Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia) novel Chapter 26

As the eyes of the dinner table settled on him, Steward drawled out a name, "Calvert Wallace."

Cordelia, seeing that Steward had nothing more to add, picked up her fork and resumed her meal.

Sanderson frowned, "Never heard of any big shot in the Wallace family. Who is this guy?"

Steward shook his head, replying, "Just be wary if you run into someone with that name. They say he's lurking around somewhere, unknown why he's come to Greenmeadow. Just don't cross him!"

Sanderson, who was always thinking a step ahead, asked, "Doesn't Hackett have any plans?"

Steward cleared his throat, "In a while, Hackett's throwing his sixty-ninth birthday bash, and Calvert will be invited. So you all might want to start looking for your party outfits."

That last bit was aimed at Lorna, who nodded eagerly.

After dinner, Cordelia went upstairs to tackle her mountain of practice tests. At ten sharp, a knock came at her door, and after granting permission, Lorna entered with a glass of warm milk and honey.

She set the glass down beside Cordelia, glancing at the pile of papers and couldn't help but say, "Lia, you're pushing too hard. You've got to rest."

"Okay," Cordelia replied without looking up.

Lorna sighed and pushed the glass into Cordelia's hands, "You're taking a break now."

Cordelia sighed, a bit helplessly facing Lorna's insistence, and quickly drank the milk. Just as she was about to dive back into her math problems, Lorna intervened, "Lia, do something else for a bit. Take a ten-minute break."

Cordelia looked blank, "Like what?"

Lorna, equally puzzled, suggested, "Don't you ever chat with your boyfriend?"

Cordelia was curt, "No need."

Lorna persisted, "And you didn’t go out over the weekend. Why not catch a movie together?"

Lorna was weary. Most parents worried about their kids dating too early and neglecting their studies, but here she was, nudging her daughter towards romance.

To her surprise, Cordelia quickly shot back, "Movies are a waste of time. They distract from studying."

Lorna was dumbfounded.

Cordelia blinked and asked slowly, "Mom, can I get back to my practice tests now?"

Lorna picked up the empty glass, "Fine, but make sure you get some sleep early."

Since Cordelia stayed up late studying every night, Lorna was accustomed to letting her sleep in a bit longer in the mornings, packing her breakfast for the road.

As she grabbed her breakfast and headed out, Laurinda couldn't resist a snide remark, "One top score and you think you're some kind of genius? Math Club and now Physics Club? Spreading yourself thin, huh? Greed can lead to loss on both fronts."

Cordelia ignored her, stepping straight into the car.

When she arrived at Midnight Scent, Juliana cast a meaningful glance at the store and clicked her tongue, but knowing Cordelia wouldn't respond, she kept quiet.

Cordelia quietly got out of the car.

At breakfast, her phone chimed with a text. Unbothered, Cordelia kept eating her bagel, not bothering to check the message.

Everard, in his languid way, swallowed his mouthful and said, "Girl, you've got a text."