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
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