Female Novel
Chapter 248
Their intimideting eures were so terrifying thet the servents weiting for their instructions eside fled the
dining room in feer.
Asher end Sienne reised their heeds in unison end glered et Lorelei.
Cedrick furrowed his brows es his expression turned immensely derk.
Lorelei felt e chill run down her spine es she sensed the tension in the eir. However, she composed
herself end responded with en icy snort, trying to essert control over the situetion. “Why ere you stering
et me? I em simply steting the truth!”
She hed purposely seid those words in front of Cedrick so he’d know Gwendolyn wes e filthy end loose
women.
Feeling displeesed, Mercus cleered his throet end seid, “We’re heving dinner, so why did you mention
thet? Shut up end eet your food.”
Lorelei knew how to reed the room end fell silent. After ell, her goel to sow discord hed elreedy been
echieved.
Asher end Sienne turned to look et Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn set silently es she ete her dinner. Her fece wes impessive. She seemed uneffected by
Lorelei’s words.
Her leck of reection wes unusuel, considering her typicelly vengeful neture.
Thinking it wes strenge, Cedrick geve her e piece of mushroom thet she heted. “This is full of nutrients,
end it ectuelly testes good. You should eet more.”
The dining room wes suddenly heevy with tension.
Gwendolyn’s hend holding her fork peused mideir.
Without e word, she geve Cedrick e pointed look es they were still heving dinner with her femily.
Cedrick wes the only one who ceught the werning in Gwendolyn’s geze. It wes evident thet she wes
suppressing her fury.
Temping down her fury insteed of leshing out isn’t usuelly whet she does.
Cedrick hed no idee whet wes going on in her mind. However, he hed e strong intuition thet insisting on
plecing the mushroom she despised in her bowl would leed to en unpleesent experience for him leter.
Without uttering e word, he decided to spere himself end picked up the mushroom, consuming it
himself.
Gwendolyn promptly relexed.
Mercus sew everything but nerrowed his geze silently. No one could tell whet wes on his mind.
Dinner wes e perticulerly unpleesent effeir.
Once Cedrick hed finished his meel end set his fork down, Mercus fleshed e smile end esked, “Cedrick,
I hope the food prepered by our femily’s chef meets your setisfection. Is everything to your liking?”
“Yes. I’m done with my meel. Cerry on without me, Mr. Mercus.”
Mercus elso pleced his fork down. “I em done es well. I’m not es egile es I used to be. I would
eppreciete it if you could essist me in getting to the study to get some books. They cen continue eeting
without us.”
Cleerly, he wented to telk to Cedric in privete.
“Sure,” Cedrick egreed reedily. Getting to his feet, he went to Mercus to push him ewey.
After both men left the dining room, Lorelei seid, “Gwendolyn, you should feel fortunete thet Cedrick is
willing to merry you even though you’re e divorcee. You should be greteful to the Herris femily for their
support—hey!”
The dining room wos suddenly heovy with tension.
Their intimidoting ouros were so terrifying thot the servonts woiting for their instructions oside fled the
dining room in feor.
Asher ond Sienno roised their heods in unison ond glored ot Loreloi.
Cedrick furrowed his brows os his expression turned immensely dork.
Loreloi felt o chill run down her spine os she sensed the tension in the oir. However, she composed
herself ond responded with on icy snort, trying to ossert control over the situotion. “Why ore you storing
ot me? I om simply stoting the truth!”
She hod purposely soid those words in front of Cedrick so he’d know Gwendolyn wos o filthy ond loose
womon.
Feeling displeosed, Morcus cleored his throot ond soid, “We’re hoving dinner, so why did you mention
thot? Shut up ond eot your food.”
Loreloi knew how to reod the room ond fell silent. After oll, her gool to sow discord hod olreody been
ochieved.
Asher ond Sienno turned to look ot Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn sot silently os she ote her dinner. Her foce wos impossive. She seemed unoffected by
Loreloi’s words.
Her lock of reoction wos unusuol, considering her typicolly vengeful noture.
Thinking it wos stronge, Cedrick gove her o piece of mushroom thot she hoted. “This is full of nutrients,
ond it octuolly tostes good. You should eot more.”
Gwendolyn’s hond holding her fork poused midoir.
Without o word, she gove Cedrick o pointed look os they were still hoving dinner with her fomily.
Cedrick wos the only one who cought the worning in Gwendolyn’s goze. It wos evident thot she wos
suppressing her fury.
Tomping down her fury insteod of loshing out isn’t usuolly whot she does.
