Chapter 52

Feeling the warmth of Scarlett’s arms around him, Cedric knew he had made the right move. A sly smile crept across his lips, though he quickly masked it with a hurt expression.

“Lettie,” he said softly, his voice tinged with vulnerability, “I hate putting you in this position. I’m just worried about how my mom might react. You know how tricky in-laws can be.”

He paused for effect, his eyes searching hers. “Or do you not want to marry me anymore?”

Scarlett froze at his question, taken aback by the sudden turn. She quickly shook her head. “Of course I do, Cedric. We’re already together. You know I’m on your side.”

Her voice softened as she added, “I’ll figure something out with the board. I’ll fight for us.”

Cedric’s eyes glistened, and he reached out to hold her hands. “I knew you’d find a way, Scarlett. You’re amazing.”

Scarlett’s face remained stoic, a cloud of unease shadowing her features.

That night, Cedric wasted no time calling Valda to share the news. Valda, hearing that the issue might soon be resolved, celebrated prematurely.

Early the next morning, she rallied the rest of the extended family and marched them to Payne Group’s headquarters.

Outside the corporate building, Valda and her entourage were met by security guards who promptly denied them entry.

“This must be a mistake,” Valda exclaimed, her voice rising with indignation, “Ms. Payne herself told my son everything was resolved! How dare you block us?”

The guards, unimpressed, stood their ground. “Ma’am, we haven’t received any notice allowing you access. Please leave the premises.”

Outside the Payne Group headquarters, a crowd had started to gather. If outsiders saw this scene, who knew what kind of rumors would spread? Even the security guard looked uneasy, clearly worried about being dragged into the commotion.

When Valda heard the guard’s explanation, she outright denied it.

“My son told me himself that Ms. Payne wanted us to come back,” she snapped. “What would a lowly security guard like you know? Hurry up and let us in! And if we’re late for work, can you take responsibility for it?”

As Valda spoke, others in the crowd nodded in agreement, backing her up.

The guard’s expression darkened with irritation. “I’ve explained this already. There’s been no notification from above!”

With that, the guard gestured for others to start removing Valda from the premises.

Sensing what was happening, Valda immediately began wailing and crying loudly, drawing the attention of even more onlookers.

Grace, watching the scene unfold, quickly dialed Scarlett’s number.

“Lettie, you need to get Cedric here right away. What is the Reid family trying to pull? They’ve already been barred from coming to the company, but now they’re causing a scene at the entrance again? Do you realize how terrible this looks for the Payne Corporation? If word gets out, the damage to our reputation could be huge!” Grace sighed, clearly frustrated. The board was already dissatisfied with Cedric. This incident would only add fuel to the fire. And now this? Clearly, Cedric thought he hadn’t caused enough trouble already.

Still half-asleep when she received the news, Scarlett shot upright in bed. Confusion flashed across her face—why on earth was Valda at the company? Meanwhile, Cedric had already arrived at the scene. He rushed over immediately when he spotted Valda crying and creating a commotion.

The security guards froze momentarily, unsure how to handle the escalating situation. Before anyone could react, Cedric stormed up to one of them and threw a punch.

“You idiots! What are you standing around for?” he barked, his voice dripping with arrogance. “A whole group of you ganging up to bully someone, huh? Do you believe me if I say I’ll have Ms. Payne fire every last one of you right now?”

The security guard, however, wasn’t fazed. A cold smirk crept onto his face.

“We’re just following instructions,” the guard replied sharply. “Even you don’t have access to the company anymore. We’re simply doing our jobs, and we haven’t done anything wrong.”

Fixing Cedric with a disdainful look, the guard added, “If you think you have a say, why don’t you call Ms. Payne over yourself?” He let out a derisive snort, arms crossed as he stood his ground.