《My Rich Hot and Infertile or Maybe Not Husband》 Chapter 1 Chapter1 Chapter 1 ¡°Ms. Celeste Campbell, have you managed to contact any of your family?¡± The nurse must¡¯ve asked this a million times already. Celeste nced at her phone, but still no answer from Liam Reed. A terrible pile¨Cup happened on a J City overpass up north. A public bus flipped over and fell into the river, sending dozens of injured people to the hospital. Family members were rushing to their loved ones, but hers remained unreachable. The horrifying scene of the ident still lingered in her mind. Yet, that fear was nothingpared to the coldness she felt. at this moment. She suddenly thought, if she died in the ident today, would there even be anyone to im her body? ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The nurse asked. Celeste snapped back to reality, her face pale. With a raspy voice, she asked desperately, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he must be busy. Can I sign the papers myself?¡± ¡°Sorry, but without a family member¡¯s signature, we advise you to stay for observation. Concussions can be mild or severe, and we have to be responsible for your safety.¡± The nurse said. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯ll try again.¡± She took her phone and left the room. As she walked by, she heard two nurses pushing an instrument cart, one of them saying. ¡°Do you know who¡¯s in bed sixteen?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Sydney Denton! The big star! She¡¯s the lead actress in that popr TV show Mystery Lover!¡± ¡°Oh my God! Is she badly injured?¡± ¡°Just a few scratches on her arm. But being a big celebrity who relies on their looks to make a living, she¡¯s definitely more dramatic than us ordinary people. If I were that pretty, I¡¯d insure every inch of my body!¡± ¡°Right! I also saw her boyfriend earlier! The one caught with her at Grandview Vi not long ago!¡± Celeste stopped in her tracks. ¡°That guy is tall, handsome, and looks rich. Most importantly, he treats Sydney so well. He rushed here as soon as the ident happened and stayed with her the entire time. Why do some women just seem to be born winners?¡± Their voices faded away as they moved further. Celeste clenched her phone, her fingertips turning white. Outside the ward, Liam was talking to Sydney¡¯s agent. Although there was some distance between them, Celeste felt like he was expressing anger on Sydney¡¯s behalf. Celeste took out her phone and called Liam. Liam hesitated for a moment, looked at the phone, and his frown deepened. He answered, annoyed, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Celeste¡¯s voice was a little hoarse, fragile. Liam didn¡¯t notice. He coldly replied, ¡°At thepany.¡± ¡°Has Reed Group ventured into the hospital business?¡± Celeste asked. Liam stopped walking, his face looked even darker, ¡°Are you following me?¡± Celeste wanted tough, but her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Mr. Reed is too ttering,¡± she paused, then continued, ¡°I saw someone who looked like you on the news and just thought I¡¯d check.¡± Liam replied, ¡°Boring,¡± and hung up, then turned and entered the room. Celeste gave a bitter smile, thinking how pathetic she was for calling and humiliating herself when she already knew the truth. In the end, Trisha Colton picked her up Celeste didn¡¯t want to bother her friend if she had any family to contact, as she didn¡¯t want to showcase her lousy life to others. Whether it was mockery or pity, it would only make her embarrassed. ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°He¡¯s at thepany.¡± Celeste thought, well, that was what he told her. Trisha gripped the steering wheel and cursed, ¡°What a bastard! His wife¡¯s in an ident, and he doesn¡¯t even show up. What¡¯s the point of making so much money? To buy himself a coffin?¡± Celeste joked, ¡°Or maybe to buy me one.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Trisha red, ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood for jokes! Someone died in the other car!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she lowered her eyes, almost whispering, ¡°I almost died too¡­¡± Trisha had other things to do, so she hastily dropped Celeste off at home. When Celeste returned, she greeted the housekeeper and went upstairs. After her shower, she saw that the traffic ident had be a hot topic. However, most of the focus was on Sydney. Except for the official media that highlighted the severity of the ident, entertainment section focused on Sydney¡¯s mysterious boyfriend. The media didn¡¯t dare reveal Liam¡¯s identity, only vaguely mentioning that the man was extremely wealthy. Sydney¡¯s fans were busy debunking rumors while also worrying about her injuries. Celeste found it funny, as the nurse had said Sydney only had scratches. But soon her face turned ugly, her heart pounding with anxiety as she saw Sydney posting an ultrasound on Facebook, announcing she was six weeks pregnant. Six weeks ago was the day Liam was photographed at Grandview Vi. The timing matched perfectly. Celeste stared nkly at the screen, her heart twisted into a knot. Their three¨Cyear marriage was like a nk sheet of paper. Before marrying her, Liam was already with Sydney. His grandmother disapproved of Sydney¡¯s background and forced them apart. Heartbroken, Liam chose Celeste, the one with the worst family background among the manydies waiting for a marriage alliance, as a way to rebel against his family. Celeste¡¯s family sought the protection of the Reeds, and Liam wanted to use Celeste¡¯s identity. Their marriage was a perfect match, each getting what they wanted. No one knew that what she wanted was Liam himself. In love, the one who fell first lost. Sydney¡¯s existence was like a thorn in her marriage. She tried to ignore it, letting the thorn grow deeper into her flesh. She thought it would disappear with time, but instead, it took root and tore her marriage apart. Her perseverance became the biggest joke. When Liam returned, it was almost 10 o¡¯clock. The house was quiet, with only the housekeeper around. ¡°Where¡¯s my wife?¡± Liam furrowed his brow. The housekeeper took his coat, whispering, ¡°She went straight to her room when she got home and hasn¡¯te out since, didn¡¯t even eat dinner. I¡¯ll heat up the meal and bring it to her room.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°No need,¡± Liam replied indifferently, ¡°She¡¯lle down if she¡¯s hungry.¡± The housekeeper didn¡¯t ask any further. Liam took a shower and hung out in his study for a while. When it hit 11 o¡¯clock, he checked his watch. Usually, around this time, Celeste would bring him some milk, even when they were fighting, she¡¯d have the maid deliver it. But today, after more than ten minutes past 11, there was no sign of movement at the door of the study. Liam couldn¡¯t really concentrate on his documents anymore, so after a few more minutes, he got up and went back to the bedroom. As he pushed the door open, the room was pitch¨Cck, and he could only vaguely see the person lying on the bed. As soon as Celeste heard the door open, she opened her eyes, but she didn¡¯t move. When she felt the bed sink beside her. she knew Liam hadin down. She rolled over and reached into his pajamas. Feeling the muscles tense up under her hand, she got naughtier and naughtier. Liam¡¯s breathing became more rapid, and as she continued to explore, he suddenly grabbed her hand. Liam flipped her over, and pinned her beneath him, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 With his hot breath spraying on her ear, Celeste¡¯s earlobe felt like it was on fire. But her lips were pale. The bruise on her abdomen was causing her great pain. Thankfully, the light was off, so he couldn¡¯t see it.- She tilted her head up and kissed his Adam¡¯s apple. Liam¡¯s breathing became ragged, and he lowered his head to bite her neck. Then she calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m ovting today. You should do your duty.¡± Liam immediately stiffened, the desire in his eyes vanishing. His face turned dark, and he angrily said, ¡°Is that all you think about?¡± Celeste stared at the ceiling, the heat in her ears gradually fading, ¡°Your mom keeps nagging me about it. It¡¯s not something I can do alone. If you prefer, you can donate sperm and I¡¯ll do IVF.¡± Liam mocked her coldly, ¡°So is mom pushing you, or are you afraid of losing your ce and want a child as leverage?¡± Her heart felt like it was being painfully squeezed, but Celeste¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She just smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll leave me, so I want to have a connection with you.¡± Liam buttoned up his shirt, gave her a disdainful look, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your scheming on this. I¡¯m not having a child.¡± Celeste¡¯s smile gradually stiffened. Just as he was about to leave, she called out, ¡°Liam, do you not want a child at all, or do you just not want one with me?¡± Liam paused, then coldly replied, ¡°Does it make a difference?¡± Celeste clenched her fist, ¡°If there¡¯s no difference, what¡¯s the point of being married? Let¡¯s get a divorce!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Suit yourself!¡± He mmed the door and left. Celeste threw a pillow at the door, tears welling in her eyes. The next day, Liam returned from his morning run and sat down at the dining table to check his emails. Breakfast was already on the table, but he didn¡¯t touch it. The housekeeper asked, ¡°Sir, would you like me to reheat it?¡± Liam nced at the time and frowned, ¡°Tell her toe down and eat.¡± The housekeeper went upstairs but soon hurried back down, ¡°Sir, thedy is gone, and she left with this.¡± ¡°What?¡± He took it from her. The words ¡°divorce agreement¡± on the paper were ring. He read through it with a tight face, which gradually darkened. When he saw that the property, cars, and shares were to be divided equally, heughed in anger, ¡°She sure dares to dream!¡± However, when he saw the reason for the divorce, he couldn¡¯tugh. The line read, ¡°Due to the husband¡¯s infertility and inability to have a normal marital life, the couple¡¯s rtionship has broken down.¡± He angrily pulled out his phone and called Celeste. ¡°Hello.¡± Her cold voice came through the phone, infuriating him. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Literally,¡± Celeste said in a t tone, ¡°Sign it and let me know. We¡¯ll go through the divorce process and have nothing to do with each other from now on.¡± Liam asked angrily, ¡°I mean, what¡¯s the meaning of the reason for the divorce!¡± Celeste was silent for a moment, ¡°We have sex every three months, do you think that¡¯s normal? Liam, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you. You should see a urologist when you have time. Your mom keeps giving me all these supplements, but they¡¯re useless. The problem is with you.¡± ¡°Celeste!¡± Liam yelled. Celeste hung up the phone, not giving him a chance to vent his anger. Chapter 3 Liam¡¯s face was extremely dark. The housekeeper was too scared to breathe. Thedy had always been gentle and understanding. What had she said to make him so angry? After saying that, Celeste felt a weight lifted off her chest. She suddenly realized how much pressure she¡¯d been under in the Reed family for the past three years. However, this relief onlysted until that night. The hotel manager knocked on her door and politely informed her that she could no longer stay in the suite. The reason was that her hotel card belonged to the Reed Group, and now it had been locked. She had lost her right to continue enjoying the luxury suite. ¡°Of course, the main issue is that the card has been disabled. You can also pay for the room yourself. We¡¯re more than happy to have you. Would you like to extend your stay?¡± The manager kindly reminded her. They couldn¡¯t turn away a guest. Celeste bit her lip, firmly believing that this was Liam¡¯s revenge. He hung up on her in the morning and locked her card in the evening. How petty! She wondered how she ever fell for someone like him. ¡°Extend the stay,¡± she said tly. ¡°How long would you like to extend it for?¡± The manager asked. ¡°Let¡¯s start with a month.¡± Celeste said. ¡°Alright, that will be 11,660 dors. If you don¡¯t stay the full 30 days, we¡¯ll charge a 30% cancetion fee for the remaining days. The bnce will be refunded when you check out. Please go downstairs to pay the room fee now. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± The manager said. Celeste didn¡¯t respond. She brushed her hair back and smiled, her red lips forming a beautiful curve, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can we go back to the first question?¡± The manager was momentarily stunned by her smile.. When Celeste didn¡¯t smile, she looked cold, but when she did, she was absolutely captivating. The manager gathered himself and cautiously asked, ¡°Would you like to extend your stay, ma¡¯am?¡± Her smile faded slightly, ¡°Thank you, but no. I¡¯ll check out.¡± Manager was speechless. She could have moved to a cheaper suite, as she could afford to spend a few thousand a month. But on second thought, she decided against it. Liam had locked her hotel card, and he had likely locked her credit card as well. She had only imed a 50-50 split of their assets to anger him. She hadn¡¯t contributed a cent to the house or car before their marriage, so there was no way she would get a share. As for their assets after marriage, she didn¡¯t know how much Liam had, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be split evenly. If he was grateful for her hard work over the past three years, giving her a few million would be nice; but he might also leave her with nothing. She had to n for her future. After all, going from rich to poor was very difficult. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Trisha was woken up by a knock on the door in the middle of the night. She opened it to find Celeste standing there, holding her suitcase with one hand. She smiled a little, her voice sweet and clear, ¡°Can I crash at your ce?¡°¨C Trisha handed her a cold Coke, but when Celeste took it, she suddenly pped her forehead. ¡°Oh, I totally forgot you don¡¯t drink soda! Let me get you some milk instead.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste opened the can and took a sip, ¡°I can drink anything now.¡± She used to avoid sodas, cigarettes, and alcohol to prepare for pregnancy, but now that she was getting a divorce, who cared? She would just do whatever that made her happy. Prep for pregnancy? Let that useless Liam do it himself! ¡°Are you really getting a divorce with Liam?¡± Trisha asked, sitting on the other side of the sofa, sounding unsure. ¡°Yeah,¡± Celeste paused, then added, ¡°He¡¯s back with Sydney.¡± Trisha immediately cursed, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have any shame? She caused a scene at the wedding, and now she¡¯s back after three years? Are all the men in the world dead? Why does she have to steal someone else¡¯s husband? And what¡¯s up with that jerk Liam? Can¡¯t get enough of that trash?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond. She felt like she¡¯d been attacked as well. Trisha coughed, ¡°I¡¯m just making a point, don¡¯t mind the details. So they¡¯re together now, and you¡¯re just gonna let them? Why not let everyone see Sydney¡¯s ugly face? The so¨Ccalled pure beauty is just a homewrecker!¡± ¡°And then what? Let everyone know my marriage failed, and that I¡¯m a pitiful woman who can¡¯t keep her husband?¡± Celeste sighed, ¡°This marriage is already a failure, I don¡¯t want to make it even more embarrassing and lose all my dignity.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just making it easier for them!¡± Trisha said. Seeing Trisha¡¯s indignant face, she smiled and reassured her, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that bad. In these years of marriage, Liam hasn¡¯t been too bad to me. I mean, look at all these jewelry and bags, would I have had a chance to have them before? Thinking about not being able to wear them anymore, I¡¯m kinda reluctant to let go.¡± Trisha wasn¡¯t impressed. Back then, Celeste was the top student in the acting department at the University of T¡¯s Film School. Beautiful and talented, she ruled the scene every year. All her teachers believed she had a limitless future. If she hadn¡¯t gotten married right after graduation and given up acting because of the Reed family, she would¡¯ve been a star by now. How could jewelry and bagspare to that? ¡°So, what are you nning to do next?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°Take a break for a few days, settle down somewhere, and then discuss the voice acting for Legend.¡± Celeste said. Trisha asked, ¡°Have you ever thought about going from behind the scenes to being in the front?¡± Celeste hesitated, ¡°I haven¡¯t faced a camera in three years, I don¡¯t know if I can still do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ve deserted your professionism. You¡¯ve already gained almost ten million fans just by voice acting! It also requires skills. You know how nowadays some actorsck even basic dialogue skills, but they¡¯re still popr, right? You have both looks and talent, what are you afraid of? Even if you don¡¯t be a superstar, you¡¯ll definitely be able to make a living.¡± Trisha assured her. That was true, even if her acting career didn¡¯t work out, her fame in the voice acting world was enough to ensure a worry¨Cfree life. It was worth a try. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. More importantly, she really loved acting. Giving up her passion for marriage was the most foolish decision of her life. But luckily, it was not toote. The two chatted for half the night Trisha finally yawned and was sent to bed by Celeste. Sheid down on the sofa, thinking it would be hard to fall asleep, but she soon drifted off. Chapter 4 However, she didn¡¯t sleep long before her phone rang and woke her up. She answered the call groggily, ¡°Hello?¡± The trembling voice of the housekeeper came through, ¡°Ma¡¯am, where did you put Mr. Reed¡¯s blue shirt?¡± Celeste¡¯s head was a bit foggy, but she replied instinctively, ¡°Second shelf on the east side of the walk¨C in closet on the second floor.¡± There was silence on the other end, and then the housekeeper said again, ¡°I looked everywhere, but I couldn¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible, I ironed it and put it in there myself. Ask Liam if he misced it.¡± Celeste said. The housekeeper whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed said he didn¡¯t touch it, ma¡¯am, can youe back and look for it?¡± At this point, Celeste was fully awake. She was sure Liam was standing right next to the housekeeper. She knew exactly where all his clothes were, how could they not find it? ¡°If you can¡¯t find it, look harder. Check all the closets, one by one. If you still can¡¯t find it, have him wear something else!¡± With that, she hung up the phone. She nced at the time, six in the morning. Liam had really gone too far! Calling this early just to ask about a shirt! Was he out of his mind?! On the other side. The housekeeper looked terrified, ¡°S¨Csir, ma¡¯am hung up.¡± Liam looked at her. He wasn¡¯t deaf, he could hear the busy tone. ¡°Sir, do you still want to wear the blue shirt?¡± The housekeeper asked. Liam¡¯s face was tense. After a few seconds, he said coldly, ¡°Ask her which tie to wear with this shirt.¡± The housekeeper didn¡¯t say a word. It should be the beige patterned tie. She had seen it several times and remembered it¨Csurely the sir would know which one to wear? Still, the housekeeper didn¡¯t dare to question her boss. She reluctantly called Celeste again. This time, the call rang for a while before Celeste answered. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we found the shirt, but which tie should he wear? You usually pick them, and I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll mess up and Mr. Reed will get angry.¡± The housekeeper said. Celeste rubbed her temples. ¡°The beige patterned one, in the fourthyer of the left drawer, third slot.¡± There was some rustling on the other end, and then the housekeeper whispered again, I can¡¯t find it¡­¡± Celeste paused for a second and said, ¡°Put Liam on the phone.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°Ah, Mr. Reed hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± The housekeeper said. ¡°Well, go to the bedroom and wake him up!¡± Celeste was getting really pissed. There was silence on the other end, and then a deep male voice said, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He asked so casually, his voice still raspy from just waking up. For a second, Celeste thought she might have been too suspicious. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath, ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll send you a list of where I¡¯ve put your clothes and stuff. I hope you don¡¯t bother me with these stupid things again!¡± ¡°Stupid things?¡± Liam sneered. ¡°Celeste, isn¡¯t this the kind of thing you love doing the most? You even want to control what kind of underwear I put on. Isn¡¯t this what all your life is about?¡± Celeste¡¯s breath caught, and her fingers clenched as she felt a sudden pang of heartache. Even though she was mentally prepared, hearing it was different. No matter how tough a heart was, it couldn¡¯t remain indifferent when being attacked like this. There was silence on the phone, and neither of them said anything. After a while, Celeste spoke hoarsely, ¡°You¡¯re right, I have no ambition. So from now on, I won¡¯t care anymore. Sign the papers, and we¡¯ll both be happy.¡± The topic turned back to divorce, and Liam¡¯s anger rose again, ¡°Are you done with your drama yet?¡± Celesteughed bitterly and said, ¡°Do I have the right to cause drama?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡± Liam hung up after saying those harsh words. Celeste forced a smile. Her so¨Ccalled care and dedication were nothing but a joke to him. Maybe when she was carefully preparing his clothes for different asions, he was looking at her with disdain. What praise could a woman who only paid attention to trivial matters in daily life receive? Even she felt looked down upon. ¡°Sir, do you still want to wear this one?¡± The housekeeper asked cautiously. She had seen the couple quarrel before, but this time seemed particrly serious. She had never seen Liam so angry and sharp¨Ctongued. Liam nced at the walk¨Cin closet, where Celeste¡¯s clothes took up more than half the space. She didn¡¯t even take her things when talking about divorce. Was this her attitude? Liam sneered and said, ¡°Just wear the set she mentioned.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. He picked up the phone and listened while walking, ¡°Mr. Reed, there¡¯s a situation with Miss Sydney.¡± A pile¨Cup ident on an overpass had resulted in 11 deaths, 9 missing, and over 60 injured. It was a rare major traffic ident in J City in the past 20 years. It had been over 24 hours since the ident, but the search and rescue operation was still ongoing. People nationwide were concerned and praying for survivors. Meanwhile, Sydney¡¯s fans were fighting withizens online. The incident started when someone posted a video of the ident scene, showing Sydney safely getting out of her car and being surrounded by people as she was put on a stretcher. However, there were many injured people at the scene who hadn¡¯t received effective help. This contrast was too striking, and someizens questioned why a lightly injured person was rescued before those who were more seriously injured. Was there any abuse of celebrity privilege? Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Sydney¡¯s fans treated these questioners as haters and theints and questions continued, causing a lot of controversy online and stirring up resentment from bystanders, leading to even more netizens fighting back. The incident escted, and some of Sydney¡¯s team¡¯s actions were exposed, including using the ident to hype up her love life, indulging fans in spamming official condolence posts, and abusing privileges during the rescue. Someone even dug up her past where she was allegedly involved with a married man before she became famous. This storm eventually made it to the top of the trending news list. Trisha sneered and said to Celeste, ¡°She loves hyping herself up, right? Let her have her fill this time!¡± Celeste stared at the screen and muttered, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen this ount exposing her before?¡± Trisha paused and said, ¡°A lot of people have used this avatar before, so it¡¯s not weird to feel like you¡¯ve seen it.¡± She then changed the subject, ¡°What¡¯s your schedule for today?¡± Celeste looked up and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to Gxy Games for a sound check, then picking up my car. Wanna join?¡± Trisha, ¡°I have an outdoor shoot today, so it¡¯s not on the way. I¡¯ll leave first and contact you after work.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After Trisha left, Celeste tidied up and went out. Gxy Games was a gamingpany that had been developing rapidly in recent years. Legend was a mobile game they nned tounch this summer. All the other characters¡® voice acting had been not been finalized. The director wanted a voice that was both pure and seductive, but none of the actors who auditioned quite made the cut. He then tweeted his frustration and received many replies rmending Celestial Haze, so he director looked up her work and contacted her. When Celeste arrived at Gxy Games, the receptionist girl was in a group chat criticizing Celestial Haze with other haters. The receptionist didn¡¯t know much about Celestial Haze, but she was a fan of Sydney. When Mystery Lover was popr, the lead actress had made the trending list several times due to her lines and acting skills. Netizens generally believed that Celestial Haze¡¯s voice acting saved Sydney¡¯s poor actual acting. This made Sydney¡¯s fans feel that Celestial Haze was just trying to ride Sydney¡¯s coattails. Someone in the group chat had just posted a photo allegedly of Celestial Haze. The receptionist girl was discussing her ugly appearance with everyone when she suddenly heard a clear voice next to her, ¡°Excuse me, how do I get to the soundcheck room?¡± The receptionist girl looked up and answered, ¡°Seven¡­¡± The next second, she got startled and blurted out, ¡°Auditions for actors are next door.¡± Celeste¡¯s appearance was simply too outstanding. Even in a in white shirt, her features were still stunning, making everyone around her seem like mere background. The receptionist girl instinctively assumed Celeste was auditioning for an acting role. Celeste grinned and exined, ¡°I¡¯m here for a sound check, where¡¯s the room for that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the seventh floor.¡± Wait a sec! There was only one sound test actor today¡­ ¡°Thanks.¡± Celeste said, It wasn¡¯t until Celeste left that the receptionist snapped out of it and typed into her phone, ¡°I just saw Celestial Haze¡­¡± ¡°For real? Just like in the pictures, ugly and fat?¡± The receptionist struggled to reply, ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s so gorgeous, even Sydney can¡¯tpare to her.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 She just sent the message, and the next second she was kicked out of the group chat. ¡°Daydreaming?¡± The receptionist¡¯s desk was knocked twice, and a handsome man leaned on the counter with his elbows, pointing at her with his chin. He said half¨Cjokingly, ¡°Am I paying you to daydream?¡± This person was Nics Francis, the boss of Gxy Games. The receptionist knew Nics¡¯s temper well and was not afraid of him at all, ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s always missing in action?¡± ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ve got quite a sharp tongue!¡± Nics wanted to joke with the receptionist, but suddenly an untimely cough came from behind. He immediately hid the smile on his lips and said seriously, ¡°Where¡¯s Xabier? Ask him toe over.¡± ¡°Director Xabier is doing a sound check for the actors.¡± The receptionist said.. ¡°Sound check?¡± Nics was stunned, ¡°Is Celestial Haze here?¡± The receptionist nodded. A glimmer of surprise shed in Nics¡¯s eyes, but seeing Liam¡¯s serious face, he quickly suppressed his joy and said solemnly. ¡°Call Xabier, I have something to ask him.¡± The phone was quickly connected, and Nics pressed the phone in speaker, ¡°Xabier, how¡¯s the sound check? If it doesn¡¯t work, I have an actor here with a pretty good voice.¡± ¡°No need, we¡¯ve already tested and signed the contract.¡± Xabier said. The contract hadn¡¯t been drafted yet, but Xabier obviously heard the boss¡¯s hint. Only then Nics breathed a sigh of relief and pretended to say in rxation, ¡°Signing someone is a big deal you know. And you didn¡¯t even consult me. Who¡¯s the boss here?¡± The phone hung up, and Nics said annoyedly, ¡°This Xabier, he¡¯s more and more arrogant now!¡± Then he said to Liam, ¡°You heard it, the contract is signed, we can only wait for the next update. If there¡¯s a suitable roleing up, we¡¯ll arrange for her then.¡± Legend was produced by Gxy Games, and it was his most satisfying work. He didn¡¯t want Sydney to ruin this perfection. Liam nced at Nics indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll pay double the penalty, let her give up this role. As for the new project, I¡¯ll give you three more points of the revenue.¡± Nics stopped smiling and looked at Liam seriously for a few seconds, asking, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer, but his eyes said it all. Nics said, ¡°Always stuffing her with resources, I¡¯m starting to doubt if those rumors online are true.¡± Liam only cared about the results and asked, ¡°So, can you do it or not?¡± Nics said, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Just as Liam was about to say something, the elevator doors suddenly opened and they both saw each other. The familiar face made him freeze. Celeste, however, only hesitated for half a second, not looking at him again and walking out of the elevator. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She nodded politely to Nics and then walked straight towards the door. Nics asked in confusion, ¡°Did your wife not see you?¡± Liam ignored Nics and quickly followed her. When he caught up with her, Celeste was standing by the roadside waiting for a car. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 She was wearing a gentle low ponytail, looking delicate from behind. She was looking down at her phone, seemingly not noticing the person who had walked up to her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The questioning tone sounded somewhat cold.. Seeing him early in the morning. Celeste¡¯s mood instantly became bad, and her voice was somewhat impatient. She said, ¡°You can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough of ying the stalking game?¡± Celeste frowned, who gave him such confidence? Seeing her not speaking, Liam was even more convinced of his suspicion. His mood improved a bit, but his tone was still cold, ¡°If you want to know my schedule, just call and ask me, no need to go around in circles.¡± Celeste endured but couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°Liam, has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re narcissistic? Who¡¯s stalking you? Did I stalk you bying out of the elevator? Did I ever utter one word to you? Who is following me?¡± ¡°Pfft-¡± Nics, who was eavesdropping from the shadows, couldn¡¯t help butugh. Liam red at him, and he immediately fled and disappeared. He asked with a straight face, ¡°So why are you here?¡± Her answer was even more cutting, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Liam¡¯s eyelid twitched, and he estimated that if they continued, they would start arguing. He suppressed his anger, and curtly said, ¡°Kaylee is back; Mom wants us toe over for dinner tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Celeste said tly, ¡°What¡¯s it to me? We¡¯re about to get divorced; I don¡¯t need to y the happy family act with you anymore, right?¡± ¡°Acting?¡± Liam¡¯s suppressed anger erupted again, and he sneered, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at acting. What do you want this time? Clothes? Bags? Jewelry? Or is it for the Campbell family to get a project? You want a divorce, and then run away from home. For such a realistic act, how much does Shawn Campbell want this time? There should be a limit to being insatiable.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart trembled, and she slowly clenched her trembling fingers. The diamond bracelet on her wrist was a birthday gift from Liam in their first year of marriage. No, to be precise, it was something she asked Liam for. Valentine¡¯s Day, wedding anniversary, her birthday¡­ Each time, she would ask him for gifts in a flirting way, hoping to make him remember these special days. These sweet memories in her eyes were, in his view, her insatiable greed time and time again. Celeste¡¯s face was a bit pale, her lowered eyshes hiding her emotions. Just as Liam wanted to explore, her eyes lifted, and at this moment, all that was left was coldness. She took off the bracelet and said calmly, ¡°Once we¡¯re divorced, you won¡¯t have to worry about these things anymore. Whether you work with the Campbell family has nothing to do with me.¡± As her words fell, the bracelet slid into Liam¡¯s suit pocket. Her ride arrived, and Celeste walked a few steps and stopped. She looked back at him, and suddenly laughed, mocking herself, ¡°Why would I have any expectations of you?¡± With that, Celeste turned and got in the car. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam stared fixedly at the direction the car was leaving, his eyes seemingly on fire. ¡°Is Celeste going to divorce you?¡± Nics¡¯s curious and nosy question came from behind. Liam red at him coldly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever seen a couple fight? Mind your own business!¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Because of Celeste, Liam lost his interest in talking business and left soon after. Nics had just returned to the hall when he saw Xabiering downstairs. He looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Celestial Haze? Why didn¡¯t shee down with you?¡± ¡°She left a while ago, didn¡¯t you see her downstairs?¡± Xabier said. Nics looked puzzled. He looked at the receptionist, and she told him, ¡°It was the beautiful girl who just took the elevator down and greeted you.¡± Nics was shocked! Celeste was Celestial Haze?! This world seemed a bit strange. Liam¡¯s gorgeous wife, a nouveau riche who unted her wealth and personal life on social media, turned out to be a top voice actor in the industry. So now Liam wanted to take away his wife¡¯s job and gave it to Sydney? This plot¡­ was too interesting! N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Xabier saw Nics¡® expression and frowned, ¡°What bad idea are you thinking about?¡± Nics smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Damn Liam! Who cares about the crappy stuff you gave! Keep your money and go check your impotence! I don¡¯t care! Thinking about that annoying man¡¯s words, Celeste became even angrier. She was ying with her phone when she suddenly saw an ad for a fertility clinic. She hesitated for a moment and then made an appointment. As soon as she finished inputting the information, her phone rang.. She nced at the caller ID, frowned, and slowly answered the phone.. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Shawn asked. Unable to figure out what Shawn was up to, Celeste lied, ¡°I¡¯m at a private lesson. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing, juste over with Liam after your lesson. A friend brought me some white truffles, and your mother¨Cinw loves them, right? You can bring some to her.¡± Shawn said. She had lived for 26 years, and she dared say that Shawn couldn¡¯t even say what she liked, but he could urately figure out what her mother¨Cinw liked, which sounded a bit ironic. ¡°Okay.¡± Celeste said. Seeing her agree, Shawn was rxed. He asked her a few casual questions, and hung up. Celeste picked up her Porsche Cayenne from the store. This car was her wedding gift when she got married. The previous collision marks were no longer visible. But even so, thinking about the incident still hurt. After the divorce, all she could probably get was this car. Thinking about it, Celeste regretted not driving Liam¡¯s Bugatti that day! To make her lie seem real, she even called her personal trainer and added a temporary ss. She didn¡¯t go to the Campbell family until 6 p.m. When she arrived at the door, she tidied herself up and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by Angel Campbell, the Campbell family¡¯s adopted daughter. She looked delighted and said, ¡°Sis, why are you sote?¡± Looking behind her, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± ¡°He has ast¨Cminute meeting and can¡¯t make it.¡± Celeste said. Chapter 9 Angel¡¯s face clearly showed disappointment, and sheined, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± Celeste nced at her dressed¨Cup appearance and asked, ¡°Are you going on a date tonight?¡± Angel hesitated, avoiding her gaze, and vaguely replied, ¡°No, just practicing my makeup skills.¡± Celeste had already stepped inside, and Angel gritted her teeth and followed. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Shawn thought Liam would definitelye, so he had prepared a table full of dishes. But seeing only Celeste show up, and Shawn¡¯s face turned gloomy. He stared at Celeste, carefully observing her expression. Celeste¡¯s face was serious, and even Shawn, a seasoned mature man, couldn¡¯t figure out her mood for a while. After a long time, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Celeste breathed a sigh of relief. Before she got the divorce certificate, she couldn¡¯t let Shawn know, or there would be trouble. In the spacious dining room of the Campbell family, only the three of them were eating at the table. Celeste had never been close to Shawn growing up. After her mother Caitlyn became a vegetable in a car ident, their rtionship became even more estranged. It wasn¡¯t until she married Liam that the estrangement eased a bit, but only on the surface. