It was 9:00 pm when Damon's car arrived back at his villa. Celeste was fast asleep as she curled into a ball at the gates.The driver flickered the car's headlights. Seeing as Celeste didn't react, he prepared to blare the car's horn.Liam was sitting in the front passenger seat. He quickly waved his hand to stop the driver from doing so."Ms. York must have been waiting for a long time if she fell asleep here," Liam said softly to Damon. His head turned toward the backseat. He watched as Damon expressionlessly got out of the car and picked Celeste up."You're home." Celeste blearily opened her eyes and casually placed her head against Damon's chest.Her breath blew on Damon's neck, and this made him breathe slightly heavier. Damon said nothing. He only carried Celeste across the front courtyard and into the living room. He then headed upstairs. "I missed you," Celeste mumbled into Damon's neck when Damon still kept silent. She sought out his lips.Damon's heart was
Damon wasn't interested in someone else's family matters. What angered him was that Celeste had approached him of her own will to use him as a tool against the York family.If Shannon had a marriage agreement with another man, she would have competed with Shannon for him too.He had already experienced first-hand how Celeste would go to any lengths to achieve her goals.If that man hadn't been him, Celeste would have taken all her clothes off before him and held him tight.The thought of this made Damon's heart hurt. What an ill-behaved woman!But luckily, Damon was the target.Over the next few days, Damon was exceptionally patient. He waited for Celeste to show up with her positive pregnancy test.Of course, she might not have gotten pregnant. If that was the case, would she try the same trick again? Would she wait curled up in a ball at the villa's gates just to seduce him?She would. Celeste had always pursued her goals with great determination.She would never give
Celeste begged and begged while she kneeled. She even increased the amount she offered them to 500 thousand dollars. Later on, she went up to a million dollars. But the man only stayed quiet. In the end, he pulled his wife by the hand and left in a huff. "Sir, madam, please. I'm begging you!" Celeste cried from behind them. They paused in their steps but didn't look back.After she failed to talk the donor's parents into consenting, Celeste stayed on the ground. She felt like her body had been emptied of its contents and could barely move.When Caleb walked in later on, she didn't notice him at all."Cel." Caleb bent down and hugged her. "I'm very happy to be able to live to the age of 17 under your and Mom's protection. You don't have to do this for me …"Whatever words he wanted to say next were lodged in his throat. He had seen the lost expression in Celeste's eyes and her tear-covered face."Cal, you'll be fine. I'll definitely find you another heart," Celeste mumble
Henry knew about everything that was happening. But he wasn't sympathetic at all and happily stood by as his son's life was used as a bargaining chip."You would stand by and watch your son die. Henry York, y-you're heartless!"Although Celeste had long known about Henry's personality, she still hoped that he had some humanity in him. It now seemed that she had been too foolish."If Damon doesn't marry Shannon, the York family will be done for! I need to look at the bigger picture!" Henry said as he slammed his fist on the table and stood up.His words were unquestionably shameless. Celeste didn't bother to listen any longer. She simply turned and left.The instant she walked out of the café doors, Celeste was unable to hold back her emotions. She curled up on the busy street and started bawling.Damon had just finished a meeting and was heading home. He closed his eyes and rested for a bit while in the car. "Isn't that Ms. York?" Liam asked, prompting Damon to abruptly ope
As she spoke, Celeste buried her head in Damon's chest. Then, there came her muffled voice. "Shannon is the best match for you. I shouldn't have disrupted your life. I'll leave Taverdale tomorrow." Damon lost his temper right away.He forced Celeste's head up. "Celeste York, who do you take me for?"She was the one who had gotten involved with him but was now leaving him behind. Celeste angered him to the point where a vein pulsed at his temple."I'm sorry." Celeste suddenly looked down.Damon didn't respond. He just stood up and walked off.Celeste tossed and turned half the night but didn't manage to fall asleep. At 4:00 am, she got up and left.Damon couldn't sleep either. He heard the door open from the room beside him and frowned."Tell Nicholas to hurry up." He sent a WhatsApp message to Liam."Yes, boss." Liam's reply was swift. It was a basic rule for Damon's staff to respond instantaneously at any time.…After leaving Damon's villa, Celeste hailed a cab and we
"If you could be as shameless as I am, Dr. Davies, then I'm sure you could get Damon to sleep with you as well," Celeste said with a chuckle. She was being honest. After all, she did think herself shameless to trick Damon into sleeping with her countless times. Celeste didn't find herself attractive—all she had was her bravado.Nicholas was incredibly amused by this answer.He quickly understood why Celeste was thought to be attractive and charming. Beautiful women were everywhere, and someone with Damon's status would never find themselves short of women.But unlike these other women, Celeste never imagined Damon would fall in love with her.She did not think badly of herself just because of her career. Nor did she feel happy because she got Damon to sleep with her.These were all just a way for Celeste to achieve her goal, and so no emotions were attached to them."I pity Damon then. He's met such a skilled opponent on his first time around," said Nicholas as his smile widene
