Damon spent an entire afternoon at Winston's office. Just before leaving, he retrieved the dress Winston had given Celeste.On the way home, Celeste felt troubled as she noticed the dress untouched in the back seat.She decided to confide in Damon in the end."This dress is too extravagant. Although it might mean nothing to Mr. Belasco, for me, it's bringing a lot of pressure. I should find the right moment to return it.""The Bishop family has everything. What's one dress compared to that?"But remember, you're Mrs. Bishop now. You can't just accept gifts from anyone," Damon advised."Hey, this is just an apology gift from Mr. Belasco because Wish dirtied my dress. Are you jealous?"Celeste sensed the tension and playfully wrapped her arms around Damon's neck."Your jealousy is reasonable. After all, I'm so charming and beloved by everyone. Am I right, darling?" Celeste teased as she nestled closer to Damon.Damon, fed up with her antics, lifted her onto his lap. "I know you
"I have my reasons for doing this, but it also happens to help Mr. Belasco filter out an unqualified bidder. It's a win-win situation, right?"Celeste avoided delving into her family matters, but Winston could sense it.He smiled without pressing further. "By the way, I should thank you for uncovering such a significant risk.""You're welcome." Celeste shook her head.Seeing Winston cut all the steaks and distribute two pieces onto her plate, she instinctively refused, "I can't eat this much.""You're too thin. You need to eat more," Winston insisted.For someone of Winston's status, cutting steaks for Celeste and sharing his meal was a breach of etiquette.The only logical explanation was that he intended to express goodwill, signaling to Celeste that she was part of his circle."Mr. Belasco seems to like me a lot," Celeste said frankly as she put a small piece of steak into her mouth."How do you know?" Winston raised an eyebrow."I don't think Mr. Belasco would go this far
Camden was released early from prison due to Shannon's efforts in securing multiple sentence reductions.Now that he was free, his first act was to hold Celeste accountable. He had always believed she was responsible for his imprisonment.As for how he had precisely tracked her down, Leah played a part in that."Hey, Ms. York, what happened?" Leah noticed Celeste's bruised face, and a malicious glint flashed in her eyes. "Seems like payback's arrived for your misdeeds, huh?""Ms. Sullivan, do you have nothing better to do?" Celeste couldn't be bothered with Leah."I'm here to tell you that five interns, including yourself, are in for Prestige's recruitment. At the end of the month, there's a design contest."Only the winner gets a permanent spot. The other four are out.""Oh." Celeste nodded."Celeste, Prestige values competence. Sleeping with Mr. Bishop won't get you far."Leah's disdainful gaze implied Celeste was a third party between her and Damon."Ms. Sullivan, not maki
Celeste turned to look up at Damon. She wasn't wearing makeup, and her face still bore traces of bruising.There was a small cut on her dry, cracked lips. Her eyes sparkled under the dim light.As Damon saw her delicate face, he suddenly felt the urge to kiss her."When did you arrive?" she asked."A while ago."Following his instincts, he lowered his head and kissed her.In the dry autumn air, Celeste's lips had a slightly coarse texture that tickled Damon.He initially intended for a brief kiss but found himself unable to stop.Dizzy from the kiss, Celeste instinctively held onto Damon's neck."Breathe, darling." Damon couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at her blushed face in his arms. Why did he have to remind her every time?Suddenly, a crisp sound of a shattered water cup came from nearby. Damon turned to see Leah standing at the office door, her eyes already red."Leah, haven't you left work?" Damon greeted awkwardly.Leah turned and ran out in tears."You made L
Leah, in a drunken state, was crying and causing a scene on the rooftop.Damon took advantage of the moment when she wasn't expecting it and firmly pulled her away from the edge."Danny, please don't be with someone else. I love you, I can't be without you ..." Leah said incoherently as she held onto Damon tightly.Since Damon was unable to shake her off, he tried to persuade her."Leah, please calm down. Let me take you home."At that moment, a sense of guilt unexpectedly washed over him."I'm not going home." Leah clung tightly to him."I'm married, Leah.""You're mine, you can't marry anyone else!" Leah continued to cry and hold onto Damon.Reluctantly, Damon directed Jasper to drive them to the hospital.Meanwhile, Nicholas, who was having a peaceful sleep, was abruptly disturbed."What's wrong with your Celeste ..." Nicholas started to question but paused. He was astonished as he saw Leah in Damon's arms."Really, Damon? Late at night, you're not with Celeste but with
"Given Damon's status, how could there be just one car?"A 90 million dollar Christie's Pink Diamond was offered as a gift, yet Celeste had to walk down the mountain?"There are plenty of cars, but I don't want to use his things without permission," Celeste replied truthfully.Despite having only met Winston a few times, she felt an oddly familiar connection. This allowed her to relax her guard and speak freely.Winston had his eyes on the road ahead."You two are married; you can use everything he owns. Money, power, connections … they're yours to use as you please.""If you've investigated me, you should know I didn't marry Damon through honorable means.""So what?" Winston glanced at her.Through their interactions, he believed Celeste's marriage to Damon wasn't solely for the reasons he had just mentioned."Since I forced him to marry me, I shouldn't take advantage of his money.""Would you believe it if I told you that money is the least important thing to him?"Winston
Leah suffered from alcohol poisoning and caused a scene at the hospital.Damon stayed up all night, accompanying her during the IV treatment until she fully regained consciousness the next afternoon."Danny," Leah called out from the hospital bed."I've arranged a day off for you. The driver will take you home today to rest, and you can return to work tomorrow," Damon said as he stood up from the chair beside her hospital bed. His coat was rumpled from holding her. It gave him a messy appearance."Sorry, Danny. I saw you being affectionate with Celeste. I just ... I can't accept it," Leah sobbed. In the past, Damon would have sympathized with her tears. Now, he felt Leah cried too much. Celeste handled tears gracefully, unlike Leah. Leah knew how to trigger a man's protective instinct while Celeste never wanted to appear weak in front of him.Suddenly, Damon remembered the night when Celeste had cried on the roadside due to Caleb's heart problem, and it tugged at his heart.
Damon had a hunch that things were not as simple as they seemed. After hanging up the phone, he absentmindedly opened Twitter.Three out of the top ten Twitter trends were about him and Leah! Despite being Taverdale's wealthiest, Damon's popularity was comparable to those of celebrities. He usually kept an eye out for paparazzi but failed to detect them during yesterday's emergency. The trending headlines were sensational, and the images were misleading. Some clearly showed Leah holding onto him, while others portrayed them intimately kissing. Damon and Leah's story was well-known, and when Leah married into wealth, millions of netizens sympathized with Damon. Now, it was a carnival on the internet.One of the top comments with the most likes read, "If it's meant to be, it will be. Love feels real again!"Another was, "As long as it's you in the end, waiting a bit longer is alright."It was all nonsense! Damon's face darkened as he scrolled through the comments.He dialed ba
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