Wife You Discarded is a Billionaire's Crush novel Chapter 49

"She complained to you again?" Cedric sneered.

The word "again" made Stoddard realize something was wrong. "She didn't complain. I asked."

Cedric's lips curled into a dismissive smirk. "Don't cover for her."

"I'm not covering for her," Stoddard insisted. "Cedric, a man needs to—"

"You can play by yourself. I'm going to find Mom."

The bright lights of the grand living room illuminated the disconnect between father and son. Since Cedric had taken over the family business, Stoddard had retired. As he gradually disengaged from work, Cedric threw himself into it, and communication between them dwindled. It became even worse after Cedric married and moved out, only returning once a week on Saturdays, if he wasn't busy. Even then, he spent most of his time discussing work with his mother. When he was truly swamped, they might not see him for a month.

Stoddard watched his son ascend the stairs, lost in thought. "I retired so I could spend more time with my wife," he murmured to himself. "I hope I haven't inadvertently created problems for Cedric's marriage."

—

In the rooftop greenhouse, Liliana trimmed a bouquet of sunflowers, stem by stem. Dowager Forrest sat in a nearby wicker chair, watching her with a warm smile. "If there's anything else you like, just tell Grandma, and I'll plant it."

At night, the glass room offered a stunning view of the starry sky, and the air was fragrant with the scent of countless flowers. Liliana loved it here. "I love whatever you plant, Grandma," she said with a smile. "Shall I cut a few more for your room?"

"Of course." Seeing Liliana happy made her even happier. "Those lilies will be blooming in a few days. We'll cut them and make dried flowers for your marital home."

A fool's dream.

"Mom," Liliana said, addressing Mirabelle.

Mirabelle had intimidated Liliana right from the start. Their first meeting had set the tone, with her future mother-in-law subjecting her to a cool, assessing stare, as if appraising an object for its worthiness to join the family.

She had expected a difficult, demanding mother-in-law. But after the wedding, Mirabelle had kept her distance. On the rare occasions they did interact, she was cold but never unkind. Over time, Liliana had grown used to it.

"You look like you've lost weight," Mirabelle observed, noting that Liliana's already slender jawline seemed sharper. "You should eat more."