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. When Liam wasn¡¯t around, they were more like strangers with blood ties. On the other hand, the adopted Angel had a closer rtionship with Shawn, more like a real father and daughter. Compared to Celeste¡¯s silence, Angel was sweet and lively, telling jokes at the dinner table to make Shawn happy. Although those jokes seemed boring to her, Shawn would alwaysugh along. Their intimate rtionship made her lose her appetite. ¡°Dad, I recently got a new job, and the clients I deal with have high status. I want to get a higher¨Cend car to make work easier,¡± Angel said after making Shawn happy. ¡°Sure, what kind of car do you want?¡± Shawn asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a new one. As long as it¡¯s a bit higher¨Cend, an old one will do,¡± Angel said, ncing at Celeste, who was eating her food without intending to join the conversation. Angel had no choice but to say bluntly, ¡°Sis, can I borrow your Cayenne for a while?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond. Angel continued, ¡°You don¡¯t drive it much anyway, and even if you need it, Liam has so many cars, and you can use any of them. Just lend it to me for a while. You won¡¯t be that stingy, right, sis?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know me very well,¡± Celeste looked up at her, ¡°I¡¯ve never been very generous, and the car is like a husband. Can you just lend your husband to anyone?¡± Angel was choked and her face turned red. Shawn frowned, ¡°Why do you talk like that? We¡¯re all family. What¡¯s the big deal about lending her the car for a while?¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°Dad, you run apany too. Which intern at yourpany drives a Porsche to work? Liam gets million¨Cdor projects and still only drives a Mercedes to meet clients. Why does she need a high¨Cend car?¡± Celeste asked. Shawn was annoyed, ¡°Everypany is different. You¡¯re just enjoying life with the Reed family. What do you know?¡± ¡°Enjoying life with the Reed family?¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°When you persuaded me to quit my job, you didn¡¯t say that. Besides, I¡¯m not the only one the Reed family supports.¡± ¡°Smack!¡± Shawn pped the table angrily. ¡°It¡¯s just lending a car, why do you have to bring up old stuff?¡± Angel quickly tried to calm Shawn, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t get mad. It¡¯s my fault for mentioning it. If Celeste doesn¡¯t want to lend it, just let it go. Don¡¯t be angry with her.¡± The more Angel tried to calm him down, the more Shawn disliked his own daughter Celeste, ¡°Look at Angel, younger than you but more sensible!¡± Dinner ended on a sour note. As they were leaving, Angel put two boxes of white truffles on Celeste¡¯s car and said through the window, ¡°Sis, Liam didn¡¯te today because of work, right?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Celeste nced at her, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Angel smiled, ¡°A car can have more than one owner, so can a man.¡± After closing the car window for her, Angel turned and left. Back at the apartment. Trisha looked at the two gift boxes and said, ¡°This must be at least ten pounds. Your dad really goes all out to please the Reed family. Have you ever told him that your mother¨Cinw doesn¡¯t even look at the gifts he sends?¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯d stop if I told him?¡± Celeste asked. With five or six TV stations airing Sydney¡¯s show and no interesting programs, Celeste simply turned off the TV. She said. ¡°He¡¯d just think the gifts aren¡¯t good enough and send better ones next time.¡± ¡°What do you n to do with this?¡± Trisha asked. Celeste didn¡¯t know. Shawn didn¡¯t trust her, so every time he sent something, he¡¯d ask Liam if she¡¯d received it. Why not give it to Liam and let him pass it on to his mother? Thinking of their sharp argument during the day, she regretted not being more patient. What if Liam held a grudge and didn¡¯t cover for her? She shouldn¡¯t be too extreme in her actions.. She thought about it and swallowed her pride to call Liam. The phone rang for a while before being answered, but just as she was about to speak, the line was cut off. At first, she thought it was an ident and called again. But just like the previous time, the call was cut off as soon as it connected. After five or six attempts, Celeste finally realized Liam was doing it on purpose! Damn him! What a vengeful man! Of course, Celeste wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. She¡¯d rather deal with Liam than her mother¨Cinw. So she texted Liam: [Mr. Reed, are you there?] Two minutester, Liam coldly replied with a single word: [No.] Celeste ignored it and continued: [My dad gave me two boxes of white truffles. I¡¯ll send them to your company tomorrow. Can you give them to your mom for me?] Liam replied quickly, still just one word: [No.] Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Celeste patiently tried to negotiate. [We¡¯ll split the property 60-40, you get 60, I get 40] Liam replied again [Ha ha] Celeste gritted her teeth: [How about 70-30, you get 70, I get 30. I can¡¯t give any more than that!] This time, Liam took a while to reply. Just as Celeste was considering offering an 80-20 split, the phone rang. Liam called het She picked up the phone and answered. Liam¡¯s clear voice came through, ¡°Come with me to Kaylee¡¯s wee dinner tomorrow.¡± ¡°No- Celeste said. Before Celeste could finish, Liam¡¯s voice came again, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Celeste swallowed the rest of her sentence and obediently said, ¡°Fine.¡± Both sides fell silent. This was their first calm conversation since she moved out that day, and it felt a bit strange. Liam was actually a pretty good potential husband. He was handsome, capable at work, and aside from his cold personality and sometimes sharp tongue, he had no bad habits. Although their family backgrounds were very different, he had always been polite to the Campbell family and never treated her harshly in their daily life. He just didn¡¯t love her. Compared to those wealthy yboys with scandalous lives, Liam only had a sort of ex¨Cgirlfriend. Did they really need to get a divorce? She wanted to say something, but before she could speak, a familiar female voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Liam, who¡¯s calling?¡± Celeste was stunned, thenughed bitterly. She said lightly, ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± and hung up the phone. Why did she have to choose between bad and worse for a husband? A sory of ex¨Cgirlfriend was enough to destroy their marriage. The sudden hang¨Cup left Liam frowning. The girl next to him called him again, ¡°Liam?¡± Liam nced at her, put away his phone, and replied coldly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sydney handed him a beautifully wrapped box, and shyly whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve been bored at hometely, so I made some snacks and wanted you to try them.¡± Liam didn¡¯t move, just looked at her, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sydney¡¯s heart tightened, gripping the box, she whispered, ¡°Not just that¡­ I also wanted to ask about work.¡± Liam said, ¡°Stop worrying about stuff online, leave your Twitter ount to your agent. In a few days, someone from Gxy Games will talk to you about a contract, just cooperate with the promotion.¡± Sydney¡¯s heart leaped with joy. Before, she had rmended herself to Nics several times, hoping to do a dubbing in Legend, but she was dismissed with a few words by him, which annoyed her. She wasn¡¯t particrly interested in game voice acting, she just wanted to make things difficult for Celestial Haze. When Mystery Lover was popr, she was criticized for her acting not being as good as the voice actor. The headlines said her acting was only supported by the voice acting, and without the sound, it looked like a puppet show. Netizens praised Celestial Haze to the skies, while her hard work in acting was overshadowed by the praise. She could not ept that Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 To prove her original voice acting was good, she posted a video of her original voice acting from her filming process on a separate ount, and even bought the promotion for the trend ¡°Sydney¡¯s acting skills.¡± She thought it would impress people, but instead, she was ridiculed. The audience and critics criticized her lines and acting, praising Celestial Haze even more. She was going super mad! She overheard Nics and Xabier discussing the voice acting for Legend, knowing they wanted Celestial Haze to do it. Although she wasn¡¯t interested in voicing a game, as long as it could give Celestial Haze a hard time, she would spare no effort to snatch it. Feeling secretly happy, she hesitated to ask, ¡°Did Mr. Francis agree? He doesn¡¯t seem to like me. If Mr. Francis doesn¡¯t want to, don¡¯t force it. Don¡¯t let me cause trouble between you guys.¡± Liam nced at her, his eyes full of meaning. As if he was trying to see through her, which made Sydney uneasy. Liam just reminded her, ¡°Your agent is here.¡± Sydney came to her senses and saw her agent waving at her through the car window. She frowned, wanting to act cute and ask Liam to take her back, but Liam¡¯s assistant Owen had already opened the car door and gestured for her to get out. With no other choice, she got out of the car, said goodbye to Liam, and red at Owen. ¡°Sir, where are we heading?¡± Owen asked. Liam rubbed his eyes, tiredly saying. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± He hadn¡¯t been sleeping welltely, specifically since Celeste left home. Every time he thought of that woman, he felt annoyed. He took a sip from his water bottle and frowned, ¡°in water?¡± Owen exined, ¡°The tea bags ma¡¯am gave us ran out, and we haven¡¯t restocked yet. I¡¯ll call herter.¡± Liam stopped and coldly said, ¡°No need.¡± Going to find that woman would only lead to more arguments! N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He took another sip, but for some reason, it was hard to swallow. Was in water always this hard to drink? Upon arriving at Pinecrest Manor, Liam got out of the car, and Owen took a beautifully wrapped gift box from the car and handed it to Liam. ¡°Mr. Reed, the bag you ordered two months ago has arrived. Ma¡¯am will definitely like it.¡± Owen said. Liam¡¯s eyebrows rxed slightly, but he still coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s what she wanted. How could she not like it?¡± Owen raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything. He hadn¡¯t heard Ms. Campbell mention that she wanted this bag. Only one time in the car, she flipped through a magazine and said the bag looked nice. That night, Mr. Reed asked Owen to order it. It wasn¡¯t avable domestically, so they had to get it through connections abroad, and it took two months to arrive. ¡°Put it in the car,¡± Liam buttoned his coat, ¡°And pick me up at nine tomorrow morning.¡± The next morning, just after nine, Celeste got a call from Liam as soon as she was ready. He said, ¡°Come downstairs.¡± Celeste was confused, and Liam ¡°thoughtfully¡± added, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you downstairs.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°You know where I live?¡± Liam didn¡¯t bother with her nonsense and hung up. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Every time they argued, she either stayed in a hotel or went to her best friend¡¯s ce. He had just canceled her room card, so she could only go to Trisha¡¯s, right? Sure enough, as Celeste left the apartmentplex, Liam¡¯s Mercedes was parked by the side of the road. She hesitated, wanting to go to the passenger seat, but Owen had already got out of the car and opened the back seat door for her. Liam sat on the other side of the back seat, looking at his phone. She didn¡¯t want to sit with Liam and wanted Owen to open the passenger door for her, but before she could speak, Owen urged. ¡°Get in the car, ma¡¯am. We can¡¯t park here, traffic police areing.¡± Celeste had no choice but to get in. The car started quickly, and both of them were silent, making the atmosphere in the car eerily quiet. Owen had been with Liam for many years and knew how to read the expressions. It was already strange to pick up Ms. Campbell, and the atmosphere in the car was even stranger. They must have had a fight. He looked at Liam, then at Celeste, cleared his throat to try to ease the atmosphere, and started a conversation, ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you remember the aroma stone you gave mest year? I gave it to my mom, and she loved it. She puts it by her bed every day, says her sleep has improved. When I went home a few days ago, she asked me for a new one, saying the old one¡¯s scent had faded and wasn¡¯t as good as before. Where did you buy that aroma stone? I want to buy her another one.¡± Celeste smiled gently and said, ¡°I made that essential oil myself. I found a craftsman online to help polish it, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s avable for sale.¡± Owen was surprised, ¡°You made it yourself? Do you know how to blend fragrances?¡± Liam stopped and looked at Celeste curiously. Celeste shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not a professional. It¡¯s just a hobby. I usually try making some myself. The essential oil Auntie uses has verymon ingredients. I¡¯ll send you the recipe and amountster, and you can mix it yourself at a fragrance. store.¡± ¡°Thanks so much for that.¡± Owen said. ¡°No trouble at all.¡± Celeste started sending the fragrance form through her phone. Her skin was smooth, her fingers slender, and her clean nails were painted a delicate pink. Her makeup seemed different from before, not much overall change but it made her look unique.. Absolutely enchanting. Liam¡¯s gaze fell on her cleavage. The dress she was wearing today was very form¨Cfitting, and the neckline was quite low, revealing a clear curve. He frowned and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any other clothes? Why do you have to wear something like this?¡± Celeste chuckled to herself, thinking that it was already nice of her to show up, and he was still comining? She still responded politely, ¡°This is a new outfit I bought. Don¡¯t you think it looks good?¡± Liam snorted coldly and said something that made Celeste want to smash her phone on his face, ¡°Your taste, as always, hasn¡¯t improved.¡± Celeste¡¯s forehead suddenly twitched. If it wasn¡¯t for needing a favor today, she would¡¯ve kicked this guy out of the car by now! Why couldn¡¯t this dude just shut up? Might as well treat it like a dog barking! Tofort herself, Celeste ignored the chatty guy next to her and sent a text to Owen, saying, ¡°You can go to the shop called Frozen Floral Scent¡® on St. Maria Street. They have a wide variety of spices, and you can get everything you need there¡± h?ht, thanks, IN d to him, Liam felt appointed and stopped talking. agreed upon restaurant. As Celeste was about to get out of the car, Liam suddenly grabbed her wrist, and she instinctively tried to pull away. Don¡¯t move e couldn¡¯t break free. Just as she was about to ask him what he was doing, her ring finger suddenly cold, and a diamond ring vas slipped on. De foe for a second wedding ring. When she moved out of the vi, she had left the ring behind. on her. On their wedding day Sydney had shown up, and Liam had left during the herself. ht¡¯s just to avoid mom asking questions, don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Liam let go of her hand, his arrogant voice interrupting Celeste¡¯s She pursed her los took her hand back, and said tly, ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re overthinking it. I know my ce.¡± Then she pushed open the car door and got out first. Liam frowned and followed, clearly unhappy. had a younger sister named Kaylee Reed, who had just graduated from college. Two months ago, she went on a sduation the ith her ssmates and only returned yesterday. youngest child in the family and her father had passed away when she was young, the elders in the family doted on her and soled her resulting in her arrogant and domineering personality. When Celeste first married into the family, she really wanted to get along well with her sister¨Cinw. She tried various ways to improve their rtionship, but Kaylee didn¡¯t appreciate it. When the elders were around, she treated Celeste one way, but they were alone, her attitude waspletely different. Over the years, their rtionship hadn¡¯t improved, but instead had be more and more tense. Liam loved Kaylee, so Celeste was always the one left feeling hurt. thinking about it even without Sydney, she and Liam probably wouldn¡¯t have grown old together. From their backgrounds to their families and values, nothing matched. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Under the guidance of the waiter, they quickly arrived at the reserved private room. When they pushed the door in, Kaylee was talking to Skyler Reed. The mother and daughter looked very much alike. However Skyler had the elegance of age, exuding a noble temperament from inside, while Kaylee was much more Upon seeing Celeste, Kaylee¡¯s face immediately changed. But when she saw Liam, she instantly put on a sweet smile and acted coquettishly, ¡°Liam! I¡¯m starving Mom insisted on waiting for you before serving the food. Why did you take so long?¡± Liam nced at her. ¡°Wipe your mouth first, then your words would be more convincing.¡± Kayleeined. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! I thought about you during my trip and even brought you a gift!¡± The brother and sister yfully argued for a while until Skyler interrupted them, ¡°Alright, stop arguing, let¡¯s all sit down first.¡± Then she turned to Celeste, ¡°Celeste, go to the door and tell the waiter to serve the food.¡± In fact, this could have been done by simply calling for the waiter, but Skyler was used to having Celeste do these things. When they used to have family meals, Celeste always sat on the edge, making it convenient for her to get up and fetch things for everyone Celeste had long grown ustomed to this, and was about to leave when Liam grabbed her wrist. Without looking at her, Liam said to Kaylee. ¡°Kaylee, you go tell them and ask the waiter to bring a bottle of red wine too.¡° Kaylee immediately put on an unhappy face, ¡°Celeste is already going, isn¡¯t she?¡± Liam said tly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what kind of wine mom likes.¡± But Celeste didn¡¯t follow his arrangement, freed her hand, and said, ¡°I know, it¡¯s Sauternes, right?¡± Skyler nodded. Celeste turned and left, knowing that Liam must be unhappy without even looking. After she had given instructions and was about to return, she heard Kaylee¡¯s voice from inside, ¡°Liam, don¡¯t underestimate your wife. Not only does she know mom¡¯s preferences, but she also knows grandma¡¯s preferences very well. She¡¯s desperate to climb the socialdder. I really don¡¯t know why grandma agreed to let you marry her in the first ce. Sydney would have been better.¡± Celeste¡¯s hand on the door stopped, and then she heard Liam say, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I married.¡± She clenched her hands, suddenlycking the courage to push the door open, and turned to the bathroom instead. She thought to herself, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who he married, so choosing her wasn¡¯t because she was special. Anyone would do.¡± She stayed outside for more than ten minutes, pulling herself together before returning. When she pushed the door open, the dishes were alreadyid out. Liam looked up at her, but didn¡¯t say anything. Skyler gestured for her to sit down, ¡°What took you so long?¡± Celeste whispered, ¡°Sorry, my stomach felt a bit off.¡± Skyler paused, noticing her pale face and faded lipstick. ¡°Why would your stomach be upset? Did you go to the hospital?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s probably just an old issue, nothing serious.¡± Celeste said. Skyler said, ¡°You should still get it checked out at the hospitalter. What if it¡¯s because you¡¯re pregnant? If you don¡¯t realize it, something might go wrong.¡± So Skyler was only concerned about her health because she was worried about her unknowingly being pregnant and not being able to carry on the Reed family line. Celeste managed a smile, ¡°I got it.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t talk to her anymore. Their family chatted asionally, and Celeste felt like an outsider. The meal didn¡¯t even taste very good. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 There was an extra piece of ribs in her bowl. Celeste looked at Liam, who didn¡¯t even nce at her. He said indifferently, ¡°If you want something, just grab it yourself.¡± No, she wasn¡¯t an outsider. She was a temporary actor in this family dinner, both her and Liam just taking what they needed from each other. Thinking about this, she felt defiant. If they wanted to act, fine, she¡¯d join in! So she picked up a very spicy piece of chicken and held it to Liam¡¯s lips, ¡°Honey, try this.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked at her strangely. Celeste smiled, showing a gentle expression. Liam didn¡¯t like spicy food, so she deliberately chose something spicy to see how he would act! If he refused, the act would be ruined, and she couldn¡¯t be med anyway. Just as she was secretly pleased with herself, Liam suddenly leaned in and took a bite of the meat, his lips touching her fork. He swallowed it down and, under Celeste¡¯s astonished gaze,mented, ¡°Not bad.¡± Celeste: You sneaky bastard! I hope it burn! Skyler nced at them, a hint of contemtion in her eyes. Halfway through the meal, Liam¡¯s phone rang. He stepped out to answer it, and Skyler finally put down her knife and fork, asking Celeste, ¡°How long have you had this stomach difort? Have you thrown up?¡± Celeste thought Skyler was still worried about her getting pregnant, so she exined, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not pregnant. I just finished my periodst week.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t seem to believe her and asked further, ¡°Did you take the medicine I gave you on time?¡± The mention of the medicine made Celeste feel a little nauseous. Skyler always med Celeste for not being able to have children and had tried various treatments and strange tonics over the years. Liam was so cold and hardly touched her throughout the year. She wasn¡¯t an organism capable of reproducing on her own. If Liam didn¡¯t cooperate, how could she get pregnant? ¡°I already took it.¡± Knowing Skyler didn¡¯t believe her, she added, ¡°Martha watched me take it.¡°. Kaylee sneered, ¡°Mom, just like what I said before. You can give her the best medicine, but she¡¯s like barren soil. No amount of fertilizer will help.¡± Skyler looked at her and said half¨Cheartedly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that.¡± Kaylee pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. Skyler asked another question, ¡°Did you and Liam use any contraception?¡± Celeste: That was a bit too direct, wasn¡¯t it? She took a deep breath and answered honestly, ¡°No.¡± Indeed, they hadn¡¯t. Liam always deliberately avoided her ovtion period, so even without contraception, it was unlikely she¡¯d get pregnant. Skyler sighed, ¡°I guess I was just too anxious.¡± Just as Celeste was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she saw Skyler have Kaylee bring over a small box, inside which were rows of ck liquid. Skyler opened one and pushed it in front of her, and a strange smell hit her immediately. The fear of being dominated by this tonic washed over her, and her stomach churned. She wanted to throw up. ¡°I have a friend who introduced me to a foreign specialist who cured her daughter¡¯s simr problem in just half a year. When Kaylee went there, I asked her to help me run an errand. I told the doctor about your situation, and he adjusted the prescription. This new medicine is more effective than the previous one, and I¡¯ve already had someone prepare it for Remember to take it on time. Once you finish, I¡¯ll have someone send more.¡± Celeste was speechless. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. you. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think this medicine works. I¡¯ve been taking it for over a year. When I had a check¨Cup before, the doctor said I was very healthy.¡± Celeste said. She really wanted to say, why not let your son take the medicine? The problem was with him. Kaylee sarcastically said, ¡°If you¡¯re so healthy, why can¡¯t you get pregnant? With my brother¡¯s physique, anyone else would have had two kids by now. I really don¡¯t know why he married you. You live in our family, but you can¡¯t have kids.¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, and she shot Kaylee a cold nce. Kaylee looked defiant, thinking Celeste wouldn¡¯t dare to talk back. But Celeste suddenly said, ¡°Not getting pregnant is better than getting pregnant and then having an abortion.¡± Kaylee¡¯s face changed, and she asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Celeste shrugged, ¡°Nothing. I just saw a lot of young girls having abortions when I went to the hospital for a check¨Cup. It¡¯s just a random thought.¡± Kaylee stared at her, her eyes filled with fear and a hint of suspicion. Skyler¡¯s been obsessing over Celeste getting pregnant, so she¡¯s not paying attention to her daughter¡¯s unusual behavior. She frowned and said, ¡°With your suboptimal health, how can these check¨Cups find anything? If you don¡¯t fix these issues, even if you get pregnant, it¡¯s hard to guarantee a safe pregnancy.¡± Celeste stayed silent. Thinking she got through to her, Skyler continued, ¡°Liam¡¯s cousin has been getting close to the mayor¡¯s daughter recently. If they get married and his cousin¡¯s wife gets pregnant before you, Liam¡¯s position in thepany will be very difficult, especially since the olddy values the eldest son and grandson so much.¡± What did that have to do with her? She was about to get divorced, would she still care about Liam¡¯s situation? Moreover, she didn¡¯t think Liam was in a hurry. He didn¡¯t want a child at all. Oh right, he just didn¡¯t want a child with her. ¡°Your mother has been in aa for years without any signs of waking up. Your dad is not even fifty yet. He might remarry when he¡¯s still young. Can you still be able to go back to the Campbell family then? A child is your own and will be your support in the future, Celeste. You should think more about yourself.¡± Skyler said. Of course, Celeste didn¡¯t think Skyler was thinking about her. Everyone in the Reed family had their ns, and she was just a pawn in the game. ¡°I understand.¡± Celeste said. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 She lowered her head and agreed, just like before, submissive and weak. Skyler didn¡¯t say anything more, just urged her to drink the medicine first. Since there was no way to avoid it, Celeste had no choice but to force herself to drink the medicine, holding her breath and chugging it down. This whole act was so not worth it! The divorce settlement should be at least a 60-40 split to be fair! Not long after she finished the medicine, Liam came in. Skyler¡¯s goal had been achieved, and there was no point in continuing the meal. She got up and said, ¡°I have a card game. with Mrs. Garber this afternoon, and it¡¯s almost time. You two go ahead and eat.¡± Kaylee quickly got up, ¡°I¡¯m meeting a friend for shopping, Mom. Can you give me a ride?¡± Liam and Celeste escorted them to the door. Before leaving, Skyler didn¡¯t forget to remind Celeste, ¡°Celeste, remember to take your belongings and don¡¯t forget about what I said.¡± Celeste nodded. After sending them off, Liam turned to her and asked, ¡°What did Mom say to you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Celeste answered. The drug in her stomach was too irritating, and Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous. After saying that, she turned pale and started retching. Liam frowned, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to the bathroom. She threw up most of the medicine in the bathroom, feeling better after vomiting. As she got up to wash her hands, she saw Liam in the mirror. He stood behind her, looking thoughtful as he watched her. When she realized that her miserable state was all because of him, Celeste was too angry to calm down. She said sarcastically, ¡°Does Mr. Reed enjoy watching people use the restroom?¡± Liam nced at her and said tly, ¡°Not particrly, but if you need it, I can oblige. After all, this isn¡¯t the first time.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help but think ofst year¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day when she had drunk a lot and was completely wasted. She had even asked Liam to help her use the restroom and pull up her pants. She hadn¡¯t done many shameful things in her life, but this one was remembered by Liam. What kind of person was he! Seeing that she wasn¡¯t moving, Liam said calmly, ¡°Do you need me to help you undress?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Mr. Reed, it seems that we¡¯re not in a rtionship where we can tease each other like that.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam suddenly leaned towards her, and Celeste instinctively backed away, but there was nowhere to hide, her back pressed against the sink. She was now trapped between the sink and Liam, surrounded by his presence, domineering and imposing. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She pushed at his chest to stop him from getting closer. Liam¡¯s eyes lingered on her lips for a second before looking into her eyes, his voice deep and maic. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re the one who started it, right? Not only calling me affectionately but also feeding me. Isn¡¯t that you trying to seduce me?¡± Liam asked. Celeste stared wide¨Ceyed, speechless. Where did this confidencee from? ¡°Mr. Reed, I think you may have misunderstood¡­¡± Celeste widened her eyes as she felt her lips be unbearably dry¨CLiam suddenly kissed her. This was the first time Liam had taken the initiative to kiss her. In the past, every kiss was initiated by her, and Liam would only respond when she teased him to the point that he couldn¡¯t resist anymore. 21-23 1 Chapter 16 He never seemed to have the desire to actively kiss and possess her, but he did for Sydney, even calling her name unconsciously when he was feverish and confused Thinking about this, she found his touch unbearable. As Liam¡¯s tongue entered her mouth, she bit down hard. Although Liam dodged in time, his lip was still bitten through. A metallic taste filled her mouth, and Liam frowned as he let her go, ¡°Are you a dog?¡± Celeste clenched her teeth. If she were a dog, he would be her first target to bite to death! Liam wanted to say something, but his phone rang again. He nced at it, furrowed his brow, and said to Celeste, ¡°Go wait for me in the car.¡± With that, he left with his phone. Celeste saw the caller ID on his phone¨CBaby. She expressionlessly wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and when she saw her reflection in the mirror, she found herself pale, pitiful, and pathetic. Celeste wanted to find some dignity and take a taxi home by herself, but as soon as she stepped outside, the cold wind hit her head. The weather was sunny when she left, but now there was no sun in sight. Celeste was wearing thin clothes, and after just a few steps, she felt her hands and feet were numb. The restaurant Skyler chose was in a newly developed area, making it inconvenient to catch a taxi. After a brief struggle, she decided to get in the car. About ten minutester, Liam got in the car as well. She didn¡¯t know if it was the side effects of the medicine Skyler gave her, but after vomiting, she felt completely drained. The car hadn¡¯t been driving for long when she closed her eyes, feeling drowsy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a heavy object was suddenly thrown into herp, startling her awake. She was about to get angry at Liam, but when she saw the box in herp, she froze and opened it. Inside was a Hermes crocodile skin bag, tinum edition. If she remembered correctly, the official price was about 20,000, but it was super rare, so it might cost even more than that to get one. What the hell was Liam doing? Celeste looked at him,pletely baffled, ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to mean?¡± Liam nced at her impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s a gift from a client, and I can¡¯t use it.¡± Owen was shocked and puzzled. Mr. Reed, could we be a little more genuine here? Liam delt with billions of dors in business, so it was no surprise that his partners gave him some expensive luxury items. Last year, someone gave him a pair of earrings that weren¡¯t cheap. Liam gave them to her, and she was pretty happy about it. But then she lost them at a party and was so heartbroken that she couldn¡¯t eat for days, and Liam evenughed at her. He didn¡¯t realize that the only reason she cared so much was because he had given them to her. Now that she thought about it, to Liam, it was just a useless thing someone else had given him, and he casually gave it to her without any thought or care. Celeste stuffed the item back into the box and handed it to him, ¡°Let¡¯s just deal with this when we settle our divorce, so I don¡¯t have to give it back.¡± Owen¡¯s eyes were wild open with shock. Liam¡¯s face darkened instantly. ¡°Celeste! What right do you have to talk to me about divorce and settling property with me? Everything you have now, isn¡¯t it all given by me? Can you continue with your life without all these privileges after the divorce? You can¡¯t even maintain basic living standard!¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers trembled. Every time she thought she was no longer afraid of Liam¡¯s words, he would hurt her again, making her realize how worthless she was in his eyes. Chapter To Seeing that she didn¡¯t say anything, Liam¡¯s tone softened a bit, coldly saying, ¡°If you know your mistake, I¡¯ll pretend nothing happened before. The title of Mrs. Reed is still yours, and I¡¯ll give you whatever you want¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Reed is so patient,¡± Celeste interrupted him with a sneer before he could finish, ¡°Should I be crying and thanking you non¨Cstop?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance. You should at least show some remorse!¡± ¡°Thanks for your generosity, Mr. Reed, but I really can¡¯t handle it. Save the opportunity for someone who needs it.¡± Celeste. said. Liam¡¯s anger red up. ¡°Celeste! I¡¯ve indulged you time and time again. You should be content and don¡¯t get too greedy!¡± ¡°I am that greedy, Liam. Let¡¯s make a bet,¡± Celeste looked him straight in the eyes, her expression calmer than ever before. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can live well after divorcing you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Liamughed in anger, ¡°I want to see how you¡¯ll struggle in adversity without me! Owen, stop the car!¡± Owen¡¯s hand trembled as he quickly pulled over. ¡°Get out!¡± Liam¡¯s voice was cold and ruthless. Celeste nced at the windy and deste road, her heart sinking. The atmosphere got tense, and Owen whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s hard to get a taxi around here. Let¡¯s wait until we get to the city.¡± Liam sneered, ¡°She wants to prove to me how she can live without me, right? Then I¡¯ll give her this chance! If she can¡¯t even walk this little distance, what ability does she have to live by herself?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Celeste¡¯s pride took an unprecedented hit. Nothing was more embarrassing than being looked down on by the person you care about Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t say anything more, unbuckled her seatbelt, and opened the door. Before getting out, she looked back at Liam and asked, ¡°When will we handle the divorce procedures?¡± Liam stared at her coldly, ¡°Tomorrow at 3 pm.¡± ¡°See you at 3 pm tomorrow then.¡± Celeste got out of the car and walked along the green belt towards the distance. She didn¡¯t look back or beg him, walking with determination. Liam¡¯s face tensed, his fingers tightening, ¡°Drive.¡± Owen wanted to ease his anger, ¡°Mr. Reed, this area is still under construction, and the surveince on the roads is iplete. It¡¯s not safe for Ma¡¯am to be alone here. How about¡­¡± Owen wanted to say something but was interrupted by Liam¡¯s icy tone, ¡°Drive! Don¡¯t make me say it again!¡± Owen had no choice but to shut his mouth. Celeste walked a bit and heard the car start behind her. Then, with a ¡°bang,¡± something hit the ground, and Liam¡¯s car drove past her, quickly disappearing from sight. She looked back to see the bag Liam had given her carelessly thrown on the ground, rolling far away. She paused for a moment, then continued walking. But not far away, she gritted her teeth and went back to pick up the bag. He just threw away such an expensive bag like that! Was Liam out of his mind? She picked up the bag, carefully checked it over, and luckily, aside from some dust, it wasn¡¯t damaged. She figured there shouldn¡¯t be any problem taking it back. After all, it¡¯s Liam who threw it away, so it should be fine, right? This gift should count as their marital property. She should have half of it, and taking the bag away would be reasonable, right? Worst case, she could sell it and share the money with Liam. With that thought, she felt her actions were justified and carried the bag away with ease. ¡°Ah!¡± Trisha suddenly screamed, almost scaring the bag out of Celeste¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh my God! This is so expensive!¡± Trisha trembled, pointing at the bag. ¡°Are you nuts? Just for this thing? This expensive? I don¡¯t even feel worthy to be in the same room with it!¡± Celeste turned off the electric fan,bing her half¨Cdry long hair, teasingly said, ¡°You should¡¯ve studied acting instead of scriptwriting back then. It suits you the best.