Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 423

"Cecilia."

Owen tugged at Cecilia's arm, urging her to sit down, but she shrugged off his grip with a huff. "I can sit down by myself. Don't pull me."

Once seated, she glared at him, clearly annoyed.

Owen just grinned and said, "Just calling my name will do for now. There’s no need to demand too much. We've got a whole lifetime ahead to get entangled in, and I bet you'll end up calling me 'hubby' sooner or later."

Cecilia said simply, "… rascal."

She knew this side of him all too well—the Shameless Owen.

"You've already nicknamed me 'Shameless Owen.' If I didn't live up to that, I'd be letting down the moniker you so kindly bestowed upon me."

"Whether you help Avery or not is your call. After all, it's not me who's anxious. And why have you come here anyway?"

Owen knew he couldn't intimidate Cecilia; she was the one who could rattle him, because he wore his heart on his sleeve first, and therefore, he had already lost.

"Don’t jump the gun. We should see where Cedric stands. If he isn't ready to face things together with Avery, then my help would only add to his heartache, making it pointless."

A relationship takes two to tango; it shouldn’t be one person fighting tooth and nail while the other gives up without a fight. Help from outsiders can’t do much.

Cecilia had to admit Owen had a point and praised him. "You're getting sharper."

No wonder Trenton Martinez had pushed him to marry her, diverting his attention from his obsession with Ruby. Slowly but surely, Owen was coming to his senses.

Owen gave a bitter smile. "My dear Cecilia, can we please not bring her up?"

"I didn't mention her. You're the one who thought of Ruby, which is why you think I'm referring to her. Owen, you've got a long way to go before you can calmly face Ruby."

"They say the best way to get over an old flame is to move on to someone new. Cecilia, would you be my girlfriend? The kind with marriage in mind. With you by my side, our daily dates, all lovey- dovey, I guarantee I'll get over Ruby in no time."

It was hard to believe he could get over a love that lasted over a decade that easily.

"Didn't I accept the flowers you sent? And I did go to the movies with you, right? If that's not dating, then what is?"

Cecilia retorted, getting up to leave. In fact, she was embarrassed.

Her words were as good as agreeing to a relationship with Owen.

"Cecilia."

Owen's face lit up with joy as he grabbed her wrist, his smile widening. "Then, let's have lunch together, at my family's hotel. And tonight, we’ll go on another date."

"Oh, by the way, I came here to tell you something."

Owen didn’t wait for Cecilia to respond. He quickly changed the subject, taking her silence for a “yes” to having lunch at the Pinehurst Hotel.

"What is it?" Cecilia asked, glancing at Avery who was still hitting the bottle. She called over the waitress to persuade Avery to stop drinking.

"You know Madeleine, right?" Owen asked.

"Of course, Nathan's latest crush. Because of her, Mrs. Bright doesn't even want to come back to Skywatch, let alone forgive Nathan. But if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't forgive him either. Better to divorce, if he's got a new love, why not set him free?"

Owen hurriedly added, "Cecilia, I promise that after our marriage, you'll be the only one for me. No mistresses or affairs on the side."

Cecilia gave him a sideways glance.

He sure knew how to make a pitch for himself.

"Madeleine came to my office today."

Cecilia was surprised, then asked, "Did you meet her?"

"I did. She came knocking, and I thought I might fish for some intel for Lucinda, so I met with her. She knows I'm at odds with Stefan, so she came to me, asking to team up against Stefan and his wife. Hah, as if I’d fall for that. I’m not going to be her pawn."

"Even if Lucinda weren't my wife's best friend, I wouldn't team up with Madeleine. Stefan and I have our own battles in Pinehurst; letting Madeleine get involved is just an open door for the Porters to try and take over. Who would want to give up their warm seat of power?"

Cecilia twisted his uninjured arm. "Who are you calling your ‘wife’? We're divorced!"

"I didn't name names. If you take it to mean yourself, then you're admitting you’re my wife."

Cecilia didn’t answer him.

His words were apparent—he was clearly referring to her! Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

"I didn't outright refuse Madeleine’s proposal, nor did I agree. I’m keeping her on the hook, letting her think there's a chance. It's good to see what moves she'll make, and I can tip off Stefan."

Cecilia stood again.

"Where are you off to now?"

Owen quickly grabbed her arm, confused why she would leave when he'd brought good news.

"I'm getting you a glass of water. After all that talking, aren't you thirsty?"

There he let her go.

Cecilia returned with a glass of warm water for him. After he took a few sips, she said, " Since the shop isn’t busy right now, let's go eat. I need to return afterward to manage the shop and discuss the transfer price with the store owner next door."

"Your shop is transferring ownership?"

Owen misunderstood, and was somewhat startled. "Do you have any financial troubles? Tell me how much you need, and I'll send the money right away."

Cecilia glared at him. "Can't you say something pleasant for once? You wish my shop was transferring, huh? Our shop is expanding. My neighbor’s business isn't doing well, and Lucy's been hinting at taking over. The owner's decided to sell her store to us; we just haven't settled on a price yet."

The owner next-door had hoped to ride on Lucinda's coattails to boost his sales. Unfortunately, his plan didn't pan out. Instead, the local eateries were the ones raking in the dough.

Although the Serendipity Cafe offered its fair share of pastries and sweet treats, it was mainly known for its artisanal coffee blends. People come here for Lucinda's fame. And when hunger struck, they'd flock to the nearby diners and bistros, inadvertently giving a leg up to the food business scene.

As for the matter of negotiating prices, Jack insisted, "Let me handle it. Once she gets wind of Lucinda's fame, she might just try to milk us for all we're worth."

With a chuckle, Cecilia said, "Why wield a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Besides, I can take care of my own affairs. You better focus on your empire—seal those big deals. Don't you dare neglect the family business. If profits dip, I don't want your mom blaming me again, calling me a jinx or worse, a husband-wrecker.

"And keep an eye on your younger brother; he's eyeing your chair like a hawk. You wouldn't want to end up kicking yourself and resenting me for not warning you."