?Chapter 112:


    “You’re not heading to work today?”


    She didn’t bother questioning his presence.


    Cedric’s stern demeanor eased a bit.


    “I am.”


    Dani nced at the clock on the wall, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


    “You’re runningte. It’s already past nine.”


    “Hmm,” Cedric replied with indifference.


    Dani didn’t think much of his short reply and went to the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutester, she came out and saw Cedric still sitting in the chair.


    After a brief pause, she asked, “Would you like to have breakfast with me?”


    Without a second thought, Cedric said, “Sure.”


    Dani stared at him, surprised.


    “I didn’t mean it—I was just being polite.”


    Unbothered, Cedric shrugged and replied, “Perfect. I’m starving. Let’s eat.”


    Dani’s lips curved into a smile, and she was nearly out the door when the secretary darted forward, his gesture filled with urgency as though he was bursting to speak—only for Cedric’s icy re to silence him instantly.


    He dropped his gaze and mped his lips shut without a word.


    Cedric turned to Dani, his demeanorposed yet assertive.


    “Forget everything else; breakfast first.”


    At the dining table, Cedric and Dani had breakfast in silence. The secretary lingered nearby, his expression contorted with worry and indecision.


    Shifting her gaze between Cedric and the secretary, Dani probed, “Is there something I should know?”


    The secretary nced at Cedric, his eyes pleading for permission to speak.


    It wasn’t until Dani ced her utensils down that the secretary gathered enough courage to speak, his words spilling out in a hurried flood.


    “Ms. Harper, your father, along with Katrina, Joyce, and reporters from eight mediapanies, are waiting downstairs. They are adamant about meeting with you.”


    As this news settled, Dani’s smile waned ever so slightly. She reached for a napkin, dabbing at her lips thoughtfully, then turned to Cedric with a mischievous grin.


    “Is this what’s been troubling you all morning? You really do care too much. Rest assured, I can handle them.”


    A barely audible hum rippled through Cedric’s throat.


    As the elevator carried them downwards, Dani assumed Cedric would make his way back to his office.


    The first-floor lobby was swarming with reporters, while the manager struggled valiantly to impose some semnce of order.


    Cedric took a decisive step forward. His countenance was shadowy and intense, mirroring the ominous clouds of a gathering storm, and the loud hubbub promptly hushed to a whisper.


    Even the Harper family appeared to diminish in his imposing presence. Heads dipped. The murmur of voices tapered off.


    Cedric remained utterly wordless. The quiet he held spoke volumes on its own. Poised protectively close to Dani, with his hands rxed in his pockets, his gaze sharply swept the crowd. His eyes, icy and prating, sliced through the crowd, challenging anyone bold enough to hold his stare.


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