¡± Trisha gingerly touched the bag, gritting her teeth, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping with it tonight. I want to be rich in my dreams!¡± ¡°Do as you please, but take some good pictures of it before you sleep.¡± Celeste said. Trisha turned around, ¡°Why take pictures? Post them on Twitter? Are you trying to infuriate those ladies?¡± ¡°No,¡± Celeste sat down, ¡°I want to sell it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Trisha said in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m getting a divorce with Liam tomorrow. After the divorce, I n to buy a house, preferably near Mercy Hospital, a fully furnished one, for taking care of my mother. I¡¯ve seen houses in that area before, the ones that meet my requirements are pretty expensive. After buying a house, I won¡¯t have much money left. Also, Legend informed me today that I failed my audition, so I¡¯ll be short of money after the divorce. For me, this bag is better off being exchanged for cash.¡± Celeste said. ¡°You didn¡¯t pass the audition?¡± Trisha couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°I thought they had confirmed earlier, but that the contract wasn¡¯t ready. They asked you to sign it in a few days, and what¡¯s this now?¡± ¡°I also asked why they suddenly changed their mind, and the answer they gave was that one of their bosses didn¡¯t like my voice, maybe it was too mature.¡± Celeste said. Chapter 17 ¡°Nonsense! It must be some bastards causing trouble! Otherwise, how could things change at thest minute? Do you know who they signed instead? Watch me give that person a piece of my mind!¡± Trisha said. ¡°Forget it, the contract wasn¡¯t signed in the first ce, and there¡¯s no recording of the oral agreement. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m unlucky.¡± Celeste sighed. Trisha was still angry, cursed at the ¡°troublemaker¡°, and then cursed at Liam, ¡°You are just too soft¨C hearted. If it were me, I would find evidence of his affair, and even if getting a divorce, I¡¯d try to get more money!¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Celeste lowered her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± The things Liam said today, and the way he abandoned her on the street, made her fully realize the reality. All she wanted now was to get a divorce quickly and put an end to this rtionship. Trisha didn¡¯t know how tofort her, in the end she hugged her tightly, ¡°I have plenty of handsome and rich young men, I will definitely pick the best one for you, and piss off that jerk Liam!¡± Celeste could onlyugh, ¡°Let¡¯s earn money first. When I get enough money, I¡¯ll pick who I like, I don¡¯t want to be chosen by others anymore.¡± The next morning, Celeste woke up veryte. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was caught in the rain yesterday, but she woke up with a bit of a headache. She looked in the mirror for a long time before she remembered that today was the day of her divorce, so she started to get dressed carefully. When she got her marriage certificate with Liam back then, it was very rushed. She remembered that it was a week before her graduation defense, she stayed up all night to revise her thesis, went to bed at dawn, and was woken up by Liam¡¯s phone call after only two hours of sleep. Before that, Liam and she had only met three times, his sudden phone call caught her off guard, and she had no mental preparation at all. In the midst of her half¨Casleep and half¨Cawake dormitory roommates¡®ints, she ran to the bathroom to answer the call. ¡°Are you free?¡± Liam asked. To be honest, Liam¡¯s voice was very cold, but perhaps she was really in love back then, she always found his voice so pleasan. She whispered back, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Liam said. Her heart was pounding, she stuttered, ¡°Where¡­ where to?¡± It seemed like Liam was driving, she heard the sound of an engine, and then heard him say, ¡°We¡¯re going to get a marriage certificate.¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 That entire day, she felt as if she was sleepwalking, she put on a white shirt as he requested, afraid that he would be impatient and change his mind, she didn¡¯t even have time to put on makeup, she just followed him to get the marriage certificate The process of getting the certificate was simple, and their wedding photos were taken casually. Liam didn¡¯t even smile, and only she smiled like a fool. Such a reckless beginning shouldn¡¯t end in haste. She applied some lipstick in the mirror, the bright color made her radiant. She would be dignified and generous at the divorce, giving this failed love affair a perfect ending. At half past two in the afternoon, while Celeste was on her way to City Hall, she suddenly received a call from Mercy Hospital her mother¡¯s heart had suddenly stopped beating! Celeste¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately headed for Mercy Hospital. When she arrived, her mother was being treated in the resuscitation room. The doctor handed her a critical condition notice, which she signed with trembling hands. Over the years, she had signed countless critical condition notices. Every time she signed, she felt like a drowning person, gasping for breath, not knowing which time would be thest. After signing, she was somewhat dazed, it took her a long time to remember to call Shawn.. ¡°Dad, mom is not doing well, can youe to the hospital?¡± Her voice was calm, but trembled. It seemed quite noisy on Shawn¡¯s end, ¡°I have an important meeting right now, can¡¯t make it.¡± Celeste clenched her hand, ¡°The doctor said her condition is serious, there might be no hope left, this might be thest time.¡± ¡°The doctor has been saying that since six years ago, it¡¯s you who can¡¯t let go! Looking at her now, do you think she¡¯s still alive?¡± Shawn said. Celeste¡¯s eyes reddened, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Shawn¡¯s reply was perfunctory, ¡°I¡¯ll call you back when I¡¯m done.¡± Without waiting for Celeste to respond, he hung up. She squatted on the floor, feeling an overwhelming sense of disappointment, tears gushed out in an instant. Her phone rang at this moment, and it was Liam. She widened her eyes, and answered the phone, ¡°Liam, my mom¡­¡± ¡°Celeste, is it fun to y with me? We agreed to get divorced today. Where are you?¡± Liam asked. Celeste¡¯s words got stuck in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t say a single word. Yeah, right, how could she count Liam as her support? ¡°Celeste?¡± Liam raised his voice, the eerie silence on the other end made him inexplicably nervous. After a few seconds, Celeste¡¯s voice finally came through, ¡°I have something going on today, can we reschedule?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°Reschedule? Celeste, do you think I¡¯m as free as you? You¡¯re the one who keeps talking about divorce and disappears when it matters most. What do you want to do?¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned pale, and she said hoarsely, ¡°I really have something going on today, and I can¡¯t make it. Let me know when you¡¯re avable, and I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your games!¡± Liam coldly left these words and hung up the phone. Celeste held her phone for a long time before sheughed at herself. Every time she needed Liam the most, he was never there. Her hopes had been dashed so many times, that she no longer expected anything. She sat alone in the silent waiting room for a long hour until the nurse came to inform her that it was time to move her mom Chapter 18 to the ward. Only then did she wake up. Caitlyn had barely made it, but the doctor told Celeste that her mother¡¯s various bodily functions had begun to show significant decline. This was not a good sign, and she should be prepared. Celeste thanked the doctor, sent him away, and asked the carer ine to help her get a basin of hot water. When she went to get a towel, ine quickly said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, let me do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll do it myself. You go have some rest, and I¡¯ll call you if I need you.¡± Celeste said. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Seeing that she insisted, ine left. Celeste wrung out the water from the towel and sat by the bed to wipe Caitlyn¡¯s body. It had been six years since the ident, and Caitlyn had been lying in bed in this state for six years. Her muscles had almostpletely atrophied, her bodyy in bed like a withered husk, and she could only survive on nutrient solution every day. Despite this, her body continued to weaken day by day. Perhaps one day, she would never see her mom again. Human beings were strange creatures. When Celeste was a child, Caitlyn wasn¡¯t very good to her. She was a strict mother who disciplined herself and treated her children like a carefully crafted work of art. Motherly love was just a byproduct of her fulfilling her expectations. But a child¡¯s dependence on their mother seemed to be innate. Even the strictest motherly love was something she couldn¡¯t let go of. Even if Caitlyny like this for the rest of her life, Celeste wouldn¡¯t be afraid to live by herself. Luckily, she was still alive. She carefully wiped her mother¡¯s upper body and had to ask ine for help when it was time to turn her over. By the time she was done with all this, she was drenched in sweat. Hot water was only avable in Caitlyn¡¯s bathroom after 8 PM. ine told her that there was a public bathroom downstairs for caregivers to use and kindly lent her a set of clothes. Celeste thanked her and went to the public bathroom ine mentioned with her toiletries. It happened to be dinner time at the hospital, so there were hardly any people in the bathroom. After the shower, Celeste felt much fresher, and her head didn¡¯t hurt as much as before. The sky outside had turned a bit gloomy by now. The heat of the day had subsided, and the night breeze was warm. Celeste didn¡¯t go back right away but went to the second¨Cfloor terrace to catch a breeze. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 She checked her phone and found that apart from a Twitter direct message, only Trisha had sent her a WhatsApp message, asking her where she had gone and why she hadn¡¯t returned. Celeste replied to her: [I¡¯m with my mom.] Trisha quickly replied: [How¡¯s she?] [About the same as before.] [Well, that¡¯s good news. Maybe one day a miracle will happen, and your mom will wake up.] Hearing herforting words, Celeste felt a little better: [Thank you for that. You can go to sleep first. I might be back a bitter.] [Alright, call me if you need anything.] Celeste sent her a ¡°love you¡± emoji. Suddenly, there was a ¡°click¡± sound, and the surroundings lit up for a moment. Celeste turned sharply and saw a well¨Cdressed man a few steps away from her holding a phone, with the camera facing her. The man was staring at her as well. When she turned her head, the man seemed to be stunned, then smiled shyly. Celeste clenched her lips, walked up to the man, and snatched his phone. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you? Taking pictures of strangers without permission is an invasion of privacy. Tell me your phone password.¡± The man looked a bit amused but still gave her a series of numbers, ¡°0712.¡± After unlocking the screen, Celeste found only one recently taken photo, a night view of the building below, without her in it. There were only a few seconds between the sh and her snatching the phone, so the man had no chance to delete the photo. The only exnation was that he hadn¡¯t taken her photo in the first ce. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Celeste felt a bit embarrassed and annoyed. How could she justify her overreaction? Just as she was struggling with how to make up for her previous impolite behavior, the man took the initiative to speak up, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I just thought the night view downstairs was beautiful, and you misunderstood.¡± Celeste quickly followed his words, ¡°I should apologize, I was too sensitive. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± She returned the phone to him, ¡°Your photos are really nice. Are you a professional photographer?¡± The man smiled and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just a personal hobby. I noticed you¡¯re very sensitive to the sh, did something happen before?¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t usually good at talking to strangers, but the man¡¯s voice was gentle and pleasant, making her feel at ease. So, she couldn¡¯t help but say a few more words, ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. I was once photographed by a street. photography team. They put the pictures online without editing, which caused me a lot of trouble. So I became more sensitive to these things.¡± ¡°No wonder,¡± Mason Fletcher smiled. ¡°You have an outstanding appearance, so I can understand why the photographer didn¡¯t edit the picture. Of course, that¡¯s illegal.¡± Getting praised by others felt great, especially when it was such high praise. Celeste¡¯s mood improved a lot because of it. Just as she was about to speak, ine called her. Celeste¡¯s eyes lit up after hearing whatever was said on the other end. She quickly hung up and said to the guy, ¡°Thanks!¡± She grabbed her clothes and bolted out like the wind. Mason stood there dumbfounded for a moment beforeughing. When Mason returned to the hospital room, Nics was asking the nurse to be careful. Seeing Mason, he said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d left me here and ran off. When you left, my foot was broken, and now that you¡¯re back, my hand got stabbed by ss. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re bad luck for me?¡± Mason patted him on the shoulder and said, ¡°Well, at least you injured your hand at a good time.¡± Nics was speechless. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Did you take the wrong pills or something?¡± Ever since Mason walked in, he hadn¡¯t stopped smiling. Nics had known him for years and he¡¯d always been a pretty serious guy. It was his first time seeing him act so goofy, and it felt pretty weird. Mason leaned against a nearby table and smirked, ¡°I just met a girl on the rooftop.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°She thought I was taking pictures of her, so she snatched my phone and gave me a piece of her mind.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Nics squinted, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re actually quite happy about it? Did you fall for her or something?¡± As Mason just kept smiling. Nics got curious. Nics, Liam, and Mason had grown up together. The Francis family was slightly less powerful than the Fletcher and Reed families in J City, and both Mason and Liam were the only sons of their respective families, raised to take over the family business. But a few years ago, Mason got sick and took more than two years to fully recover. After that, his parents seemed to have loosened up on him, allowing him to do whatever he wanted, as long as he was happy. Over the years, he had dabbled in music, painting, skiing, racing¡­ He was interested in so many things, but he never showed much interest in women. His love life was as clean as a nk sheet, and Nics even suspected his sexual orientation. So now that he heard Mason was interested in a woman, how could he contain his curiosity? ¡°How¡¯s that girl look? Pretty?¡± Mason recalled Celeste¡¯s appearance when he met her. Her half¨Cdried long hair rested on her shoulders, her eyes slightly lifted as she gazed into the distance. Even in the dim light, her features were stunning, and she could take people¡¯s breath away even without any makeup on. Of course, the way she snatched his phone was even more memorable. ¡°Very pretty.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name? Didn¡¯t you at least get her WhatsApp number?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance,¡± Mason sounded a bit regretful, ¡°She seemed to have a someone in the hospital. She took a call and then left in a hurry.¡± Nics sighed, ¡°What a pity.¡± Not long after, his phone rang. As soon as he answered, he heard Liam¡¯s cold voice, ¡°Did you die?¡± Nics didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m dead. Come collect my body.¡± ¡°Quit the nonsense ande out.¡± As they left Mercy Hospital, Liam¡¯s car was waiting for them across the street, its engine was still running. They got in the car and realized Liam had driven himself there. ¡°Where¡¯s Owen?¡± ¡°Off work.¡± Nics found it odd, ¡°Your assistant gets time off? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be on call 24/7?¡± Liam didn¡¯t bother responding to Nics¡¯s smart mouth. He nced at Nics¡¯s bandaged hand and asked Mason, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks to Nics blocking that ss for me. Otherwise, I might not have been so lucky.¡± Both of them were just unlucky. As they were leaving the hotel, the ss door shattered just as they pushed it open. Luckily, they dodged in time, and only Nics¡¯s hand got injured. Liam started the car and said, ¡°He was trying to have you protect himself, but he misjudged the situation.¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Nics¡¯s speechless, ¡°No wonder your wife wants a divorce with that dark mind of yours?¡± Mason was curious, ¡°Divorce? What happened?¡± Liam got mamed while they were in college, but Mason hadn¡¯t attended the wedding because he was undergoing treatment abroad. He had never met Liam¡¯s wife, who was said to be a beautiful but somewhat aloof woman Everyone thought their mamage was stable, so the news of Liam¡¯s wife wanting a divorce piqued their curiosity Nics happily spilled the beans, ¡®A couple of days ago, he ran into his wife at thepany Liam thought she was stalking him, but she ended up giving him a good scolding¡± Liam snapped, ¡°Shut up¡±¡± Nics mumbled, ¡°Someone is hurt about getting dumped Mason patted Nics¡¯s leg to signal him to stop talking Nics then said, ¡°Liam has some shares in Mercy Hospital. He could help Mason find that girl¡¯s information¡± Liam asked, ¡°What girl¡± Nics told him about the encounter at the hospital. Liam was surprised but didn¡¯t refuse. He asked, ¡°What does she look like?¡± Nics joked, ¡°ording to Mason¡¯s description, she must be an angel descended from heaven¡± Masonughed. ¡°She is indeed beautiful, but a bit hot tempered Still, she¡¯s very cute¡± Liam thought for a moment, ¡°Any other characteristics? I can try to find out for you.¡± Mason shook his head, ¡°No need, she might get angry if she finds out I looked up her information. Let¡¯s just let things happen naturally. If it¡¯s meant to be, well see each other again¡± Nics raised an eyebrow, ¡°One of you is going through a divorce, and the other is single, and you¡¯re discussing women¡¯s thoughts. Isn¡¯t that funny? Why don¡¯t you ask me? I¡¯m a veteran of dating.¡± Liam just ignored him. Mason nced at Nics, hesitated, and then said honestly, ¡°If you really understood women, you wouldn¡¯t have failed so many times. We don¡¯t need to consult your failed experiences.¡± Nics was left speechless Celeste ran back to the ward, panting. The doctor was checking on Caitlyn, and she stood by, watching closely, afraid to miss any detail. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As the doctor examined her, he asked ine, ¡°Are you sure you saw the patient¡¯s eyes move just now?¡± ine nodded anxiously, ¡°Just now when the nurse came to change the medicine, I saw her eyes move. The nurse saw it too, you can ask her.¡± The nurse said, ¡°It seemed like they moved, but it was so brief that I¡¯m not sure if I saw it correctly¡± The doctor didn¡¯t say anything else and continued with the examination Celeste was anxious, and as soon as the doctor finished, she asked, ¡°Dr Ledford, is my mom going to wake up?¡± He shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s still uncertain. A single eye movement doesn¡¯t mean much. We need to continue observing. If the patient shows more frequent eye movement or noticeable nods and shakes of the head, then it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s showing signs of waking up.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Hearing that, Celeste¡¯s hope that had just risen instantly fell again. She asked softly, ¡°So it¡¯s just a coincidence?¡± The doctorforted her, ¡®Not necessarily. The movement of the eyeball is a good sign. We just can¡¯t draw a conclusion from one instance. After all, she has been asleep for too long. You can continue to observe and let us know if there¡¯s any change.¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± After the doctor left, Celeste sat by the bed and watched her mother for a long time. Before leaving, she gave ine some money, but ine refused to take it. Celeste said, ¡°Please take it. I don¡¯te here often, and it¡¯s all up to you to take care of my mom. If you don¡¯t take it, I feel guilty. If anything happens to my mom, please let me know right away.¡± ine replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my job.¡± Hearing this, ine didn¡¯t refuse any further. When Celeste arrived at the apartment that night, Trisha was still awake, and the TV was on, ying a variety show called Star Showdown. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Celeste hummed and sat down, sinking into the soft sofa, her tense nerves finally rxed a bit. ¡°What¡¯s with that look on your face? How¡¯s your mom?¡± ¡°She is fine for now,¡± Celeste sighed. ¡°But the divorce didn¡¯t go through. ¡°I was wondering what happened to you, Trisha popped a cherry into her mouth. ¡°Just try again another day.¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t as optimistic as her. Judging from Liam¡¯s tone in the afternoon, he probably thought she deliberately didn¡¯t go or even yed tricks on him. It would be difficult to meet again if this time didn¡¯t work out. She sent Liam a message, asking if he was free tomorrow. Liam ignored her, probably pretending he didn¡¯t see it. As she was thinking about how to invite Liam out, Trisha suddenly said, ¡°Oh, right, you still have those two boxes of white truffles in the fridge. When are you going to give them to him?¡± Celeste smacked her forehead, ¡°How could I forget that?!¡± She was just ooking for an excuse, and there it was! Liam had promised her, so he wouldn¡¯t refuse or avoid her, right? From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Damn, are you serious? Star Showdown invited Sydney?¡± Trisha looked at the WhatsApp group chat with disgust, ¡°The show must be crazy! She even capitalized on a major traffic ident. Has the inte lost its memory?¡± Star Showdown was a popr variety show in recent years. Due to its massive poprity, it had be a favorite spot for drama promotion. Seeing someone you dislike on a show you like was a real turn-off. Trisha, unwilling to ept it, said, ¡°It must be fake. Il see who leaked the news.¡± At this moment, Celeste, who had never been interested in variety shows, suddenly said, ¡°It should be true.¡± Trisha turned her head, ¡°How do you know?¡± Celeste looked at her, ¡°A few days ago, the show¡¯s official Facebook messaged me, asking if I wanted to participate.¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°They really invited you?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Yes, but I haven¡¯t replied yet.¡± Hearing that, Celeste¡¯s hope that had just risen instantly fell again. She asked softly, ¡°So it¡¯s just a coincidence?¡± The doctorforted her, ¡°Not necessarily. The movement of the eyeball is a good sign. We just can¡¯t draw a conclusion from one instance. After all, she has been asleep for too long. You can continue to observe and let us know if there¡¯s any change.¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± After the doctor left, Celeste sat by the bed and watched her mother for a long time. Before leaving, she gave ine some money, but ine refused to take it. Celeste said, ¡°Please take it. I don¡¯te here often, and it¡¯s all up to you to take care of my mom. If you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll feel guilty. If anything happens to my mom, please let me know right away¡± ine replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my job.¡± Hearing this, ine didn¡¯t refuse any further. When Celeste arrived at the apartment that night, Trisha was still awake, and the TV was on, ying a variety show called Star Showdown. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Celeste hummed and sat down, sinking into the soft sofa, her tense nerves finally rxed a bit. ¡°What¡¯s with that look on your face? How¡¯s your mom?¡± ¡°She is fine for now¡± Celeste sighed. ¡°But the divorce didn¡¯t go through.¡± ¡°I was wondering what happened to you,¡± Trisha popped a cherry into her mouth. ¡°Just try again another day¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t as optimistic as her. Judging from Liam¡¯s tone in the afternoon, he probably thought she deliberately didn¡¯t go or even yed tricks on him. It would be difficult to meet again if this time didn¡¯t work out. She sent Liam a message, asking if he was free tomorrow. Liam ignored her, probably pretending he didn¡¯t see it. As she was thinking about how to invite Liam out, Trisha suddenly said, ¡°Oh, right, you still have those two boxes of white truffles in the fridge. When are you going to give them to him?¡± Celeste smacked her forehead, ¡°How could I forget that?!¡± She was just ooking for an excuse, and there it was! Liam had promised her, so he wouldn¡¯t refuse or avoid her, right? ¡°Damn, are you serious? Star Showdown invited Sydney?¡± Trisha looked at the WhatsApp group chat with disgust, ¡°The show must be crazy! She even capitalized on a major traffic ident. Has the inte lost its memory?¡± Star Showdown was a popr variety show in recent years. Due to its massive popnty, it had be a favorite spot for drama promotion. Seeing someone you dislike on a show you like was a real turn-off. Trisha, unwilling to ept it, said, ¡°It must be fake. §±l see who leaked the news.¡± At this moment, Celeste, who had never been interested in variety shows, suddenly said, ¡°It should be true.¡± Trisha turned her head, ¡°How do you know?¡± Celeste looked at her, ¡°A few days ago, the show¡¯s official Facebook messaged me, asking if I wanted to participate.¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°They really invited you?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Yes, but I haven¡¯t replied yet.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Trisha asked in confusion, ¡°Why not just ept? What¡¯s there to hesitate?¡± Celeste pursed her lips lightly. Trisha suddenly realized, ¡°Are you afraid of being on the same stage with Sydney?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I am not afraid, I just don¡¯t like dealing with her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal. Who wouldn¡¯t be repulsed by her? But think about it, if you go, she¡¯ll be the one who loses out! She always brags about herself, right? Let the audience see a realparison of skills! Once the show airs, she¡¯ll be furious! Besides, this show is so popr, maybe some director will notice you and even give you a leading role, making you famous overnight.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Why does everything seem so simple when you talk about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I have faith in you. I¡¯m counting on living in a big house with you. Just ept their invitation!¡± Celeste sighed, ¡°I think about it. The recording is not until next month, so there¡¯s still plenty of time.¡± The next morning, Celeste took the white truffles to Quantum Enterprises to find Liam. In the three years she had been married to Liam, she had never set foot in this building. She didn¡¯t expect her first visit to be for a divorce. Celeste straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and walked in. bright it Quantum Enterprises was one of the toppanies in J City. The building was located in the most prosperous area, and its high-tech exterior had be a famousndmark in J City. The interior of the building was even more dazzling, with a ceiling reflected people¡¯s shadows. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She averted her cunous gaze and went straight to the reception desk. ¡°Hello, can you tell me how to get to the general manager¡¯s office?¡± The receptionist was a young, fair-skinned guy with a nice voice. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± Celeste shook her head. ¡°Sorry, the general manager won¡¯t see guests without an appointment¡± Celeste said, ¡°Call him and tell him Celeste is looking for him.¡± The receptionist was unsure if she was telling the truth since she was well-dressed, well-mannered, and beautiful. Still, he called to check. Before long, the call was disconnected, and the receptionist apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Reed said he doesn¡¯t know any Celeste.¡± The corner of Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that he didn¡¯t want to see her? ¡°I¡¯m his wife. Call him again.¡± The receptionist looked at her in astonishment, as if to say: You¡¯re his wife, and you can¡¯t even contact him? Who are you trying to fool? Celeste took out her phone and showed a photo of her and Liam. ¡°Now do you believe me?¡± The receptionist apologized with a smile, ¡°Many people havee here with photos iming to be Mr. Reed¡¯s wife. Yours is the best one yet.¡± Celeste helplessly said, Tm serious¡± The receptionist still maintained a polite smile. Taking a deep breath, Celeste tried to call Owen, but no one answered the phone either. Had these two nned this on purpose? She looked up at the receptionist, who still had a serious expression on his face. Alright, Liam, you forced me to do this! She broke into a smile, looking stunningly beautiful. ¡°Alright, next time I¡¯ll make an appointment beforeing. Can you help me take a few pics? It¡¯s my first time at Quantum, I wanna keep some pictures as a memory.¡± The dude couldn¡¯t say no at this point, after all, Quantum¡¯s main goal was to meet the clients¡¯ needs. Celeste found a nice spot and took off her coat. In the meeting room The marketing manager was giving a report, and Liam¡¯s phone beside him buzzed twice. He took a quick peek ¨C Celeste had sent him a few photos Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 He took a sip from the cup and casually clicked open the photo. The next second, the water choked his throat, and the water in his hand sshed out. He covered his mouth and coughed awkwardly Everyone looked over, and it took Liam a while to stop coughing, his face pale. People held their breath, thinking Mr. Reed was unhappy with the previous remark. Liam looked gloomy, whispered something to Owen, and then turned around and said slightly, ¡°Continue.¡± Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, while Owen quietly left the conference room. In the reception room downstairs. Celeste sat on the sofa, flipping through the magazines on the table out of boredom. The sound of hurried footsteps came from behind, followed by Owen¡¯s voice, ¡°Ma¡¯am, why didn¡¯t you call beforeing over?¡± The receptionist who led the way was shocked! So she was indeed Mr. Reed¡¯s wife! Then why did Mr. Reed say he didn¡¯t know her?! Never mind, all that didn¡¯t matter The important thing was that he had just taken that kind of photo for Mrs. Reed! The receptionist turned pale, feeling his career was over. What game were these two people ying? From N?velDrama.Org. Celeste put down the magazine, ¡®I did call, but Owen must have been too busy to hear it.¡± Owen actually knew Celeste had contacted him, but Mr. Reed ordered him not to respond, so he had to act like he didn¡¯t hear that. Pretending not to sense the sarcasm in Celeste¡¯s words, Owen continued, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I was in a meeting and left my phone in the office. It¡¯s also my fault for not exining clearly, as the secretary and operator are new here, so there might be some oversights. I apologize, ma¡¯am, please follow me.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had just heard Liam say he didn¡¯t know her, she would have believed his words They were in this together! After the two got off the elevator, Owen asked, ¡°What brings you to thepany, ma¡¯am?¡± Celeste raised the bag in her hand, ¡°I want Liam to help me take this stuff to his mother¡± Owen asked, ¡°Is that all?¡± She also wanted to ask Liam for a divorce, but this had to be said in person. So she said, ¡°I also want to discuss something with Mr. Reed.¡± However, Owen said, ¡°Mr. Reed hasn¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡± Celeste was puzzled: What does that have to do with anything? Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Owen added, ¡°Mr. Reed gets cranky when he doesn¡¯t eat breakfast, so it¡¯s not a good time to discuss things. Celeste was speechless: She had heard of people being grumpy when they just woke up, but never heard of people being grumpy when they didn¡¯t eat breakfast. What kind of weird problem was this? ¡°Doesn¡¯t yourpany cafeteria serve food?¡± she asked. ¡°Mr. Reed is picky and never eats in the cafeteria,¡± Owen replied. Celeste believed that. Liam¡¯s pickiness was well-known. He didn¡¯t like heavy vors in his dishes. The texture couldn¡¯t be too hard or too mushy. He didn¡¯t eat leftovers; one bite would give him diarrhea. He didn¡¯t liketro, but he insisted that it be added to noodle soup, only to pick out thetro bits one by one. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but tease Liam was lucky to be bom in it probably starve to death before he grew up! This issue made Celeste feel embarrassed, so she said. ¡°There are several high-scale restaurants downstairs. You can go and buy a meal for him ¡± Owen smiled and said. ¡°Mr Reed doesn¡¯t like the food from those high-scale restaurants. He prefers home-cooked meals. lunchbox he used to get which he quite liked¡± Celeste understood what he meant. It seemed like this was deliberately causing trouble Thinking of the days when she had painstakingly made lunchboxes for Liam, Celeste felt ashamed Back then, she had just married into the Reed family and took care of Liam wholeheartedly believing that to catch a man¡¯s heart you must first catch his stomach¡± and learning to cook diligently However, her cooking skills were not good. Even so, she insisted on making lunchboxes for Liam Until one day she saw Liam dump the entire lunchbox into the trash, and she realized that all her efforts were in vain, and there love between them. After that, she never cooked again. Now that Liam asked her to cook, she felt insulted To avoid the topic, she changed the subject and said, ¡°Alright, I make something for him now, but where can I find him after work? Owen immediately suggested. ¡°There¡¯s a private kitchen in thepany cafetena that you can use freely¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Celeste was speechless, feeling that this was obviously a trap, but in order to get a divorce, she still went to the private reluctantly The kitchen facilities were better than she expected, and various ingredients were readily avable Staring at the ingredients, she was in a daze for a while before suddenly having a brilliant idea, deciding to make a simple home-cooked dish. About twenty minutester, she finished something that looked pretty good. She tidied up her clothes, turned to Owen, and said, ¡°Owen, take me to Mr. Reed¡± Liam¡¯s office was on the twelfth floor Owen gently knocked on the door and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, your wife has brought lunch for you.¡± Celeste Wasn¡¯t this what he wanted her to do? Liam¡¯s cold voice came from inside. ¡°Let her in.¡± Owen led Celeste in, ced the food on the desk, and left, even ¡°thoughtfully¡± closing the door for them. Celeste clenched her fists, standing awkwardly in ce. Liam¡¯s office was huge and minimally decorated. There was an entire floor-to-ceiling window that let in a lot of light Sunlight streamed through the blinds and cast dark, crisscrossing shadows on his face With sharp eyebrows, deep eyes, strong jawline, and thin lips, his face went along with her aesthetic taste. No matter how many times she looked at it, she couldn¡¯t suppress the emotions in her heart. ¡°Are you nning to stand there the whole time?¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 An indifferent voice instantly shattered the tense atmosphere. As expected, men can¡¯t be trusted. Celeste walked over with a coy gait and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s the white truffle you promised me.¡± Hearing this, Liam¡¯s gaze shifted from the documents to her face. Her it and elegant beauty seemed to be the same as before, but Liam knew that this was all an act Beneath this facade, she was no longer the obedient little kitten she used to be, but a wild cat that would bare its fangs at the slightest provocation Liam leaned back, squinting his eyes, looking tired, and casually said, ¡°Oh? What did I promise you again?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Celeste was stunned, seemingly unable to believe that Liam would tease her like this. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You said that as long as I apany you to the wee party for your sister, you would help me deliver this gift!¡± ¡°It seems like I did say that Liam recalled. Just as Celeste was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard him say, ¡°But after giving it some thought, since we¡¯re getting divorced, we shouldn¡¯t ept such valuable gifts from the Campbell family. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that valuable,¡± Celeste tried to persuade him. ¡®Besides, we¡¯re parting on good terms, and our families can still be friends in the future. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem with giving gifts between friends, right?¡± Liam chuckled, ¡°Are we really parting on good terms? Isn¡¯t it because I couldn¡¯t satisfy your sexual needs that you asked for a divorce?¡± He was bringing this up again? Oh, men and their sensitive pride. They just loved getting mad at their own ipetence and being petty! Just as she was about to defend herself, Liam said, ¡°This morning, I got a call from the male reproductive clinic. They wanted to do a phone consultation and asked me what kind of dysfunction I had. As someone who¡¯s experienced it, why didn¡¯t you exin it to the doctor in detail?