Chapter 3: Three Days of Silence
821 Words
Three days ago, Miranda had seen a post from Tyler on social media.
The caption was only four words: Welcome back, brother.
Below it was a photo of a private club room. The focus had been on two other men, but in the dim corner, Cedric’s platinum watch had accidentally appeared.
That watch had been a wedding gift from the Kane elders.
Cedric’s watch had a little prince on the dial. Hers had a rose. It was a private commission from Van Cleef & Arpels, completely unique.
In other words, he had been back in the country for at least three days.
Three days.
No call.
No message.
He had gone straight to Starfall City to drink and entertain himself with his friends.
If not for the fact that Miranda knew his rich romantic history and how he was in bed, she really would have wondered whether she had accidentally married a closet case and become a tragic wife overnight.
After listening to her accusation, Cedric finally understood why she had been picking at him all night.
He thought for a moment and said, “I assumed that, given our relationship, you had no interest in my schedule. If you are interested, I can have my assistant send you a daily report from now on.”
“…”
Who wanted his schedule?
Did the entire world have to act like his mother and monitor whether he could walk independently without getting lost?
And why did his words sound so irritating?
Like a favor.
Like charity.
Miranda felt herself getting worse by the second. The urge to point at his nose and curse him was already on the tip of her tongue, but something made her stop.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down.
Don’t get angry.
Don’t get angry.
Miranda was born fair-skinned and beautiful. Tonight, because of the gala, her makeup had been light. Standing beneath the hallway light, her red lips pressed into a thin line, her face looked vivid, bright, and painfully delicate.
Cedric had known her for nearly twenty years.
He had never liked her spoiled princess behavior.
But he had also never denied that since childhood, Miranda Vale had been the kind of beauty that stunned people at first sight.
Beautiful women made people soften.
Seeing that she was so angry she was about to smoke from the top of her head, Cedric, for once, took the initiative to back down.
“Fine. This time, consider it my fault.”
“Consider?” Miranda’s temper, which she had barely pushed down, flared up again because of his straight-man version of a concession. “What do you mean consider? It is your fault!”
Their marriage had always been a decision made to maximize the interests of both families.
For both of them, the marriage partner had not been particularly satisfying. But children born into families like theirs understood early that marriage was rarely about personal freedom.
You could not enjoy everything your family gave you and then throw down your bowl to chase pure love and absolute freedom.
When it came to the wedding, both Miranda and Cedric had cooperated well.
They had also reached an early agreement on one thing.
In public, they would act like a loving couple.
“You came back without saying a word. You accompanied Sophia Stone to a gala where I was present. You bought her necklace at auction, and you didn’t even bother to tell me in advance. Whose face were you trying to slap? Were you trying to tell the whole world that you and I barely know each other?”
Miranda’s voice grew louder with every sentence.
There was a certain energy to her, as if her height was not enough, so she had to make up for it with volume.
Cedric rubbed his brow, as if she was too noisy.
His explanation was calm.
“I had lunch with Edward this afternoon. He was unavailable, so I did him a favor. Sophia is over forty. I doubt anyone would think my accompanying her was an insult to you. Also, I didn’t know you would be at the gala.”
Miranda translated his meaning in her head.
Oh. Who knew you would be there? I don’t pay attention to you. Who are you again?
This was probably what Miranda hated most about Cedric.
He never put anyone or anything in his eyes.
He was always rational and calm.
Or rather, always cold.
She, on the other hand, had grown up surrounded by flowers, attention, and admiration. She was bright, alive, and pampered.
The thing she could least tolerate was being treated like she was not the center of someone’s world.
The conversation ended without a result.
While taking her shower, Miranda was still thinking to herself that if she could end this widowed marriage, she was willing to go five years without s*x.
- Writer
