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
Back to Megan and Winston.In order to get rid of Mark that day, Dora claimed that Winston was her fiance. In fact, she had ulterior motives. While her public persona was that of an ethereal, otherworldly fairy, in reality, she was a fierce competitor. She didn't care how old the other person was. As long as they were a woman, Dora saw them as competition.Her visit to Taverdale had reignited her competitive spirit when she encountered Megan, who was youthful, beautiful, and unaware of her charms. That was why she somewhat played along when she went out late with Mark.Having Winston come to her rescue and potentially progress their relationship was a win for her. Even if Winston hadn't shown up and she had ended up sleeping with Mark, she wouldn’t have seen it as a loss. It would have just been another way to advance her career.It was out of a sense of friendship that Winston woke up from his sleep just to save her. He was unaware of Dora's scheming and did not take it to heart.
Winston knew Megan had misunderstood the situation, but he wasn’t worried because his actions were simply a favor for a friend in need. He had no romantic interest in Dora, so he felt no guilt.Thus, Winston explained the entire situation about that night to Megan."Are you saying it’s okay to randomly claim someone as your fiance?"After hearing the story, Megan replied icily, "No wonder that man looked at me with such disdain. He must have thought I was the type to trade youth for money, knowing full well you're taken."Winston was also a victim in a way. When he saw Megan's upset expression, he felt tightness in his chest. "Meg, I didn't say those things. It was Dora, speaking without thinking in a rush. I’ve already reprimanded her for that incident. There’s nothing between us. We’ve been together for many years, and you know what kind of person I am. Surely, there’s still some trust left between us?""Of course, I believe you. After all, you are Winston! What a loyalist you a
When a girl got hurt in a love relationship, her favorite thing to do was to visit her best friend, and Megan was no exception.She went straight to Celeste's place that very night.Celeste was watching a science documentary with Leo when she heard the sound of a car in the driveway and smiled. "Your godmother is here."Megan, being the only person besides the Belasco family who could enter the York residence without prior notice, was well known to the gatekeeper.Celeste held Leo's hand and went out to greet her when she saw Megan stepping out of the car with a somber expression."Love, what a profound thing. It asks us to pledge our very lives," Leo murmured to Celeste. Then, he ran ahead to take Megan’s bag."Aunt Megan," he greeted her sweetly.Interestingly, Leo was a quiet kid who rarely spoke, but he always had more than a few words to say to his godmother, Megan. Even though he had only seen her a few times when he was abroad, the two of them had bonded incredibly well u
Megan wasn't one to create drama without reason, and Celeste understood her sense of helplessness."It really does prove Lilian's words that if I want to surpass the dead in Winston's heart, it seems there's no other way than dying myself." Megan leaned back on the couch. Her tone of voice was filled with desolation."Why are you listening to her? Lilian is dead. Jane and Winston would both feel resentment if she was brought up. You're jealous because Winston remembers his late wife. Still, if Winston forgot about her, you'd like him even less, right?" Celeste knew Megan well. Beneath her kindness, Megan's attachment to Winston started with his looks but grew deeper because of his character."You're right," Megan responded gloomily."It's just unexpected that Dora would act this way. If a man willingly plays her fiance to save her, that's one thing, but for her to say that while he has a girlfriend is inappropriate." Celeste, who had never met Dora, disapproved of her behavior.Wa