Chapter 408
+25 BONUS
Even with many people trying to approach him, Cedric simply ignored them and kept walking. He remained as cold and taciturn as ever, not even bothering with courtesy or politeness.
He approached Ariel’s group.
Nancy’s smile now felt a lot more sincere. “Mr. Warbrooke.
Jayson gave a slight nod.
Cedric returned the nod before directing his gaze toward Chad and Ariel.
Chad’s work and ability had Cedric’s full approval. Not only was he Carlos‘ son, but his competence was also globally acknowledged. Cedric’s gaze shifted from Ariel to Chad. “Are you two together now?”
Given how much time they spent on their research together anyone who encountered them would have expected them to become a couple eventually.
Cedric’s question caught them completely off guard. Even Jayson had taken a glance at Ariel and Chad.
Without waiting for their answer, Cedric put his hands behind his back and let out a snicker. “Apparently, Mr. Larkin’s got a finer eye for a partner than you, Chad.”
It was obvious Cedric was targeting Ariel when making that scathing comment.
Jayson’s gaze drifted toward Ariel’s face. Clearly, Cedric’s words and actions were just extremely unpredictable.
Meanwhile, Ariel seemed completely unruffled. She could tell that Cedric was still somewhat dissatisfied with the decision she had made back then, even after all these years.
Nancy was quite surprised to see Cedric blatantly mock Ariel like that. While her expression remained unchanged, her eyes held a subtle hint of derision.
Even Cedric felt that Ariel couldn’t compare to her. He was probably even implying that Ariel wasn’t a good match for Chad and that Nancy and Jayson made a lovely pair.
“You’re making jokes about that again, Mr. Warbrooke. By the way, Ms. Stanton isn’t Mr. Larkin’s wife yet.” Chad was aware of Cedric’s quirks and temperament. Still, he figured he should point out certain things.
Nancy furrowed her brows. She felt it was unnecessary for Chad to say something like that.
Cedric seemed unfazed by Chad’s words. Having said his piece, he simply turned and proceeded to where he was supposed to be.
Not far off, Zach and Frederick caught their exchange. Zach’s gaze followed Cedric as he left, pondering if the man knew Ariel and the reason for his biting remark.
Frederick came over. He cast Ariel a stony gaze. Then, he looked at Nancy and Jayson. “Mr. Warbrooke has a great sense. You were greeting him earlier, Ms. Stanton. Did you two know each other? Mr. Warbrooke was quite friendly to you.
Nancy beamed. “We know each other.”
She didn’t explain that they had just met each other for the first time in Sorenta recently.
Jayson kept silent as well, acting as if he wasn’t involved in the matter.
Frederick was quite surprised. “Does that mean Mr. Warbrooke is here at the summit because of you, Ms. Stanton?
12
Chapter 408
+25 BONUS
People started looking their way after Frederick’s remarks caught their attention.
Almost everyone there was aware of how highly regarded Cedric was in the industry.
Yet, he went ahead and decided to retire a few years back. Cedric was both a genius and a madman, who did whatever he wanted most of the time.
For the past few years, he’d skipped all such events. Interestingly, a significant number of his students were now employed by various government departments or agencies, all of whom were remarkably skilled and capable.
Cedric had never before gone out of his way for his students, regardless of their impressive feats. But now, it seemed he’d emerged from retirement, seemingly due to Nancy.
“That can’t possibly be.” Nancy smiled slightly and said nothing else.
From other people’s perspective, her response was no different from acknowledging that their suspicions were
correct.
“Does that mean Mr. Warbrooke has decided to take you as his student, Ms. Stanton?” Chad raised his brows and asked straightforwardly.
Ariel directed her gaze to Nancy as well. She already had a good idea of Nancy’s level of knowledge and education.
Given Cedric’s extreme pickiness and particularity, he wouldn’t choose Nancy as his student.
Nancy met Chad’s gaze, knowing she couldn’t dodge that question. “Mr. Warbrooke is a free–spirited individual. To take on a student would entail bearing considerable responsibilities.
“I suppose we’ll see what happens. In any case, I can always just reach out to Mr. Warbrooke if I have questions about his areas of expertise. I’m content with that arrangement.”
Chad chuckled. “I see. You still need to work hard to make it happen, Ms. Stanton.”
Chad’s words didn’t bother Nancy. She was truthful about knowing Cedric, and it was also a fact that he’d come out of retirement. He likely just assumed she had, yet again taken the limelight from Ariel.
Chad honestly couldn’t care less what Nancy was thinking. After saying that, he decided to leave the spot with Ariel.