Damon raised an eyebrow and said, "You're so wild, Celeste. Can't you be more ladylike?""You know how I am, Mr. Bishop," Celeste grinned, leaning into Damon. They both breathed the same air for a moment."Shannon York is the best choice to be Mrs. Bishop," Damon said calmly."True." The light in Celeste's eyes dimmed, and she instinctively pulled away from him. "Well … goodbye then."Celeste then turned around to leave.Was she giving up so easily? It did not seem like her style, Damon thought. However, he did not feel like calling for her to come back.He had said those words just to annoy Celeste. Who knew he would have ended up being the mean one?Damon's expression grew ugly. He got out of the car and strode back into the house with a poker face.The next second, Celeste ran back to him and dove into his arms.Her warmth and softness made Damon's heart pound in his chest.He held tightly onto her and marched upstairs.Celeste had been here four times. Including now, Dam
Davidson Hospital was the hospital Nicholas opened. It was also the hospital Celeste wished she could visit often.She easily found the emergency room Damon was in. There were already many people waiting outside, two of whom Celeste had met before—Liam and Jasper.They were currently comforting Shannon, who was sobbing her eyes out."What's going on?" Celeste asked. She had been too rushed to ask over the phone earlier."Ms. Shannon ran into the middle of the road to get in Mr. Bishop's way. Mr. Bishop ended up swerving and crashing the car into a railing to keep her safe," Liam explained truthfully."Damon got into the accident all because he didn't want me to get hurt! If something happens to him, I won't let him pass on all alone!" Shannon cried, attracting the attention of the passersby. Only Celeste could see her true intention.While Celeste did think about Damon getting into an accident while driving to City Hall, it turns out it was all because of Shannon … Bitterness w
He never would have imagined that the intelligent and aloof Celeste would have a day like this, appearing adorably naive and innocent.Damon used to like girls who were delicate and pure, but that changed when he met Celeste.She had a face full of charm and allure, but her expression and personality were always cold and unyielding. She was pale and slim, yet not childlike. On the contrary, she resembled a young poplar tree, proud and upright.Because of her, he began to like girls who sparked his desire to conquer, and he scoffed at those who were simply weak and shy.But now with Celeste like this, he didn't feel annoyed. In fact, not only was he not annoyed, he actually found it cute and interesting.“What's your name?” she asked again."Damon.""Oh, that sounds really nice."The initial confusion in her eyes was gone, replaced by a sparkling glimmer, and her tone carried a touch of a young girl's excitement."You are actually my husband… Wow, great job, me! I've managed to
"What? Aren’t you my husband? Do I still need to avoid you while changing clothes?" The confusion in Celeste's eyes didn’t seem fake.Damon was speechless and didn't know how to respond at that moment.When Damon didn't respond, Celeste suddenly felt a bit nervous."I'm sorry… I can't remember clearly. Aren't you my husband?"Damon raised an eyebrow casually and asked, "Why do you think I am?"Celeste innocently blinked, her eyelashes fluttering like fans. "The nurse said it. Besides, if you're not my husband, why would you sleep with me at night?""What did the nurse say?" Her reasoning was actually logical and undeniable. For a moment, Damon found it somewhat amusing."The nurse said that my husband is really thoughtful," Celeste responded seriously. Then she asked, "Aren't you my husband? Then why would you be willing to stay here with me so late?"This one sentence left Damon speechless.The reason he was willing was because he was a coward. He said that he didn't care abo
Damon frowned upon hearing the classic amnesiac questions being asked."Celeste, are you trying to act out a TV drama?"Celeste still looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"Damon didn't answer and went straight to the director's office to get Nicholas.Knowing her, she wasn't the type to joke around, especially not with Leo still missing. She must have hit her head hard.Nicholas was equally surprised and hurried back to the room with Damon.Celeste was sitting up, hugging her knees and staring into space."You're awake? How do you feel?" Nicholas asked with a smile as he entered."Why am I here?" Her voice sounded hesitant, and she turned to look at them.Her confusion seemed genuine. Nicholas and Damon exchanged worried glances."Celeste… you don't remember?""Celeste?" She asked, "Is that my name?""Yes.""I don't remember. My mind is blank.""Do you remember… Leo?" Nicholas hesitated. After all, if she knew that her child had been missing for three days, he was wo
