Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia)

Chapter 21

Sanderson's gift was swiftly assessed by the secretary without even peering inside. He knew it was pricey. "This won't do," he said.

Hackett had given explicit directives that no gifts were allowed!

Seeing his offering rebuffed, Sanderson darkened his face further. Could it be because Lia had offended the Griffin family?

As he pondered his next move, a flashy convertible roared up the drive, the wrought-iron gates swinging open. The secretary stepped aside, calling out respectfully, "Mr. Griffin."

Yates waved casually in acknowledgment and cruised through the entrance.

Sanderson deepened his frown.

Yates appeared unperturbed, a clear sign that Hackett's illness was just an excuse.

Sanderson couldn't just loiter here; which would only serve to annoy them further. As he was about to turn and leave to devise another plan, the car reversed back towards him, and Yates called out uncertainly, "Cordelia's father?"

He had seen Sanderson on various other occasions.

Sanderson nodded with composure, "That's right."

At that, Yates hurried out of his car, his manner suddenly transformed to one of courteous urgency. "Mr. Delaney, are you here for a visit? Please, come inside!" Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Sanderson was momentarily dumbfounded. What was happening?

The secretary was equally bewildered. "Mr. Griffin, Hackett said..."

Yates cut him off with impatience, "Whatever it is, we'll discuss it inside. Keeping guests waiting at the door isn't the way of the Griffin family, is it?"

The secretary was left to wonder. Since when did Yates care about hospitality? But the secretary dared not voice his thoughts.

Inside the living room, Yates spoke, "Mr. Delaney, please take a seat. I'll go call my grandpa."

Glancing at the gift in Sanderson's hand, he added, "Is this for us? Let me take it inside for you."

Sanderson nodded, feeling awkward, and settled onto a nearby couch.

Yates, carrying the gift, found Hackett on the balcony soaking up the sun. "Playing truant again?" Hackett sighed upon seeing him.

"We have a visitor," Yates replied.

Hackett waved dismissively, "I'm not seeing anyone for a while."

Yates crouched down, tugging at his grandfather's beard, "Gramps, this is a guest you have to see!"

Hackett winced in pain, then smacked Yates' hand away, "Show some respect!"

He glanced at the gift box in curiosity, "Who's the guest that's got you so worked up? Fine, I'll meet them, but no gifts."

Yates shoved the gift into his hands, "This one you have to accept!"

Hackett sighed, "You don't understand. There's a big shot in town. If I accept gifts now, I'm asking for trouble."

Yates, though reckless, did not want to embarrass his grandfather. But if they refused the gift, Mr. Delaney might feel awkward.

He looked at the gift box in his hand and simply opened the bag, "I'll see if the gift is expensive. If not, you can accept it, otherwise Mr. Delaney will not get through."

Hackett was about to say something when a familiar tea box was taken out of the bag...

Yates examined the box of St. Helena Coffee. "Gramps, why does this gift look so familiar?"

Hackett was raced with realization.

Of course, it was familiar. It was his coffee!

A serendipitous purchase of a few precious ounces of St. Helena Coffee, too treasured to drink, then requisitioned by Mr. Watkins with a single request, and now returned?

Wait...

Mr. Watkins said it was an engagement present.

Mr. Watkins gave him an engagement present? But the Griffin family had no daughters to wed! No, his thoughts were astray. Perhaps Mr. Watkins' fiancée was from the Delaney family?

Hackett swallowed nervously, clutching the coffee, "Does the Delaney family have a young and eligible daughter?"

Yates shrugged, "Not of marrying age, but there's two in senior year. One's betrothed to the Foster family, forgot her name. The other... well, her name's Cordelia Delaney, the long-lost daughter of the Delaney family, only just found a few days ago."

Just found a few days ago...And Mr. Watkins had only just arrived in Greenmeadow.

Putting these clues together, Hackett zeroed in on the connection, that was, Cordelia!

He panicked, "The guy from the Delaney family who's outside is..."

"Cordelia's father!" Yates confirmed.

Hackett felt the room spin. That was Mr. Watkins' future father-in-law!

No more pretenses, he clutched the coffee and hurried outside.

Sanderson was fraught with anxiety.

Yates didn't seem to bear any grudge against Lia, yet Hackett was nowhere to be seen. Just then, he heard footsteps and Hackett's voice calling, "Quickly, get our guest a cup of our finest black tea!" With that, Hackett appeared.

Sanderson rose to greet him, but Hackett approached with an almost ingratiating air, "Mr. Sanderson, my apologies for the oversight!"

Sanderson, taken aback, bowed hastily, "I'm the one who's intruded."

Hackett grasped his arm, preventing him from bowing further, and guided him back to the couch, "Not at all, your visit is an honor!"

Sanderson was at a loss for words, "Mr. Hackett, I hardly deserve such praise."

Hackett smiled, "Just let me know what you need, and about these coffee beans..."

...

Cordelia, after finishing her classes for the day, returned home and holed up in her room, feverishly working through practice tests.

Cordelia had been holed up in her room all afternoon, lost in the pages of the math exercise, when Lorna's voice finally coaxed her downstairs for dinner.

As she took her seat at the dining table, she noticed Steward and Laurinda already tucking into their meals, and Juliana sitting across from her with a scowl on her face. The only person missing was Sanderson…

She took a bite of her steamed broccoli, her brow furrowed in confusion, before turning to Lorna. "Mom, where's... Dad?"

The word "Dad" hung awkwardly on her lips, a term she hesitated to use and one that still felt foreign.

Lorna had grown accustomed to being called "Mom" over the past few days, but hearing Cordelia say "Dad" still brought a smile to her face.

She served Cordelia a piece of succulent BBQ ribs and replied with a hint of concern, "Your dad went over to visit the Griffin family and hasn't come back yet."

At that moment, Laurinda let out a snort. "Spare the rod, spoil the child. Lorna, you and Sanderson have spoiled Cordelia rotten. That's why we're in this mess! Just look at her, so meek and mousy, nothing like our Juliana who's the epitome of a lady… Juliana, eat up, you've lost weight lately. Don't fall ill on me. I'm counting on you to bring home that science award!"

Juliana froze at her words, her fork midway to her mouth. She looked up sharply at Cordelia, but before she could speak, there was a commotion at the door.

Sanderson walked in, a puzzled frown etched on his face.

Lorna rose quickly from her seat. "You're back." Her eyes then darted to the coffee beans in his hand. "Did Hackett refuse it?"

Laurinda slammed her cutlery down on the table with a loud snap. "I told you. Without giving Cordelia a good thrashing, we'd never appease Hackett's wrath. See? He didn't even take the coffee beans. I bet the deal for the project is off too!"

Steward looked on anxiously, but Sanderson shook his head, clearly baffled. "No, Hackett said the project went to the Delaney family, and he said these coffee beans were a gift from him…"