Unloved Unwanted Unstoppable (Seraphina and Dominic) novel Chapter 76

She hated being stuck at home, and the nanny's cooking tasted even worse.

She much preferred following her dad around.

Lily took another bite of the watery broth, a quiet longing for her mother blooming in her chest.

If only Mom were here.

Mom always cooked the best food, and it never made her tummy hurt.

Whether it was fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy butternut squash soup, or savory chicken wontons, everything was delicious, warm, and perfect.

But Mom was so mean now.

As Lily thought about it, her bottom lip began to tremble.

Just today, her mother had yelled at her over that stupid, nasty cat.

She was Mom's real daughter! Why did Mom take the cat's side?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, aggressively scooping the mush into her mouth.

Yet, her eyes couldn't help but drift toward the restaurant entrance.

Mom wasn't coming.

In the past, whenever Lily got mad, her mother would always chase after her, begging for forgiveness and trying to coax a smile out of her.

But now, she never chased her.

Lily looked down, mechanically shoveling the food into her mouth, spoonful by spoonful.

Dominic finished checking his phone and set it face-down on the table.

He looked at Cynthia, his expression softening. "Cynthia, the corporate paperwork just went through. Starting tomorrow, you are the official Chief Design Consultant for Lockwood Jewelry."

Cynthia's fingers stalled on the stem of her wine glass.

She curled her lips into a perfectly measured smile.

"Thank you, Dominic."

She kept her response brief, her expression carefully neutral—neither overly excited nor visibly disappointed.

Chief Design Consultant for Lockwood Jewelry. It was a heavyweight title, one that carried serious prestige in the industry.

Dominic's empire had exploded in recent years, and his jewelry division was particularly lucrative, earning a formidable reputation.

Anyone else would be losing sleep over the sheer excitement of landing such a role.

Staring down at the dark red liquid in her glass, her eyes darkened.

She forced herself to stop thinking about it.

Swallowing her bitter resentment, she looked back up at Dominic.

"By the way, Dominic."

"Is the proposal for the new energy project finalized yet? I'd like to review it as soon as possible."

Lockwood's also had their hands in the new energy sector. Dominic was the wealthiest man in Northport, and his portfolio was incredibly diverse.

But it still paled in comparison to the monolithic reach of The Cole Group.

Dominic's brow shifted, a flicker of protective concern softening his gaze.

"You just took over the jewelry division. If you try to manage the new energy project on top of that, I'm worried you'll burn yourself out."

Cynthia smiled beautifully. "Don't worry about me. I spent years studying abroad, mastering my craft, all so I could come back and be of real use to you. Whether it's diamonds or energy grids, I can handle it. I want to help you."

Something deep inside Dominic's eyes shifted, his defenses lowering.

He nodded. "Alright. With your help, I'm sure the project will move forward smoothly."