Chapter 244 Did... did he fall in love with Daisy?

Chapter 244: Chapter 244 Did... did he fall in love with Daisy?

And Naomi noticed something else too...

Cedric might have been physically present but his mind certainly wasn’t occupied by the woman celebrating her engagement.

He barely reacted when Jessica laughed and whenever she tried to draw him into the conversation, his responses were brief and distracted. His gaze kept wandering elsewhere, as though something far more important than their engagement party was occupying his thoughts.

Naomi watched him carefully, her fingers curling tightly around her glass.

Did... did he fall in love with Daisy?

The thought made her heart tighten.

Daisy was beautiful. Naomi couldn’t deny that. There was something naturally charming about her, something that made people want to look after her and stay close to her. Anyone could fall for a woman like Daisy, especially someone who had spent enough time around her to discover just how sweet and lovable she could be.

But Cedric?

Why her? Why Daisy?

Naomi lowered her gaze to her drink, trying to swallow the unpleasant feeling rising inside her.

No, the question wasn’t why Cedric might have fallen for Daisy. The real question was why he had never looked at Naomi the same way.

She had always been there for him. She had been his close friend, the person who knew him better than most people, the one who had stayed by his side through countless moments. She knew his habits, understood his moods and could often tell what he was thinking simply by looking at his face.

She had been there long before Jessica entered his life.

So why?

Why had he never considered her?

Why had she never been the woman he wanted, the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, the woman whose absence could ruin his mood even when he was surrounded by people?

Naomi’s grip tightened around her glass until her fingers began to ache.

Why, Cedric? Why have you never looked at me that way?

She wanted to laugh at herself for even thinking about it. She was his friend. She had always been his friend and perhaps that was all she would ever be to him. But knowing that didn’t make the realization any less painful.

Her eyes drifted toward him again.

Cedric was staring at his drink, his expression distant while Jessica excitedly discussed their upcoming wedding with the others. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t even pretending to be interested anymore.

By the time the party finally came to an end, Jessica was quite drunk, her cheeks flushed as she laughed loudly at almost everything.

She had booked a luxurious hotel room for the two of them earlier that evening, determined to spend some private time with her fiancé after what she considered the happiest night of her life.

She had spent the entire party imagining their future together and now that their engagement was officially settled, she wanted nothing more than to enjoy Cedric’s attention without anyone interrupting them.

Cedric was drunk, too, although he was considerably quieter than she was. He followed her into the room with his tie loosened and the top buttons of his dark shirt undone, looking tired enough that he barely reacted when she excitedly pulled him inside.

Jessica giggled as she shut the door behind them and turned the lock, her heart fluttering at the thought that they would soon be husband and wife.

"Finally, we’re alone!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck.

Cedric barely responded. His head felt heavy and his thoughts were a disorganized mess, with one particular face appearing in his mind far more often than he wanted to admit.

Jessica, however, was too caught up in her happiness to notice his distraction. She stepped closer, smiling as she reached for the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one while admiring his handsome features.

"Cedric, you’re so handsome," she murmured, her fingertips brushing against his exposed chest. "Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this?"

He caught her wrists and gently pushed her hands away.

"Jessica, stop."

She blinked at him, surprised by the sudden rejection. "What? Cedric, we’re alone. What’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I’m tired."

He turned away, running a hand through his hair as he tried to steady himself. He wanted to lie down, close his eyes and escape the thoughts that had been tormenting him throughout the evening.

But Jessica wasn’t ready to give up. She had spent so long waiting for their relationship to become official that she couldn’t understand why he seemed so distant on the very night their engagement had been celebrated.

Assuming he was merely exhausted or too drunk to express himself properly, she stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his back.

"Cedric," she whispered, hugging him more tightly. "I’m so happy. We’re finally going to get married."

He closed his eyes.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Jessica remained pressed against him, waiting for him to turn around and embrace her the way she had imagined he would.

When he finally turned, she immediately lifted her face toward his, expecting a smile or perhaps a kiss.

Instead, Cedric stared at her as though he had just seen a ghost.

His expression changed so suddenly that Jessica’s smile faltered. He blinked, his gaze moving over her face and his expression softened.

In his drunken confusion, her features blurred and shifted until another face appeared in their place. A face he had been trying desperately not to think about. A face that haunted him whenever he was alone.

Daisy.

Cedric’s lips parted, and the exhaustion that had clouded his expression moments earlier vanished. His eyes widened with sudden, almost childlike disbelief before his entire face brightened with a happiness so genuine that it made Jessica’s heart skip a beat.

"You came back?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment.

Jessica froze for a moment.

Then, misunderstanding his words, she smiled and nodded. "Yes, Cedric. I’m here."

He let out a breathless laugh, almost disbelieving and reached for her, pulling her into his arms.

"You really came back," he murmured, holding her as though he were afraid she might disappear if he loosened his embrace. "I thought I’d lost you."

Jessica’s eyes narrowed but before she could question him, Cedric cupped her face and kissed her.

The kiss was sudden and passionate, leaving her too surprised to react for the first few seconds. His hands settled against her cheeks, his fingers slipping into her hair as he drew her closer. He kissed her with a desperation she had never experienced from him before, as though he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

Jessica’s heart skipped a beat.

She had never seen him like this before.