I Confronted His Dad, He Gave Me An Island

Chapter 6

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed before Miranda slowly regained consciousness.

The first thing she saw was Cedric sitting beside her hospital bed.

Seeing her wake up, he put down the mobile phone he had been holding. "That arrow of yours nearly took Paige’s life. What you went through, having your surgery done without any anesthesia, was her punishment for you. Now, the score is settled between you two."

Miranda turned her head away slowly, avoiding his attempt to touch her.

"If you had just signed the divorce agreement sooner, none of this would have ever happened."

"Miranda, it has been three years. In all that time, you have never once shown me any submission or softness," Cedric said, his voice calm and flat. "Look at yourself now, how hysterical you have become. You cause a scene again and again. Do it too many times, and you simply become tiresome."

"Cedric... why did it have to be Paige?" Miranda asked, staring at him intently, her eyes locked onto his.

Cedric paused for a moment, and there was a trace of hesitation in his tone that he didn't even notice himself.

"Paige is the one who understands me best. She never complains or cares about how many other women I see outside this marriage. If it weren't for her, I would never have known what true freedom feels like for my entire life."

Miranda was undeniably beautiful, dazzling and striking like a vivid red rose. The kind of woman that made him fall instantly in love the moment he saw her.

He had gone to great lengths to pluck that rose and bring it home, planting it in his own private garden where it belonged.

But after looking at it day after day for years, he had eventually decided that the rose was nothing special after all.

A life dedicated to loving only one person had slowly begun to feel dull, monotonous, and tedious.

That was exactly when Paige had appeared. She bore a striking resemblance to Miranda.

Yet, unlike Miranda, her eyes held no regard for rules, conventions, or what was proper. She took him by the hand and showed him a whole new world he had never even imagined existed.

In that world, he was able to unleash every desire and impulse he had kept buried, without ever worrying that he might cause his precious rose to wither or fade.

Cedric paused briefly before continuing, "Paige doesn't care about titles or status. She simply pursues happiness and pleasure, nothing more. She will never try to take the position of Mrs. Green away from you. You need to stop targeting her and treating her like an enemy." Having said that, he turned on his heel and walked away with long, heavy strides.

Miranda clenched her fists so tight that her fingernails dug painfully into her palms. Her eyes burned with a deep, blood-red hatred.

Several days later, when Miranda was finally able to get out of bed and move around, she discovered that she and Paige were patients staying in the exact same hospital.

From the very first day he had warned her to stay away, Cedric had remained by Paige’s bedside day and night. He had not set foot in Miranda’s room even once.

By now, Miranda had long ceased to care. She had only one thought left in her mind. Divorce. She simply wanted this man and this woman out of her sight forever.

On the day she was discharged, Miranda went through the procedures by herself.

Just as she walked out through the main entrance, she saw Cedric’s car parked by the curb, as if he had been waiting specifically for her.

She ignored him completely and walked toward her own ride, but before she could open the door, Cedric grabbed her and dragged her forcibly into his car.

"Let go of me!" Miranda screamed, her eyes turning red. She bit down hard on his wrist, leaving deep, bleeding marks on his skin.

Cedric caught her wrists, pinning them down to stop her struggling. "Haven't you made enough of a scene yet? Don't force me to take you right here, right now!"

Miranda froze instantly. The memories of the pain and humiliation from the last time he had forced himself on her flooded back into her mind.

She never wanted to be treated like that again.

She had no choice but to grit her teeth and force herself to stop moving.

Cedric was satisfied with her sudden obedience. A smirk appeared on his face as he said, "That's better. All that happened is long in the past now. You really don't need to keep holding onto it."

He had spent this whole week busy taking care of Paige, but sometimes, his thoughts had drifted back to Miranda.

He turned sideways in his seat, intending to say something soft or perhaps even apologetic, but he was met with her eyes. Empty, cold, and void of any emotion whatsoever.

The words died in his throat. He felt an inexplicable, restless irritation rising within him.

Desperate to break the heavy silence, he spoke impulsively, without thinking, "Give me a child."

Miranda’s pupils constricted sharply as she stared at him in disbelief.

How could he say such a thing to her, after betraying her, after trampling her dignity into the dust, after everything he had done?

Cedric mistook her shock for docility. He leaned closer and pressed a light kiss to her lips.

Miranda did not reject him. In fact, she surprised him by leaning in and kissing him back.

Cedric looked at her with evident satisfaction. "Finally. You have finally learned your place and how to be obedient enough to soften up to me."

Miranda looked him straight in the eye. Then, suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "You are not worthy!"

Cedric kept his head turned to the side where she had struck him, and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You really haven't changed a bit. Just like always."

The car came to a halt at that moment. Only then did Miranda realize where he had driven her. The docks. Moored right beside them was the Green family’s luxury yacht.

Cedric leaned over to unbuckle her seatbelt. His warm breath fanned against the sensitive skin behind her ear as he spoke in a low, coaxing tone.

"You and Paige are sisters, after all. She feels terrible about what happened and wants to apologize properly to you. She organized a special reception just for you."

"I don't want to go," she replied, her lashes lowered, her voice cold and detached.

Cedric’s tone turned smooth and persuasive. "Be a good girl. I invited all your closest friends, too. They are all waiting for you on board the yacht."