¡± Celeste hadpletely forgotten that she had made an appointment for Liam at the male reproductive clinic out of spite. Why did it have to be today? How could she defend herself? Celeste awkwardlyughed, ¡°Mr. Reed, can we not talk about this right now?¡± Liam stood up, walked to the edge of his desk, leaned against it, and half-jokingly looked at her, ¡°Low libido?¡± Celeste was silent. ¡°Erectile dysfunction?¡± Celeste was crying for help with her eyes. Liam¡¯s lips curled up, but his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°Or notsting long enough in bed? Which one of these made my wife so dissatisfied that she personally booked an appointment with a specialist for me?¡± Celeste Mr. Reed, since we¡¯re getting divorced anyway, do we really need to dwell on this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very necessary,¡± Liam red at her. ¡°If I don¡¯t get to the bottom of this, how can I ept your reason for divorce?¡± She felt that Liam was deliberately teasing her, and he was still holding a grudge against the original divorce agreement Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 26 An indifferent voice instantly shattered the tense atmosphere. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. As expected, men can¡¯t be trusted. Celeste walked over with a coy gait and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s the white truffle you promised me.¡± Hearing this, Liam¡¯s gaze shifted from the documents to her face. Her it and elegant beauty seemed to be the same as before, but Liam knew that this was all an act Beneath this facade, she was no longer the obedient little kitten she used to be, but a wild cat that would bare its fangs at the slightest provocation Liam leaned back, squinting his eyes, looking tired, and casually said, ¡°Oh? What did I promise you again?¡± Celeste was stunned, seemingly unable to believe that Liam would tease her like this. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You said that as long as I apany you to the wee party for your sister, you would help me deliver this gift!¡± ¡°It seems like I did say that Liam recalled. Just as Celeste was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard him say, ¡°But after giving it some thought, since we¡¯re getting divorced, we shouldn¡¯t ept such valuable gifts from the Campbell family. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that valuable,¡± Celeste tried to persuade him. ¡®Besides, we¡¯re parting on good terms, and our families can still be friends in the future. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem with giving gifts between friends, right?¡± Liam chuckled, ¡°Are we really parting on good terms? Isn¡¯t it because I couldn¡¯t satisfy your sexual needs that you asked for a divorce?¡± He was bringing this up again? Oh, men and their sensitive pride. They just loved getting mad at their own ipetence and being petty! Just as she was about to defend herself, Liam said, ¡°This morning, I got a call from the male reproductive clinic. They wanted to do a phone consultation and asked me what kind of dysfunction I had. As someone who¡¯s experienced it, why didn¡¯t you exin it to the doctor in detail?¡± Celeste hadpletely forgotten that she had made an appointment for Liam at the male reproductive clinic out of spite. Why did it have to be today? How could she defend herself? Celeste awkwardlyughed, ¡°Mr. Reed, can we not talk about this right now?¡± Liam stood up, walked to the edge of his desk, leaned against it, and half-jokingly looked at her, ¡°Low libido?¡± Celeste was silent. ¡°Erectile dysfunction?¡± Celeste was crying for help with her eyes. Liam¡¯s lips curled up, but his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°Or notsting long enough in bed? Which one of these made my wife so dissatisfied that she personally booked an appointment with a specialist for me?¡± Celeste Mr. Reed, since we¡¯re getting divorced anyway, do we really need to dwell on this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very necessary,¡± Liam red at her. ¡°If I don¡¯t get to the bottom of this, how can I ept your reason for divorce?¡± She felt that Liam was deliberately teasing her, and he was still holding a grudge against the original divorce agreement Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Whatever! She had to ask for a favor, so she would bear it. Celeste smiled sincerely and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t done this in a long time, so my skills are rusty. I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± Liam¡¯s expression improved a bit. From N?velDrama.Org. Seizing the opportunity, Celeste said, ¡°Mr. Reed, picking a good day for divorce is just as important as picking one for marriage. When we got married, we didn¡¯t choose the right day, and our marriage didn¡¯t go smoothly. So, for our divorce, we should choose a good day so that we both can move on and find our own happiness. ording to my research, the 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 31st of this month are all good days. Which one do you think is more suitable?¡± Liam sneered, ¡°Except for weekends, all these days are good days?¡± Her little tricks seemed so insignificant in front of Liam. Celeste shamelessly said, ¡°Indeed, there are many good days this month.¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. Not getting an answer, Celeste continued to ask, ¡°Mr. Reed, which day do you think is suitable?¡± Finally, Liam got fed up with her nagging, his face darkened, and he said, ¡°One more word, and you can deliver the stuff yourself.¡± Celeste¡¯s gentle demeanor finally disappeared, and she said imitably, ¡°Liam, these are two different things! I¡¯ve done everything ! promised. You have no right to go back on your word!¡± Seeing her true temper revealed, Liam¡¯s brows rxed a bit. He tapped the lunchbox next to him with a spoon and said, ¡°Celeste, you want a divorce and yet keep your rtionship with the Reed family hidden from Shawn. You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too.¡± Celeste was speechless. She hadn¡¯t nned to let Shawn know about the divorce. Before Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn and Caitlyn¡¯s marriage had already encountered problems, and not long after that, he considered divorce. But at that time, some important positions in thepany¡¯s management were all cultivated by Caitlyn, and she still held nearly half of thepany¡¯s shares. If they divorced then, it would have caused chaos in thepany. Persuaded by hiswyer, Shawn gave up the idea of divorce. Three years after Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn gradually took back the shares and restructured the company¡¯s management, recing them with his people. When he considered divorce again, she was unfortunately chosen by Liam. When the Reed family proposed marriage, Shawn was both shocked and delighted. After all, marrying into the top family in J City would undoubtedly add to his status in the business world Naturally, Shawn agreed to the marriage without hesitation. To make Celeste willing to marry into the Reed family and help him in business, Shawn promised not to divorce Caitlyn for ten years. After ten years, if Caitlyn still hadn¡¯t woken up, their marriage would be dissolved, and he would cash out Caitlyn¡¯s shares, ensuring her medical expenses for the rest of her life. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Now, her marriage with Liam was ending after only three years. If Shawn found out, he could stop taking her mon¡¯s medication. The money she had now was not enough to support Caitlyn.. Her original n was to buy a house and take care of Caitlyn after the divorce, but all these were based on the premise that she could get part of the property and have a stable ie. From N?velDrama.Org. And now, the voice acting role for Legend that she was so confident about had been taken away from her. Plus, she didn¡¯t expect to divorce kiam before, so she tumed down many job offers. This half-year, there were fewer big production teams looking to work with her. It will take some time before she can make much money. Under these circumstances, she can¡¯t let Shawn know about her divorce. And Liam obviously won¡¯t help her hide it from Shawn after they divorce. Celeste felt a little frustrated. Was the best oue not to divorce? What about her previous statements in front of Liam? Was it just a joke for him? Besides, Liam had already betrayed her, she couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. Otherwise, one day if some random childe and call Liam ¡°daddy,¡± she would be theughingstock of the town. This mamage must end in divorce! Thinking of this, she changed her expression: ¡°Mr. Reed, you see, your divorce is a big deal for Quantum, right? Without any notice, the impact on thepany and its stocks won¡¯t be good, right?¡± Liam looked at her, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°I mean, to avoid these impacts, how about announcing it publicly one year after our divorce?¡± Liam stared at her with a serious expression, not saying anything. Celeste felt nervous and whispered, ¡°If you think a year is too long, how about eight months?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°Half a year then¡­ half a year might be a bit short, but it¡¯s better than nothing¡­¡± Liam angrily said, ¡°Celeste, one more word and I¡¯ll kick you out!¡± Celeste closed her mouth. After a short silence, Celeste asked again quietly, ¡°Can we divorce this month?¡± A few minutester, Celeste was escorted out of Liam¡¯s office by security. All the way, she was chewing him out in her heart: Liam, this scumbag, was obviously just dragging her along, ying with her! The food that she made for him was a total waste! The elevator door opened, and she ran into Kaylee, who was about to get on ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kaylee frowned when she saw her, clearly not liking her, ¡°Who let you in?¡± Of course, Celeste didn¡¯t like Kaylee either, and replied calmly, ¡°My husband works here. Why can¡¯t I come?¡± Kaylee sneered, ¡°You already consider yourself a part of the Reed family? You think marrying my brother gives you half of Quantum?¡± Celeste smirked, ¡°None of your business anyone. Why don¡¯t you take a piss somewhere else?¡± Kaylee was stunned, probably not expecting the usually gentle Celeste to say something so direct. But soon, her face turned gloomy ¡°What, can¡¯t keep up the act anymore? Just as I thought, you¡¯re still a lowlife from the streets, reeking of cheapness from head to toe!¡± Celeste¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Kaylee, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t mess with me.¡± Kaylee sneered at her threat. ¡°So what if I mess with you? You gonna tell my brother? You think he¡¯ll take your side?¡± Celeste stared at her icily. ¡°At least on our wedding night, if he knew what happened, he¡¯d definitely be on my side!¡± Kaylee¡¯s face changed. Celeste continued, ¡°And as for your own dirty secrets, you better watch your mouth. If you ever piss me off, I won¡¯t hesitate to expose everything. Granny cares so much about the Reed family¡¯s reputation, what do you think she¡¯ll do to punish you?¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 On the twelfth floor, Liam¡¯s office. As Owen knocked and entered, Liam was standing by the window looking downstairs. As he saw Owen, he casually asked, ¡°She left?¡± Owen nodded ¡°What did she say?¡± Owen hesitated, unsure how to put it. Liam nced at him, ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Why are you so cautious all of a sudden? What did she say?¡± Owen swallowed, whispering. ¡°She asked me to apologize for her. She said¡­ she forgot to wash the ingredients while cooking.¡± Liam froze instantly. Actually, they were washed. Celeste purposely said that to have Liam get a taste of something disgusting as revenge for his fickleness. Imagining Liam¡¯s possible expression right now, she felt quite pleased, thinking he must be dying to pour disinfectant down his throat to clean his stomach. Her mood didn¡¯tst long, though, as she soon encountered something both funny and annoying-her taxi was involved in a collision halfway Ever since the rear-end ident on the overpass, she had been apprehensive about driving and relied on taxis for transportation. But who would have thought that even taking a taxi could lead to such an incident? Although the ident wasn¡¯t severe, the other party¡¯s attitude was extremely bad, and they started fighting as soon as they got out of the car. The taxi driver didn¡¯t back down and fought back. As a witness, Celeste was also taken to the police station for questioning. Celeste truthfully recounted what she had seen, proving that the car driver started the fight first and that the taxi driver only fought back in self-defense after having been attacked multiple times. Afterpleting the written record and signing, Celeste left the police station. Trisha was off today and called to urge her toe back quickly, saying there was important news to tell her. After hanging up the phone, Celeste tried to get another taxi. During the rush hour, it was impossible to find one. She was about to see if there were any buses nearby that could take her directly to her ce when her hair was suddenly grabbed from behind, and her purse hit her face A woman¡¯s angry voice came to her ears, ¡°You wicked woman! What nonsense did you say in front of the police!¡± Her hair was pulled forcefully, and Celeste felt a sharp pain. She was about to raise her elbow and strike back but saw the woman was pregnant and quickly retracted her force. She grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist and said in a deep voice, ¡°Let go!¡± The woman was not afraid of her threat at all and violently pulled her hair back, ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots with that taxi driver, aren¡¯t you? You deliberately gave false testimony in front of the police, causing my husband to be detained. You¡¯re finished! You wicked woman! How could you be so vicious!¡± Celeste found this kind of unreasonable behavior iprehensible, but she couldn¡¯t push the woman away because she was pregnant. Biting her teeth, she said, ¡°You and your husband were in the car, didn¡¯t you see what he did? If you really cared about him, you should have stopped him at that time. With his road rage, you should be thankful that today it was just a minor scrape. Otherwise, it could have endangered your lives!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 The woman was apparently angered by Celeste¡¯s words and raised her bag to hit her head. Celeste closed her eyes, thinking her luck was terrible today, encountering such a lunatic! But the expected pain didn¡¯te. Instead, a familiar male voice sounded above her head. ¡°Do you know pregnant women who hit people are also breaking thew? Let go!¡± ¡°Who are you? Mind your own business!¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Just a Good Samaritan.¡± As he said that, he used force, and the woman felt a sharp pain in her wrist, involuntarily letting go of Celeste¡¯s hair. He stood in front of Celeste, gently pulling her behind him, and whispered, ¡°Are you okay?¡± It was then that Celeste recognized him as the man she had met on the rooftop of Mercy Hospital. She shook her head. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The woman, furious, yelled, ¡°Wicked woman! You ever found someone to help you. You think I¡¯m scared of you? Touch me and you are fucked!¡± Celeste wanted to say something, but Mason stopped her. He held his phone, his tone gentle yet chilling. ¡°I have evidence of you hitting someone on my phone. Of course, since you¡¯re pregnant, even if I report it to the police, you¡¯d only get fined. So you¡¯re now acting as if you have nothing to fear. But what if 1 post this online? Do you thinkizens will let you off the hook because you¡¯re pregnant? Your child will have to bear curses before they¡¯re even bom. Do you think they can survive that?¡± The pregnant woman¡¯s face changed, clearly frightened. Mason handed her a business card, ¡°Almost forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m a journalist. I have some influence, you know¡± The woman didn¡¯t dare to take it, gritting her teeth and saying, ¡°You¡¯re lucky!¡± After saying that, she grumbled and left, holding her belly. Mason turned around, and his previously intimidating aura vanished, his eyes filled with warmth and kindness. ¡°You¡¯re injured.¡± He pointed to Celeste¡¯s neck. Looking in the mirror on her phone, Celeste saw that her neck was scratched and bleeding. ¡°I have medicine in my car. Let me help you with it.¡± Since he had helped her, Celeste couldn¡¯t refuse his kindness and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Mason smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Once in the car, Mason took out a first aid kit and prepared to disinfect her wound. Celeste, feeling a bit awkward, dodged and whispered, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Mason naturally handed her the supplies. After Celeste treated her wound, she asked, ¡°Are you actually a journalist?¡± Mason was taken aback, thenughed and shook his head, ¡°No, that business card was given to me by someone else. I didn¡¯t even take a video, I just said that to scare her. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t stop bothering you.¡± He didn¡¯t look like a journalist. What journalist would drive a luxury car? She smiled and said, ¡°It worked quite well. I almost believed it.¡± Mason paused, then chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± As they were talking, his phone rang. Mason apologized and answered it. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Kaylee barged in while Liam was rinsing his mouth. ¡°Bro! Why did Celestee to thepany?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock before entering my office? Where are your manners?¡± ¡°Your office door wasn¡¯t closed tightly.¡± Kaylee muttered and then noticed Liam¡¯s bad mood. She asked in surprise, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Don¡¯t even mention it. Liam¡¯s stomach started to feel weird again. He nced at Kaylee impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Kaylee pouted, ¡°Mason ain¡¯t picking up my calls, can I borrow your phone for a sec?¡± Bro help me out if 1 pet together sanchar family an Liam ruthleerly boret her bob Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Kaylee gritted her teeth, ¡°How can he not like me? His parents love me! You just don¡¯t want to help me.¡± Liam nodded, ¡°Then go find him yourself.¡± Kaylee fell silent. If she could do it, would she need toe to Liam¡¯spany for help? Ever since Mason returned to the country, she didn¡¯t know if it was intentional or not, but every time she found out where he was and tried to catch up with him, he would leave, and his phone would always be unreachable, as if he was deliberately hiding from her. ¡°Bro, please, help me out, don¡¯t you want your sister to find a reliable boyfriend?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Mason is seven years older than you, you two are not suitable¡± ¡°When Celeste married you, she was the same age as me now. Why didn¡¯t you think she was too young?¡± Mentioning Celeste¡¯s name reminded him of the disgusting things that woman did, and his headache from being annoyed turned into a stomachache from anger He simply handed the phone to Kaylee, ¡°Make the call and leave!¡± Kaylee happily took the phone and immediately called Mason. The call was quickly answered, and Mason¡¯s gentle voice came through, ¡°Hello¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mason, where have you been? Why don¡¯t you answer my calls or reply to my messages?¡± Mason was a bit annoyed. Liam didn¡¯t take his previous words seriously and even lent the phone to this girl. ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy these days, I might not have seen them. What do you need me for?¡± ¡°Nothing really just, can you take me to the charity dinner this weekend? I don¡¯t have an invitation.¡± Mason declined, ¡°You can ask your brother to take you, he has an invitation too.¡± ¡°My brother won¡¯t take me. He already has ns with someone else.¡± Liam gave her a disdainful look. Mason obviously didn¡¯t believe this, knowing Liam¡¯s high status, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to bring an extra person to the charity dinner. He knew Kaylee¡¯s thoughts and knew that if he didn¡¯t make things clear, Kaylee would always have them in mind. He paused for a few seconds and said silghtly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I already have a date. I really can¡¯t agree to take you¡± Kaylee was stunned, then yelled, ¡°No way! Are you lying to me on purpose? You just came back, and your family hasn¡¯t even had time to arrange a blind date for you. Where did you get a date from? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Mason was a bit helpless, ¡°Believe it or not, you can see it yourself on that day. I have some things to do, so Ill hang up now¡± Without waiting for Kaylee¡¯s response, he hung up the phone and turned to ask Celeste, ¡°Where do you want to go? I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± Celeste hurriedly refused, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already called a cab, it¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rush hour now, it won¡¯t be that easy to get a ride. I¡¯m going to the city to do some errands anyway, so I might as well give you a lift It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Since he put it that way, it would be inappropriate to refuse again. ¡°Thank you, then. I¡¯m going to Jade Garden.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 On the way. Mason would chat with her from time to time, but he knew how to control the conversation. He wouldn¡¯t ask too much about what happened to her at the police station or why she appeared at the hospitalst time Instead, he would notice the unique phone charm Celeste had and ask where she bought it When he found out she made it herself, he looked surprised andplimented her This kind of consideration made her feel very rxed She couldn¡¯t help but imagine hat if Liam was with her now, he¡¯d probably nce at it disdainfully andment, ¡°That¡¯s so ugly¡± If she could ever hear apliment from Liam¡¯s mouth, it must be the end of the world. Liam didn¡¯t love her, so he never knew how to appreciate her ¡°Is this the ce?¡± Mason slowed down the car Celeste came back to her senses, looked outside, and nodded, ¡°Just pull over and let me out.¡± Once the car stopped, Celeste said, ¡°Wait for me a moment.¡± Mason was confused and wanted to ask more, but Celeste got out of the car and walked across the street. He saw her disappear among the passing cars. About ten minutester, Mason saw her figure again. This time, she was holding two cups of coffee, standing on the other side of the zebra crossing, scanning the passing cars. Mason¡¯s gaze was fixed on her face, unable to move away. He didn¡¯t came back to reality until the car window was knocked on He rolled down the window, and Celeste handed him a cup of coffee Mason took it, emotions swirling in his heart, and he said softly. ¡°My name is Mason, what¡¯s yours?¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, then smiled, ¡°I¡¯m Selena Colton.¡± On the other side, Kaylee was restless after learning that Mason had a date. ¡°Liam! Mason said he has a date! Who is his date?¡± Liam didn¡¯t feel well and had no mood to deal with her, he said impatiently, ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you his best friend? How could you not know? Who is his date?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Liam took the phone back from her hand, coldly said, ¡°Kaylee, if you make a scene here again, get out!¡± Kaylee stopped talking, knowing her brother had a bad temper. In fact, she was afraid of Liam. And today, Liam¡¯s temper was so bad, could it be because Celeste said something to him? Thinking of this, Kaylee felt uneasy and tentatively asked, ¡°What did Celestee to thepany for?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°How should you address her? Kaylee reluctantly said, ¡°Ah, what did my sister-inwe to thepany for?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you? Go get Owen for me.¡± Kaylee could only swallow her anger and leave with a dark face to call Owen. She originally wanted to follow him in, but Liam pushed her out She found it strange that there was something they decided she couldn¡¯t hear Not long after, Owen came out, holding two boxes in his hand, which she had just seen in Liam¡¯s office but didn¡¯t know what they were, -looking mysterious Owen didn¡¯t notice her and left thepany, driving away. Out of curiosity, Kaylee followed him. Surprisingly, she followed him to her own home. She saw Owen hand the two boxes to the nanny. saying a few words, and then drove away. After Owen left, she went home, took the two boxes from the nanny, opened one and frowned, ¡°Why did my brother send this home?¡± The nanny exined. ¡°This is the gift from Mr. Campbell.¡± So that was why Celeste wasing to thepany! None of these people were good! She angrily threw the stuff on the ground and stomped on it a few times. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 By the time the nanny realized she should stop it, it was already toote. Looking at the broken stuff on the ground, the nanny¡¯s face was full of panic, ¡°Oh my God, how could you step on this and break it?!¡± Kaylee snorted, ¡°What¡¯s so good about this piece of junk? My mom doesn¡¯t even like it!¡± ¡°But you still shouldn¡¯t step on It! How am I supposed to give this to Mrs. Reed now? Mr. Reed specifically told me to hand it to her personally If he finds out it¡¯s ruined like this, how am I supposed to exin it to him?¡± ¡°If my brother asks, just say you alreaddy gave it to her. How would he know if you did or not?¡± ¡°But Kaylee red at her, ¡°Stop worrying! I take responsibility if anything happens! Hurry up and throw this junk away, it¡¯s annoying to look at!¡± The nanny didn¡¯t dare say anything else and just went to clean up As soon as Celeste came back, Trisha noticed the band-aid on her neck. After asking about it, she found out about the unpleasant incident Celeste had experienced that day ¡°That crazy woman! She doesn¡¯t even care about the consequences for the baby in her belly!¡± Trisha scolded indignantly, before asking. ¡°So, you just thanked the handsome guy who helped you with a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°What else shoud I do?¡± Trisha pped her thigh. ¡°You should have invited him to have dinner together! Just buying him a coffee is not sincere enough!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only the second time I¡¯ve met him. Wouldn¡¯t inviting him to dinner be too sudden?¡± ¡°No way! It¡¯s a different time now, people have dinner together on their first meeting. You two have met twice in three days, isn¡¯t that fate? How old is this handsome guy? Is he good-looking?¡± Celeste felt like Trisha was insinuating something and narrowed her eyes to ask, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say anything, just that he seems like a decent guy, worth considering¡± Celeste threw a pillow at her face, ¡°Bullshit! I¡¯m married! What are you thinking?!¡± Trisha hugged the pillow, ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting a divorce? There¡¯s nothing wrong with looking for a new target in advance, right? Speaking. of which, didn¡¯t you go to talk about the divorce with Liam today? How did it go? When can we get the paperwork done?¡± Mentioning this, Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. Liam kicked me out of thepany.¡± ¡°What happened? Tell me everything¡± Celeste told Trisha what happened that day, and of course, regarding the matter of scheduling an appointment for Liam at the urology clinic, she voluntarily omitted it. After listening, Trisha was puzzled, ¡°Why do I feel like Liam gets a bit impatient whenever you mention divorce?¡± Celeste shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s always been impatient with me.¡± ¡°Really? If he¡¯s really that impatient, why doesn¡¯t he just get the divorce and be done with it? I feel like he doesn¡¯t really want to.¡± Celeste paused for a moment, then shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand Liam. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t want to divorce, he just doesnt like that I brought it up first.¡± He can¡¯t tolerate a woman he¡¯d been supporting at a high price trying to break free from his control.From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°You said on the phone that you had something important to tell me. What is it?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It¡¯s about your bag. You asked me to put it online, and there have been quite a few inquiries.¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°That many people? Where are these rich people from?¡± ¡°No way! They¡¯re just a bunch of onlookers. After all, no one has ever put this bag up for sale before. But there are a few small inte celebrities in the circle who want to rent your bag for photoshoots.¡± Celeste waved her hand. ¡°Only for sale, not for rent¡± ¡°I told them that. I screened them all and found one person who was genuinely interested in buying it. They¡¯ve been messaging me for three days, asking for lots of detailed pictures, and finally, they asked if they could meet in person to inspect the item and negotiate the price. I agreed on your behalf.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about their background?¡± Trisha thought for a moment and said. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be from your circle ofdies. They asked to meet at a second-hand luxury store, which is a ce frequented by lesser-known celebrities and some fake socialites.¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Ill go check it out tomorrow then.¡± ¡°Lastly, the most important thing today,¡± Trisha hooked her arm around Celeste¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Director Zach Miller¡¯s new drama, Phoenix Fire, is recruiting actors! Although the main roles have been decided, you know that Zach values acting skills a lot. Even if you¡¯re just a supporting role, as long as you can act, you can still be popr. They¡¯re arranging auditions this Friday, and I¡¯ve already used my connections to get your information in.¡± Celeste was shocked, ¡°I don¡¯t have any works to my name. How did you manage to get my information in?¡± ¡°I have some connections in this industry! For the agent column, I temporarily put my name, and we can change itter when you sign with apany,¡± Trisha paused, ¡°Do you want to go?¡± ¡®Of course! You¡¯ve already gotten me this opportunity, how could I not go?¡± Trisha cleared her throat, ¡°But there are two things I need to make clear to you. First, the role being recruited is a fourth female lead, so the amount of screen time might not be much. Second, the female lead of this drama is Sydney¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. Trisha carefully observed Celeste¡¯s expression, ¡°If you feel ufortable, we don¡¯t have to go to the audition. There opportunities. I can find something else for you.¡± Celeste only hesitated for two seconds before making a decision, ¡°I want to go.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± It wouldn¡¯t befortable for anyone to be overshadowed by their real-life rival in a drama, ¡°You don yourself¡­¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°If I can¡¯t even handle this, I might as well go back to being Liam¡¯s caged pet. The road ahead will be harder than this.¡± The next day, Celeste went to the second hand luxury store with her bag, as agreed with the buyer. The store owner led her to a private room on the second floor after she exined her purpose The room was filled with the scent of incense, which smelled like pine, faint and refreshing. Celeste was very interested in the scent and asked, ¡°What kind of incense is this?¡± The owner said, ¡°This incense was given to me by a friend who made it himself. I can¡¯t say for sure what it¡¯s made of. Do you ¡°It smells nice.¡± As they were talking, a bell rang downstairs, and the owner excused himself to attend to it. Shortly after, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a woman wearing sunsses and wrapped up tightly entered. strong scent of her perfume filled the room, almost overpowering the refreshing scent. ¡°Are you the one who sells bags?¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 This sharp voice, tinged with a hint of surprise, sounded very familiar and immediately evoked a sense of disgust from Celeste. Celeste looked up and gave her a casual nce, ¡°Ms. Denton, long time no see.¡± Their boss, who came rushing over, said in surprise. ¡°You two know each other?¡± Sydney straightened her coat, smiled, and slowly walked over to sit across from Celeste, ¡°Yes, and we have a special rtionship.¡± The boss didn¡¯t catch the hidden meaning andughed, ¡°Ah, old friends! Do you two want to chat privately?¡± Sydney nced at the boss, ¡°We¡¯re just familiar, not really friends¡± One sentence clearly defined their rtionship, making the boss feel awkward. However, Celeste didn¡¯t show any emotion and pushed her bag forward, ¡°Here, ording to the shop¡¯s rules, please check the goods first.¡± Seeing that Sydney had no objection, the boss took the bag and began to inspect it. The table in the room was tiny, and the distance between Celeste and Sydney was only about a meter. Still, the tense atmosphere between them made the owner a few meters away feel a bit suffocated. ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re so shameless, selling other people¡¯s stuff. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just getting rid of some unneeded stuff. Why should I feel embarrassed? By your logic, those who want other people¡¯s unwanted things should feel ashamed, right? But it seems Ms. Denton doesn¡¯t feel that way Celesteughed. Sydney¡¯s face darkened. Worried that anything she said would be leaked, she held back her anger. About twenty minutester, the owner finished checking the bag and confirmed it was genuine. He then asked Celeste for her asking price. ¡°Five million.¡± Upon hearing this, Sydney exploded before the boss could even assess the price, ¡°Five million? Celeste, are you going crazy for money? The original price was over two million, and now you want five million? Do you think I¡¯m easy to fool?¡± Celeste¡¯s expression remained calm, ¡°If you can buy it for the original price of over two million, why buy a second-hand one? Ms. Denton, this bag is only avable to members, you know? Only top members who spend over twenty million are eligible to buy it. Since it¡¯s a like-new bag, I should add some membership fees, right?¡± ¡°Membership fees? Celeste, did you even buy this bag with your own money? You¡¯re spending Liam¡¯s money recklessly, and now you want to add a membership fee to sell it? No wonder Liam says you¡¯re greedy¡± Celeste¡¯s hands suddenly tightened, and her eyes became cold, ¡°Ms. Denton, the Liam you¡¯re talking about is my legal husband. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable for me to spend his money, and I don¡¯t need you to meddle. If you want this bag, it¡¯s a fixed price of five million, no bargaining if you can¡¯t afford it, then don¡¯t waste each other¡¯s time. I¡¯m very busy¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying I can¡¯t afford it?¡± Sydney was furious, ¡°I¡¯m just questioning whether your price is reasonable. This bag is only valued at three million, but you¡¯re asking for five million. It¡¯s totally disrupting the market order!¡± Celesteughed. ¡°Ms. Denton seems to have misunderstood. We¡¯re dealing with personal private property here, not market rules. If the deal goes through, I only need to pay value-added tax, which is not against regtions. Besides, the value pricing is for the buyer¡¯s reference. The item is mine, and the pricing is my choice. If you think it¡¯s unreasonable, you don¡¯t have to trade.¡± ¡°You-¡± Sydney¡¯s face turned red with anger. Seeing Celeste¡¯s calm expression, she was even more speechless. But then, she suddenly sneered, ¡°Celeste, you saw that the buyer was me and deliberately raised the price, right?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t answer and just looked at her indifferently. Sydney was now more certain of her guess and smiled, ¡°Since it¡¯s not your own stuff, what¡¯s the point of holding onto it?¡± Originally, she thought that remark would make Celeste angry. In their previous interactions, Celeste didn¡¯t seem like someone who -could stay calm. As long as she got close to Liam, Celeste couldn¡¯t hide her jealousy in the eyes. But the reality disappointed her. Celeste just nced at her carelessly. ¡°If Ms. Denton insists on thinking that way, then do you want to buy it?¡± Sydney couldn¡¯tugh anymore. If she bought it, she¡¯d feel cheated; if she didn¡¯t, Celeste¡¯s expression seemed to mock her As if understanding her thoughts, Celeste put the bag back in the box. Just as she was about to close the lid, Sydney suddenly stopped her, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it!¡± Celeste stopped and looked at her, ¡°Pay in full.* Sydney gritted her teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t shortchange you!¡± Five million wasn¡¯t a small sum. Sydney went out to make a call, and Celeste waited in the room for over half an hour before she When she came back, her face didn¡¯t look good. In front of the shop owner, theypleted the transaction, and Sydney transferred the five million to Celeste¡¯s ount on the spot. As Sydney signed the papers, Celeste¡¯s eyes were drawn to a familiar diamond bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet¡¯s design and craftsmanship wem very simr to the one she had returned to Liam before. After signing. Sydney noticed Celeste staring at her wrist. She raised it and smiled, ¡°This bracelet was a gift from Liam when I made my debut Celeste, did he give you jewelry made of diamonds too? Do you know why?