Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 424

Owen set his glass down with a clink, reaching urgently for Cecilia's hand, and said apologetically. "Cecilia, I apologize again for my mom's inappropriate comments. I have told her if she tries to break us up again with her nonsense, I’ll throw in the towel and become a monk."

"You, a monk? No monasteries would accept someone with desires that have not been purified!"

Despite everything, Cecilia's heart swelled at his words. He was fighting for them.

"I know exactly how to handle my mom. If she ever gives you trouble again, I'll threaten to quit my job as the CEO of the Ikella Group. That'll keep her in line."

Owen felt he had no tricks up his sleeve to woo Cecilia. But when it came to dealing with his own family or outsiders, Owen was quite skilled.

He knew how to hit them where it hurts. For his mother, the threat of him giving up the CEO position was enough to cause her panic.

Cecilia watched him quietly. He was trying hard for their future. And so would she.

She'd work hard to fatten her wallet, not necessarily to rival Owen's, but enough to earn the respect of Olina and to prove that her being with Owen was not for his wealth.

After all, if she was after his money, she wouldn't be divorcing him.

A gentleman loves wealth but earns it in an honorable way. She'd claim what was rightfully hers, and not a penny more.

"Let's go grab some dinner."

"Alright."

Owen stood up, his face beaming with joy, naturally taking Cecilia's hand, ready to leave with her. But Cecilia looked towards Avery, who was failing to heed the waitress’s advice to cut back on the drinking.

"I'll call Cedric."

It takes the one who tied the bell to untie it.

Only Cedric could handle Avery now; their pleas were useless.

Owen, to keep Cecilia's attention away from Avery, whipped out his phone and dialed Cedric's number. They were both young hotshots about town, often rubbing shoulders in the same circles, so they had each other’s numbers.

After a long ring, Cedric's harsh voice answered, "Mr. Martinez?"

Cedric’s voice was hoarse, as if his throat was uncomfortable.

"What's up?"

Cedric wasn't in the best of moods, having argued with his family and Avery—he’s been suffered from a splitting headache.

He was tempted to throw caution to the wind, chasing Avery back to start fresh.

But the sense of duty instilled in him from a young age, of being the successor for the family business, held him back from abandoning everything.

And yet, his family couldn't accept his homosexuality, let alone his relationship with Avery. Now, the elders were setting him up with women, hoping a few encounters might turn him straight.

"Cedric, Avery's drowning his sorrows at Serendipity Cafe. My girl Cecilia runs a coffee shop, not a speakeasy. He’s filling the place with the smell of booze, stinking up the joint. If my girl’s business has been hurt, are you gonna compensate for that? Will you take care of him? If you’re done with him, then fine, I’ll have someone throw him out onto the street."

Shameless!

"I'll be there to pick him up immediately."

Cedric replied without hesitation, fearing that any delay might lead Owen to toss Avery out on the street.

Avery had acted as a decoy, pretending to pursue Cecilia to irritate Owen – a fact Owen had only recently discovered, while Cedric had been in on it from the start.

Cedric had his own pangs of jealousy, but Avery had found a way to soothe him.

With Avery having sacrificed so much, especially standing by his side during the Frost Group crisis, Cedric’s family still demanded him to sever ties with Avery, pushing him into an impossible moral dilemma.

"From now on, keep Avery away from the Serendipity. Cedric, don't let me lose respect for you. Don’t be that guy who sweet-talks when he needs help, but turns cold when he doesn't. Sure, business is business, but don't be heartless."

After a while, Cedric responded, "I'll take care of it."

"Just make sure I don't see your man hogging my lady's attention."

Cecilia's attention was already scarce, and if Avery took his share, Owen would be left with just the crumbs.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Without giving Cedric another chance to speak, Owen hung up.

He'd keep an eye on Cedric and Avery's situation to see if Cedric would stand up for Avery. If so, he'd lend Avery a hand. If not, it was time for Avery to cut ties and move on. There were plenty of good fish in the sea.

Well, Avery was after men. There weren’t many willing to take the bait.

Good men were plentiful, but not all were as unique as Cedric.

"Let's go. His man will come here to pick him up."

After informing Cedric about Avery, Owen once again took Cecilia's hand. Their fingers intertwined, as Owen flashed a sun-like smile on their way out of the Serendipity Cafe.

As for Owen referring to her as his in the phone, Cecilia couldn't be bothered to correct it anymore.

She'd relax her guard, and he'd take his chance.

Her philosophy was that it's okay to date for several years before getting married.

Owen, however, was considering how many couples, once sure of their feelings, followed their emotions into more intimate territories. It was time to seize the moment and perhaps get ahead of the game.

Even Liam Anderson, the stoic, was getting married and becoming a dad before the wedding. There was no reason Owen couldn't outdo him.

"I'll drive," Cecilia offered, mindful of the Owen's injured arm.

Owen promptly handed over the car keys and, once they were both settled in the vehicle, he said, "Cecilia, please accept this car as a gift from me. The weather's so unpredictable. Having your own

ride will make commuting a lot more convenient."

The Martinez family's bodyguards knew better than to follow.

The young master rarely managed to coax Ms. Yates into dining with him, and if they tagged along, they'd stick out like sore thumbs and risk a pay cut from the young master himself.

"No, thank you. I want to buy my own car with my own money."

Cecilia could afford her own car now.

She always thought living nearby made riding an electric bike convenient for her. Driving a car meant getting stuck in traffic, while her bike could zip through the narrow alleys and side streets, arriving at any shop with ease.

But now she felt compelled to get a car, to stop Owen from worrying—and his luxury car gift, how could she possibly accept a grand gesture like that?

"What's mine is yours, Cecilia. Why make such distinctions? I mean every word I say. The moment we're married, I'll transfer all my assets to you, making you a wealthy woman. What do you say? Shall we head to the city hall and make it official?"