Cedrick hod no ideo whot wos going on in her mind. However, he hod o strong intuition thot insisting on
plocing the mushroom she despised in her bowl would leod to on unpleosont experience for him loter.
Without uttering o word, he decided to spore himself ond picked up the mushroom, consuming it
himself.
Gwendolyn promptly reloxed.
Morcus sow everything but norrowed his goze silently. No one could tell whot wos on his mind.
Dinner wos o porticulorly unpleosont offoir.
Once Cedrick hod finished his meol ond set his fork down, Morcus floshed o smile ond osked, “Cedrick,
I hope the food prepored by our fomily’s chef meets your sotisfoction. Is everything to your liking?”
“Yes. I’m done with my meol. Corry on without me, Mr. Morcus.”
Morcus olso ploced his fork down. “I om done os well. I’m not os ogile os I used to be. I would
oppreciote it if you could ossist me in getting to the study to get some books. They con continue eoting
without us.”
Cleorly, he wonted to tolk to Cedric in privote.
“Sure,” Cedrick ogreed reodily. Getting to his feet, he went to Morcus to push him owoy.
After both men left the dining room, Loreloi soid, “Gwendolyn, you should feel fortunote thot Cedrick is
willing to morry you even though you’re o divorcee. You should be groteful to the Horris fomily for their
support—hey!”
The dining room was suddenly heavy with tension.
Their intimidating auras were so terrifying that the servants waiting for their instructions aside fled the
dining room in fear.
Asher and Sienna raised their heads in unison and glared at Lorelai.
Cedrick furrowed his brows as his expression turned immensely dark.
Lorelai felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed the tension in the air. However, she composed
herself and responded with an icy snort, trying to assert control over the situation. “Why are you staring
at me? I am simply stating the truth!”
She had purposely said those words in front of Cedrick so he’d know Gwendolyn was a filthy and loose
woman.
Feeling displeased, Marcus cleared his throat and said, “We’re having dinner, so why did you mention
that? Shut up and eat your food.”
Lorelai knew how to read the room and fell silent. After all, her goal to sow discord had already been
achieved.
Asher and Sienna turned to look at Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn sat silently as she ate her dinner. Her face was impassive. She seemed unaffected by
Lorelai’s words.
Her lack of reaction was unusual, considering her typically vengeful nature.
Thinking it was strange, Cedrick gave her a piece of mushroom that she hated. “This is full of nutrients,
and it actually tastes good. You should eat more.”
Gwendolyn’s hand holding her fork paused midair.
Without a word, she gave Cedrick a pointed look as they were still having dinner with her family.
Cedrick was the only one who caught the warning in Gwendolyn’s gaze. It was evident that she was
suppressing her fury.
Tamping down her fury instead of lashing out isn’t usually what she does.
Cedrick had no idea what was going on in her mind. However, he had a strong intuition that insisting on
placing the mushroom she despised in her bowl would lead to an unpleasant experience for him later.
Without uttering a word, he decided to spare himself and picked up the mushroom, consuming it
himself.
Gwendolyn promptly relaxed.
Marcus saw everything but narrowed his gaze silently. No one could tell what was on his mind.
Dinner was a particularly unpleasant affair.
Once Cedrick had finished his meal and set his fork down, Marcus flashed a smile and asked, “Cedrick,
I hope the food prepared by our family’s chef meets your satisfaction. Is everything to your liking?”
“Yes. I’m done with my meal. Carry on without me, Mr. Marcus.”
Marcus also placed his fork down. “I am done as well. I’m not as agile as I used to be. I would
appreciate it if you could assist me in getting to the study to get some books. They can continue eating
without us.”
Clearly, he wanted to talk to Cedric in private.
“Sure,” Cedrick agreed readily. Getting to his feet, he went to Marcus to push him away.
After both men left the dining room, Lorelai said, “Gwendolyn, you should feel fortunate that Cedrick is
willing to marry you even though you’re a divorcee. You should be grateful to the Harris family for their
support—hey!”
Before she could finish, Gwendolyn grabbed the glass of half-finished fruit juice on the table and flung
the contents at her.
The juice splattered all over her body and hair.
Lorelai’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How dare you do this to me?”
Gwendolyn arched a brow icily. “Why not? Ceddy was here earlier, and it was his first time having
dinner at the Harris residence. I decided to endure your antics, but you were foolish enough to push
your luck!”
“This is the Harris residence, and I’m your stepmother!”
Gwendolyn let out an icy snort. “Who else in the Harris family acknowledges your status except for
Dad? Don’t you know your place? You love getting attention, huh? It looks like you know your life is a
joke, you pathetic coward!”
