Wife You Discarded is a Billionaire's Crush novel Chapter 129

Liliana didn't understand.

She was his wife. Wasn't it perfectly reasonable to want their marriage to be public?

How could Cedric look at her as if she were delusional, as if she were overstepping her bounds?

He wouldn't acknowledge her status, he wouldn't let her work, and he wanted her to be his personal maid, all while she had to watch him and Sylvia play the happy couple for the cameras. Was she really that much of a pushover?

Yes, she was. Liliana took a deep breath, trying to quell the bitterness and resentment rising within her. The Preston family was broke, and Hale was sick. A hundred thousand dollars was a fortune she couldn't possibly come up with on her own. And for that hundred thousand, she had to let Cedric control her.

"I won't ask you to make our marriage public," she said, her voice strained. "So please, don't force me to quit my job. As for the household chores… if you need me to, I can manage those as well."

The light cast his features in sharp, cold relief. "Who needs it?" he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. It wasn't that she was particularly good at taking care of him; it was just a habit, one he could break.

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

He hadn't insisted she quit. Liliana suspected it was because he wasn't willing to go public with their marriage. Did that mean she had won? She looked down, a bitter smile twisting her lips.

The argument downstairs didn't seem to affect Cedric's mood. After they had both showered and gotten into bed, the lights went out. The room plunged into darkness, and before Liliana could even settle in, a warm hand rested on her waist.

She couldn't comprehend it. An hour ago, he had been downstairs, red-faced with anger. Now, his eyes were soft with desire. His lips brushed against her earlobe, his breath hot enough to burn her skin. The small, intimate gestures sent her mind reeling.

Suddenly, he spoke, his voice raspy. "As long as you are Mrs. Forrest, you will remember your place as my wife. Understand?"

"Okay," she whispered, her voice so soft and pliant it could melt a man's heart.

The sound of the shower stopped, and Cedric emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist. He saw her put her phone down, and his eyes narrowed. "Working this late?"

"No," she said, showing him the registration confirmation on her screen. "Just reading the news."

Cedric's gaze locked onto the words 'Registration Complete.' He said nothing as he lifted the covers and got into bed.

Liliana put her phone down and went to the bathroom.

—

After her phone call with Liliana, Juniper tossed the phone back to Douglas.