Chapter 10
“You have too much confidence in yourself but unluckily it failed you.” He played his brows, teasing her.
Celeste glared daggers at him. “If not for my injured ankle I would have escaped your halfwit goons long ago.”
Anthony twisted his lip in mockery. “Oh, is it?” Plan the next escape after a month. Because until then your leg is not going to cooperate with you and yeah next time you break the CCTV to plan your escape, the repercussions will be beyond your expectation.”
“How I wish I could strangle you to death with my bare arms.” Her hands reached his neck but Anthony smartly tackled her to bed holding her waist and him on top of her.
“Privacy” He commanded and the CCTV turned off.
Their lips were hardly an inch away from each other. His hot brea
Chapter 11Celeste felt nauseous after she saw everything and the teasing features of Anthony shifted to seriousness. “Celeste you are fine. You have nothing to worry about. I'm here.” He began to draw his palm on her back in consolation.Celeste was breathing harshly. Her eyes were red with unshed tears. Anthony quickly rushed to his room and brought a strip of tablets. He gave her a glass of water with medicine. “Come on, have this.”Celeste gulped the pill with water. Ten minutes later when she was normal, she looked at him with questioning eyes. “Do I know you from before?”Anthony did not reply and his silence probed Celeste with more questions. “Okay. How do you know about the pills I use during my panic attacks? You know I'm an anxiety patient. Don't you? Do you know me from before?”“What is with all these questions, Celeste?” Anthony looked restless.“How are you awar
Chapter 12“You old rag…” Dave took his steps forward furiously.The man who was observing the whole scene between Dave and Tom from a distance walked away picking up his phone from the pant pockets to call his boss.What he did not know is both Tom and Dave were aware of his presence. The friction going on between them was only an act that they have put up before him.After Anthony's security guard went away both men shook hands and hugged each other. “I'm sorry for speaking so harshly with you.” Dave apologized to Tom.“It is okay. Everything is part of work. But I did not understand your intention behind all this act.” Tom spoke to Dave with curiosity occupying his eyes.“I want Anthony to think we are not together. Divide and rule policy often works in the maf
Chapter 13“I feel like a prisoner in this room. The servants talk only when needed.” Celeste complained to Anthony. He looked after her like a baby giving her complete bed rest after she broke her ankle.“The servants are meant to work. They are not here to sit beside you and crack jokes. Do you have a reading habit?” He asked her in a no nonsense mood.“I love to stitch and I used to supply clothes to Sasha when I was working in the bar.” She could already see the changing emotions on his face. Why did he hate the talk about strip clubs? After all, he acquaints her from there. Is this guy a gay? He didn't even touch her till date.“I do not like to recall that you were once upon a time a bar dancer. And regarding stitching it cannot be done now with a fractured ankle. I am not allowing you to do that.” The foo
Chapter 14“I would ask you again. Do you know me from before?” Anthony's hazel blue eyes went in thought.Five years agoHe is a billionaire who mints money in millions every minute. Anthony was there in the middle class neighborhood on a purpose.He was sipping his money coffee looking outside the window of his house. There was insider information that the killer of his mother lives there. So he rented a house next to his.Two days later he witnessed an unfavorable incident. A girl, hardly sixteen, was thrown out of the house. Her creamy pale face was filled with bruises which were purple and red. "Beg, borrow or steal. I don't care. If you can't get me the money to satisfy my needs, you are out of my house." The old guy with a huge tummy yells at her.“Dad, please do not let me out.&rd
Chapter 15“My healing leg has nothing to do with your dad's dues to you. Come on touch me. Am I not here to warm your bed?” Celeste started to open the buttons of her blouse. Somehow the thought about Anthony being a gay did not settle well with her. She was disappointed but did not know why.“Shut up!” He stopped her pushing her hands from the hooks of her blouse.“Is sleeping together only the solution to earn? Bring out your mind from the dumpster you had been all this while.” He ordered with sparks of anger in his eyes.“You told me earlier that you do the designing of dresses. I am a cotton textile merchant. Work for me and pay your dad’s dues.” Celeste grinned ear to ear but suddenly her happiness was lost.Anthony's features replicated her features when he saw the dullness in h