¡± Celeste body stiffened slightly, and her fingers slowly clenched. Her expression said it all, and Sydney¡¯s guess was spot on. But Celeste didn¡¯t want to hear the reason behind it and even felt an urge to escape. However, Sydney didn¡¯t give her that chance. She mocked, ¡°It¡¯s because his knowledge of jewelry is based on my preferences, and my favorite is diamonds.¡± ¡°Celeste, let me tell you, Liam has never really loved you. If his grandma didn¡¯t oppose us being together back then, do you think you¡¯d have a chance to marry him? But things are different now, Sienna Reed is getting old, and she can¡¯t control the family anymore. Sooner orter, everything will fall into Liam¡¯s hands. What do you think your fate will be then?¡± Sydney smirked, ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d choose to leave on my own, at least that way you can keep some dignity. But if you get kicked out, well, that would be just in embarrassing¡± Celeste asked her, ¡°When you started your career, Liam and I were already married, right?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Sydney was a bit baffled, ¡°What?¡± She didn¡¯t quite catch the meaning of these words at first. Celeste continued, ¡°So every penny he spent on youes from our shared property. ording to the law, I have the right to im it back.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 She said all that, but Celeste was actually thinking about how to get her property back? Sydney said in disbelief, ¡°Celeste, are you out of your mind? I¡¯m telling you Liam doesn¡¯t love you at all, and I¡¯m already pregnant with his child. You¡¯re still shamelessly clinging to the position of his wife, don¡¯t you feel a bit shameless?¡± Celeste chuckled lightly. ¡°Ms. Denton, you¡¯re a big star. Have you ever thought about what would happen if I posted your words online? Being a homewrecker and forcing the original wife to divorce, your carefully built image over the years will be ruined in an instant, and you might even have to pay a huge penalty Do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡± Sydney wasn¡¯t frightened by her words, but instead she smiled faintly, ¡°Celeste, I¡¯ve been in the industry for so many years and have never encountered any fake news. Like thest time I had a fender bender, it was a big fuss, but in the end, it was just a small matter, right? Why do you think I can turn danger into safety every time? Who else has that ability besides Liam? Although I lost a month of exposure, I got the voice acting job for Legend.¡± Celeste¡¯s smile gradually turned cold. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Legend, a crappy game Sydney nced at her, ¡°What am I telling you this for? Celeste, you better leave on your own. When I get bigger, youll be kicked out! Even if Sienna doesn¡¯t want to, she can¡¯t refuse her own grandson, can she?¡± Celeste felt her hands trembling, and her back started to feel cold. No wonder he showed up at Gxy Music for the audition! No wonder the previously confirmed contract suddenly changed! It turned out he snatched the contract from her and used it to please other women! Liam, had you ever had any respect for me? Seeing her ugly face, Sydney thought it was the pregnancy that finally hit Celeste¡¯s sore spot, so she continued. ¡°To tell you the truth, Skyler already knows about my pregnancy. She promised me that if I have a boy, Liam will marry me. Who will stand by your side then?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, and her face was pale. She stared at Sydney, coldly said: ¡°Get out!¡± Sydney saw that her goal had been achieved, so she didn¡¯t stay any longer. She picked up her bag and left after some more jabs. Pinecrest Manor, 10:30 PM. A light rain drizzled. The rain had been falling since 2 PM and showed no signs of stopping. Liam liked to work or read in a quiet environment, where he was more efficient. But recently, it was strange that when the environment was too quiet, he found it harder to concentrate. When Celeste was around, she was always strictly forbidden to disturb him in his study. But she never listened, bringing him fruit, milk and snacks. Each time after delivering the items, she would either find an excuse to clean or give him a massage. In short, she wouldn¡¯t leave. Sometimes he didn¡¯t know what to do, so he just warned her not to make any noise. From N?velDrama.Org. She would seem very cooperative, but soon she would start sighing. If he asked her why she made noise, she would keep praising his handwriting and understanding ofplex data. He used to think she was too noisy, but now that she was gone, he felt uneasy Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 The sounds from outside the window were no help to him. What he wanted to hear wasn¡¯t that ¡°Knock, knock- The knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Liam said thoughtfully. ¡°Come in¡± The maid entered with a cup of tea. ¡°Sir, the ck tea is ready¡± Liam took off his sses, rubbed theers of his eyes, and said tiredly. ¡°Thank you, put it there¡± The maid put down the tea and left Liam took a sip and frowned. It didn¡¯t taste the same as before, a bit sour and nauseating He didn¡¯t drink any more, and just as he was about to pick up his book, his phone rang He nced at it, saw it was a strange number, and didn¡¯t answer The call rang for a while, and then the other party called again. He finally pressed the answer key ¡°Hello, Mr. Beast Your wife got drunk at our bar. Can youe and pick her up?¡± ¡°You got the wrong number¡± Liam said indifferently and hung up But not long after, the other party called again. Liam frowned and answered again. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t dial the wrong number. She left this number. Mr. Beast, is your wife at home? How do you know if the call is wrong or not?¡± Liam replied impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m not Mr. Beast¡± After saying that, he hung up again. This time the other party didn¡¯t call back, but a few minutester, his phone received a photo. The photo was taken in a dimly lit environment, but it was clear to see that the woman lying drunk on the bar counter was Celeste Liam¡¯s eyes darkened, and he immediately called back, ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my drink? Celeste squinted her eyes and shook her empty ss, stammering, ¡°Who had my drink?¡± The bartender handed her a ss of water, ¡°Here¡¯s your drink.¡± Celesteughed, took the ss and drank a big gulp, then the next second cursed, ¡°You tricked me with water? Are you afraid I get drunk and not pay? I tell you, my husband is very rich! He can buy all the bars for me, do you think he cares about this little drink money? Pour me another!¡± The bartender had never seen such a drunk woman. She could still tell the difference between water and alcohol, but she kept babbling about where she lived One moment she said her husband was a tycoon with enough cars to fill an underground garage, who traveled in a Rolls-Royce and took a private jet on trips. Then a whileter, she was crying and comining about having to divorce and not being able to enjoy those things anymore, asking how to get more money in the divorce. The bartender was very envious, after all, he no longer had the energy to dream like that. Amotion came from the entrance, a gray sports car parked outside the bar, sshing a string of water Someone nearby eximed, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a Bugatti!¡± The bartender was taken aback, and the next second saw the car door open, a man holding an umbre walked out, heading straight for the bar¡¯s entrance. A man walked into a bar, dressed in a suit and tie, looking all serious and out of ce He seemed like he¡¯d fit in better at a high-scale gathering of celebs, not a small pub like this. But who knew what rich folks were thinking, right? Maybe he just wanted to experience the vibe of a small pub? The bartender greeted him with a professional smile, ¡°Wee¡­¡± Celeste, annoyed, tapped her ss, ¡°What are you saying? You haven¡¯t poured me a drink yet! Hurry up!¡± sta loss with the drunk girl and could only try to calm her down, ¡°Miss, we¡¯re out of alcohol, and the bar is about to close.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! Everyone else has a drink, why don¡¯t 17¡± The drunk girl was obviously not good at hiding her feelings. Seeing the Bugatti owner approaching, the bartender suddenly had an idea, ¡°We really are out of alcohol. This gentleman bought thest of it. Maybe you cane back tomorrow?¡± Celeste frowned and wobbled up, grabbing the man¡¯s cor and poking his chin, ¡°Did you buy all the drinks?¡± Her cheeks were flushed, her clothes disheveled, her hair messy, and she reeked of alcohol, a far cry from her usual self. Liam frowned and pushed her hand away. ¡°Speak up! Did you buy all the drinks?¡± The bartender¡¯s words, meant to pacify her, were taken literally. She clung to Liam¡¯s cor, arguing. ¡°I got here before you, why did you buy all the drinks? Haven¡¯t you heard of firste, first served?¡± The bartender got nervous, worried about Liam getting angry, and quickly exined, ¡°Sir, thedy¡¯s had too much to drink, please don¡¯t take it personally.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s drunk!¡± Celeste red at the bartender, ¡°You money hungry guy, did you sell him the drinks just because he paid more?¡± Seeing her almost pull Liam¡¯s clothes out of shape, the bartender womed she would offend him, so he compromised, ¡°Miss, just let go of him, and I¡¯ll give you a bottle of alcohol for free, okay?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Celeste held up a finger, waving it in front of him, ¡°No!¡± The bartender was utterly disheartened, only to hear Celeste giggle and say, ¡°I can¡¯t drink for free, I have to give you money¡± She let go of Liam and started rummaging through her bag for money, but couldn¡¯t find any. She frowned and muttered, ¡°Where¡¯s my money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you for free, no need for money.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Celeste insisted, ¡°I must pay!¡± Suddenly, she pulled a diamond ring from her bag and held it up with a grin, ¡°I don¡¯t have money, so take this.¡± The diamond on the ring was astonishinglyrge, glittering and dazzling under the lights. Just as she was about to hand the ring to the bartender, Liam snatched it away Celeste frowned, ¡°Why are you taking my ring?¡± Liam gritted his teeth, holding back his anger, ¡°You¡¯re using your wedding ring to pay for drinks?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned ugly. The bartender hesitated, wondering how this guy knew it was a wedding ring. Seeing Liam¡¯s expression, he suddenly thought, could he be the rich husband the drunk girl mentioned? Celeste looked at his face and suddenly leaned in, ¡°Handsome, how much for you to spend the night with me?¡± Liam¡¯s face was cold, his eyes like ice, devoid of warmth. He spoke in a low, dangerous voice, ¡°What do you think?¡± Celeste, her head a mess from the alcohol, didn¡¯t hear the danger in his words. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 She lifted Liam¡¯s chin with her hand, her thumb sliding across his lips and down his throat. Sheughed seductively, pressing her lips to his, ¡°You look so fancy, so you must be expensive¡± Her slender, fair fingers traced his chest, her half-closed eyes shining with allure, ¡°Ill give you three thousand, will you sleep with me?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he smirked coldly. ¡°Three thousand? Isn¡¯t that a bit low?¡± Celeste furrowed her brow puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t three thousand a fair price nowadays?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°You seem to know quite a bit.¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment before hardening her resolve, ¡°Fire! Since you¡¯re so fancy. I¡¯ll add another five hundred. Three thousand five, not a cent more!¡± Liam wished he could dunk her head into the nearby fish tank to sober her up! From N?velDrama.Org. If he hadn¡¯t shown up tonight, would she have just taken any guy home with her? The thought made Liam¡¯s face turn even uglier Unaware of the danger, Celeste took a bank card from her wallet and stuffed it into Liam¡¯s shirt cor. She pinched his cheek andughed. ¡°You can¡¯t back out now.¡± Liam took a deep breath, grabbed her by the back of the neck, and led her out. The bartender hurriedly called out, ¡°Sir, your wife hasn¡¯t paid for her drinks yet.¡± Liam stopped, ring at the culprit, and held her tightly. He took a gold bank card from his pocket and threw it to the bartender, ¡°No password¡± bateckto Liam looked impatient, and the bartender didn¡¯t dare say more. He quickly settled the bill, put the card away, and handed it back to Liam with both hands. ¡°Mr Beast, take care, and pleasee again.¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°Who told you I¡¯m Mr. Beast?¡± The bartender froze, and an image slowly surfaced in his mind. Celeste, drunk at their bar, was being constantly hit on by male customers because of her beauty. Worried about he bartender wanted to contact her family to pick her up. But Celeste¡¯s phone was dead, so he had no choice but to ask her After some questioning, he finally got a phone number. So he asked Celeste, ¡°Is this your family¡¯s number?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°It¡¯s my husband¡¯s number¡± ¡°What¡¯s your husband¡¯sst name?¡± ¡°My husband¡­ haha, Mr. Beast¡­ jerk!¡± The bartender¡­ He braced himself and said earnestly, ¡°Thedy said it herself.¡± Liam red at him for two seconds before leaving with the tipsy Celeste. Just as the bartender was about to help open the door, Liam bent down and picked Celeste up. He had quite a hard time getting into the car and got soaked in the rain in the process When he got into the driver¡¯s seat, he saw Celeste leaning against the car window with her eyes closed, as if asleep. As Liam turned to the side, cing his arm across her chest to fasten the seatbelt, he suddenly felt a hand wrap around his neck -Looking up, Celeste¡¯s eyes were slightly open, a smile on her lips, and she whispered, ¡°Where are we going to crash for the night Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Her eyes were big, and when she was sober, those eyes always carried a hint of coldness. But when sheughed, these eyes were dazzlingly beautiful And when she was tipsy like now, with her eyes slightly squinted, she was unconsciously alluring Liam stared at her with his eyes downcast, his voice low and dangerous, asking. ¡°Where do you want to sleep?¡± Celeste tilted her head, pondered seriously, and finally replied with an arched eyebrow, ¡°Let¡¯s go to your ce¡± Liam looked up and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Celeste felt the figure in front of her sway, shook her head with a frown, and then held Liam¡¯s face, drunkenly saying. ¡°You¡¯re charging three thousand five for an overnight stay. If we also get a hotel room, the cost will be too high. Let¡¯s just go to your ce and save some money Maybe I need that money to file for divorce¡± Liam frowned deeply. Should hepliment her for being ¡°thrifty¡±? He replied grimly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid your husband will find out if we go to my ce?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t have a husband, I¡¯m a widow¡± Liam gritted his teeth, ¡°Do widows need to get a divorce?¡± Celeste frowned, apparently confused by her own inconsistent words Liam¡¯s question only made her more puzzled. ¡°So annoying! Why do you talk so much? I don¡¯t want to sleep with you anymore, give me my money back!¡± As she spoke, she waved her hand and groped Liam randomly Liam held her hands, buckled her seatbelt, and said expressionlessly. ¡°Toote.¡± After that, he started the car and drove away quickly. ¡°Let me out¡± Celeste protested softly Even when drunk, she never did anything dangerous like grabbing the steering wheel. She just stared with wide eyes, like an abandoned. stray cat From N?velDrama.Org. All bark, no bite. Liam ignored her. ¡°Are you kidnapping me? I¡¯m broke, please let me go¡­¡± Liam nced at her, his face expressionless, ¡°You didn¡¯t seem broke when you just spent three thousand five for the night, did you?¡± Celeste looked pitiful, ¡°I really don¡¯t have money I was pretending¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Liam fell silent for a moment, and just when Celeste thought she had persuaded him, Liam said again, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Celeste pouted, ¡°So how much ransom do you want?¡± Liam stared ahead, ¡°How much do you think you¡¯re worth?¡± Celeste frowned, looking troubled, and after a while, she said, ¡°Based on my looks, I should be worth at least a hundred million.¡± Liam shuddered. How did he not know before that she was so shameless? ¡°But I don¡¯t have a hundred million, why don¡¯t you ask my husband for it?¡± Liam snorted coldly. Now she remembered him? He had just regained a bit of his husbandly presence when he heard this annoying woman conspiring with him, ¡°Call him and ask for two hundred million Say you¡¯ll kill me if he doesn¡¯t pay up. When we get the money, we¡¯ll split it fifty-fifty, how about that?¡± Liam immediately put on a stern face He mocked, ¡°Where do you get the confidence to think he¡¯ll pay up?¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, her eyes suddenly dimmed, and her eyes reddened as she mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re right, he wouldn¡¯t care about me¡­. That time she almost died in the car ident, and he was by someone else¡¯s side. Liam frowned, feeling an inexplicable strangeness in his heart. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 He struggled to backpedal, ¡°I mean, who would believe such a stupid n?¡± But Celeste didn¡¯t seem to hear him, turning her head to lean against the window, no longer speaking. Liam wanted to say something but remained silent. What was the use of reasoning with a drunk person? No matter what he said, he would eventually be driven crazy by Celeste¡¯s logic, so he simply stopped talking The car soon arrived at Pinecrest Manor. As soon as the nanny heard the noise, she grabbed an umbre and ran outside, only to see Liam carrying someone out of the car. When she ran over with the umbre, she realized it was Celeste. ¡°What happened to Madam?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer, only saying. ¡°Go fill the bathtub with water.¡± As he carried Celeste upstairs, Liam noticed the teardrops on her eyshes and the faint redness at the corners of her eyes, as if she had just cried. He pursed his lips. ¡°Sir, the water is ready¡± The nanny wanted to help, but Liam refused, saying indifferently. ¡°Make a bowl of sobering soup.¡± The nanny looked at Celeste doubtfully and then left as instructed. The bathroom was filled with steam, and the air was hazy. Liam ced Celeste on the bed, looked down for a while, and began to unbutton her shirt. Suddenly, her smooth skin with a touch of redness came into view. He stopped, frowned, threw a towel on her, and turned away. As he opened the bathroom door, he bumped into the nanny waiting outside. She seemed startled by the sudden opening of the door and cautiously said, ¡°Sir, I brought some clothes¡± Liam nced at her and coldly said, ¡°Clean her up¡± before walking away. The nanny saw Celeste lying on the bathroom floor, her clothes intact Liam hadn¡¯t touched her By the time Celeste was cleaned up and taken to the bedroom, it was an hourter. The light was on in Liam¡¯s study. The nanny brought in a bowl of soup and whispered, ¡°Sir, Madam is asleep, should I feed her this sobering soup?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it inter,¡± Liam flipped a page of the document and looked up. ¡°You can go rest.¡± The nanny nodded, put down the soup, and left quietly. When there was no more noise downstairs, Liam closed the document. From N?velDrama.Org. He nced at the sobering soup on the table, picked it up and walked to the window to pour it out. That night, Celeste didn¡¯t sleep well, gued by nightmares. Sometimes she dreamed of the car ident from years ago, the desperation of being trapped under the car, other times she dreamed of Sydney being pregnant and marrying Liam, Liam emotionlessly pulling her hand away She backed away in disbelief, only to find a bottomless abyss beneath her feet¡­ Celeste¡¯s heart ached, and she suddenly woke up from her dream, covered in cold sweat. She gasped for breath, realizing it was just a dream¡­ Her phone on the table rang, and Celeste habitually reached out to fetch it, but instead of finding her phone, she touched something hard yet soft. She frowned, unconsciously pinched it, and suddenly heard a man¡¯s deep voice next to her ear, ¡°How does it feel?¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Celeste suddenly froze, her body acting like it was buffering, and slowly turned her head. Liam was lying on his side next to her, frowning, looking annoyed by the sudden noise. Looking down, her hand was shamelessly ced on Liam¡¯s chest, currently grabbing his pecs. She quickly withdrew her hand, looking dumbfounded, and asked a strange question, ¡°How did you end up here?¡± Liam didn¡¯t even bother to open his eyes,zily saying, ¡®Didn¡¯t you buy me to sleep with you?¡± Celeste instantly remembered the temporarily forgotten drunken rampage. ¡°How much do you charge for an overnight stay? I want to sleep with you.¡± Celeste wished she could bury her head in the sand. She definitely hadn¡¯t said that! Pretending not to hear Liam, she grabbed her clothes and tried to get up. Liam suddenly put out an arm, pushing her back down, ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet, where are you running away?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s running away?¡± Celeste wrapped the nket around herself, her face red, ¡°What do I owe you?¡± Liam propped his head up with his left hand, grabbed the nket with his right, and pulled her to him, ¡°Overnight fee, three thousand five This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. hundred Did he really take her drunken words seriously? Celeste, blushing, gritted her teeth, ¡°We just slept in the same bed innocently, why should I give you the money?¡± Did he think she was stupid? Nothing happened between them! Liam scolded lightly, ¡°Do you think the price would still be this low, if we did things other than sleeping?¡± Celeste: ¡°Can you count on what I said when I was drunk?¡± Liam squinted, ¡°You can just pick up a random guy and spend the night with him when you¡¯re drunk? Don¡¯t you have any self-awareness as a mamed woman?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t like this, so she red back, ¡°How am I not self-aware as a married woman? I was drunk, couldn¡¯t recognize people, and talked nonsense. What about you? You¡¯re sober and fooling around outside! Are you self-aware as a married man? Why do you ask others to do what you can¡¯t do yourself?¡± Liam was annoyed by her barrage of words, his face darkening. ¡°We¡¯re talking about your problem now. This isn¡¯t about me.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t sleep with anyone else, and even if I did, we¡¯re about to get a divorce, what does it matter!¡± How interesting! He was the one who betrayed her first! Celeste struggled to free herself from Liam¡¯s arm, trying to get out of bed, but he suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, pinning her down, gripping her chin, and said darkly, ¡°Say that again? This bastard¡¯s grip was very strong, hurting her bones. Celeste¡¯s temper red, she red at him, and said without holding back, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Mr. Reed, we¡¯re getting a divorce soon, why do you care who I spend the night with? You can¡¯t satisfy me, so I can¡¯t find someone else? Uh-¡± Before she could finish talking. Liam suddenly bit her lips fiercely. Yes, bit! Not kissed! Celeste struggled hard, but Liam pressed down on the nket, wrapping her up in it, and ravaged her lips. The physical disparity made it impossible for her to fight back. Her struggle gradually weakened, Liam¡¯s grip also gradually rxed, and the biting eventually turned into kissing. Just as Liam¡¯s lips fell on her delicate corbone, Celeste suddenly asked, ¡°Liam, are you angry at me because you¡¯re jealous right Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Liam stopped in his tracks, lifting his eyes. Celeste was beneath him, staring into his eyes, asking word by word, ¡°Have you fallen in love with me?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Liam let go of her, sat up, and gave her a cold nce, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, Celeste! Before we get a divorce, remember your identity and don¡¯t do stupid things that others have to clean up for you!¡± He put on his clothes, left the bedroom, and Celeste stared at the ceiling,ughing at herself. Knowing full well that she had no ce in his heart, even if it was just to provoke him, she couldn¡¯t help but have some expectations when she asked that question. She hated herself for her uncontroble heartbeat from Liam¡¯s touch, and for her foolish hopefulness despite knowing the oue. Her phone rang again, and Celeste unplugged the charger and answered. ¡°Letti?¡± Trisha¡¯s voice came through the phone, and Celeste replied, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Trisha sighed with relief, ¡°You scared me to death. Why didn¡¯t youe backst night? I could not reach you on the phone. Where did you go? I almost called the police!¡± Celeste rubbed her temples, easing the hangover-induced headache, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Last night¡­ I was at my mom¡¯s ce, forgot to bring the charger, and the phone ran out of battery and shut down.¡± She hid the fact that she was drunk so as not to worrying Trisha. ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re okay. I was just worned you¡¯d forget about the audition today. Are you still at the hospital? I¡¯lle pick you up in a bit, and we can head over early to prepare.¡± ¡°No need, let¡¯s meet directly at the hotel.¡± ¡°That works, see you in an hour.¡± After hanging up, Celeste quickly got out of bed and started packing Last nights clothes reeked of alcohol and couldn¡¯t be worn again, so Celeste shamelessly went to the wardrobe to pick out an outfit. During her absence, Liam hadn¡¯t touched her things. The wardrobe was still arranged the way she used to have it, and there were even a few new spring outfits. It was probably Sienna who had sent them. She was the only elder in the family who cared about her When she first married into the family and attended a family dinner with Liam, she was ridiculed for her outdated outfit Although her family was also in business, they were iparable to the Reed family. Girls like Kaylee, who were real daughters from rich families, wore thetest seasonal outfits, while she, wearing an old-fashioned suit, didn¡¯t fit in with this group. Especially when standing next to Liam. The mismatch was already foreshadowed. The awkwardness at the family dinner was resolved by Sienna with a few words. Since then, each quarter, someone would send her thetest outfits from various brands. Perhaps Sienna Reed¡¯s original intention was just for maintaining the Reed family¡¯s profile in front of others, but for Celeste, the care made her life much better Not sure if the divorce stuff would hurt Sienna Reed¡¯s feelings, Celeste suddenly felt a bit guilty looking at those clothes. When she finished tidying up and came downstairs, Liam was nowhere to be found, probably already left. As she was changing her shoes, the nanny stopped her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, breakfast is ready, have some before you go.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve got things to do.¡± ¡°At least have a few bite. Taking medicine on an empty stomach isn¡¯t good for you.¡± Celeste paused, only to see the nanny had already brought a bowl of dark, nasty-looking medicinal soup over. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 What did Skyler mean by this? She clearly already knew that Sydney was pregnant, but she still let the nanny give her medicine. Did they just see women as baby-making machines? As long as they can have kids, nothing else mattered? Celeste pursed her lips and said, ¡°You know that Liam and I are about to get a divorce. There¡¯s really no need for me to take this medicine anymore.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, small conflicts in mamed life are inevitable. Don¡¯t get a divorce just because of a fight, it¡¯ll hurt the foundation of your feelings. If he doesn¡¯t care about you, he wouldn¡¯t have left immediately after receiving the phone callst night. Besides, no couple, who are about to divorce, still shares a bed?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. How was she supposed to tell the nanny that they just slept in the same bedst night and nothing happened? ¡°Thedy said this medicine can increase the chances of getting pregnant. Once you¡¯re pregnant and there¡¯s a baby in the house, everything will get better.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t count how many times she had heard this over the years. At first, she thought that she and Liam didn¡¯t have much emotional foundation when they got married, so if they had a child sooner. there would be more bonds between them, and their connection would naturally be deeper But it was all her imagination. Liam never intended to have a child with her. She gradually realized that children should not be tools for her to tie Liam down. A child is a new life, and they should be born out of their parents¡¯ expectations, not as a tool to maintain a marriage She didn¡¯t want to have children with Liam anymore, and her worth was not just about having children. ¡°Martha, we¡¯re not nning to have children now, so this medicine is useless.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, thedy told me to make sure you drink it. It¡¯s for your own good. If you don¡¯t drink it, shell cause trouble for me. I can¡¯t lose this job, my son just started college this year.¡± The nanny¡¯s eyes were teary with urgency. Skyler was so persistent about this that it was frightening. She could even fire someone over drinking medicine? That was just ridiculous! Facing the anxious nanny, Celeste¡¯s heart softened. Although she didn¡¯t want to drink it, she took the bowl of medicine. Just as Celeste was about to drink the medicine, Liam¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Martha, please clean up the study. I identally spilled water on the table just now, and many books are wet¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t drunk the medicine yet, and Martha hesitated, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll goter¡­¡± ¡°Those books are important,¡± Liam said calmly. ¡°Thank you¡± Without any room for refusal, she didn¡¯t hesitate any further, answered, and went to the study. Celeste nced at Liam. This guy, he hadn¡¯t left yet. What bad luck! Just as she was about to drink the medicine and leave, she heard him say, ¡°Celeste, do you really want to get pregnant? Should I be d I didn¡¯t touch youst night?¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Liam, are you nuts? Who wants to get pregnant?¡± Liam nced at the bowl of medicine in her hand, ¡°Then what are you drinking this for? Not very convincing¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°You just reminded me, I¡¯m healthy, and as long as I sleep with a normal man, I can get pregnant. It¡¯s you who needs to work on yourself!¡± She shoved the medicine into his hand, ¡°Have it yourself!¡± With that, she mmed the door and left. Liam looked down at the soup in his hand. By the time the nanny finished cleaning and came out, Liam had already left. The bowl of medicine on the coffee table was empty. The nanny took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it. When Celeste arrived at the hotel, she was a few minuteste. 16:30 Chapter Trisha had been waiting for her andined quietly as soon as they met, ¡°There are so many people, I thought we were early bying an hour ahead of time, but we¡¯re actually among thest! It¡¯s not easy to be a small actress. Everyone¡¯s fighting over this one role.¡± Celeste looked down the hallway and saw that there were about twenty or thirty people standing there. Some came by themselves, some apanied by agents. With that many people, she had almost twentypetitors. Everyone was quietly preparing, and without exception, these actresses were all very beautiful. Celeste¡¯s confidence in her looks suddenly wavered. She had been spoiled by Liam for too long, thinking that with a pretty face, she could really dominate the entertainment industry. In reality, there were too many good-looking people in this circle. Beauty was actually the mostmon thing here. To stand out among these people with professional acting experience, she could only rely on professional abilities. Realizing this, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Trisha noticed this and whisperedfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, just stay calm and perform well. Don¡¯t think too much, as long as we get through the y smoothly, that¡¯s enough.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste calmed down a bit and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Not long after, the door to the room opened, and one by one, the actresses were called in for the audition. The atmosphere instantly tensed up. There were sixteen actresses auditioning, and with eight minutes per person, it would take more than two hours. But in reality, each person¡¯s audition time was shorter than eight minutes. Celeste was on edge, ready to be called at any moment, but until there were only two people left outside, she still hadn¡¯t heard her name. After thest actress left, she was the only one left in the room. But even after waiting for a long time, no one came out to call her. Something seemed off. Trisha also began to feel nervous, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer. They might be busy with something else.¡± As she said this, she didn¡¯t quite believe it herself. A few more minutes passed, and the door opened again. The two of them tensed up, but it was the woman in charge who came out to go downstairs, not to call names for the audition. Trisha quickly stood up and caught up with her, ¡°Hello, why aren¡¯t you continuing the audition? Is there a problem?¡± The woman nced at her and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Trisha was dumbfounded for a moment, ¡°Are you joking? My friend hasn¡¯t been called yet.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¡°How would I know? I call people based on the resumes I receive. If your name wasn¡¯t called, it means I didn¡¯t get your resume.¡± The woman said this while pressing the elevator button. ¡°No way! I submitted my resume, how could it be missing? Did you overlook it? Can you go back and check again?¡± Frowning, the woman replied, ¡°Are you kidding me? I said it¡¯s not there! How could I mess up with just a few resumes?¡± Trisha forced a smile and said, ¡°Sis, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. This audition is really important to us. Can you help us out and let us try again? It won¡¯t take up too much of everyone¡¯s time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that much power, and besides, the role has already been chosen. You¡¯d be better off trying your luck with another crew,¡± With that said, the elevator opened, and the woman walked straight in. Tnsha hurriedly called the friend who submitted the resume to ask what happened. Celeste stood silently beside her, not saying a word. It was clear, her resume had been swapped Auditions for Zach¡¯s productions were alwayspetitive. If Trisha could sneak Celeste¡¯s resume in, others could easily rece hers. As a neer not signed to any agency, even if her resume was switched, she had no way of pursuing the matter. After hanging up the phone, Trisha let out a string of curses. Then, she looked at Celeste, feeling guilty. After all, she had confidently said everything was taken care of, but now they¡¯vee back empty handed, which was quite embarrassing. ¡°Letti, I¡¯m so sorry. I really didn¡¯t expect this to happen. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for other opportunities for you in the future¡­¡± ¡°As long as I haven¡¯t signed a contract, everything is uncertain, right?¡± Celeste suddenly said coldly. Trisha was taken aback, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± With a slight smile, Celeste replied, ¡°I want to give it a try. If I get kicked outter, just pretend you don¡¯t know me¡± Before Trisha could react, Celeste took off her sses, tied up her hair, put on her zer, and knocked on the hotel room door. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello, room service¡± The next second, the door opened, and Celeste was invited in. Trisha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, eximing, ¡°Is this even possible?¡± Celeste lowered her head and followed. The audition room was a suite with ample space. The person who opened the door for her said while walking, ¡°It seems there¡¯s a problem with the bathroom exhaust fan. Can you fix it?¡± Realizing she came empty handed, he was about to ask when Celeste suddenly rushed into the living room, shouting, ¡°Mr. Miller, I¡¯m the 17th auditionee, my name is Celeste. Please give me a chance to audition!¡± The people in the room realized something was wrong and hurried to stop her, ¡°The audition is over, please leave!¡± Celeste struggled and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s not over until the contract is signed! Didn¡¯t you hold a public audition to find the most suitable actor? How can you be sure you¡¯ve found the right person when not all the actors have auditioned?¡± ¡°Get out! The audition is over, and if you keep this up, we¡¯ll call the police!¡± Celeste was so strong that two grown men could hardly hold her back. ¡°Mr. Miller! At least give me a chance, just seven minutes, no, five minutes, that¡¯s all I need, Director Miller!