and was publicly criticized by several respected figures in the fashion industry.

The brand’s attitude was arrogant, which only made things worse. One scandal led to another, and soon the entire matter spread beyond the fashion circle.

The show was canceled.

The brand’s reputation collapsed.

And Chloe’s four-million-dollar order could not be refunded.

She had been so furious that she spent three days calling the brand’s PR team and screaming at them.

Unfortunately, no amount of screaming could bring her money back.

Because of that, she had become a joke in their circle. Recently, she had kept a much lower profile and rarely appeared in public.

Now Miranda had stabbed her exactly where it hurt.

Chloe forgot all the manners she had tried so hard to learn. She bit down on a piece of fruit with a crisp crack and forced out two words.

“I was busy.”

Fortunately for her, her phone rang just then.

It was a message from her fiancé, Ryan Hale, asking where she was and saying he would pick her up for dinner.

Chloe’s mood immediately turned from cloudy to bright.

She raised her phone slightly toward Miranda, her tone carrying a childish kind of superiority.

“Ryan is coming to pick me up for dinner, so I won’t keep you company. By the way, why isn’t Mr. Kane with you today?”

Miranda had seen every kind of woman who wanted to show off affection.

She was not moved.

Instead, she casually brushed her hair behind her shoulder.

The motion revealed a faint red mark on the side of her neck.

Then she rested her chin on one hand and said sweetly, “He’s busy with work. Usually, he only has time for me at night.”

She even gave Chloe an ambiguous wink.

Chloe fell silent.

The performance was shameless.

And annoyingly perfect.

After Chloe left, Claire leaned back in her chair and stirred her drink with a straw.

“Why do you always tease her? She’s much more entertaining than those fake flowers in your circle.”

Miranda said lazily, “That’s exactly why. Don’t you think she looks like a penguin when she gets angry? So cute.”

Claire paused.

For a moment, she did not even know where to begin rolling her eyes.

After teasing Chloe and enjoying a full-body spa, Miranda’s mood finally improved.

Of course, what she had said to Chloe was pure performance.

In reality, she and Cedric barely contacted each other. Whether they were in the same city or on different continents, neither of them usually took the initiative to find the other.

As for him spending nights with her?

That depended entirely on fate.

And after Cedric’s words that morning, Miranda did not even want to leave anything to fate.

She did not return to Moonwater Residence for the entire weekend.

Instead, she stayed comfortably in her downtown apartment, free and alone, while also revising the design drawings she had done for Zero Degree.

She had to admit that Cedric’s mockery had struck her pride.

She repeatedly looked back at the drawings and photos from the gala. Suddenly, she felt grateful that in events like that, interior designers were usually invisible.

Cedric also did not return to Moonwater Residence.

He had just come back to Ashbourne, and invitations were pouring in from every direction. More importantly, the drama inside Aurelia had only just begun.

The leading man could not leave the stage early.

On Monday, after Cedric’s company-wide appointment notice, Aurelia employees received another bomb.

Without warning, the internal system published personnel changes involving dozens of senior executives.

Among them was Howard Penn, the current general manager who had failed to appear in person on Cedric’s first day and had sent his secretary instead to test him.

To put those so-called personnel changes simply, they were dismissals.

Outside the president’s office on the sixty-eighth floor, a row of black-suited bodyguards stood from early morning.

That day, Aurelia witnessed a rare spectacle.

Several senior executives stormed up to the president’s office demanding an explanation, only to be dragged out by the bodyguards without mercy and sent back into the elevator.

Some of them completely lost their minds. After being dragged away, they no longer cared about their usual lofty image. They cursed loudly on every floor where employees could hear them, their ugly behavior almost comical.

People were strange creatures.

They rarely remembered pain that had not fallen on their own bodies.

If some of the useless parasites from the old Kane branches were still occupying positions in the company, they would have found today’s scene familiar.

Compared with Cedric’s methods from several years ago, today’s handling was even gentle.

Back then, he had ordered bodyguards to throw people directly out of the group building.

The last person to arrive at the president’s office was Howard Penn.

His name sounded broad and heavy, but the man himself was thin, refined, and mild-looking. Though nearing sixty, he was well maintained, appearing no older than his early forties.

He carried himself like a cultured gentleman.

Elegant.

Polished.

The kind of older man who could still make young women believe they were choosing wisdom over youth.

“Mr. Penn, please sit,” Cedric said politely.

Howard did not sit.

His back was straight, and his voice carried barely suppressed coldness.

“I wouldn’t dare. I doubt I still have the honor of such familiarity with Mr. Kane.”

Cedric leaned back slightly in his chair.

“Why say that? If I didn’t still respect you, why would I bother looking after Zach?”

Howard’s pupils contracted.

Zach Penn was his only son.

He had been spoiled rotten, good at nothing decent and skilled at everything destructive. When he was eighteen, he had even fought his own father over a woman, turning the family scandal into public gossip.

In the years since, Zach had only become worse.

Drinking.

Drugs.

Women.

Trouble.

Howard scolded him openly but protected him secretly. After all, no matter how useless the boy was, he was still his only heir.

“What did you do to Zach?” Howard’s voice lowered.

Cedric’s hands rested together on the desk.

“A few days ago in Starfall City, I happened to hear that Zach and his friends had gone too far and were detained by the police. I’ve already spoken to the right people. You don’t need to worry.”

Howard had been too busy dealing with the Kane family’s recent moves to pay attention to his son.

Only now did he realize he had not heard from Zach for almost a week.

He knew exactly what kind of son he had.

If Zach had been held this long without any news reaching him, Cedric had clearly prepared this move in advance.

The office fell into silence.

After a long moment, Howard’s tense expression softened.

He thanked Cedric, then began talking about old memories and past affection.

Unfortunately, Cedric’s expression remained calm.

As if he had heard none of it.

He opened a document, placed a pen beside it, and pushed both toward Howard.

“Retirement is a good thing,” Cedric said. “From now on, you’ll have plenty of time to discipline Zach.”

Howard stared at him.

The struggle was already over.

After a long silence, Howard finally stepped forward.

His back remained straight as he picked up the pen. He did not even look at the document before signing his name at the bottom.

Cedric did not avoid his gaze.

After Julian confirmed the signature, Cedric said lightly, “I’ve reserved a table at Lanford for Zach. Consider it a welcome meal. If you go now, the timing should be perfect. I still have work, so I won’t join you.”

Howard’s jaw tightened.

Without another word, he left the office.

His back was still straight.

But somehow, it no longer looked as firm as when he had entered.