Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 151: Chapter 151 I’ve been waiting for you

Jessica was already inside.

She was sitting comfortably on his bed, crossing one leg over the other. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders and she was wearing a silk robe that stuck to her figure. The moment she saw him, a bright smile spread across her lips.

"There you are. I’ve been waiting for you."

Cedric stopped near the doorway.

For some strange reason, tonight, seeing Jessica waiting for him didn’t bring him the comfort it usually did.

Cedric paused at the doorway for a brief moment before closing the bedroom door behind him.

His gaze settled on Jessica.

She was sitting comfortably on the edge of his bed.

The room carried the familiar scent of her perfume, rich and floral, making it obvious she had been waiting for him for quite some time.

His brows drew together slightly.

"...Why are you here? When did you come?"

Jessica slowly stood up. A teasing smile appeared on her lips as she walked toward him with confidence, her hips swaying slightly.

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head. "Am I not allowed to come anymore?"

She folded her arms, pretending to be offended, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"You’ve never asked me that before."

Cedric’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. It lasted only a second before he hid it behind his usual calm smile.

"I didn’t mean it like that."

He walked past her toward the bedside table, removing his watch and placing it neatly beside a stack of documents..

"So..." He glanced at her reflection in the opposite mirror. "What brings you here?"

Jessica let out a soft laugh. "What brings me here?" She walked behind him until they were only a step apart. "You disappeared for days. No calls or any messages. So I decided to come and see you myself."

Her voice carried a playful complaint, though there was an hint of dissatisfaction behind it.

Without waiting for his response, she slipped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek lightly against his back. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her fingers intertwining against his stomach.

The sudden embrace made Cedric stiffen.

His fingers paused where they rested on the bedside table.

Jessica noticed. A small frown crossed her face.

"What?" She looked up at him. "You’ve been acting strange lately."

Cedric remained silent.

She slowly moved around until she stood in front of him, searching his face carefully. Her eyes scanned his features, trying to read the expression he was hiding.

"You’ve barely been talking to me. You’ve been distracted and every time we’re together..." She narrowed her eyes. "...It’s like your mind is somewhere else."

Cedric forced a faint smile. "You’re imagining things."

Jessica didn’t look convinced. "No. I’m not."

She studied him for several long seconds.

Normally, by now, he would have pulled her closer or teased her back. Tonight, he simply stood there, distant and Unreachable.

Jessica reached up and lightly adjusted the collar of his shirt.

"Did something happen at work?"

Cedric shook his head. "No."

"Then what is it?"

"...Nothing."

She sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. "I know you. When something bothers you, you become quieter." She searched his blue eyes once again. "But this time... it feels different."

Cedric looked away for a brief moment.

Without warning, Daisy’s face flashed through his mind again. Her frightened expression in the restaurant. Her silent tears. The way she had turned her face away when he had almost kissed her. The way she had glared at him last night, her eyes burning with anger he had never seen before.

His jaw tightened.

Jessica noticed the subtle change immediately.

"Cedric."

He blinked. His thoughts snapped back to the present.

Jessica was still standing in front of him, watching him closely.

"...You’re doing it again."

"What?"

"You disappeared." She frowned. "You were standing right in front of me... but it felt like you were thinking about someone else."

Cedric didn’t know how to answer, because indeed his mind nowadays were staying with Daisy. He found himself thinking what she was doing and what she might be thinking.

Cedric forced a small smile. The expression felt foreign on his face, like a mask he had to consciously put on.

"No. I’m just thinking about... business."

His answer came smoothly.

Jessica studied him for another second before her expression softened. Her eyes searched his face, but she seemed to accept his answer.

"I figured." She smiled faintly and stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "You’ve been working far too much lately. You really need to stop carrying everything on your shoulders."

She gently cupped his face with both hands, her fingers brushing lightly against his jaw.

"Don’t take so much stress."

Cedric looked into her eyes and gave a small nod. "I’ll be fine."

Jessica smiled. "I know you always say that."

She rose onto her tiptoes and placed a brief, passionate kiss on his lips.

When she pulled back, she looked at him with a teasing smile. "Let me help you forget work for a while."

Cedric’s gaze focused on her face. Her red hair, her dark eyes, the familiar curve of her lips. For a moment, his thoughts threatened to drift elsewhere again. He stopped himself.

Not now.

He pushed every distracting thought to the back of his mind and focused entirely on the woman standing in front of him.

A faint smile appeared on his face. He returned her kiss before resting a hand around her waist and drawing her a little closer. His fingers pressed against the small of her back, pulling her toward him.

Jessica smiled with satisfaction, believing his attention had finally returned to her.

"There you are," she whispered. "That’s thericky I know."

Cedric didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he simply looked at her for a moment before giving a quiet nod.

"...Maybe I just needed a little break."

Jessica smiled seductively, slipping her hand into his. Her fingers intertwined with his, warm and familiar. She leaned into him, her body pressing against his.

"Then let me take your mind off everything."

She tugged him gently toward the bed, her red hair swaying with the movement.

Cedric followed unconsciously.

But even as he let her lead him, a small part of his mind remained elsewhere.

Somewhere far away....