Of course, Celeste wouldn't open it. As an outsider, she thought it wasn't appropriate for her to open Serena's safe."I'll go get the maid," she instinctively said and was about to leave."Open it," Serena insisted. Noticing how Celeste hesitated, she got up from her seat.Celeste quickly reached out to stop her when she saw Serena move her injured arm from the support."Don't move. I'll do it." She had no choice but to squat down and enter the passcode.With a beep, the electronic lock of the safe clicked open.Inside the small safe were various antique jewelry items worth no less than eleven figures in total. Despite Celeste's current position and her expertise in jewelry, she couldn't help but admire Serena's collection."To have about ten billion dollars worth of items lying around under the dressing table instead of in the bank was quite impressive," Celeste thought."Bring that brown paper bag over here," Serena said.Celeste then noticed a nondescript brown paper bag t
Damon had been away on a business trip abroad, and he only rushed back this morning.Upon learning that Serena had broken her arm while saving Leo, he brought Lester to visit her but unexpectedly encountered Celeste and her son."What a coincidence." Celeste paused when she noticed Damon. Still, she nodded politely in greeting.Damon remained silent. While he seemed calm on the outside, his heart was actually racing.They haven't seen each other in, what, a month? Her sprained foot should have healed by now.Subconsciously, he glanced down at Celeste's foot. She was wearing a pair of brown suede flats, and there were still some bruises on her ankles.Celeste immediately understood what he was looking at."It's been fine for a while now," she said.Damon nodded.The atmosphere between them felt odd, and nobody else present dared to speak."Well, we'll be going. Goodbye," Celeste said.Damon nodded. He was unable to find words to say."Goodbye, Mr. Bishop." Leo stared at him
Celeste, being an adult, certainly didn't take offense to children.Lester claimed this was his home, and in a way, he wasn't entirely wrong. Despite not having the blood of the Bishop family, he had grown up with Serena. Now that he had been brought back, it meant that Damon and his mother were willing to recognize him as a member of the Bishop family.Whether it was his home or not, however, was none of Celeste's concern. Besides, she knew her child well. Leo's affection for Damon and Serena stemmed purely from familial bonds. He wouldn't care about being recognized as Serena's heir. Of course, given Lester's age, he wouldn't care about that either. He simply couldn't bear the thought of someone else sharing the love he received from his "dad" and "grandma."Fiona's actions had caused Celeste immense suffering and changed her life. She harbored a deep hatred for her as a result. However, she refused to judge a child. She couldn't bring herself to believe that Lester was selfish. S
Lester didn't offer any apologies even after Celeste and her son had left.As Celeste's car vanished from view, any warmth Damon felt earlier evaporated. With a frown, he let out a dismissive snort."Send the young master to the room for reflection. He may return once he's ready to behave properly."Lester, initially crying, stopped out of fear once he noticed Damon was being serious."Daddy! I was wrong, please, Daddy!" Lester pleaded, but Damon had already turned away and left.Child discipline was a strictly internal affair in the Bishop family. Lester, terrified by Damon's stern departure, turned to Serena."Grandma!" He wasn't as well-spoken as Leo and could only communicate in simple ways."Lester, your behavior was unacceptable. Think about what you've done," Serena felt bad. However, she was also upset by the incident. She walked away as well.……"Thank you for saving my child." Damon expressed his gratitude to his mother in the living room.“Do you know what Misty ju
As Damon and Liam entered, they were promptly served tea."I'm really sorry about today," Damon said."Lester is still young, and neither Leo nor I will take it to heart," Celeste replied honestly."Leo is still a child, after all. I would feel terribly guilty if what happened today affected his mood.""No need to worry. He's quite… unique," Celeste wanted to say that genius children never see themselves as just children but felt it might sound self-congratulatory, so she phrased it differently."Maybe he takes after his mother. I certainly wasn't that clever as a child," Damon understood her meaning and stated sincerely."Neither was I. When my mother was alive, she used to say I was smarter than Cal. She cited how I could read a clock at three and recite the Ballad of the Eternal Whisper at four. But what's that compared to Leo? He can recite an entire dictionary now. Poems have logic, and dictionaries do not."Like any mother sharing stories of her child, Celeste suddenly op
Leo had just woken up. He was wearing a cartoon pajama top, and a few strands of his hair were sticking up. His eyes were half closed. He looked somewhat adorable.“Mommy, what time is it?”He was still a bit groggy as he came out. Suddenly, his pupils dilated when he saw Damon and Liam.Damon’s heart melted at the look of the child.“Leo.” He opened his arms.Leo obediently walked over and let Damon lift him onto his lap.“Have some water.” Celeste handed Leo a cup of water, but he didn’t take it. His eyes were fixed on Damon.Damon quickly understood and held the cup for him.“I apologize on behalf of Lester for this morning’s incident.” Damon hadn’t forgotten the purpose of their visit.Leo nodded. “It’s okay. He’s quite pitiable.”“Oh?” Damon hadn’t expected such a response.“He’s so young and already without a mother. It’s understandable that he's lacking security and is afraid of losing his father.”Damon was amazed by Leo’s empathy. He glanced at Celeste.Celeste mi
Leo had never seen Damon this angry before, and it momentarily stunned him.After a brief silence, he took a deep breath."I noticed that grandma never got a chance to talk to me, but she really wanted to be close to me." Leo thought that if he looked like he was about to fall, Serena would surely come to his rescue, and they would have a chance to talk.Plus, if Serena had saved him, Celeste might have gone over to thank her, potentially bringing the family a bit more closer.His intentions were simple yet complex. Still, he hadn't anticipated that his grandmother would end up with a broken right arm from the effort. This was something he regretted deeply."......"Damon, observing Leo’s serious expression, was at a loss for words due to his anger.He was, in fact, truly Celeste’s son! She was best at achieving her goals at the cost of her body! Serena had rushed to rescue Leo just in time, but what if she hadn’t?Indeed, Leo, with his meticulous mind and intelligence, might h
Celeste and Leo's dinner was surprisingly light.There were no main courses but just a bowl of soup each, a small portion of vegetable salad, and some fruit. As Leo was in the phase of growing, a small steak half the size of the palm of his hand was prepared as an extra.Damon frowned. It was no wonder she was that thin. Was this how she had been eating since leaving him?"Not knowing you were coming today, Aunt Jane didn’t buy extra groceries, so please bear with us." Although Celeste sounded apologetic, there wasn't much sincerity in her tone."We appreciate the trouble, Ms. York." Liam quickly thanked her with a smile.Leo showed no reaction, as this was typical of his usual dinners.Though Damon held his tongue, he couldn't help but ask, "How much did you pay your cook?"Celeste paused. "We don’t have a dedicated cook. It was Aunt Jane who looked after Leo and did the cooking."Previously, Jane had hired a chef, but since Celeste and Leo were not particularly interested in