Chapter 124
Louie furrowed his brow, “Explaining this is a bit complicated. But think of it as a sort of psychological suggestion”
Cordelia, puzzled, asked, “Psychological suggestion?”
Louie chuckled, “Yeah, like when you nod while talking, it subconsciously makes people agree with you more. There are tons of examples. Often, the person being influenced doesn’t even realize it. Sometimes it’s a look, sometimes a gesture.”
Cordelia found the idea fascinating, as if a door to a new world had been opened to her. “Is there a way to stop the suggestion?”
As she spoke, a tight sensation gripped her chest, and the thought, “Probably not,” popped into her mind.
uninvited.
Lost in thought, she saw Louie’s eyebrows bunch together in a sigh, “Not at the moment.”
Cordelia managed an “Oh,” about to speak further when Louie added, “But I might be able to help suppress it.”
Suppress it… Cordelia thought about her recent turmoil with whether or not to kiss Everard–if it could be suppressed, could she go back to the simplicity of just holding hands?
Her eyes lit up, “How can we suppress it?”
Louie pulled a small bottle from his bag and handed it to her, “This can help keep things under wraps for at while, but it’s not a cure. It’ll just… slow down your romantic progress.”
Cordelia took it, noticing the lack of a label, and nodded obediently, “Okay.”
But Louie didn’t leave. His handsome features tightened as he gazed at her, and with a deep sigh, he gently patted her head, “Be careful with this guy. You don’t want to mess with him.”
Cordelia blinked, “Louie, you know Everard?”
Loule, avoiding a direct answer, said, “Based on what you’ve told me, he doesn’t seem to mean you any harm. No need to be overly cautious, but don’t get too entangled either.”
Cordelia listened and nodded again..
Checking the time, Louie realized they had been talking for twenty minutes. Reluctantly, he looked at Cordelia one more time, his eyes warm but tinged with a hint of reluctance, “I’ve got to go.”
Cordelia was still detached, “Sure, see you, Louie.”
With a wry smile, Louie got in his car and drove away.
Cordelia stood there for a moment longer, watching his car disappear before heading back inside.
In the living room, Lorna and Mathilda were pressed against the window, peering out with little regard for appearances.
Lorna frowned, “What could Lia and Dr. Adams have to talk about for so long?”
Mathilda chimed in, “Did they know each other before? The first time they met, Lia escorted him out. Something’s fishy!”
As they spoke, Cordelia entered. They quickly straightened up, and Lorna coughed before asking. “Lia, what do you think of Dr. Adams?”
Cordelia, grabbing her backpack, replied, “He’s handsome, and has a nice temperament.”
With that, she went upstairs.
Mathilda was puzzled, “What did Lia mean by that?”
Chapter 24)
Lorna mused, “Lia fell for Everard because he’s handsome, and that’s how she got him
Their eyes met, sharing a silent conversation.
Mathilda hesitantly added, “Lia doesn’t think Dr. Adams is good–looking too, does she?”
Lorna was perplexed. Considering Cordelia’s attitude towards Everard and her recent twenty–minute ‘reluctant farewell‘ to Loule, it seemed that Lia might have a bit of a… player streak.
Well, suddenly Everard seemed even more pitiable.
Unaware of the downstairs speculations, Cordelia entered her bedroom and sat down, staring at the small bottle.
If it was all psychological suggestion, Louie, as a psychologist, could have fixed it with hypnosis. But he couldn’t, which meant it was probably something else entirely.
Louie knew more but wasn’t sharing. He had his reasons.
And Everard, he was definitely not as straightforward as he appeared.
Cordelia opened the bottle and found brightly colored pills inside, resembling vitamins. Without hesitation, she took one, trusting her gut–and her gut had never steered her wrong.
The next day proved the pill’s efficacy. Instead of waking up to a dull ache in her chest, reminding her to visit Midnight Scent and see Everard, there was only a slight discomfort.
Amazed by the difference, Cordelia’s spirits lifted. She had been worried about the possibility of things. escalating to a point of intimacy with Everard, and she was only in her senior year of high school!
Now, with the medication’s help, she could likely make it to college.
Descending the stairs with a spring in her step and a glimmer of joy in her eyes, she was met by Lorna’s curious voice, “Lia, did seeing Dr. Adams yesterday put you in such a good mood?”
Cordelia nodded, “Yeah.”
Lorna was left speechless, sharing a knowing look with Mathilda. Both let out a sigh.
While packing breakfast, Lorna couldn’t resist adding extra beef pastries, recalling Everard’s fondness for them, “Last time he was here, he mentioned he liked beef pastries.”
Cordelia, not recalling this detail, offered a noncommittal, “Oh.”
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