Chapter 16But that night contrary to her belief he informed her. “Get ready by seven. I don’t like waiting. We are going for a dine-out this evening.”Celeste was over the moon after hearing him. She put on an off shoulder red velvet gown matching her cognac eyes. To give it a contrast match she put on a silver necklace and bracelet. The dress looked graceful but dashed with simplicity that suited every occasion.By the time she was ready he was waiting at the foot of the staircase. “You look…..” He observed her head to toe making her feel weighty and finally eased her. “Not bad. But this would be better.” He removed the clip holding her hair in a bun and her wild tendrils fell down in curls in a mesmerizing black beauty within a blink of her eyes.Heavens! Such an intimacy was not expected of him. Celeste bit her l
Chapter 17“So what would you like to order?” It appeared he was not interested in answering more questions of hers.Well Celeste did not want it either. Like a fish caught on a hook, her heart fluttered to his grief. He was only a stranger to her but something ached inside her too for his pain. She understood he wanted a diversion. “I would like to order a Gamberi pizza with meat, sautéed prawns with garlic, mushrooms, and parsley, topped with cheese and sauces.”“Certain things don't change even with time.” He muttered, scratching the corner of his brow and looking somewhere ahead of her.“Excuse me, what did you say?” If she was right in hearing him, he murmured that her habits didn't change. Did he know her from the past? If so, why can't she recollect him?It is not like she is s
Chapter 18The past.“My dad drinks and beats me every day, Jonathan. I lost my mom when I was six. Afterwards he joined a mafia group called Kings of Shadows and started drinking.” Anthony’s grandfather, Jonathan is her only ventilation of sorrows. He is Anthony's sole blood relation living in this world. Celeste takes him for a stroll on a wheelchair everyday in the evening and shares all her problems with him.“Son, I have something to ask you.” Jonathan said to Anthony while having his dinner.“What is it, grandpa? You know I never denied you anything. After all, you are my only real family left in this world. I love you.” Anthony loves his grandfather from the bottom of his heart.“I know, son, that is why I take this opportunity to ask you. "Will you marry Celeste and grant the innocent girl
Chapter 36Sometime later Anthony heard a loud squeak from Celeste's bedroom. Tout de suite he climbed the stairs skipping one at a time and then his laugh was uncontrollable. His girl who is a spitfire, who challenges him and makes him dance on her little finger is frightened of flies. “It might have entered your room through the garden. Why did you keep the window open? You could have used air-conditioning instead.”Celeste cried, ran to Anthony and fell in his arms. He chuckled softly and gently ran his hand on her back before kissing her cheek. “It is okay. Don't cry. I'm going to take care of it.” He took out the phone from his pants pocket and called the security. “There is a fly in Celeste’s room. Drive it out of the window.”She nuzzles her head in the crook of his neck. “I'm not going to use this bedroom tonight. Can I sleep with
Chapter 35“How dare that bastard! He did not allow me to talk to Celeste on the contrary blackmails me that he will turn her against me. Well, I will see how he does that. Celeste is my daughter. All mine. Boyfriends come and go. But I'm here stable in her life. Always. She knows that and she loves me.” Tom blew his vengeance against Anthony with Dave.“Do not think so loose about that asshole. He has enough evidence against you to prove to Celeste what you are and he is smart to turn the tables. The earlier, the better, we need to get her back to us.” Dave spoke in a neutral tone.“Enough evidence? In that case he should have used his magic by now. Why didn't he? Dave had no words for the question of Tom.“He had installed a jammer in her phone and I could not track her location. I don't know where she went, leaving her phone u
Chapter 34The pastToday is Celeste's birthday. Anthony took leave from the office because he wants to spend the whole day with her and make her birthday memorable.“Good morning sweetheart. May all your dreams come true and life take you to places you cherish. Happy birthday.” His extremely masculine gravelly tone brought goosebumps of delight on her skin.Anthony planted a kiss on Celeste’s forehead pushing away the hairs from her face and placed a rose beside her head on the pillow.Her cognac eyes opened, gazing at him in a shimmer. Handsome is an understatement. Anthony is a very attractive man with high cheekbones and a slight stubble. “Thank you very much Anthony.” Celeste pulled his face to her lips and kissed his hairy cheek.“Come on, get ready.&r
