Damon was remarkably efficient. After interviewing in the afternoon, the villa was already bustling with a butler, gardener, housekeeper, chef, and eight other household staff by evening.Around 7:00 pm, someone politely invited Celeste downstairs for dinner. Having stayed in her room all afternoon, she felt uneasy seeing the sudden surge of people in the villa."What's going on?" she asked."I'm your servant, Edna Woods, Mrs. Bishop. I'll be taking care of your daily needs," a middle-aged woman in her 50s introduced herself to Celeste."Um ..." Celeste had a few years of being chauffeured and cared for by nannies when she was young. But after working in a club and living a working-class life for so long, being served again made her uncomfortable."I don't need anyone to serve me," Celeste whispered to Damon while Edna was in the kitchen. The idea of having someone serve her seemed odd.Damon had expected her reaction and calmly remarked, "Is Mrs. Bishop trying to ruin my reputat
This was a question Damon had always avoided getting into. When he was young, he had feelings for Leah. Leah was gentle, kind, and elegant. She was the kind of woman he thought a wife should be.But later, Leah married and moved to Ausbrania, and he got engaged to Shannon.Both Leah and Shannon matched his idea of a woman. They were gentle and resembled lilies.Celeste was different. She resembled a wild rose, charming yet thorny, the kind that was difficult to tame.He could not quite describe his feelings for her, only that when she was hurt, his heart ached, and when she was happy, it lifted his spirits."Never mind. I was just asking." Before Damon could say anything, Celeste chuckled and silenced him with a kiss.She was afraid of his answer. If she was not sure of her feelings for Damon, how could she demand anything from him?She could not recall how many times Damon had asked for that night, but she remembered he carried her to the shower afterward. As she drifted off
Celeste had previously heard from Megan and other friends that Lawrence had feelings for her. He even used his connections to have the same advisor as Celeste halfway through his master's degree, and he was especially caring toward her abroad. The only thing missing was the unspoken "I like you" from him. However, Celeste never thought of Lawrence in any other way than as a friend or an older brother."Don't be like this, Lawrence," Celeste said as she lowered her head and looked away."Figgy, you know I like you, right?" Lawrence was drunk and he said irrationally, "You don't love Damon. You're just using him to deal with the York family. You shouldn't gamble away your future happiness!"Lawrence's loud voice cut through the noisy music and caught the attention of those around them.He knew everything. Celeste had always thought he was unaware of her relationship with the York family!"Lawrence, you drank too much. Let me take you home," Celeste tried to avoid further convers
"Give me your phone," Damon said.Celeste handed over her phone without hesitation. She observed as he added himself on her WhatsApp and casually marked it as a favorite."From now on, inform me in advance if there's anything you need. And also, don't meet Lawrence alone," he asserted.This time, she was relatively honest and had just left a note for Edna to pass on to him. If she had not, who knows what could have happened to her?Still, Damon could not shake off the unease at the image of Celeste in Lawrence's embrace."Absolutely, I promise," she hurriedly replied with a forced smile.Damon returned her phone and casually scrolled through her Facebook. When he saw her proudly posting their marriage license, a sense of relief softened his expression.He thought the matter had passed. But the next day, just as he went to work, the butler from the Bishop residence came knocking."Ms. York, Mrs. Bishop would like to see you," the butler said.The butler knew about Celeste and D
To Celeste, the notion of "family rules" felt like something out of a historical drama. It seemed slightly odd hearing it from someone in the present day. After all, the colonial era had ended many years ago."I misjudged the situation this time and acted recklessly. Mrs. Bishop has every right to punish me, and I accept it," Celeste stated calmly. Her expression showed no obvious emotions.Serena could not stand Celeste's response and her attitude. To Serena, Celeste, a mere bartender, acted as if she were some kind of noble. Serena was convinced that Celeste had seduced Damon and was stubbornly refusing to back down."You've finally admitted your mistake," Serena remarked. Then, she issued a command and prompted several imposing household staff to approach."In the old days, if a daughter-in-law in the Bishop family didn't follow the rules, she'd kneel on a nail board. But now, in the present day, let her kneel on the acupressure mat." Serena had prepared beforehand a large plast
Damon decided that he needed to talk to Serena about what had happened."Get some more sleep," Damon said as he rocked Celeste gently. He tucked her in like a child and slipped a blanket over her.He grabbed his phone and headed to his study, planning to call Serena. Surprisingly, his mother's call came through before he could initiate it."Celeste might be venting to you at this very moment, Damon. I had to lay down some family rules. She just crossed the line." Serena was still fuming and could not resist calling her son."In front of elders, she keeps up this defiant attitude, no soft words whatsoever. And after getting married, she's out there embracing other men. If Shannon hadn't seen it with her own eyes, you'd be completely clueless about Celeste's unfaithfulness," complained Serena.She went on, "Damon, you really shouldn't be married to someone like her. If Shannon isn't your cup of tea, Leah Sullivan is back in the country. You used to have a thing for her, right? Maybe
It read, "Twenty years later, the Bishop family's eldest grandson will tie the knot with the York family's eldest daughter. Consider this emerald pendant and engagement agreement as evidence. Yours truly, James Bishop."Damon recognized the familiar golden script as his grandfather's handwriting. The engagement agreement did not mention a specific name. It simply referred to "the York family's eldest daughter." In James's final years, as he battled severe Alzheimer's, he lost the ability to recognize anyone when the York family came to visit. Naturally, the Bishop family accepted Shannon as the sole daughter of the York family.The York family was respected among Taverdale's elite, but the Bishops, with their long-established lineage, held an even more esteemed position. Their wealth had been in the family for generations, unlike the Yorks, who acquired their fortune in recent years. Due to these differences, the elders of the Bishop family could not understand James's intentio
At Jasper's office, Megan sat in the reception area and waited until 11:00 pm. While sipping her third cup of coffee, he finally returned after finishing his tasks."What couldn't be said over the phone that required a late-night visit?" he asked her.He ruffled her hair and sat across from her. As the prospective head of the Schultz family, he was undeniably the busiest among the siblings. Despite being cousins, it was not unusual for months to pass without them crossing paths."Jasper, I wanted to talk to you about Celeste and Damon." Megan went straight to the point. He had gotten hold of the latest marketing draft she sent out for Celeste. That was how Megan found out about the close relationship between Jasper and Damon."Oh? What's she after now?" Jasper had only crossed paths with Celeste a few times, but his biases ran deep.In his view, Celeste was cunning, icy, and ready to go to any lengths to get what she wanted. So, when Megan broached the subject, he grew even more