"Alright," Celeste said in a deep voice. "Let me see Leo first."They pushed open the hidden door, revealing a staircase leading to the basement."Have Leo come to the stairway corner." She stood at the dark staircase and negotiated with the kidnapper."Mommy!" Suddenly, Leo's desperate cry echoed from inside."Leo!" Celeste ditched everything else and rushed down the stairs.She ran ahead, and as soon as she reached the corner, there was a loud explosion, and a wave of heat hit her face."Celeste!""Celeste!"Damon and Winston's faces changed drastically, shouting in alarm.The basement was empty. It was a trap.Had they been more careful, they would have noticed that both the kidnapper’s voice and Leo’s cry were artificially synthesized. But Celeste, in her desperation to save her son, had been too frantic to discern this.The basement was rigged with landmines. Unfortunately, something went wrong. The mine exploded when Celeste reached the stairway corner, instead of when
What? Damon was also coming? Celeste felt her heart leap, and her voice became sharper as she said, "I can handle this. You can't come!"There was no response from his end.Observing Damon’s silence, Celeste quickly softened her tone. "Damon, listen to me. I can handle this alone. There's no need for you to get involved… because I'm their main target, and they likely won't harm Leo. You need to stay home and wait for him. You need to take care of him later on…""Celeste," Damon interrupted coldly. "Are you planning on not coming out alive?"Of course, coming out alive would be ideal, but she couldn’t guarantee that."Damon, I do have a chance of surviving, but when it comes to exchanging myself for Leo, there can be no room for error. We must follow the kidnapper's instructions to ensure Leo's safety."It was out of the question to provide a false sense of security and pretend to comply with the kidnapper, only to backtrack and get Leo killed.She needed to ensure Leo’s safety a
They checked all the surveillance footage near the Bishop residence and investigated every suspicious vehicle. They also had people keeping an eye on Henry, but after half a day, there was still no breakthrough.The kidnappers had taken Leo to threaten Celeste, and the lack of communication was meant to unnerve her. If it was according to predictions, she was supposed to wait for their demands. But, as a mother, she couldn't just sit and do nothing.Celeste remembered that Shannon had called her, so she found her contact in the blacklist and called."Shannon, did you and Henry kidnap Leo?" she demanded.Shannon laughed coldly. "Don't accuse us without any evidence. Your son is missing? Maybe it's karma. Hahaha!"Celeste hung up, unable to stand Shannon's smugness.Several teams searched for over 20 hours, even involving the police, but still had no solid leads. Celeste suspected Henry, but they couldn't just arrest him without any proof.She was extremely desperate. She didn't e
"Lester isn't as clever as Leo. He's just a four-year-old child, and he shouldn't have done anything like that," Serena instinctively defended Lester. Then, recalling the last time she had misunderstood Leo for similar reasons, she felt a pang of guilt and added, "I don't mean to imply anything… I'll have someone bring Lester here."Celeste nodded. "I'm not blaming Lester. I just want to understand what happened."Soon, the nanny looking after Lester brought him in. Unexpectedly, upon seeing Celeste, Lester burst into tears."Aunty Celeste, please don't hit me. I didn't mean to lose my brother!""Lester, I just want to understand what happened." Celeste was taken aback by his crying but kneeled down to speak gently. "I'm not blaming you. Can you tell me what you saw that day?""Aunty Celeste, don't hit me!" Lester kept crying, not saying a word about Leo's disappearance."Am I that scary, Lester?"At this moment, Celeste felt at a loss. She could communicate normally with Leo,
Celeste perfectly understood what Cedric's implied. "I mean, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to entertain me today."Cedric had indeed wanted to help her that day, but his identity was too special to admit it openly. The scratch on the paper was a subtle hint, and whether or not she could interpret it depended on her intuition. The fact that she could decipher such a subtle hint proved her intelligence and luck.Over the years, Cedric had developed a sense of respect for Celeste after learning about her. He felt she was deserving of assistance, but he couldn't make it obvious."However, be careful. I see that Henry is at the end of his rope and might act irrationally. You should be on guard," Cedric warned.Celeste nodded, having considered this as well. "Henry wants me dead."This was why she had her brother stay abroad and sent Leo to the Bishops. With only herself remaining, it was harder for Henry to use her loved ones against her."Take care of yourse
Celeste's deduction was correct. Cedric intentionally left the mark. As Winston dug deeper, he slowly uncovered a series of issues.It was a bridge project on a highway in a poor mountainous area. Not uncommon.The problem was that the person in charge of this project was a leader assigned from a first-tier city to oversee the development. Officially, he was recognised for his capabilities, but in reality, this task was one he had to succeed in without failure.He had offended someone, and this transfer was a disguised punishment under the guise of a major responsibility.If he had managed it well, the chances of him returning to a higher development role would have been slim. At best, he could stay in this position until retirement. If he didn't manage it well, his entire career could be ruined.Someone of such status naturally had supporters as well as opponents. In such a situation, it was impossible for anyone to sabotage and create pitfalls along the way."It seems the next