The pastAfter the engagement ceremony, the guests left. “I want to take leave, my son and wish you a happy life ahead with Celeste.” Lucy stood beside Tom and on the other side Celeste followed.Anthony’s features were calm till then. But the moment Celeste stood beside Tom to leave, he looked puzzled. He made a discreet chin lift and told her to stay back.It was a sweet thrill for her to test his patience. Celeste acted clueless. But was Anthony a man to give up? He had waited enough for her. Now they are even engaged. She is his completely now. He held her hand before she walked away from him. “Celeste is moving in with me tonight, Tom. Tomorrow my men will come and lift her luggage from your house.”Tom was not happy with what was happening and it was not a shock for Anthony. The man was shameless to stoop to any level for m
Chapter 32It was the day of her engagement. Since the Rodriguez house is big enough to host as many guests required, the ceremony was planned in the visitor's hall of the house itself.Celeste played her fingers in anxiety. Her mother Lucy took a seat besides and hugged her. "Anthony is an understanding and caring guy. Nothing to worry about. You're a lucky girl sweetheart. Be happy." She cheered for her.Natalie arrived on time. "Congratulations, my friend." Her eyes studied her top to bottom before she ran and hugged Celeste. "You look beautiful."The hair was styled in a bun with motifs on either side. Celeste was dressed in a red long dress. It had a sheer detail in the bust area and below the chest were free flowing curls with sequins. She matched the dress with white stone necklace and earrings which Anthony bought for her on their first date.
Chapter 31“It is on September 2nd and I'm thinking of going to a movie with my friend.” She guffawed.“A slight change in your birthday program. If you don’t mind. Spend the day with me and I promise you will enjoy it.” Celeste giggles and it felt like music to Anthony’s ears.“Here are your favorite songs by Jennifer Lopez.” He handed her a pen drive with his eyes focused ahead through the windshield. Celeste took it from him excitedly. “Where are we going?”“You will see it, we will be there in five.” He grinned, staring at her.Just like he said after five minutes they were in front of fancy restaurant with letters dazzling neon lights “Le Meredith”The manager greeted them as soon as they entered and took them to the roof top corner tab
The pastNext day Celeste was discharged from the hospital and like a responsible father, Tom took her home.“How are you sweetheart? The doctor informed me you went home. Are you taking your vitamins regularly?” Anthony asked Celeste after visiting her home in the evening.“Dad told me that we are shortly going to be engaged. He also told me mama and I will be going dress shopping tomorrow. Can I talk to you for a few minutes before we take our next step?” Celeste asked Anthony which brought heaviness in his kernel.“Is everything alright with you Celeste. Of course we can meet. Tonight at seven I will come and pick you for dinner at your home. Is that okay?”“That sounds good. But please, there is no necessity to waste a lot of money taking me to a fancy restaurant.”A
Chapter 29She was met again with silence from Anthony. Like she was a baby who needed his protection, he held her hand, guided her behind a wall and forced her to lay down on the ground by protecting her head with his hands. “What is the situation?” He asked someone on the phone.“Is there a problem? Was that an earthquake?” Celeste asked worriedly. She wondered how he could maintain his equilibrium even in a situation like that.Moments later the catastrophe was taken into control. “Sir, a bomb diffuser was installed in the house. So the effect was not high. As far as now, no human loss is reported.”“Good, I am glad you took control of the situation in time.” Anthony turned her to face him. He wouldn't speak but his eyes spoke volumes. And the name of that language is called ‘lo
In the other side of the city“Do you know the story of the golden goose?” The young man sighed helplessly, running his hand in his hair.But the other person turned a deaf ear to his restlessness. “The goose gave one golden egg to her master every day. Master used to sell it and started reaping money. In a matter of a few years he became very rich. But with richness came greed too. He thought instead of taking an egg every day, why not kill it and reap all eggs at once? So he killed it but what did he find? In the end he only met sorrow. There were no eggs in the belly of the golden goose but only blood.”“I'm not a kindergarten kid who listens to your moral tales during story time. Tell me what your next plan is. Do you know how distressing it is when I think about her? Every time her picture flashes in my mind, I feel high. She is an addiction I can't c