"Is that so?" Damon's heart skipped a beat as he pulled Leo onto his lap."What did Mommy say?" "It's pretty much the same as what you said." Leo then repeated what Celeste had said to him earlier.For parents, thinking about their child's future was profound. Since both hoped for the best for their child, it wasn't unusual for them to say the same things. But with Celeste still in his heart, Damon couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion.He spooned some soup and fed it to Leo. In the past, when he and Celeste were inseparable, he used to feed her like this. Now, feeding their child together, his heart softened with tenderness."Have you read Atticus's poetry?" Damon asked.Leo obediently drank the soup before replying, "Which one?""Celestial Night, Whispering Wind,'" Damon began."Painted tower to the west, fragrant hall to the east,'" Leo continued."Let's focus on eating," Celeste interjected awkwardly, trying to change the subject."What comes next?" Damon handed a
Everything happened too quickly, catching Celeste off guard and leaving her unsure of what was unfolding. It wasn't until she saw Damon's tightly pursed lips, a sign of pain, that she realized something was wrong.It was early autumn, and Damon was dressed in a black casual shirt. The glowing embers fell onto his shoulder, emitting a sizzling sound."Damon!" Celeste's face instantly turned pale.…"You just got out for a few days, and now you're back again. The Davidson Hospital is practically becoming your family's private property. Why not just buy it from me?" Nicholas was called from his office to the consultation room by a phone call from Damon, and as soon as he walked in, he couldn't help but grumble.But as soon as he saw Damon's stern but secretly proud face, along with Celeste's worried expression, he instantly stopped talking.Could it be... the hero saving the damsel in distress again?It must be. Otherwise, Celeste wouldn't care about his well-being at all.The e
After Damon's wound was treated, he was taken to a VIP room and hooked up to an antibiotic drip. Celeste and Leo sat by his bedside, both looking visibly tense despite their silence.Leo's mind was too active, which was quite draining, so he definitely needed his afternoon nap.Damon leaned against the bed, receiving the IV drip, while Celeste and Leo sat by, staring blankly at the IV bag.As the drops of medicine fell, Damon watched as Leo's eyes, fixed on the IV bottle, gradually closed, and his little head drooped."Come sleep by Daddy." Damon patted the bed, signaling for Leo to lie down.Celeste then took off Leo's shoes and placed him next to Damon.Using his free hand, Damon pulled the boy close to his side and gently patted his back."Sleep tight, my little angel. Have sweet dreams." In this life, being able to coax his child to sleep felt like overflowing happiness to Damon. The pain in his shoulder seemed to lessen a bit."Good afternoon, Daddy," Leo murmured, snugg
Fetching a glass of water wasn't too much to ask, especially with all the amenities available in the VIP ward. So, Celeste grabbed a disposable paper cup and brought it over to Damon.Damon looked up at her, showing no intention of taking it."Aren't you thirsty?" Celeste asked, puzzled."Feed me. I can't free up my hands." Damon resumed his playful and indulgent gaze, teasing Celeste.With one hand holding a needle and the other cradling the peacefully sleeping Leo, Damon truly couldn't spare a hand."It's okay to retract your hand. Leo won't wake up," Celeste assured.Damon attempted it, and Leo let out a soft hum in his sleep, snuggling closer to his arm."You see..." Damon appeared helpless on the surface but was secretly eager for her to feed him.Celeste decided not to play coy and walked over to feed him the water. She wasn't wearing any perfume, and Damon couldn't identify the brand of her shampoo, but the faint fragrance from her hair tantalized his senses.Damon dran
It was a kiss full of aggression. As Damon's tongue parted her lips and entered her mouth, Celeste felt a bit dazed for a moment.After more than four years, Damon was now 30 years old. He used to look thin in clothes but muscular without them, boasting well-defined muscles.Years of psychological torment had taken a toll on his weight, making his jawline sharper and giving his face and expression a more youthful appearance than before.The breath between his lips was refreshing, with a hint of menthol tobacco."Stop it, Damon," Celeste whimpered in her throat. She was being restrained at the waist, her right hand holding the medicine bottle, and her left hand struggling to exert force. Her attempts to push Damon were feeble, like a kitten scratching an itch."Then push me away," Damon mumbled, but he didn't release her lips. Instead, he intensified, sweeping his tongue over her teeth, stealing her breath and saliva."It's going to bleed." Celeste, lost in the moment, couldn't
Although Ava initially helped Celeste because of Damon, unexpectedly, they found themselves getting along quite well since that day. They even met up occasionally.Ava was Damon's eldest cousin, only a few years younger than Serena. But her appearance was incredibly well-preserved; even at 50, standing next to Celeste and Megan, she exuded maturity rather than showing signs of aging.Women who looked good with short hair were rare, making Ava even more distinctive. Even Celeste and Megan, who were naturally beautiful, couldn't help but admire Ava's appearance.Apart from her appearance, they were also curious about Ava's relationship with Ethan."Ethan is known for being quite the ladies' man," was how people labeled him. Celeste and Megan, being outsiders to Ethan's circle, had heard some rumors about his romantic escapades in the past and had formed opinions about him.That day, when Ava tore into Dora, Ethan was naturally involved as well. However, the way Ethan came over to pi
Megan was living with Winston, so it naturally posed some inconveniences, but Celeste welcomed Eva wholeheartedly."Eva, you can come live at my place. I have a rather peculiar child whom you might like," Celeste said, refraining from boasting too much about his son's genius."Leo, the little genius, I've heard about him," Ava said, not particularly concerned about Ethan's affairs but curious about Leo. "I heard he can recite the whole Dictionary?""Yes, now he can recite the Oxford Dictionary as well and even speaks French," Megan chimed in."Goodness, both you and Damon are already quite intelligent. I didn't expect the child to reach this level." Ava was even more surprised."Dictionaries are meant to be consulted, not memorized. Let's not overemphasize his talent to avoid harming him," Celeste spoke from the heart, having seen too many side effects of hypermnesia, such as Leo's sensitivity and grudges, which were related to his hypermnesia.His 'genius' was, in a sense, a kin
Celeste couldn't quite make out Ethan's features in the dim light of their last encounter, but now, she realized that at his age, he had a certain charm about him. At over 50 years old, Ethan looked like a character straight out of a Western movie. With his sturdy build, bronzed skin, stubble, and especially his deep eyes, it was no surprise to Celeste that Ethan, with such a striking appearance, talent, and wealth, had admirers lining up.As they stood in the living room, Celeste and Megan exchanged a glance, feeling a bit awkward. After all, Ava and Ethan were husband and wife, while Celeste and Megan were outsiders. Standing there, they suddenly felt like the villains meddling in someone else's relationship."This is my friends, Ms. York and Ms. Schultz, whom you've met before," Ava introduced the two to Ethan."This is my current husband, Ethan."The words 'current husband' clearly irritated Ethan. His eyes darkened, and his expression became even more indifferent."Nice t
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