Nothing Has Ever Changed

Cedric lost his appetite after Eden left.

He ignored Amelie's attempts to flatter him and even tossed the coat into the trash can when she handed it back to him. Then, he got up and shot her a disdainful look as if she were scum.

“What did I tell you? Have you completely forgotten?

“Amelie, don't try to play any games with me, and don’t get any funny ideas. You are nothing.”

With that, he ignored her pleas and apologies while dragging the now pale-faced Mateo out of the restaurant.

Without a word, he started the engine and drove straight home.

Eden was already home by the time they arrived.

The image of Eden leaving them in the restaurant continued to haunt Cedric for what seemed like ages. He could not help but ruminate over it, which only agitated him further.

Now that he had seen her safely at home in one piece, his agitated mood was finally settling down.

He tried to make amends for the guilt pulsing inside him. After digging in his pockets, he found a small gift box to his surprise.

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he opened it and handed its contents to Eden. It was a necklace.

“Eden, I bought you a New Year's gift.”

He slowly approached her and affectionately leaned in until he was inches away from her ears. He smiled charmingly while he presented the necklace to her.

The piece of jewelry dangled in the air in suspense, as if it, too, was waiting for Eden to be impressed.

After waiting a long time without receiving the expected reaction, Cedric pulled away in confusion, “Don't you like it?”

“You just gave me this necklace last month. It was for our anniversary.

Cedric's heart skipped a beat, and something tremored in his eyes. It was only then that he bothered to look at Eden’s collarbone and noticed she was already wearing a necklace that looked just like the one he had in hand.

They were completely identical.

At last, he remembered. It was Amelie who told him the necklace looked good on Eden and that she wanted one for herself, too. He did not think much of the request and got one for her.

His assistant had just passed him the necklace that afternoon, but he had completely forgotten about that because of the commotion in the restaurant. His mind was haunted by Eden.

Cedric panicked for an instant but managed to quickly regain his composure since he had been doing this for three years. Without a word, he snatched the necklace back and tossed it into the trash.

“The clerk at the jewelry place must have made a mistake. Never mind that, you deserve something better anyway. I’ll get you something better at an auction next time.

“Let's go shopping in the next few days. It's almost New Year's, I’ll get you whatever you want.”

Eden forced a smile and agreed perfunctorily.

Meanwhile, Cedric was too distracted to notice the eerie stillness in the corner of her eyes.

Four days later, he took Eden to a nearby shopping mall.

The entire time, he enthusiastically presented everything he could get his hands on to her, which included jewelry, clothes, shoes, and bags. However, Eden was hardly interested that she would only regard them stoically.

Regardless, Cedric bought everything she walked past or so much as just briefly glanced at.

The onlookers were filled with envy. They gasped and showered Cedric with praises.

“He's loaded! I wish I had a man this rich and handsome!”

“They say a man only splurges on what he loves. Mr. Rivers must love his wife!”

Eden could not help but note these remarks with intensified sarcasm.

When they entered the next store, Cedric planted himself on the couch and cast a glance to the side, only to notice a familiar figure that made him freeze.

It was Amelie.

Her eyes were seething with red, and she was fixing an intent look at him. Those were eyes that refused to yield. She was not afraid of being caught.

He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. Then, he said something to Eden to excuse himself to the restroom downstairs.

He left in such a hurry that he barely noticed Eden tailing him shortly after he left.

It did not take long for Amelie to catch up to him, either.

The moment they met, Amelie ignored the dirty floor and got on her knees to wrap her arms around his legs to plead.

“I’m sorry, Cedric, I know I made a mistake.

“Please, I beg you, give me another chance! I was so stupid! From now on, I promise to keep my distance and never show myself in front of Eden again. I’ll be here whenever you need me, alright?

“I promise I’ll keep quiet, please don’t leave me.”

Though it had only been a few days, she had lost a significant amount of weight, and there were dark circles underneath her eyes. Her voice trembled as she cried, and she was visibly shaking out of fear.

Cedric looked at her pitiful expression for a long time before he let out a deep, exasperated sigh.

Her defeated voice, coupled with her appearance, reminded him of Eden more than he’d like to admit. He had a soft spot for her.

“Seeing as you’ve been with me for three years, I’ll look past this incident.

“This won’t happen again.”

As soon as he said so, Amelie threw herself into his arms. She kissed his cheeks while still sobbing.

“I know, I'll be good from now on. I promise!”

Cedric had always been fond of how forthcoming and obedient Amelie was. He smiled, hugged her waist, and waited for her to calm down before opening the door to leave.

Just as he stepped out of the bathroom, a shadow loomed over him. The moment he looked up, his pupils dilated in an instant, and the color drained from his face.

“Eden, what are you doing here? How long have you been here?”

He intentionally raised his voice in hopes that Amelie would hear him and stay inside the restroom. He hardly realized how shaky his voice was out of sheer nerves.

Thankfully, Amelie got the hint and stayed hidden.

It felt as if the air was sucked out of the place.

Eden stared at him for what seemed like forever. With hands clenched so hard that they were bleeding, she smiled.

“The bathroom upstairs is under maintenance, so I had to come down here.

“Let me wash my hands, then we can go.”