The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 583

Eason had crashed at Cordelia's place for a few days before heading back to England. Meanwhile, Cordelia spent her days strolling around with Paola.

"Mom, this is Millstone, remember? You've been here before," Cordelia said. "But it’s probably changed so much, you might not recognize it."

Paola just looked around quietly, not saying much. She was just as silent at home.

Having Paola visit from China had been a huge relief for Cordelia, but seeing her mom so distant and lost in thought broke her heart.

...

Lumos Enterprises had yet another meeting lined up for Saturday, as Ronan had arranged.

Cordelia knew his game: Petra was at school during the week, and weekends were her time to visit, making things awkward for Cordelia.

Cordelia, as usual, asked her boss, Ms. Emily, for time off.

"Ms. Emily, I've been feeling a bit off lately and need to take a leave," Cordelia said.

"Cordelia, I just spoke with Mr. Evans. He mentioned that the Eden Hills project has only a few meetings left. He wants you to hang in there."

Fine, she'd hang in there.

This time, Cordelia was ready to put on a show.

At the meeting, she wore her usual flats and displayed her indifference. She propped her chin on her hand while looking at the PowerPoint slides, speaking only when absolutely necessary.

Then, Ronan's phone rang.

"Come home for dinner? Sure, the meeting's almost over," he said, his voice dripping with tenderness.

Cordelia didn't need to guess who he was talking to.

As Wyatt was presenting new content, Cordelia suddenly felt nauseous. Clutching her mouth, she bolted out of the room.

An awkward silence blanketed the conference room.

Ronan's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

"Pack her stuff up nicely," Ronan instructed Ms. Emily.

Ms. Emily had already done so, handing over the computer, notebook, pens, and other items to Ronan.

He grabbed them and stormed out of the building, heading straight to Cordelia's place.

Returning from the meeting, Cordelia passed the school auditorium and noticed a poster announcing a renowned film critic's lecture. It caught her interest, and she decided to take Paola along, considering her mother's once-sensational career.

They sat quietly in the back row.

The students, younger than Cordelia, were too young to remember Alana's heyday, and with the limited spread of information back then, most didn’t recognize Paola.

The expert discussed the history of modern cinema, including the film "Emerald Waters" starring Alana and August. He praised the script for its unique blend of mystery and romance.

Alana and August's faces beamed down from a large poster on the big screen, a reminder of a bygone era.