¡± As the two sides argued fiercely, the door to the inner room opened, and Zach came out, frowning. ¡°What¡¯s all the noise out here?¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Before the staff could exin, Celeste broke free from their grip and spoke first, ¡°Mr. Miller, I¡¯m the 17th auditionee, Celeste. Please give me a chance to audition¡± Zach looked her up and down, ¡°Your information wasn¡¯t on the resumes I received¡± ¡°My name is Celeste, I¡¯m 25 years old, and I graduated from the University of F¡¯s acting program in 2019. ¡°What works have you done?¡± Celeste clenched her fists, her voice low, ¡°None.¡± ¡°None¡± Zach was surprised, ¡°Did you change careers after graduation?¡± ¡°No¡­ Celeste hesitated before continuing, ¡°Due to some personal reasons, I haven¡¯t worked since graduation and have only performed in a few campus ys.¡± ¡°So you have no acting experience¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, taking it as a confirmation. ¡°If you haven¡¯t been in the industry for three years since graduation, why do you want to start again now?¡± Telling someone like Zach, who¡¯d seen it all, that it was because of a dream would be a joke. So Celeste told the truth, ¡°I need money.¡± Zach looked at her in surprise. Celeste continued, ¡°I also need a job that can be recognized to prove my worth. Mr. Miller, I¡¯m asking you to give me a chance to audition and give the casting of this role another chance.¡± Zach chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯ve got quite the attitude. You don¡¯t even have acting experience, yet you¡¯re so confident?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°I just trust Mr. Miller¡¯s careful selection of roles.¡± Before Zach could respond, there was a noise from the room. He went back inside, and a moment later, he came out again. As the door closed, Celeste caught a glimpse of a tall figure inside the room. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you this chance. Give her the script,¡± Zach nced at the time, ¡°You have five minutes to memorize lines and start your action. When you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll start¡± Celeste immediately focused and quickly went over the script. The role they werepeting for was the fourth female lead. The scene they had to audition was when the heroine discovered that her best friend was the one who drugged her, and they turned against each other. Three pages of dialogue, with rapid emotional changes, were a real test of an actor¡¯s skills. The room was very quiet, with only the sound of her flipping through the pages. Two minutester, Celeste looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Zach nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± Celeste looked up, and the previous calmness in her eyespletely disappeared, reced by a weak and helpless appearance. As soon as she spoke, everyone present was stunned. Celeste¡¯s performance was absolutely mind-blowing. The minute she started, she was fully emotionally invested in the character. That fierce face of hers instantly turned into a pitiful and delicate one, with an indescribably hurt expression. It seemed like everything she said was the truth, as if she was the one being persecuted. Zach¡¯s expression turned serious, and he continued reading with his lips tightly pressed together. Celeste¡¯s handling of emotions was extremely meticulous. She was able to memorize all the lines in just two minutes, Moreover, hermand of the lines was impressive even without acting experience. There wasplete silence until the performance was over, no one spoke. Although Celeste was confident in her abilities, she knew that it was difficult to handle each emotion perfectly in such a short time. She did her best Zach did notment on her performance but whispered something to the person next to him. Then he looked up at Celeste and said, ¡°Try another scene.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes lit up ¨C there seemed to be hope. If they were dissatisfied, they would have asked her to leave immediately. Another script was handed to her. Celeste looked down to find that it was not the same character as before, but the third female character in the y, a cunning and scheming woman who was good at disguises. However, hadn¡¯t this role already been cast? Why would Zach have her audition for it? Although she had questions, she didn¡¯t ask any question. After memorizing the lines, she looked up and said, ¡°I am ready¡± Zach nodded for her to begin. Celeste adjusted her emotions, lifted her head, and without saying a word, a proud aura emerged. After her performance, the room was as silent as a tomb. After auditioning with two scenes, Celeste felt more confident. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pursue acting after graduation?¡± Zach finally asked, showing his curiosity He needed to understand the background of the actress he was about to sign to avoid any unexpected events affecting the production. Celeste pondered for a few seconds and then spoke the truth: ¡°Because I got married.¡± Zach shocked, not expecting the reason to be mamage. There was silence again. After a while, Zach said, ¡°Leave your contact information. We¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s any news.¡± As she left, Celeste¡¯s heartbeat gradually returned to normal. She appeared calm andposed in front of Zach, but in reality, she was very nervous. Trisha had been waiting outside for her and ran over as soon as she saw her, ¡°You were in there for so long, I was extremely nervous!¡± Celeste tightly held her hand and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Once they were in the car and she heard everything that had happened, Trisha was bbergasted. ¡°Oh my god, Zach actually had you audition for another role?¡±From N?velDrama.Org. Celeste shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. How could they let me y such an important role? I thought they had already chosen someone for it.¡± Trisfia closed the car window, ¡°That might just have been a rumor. Besides, Zach is known for taking chances on new actors.¡± Despite what was said, Celeste stillcked confidence. Trisha was brimming with confidence, ¡°Did Zach say anything?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°He just took my phone number. Maybe it was just a whim to have me try¡± Trisha said, ¡°It would be great if you could seize this opportunity. Let¡¯s go have a nice meal to celebrate.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to celebrate?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s celebrate the fact that you¡¯re about to get out of this awful marriage. Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 When they arrived at the restaurant, it was packed with people and there was no parking space avable at the entrance, so they had to park the car in the underground garage of the shopping mall across the street. Trisha had recently obtained her driver¡¯s license and was eager to show off her excellent parking skills. Celeste got out of the car to help her keep an eye out. At that moment, Celeste saw Shawn getting out of a white Audi with a young woman across the street. The woman with medium-length hair was dressed in fashionable designer clothes. As soon as she got out of the car, she walked up to Shawn and wrapped her arm around his, looking intimately close. Shawn smiled, rarely seen by Celeste. Perhaps her gaze was too direct, Shawn suddenly looked over, noticed Celeste, frowned, and quickly shook off the woman¡¯s arm, gesturing for her to go ahead. He then walked up to Celeste, ¡°Letti, what are you doing here?¡± He spoke as an elderly, showing no embarrassment at being caught on a date with another woman by his daughter. Celeste nced in the direction where the woman had disappeared and asked, ¡°When did you two start seeing each other?¡± ¡°What is with that tone?¡± This interrogative tone greatly displeased Shawn; it reminded him of Caitlyn¡¯s haughty attitude, which was suffocating and imitating. ¡°So tell me, how should I speak when I see my father being intimate with another woman? While my mother was critically ill, you didn¡¯t have time to visit her, but you have time to date other women?¡± Shawn was furious, ¡°Watch your mouth! Without me and the money I spent, she would have been dead long ago! She¡¯s been in a vegetative state for six years after her ident. Am I expected to spend my entire life with someone like that?¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers tightened, disappointed. Perhaps realizing he had gone too far, Shawn became kind, ¡°Letti, your mother had her ident when I was in my forties. No man wants to spend his life looking after a wife in a vegetative state. I promised you I wouldn¡¯t divorce her, but I am a healthy man, I have physical needs. Those men out there all have several women around them. I only started seeing other women after your mother¡¯s ident, solely to meet my physical needs.¡± Thisment is so shallow. People look for women because of money, but he¡¯s looking because his wife has be a vegetable and can¡¯t satisfy his sexual desires It seems that changing the reason makes this behavior reasonable. People are not animals, why should they be driven by their physiological needs over humanity? From N?velDrama.Org. Do men have no shame in the face of cheating? How do they always me it all on women? ¡°If your mom was still alive, I would never go find another woman. We built thepany together, and that rtionship can¡¯t be reced¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for Caitlyn¡¯s ident and his rush to divorce, Celeste might have believed his lies! If it weren¡¯t for her marriage to Liam, and she may be conducive to to the Campbell family, would he care about Caitlyn¡¯s life and death? The reason for not divorcing her. mom was just to control her Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Celeste¡¯s was indifferent, only asking ¡°What¡¯s that woman¡¯s name?¡± Shawn hesitated for a moment. ¡°Does it matter? If you don¡¯t like her just don¡¯t see her again¡± Shawn obviously didn¡¯t want to continue the topic and turned his head to ask ¡°Did you deliver the things I asked you to send earlier?¡± Celeste pursed her lips. ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°Did youtome out with Liam?¡± ¡°No, with friends¡± Shawn frowned. ¡°Mamed people shouldn¡¯t always think about going out. You need to spend more time thinking about how to please Liam After all these years of mamage you still don¡¯t have a child, and the Reed family must have been angry of you¡± These words made Celeste disgusted, reminding her of the helplessness of this marriage. She and Liam were never equal, and she had to please her husband, hoping he would protect the Campbell Group. How could Liam truly respect her in such a purposeful mamage? Shawn wanted to continue preaching but was interrupted by a phone call After answering the call, he turned to Celeste, ¡°I have something going on at thepany, so I have to go. You should go home early too and cook dinner for Liam after his day of work¡± After Shawn left, Tnsha, who had been hiding in the shadows, came out cursing. ¡°Your dad is so weird. He doesn¡¯t care about his daughter¡¯s troubles but treats his son-inw like his own son. Thank God Liam likes women, or your dad might try to go out with him!¡± Celeste had long been used to Shawn¡¯s snobbery and turned to Trisha, ¡®Is the dashcam in the car on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on, why?¡± Celeste got in the car and exported the footage from the dashcam N?velDrama.Org content. Due to the bad angle, only a brief shot of the woman apanying Shawn was captured. Celeste took a screenshot of the photo and stared at the woman, lost in thought ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Trisha asked. Celeste was silent for a while, then whispered, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen that woman with Shawn before¡± Especially when she asked Shawn about the woman¡¯s name, his hesitance further confirmed her idea. ¡°Where have you seen her before?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t remember¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and think about it while eating. If you can¡¯t remember her, we¡¯ll find a private detective to investigate.¡± Celeste smiled, thinking that if Caitlyn were awake, she would probably make a scene. But Celeste wouldn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. She just wanted to figure out who that woman was and why she seemed so familiar. The next day, Celeste was woken up by her phone She answered the call with a frown, ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Celeste, are you still in bed?¡± Hearing the female voice on the other end, Celeste immediately woke up, scrambling out of bed, clearing her throat and whispering, ¡°Mother? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Skyler said indifferently, ¡°I have a few friendsing over today Can you help me take care of them?¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Celeste was reluctant. Skyler¡¯s friends were all rich, and she had never been good at dealing with them. So she didn¡¯t want to go and made an excuse, ¡°Isn¡¯t Kaylee at home? She¡¯s better at talking to thesedies than I am. I¡¯m not good with words and might make things awkward.¡± ¡°Kaylee went out with friends, or I wouldn¡¯t have asked you. You¡¯ll have to deal with them when you go out with Liam in the future. You can¡¯t refuse every time, or people will think the Reed family¡¯s daughter- inw isn¡¯t presentable.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Get ready ande over as soon as you can.¡± After saying that, Skyler hung up the phone, With no choice. Celeste had to get ready and head to Skyler¡¯s house. Skyler had been a socialite in J City when she was young. After marrying into the Reed family and as they became more famous, her position in the celebrity circle has been consolidated. She often invited some wives of the Reed family¡¯s business partners to gatherings. On the surface, it was to make more friends, but the real purpose was to exchange information. Some things that men couldn¡¯t openly talk about, women liked to discuss privately. From N?velDrama.Org. Around 10 am, threedies arrived Mrs Garber and Mrs. Kelley were familiar to Celeste, but Mrs. Meyer was a stranger. Judging by her attire, Mrs. Meyer shew no difference from the other twodies, but when she spoke, Celeste felt that Mrs. Meyer was more dominant. Mrs. Garber and Mrs. Kelley were always giving in, and even Skyler was more intimate with her than with the others. As Celeste brought the fruit, Mrs. Meyer nced at her and said leisurely, ¡°Skyler, this is your daughter-inw, right? She¡¯s quite pretty¡± Skyler smiled faintly without responding. Celeste put the things down and then left. Mrs. Kelley waited for her to leave before asking. ¡°Skyler, did you get that medicine? Do you think it helped?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°How many doctors have you guys found for her now? She should be pregnant soon, right? Is there something wrong with her body?¡± Skyler, with her eyes down, calmly said, ¡°As far as I know, her medical report shows that there¡¯s nothing wrong with her. I don¡¯t know why she hasn¡¯t gotten pregnant yet¡± ¡°That¡¯s really weird! Could she be cursed or something?¡± Mrs. Garber chimed in, ¡°Seriously, from upbringing to family background, which part of her is a match for the Reed family? I really don¡¯t know what the Old Lady sees in her¡± ¡°I heard that she and her mom were in a car ident years ago. The passenger in the front seat was seriously injured. But she was sitting in the front seat and was totally fine, not a scratch on her. Her mom, on the other hand, ended up in a vegetative state. Don¡¯t you guys find that strange?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¡®Mrs. Garber, don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Mrs. Kelley deliberately reminded her that even if Celeste wasn¡¯t that great, she was still Skyler¡¯s daughter-inw. It was okay to joke around, but going too far was a bit inappropriate. But Mrs. Garber thought Mrs. Kelley didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I have a nephew who used to work at the Traffic Management Bureau. He was involved in the investigation of that ident back then. He said the car was seriously damaged, and both people should have died. But when they were rescued, only her mother was severely injured, while she only had some minor Injuries.¡± ¡°How lucky she is. But when a woman is too lucky, and to bnce it out, it¡¯s usually her husband and children who are unlucky¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Garber!¡± Seeing Skyler was unhappy, Mrs. Kelley kicked her under the table. Finally, Mrs. Garber realized that she had inadvertently insulted Skyler Skyler had lost her husband when she was young. How could Mrs. Garber say such things in front of her without fear of being misunderstood? Mrs. Garber panicked and quickly exined, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ Skyler looked at her coldly. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Mrs. Garber¡¯s hand trembled, and didn¡¯t know what to say Mrs. Meyer smiled, ¡°Skyler, don¡¯t be angry Mrs. Garber just speaks her mind without thinking. She¡¯s too straightforward.¡± Skyler took a sip of tea, indifferent, ¡°At such an old age and still so naive, Mr. Garber is quite lucky¡± The sarcasm in her words was clear, and even the slow-witted Mrs. Garber could understand the meaning. Her face turned pale, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute Skyler had only intended to invite Mrs. Meyer today, and the other two were just apanying her. But Mrs. Garber gossiped in public. and Skyler didn¡¯t lose her temper on the spot only out of consideration for her reputation. Celeste stood at the corner of the hallway, listening to the conversation of thesedies while eating an apple she had taken from the fruit te This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. So even wealthydies loved gossip. Was her little affair worth their borate discussion? She was lucky, so her husband should be unlucky? What a load of crap! Quantum Enterprises. Liam was flipping through the documents with his mind absent, and Owen doubted his boss had paid much attention to his report Liam used to be very focused at work, and his work efficiency was even demanding to the point of using every second precisely. He was like a machine with precise calctions, clearly arranging what to do at what time. If you asked those around him what was the most important thing in Liam¡¯s mind, everyone would unanimously think it was work. But recently, Liam¡¯s frequent loss of focus made it seems like this ¡°working machine¡± seemed to have malfunctioned, and the malfunction was most likely due to his wife. Owen thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, your wife went to see your mother today.¡± Liam nced at him without saying anything Owen continued, ¡°Your mother invited a few friends over to the house today, and your wife went to apany her.¡± ¡°Can she apany them? People may not like listening to her. Does my mom think those women are too noisy and want her to shut them up?¡± In Owen¡¯s mind, Celeste was indeed overbearing when speaking to Liam, but she was still polite and well-mannered in front of others. However, saying this would probably anger his boss. A good assistant should be good at observing and choosing words carefully. ¡°Thosedies are all savvy women in the circle, and your wife is young and innocent. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.* Liam sneered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the social ability, but she still insists on going. She should learn some social skills in the circle even if she suffers a loss.¡± At this point, all Owen could do was shut up. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Mrs. Meyer seemed to be quite influential, and Skyler¡¯s attitude towards her was much better than towards the other twodies. Whether it was the taste of the food or the topics of conversation, she tried her best to cater to Mrs. Meyer¡¯s preferences and habits. Among thesedies. Celeste apparently couldn¡¯t join in the conversation. Apart from some initial gossip, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to her for the rest of the time Celeste sat quietly on the side, listening to their conversation, and it wasn¡¯t too unbearable After dinner, thedies started ying poker, and Celeste helped by making tea and serving snacks. After preparing everything, she sat on the side to watch. She couldn¡¯t leave before the guests, so as not to annoy Skyler. So she started ying with her phone. Her Twitter ount, Celestial Haze, hadn¡¯t been updated for half a month, so she logged in to take a look. There were many new messages in herment section, most of therm urging her to update, and quite a few haters cursing her Most of these haters were Sydney¡¯s fans. A while ago, the TV senes Mystery Lover was popr, and she had stolen some of Sydney¡¯s limelight. She hadn¡¯t wanted to do the dubbing for that show because she didn¡¯t want to have too much interaction with Sydney. But the production team invited her multiple times and offered her a high price. At that time, she was preparing a birthday gift for Liam and needed some extra money, so she took the job. The show increased Sydney¡¯s poprity in the country. If she hadn¡¯t used the car ident to hype herself up and then starred in another hit show, she could have be a first-tier celebrity. But for Celeste, a hit show couldn¡¯t bring fame to a dubbing actor. Even if she made the trending list, no one would pay attention to a dubbing actor. On the contrary, Sydney¡¯s fans had been cursing her for a long time because she made the trending list a few times. Some haters came every day, insulting her appearance, attacking her personally, and even cursing her to die soon. In the past, Celeste would endure it, but since learning that Liam had given Sydney the dubbing job for Legend, these abusive attacks became harder to bear Why should she tolerate these people? Celeste clenched her lips and sent screenshots of those infuriating private messages to Trisha, ¡°I want to sue these people!¡± Trisha said, ¡°I told you to sue them, but you¡¯re too nice. To deal with these online haters, you need to expose them. Otherwise, they¡¯ll keep attacking you. We need to expose some of them to warn others!¡± Celeste said, ¡°Just find me the bestwyer regardless of the cost.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Trisha said, ¡°Leave it to me! I¡¯ve been itching to teach those jerks a lesson!¡± ¡°Celeste, pour some tea for Mrs. Garber.¡± Skyler interrupted their conversation. Celeste put her phone in her pocket and got up to pour the tea. Mrs. Garber said, ¡°No need, dear. I have some things to take care of at home. My husband asked me toe back early, so Irbe leaving now.¡± Mrs. Meyer frowned and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t yed for long. What are we supposed to do if you leave now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone else who can take my ce,¡± Mrs. Garber said. ¡°Skyler, invite your daughter-inw to join us. I really have things to do.¡± Mrs. Meyer nced at Celeste and asked, ¡°Do you know how to y poker?¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Celeste nced at Skyler subconsciously. Skyler said nonchntly. ¡°Mrs. Meyer is asking you a question.¡± Celeste twitched her mouth, ¡°I¡¯m not really good at it.¡± Mrs. Meyerughed, ¡°That¡¯s perfect then.¡± And so, Celeste took Mrs. Garber¡¯s ce and yed poker with the three women. Mrs. Meyer asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen Kaylee all day, where did she go? She¡¯s graduating this year, right?¡± Mrs. Kelley chuckled, ¡°Where else could Kaylee be? Probably went to thew firm to find your nephew again. Why don¡¯t you be the matchmaker, talk to your brother and sister-inw, and get them a date? Then you and Skyler might be family in the future.¡± Mrs. Meyer replied, ¡°My sister-inw loves Kaylee, of course, she¡¯d be happy to, but Curtis is hard to say. He seems like a gentleman who¡¯s easy-going, but he doesn¡¯t like others controlling his decisions. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t convince him.¡± Mrs. Kelley said, ¡°Feelings can be cultivated after marriage, wasn¡¯t it the same for us back then?¡± Skyler casually said, ¡°Kaylee is still young, there¡¯s no need to rush this.¡± Celeste sat there, listening carefully. From N?velDrama.Org. Thest time she yed poker was in college. Her dorm mate had a birthday party, and they all went to celebrate and do all the things she wanted to do for a day. Her roommate took them to the rec room and yed poker all night, that¡¯s when she learned how to y. After graduation, she married Liam and seldom went out for social events, let alone y poker. She had no experience now and didn¡¯t win a single round. Mrs. Kelley won many rounds and said cheerfully. ¡°How about we y again some other day?¡± Mrs. Meyer chimed in, ¡°With your luck today, why not y a little longer?¡± Mrs. Kelley collected her winnings andughed, ¡°If we keep ying, I¡¯m afraid you guys will get mad and cry.¡± Before Mrs. Meyer could respond, a deep male voice came from outside, ¡°Seems like Mrs. Kelley won quite a bit today, so confident.¡± Celeste looked up to see Liam, dressed in a suit, striding towards them, Mrs. Kelley alsoughed, ¡°I just made a little money, it¡¯s not even enough to buy a piece of clothing. Liam, what brings you here today? Long time no see.¡± Liam put the bag on the table and said indifferently, ¡°I just finished a client meeting and happened to pass by. I heard Mrs. Kelley¡¯s voice as soon as I entered, seems like she won a lot of money.¡± Mrs. Meyer nced at Celeste and suddenlyughed, ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Kelley really had good luck today, made a lot of money.¡± Mrs. Kelley humbly said, ¡°Actually, all three of us won, I just had slightly better luck.¡± Liam asked, ¡°So who lost?¡± Everyone went silent for a moment, and they all looked at Celeste, who looked upset. Celeste¡­ Liam asked, ¡°How much did you lose?¡± Celeste bit her lip and answered in a small voice, ¡°Sixty thousand dors¡­¡± Liam raised his eyebrows, ¡°Were you distracted?¡± Celeste red at him, thinking it was none of his business, why was he looking down on her! Mrs. Meyer said, ¡°Young people dock some experience.¡± Liam nced at Celeste and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely about experience, she often loses at board games too.¡± He was implying she wasn¡¯t smart enough. Celeste was speechless. ad a chance he¡¯d seize the opportunity to mock her! Chapter 53 Chapter 53 hapter 53 Liam picked up the teapot, filled the cups, and said calmly. ¡°We rarely have quests at home, so I ordered some delicious dishes, someone will bring them overter. Since it¡¯s still early, do you two ladies want to y a few more rounds?¡± Mrs. Kelley seemed hesitant. After all, she had already won more than a hundred thousand dors, leaving now would guarantee a profit. Mrs. Meyer agreed, ¡°Sure, I¡¯m on a winning streak today, don¡¯t want to end it so soon.¡± Seeing Mrs. Meyer say this, Mrs. Kelley couldn¡¯t refuse. Skyler looked at Liam, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like ying this?¡± Liam raised his eyebrows, ¡°I won¡¯t y, you guys please continue, I just watch.¡± Celeste thought¡­ Was he trying to see how she lost? She knew Liam was definitely up to no good! Liam sat gracefully beside her and said calmly. ¡°If you win, take the money. If you lose, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Celeste looked at him suspiciously, was he really that kind-hearted? But before she could think any further, the chips were redistributed, and a new round had begun. Celeste¡¯s luck was still terrible, and the cards in her hand were bad. She felt indecisive. Mrs. Kelley got a bit impatient, ¡°Celeste, hurry up and y your cards. Celeste gritted her teeth and yed her cards, thinking since he said the loss would be on him, she¡¯d just y casually! Mrs. Meyer picked up her cards, smiling, ¡°My luck seems good this round.¡± Celeste looked down at her cards, feeling unsure. She turned to look at Liam, but he just took a sip of tea and said indifferently, ¡°What are you looking at me for? Keep ying.¡± Celeste then drew a new card. Seeing Liam didn¡¯t say anything, she threw the card away. As Celeste was about to throw the second card, Liam suddenly said, ¡®Are you sure you want to use that card?¡± Celeste red at him and threw another new card. Celeste paused, suddenly realizing she had won. Mrs. Kelley was shocked. From N?velDrama.Org. With a smooth start, Celeste continued to win, as if with divine help. Liam just stood behind her, watching her y cards. Whenever she hesitated, he would remind her how to y. In no time, she won several games in a row, and her chips grew more and more. On the other hand, Mrs. Kelley and Mrs. Meyer were not happy. Especially Mrs. Kelley, who had lost all the money she had made ying cards in the first two hours. And Liam and Celeste had no intention of stopping. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± Skyler said in a timely manner. ¡°We¡¯ve been ying for so long, let¡¯s go to the living room, have some tea and take a break.¡± Mrs. Kelley breathed a sigh of relief, but as she was about to get up, Liam said casually, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, let¡¯s settle the chips.¡± Mrs. Kelley¡¯s face stiffened. She wasn¡¯t unwilling to pay, but she felt ufortable with Liam asking directly. Skyler frowned, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter at the party. Let everyone rest and have some tea first.¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°We still need to count the chips in front of everyone. If there¡¯s a mistake or omission, it¡¯ll be unclearter.¡± Mrs. Kelley was furious, ¡®Fine! Let¡¯s count them now, and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you immediately, so people won¡¯t think I can¡¯t afford to lose!¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Skyler looked displeased, and Celeste was embarrassed Only Liam looked as if nothing had happened, saying. This amount of money isn¡¯t even enough for Mrs Kelley to buy a dress, how could the not afford to lose? Then he told Celeste. ¡®Send your card number to Mrs Kelley Mrs. Kelley¡¯s face turned red with anger. After clearing the ount, she transferred the money to Celeste and left without saying a word As soon as Mrs Kelley left, Mrs Meyer didn¡¯t want to stay either After transferring the money to Celeste, she also left uddenly. Suddenly, only the three of them were left in the house Skyler annoyed, and she said coldly. ¡°We all y together for fun, what¡¯s your problem?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Liam looked up. ¡°Mom, Mrs. Kelley¡¯s husband just got promoted a few months ago. If such arge amount is traced, it will be hard to exin Skyler was speechless ¡°Still, you shouldn¡¯t have been so rude with her¡± Liam said. 711 be more careful next time¡± Skyler had nothing to say. In the end, she gave Celeste a cold look and went upstairs without bothering to say anything more. Liam got up and walked a few steps, seeing Celeste still standing them, he said indifferently. ¡°Do you want to have dinner here?¡± Of course not! Celeste grabbed her things and followed him out. Owen was already waiting outside, and they got into the car If it hadn¡¯t been for Liam¡¯s reminder just now, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to win back the money she had lost. She was about to get divorced and was tight on money. If she had lost all that money, she would have been in pain and unable to sleep With the money back, she suddenly felt Liam was more pleasing to the eye. He was actually quite considerate of others¡¯ feelings and principled. Divorce doesn¡¯t necessarily have to end on bad terms. The Reed family has such a big influence in J City, so there might still be opportunities for them to interact in the future. Having a rich and powerful friend is a good choice. With this in mind, she found Liam even more pleasing to the eye. Liam¡¯s phone rang. He looked down and saw a $100,000 transfer to his bank ount from Celeste. He turned to look at Celeste. Celeste said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. We¡¯ll split the money, half and half.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°Apany me to an event tomorrow, and you can have all the money.¡± Celeste refused without hesitation, ¡°You can keep the money.¡± They were getting divorced, so how could she possibly go to any event with him? She always became the subject of gossip among socialites at such events. Why would she want to make things difficult for herself? Liam seemed unfazed by her refusal, chuckled lightly, and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, then let¡¯s split the money you lost before, half and half.¡± Celeste shocked, ¡°That was my principali Liam nced at her, ¡°By the time I got there, you had already lost it all¡± Her principal had been gone before he arrived, and the money she made after turning the tide was only after Liam¡¯s arrival. Celeste was speechless, struggling to say, ¡°You said it yourself, if I lost, it¡¯s on you, and if I won, it¡¯s mine.¡± Liam nodded, ¡°I said that to my wife. You want out now, right? Then it doesn¡¯t apply anymore.¡± She took back her previous praise for him, now thinking he was just a bastard! Celeste reluctantlypromised, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the event.¡± Thinking about it differently, making $160,000 by attending an event wasn¡¯t a bad choice. ¡°When will you give me the money?¡± Liam looked at her disdainfully, ¡°Are you that greedy? Always thinking about money?¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, don¡¯t say that. Who doesn¡¯t like money? If you think I¡¯m so vulgar, then give me half of your property, and I¡¯ll y whatever kind of wife you want.¡± Liam said expressionlessly, ¡°in you dream.¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Just then, the phone rang, and she saw it was Trisha calling, so the humedly picked up Trisha¡¯s trembling voice came through the phone, Letti, where are you? Hurry up ande to the police station, they say I¡¯m suspected of theft¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed, and she immediately became nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I be right there Which police station?¡± Trisha told her the location After hanging up, Celeste asked Liam, ¡°Mr Reed, can you give me a ride to Northbridge Police Department? My friend got into some trouble¡± Thinking it would take a lot of persuading, she was surprised when Liam didn¡¯t say anything, just gestured for Owen to drive to the Northbridge Police Department On the way there. Celeste was filled with worry, fearing that Trisha had really gotten into big trouble, and feeling uneasy As soon as the car stopped, she rushed into the police station without saying goodbye to Liam After going through the procedures, she saw Trisha being interrogated in the interrogation room through the ss, her eyes swollen from crying Tnsha usually appeared tough, but she was quite innocent in social circles and had never been interrogated by the police before She waspletely terified Celeste¡¯s heart ached, and she tried to suppress her emotions as she asked the police officer, ¡°Officer, what did my friend do?¡± The officer sized her up. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the suspect?¡± Im her friend Celeste handed over her ID. The officer took note of it and said, ¡°Someone reported her for theft, and we did find the stolen property at her ce.¡± Celeste immediately retorted, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I live with her, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone else¡¯s stuff on her. Did you guys make a mistake?¡± The officer hesitated, ¡°You live together? For how long?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°For more than a week.¡± The officers eyes changed, ¡°The stolen property was also reported missing a week ago. Since you two live together, you could also be a suspect, there¡¯s a possibility that you two did it together.¡± Celeste began to doubt if this officer was even a real police officer. He didn¡¯t question people, didn¡¯t check physical evidence, and handled casespletely based on guesses. It was utter nonsense. Celeste patiently said, ¡°Alright, even if I¡¯m also a suspect, I should at least know what we stole, right? Don¡¯t we need to identify the stolen goods?¡± ¡°The stolen goods are right here!¡± The officer took out an evidence bag and waved it at them, ¡°This is the stolen property. She herself said it¡¯s not hers, and we found it in her ce. If she didn¡¯t take it, who did?¡± The moment Celeste saw the ¡°stolen goods,¡± her was totally speechless The so-called ¡°stolen goods¡± were clearly her wedding ring! She finally understood who had called the police! Celeste took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and said, ¡°This thing is mine.¡± The officer didn¡¯t believe her, ¡°How do you prove it¡¯s yours?¡± Celeste opened her phone¡¯s photo gallery and showed a few pictures of her wearing the ring. From N?velDrama.Org. The officer said, ¡°Impressive skills, preparing all the evidence in advance.¡± Celeste was speechless ¡°Take a good look. This photo was taken a year ago. Can¡¯t this prove it¡¯s mine?¡± The officer checked the photo¡¯s timestamp and seemed to realize his conclusion was hasty. He then said, ¡°You must have a shopping receipt to prove it¡¯s yours. The person who reported the theft has a receipt.¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Celeste didn¡¯t have a receipt. The ring was bought by Liam, so the receipt was with him, of course ¡°Officer, is the person who reported the theft named Liam?¡± The officer looked at her in surprise, ¡°you stote from someone you knew?¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, gritting her teeth, ¡°He¡¯s my husband?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your proof?