Will You Marry Me, Again

Chapter 290 What’s Your Relationship with Cedric?

Vicky said this casually, but her face showed anger. Thinking about what happened in the elevator before, she was furious and wanted to flay Aiken alive!

“Never mind, let’s not talk about it. Just hurry up and put on the dresses. The makeup artist and stylist will be here soon, soon, right?”

Hope covered her mouth and giggled, then quickly took the dress Vicky handed over and ran to her room. After Hope’s door closed, Maia took the dress but showed no intention of changing.

“Maia, why aren't you changing? The stylist and makeup artist will be here soon.” Vicky looked at Maia, puzzled by her lack of reaction.

Maia just stared at Vicky. The atmosphere suddenly fell silent for a long time, making everyone uncomfortable. Even Vicky felt a sense of oppression, a feeling she had only experienced with Aiken. She did not expect to feel it with Maia as well.

“Vicky,” Maia spoke, breaking the silence. “What's your relationship with Cedric?” /

Hearing Maia’s question, Vicky’s posture changed instantly, despite her attempts to conceal it. Though she tried to hide it, she could not completely mask her feelings.

“Maia, what are you talking about? How can | have any relationship with Cedric?”

“There’s really no relationship?” Maia questioned her, clearly not believing what she said.

Vicky shook her head, denying once again. “No, Maia, why are you suddenly asking me this?” Looking at Vicky, Maia’s clear eyes underwent a transformation. “How did you come to the resort?” “I came by plane.” Vicky answered calmly, but her eyes could help shifting around.

“What about the entry ticket? How did you get inside?” Maia continued asking.

Vicky folded her arms confidently. “Come on, Maia, you’re underestimating me. | am the daughter of the Smith family. There’s no way | couldn’t get access to a resort, right?”

Maia calmly said, “This time, Maya Cove is only open to artists participating in the Horizon Awards and their accompanying staff. Each artist is allowed only two staff members. Where did you get the entry ticket? Of course, you can say it’s because of the Smith family, but didn’t you already break ties with them?”

Hearing Maia’s question, Vicky suddenly didn’t know how to respond. Her eyes, already darting around due to guilt, now looked even more panicked.

“Secondly, although your studio is in a less conspicuous location, in the prime real estate of 1/3 FID BONUS

than other shops. Maybe you have the financial capacity to buy or rent these storefronts, but how did you manage to stay open in Prismara City?

“Leaving a family is not that easy, right? How could the Smith family allow you to live so comfortably under their watch? In other words, you got support that even the Smith family fears, allowing you to live comfortably until today.”

Mala’s thoughts and logic left Vicky speechless, bringing a great sense of oppression. “E” Vicky became even more uneasy.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Who else other than the Larkins would strike fear in the Smiths?” Every word from Maia was spoken with certainty, her tone reaching an extreme level of conviction. She was no longer just guessing, she was stating facts!

...” Vicky was at a loss for words. Mala had already pointed it out so clearly that no matter how she denied or tried to justify herself, it seemed useless.

Seeing Vicky unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, Maia lowered her gaze and said, “Vicky, friendship should not involve deception.”

With that said, Maia did not continue pressing for answers. Instead, she turned and walked towards the room, holding the dress.

“Maia!” Vicky called out to her. “I didn’t mean to deceive you. Cedric is the one supporting me, but | truly have no relationship with him. Cedric saved my life.”

Turning to look at the sincere Vicky, Maia asked in surprise, “He saved your life?”

“Yeah,” Vicky nodded. “Hope probably told you. | met her when we were abroad. At that time, | was studying design overseas, unwilling to return to Prismara. | claimed it was for my academic pursuits, but, in fact, | was avoiding an arranged marriage. As someone born into an affluent family, you surely understand that our marriages are almost always tied to business interests. Parents who take their children’s own feelings into account are rare in wealthy

families.”

Maia nodded. Vicky was right. In, wealthy families, so-called love marriages were few, and unions were more like transactions for mutual benefits.

Vicky sighed and continued, In the eyes of most affluent families, marriage is a transaction meant to maximize benefits. I’m the only daughter in my family, and my dad is very profit- oriented. However, due to my mother’s early demise, he always felt guilty towards me. So, he

let me be. “But my stepmother is a piece of work. She bore my dad two sons. Although he feels some guilt towards me, deep down, he

prioritizes sons over daughters. With my stepmother whispering in his ear every day and playing mind games, my dad eventually started using my

+15 BONUS Vicky spoke with great resentment. Despite her bad temper, she seemed incapable of resisting the arrangements at home.

“Do you know who he arranged for me to marry? The eldest son of the Vanderbilt family. Not a bad match, at least he’s the only son and the designated heir. The problem is, my dad started making this deal because of my stepmother’s influence, and he eventually agreed to it.”

As Vicky spoke, she laughed at herself. Maia frowned.

“Who doesn’t know about the Vanderbilt family’s only son? He idles around, indulges in pleasures, lacks any skills, and only knows how to spend money. If we were to single out one skill he possesses, it would probably be his status as a super VIP customer at various renowned hotels, because he practically appears in different hotels every day, accompanied by different

women...” “Then what happened?”

“Later, | realized | couldn’t resist. Feeling disheartened, | thought of ending it all. At the moment | was about to climb over the railing and jump into the river, Cedric saved me.

“| thought that the cold and ruthless Cedric wasn’t as heartless as the rumors said. Later, | found out that he saved me because | had value. | didn’t understand my purpose until you appeared, and | received instructions from Cedric. That's when | understood what my role was.

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