On that day, Celeste invited Megan for afternoon tea after finishing a day's work at home. Megan brought many beautiful dresses, baby pacifiers, and dolls and proudly showed them to Celeste."I've already picked out gifts suitable for ages one to six for my goddaughter. When she learns to walk, I'll take her to Disneyland and Universal Studios," Megan said.Autumn was approaching. Celeste wore a knitted cardigan over a pure cotton sundress. Her belly was slightly bulged and couldn't be hidden anymore."How do you know it's a daughter?" she asked Megan with a smile."I have a good feeling about it. Plus, she probably won't be as smart as Leo. She'll be a lively and cute ordinary little girl," Megan said. "I'm manifesting it.""But what if it's a boy?" Celeste teased her."Then, so be it. I won't buy anything for him. He can wear his big brother's old clothes and play with his old toys," Megan began to sulk.Then, she remembered something and said hopefully, "Lately, I've been rea
Henry was sentenced to 20 years, and everyone thought he would serve his full term. He was already nearing 50 when he went to prison, and if he served the entire sentence, he would be too old to cause trouble again. No one expected him to single-handedly reduce his sentence by more than 10 years, getting out of prison after only six years.Celeste's expression immediately turned serious. "He was sentenced to 20 years of prison. How did he get out so quickly?" Megan read Celeste's mind as she asked."Your father asked around, and they said he assisted the prison in upgrading the anti-jailbreak detection system, earning two major achievements. First, his sentence was reduced by five years, then by another eight years," Megan's mother said. She reminded, "Tell Cece that Henry will want his revenge. She must be careful and not fall for it. After all, it's no surprise what this man is capable of."Celeste felt fuzzy in her heart. "Auntie, I know. I'll be careful," she quickly replied on
When Henry was arrested, his assets were confiscated, and even the house was foreclosed, leaving him with nothing. Based on Celeste's understanding, Hannah had been living in a low-rent apartment outside the city since his release from prison. The Kissingers were not wealthy, to begin with, and they were not out in the woods yet from the implication in Henry's smuggling case. So, they couldn't help Henry in any way.Now, he willingly appeared in front of the media in such a high-profile manner. There was only one possibility for this—he had already thoroughly prepared for the next step. If he were ready to wander the streets and wait for his demise, there would be no need to establish an image of a reformed entrepreneur to elevate himself.Megan pondered for a moment and immediately understood what Celeste was implying. "Henry has done many treacherous things, taking people's livelihoods lightly. The people investing in him are not afraid of retaliation."She felt indignant.Howeve
The first person Celeste wanted to take down was Diego. After all, Lawrence was a good friend, so it made it easier for her to gather information about Diego. After five years, Lawrence had become the head of the Radcliffe family. The Radcliffe family was managed even better than when Jonah was alive, and their reputation had skyrocketed. Celeste went to visit Lawrence immediately. She had been abroad for over four years, and the two hadn't met then. After returning to the country, Lawrence had been on an extended business trip, and they hadn't seen each other for five years.At this moment, they looked somewhat surprised when they saw each other. There was no need to explain why Lawrence was surprised. Celeste wore flats and wasn't wearing loose clothes to hide her pregnant belly, so Lawrence immediately noticed.On the other hand, Celeste noticed something different about Lawrence. In the past, Lawrence had a special place in Celeste's heart. He was born into a chaotic family but r
Celeste knew Lawrence would ask. She didn't avoid the topic and nodded openly. "I'm pregnant with my second baby. Lawrence, I already have one son." She realized she never posted anything on social media, so Lawrence probably didn't know about Leo's existence. She took out her phone and showed Lawrence a photo of Leo."I know Leo. He's a little genius," Lawrence unexpectedly said.Celeste was slightly surprised. Although they had occasionally communicated over the past few years, she had never mentioned remarrying and having a child."How did you know?" she asked."People have ways to know more about the things and people they care about," Lawrence replied frankly, showing no hesitation. In this regard, he hadn't changed much."Lawrence..." Celeste felt moved and a little guilty."It has nothing to do with you. It's just my personal choice. You don't have to feel guilty," Lawrence immediately reassured her, waving his hand. "I'm contented enough to call you my friend."Celeste d
Celeste had someone secretly tail Diego for many days before understanding what "different from others" meant.Although Diego came from a wealthy and influential family, he had no real power or status. No precautionary measures were taken to protect him from any surveillance. Of course, it may happen in the future, but Celeste seized the opportunity for now.Based on photos and videos, Diego's suburban mansion was home to many exotic pets. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and various other cold-blooded animals roamed freely. Celeste felt a chill as she noticed dozens of snakes with their mouths wide open and spitting venom.Most of these animals were not kept in cages; they were allowed to roam freely, and the servants of the Radcliffe family were dressed like zookeepers and animal trainers.But what truly caught Celeste off guard was the sight of monkeys. How he cared for these monkeys would surely raise eyebrows, even among the most lenient animal rights activists.Diego gave the mo
Celeste and Lawrence decided to have lunch together."I've had someone track Diego these past few days, and there's progress," she got straight to the point as soon as they met.Lawrence nodded. "Does it have to do with me that makes you feel uneasy?"Celeste was taken aback. Lawrence had matured a lot over these years. He had become more meticulous in his thinking and was no longer the slightly careless boy he used to be.It definitely shaped him after taking charge for so long and so well."Yeah," Celeste handed Lawrence the video of Diego and his mother.After watching it, Lawrence's expression became extremely grave. He remained silent for a long time, unable to find the words to speak."I thought this matter would affect the Radcliffe family's reputation, so I wanted to discuss it with you."If the Radcliffe family's reputation was further tarnished, Diego might just be criticized for his heartlessness and shamelessness. However, it would significantly affect Lawrence. Aft
"Okay, babe. Let's keep in touch!" Veronica made a phone call gesture to Celeste, then reluctantly followed Damon into the restaurant.This beautiful and vibrant lady had an unapproachable yet elegant face but a pleasant personality. Even Celeste would fall head over heels for her, let alone Damon.Celeste stared at Veronica's back, lost in thought. There was no way Lawrence would not notice the inexplicable look in her eyes."You two didn't interact as long as I imagined."He thought Celeste and Damon would be intertwined for the rest of their lives until the day one of them died.So, he thought Damon was Leo's father when he saw Leo's photo for the first time. When he heard that Celeste was pregnant with her second baby, he immediately assumed it was Damon's.He may have been wrong."Yeah. We could have interacted longer, but I don't want to," Celeste said absentmindedly.She pushed what was close to her away, creating an endless chasm between them.However, she felt dishear
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