Nothing Has Ever Changed

When Cedric and Mateo went out for dinner that night, Eden headed out as well.

She met Priscilla at a restaurant right under her apartment, where she handed over the divorce papers. She asked Priscilla to process them as quickly as possible.

Priscilla flipped through the divorce papers and sighed after verifying the signatures of both parties.

She did not have much to say after that. After hastily finishing her food, she prepared to head off to work.

After finally taking care of what had been weighing on her mind this entire time, Eden breathed a sigh of relief. She did not see a point in lingering around and proceeded to grab her bag to leave as well.

Just as they were about to leave together, Priscilla mentioned she needed to use the restroom. She slung her bag over Eden's shoulder and asked her to wait outside.

After Eden stepped out of the private box, she rounded the corner where a waiter brushed past her. The waiter opened the door to an adjacent private box, where the sound of conversation spilled from inside.

“Daddy, let's go out and have dinner together again! I want to eat with Daddy and Amelie!”

Amelie squealed, “Oh, I love spending time with you, too, Mateo! Come sleep over at my place again next time, I’ll make you and Daddy some cake!”

"Oh, aren’t you all a family?”

The waiter remarked, “You all look so alike, I thought you were a family!”

The waiter's comments amused Mateo and Amelie, and they giggled.

Cedric had just finished replying to a text message. He frowned and got ready to interrupt them when he glanced up and made eye contact with Eden through the door crack.

“Eden?” His first thought was to chase after her to explain what was happening. Just as he was about to say something, a look of horror came upon him and made him shut the door before covering Amelie’s face.

Guilt flashed in his eyes. Before he could even get a word out, the shrill voice of a child interrupted him.

“You’re following us!?

“Didn't you promise to let us have dinner by ourselves? Why are you following us like a creep! Don't you have anything to do with your time?!”

Mateo was glowering with hate. Then, he squeezed through the door gap and shoved Eden with all his might.

Eden was caught off guard by the sudden attack and stumbled several steps backward. Thankfully, she braced against a wall just in time to prevent a fall.

“Mateo! How could you talk to your mother like that?

“Who said you could push your mother? Where are your manners?”

Cedric frowned sharply and stepped forward to help Eden while telling Mateo off.

Mateo had always regarded Cedric with respect, but underneath that respect was fear. This was the first time Cedric had scolded him, and he turned deathly pale while his anger deflated in an instant. He zipped his lips and stayed silent after that.

“Oh, he’s just a kid.”

Amelie remarked with a dainty voice while emerging from the private box to hug Mateo. She chuckled as she defended him, “Mateo is a boy. There’s no need to hold something like that against him. He’s too young to know what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Amelie and Eden did look alike.

Now that they were standing next to each other, the resemblance was accentuated.

What was more notable was that she was wearing Cedric’s coat.

Cedric did not expect Amelie to boldly reveal herself. He felt his heart drop and turned to Eden to try to stammer an explanation.

“Eden, this is Amelie. She’s a new model signed to our company. We were just having dinner to talk about a project.

“I lent her my coat because she said she was cold.”

Eden suppressed her emotions and shoved away Cedric’s hand that was placed on her waist.

She replied in a benevolent tone as if she believed Cedric wholeheartedly, “It's alright, I know.

“I’ll let you all finish your dinner. I have something to do, so I'll get going.”

Right at that moment, Priscilla returned and called out, “Eden, the agreement you signed…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she locked eyes with Cedric.

She immediately fell silent and turned visibly stiff.

“What agreement?” Cedric caught the tail end of what she was saying.

Eden casually rolled up the document while stating nonchalantly, “Nothing. Just some paperwork to finance another orphanage.

“Anyway, enjoy your food, everyone. We’ll make a move.”

She remained indifferent throughout the entire interaction.

Even after being insulted and attacked by Mateo.

Even after confronting Amelie, who looked just like her and was wearing Cedric’s coat, she did not seem upset in the slightest.

Not even a hint of emotion.

Cedric breathed a sigh of relief, but could not shake off the restless feeling even after some time passed.

Eden was too stoic about it.

He had a nagging feeling that something was slipping from his grasp. Something he could not place.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.