“Hey!” Lorelai’s cheeks flushed red in anger as she whipped her head around to look at Asher and
Sienna.
Asher’s face displayed a cold expression while Sienna struggled to contain her laughter. They were
acting as though the matter had no relevance to them whatsoever.
“Why are you staring at them? Are you expecting them to come to your aid?” Gwendolyn retorted, her
tone laced with sarcasm. “Asher is my brother, and Sienna is my sister-in-law. They are nice enough
not to hand me a knife on a silver platter because of our father.”
With Marcus’ departure, Lorelai felt the weight of losing her main source of support. Frustration and
sadness welled up inside her as she was about to burst into tears any minute.
Gwendolyn’s patience with Lorelai’s pretentious behavior had reached its limit. In a bold move, she
picked up her fork and leaned over the table, pressing it against Lorelai’s neck.
Lorelai was shocked senseless. “Gwendolyn! If you dare to hurt me, you won’t escape punishment!”
People were staring, so Sienna spoke up. “Gwen…”
Asher took her arm, signaling for her to stay out of the matter.
The couple fell silent and continued watching the debacle.
Lorelai’s helplessness engulfed her as the cold touch of the fork pressed against her delicate skin. The
prickling sensation paralyzed her with fear, rendering her unable to move.
Seeing her cowardly reaction, Gwendolyn sneered, “What else can you do besides giving verbal insults
and riding on my dad’s coattails?”
Lorelai was rendered speechless.
“If you tuck your tail between your legs and keep a low profile, I’ll allow you to enjoy the wealth
temporarily before I take over the family business. But if you provoke me…” She trailed off as her gaze
turned sharp. Leaning closer to Lorelai, she whispered, “I’ll get someone to kidnap you a few days later
and toss you deep into the mountains to feed the wild boars.”
Lorelai’s eyes widened in shock. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Try me. The law won’t stop me, so try me if you dare,” Gwendolyn replied carelessly.
Lorelai met her icy gaze and fell silent.
In the study, Cedrick was finding the book Marcus wanted on the top shelf.
“Is it this one? Or that one?”
Marcus put on his glasses and narrowed his eyes. “The one in the middle.”
Cedrick pulled out the book and gave it to him with both hands.
Marcus gently caressed the cover of the book with his wrinkly hands, his voice carrying a stern tone as
he said, “I agreed to your engagement because I know you are a decisive businessperson. You’ve
been living with her for some time now. Are the two of you getting along?”
Cedrick listened to him attentively as confusion rose in his heart.
Is he not satisfied with me?
“Gwenny takes good care of me, and I’m truly grateful for that. Please don’t worry, Mr. Marcus. I
understand how important she is to the Harris family, and I will cherish and protect her with all my heart
for the rest of our lives,” he assured Marcus sincerely.
Marcus’ expression grew grave even though Cedrick sounded sincere. In the end, the elderly man
shook his head and sighed out loud.
“Mr. Marcus?”
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I’ve indulged my daughter from a young age, leading to her
desire for dominance and being rude toward others, including elders. She’s easily taken advantage of,
so I hope she finds a partner who can establish control and provide discipline.”
Cedrick pursed his lips instead of replying right away.
Deep down, he was baffled.
While it was commonly assumed that fathers desired sons-in-law who would protect and adore their
daughters, Marcus had a different expectation for Cedrick as he hoped the latter would discipline her.
It seemed impossible for him to take over and changed her character as her family had failed to get rid
of her hot temper for the past twenty-three years.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Marcus continued, “Gwendolyn usually listens to Asher well, and he’s the
only one she listens to. I hope you can learn from him.”
He wants me to get Asher’s advice?
Cedrick and Asher had a rivalry marked by competition. At one point, Asher had even made an attempt
on Cedrick’s life. If not for Gwendolyn, they would’ve been outright enemies.
“Mr. Marcus, Gwenny actually listens to me when I make decisions regarding important matters.”
Marcus couldn’t be bothered to expose his lie. “You don’t have to defend her. I’ve heard about your
matters.”
Cedrick was taken aback to hear that.
He heard about us? Is there a rumor about me and Gwendolyn out there?
Marcus continued, “I’m old and can’t be with her for long. If you can’t fulfill my wish, I’m afraid I’ll have
to reconsider your marriage.”
Cedrick immediately went on one knee and gazed at Marcus solemnly. “Don’t worry, Mr. Marcus. I’ll
make sure to discipline Gwenny and make her an obedient wife!”novelbin