Chapter 246

A moment of silence hung on the line. Cynthia deliberately asked, "You didn't know they also got their marriage certificate, did you?"

Her gaze fell on Filip. He'd been avoiding eye contact, but at her words, he lifted his head. Cynthia's phone was on speaker, so everyone heard Pamela's enraged voice: "That bastard! How dare he get a marriage certificate with that vixen behind our backs? He said he could never forget you and would never marry, waiting for you his whole life. I felt sorry for him, but it turns out he's two-faced!"

Pamela fumed. "That bastard, just you wait and see how I deal with both of them!" She hung up. Filip's phone buzzed. He ignored it, his eyes fixed on Cynthia.

Pamela's words had been heartfelt. He couldn't forget Cynthia and had planned to wait for her forever. But Cynthia showed no emotion; impatience and disgust flickered in her eyes. So now, do I mean so little to her? Filip thought.

Lilian's face registered annoyance. We got our license without the Yates family knowing. I’ve been watching Cynthia’s life closely and chose the same day to gauge her reaction. But today, Lilian was deeply disappointed.

Filip had already switched off his phone. Lilian tightened her grip on his arm. "No matter what the Yates family thinks of me, or whether they accept me, Filip's heart has always been with me. And soon, we will be a happy family of three." She placed a hand on her belly and looked at Filip. "Let's go. We still have a prenatal checkup appointment."

Filip had been forced to come, and hadn't expected this encounter. A deep pain pierced his heart. The girl who had been his childhood friend for twenty years, his partner in youth, was truly married to another man. A massive boulder seemed to press against his chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted only to leave. He cast a cold glance at Lilian and said, "Let's go."

They'd barely taken a few steps when Jonathan called out, "Mr. Yates, wait a moment."

Filip stopped and turned. "What is it?"

Jonathan smiled, but his gaze was icy. He looked the epitome of elegant, distinguished success. Filip, assuming gloating, met him with hostility and indifference.

To Filip's surprise, Jonathan said, "Isn't today a workday? So, is Mr. Yates skipping work?"

Filip was taken aback. It was Monday. He didn't understand, but a sense of foreboding crept in.

"I entrusted the Paradise Resort project to Mr. Yates because I believed you would be diligent and responsible. But you used work hours for personal matters like getting a marriage certificate and prenatal checkups. Is this how Mr. Yates treats your job?"

Filip's face turned rigid. "Mr. Bennett, I…"

"Mr. Yates, if you’re so casual about work, can we be just as casual with the payments for the Yates family’s construction project?"

This hit Filip hard. The Paradise Resort project was a Bennett Group project—his golden ticket to the Yates family's rise. If he messed this up, it would be his last chance. His demeanor softened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bennett. It won't happen again."

Jonathan replied coolly, "Considering this is your first marriage, let it slide this time."

Filip could only say, "Thank you, Mr. Bennett."

Jonathan continued, "Starting today, you will write me a daily work report and summary, over three thousand words, and send it to me before 9 PM every night."

Filip was stunned. "Mr. Bennett, this is a bit much, isn't it? Over 3,000 words…"

Jonathan frowned. "A bit much? If you can’t handle such a small matter, I doubt the Yates family is up to the task. I’ll consider switching to another construction company."

Filip gritted his teeth. "I can do it, Mr. Bennett." The other projects of the Yates family were already in the red. If we lost this one, the Yates family would go bankrupt.

Jonathan smiled, putting his arm around Cynthia. He turned back. "Remember, every day."

In the car, Cynthia heard Filip and Lilian arguing. She chuckled. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? Three thousand words a day; he'll be stuck in front of the laptop all day long."

Jonathan held her hand. "I did it on purpose, so he won't have time to bother you." He'd heard everything Pamela said. How dare he! he thought.

Noticing Cynthia's troubled expression, he comforted her, "If you don’t want to see Lilian, I’ll find a way to make her leave."

Cynthia shook her head. "It's not the right time to leave. At least I need to figure some things out first." She wasn't afraid of Lilian, but she was confused about the past. Why did Luke suddenly disappear, and why couldn’t she find him no matter how hard she tried?

Jonathan asked, "Tonight, Bruce and the others booked a private room at Ocean Club to celebrate. If you don’t want to go, I can cancel it."

Cynthia agreed. "Let's go. They mean well, and it might help us relax a bit."

That night, at Ocean Club, they saw Bruce, Tommy, Charles, and others—Jonathan's childhood friends. As the door opened, they saw the group standing in two rows, bowing. "Hello, Cynthia! Cynthia, we salute you!"

But Cynthia's eyes were immediately drawn to someone else sitting on the sofa.