?Chapter 439:


    Shirley nodded in agreement.


    “Exactly! Like a couple!”


    Shirley’s face nched upon hearing the news.


    She had always sensed something unusual about Dani and Cedric’s interaction, and now it seemed there was a deep bond between them.


    Eager for answers, Shirley quickly sought out Katrina to discuss her concerns.


    “You’re reading too much into it,” Katrina reassured her confidently while tending to her flowers.


    “Their rtionship is purely tonic. Consider how Dani treats Ryan. She’s kind to him as well. They couldn’t be married. If there were, Dani wouldn’t keep it hidden. Why should she hide Cedric?”


    Shirley wasn’t entirely convinced by Katrina’s reassurances.


    “Listen,” Katrina added, “Dani is much like her mother—hard to understand, but deeply loyal once you get to know her. I was merely a servant, yet Brylee treated me like family. Some people genuinely go out of their way for those they value.”


    This trust had enabled Katrina to marry Caiden.


    “If there was anything official between them, given their prominence, it wouldn’t remain a secret. They just share a close bond.”


    Shirley nodded, though her gaze drifted back upstairs, wondering about the allure of Dani’s room that kept Cedric returning so often.


    Lillian shared her confusion.


    “Something’s really off,” shemented to Ryan, who was seated on the floor, immersed in his coding.


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    “What’s up?” Ryan asked distractedly.


    “Dani and Cedric have been acting oddlytely.”


    Lillian exined, “They’re distant in public but seem close at home, watching TV together. I initially thought they might have quarreled, but Cedric spends hours in Dani’s room.”


    Ryan, having stayed up all night working on aplex programming task, multitasked between coding and responding to Lillian without breaking his focus, Ryan continued working. Lillian nudged him, asking,


    “What’s going on with them? Are they fighting or getting closer?”


    Ryan dismissed the idea with a shake of his head.


    “No way, those two can’t really fight.”


    “Are they together then?” Lillian spected.


    Again, Ryan shook his head.


    “Dani’s not easy to win over. Cedric would need a decade at least to make any headway.”


    At that moment, Cedric descended the stairs, overhearing the tail end of Ryan’s remarks.


    He cleared his throat, feigning irritation.


    “What’s this now? I’m just trying to get some work done. Why bring me down? Do you really think I’m that hopeless? Ten more years? How old do you think I’ll be?”


    Lillian caught sight of Cedric and felt a familiar twinge. She whispered to Ryan,


    “Did you see how Cedric just smiled? It’s rare to see him smile that broadly.”


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