SWNOVELS Chapter 24
Chapter 24
The elevator arrived.
Cordelia and Loule stepped into the elevator together. As they descended, Louie
adjusted his glasses, his face a picture of soft perfection without a single blemish.
“Hypnosis exists, but it might not be what you're dealing with since I can't see
any signs of it on you.”
Cordelia widened her eyes, locked in thought. She trusted Louie's words, but if it
wasn't hypnosis, then what could it be?
As they reached the ground floor, Louie chuckled, “Got a cell phone?”
Cordelia replied hesitantly. “... Yeah.”
They exchanged a look before Louie sighed, “When someone asks if you have a
phone, they usually want your number. Give me yours so we can keep in touch.”
With a dawning realization, Cordelia slowly took out her phone and they swapped
numbers. Lifting her head, she said, “Louie, see you around.”
After Louie disappeared from sight, she turned and headed back upstairs.
Entering the apartment, Mathilda was lecturing Lorna, “...that's the way! If you
keep backing down, she'll push you further. Ah, I never liked that Sanderson for
you..."
Sitting nearby, Sanderson let out an awkward cough, signaling his presence.
Mathilda shot him a displeased glance but refrained from harsh words, instead
waving Cordelia over, “Come on, let's go see your grandpa.”
Cordelia nodded and followed Mathilda into a bedroom where Lacy with salt—
and-pepper hair sat in a wicker rocking chair, soaking up the sun with his eyes
closed.
Upon their entrance, Lacy opened his eyes. Upon seeing Cordelia, he looked
puzzled but then smiled, “Lorna, I thought you were at college. What brings you
home?”
Cordelia paused.
Mathilda sighed, “He's forgotten some memories, can only recall things from
twenty years ago.”
She turned to Lacy and introduced, “This is Cordelia, Lorna’s daughter.”
Lacy didn't freak out, instead he chuckled, “What are you trying to pull, you old
witch? How could Lorna have a grown daughter like this?”
He seemed tired and, after his remark, dozed off in the chair.
At lunchtime, Lorna and Mathilda were busy cooking in the kitchen while
Cordelia, kicked out to help, regretted not bringing her study materials.
With Sanderson taking Lacy for a stroll, Cordelia wandered the living room,
aimlessly browsing the bookshelf until she stumbled upon a yellowed stack of
papers filled with mathematical theorems. Fascinated, she began to read with
gusto.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted, “Interested in that? Then it's yours.”
She looked up to see Sanderson and Lacy returning.
Unbeknownst to her, she had been engrossed for an hour and a half.
Cordelia lit up her eyes, “...Thank you.”
Lacy, famished, headed for the dining table, “I'm starving!”
They all sat down to eat, and by three o'clock were driving back home.
Chapter 24
On the way, Cordelia felt a dull ache in her chest. Sitting up straight, she
reflected on her relationship with Everard.
Lorna suddenly asked, “Lia, what are you thinking about?”
Cordelia turned, answering honestly, “My boyfriend.”
Lorna was speechless.
Curious, Lornia probed further, “What do you like about him?”
Cordelia pondered, then looked at Lorna, confused.
Sensing her daughter's emotional lag. Lorna ventured, “Is he handsome?”
Cordelia thought of Everard's beautiful face, often shrouded in shadows, and
nodded, “Yes.”
Lorna was at a loss for words.
Was Cordelia just smitten with his looks?
From the driver's seat, Sanderson coughed, “Uh, Lia, do you have enough
money?”
He suspected that Cordelia’s boyfriend must have swindled a fair amount from
her
Contemplating this, Cordelia nodded, “Mhm, I have a hundred thousand left.”
Sanderson was surprised, “...Didn’t I only give you a hundred thousand?”
“Right.”
“How much did you give your boyfriend?”
“Um, three hundred.”
Silence filled the car again. After a while, Lorna asked in astonishment, “You only
give him three hundred a week?”
Was she maintaining a pretty boy on such a meager sum?
Even after they had returned home and Lorna was still reeling from the shock,
wanting to delve deeper. Cordelia had already retreated to her room, diving into
her advanced math problems...
Cordelia spent Sunday buried in her studies, and soon Monday arrived.
As the car pulled up in front of Midnight Scent, Juliana glanced outside and
sneered, “So that's why you've been getting dropped off here every morning last
week, Chasing after your toy boy!”
Ever since she learned Cordelia’s boyfriend was just the owner of a small store,
Juliana’s sense of superiority had returned. With her chin up, she boasted, “You
know, Hanley had his pick of university scholarships in sophomore year, but he
turned them down. He's aiming for Superiority College! They churn out elites in
every field.”
Scolded by Lorna, Juliana had become more subtle in her comparisons
Unfortunately for her, Cordelia couldn't care less and headed straight into
Midnight Scent.
Everard was still behind the counter, lazily reading a book. His deep eyes lifted to
meet hers as she entered, and he set aside his book to head towards the dining
area with practiced ease.
All was as it had always been.
Cordelia couldn't quite place the sensation, but she didn’t ponder it, simply
joining Little Fang and Everard for
breakfast as usual.
Afterward, she sat clutching her chest, lost in thought.
Everard stood and leaned closer, his voice a low, magnetic timbre, “What's the
matter? Can't bear to leave me?”
13:10
Chapter 24
Cordelia cast a furtive glance at him, shaking her head before voicing her
confusion “My heart...it still kind of
hurts.”
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Everard paused, a wry smile
spreading across his face. His
laughter was rich and magnetic, as if
tendrils of sound were brushing
against her heartstrings. The content
is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
Without delay, he said, “Girl, give me your hand.”
Cordelia, puzzled, extended her hand, which he promptly clasped firmly in his
own.
She stiffened, momentarily dumbstruck.
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His hand was large, engulfing her
palm completely. It felt as though he
held a warm ember in his grasp, the
heat from his palm spreading up her
arm, flushing her cheeks with
warmth. The content is on
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chapter there!
Just as she was about to muster some resistance, she heard him ask, “Does it
hurt less now?
Cordelia blinked in surprise. She tuned into her sensations and responded in
astonishment, “Yeah, why?”
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“ . 3
Everard chuckled. “Maybe just seeing
sori os 5
each other every day isn't cutting it
for romance anymore, so we need to
” :
hold hands.” The content is on
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chapter there!
Cordelia was bewildered as she pondered his words.
She inquired instinctively, “And what happens when holding hands doesn't cut it
anymore?”