Her Devilish Alpha - Chapter 182

Cornelia couldn’t help but laugh at how bold her daughter was being. It seemed like Madeline inherited her own boldness.

“Well it seems like you took after me in another department,” Cornelia said, chuckling before she told the girl, her face more serious than before, “You’re right, I’m going to have to tell you the answer one way or another. Now is just not the time, dear.”

Madeline was beginning to get annoyed at how Cornelia kept treating her like she was some porcelain vase that would break. She didn’t need to be treated like she was fragile and couldn’t be told stuff, even if it was because she wasn’t supposed to know what Cornelia was purposely hiding from her, et cetera et cetera.

“You didn’t tell me why you left either,” she pointed out, her voice now flat again.

Cornelia sighed, tilting her head, “I know.”

“The least you could do is answer the one question I have, and I know you know what’s the question too. Since you do, you’d know how important it is to me. I’m still your daughter.”

Her voice cracked as she continued, “I’m still… family, am I not?”

Cornelia opened her mouth. Who gave her daughter the ability to guilt trip so well? Even she was convinced. Strengthening her resolve, she said to herself she couldn’t. Sometime later, maybe. But not now. Most certainly not now.

Now was the worst time.

“I still can’t tell you. I’m sorry. I know you desperately want to know but I can’t tell you, it’d disrupt the flow of how things are supposed to go and I can’t possibly do that by telling you,” she said to Madeline.

Madeline pleaded, “Then a hint? Would that affect things? I don’t think so.”

Cornelia cursed under her breath, Madeline was good. She stared at the girl, wondering if she should return Madeline and just forget this ever happened. Yet, another part of her whispered to let her stay and watch her plead her case. Maybe Madeline would be able to give her a good enough reason.

“A hint,” Cornelia said, absorbed in thought as she deliberated her options.

Madeline stayed quiet, wondering what to say next. She felt like she had run out of things to say pretty quickly now that she had said nearly everything she had up her sleeve. Yes, she was guilt tripping Cornelia to answer her.

She could only imagine Xavier’s reaction once she told him everything. Perhaps he’d be disappointed in her for using such a shameful tactic, or perhaps he’d be amused that the supreme sorceress had even allowed Madeline to try to guilt trip her in the first place. Or maybe he’d even be proud, especially if Madeline had returned with the piece of information she had come for.

“If you didn’t want to tell me anything or give any hints, then why did you bring me here? What, did you want to see me again? Because you made it quite clear that you could see me whenever you please, so…”

Cornelia pressed her lips into a line, Madeline made a point. Was this how Emilio found her? As irritating and right as Madeline was being?

“While you make a good point, has anyone ever told you before that you can be very, and I mean very, irritating?” Cornelia questioned.

Madeline didn’t know how to reply to that, so she kept quiet instead.

Cornelia sighed, telling her, “I’m not telling you anything, but there’s this saying I was told a lot before I became the person that I am today.”

Madeline’s ears perked up, and she stared at Cornelia, listening intently on every word Cornelia said next.

“It’s always…”

Cornelia paused immediately, and a horrified look was now painted across her face. A look that screamed, ‘What am I saying? Did I just say that aloud?’

“That’s enough from me,” she said.

Madeline pleaded, “What about what comes next? You can’t just give me the two words of a quote when there are many, many phrases that fit it next!”

Cornelia’s eyes flashed dangerously at Madeline. For a moment, Madeline wondered if Cornelia would give her some kind of stern lecture or scold her. Then, her gaze softened and she pursed her lips, “If I could tell you, my dear, I’d tell you everything. But I can’t. I’m not saying you won’t know one day, you definitely will, but it’s one day in the near future, not now. So I suppose, I can just give you two words of a quote, that’s for you to figure out. Time for me to talk to Xavier now, ta ta!”

Before Madeline could say anything or interject, Cornelia waved goodbye, and Madeline disappeared into a pile of vapor, replaced by Xavier who stood there staring at her.

“You seem pleased,” he said to her.

“Oh yes, I just learnt my daughter takes after me and inherited one of my many amazing qualities. Terrific,” Cornelia replied.

“Care to tell me why you brought me here, and does it have to do with Madeline?”

“I saw you took her out on a movie date,” Cornelia said dryly, adding, “You never asked for my permission when it came to taking my daughter out on dates.”

Xavier said to her, “I asked Emilio for permission because he and Madeline have a close bond with each other. If she didn’t want to go out on a date, or if she was uncomfortable with it, he’d tell me. And who am I to come asking the great Cornelia Delcour for something as simple as permission to bring her daughter out on dates?”

Cornelia bit her bottom lip, just like Madeline did whenever she was upset, bored, nervous and or agitated.

“Of course you could, she’s still my daughter. And I know all about how close Emilio and Madeline are, no need to tell me that.”

She slumped in her chair which was reminiscent of a throne which stood tall and mighty in an empty room which had nothing other than her and him in it.