¡± For the first time, Celeste felt it was hard tomunicate with the police the decided not to say more and called Liam directly As soon as the call connected, Liam¡¯s deep voice came through, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Suppressing her anger, Celeste coldly said, ¡°Come in here and exin things to the officer Liam seemed to know what had happened, as he hung up without asking any questions. Celeste became more certain that Liam did it on purpose In fact, Celeste was just in a hurry when she saw Trisha in trouble. If she had calmed down and thought about it, she would have realized that a theft case involving millions wouldn¡¯t be handled casually at a local police station. As soon as Liam entered, Celeste pulled him over, ¡°Officer, this is the person who reported the theft, and he¡¯s my husband¡± Liam didn¡¯t deny it The officer looked at Liam, then at Celeste, ¡°He¡¯s your husband, but you don¡¯t live together?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know how to answer. Liam, however, seemed to be enjoying the show, raising his eyebrows, ¡°You should exin.¡± Celeste red at him, holding back for a moment before saying, ¡°We had a fight recently, so I moved out and stayed with my friend. The ring is mine, and I took it with me. My friend is not a thief.¡± The officer frowned, ¡°You two had a fight, so you reported someone else?¡± Celeste hung her head and took the scolding, cursing Liam in her heart. The officer lectured the two of them for a while before letting them sign documents to drop the case and releasing Trisha As soon as Trisha came out, she hugged Celeste, clearly shaken by the experience. Celeste patted her back,forting her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Do you want to keep chatting here?¡± Liam interrupted the two, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The three of them got in the car, and no one spoke. The car quickly arrived at Trisha¡¯s apartment. When Celeste got out of the car with her, Liam said ¡°Ten minutes.¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, then pulled Trisha along and left. After taking her home, Celeste poured her a ss of water and whispered, ¡°I texted Lena, and she¡¯ll be here soon. I have to go out for a bit.¡± With tears in her eyes, Trisha asked, ¡°Will youe back?¡± Celeste held her hand tightly. ¡°Wait for my call. Then she added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Downstairs, Liam stared at the time. Thirteen minutes passed, and Celeste finally appeared. She opened the car door, got in, and sat down, not wasting any time. Liam nced at her, ¡°You¡¯re three minuteste.¡± Celeste finally let out the anger she¡¯d been holding back for a long time: ¡°Liam, what¡¯s it to anyone else about what¡¯s going on between us? Why did you call the police?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Liam was really pissed off by her questioning tone and said coldly: ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your so-called good friend what she did?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°What did she do? Celeste was even more furious than him. ¡°Didn¡¯t she help me when you kicked me out of the hotel? Are you just pissed because I didn¡¯t have to sleep on the streets and you lost this round?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s just because of that?¡± Liam angrily picked up the papers next to him and threw them at her Im not that petty!¡± Celeste frowned, looking puzzled. When she saw what was on the papers, her eyebrows furrowed even more. Dozens of chat records and Twitter screenshots, all full of Sydney¡¯s ¡°dirt¡± Like Sydney using her celebrity status to take over an ambnce after a fender bender, and using the ident to hype up her love life There were even rumors that before she became famous, she was someone¡¯s mistress and caused a scene at their wedding The ounts that exposed her scandals were more than ten, but they all showed the same IP address. And that ce was very familiar to Celeste ¨C it was Trisha¡¯s apartment. So, he went through all this trouble just to get revenge for his true love? ¡°Do you recognize these ounts?¡± Liam said, ¡°The evidence of these rumors is enough to put her in jail!¡± Celeste was nervous, and she gritted her teeth. ¡°Rumors? Bullshitting is called rumors; which one of these isn¡¯t true? Was it fake news that you went to the hospital to get her a special care room after her car ident? Or was it fake news that you ran away with her on our wedding day three years ago? If telling the truth about what others have done is rumors, then Ill be in jail for a long time!¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t follow me, but how would you know I went to the hospital the day she had the ident if you didn¡¯t?¡± Celesteughed sarcastically. ¡°Well, how do you know I went to the hospital to follow you but not to see a doctor?¡± Liam paused and frowned. ¡°What illness do you have? Celeste, if you¡¯re going to lie, at least make it believable!¡± ¡°Do you care what illness I have?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Liam, I don¡¯t care how you want to protect Sydney, but if you dare to hurt my friend again, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± Liam was stunned. It was the first time Celeste had threatened him, not even when she had brought up divorce. Her eyes were full of anger and mingled with an unmistakable hatred that gave Liam a strange feeling. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. After delivering her threat, Celeste tried to get out of the car, but the door was locked, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t pull it open. ¡°Open the door!¡± Celeste yelled hoarsely. It was awkward for Owen to see his boss and wife fighting, but without Liam¡¯smand, he wouldn¡¯t dare open the car door. ¡°Open the door! I want to get out!¡± Celeste urged again, not wanting to spend another second with Liam! ¡°Drive, back to Pinecrest Manor.¡± Liam said calmly. Hearing this, Owen immediately started the car. Celeste turned her head and red at Liam. ¡°Are you nuts? I haven¡¯t got out of the car yet! Are you going to throw me out on the street again and let me walk back by myself?¡± Liam red at her and said indifferently, ¡°Who said I was going to throw you on the street? Don¡¯t always misunderstand my kindness.¡± Celeste was fuming. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Today, Grandma called and asked if we had a fat and why you mind and Celease you hit the of use a Reparated Celesteughed sarcastically Worce that something shamed Who and thede hom verpine hously the Pack kam biting an sneered. ¡°Then call Shawn over and well t Celeste was speechless staring at hem without saying a wond Liam said indifferently Before we get a divorce punt beller stay at Futecreat Manor Before that of Grandma heard and and mana problem a can forgel abord ever divvicin weakness if he did The Reed family was in the midst o iron for an Igf and if n would inevitably affect the views of the olddy Celeste felt deste because of this reality the pursed her lips an speak for a long time It¡¯s embana ng and Liam nced The woman who had just been arguing He didn¡¯t like her to be silent med ¡°Alight I y along with this charade, Celeste suddenly spoke up aller a long silence, her eyes determin condition tog Liam nodded, signaling her to go ahead This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste said. ¡°Once you get Quantum, we¡¯ll have an agreem five million dors, and that¡¯s it Liam frowned Het you make a condition, but I du Celeste smirked Mr Reed Quantum is valued Liam stared at her face, seemingly weighing the pro After a long while, he responded lightly. ¡°Fine, Fagree Celeste was taken abac not expecting Liam to agree so quickly. But she quickly adjusted her facial express division agreement I don¡¯t want any of the property, cars, or stocks, just give The an ATM took a pen from her bob, picked up a piece of There¡¯s proof of our agreement, in case you change your She then handed it to Liam, turned on her phone¡¯s camera, and said, mindter!¡± Liam only nced at it [Liam (ID number xxxxx), hereby agrees with Celeste, (D) mumber () After Liam obtains control of Quantum, the two will agree to divorce, The male party must pay the female party five millier after divorce and be struck by lightning He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Is there really such a contrac ollowing terms regarding property, cars, and stocks In the event of will be ¡°Why do you care? Just sign it Liam was speechless. He signed the paper with a heavy stroke I tow it at Colest ¡°Thope this contract doesn¡¯t be a joketer!¡± Celeste grabbed Liam¡¯s hand, let him touch her lipstick stained who break promises will beughed. Her soft fingertip felt like an electic shock, giving him a strange excilen By the time he came to his senses, Celeste had already folded the pape Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 The car quickly arrived at Pinecrest Manor. As soon as the car stopped, Celeste didn¡¯t hesitate to jump out and storm off, mming the door behind her. Liam looked at the woman with his brow furrowed Owen caught on and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re the one who stopped Ms. Denton¡¯swyer¡¯s letter Why don¡¯t you just tell your wife?¡± Liam, anhoyed, responded, ¡°Tell her? Didn¡¯t you see her attitude? Would she even listen to me?¡± Owen was speechless, thinking when ites to talking tone and attitude, his boss himself isn¡¯t exactly easy to deal with either. He used to think only women were two-faced, but now he realized his boss was the same. He once overheard his boss calling his wife to entertain guests, iming it was to teach her a lesson, but then secretly went to back her up, using the excuse of buying her dessert. ¡°By the way,¡± Liam remembered something just before getting out of the car, ¡°find out what she was doing at the hospital on the day of the rear-end collision on the elevated road.¡± ¡°Alright¡± When Liam returned to the vi, the nanny immediately presented him with clothes and shoes. ¡°Where is she?¡± Liam asked. The nanny answered, ¡°Madam went straight upstairs when she came back, not saying a word.¡± Liam nced upstairs, elegantly untied his tie, and casually said, ¡°Prepare some delicious food, tidy up the room, and call her down.¡± The nanny hesitated, ¡°Is Madaming back to live here?¡± Lram red at her, ¡°This is her home, isn¡¯t it? Shouldn¡¯t shee back to live here?¡± The nanny immediately shook her head, ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Liam waved his hand, ¡°Hurry up and clean, make a few more dishes.¡± An hourter. Liam looked at the table full of delicacies and then nced upstairs. The nanny went up to call her, but she didn¡¯te down for a long time. What was this woman thinking? Finally, there was some movement upstairs, and Liam sat up straight. The nanny¡¯s voice came from downstairs, ¡°Sir, Madam said she¡¯s on a diet and won¡¯t eat.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Diet? Don¡¯t believe her lies! Tell her toe down!¡± The nanny ran upstairs again and soon came back down, stammering, ¡°Sir, Madam, Madam said¡­¡± Liam, impatient, asked, ¡°What did she say?¡± The nanny nervously ryed Celeste¡¯s words, ¡°Madam said that looking at your face, she can¡¯t eat¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t care!¡± Worried about Trisha¡¯s situation, Celeste returned to her room and immediately called Trisha. Trisha¡¯s condition had improved a lot, and she asked about Celeste¡¯s current situation over the phone. Celeste acted nonchnt, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Liam just doesn¡¯t want the news of our marriage crisis to spread and affect hispetition for the inheritance, so he asked me toe back and y along¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Trisha was somewhat incredulous, ¡°Liam is so cunning and vicious, are you sure he doesn¡¯t have any other motives?* Celeste propped her chin andy on the bed, ¡°Who cares? He promised me five million dors after the divorce, and the agreement is signed. I¡¯ll just bear with it.¡± ¡°Five million dors?¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°Won¡¯t you be a rich woman after your divorce? Is Liam willing to part with that much?¡± Celeste fantasized about her life with five million dors, squinting her eyes, ¡°He¡¯s getting off cheap with five million. With Liam¡¯s temper, who else could put up with him besides me?¡± Trisha agreed, ¡°If he wasn¡¯t rich, who would marry him? He has terrible character!¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Celeste felt a bit ufortable hearing this. She was the one who married Liam. When she first chose Liam, she had no idea about the Reed family¡¯s status in J City She chose him for who he was. ¡°Hold on, I have to take a call. I talk to youter¡± Trisha looked at the call from her boss and found it strange. What could Hudson Reel want at this hour? Although it was odd, she didn¡¯t dare not answer. ¡°Hello, Mr. Reel?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Colton?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me¡± ¡°Do you have any free time recently?¡± Considering Hudson would have no good intentions, Trisha pretended to be busy. ¡°I¡¯m a bit busytely¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hudson sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a pity. That script you wrote before, a filmpany wants to make it into a TV series, but they think some of the plot isn¡¯t perfect enough. They asked me if the scriptwriter could make some revisions. If you¡¯re busy, forget it. I let them know.¡± Trisha was excited, ¡°Wait! Mr. Reel, I think we can discuss this further.¡± Mr. Reel shook his head, ¡°how can we discuss it since you are busy?¡± Trisha regretted her hasty response. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Mr. Reel, time is like water in a sponge, you can always squeeze some out. I¡¯ll definitely find the time toplete the task you¡¯ve given me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it troublesome?¡± Hudson probed. ¡°Not at all! Not a bit!¡± Hudson didn¡¯t make things difficult for her, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send thepany¡¯s requests to your email. Once you¡¯ve revised the script, send it to me. If they¡¯re satisfied, we¡¯ll talk about the price.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After hanging up, Trisha felt like she was dreaming. She even forgot to call Celeste back and immediately started working on herptop. Celeste had been with Skyler all morning, worrying about making a mistake and not eating much. By midnight, she was starving and couldn¡¯t sleep. Finally, unable to bear it, she put on a robe and sneaked downstairs to find something to eat. There was nothing in the kitchen¡¯s pot. She opened the fridge, and besides drinks, there were only fresh vegetables. There wasn¡¯t even a slice of bread. The nanny said she had made a whole table of dishes, and Liam couldn¡¯t possibly have eaten them all. Did he throw them all away? She searched everywhere but couldn¡¯t find the tes. Even the snacks she had stored at home were gone. Liam probably had them all thrown away. In the end, she found a box of cookies from a month ago under the TV cab. She squatted on the floor, eating the damp cookies, feeling miserable. This man didn¡¯t eat snacks himself and didn¡¯t let her eat them either. He called her home but let her starve. The more Celeste thought about it, the angrier she got, and she couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°What a disgusting dude! Why did he throw all my snacks away! He¡¯s so obsessed with staying healthy, I bet he¡¯s gonna turn into an old wizard!¡± ¡°Celeste, I didn¡¯t know you are this annoyed.¡± Suddenly, a shadow sitting on the sofa let out a gnashing sound, scaring Celeste so much that she slipped andnded on her butt. ¡°Mr. Reed?¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Suddenly the floormp r the sofa turned on, lighting op was sitting on the staring living room jan hit pajamas, and his eyes were wide oper Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Celeste sat up awkwardly her fa nbamasement ¡°Mr. Reed, why didnt you turn on the fights in the living room?¡± Liam andered. The light would be burn my eyes, just like you¡± Getting caught talking behind someones back was indeed a bit awkward, so Celeste let out a dryugh and said. ¡°Well, fil tum off de light, and you can continue to rest?¡± She wanted to find a chance to leave, but as soon as she turned around, she heard Liam¡¯s voice from behind ¡°Make me pasta¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched Does this guy think she¡¯s his servant? She rolled her eyes, put on a fake smile, and said, ¡°I go get Martha¡± Liam sneered, ¡°Celeste, do you think you can get five million dors just by lying around at home? Is my money that easy to mam?¡± Celeste stopped moving, and she gritted her teeth with hatred for Liam, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make you pasta, whatever kind Mr. Reed wants, N make sure you get your money¡¯s worth for these five million dors!¡± Liam hummed, ¡°You better.¡± Turning her back, Celeste started mumbling. Stingy bastard, acting all high and mighty just because he¡¯s too mean to spend money. Eat pasta? Why don¡¯t you eat shif Comining aside, Celeste still went back to the kitchen. At least after the divorce, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and shelter for the rest of her life, and she could take good care of Caitlyn as well. With that thought, she felt much better. In no time, Celeste made two bowls of spaghetti, with cheese, tomato sauce, and a touch of parsley. ¡°Mr. Reed, the food is ready¡± Celeste called Liam, inviting him to eat. Liam put down his book and walked over, giving her a nce. Celeste pulled out a chair for him, her face ingratiating, and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you want me to feed you?¡± This fake attitude made Liam feel ufortable all over, so he said coldly. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± She was already starving, sat down, picked up her knife and fork, and started eating. She¡¯s not elegant at all. On the other hand, Liam was quite elegant and polite, and each bite he took was graceful. Liam was like a precise calctor, whether in behavior or thought, always following his own set of rules. Celeste had never seen him lose control Well, not exactly. The only time he lost control was at their wedding when he left with Sydney. And it wasn¡¯t because of her. Having long epted this reality, Celeste wasn¡¯t as sad as before. In the past, she would always nag at the dinner table, but today she was surprisingly quiet. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get to eat when you were outside?¡± Celeste¡¯s eye twitched. What, is heining about her eating mariners now? She forced a smile and said, ¡°I ate very well when I was outside. On the contrary, I often don¡¯t get enough to eat in your house.¡± Liam looked at her puzzled. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 N?velDrama.Org content. Since she had already said it and they were going to get divorced, Celeste didn¡¯t see any reason to hold back. ¡°You¡¯re very picky, and the maids cook ording to your taste. A table full of dishes is all light with oil and with no meat, I¡¯m not a vegetarian. Who can stand such a light diet?¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the maid what you wanted to eat?¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t? But every time there¡¯s a heavy dish, you frown and look very ufortable. The maid gets paid by you, why would she do something that makes you unhappy?¡± The more Celeste talked, the more she felt that she had been very ufortable living with the Reed family over the past few years. Whether it was eating or living habits, she always had to amodate Liam. She remembered Liam¡¯s preferences very well, but what about him? She dared say Liam doesn¡¯t even know what she likes to eat. ¡°Mr. Reed, I sincerely suggest something to you.¡± Liam looked at her, sensing that she was about to say something unpleasant. Celeste said, ¡°If you ever want to get married again, don¡¯t look for an ordinary person. Only those who are exceptionally outstanding are worthy of you.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡®Are you looking for trouble?¡± Celeste finished thest piece of tomato, waved at him, ¡°Mr. Reed, enjoy your meal, I¡¯m going to bed.¡± After that, she quickly ran upstairs. Liam looked away and silently ate the food in his bowl. Celeste was still worried about whether Liam woulde back to the room at night and how they would sleep together. Although there were more than one room in the house, no one lived in the other rooms, and they were not cleaned very often. Besides, those rooms were not asfortable as the master bedroom. She nned that if Liam came to the bedroom to sleep, she would drive him to the guest room. However, after waiting for a long time, she never saw Liame over. In the end, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep. The next morning, Celeste was woken up by the ringtone of her cell phone. She groggily found her phone and answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Letti, I¡¯ve arranged awyer for you. Are you free today? Thewyer says he wants to meet with you in person to discuss some details.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°Is the bestwyer really that easy to book?¡± ¡°Thiswyer is rmended by my friend, they were high school ssmates. He graduated from Law school and studied abroad. He specializes in handling defamation cases. If it weren¡¯t for the friend¡¯s introduction, we wouldn¡¯t be able to book him. He¡¯s free today, so if you¡¯re avable, let¡¯s set up a time to chat.¡± Other than an event tonight that she had to attend with Liam, she didn¡¯t have any other ns today. Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m free during the day.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask him and call you backter.¡± After hanging up, Celeste got out of bed and started packing. When she went downstairs, she found that Liam hadn¡¯t left yet and was eating breakfast. When he saw Celeste, Liam¡¯s expression froze for a moment. She was wearing a floral strapless dress, her hair curled up, and she looked radiant. She did wear jewelries, and when she came closer, he could smell the faint scent of perfume on her. Liam nced at her and said, ¡°So, you regret suggesting the divorce and want to try and seduce me in a different way. huh?¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. to the was born Celeste¡¯s speechless Thank goodness Liam was handsome and wealthy, or else he would be considered a salon mor ¡°We test you¡¯re over thinking I have ns to go shopping with a friend today For that five million¡¯s sake, Celegge de ¡°What are you going shopping for so early in the day?¡± ¡°When it comes to shopping, does it lips, realizing that Celeste was getting bolder in her conversations with him Why hadn¡¯t h remained silent for a while before saying. ¡°The event ister today¡± ¡°Isnt that in the evening? be bac wys¡± ¡°What as you shopping for? Celeste was getting a bit impatient, ¡°Why are you so concerned about what I¡¯m buying? Are you nning to protams with a shopping allowance? Liam indeed handed her a card, snorting. Don¡¯t disappoint me by buying lowdiny s Cale immediately put on a ttering expression, swinging the card at her fingertips, Rest assured, Mr. Reed, I will only a I things¡± After a few steps, she came back, lowered her voice and said mysteriously. The money on this card doesnt count towards my five million, does it?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°It does.¡± Celeste¡¯s smile instantly vanished, she put on her sungete tes, stere breath, how petty!¡± and left. Insha had responded to her message, saying that her boss was rushing her to revise the script and didn¡¯t have time to re shopping. She sent the agreed time and ce and the contact information of the lawyer Celestes car was still parteed in the underground garage of Trisha¡¯s apartment, so she chose a blue Lamborghini from Liam¡¯s garage, which stood out on the road. She ollowed the address given by Trisha and quickly arrived at the agreed ce. After parking the car she went into the store to wat he ce they had agreed to meet was a coffee shop, a local brand of the J City, very popr locally However, it was office hours, so here were rtively few customers in the store. She walked into the store, took off her sunsses and nced around Most of the ustomers in the store were young people who looked like interns or college students. Only one looked slighty more mature, song by e window back tog her. Celeste noticed that the man was wearing a light brown striped shirt, and his hair was neatly trimmed he eld the handle of the coffee cup, gently took a sip. His gaze was fixed on the tablet in front of him. Lawyers couldn¡¯t be dressed like is, could they? Celeste thought aboutwyers on TV, it seemed they all wore suits and leather shoes, with goldemmed sses erson didn¡¯t fit any of those characteristics. Celeste found a spot nearby and sat down. ¡°Hello, miss. What would you The to on te, please. Just as Celeste finished speaking, she saw the man in the brown striped shirt by the window tum his head and look at r. The next second, Celeste was amazed. How could it be him? ason also seemed surprised, then a smile emerged on his face, and he walked towards her. ¡°Ms. Colton, what a coincidence.¡± Cele so found it amazing. In just a few days, she had run into the same person three times. In a city asrge as the J City, the chances of ening into someone was low, let alone three times. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 However, Mason¡¯s calling her ¡°Ms. Colton¡¯ made her a bit uneasy She hadn¡¯t thought that she would meet him for a third time when had chosen that name She said somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite a coincidence Mason pointed to her neck with a warm smile,¡± Has your wound healed? Celeste was taken aback for a moment, then remembered he was asking about the wound she had gotten from the pregnant woman at the police station She was somewhat surprised by his memory and care ¡°It¡¯s healed Thank you very much for that day* ¡°It was nothing.¡± Mason paused, ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m meeting someone, but they haven¡¯t arrived yet,¡± she whispered, ¡°They have no sense of time¡± Mason paused, then tentatively asked, ¡°The person you¡¯re meeting, is it awyer?¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°How do you know?¡° Then she realized, ¡°You¡¯re thewyer!¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m thewyer with no sense of time.¡± Celeste was extremely embarrassed, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ I thought you hadn¡¯t arrived yet, no¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to be mywyer, you don¡¯t look like one at all!¡± Mason pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her, asked, ¡°What does awyer look like to you? Celeste, somewhat defensive, pointed at his coat, ¡°At least you should be wearing a suit.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Ill take note next time.¡± Celeste waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s just a stereotype, there¡¯s no rule stating what awyer should wear, don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous, Mason was gentle, ¡®Let¡¯s discuss the case first.¡± Celeste sighed with relief and nodded repeatedly. The two exchanged WhatsApp contacts, and Celeste sent the screenshots she had collected earlier to Mason. Mason frowned as he finished looking through the distasteful screenshots, then logged into Twitter on his tablet to filter keywords. Celeste had only screenshot the ounts that had privately insulted her, but in reality, there were many more ounts dedicated to ittacking her after filtering by keywords. Mason categorized ounts that posted simr content, those from the same region and ising the same model of phone to tweet could basically be identified as the same person. Then he used his work ount to contact hese Twitter users, first trying to negotiate with them to delete the offensive posts and publicly apologize to ¡°Celestial Haze. Celeste watched from the side, fully convinced of Mason¡¯s identity as awyer because the wording he used in hismunications was very rofessional and careful. However, these negotiations obviously had no deterrent effect on those people. Some didn¡¯t even bother to eply, others began to curse and acted arrogantly, spouting abusive words, even blocking Mason¡¯s ount. Mason calmly saved creenshots and asked, ¡°What kind of punishment would you like these people to receive?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. eleste was taken aback, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a civil case? If we win, at most they will have to delete these offensive messages and publicly pologize, right?¡± even affect their children¡¯s political review.¡± Can it really be done like that? ¡°Which has a higher hance of winning, defamation or a case about the right to personal reputation?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Mason said, ¡°Based on the current evidence, we can definitely win thewsuit for defamation, but for nder, we still need to gather more evidence.¡± ¡°Is it hard to win awsuit for nder?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s just that the definition of nder is more strict, and we need to put in more effort in terms of evidence to ensure victory.¡± Celeste curiously asked, ¡°How do we put in more effort?¡± Mason smiled, ¡®That¡¯s something wewyers need to do. What you need to consider is what kind of trial you want them to go through, whether you just want them to apologize or give them a severe punishment to solve the problempletely¡± Celeste fell into deep thought These viciousments and deliberate smears had been bothering her for almost a year. After a while, her phone number was even leaked, and those people directly called or texted her to insult her. During that time, she didn¡¯t even dare to log in to Twitter. Although she knew that there were still many fans who supported her, once she saw those nastyments, she would be affected. During those nights, those vicious curses and abuses would circte in her mind, causing her to doubt herself. Fortunately, Trisha noticed her depression in time and took her to receive some psychological counseling, which slowly helped her adjust Those who suffer from cyberbullying may go through life and death, while those who initiate cyberbullying can do whatever they want behind the screen, and even y the role of a good person in real life, living a free life. The Inte is not awless ce, so why can those people hurt others and still get away with it? But Mason¡¯s mention of ¡°having a criminal record¡± made her somewhat concerned, and she would subconsciously weigh the pros and cons. Mason noticed her hesitation, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°I experienced something simr when I was abroad.¡± Celeste looked at him. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Mason slowly recounted, ¡°There was a woman in her twenties who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was young. She came from a well-off family, her parents were well-educated and loved her very much. She was also very outstanding, and just before she was diagnosed with the terminal illness, she received an admission letter from a famous university.¡± ¡°The sudden illness threw the whole family into chaos. Her parents slowed down their work to focus on apanying her in her fight against cancer. With the efforts of the whole family, as well as the girl¡¯s positive attitude, she gradually returned to normal life after the cancer was removed. However, within two years, the cancer cells spread again, and this time it was even more severe. The doctor issued two critical illness notices, stating that she had less than a year to live.¡± ¡°The girl¡¯s family and friends were heartbroken. But after a period of depression, the girl decided to document thest moments of her life and share them on social media, both tomemorate the beauty of life and to encourage those who were experiencing the torment of illness.¡± She began learning to shoot videos, edit them, and share her daily life, participating in half-marathons, learning to ski and ride horses, trying to fulfill her final wishes. Within a week of posting the videos, they had been viewed more than ten million times. People sent their blessings to the optimistic young girl, but at the same time, there were some doubting voices. ¡°Who can run a half-marathon with cancer?¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¡°She looks so healthy, she doesnt look like someone with cancer ¡°Does she mention cancer in every video title just to attract attention ¡°When the girl could no longer bear it and made a screenshot of a doubtingment public, the situation escted Because after the screenshot was shown, the doubtingizen imed to have suffered from cyberbullying and wanted to withdraw from the Inte, while the public med the girl for the situation, saying that her should not publicly disying othersments Since she was already an influential inte celebrity, her behavior was considered to be leading cyberbullying¡± Then, the voices of doubt and abuse grew louder. Her medication list was suspected of being fake, the hospital where she was treated, ording to so-called hospital staff, had no record of her, someone pointed out her previous cancer experience, saying she had already recovered and was making these videos just to be famous, and someone even exposed that her family was actually very wealthy and secretly collecting donations fromizen.¡± After the incident, everyone was waiting for the girl¡¯s response, but her ount was never updated. Until half a monthter, an obituary was posted on her ount, announcing that the girl had passed away. Celeste was stunned. Mason stirred his coffee, looking somewhat indifferent, ¡°Shemitted suicide. She didn¡¯t die from disease, but the cyberbullies and their attacks The girl¡¯s parents made her suicide note public, along with her medical records stamped with the hospital¡¯s seal, and videos of her undergoing treatment. The person in the video who was tormented by the disease and crying in pain lookedpletely different from the optimistic girl in the previous videos. No one knew how she endured the pain after treatment, put on makeup, and shot those videos; and no one knew that she was sent to the ICU after finishing the half-marathon. When these things were made public, the cyberbullies canceled their ounts one after another. A life had vanished at their hands, but all they had to do was cancel their ounts and start again, ying the role of cyberbully in the next incident. After hearing this story, Celeste felt very disappointed. She had experienced such a dark period, so she could empathize with the girl¡¯s experiences. Fortunately, she was pulled out of that vicious circle by her friends in time and regained her sanity, while the girl lost her life. ¡°Law is meant to protect people¡¯s rights, and those beasts in human skin on the Inte can¡¯t even be called human.¡± After a moment of silence, Celeste raised her head, ¡°Sue for nder.¡± Mason gave a slight smile, his eyes gentle, ¡°I¡¯ll collect the information of these users first, and after the prosecution in court, we¡¯ll get their identity information. Give me your ID card, as we¡¯ll need the intiff¡¯s information.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Celeste hesitated for a moment, knowing that if she took out her ID card, her previous deception would be exposed. Seeing Celeste not moving, Mason asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste said awkwardly. ¡°This ount was originally registered with my friend¡¯s identity, can I use her identity to sue?¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s you, ¡¯cause the one who got screwed over is the user of that nickname ¡®Celestial Haze. If someone else represents you, it¡¯s like a proxywsuit, and it might get messed up by other factors.¡± Seeing her still being hesitant, Mason asked again, ¡°Is it inconvenience for you to use your real identity?¡± Celeste thought to herself: I¡¯m worried about you finding out that I¡¯ve been fooling you with a fake name before. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¡°To be honest with you, no one in my family knows that I do voice acting. If I sue them using my real identity, it¡¯ll be impossible to keep it a secret.¡± That¡¯s not really lying, right? Mason understood. ¡°You can use your friend¡¯s identity, but you have to make sure she can participate throughout the whole process and cooperate in court.¡± ¡°No problem at all.¡± Celeste gave Trisha a heads-up and then gave her personal information to Mason. ¡°Trisha?¡± Mason was surprised. ¡°You and your friend have the samest name?¡± Celesteughed awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, we do.¡± Mason smiled gently. ¡°That¡¯s quite a coincidence.¡± Celeste was already getting a bit restless. ¡°Ms. Colton, you don¡¯t have any other nster, right?¡± Mason looked up and asked. ¡°Will it take long?¡± ¡°Not really. Mason couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I was just wondering if I could invite you to have a meal together?¡± Celeste actually just wanted to get this matter sorted out and leave as soon as possible, but since he had already mentioned having lunch together, she couldn¡¯t say no to him easily. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ll treat you. You¡¯ve been busy helping me all morning, and you helped mest time too. I should be the one treating you as a thank you.¡± Mason didn¡¯t refuse and asked her with a smile, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m treating you, so it¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m not picky, anything is fine.¡± Mason thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat some local specialty dishes from J City then.