Wife You Discarded is a Billionaire's Crush novel Chapter 19

At the East Borough restaurant, a grand chandelier cast a glittering web of light across the room.

Cedric and Sylvia sat across from each other at a square table. A waiter uncorked a bottle of Bordeaux and poured it into a decanter, the ruby-red liquid catching the light. A single beam illuminated Cedric's sharp profile, his expression relaxed as his gaze drifted toward the piano in the corner.

"That's odd," Sylvia remarked, her long, wavy hair cascading over a marigold-yellow dress that made her look more delicate than her usual business attire. "There's no one playing tonight."

Cedric arched an eyebrow. "No idea."

He knew exactly why. Being perched on a piano bench like a zoo animal for everyone to gawk at was something the proud Liliana would never tolerate for long.

He even wondered if she had already given up and gone home.

Liliana always knew her place; she would never interrupt his work. That was why she had left so quietly that morning when she knew he was busy.

"A special for the happy couple!"

Juniper's voice, dripping with sarcasm, cut through the quiet ambiance. She placed a hot dish on their table, her eyes sweeping over Sylvia.

"Steak tartare?" Sylvia asked, surprised. "I didn't know this was on the menu."

"Oh, this is a custom creation," Juniper said with a dazzling smile, her gaze returning to the plate. "I call it 'The Traitor's Tartare.' Served cold, just like your hearts."

Instantly, the temperature around the table plunged to freezing.

Juniper considered herself brave, but for some reason, provoking Cedric always made her skin crawl. Maybe it was because she was only acting on Liliana's behalf and didn't have any concrete proof to truly pin him down.

After a deadening silence, she felt her throat tighten as if an invisible hand were squeezing it. She turned and walked away without another word.

Sylvia feigned confusion. "Cedric, do you know her?"

The man's hand, with its elegantly defined wrist bones, was striking against the rich fabric. As Sylvia reached for the card, her fingertip deliberately brushed against the back of his hand, her pinky giving his a subtle hook. Her almond-shaped eyes, full of charm, watched his face for any reaction.

Cedric's thin lips tightened, but he withdrew his hand nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair, a picture of lazy indifference. He acted as if he hadn't felt a thing.

Sylvia tucked the card into her purse without ceremony and glanced again toward the empty piano bench.

So, Liliana really didn't show up today. A calculating look flickered in her eyes.

Soon, the waiter brought their main courses, and Cedric began to eat with unhurried grace. Seizing a moment when he wasn't looking, Sylvia took out her phone to snap a picture of their reflection in the window.

But she forgot to turn off the flash.

Cedric's eyelids lifted, his gaze sharp and questioning as it landed on her.