Chapter 5

Two months flew by in the blink of an eye. Cordelia lived like royalty at the Windsor Manor—eating well, drinking well, waking up every day to the warmth of her parents and siblings. Life couldn't have been better.

One evening, the family gathered around the dinner table, laughing and chatting. Cordelia put on a mysterious expression. "I have some good news for everyone. Can you guess what it is?"

Everyone perked up immediately, tossing out guesses left and right.

"Let me guess… Delia made us all handmade gifts?" Gabriel ventured.

Cordelia smiled and shook her head.

"Did our Delia win the lottery?" Wilder teased, making Elysia burst into laughter.

Cordelia kept shaking her head, her expectant gaze landing on her older sister.

Yasmin caught the look. She thought hard for a moment before blurting out, "Sweetheart, you didn't start dating someone, did you?"

The moment those words left her mouth, the smiles on Wilder, Elysia, and Gabriel's faces vanished instantly.

"Sweetheart, do you have a boyfriend?" Elysia looked at her anxiously. "Whose son is he? Is he trustworthy? You're still so young—you could easily be taken advantage of. You should bring him home so your dad and I can meet him…"

"Mom—" Cordelia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She quickly cut her mother off. "I don't have a boyfriend! Yasmin guessed wrong!"

Hearing her denial, everyone finally relaxed.

But Wilder still wasn't entirely convinced. "Delia, be honest with me. There's really no brat bothering you?"

"If there is, I'll go teach him a lesson right now!"

His precious daughter had just come home. He wasn't about to let some clueless brat steal her away!

"Dad, there really isn't!" Cordelia clung to Wilder's arm, acting cute. "What I wanted to tell you is that I passed my interview! Starting next month, I'll be joining Starlight Media Group's screenwriting department as a screenwriter!"

"My sweetheart is so amazing!" Elysia was over the moon. She cupped her daughter's face and planted a big kiss on her cheek. "Starlight Media Group is one of the top film and television companies in the country! Getting in on your own merit proves just how talented and outstanding my sweetheart is!"

Cordelia felt dizzy from all the praise. She leaned into her mother's embrace, grinning from ear to ear.

"Being a screenwriter is perfect!" Yasmin clapped her hands excitedly. "I remember you wrote a script before, sweetheart. It went viral! This career is perfect for you!"

"Come on, everyone raise your glasses! Let's celebrate our amazing daughter!" Wilder lifted his glass with a proud smile.

Everyone's faces were lit with joy. The glasses clinked together with a crisp, cheerful sound. Hearing it, Cordelia felt like she'd just eaten honey—pure sweetness.

This was wonderful. Having a family who was proud of her, who celebrated her successes—she had no regrets in this life.

Monday morning. Cordelia wore a suit and carried the bag Yasmin had specially bought for her. She walked into Starlight Media Group with her head held high.

Yesterday, her brother and sister had offered to come with her, but she'd firmly refused.

She was an adult. What would it look like if she needed her siblings to accompany her on her first day?

She took the elevator straight to Starlight Media Group's HR department. After submitting all her materials, Cordelia received her employee badge and some office supplies from the HR representative.

"Ms. Windsor, congratulations on joining our company." HR Remy wore a professional smile. "Let me take you to the screenwriting department and give you a quick tour of the office."

"That'd be great. Thank you so much." Cordelia smiled warmly, her attitude humble and polite.

Just as they were about to leave the HR department, a man walked in. The moment he entered, his gaze locked precisely onto Cordelia.

The man had a sharp, prominent nose and piercing eyes. His well-tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist—a picture-perfect physique.

Cordelia froze slightly when she saw his highly recognizable handsome face.

Ellington Clifford?

The renowned gold-standard producer in the industry. Every project he touched—whether film, TV, or variety shows—became an explosive hit.

He was also one of Starlight Media Group's shareholders.

"Mr. Clifford? What brings you here?" Remy greeted him with a smile far warmer than the one she'd given Cordelia. "Do you have any instructions for us?"

"No instructions. I'm here to pick up Ms. Windsor." Ellington's lips curved slightly, his gaze falling on Cordelia's delicate features.

Her clear, bright eyes, elegant nose, cherry-red lips, and nearly translucent skin—just standing there, she naturally drew everyone's attention.

A flash of admiration crossed Ellington's eyes. He raised his hand and beckoned her over.

Cordelia hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "Mr. Clifford, did you need something from me?"

Ellington nodded but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Remy and said, "I'm taking her with me," then tilted his chin at Cordelia, signaling her to follow.

Cordelia glanced between Ellington and Remy. After weighing her options, she gave Remy an apologetic nod and hurried after him.

"Mr. Clifford, did you need something from me?" She caught up to him, eyeing him suspiciously.

Ellington's status in the company was undeniable. Why would such a big shot be looking for her?

Ellington glanced down at her wary, suspicious expression and couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't need to be so tense. I'm not a bad guy. Patrick Windsor asked me to come get you."

Patrick?

That name sounded so familiar…

Cordelia furrowed her brow, thinking hard. Finally, it clicked—wasn't that her third uncle's son? Her cousin?

Her third uncle's family lived abroad year-round. Since she'd come home, she'd only video-called them a few times. As for this cousin, he was supposedly elusive—she'd only ever seen photos of him, never met him in person.

"Remember now?" Ellington smiled teasingly. "Patrick ran into an issue with one of his projects and had to deal with it. He couldn't come pick you up himself, so he asked me to look after you."

Cordelia nodded. Then, a beat later, realization struck. "So my cousin is part of Starlight Media Group…"

"He's also one of the shareholders. You didn't know?" Ellington found her adorably clueless. She'd been home for so long, yet she still didn't know the names or jobs of the important members of her own family.

Cordelia had no idea what he was thinking. She just felt a pang of bitterness.

So in her past life, she'd been this close to her family all along.

But through some cruel twist of fate, they'd never recognized each other.