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Mason was a decisive person, probably due to his profession. After Celeste gave up choosing a restaurant, he quickly came up with a new n and put it into action. The two of them walked to the restaurant after leaving the coffee shop. The restaurant Mason wanted to take her to was near the University Town, just a street away. It was difficult to park there, so they walked. Celeste was very familiar with the area. Both she and Liam graduated from T University, but Liam was in the North Campus while she was in the South Campus, just near the food court. During her school days, the small restaurants around the campus make her quite happy ¨C cheap and delicious food. They studied art and acting, which had strict requirements for their physical appearance. She was a foodie and often asked Trisha toe out for ate-night snack. After a year, she lost two pounds, while Trisha gained more than ten. Trisha thought that Celeste was one of those people who can¡¯t gain weight, but in reality, although she eats all the time, because her morning sses teachers would weigh her every morning, and the teacher would make her train extra hard when she gain weight. So every time she would swore to the teacher she wouldn¡¯t eat again, but as soon as she lost some weight, she shamelessly asked Trisha to go out for food again. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Looking back, her college days were the most rxed and beautiful time of her life, full of hope and dreams for the future. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 However, the years she spent married to Liam, even though it seemed like she was living a privileged life, she was actually always panic. She was worried that Liam wouldn¡¯t want her and that he would choose Sydney Especially when she saw Liarn¡¯s career flourishing while she could only live in his social circle under his sumame. These thoughts often kept her awake at night. How can a person relypletely on another person for their life? Especially when that person doesn¡¯t even love them. Not being able to be outstanding by herself was the reason for her anxiety. Even without Sydney, their marriage would havee to an end. It was like how she couldn¡¯t get used to the food Liam liked, and Liam wouldn¡¯t apany her to the small restaurants near the school to reminisce about the past. Their lives were supposed to be two parallel lines that would never intersect. ¡°I made the order already, but there are a lot of people, so we might have to wait for a bit.¡± Mason looked down and asked her, ¡°The food is great here, but it¡¯s a bit crowded here. Do you mind? If not, there¡¯s another restaurant nearby with a better atmosphere.¡± Celeste snapped back to reality and shook her head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m good with anything. I used to eat around here when I was in school, didn¡¯t expect you to choose this ce.¡± Mason looked slightly surprised. ¡°You went to university around here?¡± Celeste nodded. Mason asked tentatively. ¡°T University?¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment andughed. ¡°There are six universities around here, how did you guess T University first?¡± ¡°Do you remember when you first came into the coffee shop, I was looking at something on my tablet?¡± Celeste nodded, her eyes filled with confusion, wondering what that had to do with that. Mason smiled. ¡°I was watching your dubbing. You¡¯re very skilled, so I assume you studied it specifically. Among the nearby universities, only T University has an art school.¡± Celeste blushed. She felt proud when she received praise from people on the inte, but when beingplimented face-to-face, she couldn¡¯t help but feel shy. ¡°So, did I guess right?¡± Mason asked with a smile. Celeste nodded. ¡°Impressive, but how did you know about this ce? Did you also graduate from a nearby school?¡± Mason just smiled and didn¡¯t answer. A thought crossed Celeste¡¯s mind, and she asked tentatively, ¡°T University too?¡± Mason smiled and extended his hand. ¡°T University, Political Science and Law, Mason.¡± What a coincidence! Celeste was a bit slow to extend her hand. ¡°¡­Mr. Fletcher, nice to meet you.¡± Masonughed at her politeness and said gently, ¡°Just call me by my first name.¡± The afternoon sun was very intense, and they were standing in line outside the restaurant. The sun was shining directly on Celeste. Her skin was fair, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat, with ayer of fine sweat on her nose. Mason got distracted, and in the moment Celeste let go of his hand, he grasped it again, gently pulling her to switch ces with him. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. His shadow now covered her from the sun. Celeste was momentarily stunned. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Maxon¡¯s expression was natural, and he asked, do you want some cold beverages?¡± She snapped back to reality and smiled Yes please Some people are attentive while others never lear Across the street, Nics suddenly took off his sses and widened his eyes Wasn¡¯t that wife? Why was she with another man? And holding hands¡± Liam had never mentioned they were divorced, right? So, was this woman cheating on Liam? Nics¡¯s mind filled with hundreds of typical rich family drama stories, and he realized that he just saw a huge secret. Quickly, he took out his phone and started taking pictures of the couple across the street. The girl in the passenger seat was a bit unhappy. ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you were taking me to a photoshoot? Why are you taking pictures of N?velDrama.Org content. others?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Nics replied, ¡°I¡¯m catching some cheaters in action.¡± The beauty frowned, ¡®Cheaters?¡± Nics looked at the photos and smiled, ¡®Don¡¯t ask too much, knowing too much isn¡¯t good for you.¡± The beauty pouted and didn¡¯t say anything else. He picked several photos from different angles and sent them to Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, there¡¯s trouble brewing on your end.¡± Quantum Enterprises, executive meeting. The deputy general manager was speaking, and Liam was quietly focused on the documents, head down. His phone vibrated slightly, and he nced at the message on the screen, ignoring it. Nics, eager with curiosity, saw that Liam didn¡¯t reply right away and became extremely anxious. So he edited the picture again, zooming in on the hand-holding part, and sent it to Liam again. ¡°Your wife is holding hands with another man. Liam finally picked up his phone and opened the picture. The photo was clearly taken from a distance, and although the faces were somewhat blurry, it was indeed Celeste by her clothing. The man holding her hand had his head blocked by the greenery on both sides of the street, making it impossible to recognize him. Liam frowned. Nics, worrying that the proof was not enough, continued messaging him. ¡°Did your wife find a new lover and that¡¯s why she asked for a divorce?¡± ¡°This new lover ain¡¯t that great, taking her to such a small restaurant for food. What did your wife see in him? Innocence and no pretense?¡± Liam ignored him and sent a text to Celeste instead. ¡°Where are you?¡± Celeste saw Liam¡¯s message while they were ordering food and nced at it before turning it off. After ordering, there were several more messages on her phone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you reply?¡± ¡°Reply to me if you see it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see my toessage?¡± Just about to turn it off, Liam sent her another picture. It¡¯s the property division agreement she had Liam sign yesterday. Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched What a jerk, using this to threaten hert She immediately replied to Liam: ¡°Just saw your msg. I was ordering food earlier.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Eating near the university¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going shopping with friends?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we got Why was Lie sisddenly asking these questions not of abconsciously looked around, bad Would Liam be be have someone fallow her? Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Celeste Politely asked ¡®Mi Heed have you eaten yet? If not, should I bring you something? replied ¡°faure ¡± Did being polite? and ever you Celeste answered, ¡°I just arrived at some takeoutter? I¡¯m afraid ving and I¡¯m waiting Ill probably be able to rush over in two hours. How about I order you you wait too long¡± After a while, Liam replied. ¡°It¡¯s okay I¡¯m in a meeting, and two hours is just right¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Celeste¡¯s mouth bed and replied, ¡°Then, please wait a little longer, Mr. Reed¡± Nics anxiously waited This was a hand holding Liam¡¯s reply, feeling restless. How could be so calm? Did he really intend to divorce his wife and not care about being cheated anymore? ¡°Knock knock The car window was tapped twice Nics rolled down the window. A policeman said, ¡°Ah, a Bentley¡± Nics was stunned and instinctively replies, ¡°Yeah, any problem?¡± The traffic cop nced at him, ¡°You can¡¯t just park your car here Move it forward a bit.¡± Nics.. The drama he was enjoying halfway through was suddenly interrupted by the police. ¡°What was your major in college?¡± Mason poured her a cold drink. Celeste turned off her phone and looked up, I studied acting¡± Mason was somewhat surprised, ¡°I thought it was a dubbing major. Why not work in your field?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t really want to talk too much about herself with outsiders, so she answered vaguely, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you about it some other time.¡± Mason realized that she didn¡¯t want to discuss the topic further, so he smiled and said, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Do youwyers charge a lot?¡± Celeste suddenly asked this. When they met before, she noticed that although Mason dresses modestly and wore lesser-known brands, his watch and tie clip were very expensive, as was the car he drove, which was worth millions. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much money he make to live a life like that. Mason exined, ¡°I¡¯m currently coborating with a friend¡¯sw firm, so our fees won¡¯t be too high. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Celeste hurriedly waved her hand, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. You charge as you should. I¡¯m just curious if the legal profession is particrly lucrative. I don¡¯t mean to bargain.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°It does make good money, but it also depends on the cases you take. I have a ssmate who specializes in rich people¡¯s divorce cases, mainly property division. He charges five percent of the litigation amount.¡± Five percent.. Celeste immediately calcted using her own ten billion as an example. Five percent is-50 million! Celeste was shocked. She asked softly. ¡°Have you taken divorce cases too?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Yes¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 ¡°Are your chances of winning high?¡± Her question was very direct, but Mason found her straightforwardness adorable. He gently replied, ¡°Ive never lost a case¡¯ Celeste¡¯s eyes lit up instantly If Liam refused to divorce herter, she could sue for divorce. With this thought, she looked at Mason with even more eagerness. Mason felt a bit embarrassed by her gaze, cleared his throat, and spoke, ¡°I forgot to get your phone number earlier. Can you send it to N?velDrama.Org content. me?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes curved into a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll call you.¡± Saying that, she took out her phone and dialed the number Trisha gave her earlier. Mason¡¯s phone rang quickly, and while he was saving her number, Celeste changed his contact name to ¡°50 Million.¡± After dinner, Mason offered to drive Celeste home, but she declined his offer, saying she has other things to do. After watching Mason leave, Celeste went shopping at a nearby mall. Around two o¡¯clock, she finally strolled into the office. She was carrying a lot of stuff, including Liam¡¯s lunch and her spoils from the mall. As soon as she entered the office, the receptionist rushed over to help her carry her things. Celeste thanked him and noticed that he was the same guy who had stopped her outside the office before. His expression was tense now, no longer as calm andposed as before.. Celeste found it amusing, and as she stepped out of the elevator, she took a bag of snacks from her bag and handed it to the receptionist. ¡°Thanks for helping me outst time.¡± The guy was about to take the snacks when he looked up and saw Liam standing in the hallway with a frown, giving him an icy stare. The man was so scared that his hands were shaking, so he quickly took it back. ¡°Mr. Reed¡­¡± Celeste turned her head. Liam was standing there like an ice statue. His eyes were cold, like someone owed him money Thinking about it, she suddenly realized, was Liam always giving her death stares because he remembered the billion he had to pay her She immediately smiled, ¡°Mr. Reed, getting impatient, huh?¡± Liam snorted coldly. ¡°You finally arrived!¡± Celeste exined with a smile, ¡°I could have been here half an hour earlier, but when I went to get the clothes, I saw some nice new stuff, so I bought you two shirts and it took a little longer.¡± Liam paused for a moment, and said, ¡°You sure have a lot of excuses.¡± But his tone was slightly better. After saying that, he nced at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help cursing him in her heart, then took the stuff from the receptionist¡¯s hand, and stuffed the bag of snacks to him. The guy didn¡¯t dare to ept it, waving his hand and saying. ¡°This is my job, really, you don¡¯t need to¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not about work, I just wanted to thank you for helping me take picturesst time.¡± The guy was so scared that his face turned pale, and his legs were a little weak. Ever since that incident, every time Liam passed by the front desk, he felt uneasy. Fortunately, everything went smoothly at work this week, so he gradually let go of his worries. Unexpectedly, Celeste mentioned it again. Without looking up, he could feel Liam¡¯s icy gaze. ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long?¡± Liam said coldly. This bastard is picking on her again! Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Celeste directly stuffed the snacks to the guy and walked to Liam with the stuff in her hand The guy held the snacks, pondering Liam¡¯s gaze before he left, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. The snacks in his hand suddenly felt like a ticking time bomb In the CEO¡¯s office ¡°The Tasty Tree¡¯s gnhi, rich in filling, and meatballs, their meatballs are very authentic, they sell out if you gote, this is a sd¡­ there¡¯s nothing special about this, mainly for bncing nutrition, and a lemon sorbet, it¡¯s really yummy and healthy¡± Celesteid out the food she brought one by one, introducing them as if they were treasures. After finishing, she frowned and handed him the chopsticks, ¡°Mr. Reed, please enjoy your meal.¡± Liam took the tableware and said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t Shawn give you enough living expenses when you were in school?¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°He did, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam red at her, ¡°Nothing, just listening to you describe the dishes in such detail, I thought you used to do lots of part-time jobs.¡± Celeste was speechless. She shouldn¡¯t have responded to Liam¡¯s words! What else can this guy say besides sarcasm? She red at Liam and ignored the guy, turning her head to fiddle with the new sets of clothes she had just bought. ¡°Although I paid for today¡¯s shopping. I¡¯m not as stingy as you. Look, these two shirts are for you.¡± Liam said coldly. ¡°So should I thank you?¡± Celeste squinted her eyes and said, ¡°No need, as long as Mr. Reed keeps his promise, gives me a billion after getting control of Quantum, and divorces me, that¡¯s enough¡± Liam snorted, ¡°Make me a cup of tea.¡± As Celeste took off the tags, she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Owen outside? Let him do it.¡± Liam paused with his chopsticks, ¡°Are you trying to split that billion with Owen?¡± Celeste stopped, stood up, and put on a hypocritical smile, ¡°Alright, I go right away! Mr. Reed, just wait a moment-¡± As she left the office, Celesteined quietly. He treated her like a maid just for spending some money. Once she had money, she would definitely throw it in Liam¡¯s face and make him hold her shoes! She didn¡¯t go far before she ran into Owen. Owen was holding documents, walking very fast, and greeted Celeste politely when he saw her. Celeste stopped him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the staff¡¯s lounge in yourpany?¡± ¡°The staff¡¯s lounge?¡± Owen was stunned, and tentatively asked. ¡°Do you want some tea?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Liam who wants to drink tea, I don¡¯t know where the staff¡¯s lounge is.¡± Owen pursed his lips. There is a dedicated life assistant in the secretary¡¯s office who is responsible for pouring tea for Liam, and there is also a water purifier in Liam¡¯s office. Why does Mr. Reed have to make her run around? He was a little puzzled but didn¡¯t ask much, and told Celeste the location of the staff¡¯s lounge. When Celeste left, he also turned and went to the CEO¡¯s office. When he knocked and entered, Liam was holding his phone, standing next to the sofa, and bending over to check the clothes in the -bag. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He was very calm, just feeling a bit strange. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Lam didn¡¯t look up at he Owen said. Your father- N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chips to dinner several tr called to ask for your opinion was holding his phone and gesturing at something mean, Mr. Shawn Campbell, wants to invest Smart Chips. He has invited Mr Parsons of Smart Mr. Parsons knows the tionship between Mr Campbell and you, so he doesn¡¯t want to refuse Smart Chips founder Mr. Parsons, was Liams seno a PhD in physics Aber eaming his doctorate. Mr. Parsons turned down high-paying offers from bigpanies and founded Smart Chips on his own, ependent research and development of chips. that time, his ssmates started the business with him. These young people were full of passion and focused on research. As a result, just as thepany was making progress, two core R&D personnel were poached by otherpanies with a sry of $150.000 dors per year, and they even took away the research results at that time Thepany was hit hard and struggled to continue. In desperation, Mr. Parsons contacted Liam through his ssmates, hoping that he could invest in and acquire Smart Chips Chip research and development are very costly. Smallpanies can¡¯t do it, and bigpanies don¡¯t value the return on investment Although the industry has a promising future, but no one was willing to invest in R&D. if there is a breakthrough in research and development, the economic benefits could be hundreds of times higher. But if there is no breakthrough, it may cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions a year Aher serious evaluation and investigation, Liam bought 60% of Smart Chips for 30 million, bing the big boss of thepany At the same time he splurged on hiring a bunch of too talents in the industry, and expanded the wholeb. At the beginning of this year Smart Chips made a breakthrough, and a bunch of businessmen smelled the money and were eager to jump on the bandwagon Of course these guys were all in the sam boat with a sharp nose for business opportunities, so it wasn¡¯t surprising they knew about it. But how did Shawn, who¡¯s into low-end electronics, get wind of this? much does he wanna Liam fipped through a photo, not quite happy with it, and took another shot from a different angle. The told Mr Parsons he wants to throw in at least 80 milion Liam paused for a moment. ¡°Hispany can¡¯t even make that much in half a year Where¡¯s he getting all that dough from?¡± Owen shook his head. ¡°Mr. Parsons said that Shawn was super confident when he spoke, not like he was bullshitting. Mr. Parsons knows about his rtionship with you and didn¡¯t want to refuse directly, so he said he¡¯d discuss it with the other shareholders.¡± Liam thought for a moment, ¡°Find out who Shawn has been ¡°Aight, what about Mr. Parsons?¡± contact with recently and what he¡¯s been up to¡± ¡°Let him focus on his research, I¡¯ll send someone else to handle it.¡± ¡°Got it¡± After Owen finished reporting, he was about to leave when Liam called him back, ¡°Hold on.¡± Owen paused Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Liam asked casually. ¡°Do you know how to take pictures?¡± Owen replied after a brief pause,¡± Yeah¡± Liam handed him his phone, ¡°Help me take a nice picture of these clothes.¡± Owen was puzzled but didn¡¯t ask any questions. He took Liam¡¯s phone, set up a simple lighting and composition, and snapped a photo. ¡°Mr. Reed, is this okay?¡± Liam checked the photo and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± As Owen left the office, he was still puzzled. When did Mr. Reed be interested in photography? Meanwhile, Nics, who was apanying a beautiful woman for a photoshoot, felt his phone vibrate. He swiped it and almost spat water on the screen Liam had sent him a few pictures of new shirts, but that wasn¡¯t important. It was the message he sent right after. ¡°Have anyone besides your mom bought you clothes in the almost thirty years you¡¯ve been alive? Well, I have!¡± Nics twitched at the corner of his mouth. What¡¯s there to brag about! It¡¯s just a couple of crappy shirts, everyone wears them! The more he thought about it, the more ufortable he felt. Over the years, he seemed to be enjoying life, surrounded by beautiful women, but none of themsted long, let alone buying him shirts. Those women probably didn¡¯t even know his size. They cried when they broke up, but once they got the money, they turned their backs and leave him.. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. Just then, the woman wrapped in a towel came out of the bathroom, saw him sitting on the sofa in a daze, and sat in hisp, drawing circles on his chest with her hand. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you undressed?¡± Nics pushed her hand away and tested her, ¡°It¡¯s my birthday tomorrow. Do you have any gifts for me?¡± The girl hesitated for a moment, then smiled, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve already prepared something for you.¡± Nics felt relieved in his heart. See? I have people giving me gifts too! But on second thought, hmph, it wasn¡¯t even his birthday tomorrow, he was just testing her, and she said she had a gift. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that she didn¡¯t even know his real birthday? Nics felt gloomy but asked calmly, ¡°What did you prepare?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. The girl pulled his hand and ced it on her chest, then gently opened her towel, her voice seductive, I¡¯m giving myself to you.¡± Nics¡¯ smile vanished instantly. He pushed the girl off hisp, stood up, and slowly buttoned his shirt, saying indifferently, ¡°I have some work to do at thepany, I¡¯ll go first¡± The girl frowned and said, ¡°are you kidding me?¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Also, don¡¯t call me again. Let¡¯s end it here.¡± The girl finally got angry, wrapped herself in the towel, and cursed angrily, ¡°Nics, you bastard! You just want to sleep with me and then leave, are you even human?¡± Nics sneered, ¡°We both agreed to this, don¡¯t make yourself sound like a victim,¡± He signed a check and stuffed it into her towel, ¡°But I have a conscience considering thispensation.¡± The girl¡¯s face changed several times, but she eventually epted the check, cursing Nics as she did, ¡°You¡¯re a jerk! A bastard! You¡¯ll get your karma one day!¡± Nics didn¡¯t seem to care, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 After dinner, Liam went to a meeting and Celeste wanted to leave, but Liam said he would take her to do some styling after the meeting. and if she couldn¡¯t be found then, she wouldn¡¯t get a penny in the divorce. Left with no choice, Celeste, who had been tied down by the ten billion since signing the agreement, could only wait in the office Liam¡¯s office was too monotonous, with only a desk, a sofa, and bookshelves, and only ck, white, and gray colors. Almost half of the books on the shelves werenguage books, and the rest were mostly professional books, with the asional work like ¡°Hamlet¡± and ¡°Odyssey¡± mixed in. There wasn¡¯t a single recreational book Celeste searched for a while and finally picked up a copy of ¡°Iliad¡± to kill time on the sofa. When she opened the book, she was dumbfounded. It was so hard to read. Celeste simply closed the book and yed with her phone. But soon she found herself being cursed on the trending topics. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She clicked on it with a puzzled face. It turned out that Legend announced the voice actor for the mermaid, and Sydney¡¯s fans swarmed the official announcement, causing strong dissatisfaction among the game¡¯s fans, and both sides argued endlessly. Later, a marketing ount posted that the original voice actor for Legend¡¯s mermaid was a very popr figure in the voice acting industry, who had just done voice acting for a hit show and was about to sign a contract, but was intercepted by a rising starlet. This post was very targeted. Wasn¡¯t the voice actor for the mermaid Sydney, and wasn¡¯t the most popr voice actor in the industry who had just done voice acting for a hit show Celestial Haze? The new dispute and old hatred erupted together, and the fans of both sides argued endlessly. Half an hourter, Sydney reposted Legend¡¯s official announcement and added that she was honored to have the opportunity to participate in Legend¡¯s dubbing. She said she was not a professional voice acting student and was very nervous during the audition, but fortunately, the final result was satisfactory to the director, and she seeded at once. ¡°I am the voice actor for the mermaid, Sydney On June 6th, Legend Mobile Game will beunched, please look forward to it.¡± Sydney¡¯s simple and sincere confession brought all the negative public opinion to Celeste¡¯s side. ording to Sydney¡¯s statement, she got the role through an audition and was handpicked by the director of Legend in theter stage, so there was no stealing of roles. So that marketing ount before was suspected of spreading rumors, and who benefits from this gossip? It¡¯s gotta be Celestial Haze who got pushed onto the trending list. When Sydney¡¯s fans heard the news, they swarmed to hertest Twitter post, leaving tens of thousands ofments ¡°You cunning bitch!¡± ¡°Riding on others¡¯ coattails!¡± ¡°Never seen a voice actor with so much drama like you. Are you dying to be famous? Why don¡¯t you act yourself and let us see what the so-called number one voice actor looks like? ¡°Does she dare? If she shows her face, wouldn¡¯t it scare her male fans to death? If she really had such a great appearance, would she be willing to hide behind the scenes?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Thesements were rtively mild, but some others cursed her to die a homble death or were just full of foulnguage it was unbearable to see Celeste¡¯s blood pressure skyrocketed. How could there be such people who take advantage and other, he through their teeth, and piss people off? Why did Liam the sessful businessman, seem to be blind when it came to picking a woman? The more she read, the angrier she got, and she couldn¡¯t help but text Trisha ¡°What do you think Sydney¡¯s got going for her that makes him pine for her all these years?¡± Trisha, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed while revising the script, replied without much thought, ¡°Aren¡¯t men just like that, don¡¯t you know?¡± That response made Celeste feel a bit better Since Sydney started the provocation, she couldn¡¯t me her for being ruthless. She could y the game of provocation and ridicule As well Did they really think she was easy to bully? Ten minutester. Celeste posted a recording, thanking everyone for their attention. ¡°I have to admit that I tried out for the voiceover role in Legend, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t make it. I want to rify that I didn¡¯t sign a contract as rumored I must say that the Legend production team is the most professional and responsible team I¡¯ve ever seen. I have a great deal of respect for their choiceN?velDrama.Org content. and look forward to working with them again I also want to ask everyone to support Sydney, whom I acknowledge as a hardworking actress. I regret not having had the chance to meet Sydney during the audition. For all of my fans who were disappointed that I didn¡¯t get the role, I want to share my audition recording with you so that you can enjoy it and not worry about it anymore.¡± The recording she shared was from her audition at Gxy Games. She had a habit of recording her auditions forparison, and the director had approved it. The clip she shared was the same one as Sydney¡¯s official announcement. Her pronunciation was clear, her emotions were on point, and her breath control was natural. Celestes unedited voiceover was far superior to Sydney¡¯s edited version. If the director had tried both and still chosen Sydney, it would have been an insult to the public¡¯s intelligence Anyone who had heard both clips would not say that Sydney¡¯s was better, the difference was too significant. As soon as Celestial Haze began, the contrast in their abilities became immediately apparent. Celeste¡¯s seemingly innocent text summary didn¡¯t have any obvious problems. But when paired with her audition recording, it was like raising the mockery level to the highest. Soon, people dug up some information from her post: 1. Celestial Haze had auditioned, and the director was very satisfied with her 2. Sydney hadn¡¯t been present at the audition, so her im of attending was false. 3. Comparing the two voiceover clips, Celestial Haze¡¯s was more professional, but Sydney was chosen, which was obviously due to connections Next, something even more unexpected happened-Legend¡¯s official ount liked the post interpreting the situation! Oh my god, what was going on? The production was taking sides, too! Are they trying to attack their own teammate? In an instant, Sydney was pushed into the spotlight andbeled as ¡°the most despicable woman in maind entertainment¡± by some inte trolls! Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Celeste went speechless. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Your family¡¯s business got so big, all thanks to these shady methods, huh? Why don¡¯t you just go rob people?¡± Liam said, ¡°Well, that would be a crime, and I¡¯m aw-abiding citizen Celeste red at him for a while, unable to find any words to refute him In the end, she used the excuse of going to the restroom to slip away. Liam watched her escape, nced at the indentation on the sofa, paused, and loosened his tie After leaving thepany Liam made a detour to pick up Kaylee. Kaylee usually didn¡¯t like attending these kinds of events, as she found the people there hypocritical and insincere. On top of that, she was blunt and arrogant, easily offending others. Skyler didn¡¯t really ask her to attend, and Kaylee would rather hang out with a bunch of nch girls, shopping and having afternoon tea, Kaylee was the only girl in her generation of the Reed family, and the elders doted on her. But this time, it was Kaylee who actively requested to participate. Liam¡¯s car got stuck in traffic for a while, and sheined on the phone. Liam didn¡¯t indulge her bad habits, cutting her off halfway through. Celeste was amazed. Liam was the only one who could control Kaylee at home. When they arrived at the University of S, Kaylee ran towards them from afar. Upon opening the car door and seeing Celeste, her face darkened, and she grumbled. ¡°I wondered why it took so long, turns out you brought your precious wife. Liam looked at her expressionlessly. ¡°Stop wasting time, get in the car.¡± He didn¡¯t even deny it? Precious wife? What the hell! Celeste felt ufortable, shifting to the side. Liam noticed her movement, pursing his lips. Upon arrival at the design center, the manager greeted them immediately. Soon, the two women were led to try on clothes and get their hair and makeup done. Liam waited outside. However, not long after, the manager came over awkwardly, telling him. ¡°Mr. Reed, the gown you ordered for Ms. Celeste has caught Ms. Reed¡¯s eye. She insists on wearing it and even hit the staff member assisting her¡­ Liam¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, only asking, ¡°What¡¯s Celeste¡¯s reaction?¡± The manager hesitated, stuttering. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Liam paused briefly, then stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± The manager immediately led the way. ¡°Ms. Reed, while that gown is beautiful, the color and style don¡¯t quite suit your temperament. If you like a more mature style, you can try this one. The front design is simr to a princess dress, but the back is a cutout design, yful and sexy at the same time, more suitable for you.¡± The stylist kept suggesting alternatives, but Kaylee wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°I said I want that one! Can¡¯t you understand humannguage? I already kicked out that man, and now youe? You think you have a better chance?¡± The stylist¡¯s face stiffened, but she still apologized with a smile, ¡°That gown is a custom order, made to Ms. Celeste¡¯s measurements. There¡¯s only one, and it won¡¯t fit you, Ms. Reed. If you really like it, we can help you order it.¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Kaylee¡¯s anger red up. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying I don¡¯t have the body figure for it? Why would I want an identical gown? If I wanted the same style, I wouldn¡¯t need you designers!¡± The stylist turned pale. In all her years of serving celebrities and socialites, she had never encountered someone as unreasonable as Kaylee. Fortunately, the manager arrived just in time, quickly trying to smooth things over, ¡°They don¡¯t know how to speak, Ms. Reed, don¡¯t be angry. Why don¡¯t you try this one? It also just arrived today, and it won an award at this year¡¯s spring show. Take a look and see if you like it.¡± As the manager finished speaking, Celeste emerged from the fitting room. The gown was a deep red silk, with a strong drape, fully revealing a woman¡¯s curves. Celeste¡¯s fair skin contrasted beautifully with the bold color, making her even more alluring. Liam¡¯s gaze lingered for a few seconds before naturally shifting away. Seeing Celeste wear the gown, Kaylee wanted it even more. She was eager to shed her little girl image in Mason¡¯s eyes, hoping he would treat her like a woman. Celeste embodied the effect she desired. ¡°I don¡¯t want that one, Kaylee ran over to Liam and acted cute, ¡°Bro, I want to try the one Celeste is wearing.¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for you.¡± Kaylee was dissatisfied, ¡°I haven¡¯t even tried, so how do you know it¡¯s not suitable. My figure isn¡¯t that different from Celeste¡¯s.¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond, instead looking at Celeste and asking, ¡°What do you think?¡± What could she think? No matter what she thought, it would still be up to Liam in the end, right? Just likest year, when she didn¡¯t even get to see her birthday cake before he gave it to Kaylee. When she threw a tantrum, Liam just looked annoyed and told her she was making a fuss over a piece of cake. He didn¡¯t understand that she didn¡¯t care about a cake or a dress. What she cared about was Liam¡¯s attention. If it wasn¡¯t meant for her, even if she liked it, she didn¡¯t have the audacity to ask for it. Celeste¡¯s expression was neutral, ¡°If Kaylee wants to try. let her try. I¡¯ll go change.¡± Saying that, she turned around and went back into the fitting room, not even looking at Liam. Liam¡¯s eyes were deep, and it was unclear what he was thinking. Kaylee took the gown and excitedly went to try it on. N?velDrama.Org content. She was slightly shorter than Celeste, with a less ideal proportion, and less fair skin. In addition, she had more fat around her waist, so she had to suck in her belly to barely pull off the dress. But her looks was far inferior to Celeste¡¯s. Celeste was stunningly beautiful and poised, while Kaylee, despite inheriting Skyler¡¯s looks, had less delicate features andcked Skyler¡¯s elegance. Wearing the gown, she looked like a child trying on adult clothes, and it just felt off no matter how you looked at it. Kaylee was just over the moon with the dress, spinning around in front of the mirror before happily running over to Liam. ¡°Liam, this is the one I want!¡± As soon as she said that, all eyes turned to Celeste. One was Mr. Reed¡¯s wife, the other was Mr. Reed¡¯s sister-who would he side with? Without any surprise, Liam made his choice-he told Celeste, ¡°You can pick another one.¡± Even though she had already guessed the oue, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly disappointed when she heard Liam¡¯s decision. He never took her side. Suddenly feeling rebellious, she looked up and said, ¡°The dress was made to my size, why should I give it to her?¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Liam seemed oblivious to her anger and said casually. ¡°This dress doesnt sut you¡± This perfunctory response made Celeste chuckle. ¡°This dress was custom-made for me. How can it not fit? Liam, that excuse is just so Liam frowned, looking a bit impatient But he still held bac his anger and said in a deep voice. ¡°You can pick any of the best dresses in the store, but not this one¡± He felt that he had alreadypromised a lot, but Celeste seemed to want to pick a fight with him, ¡°What if I really want this one?¡± Finally, Liam lost his patience and said coldly, ¡°I said you can¡¯t have this one¡± Celeste pursed her lips Kaylee was secretly delighted. ¡°Celeste, the dress was custom-made for you but it¡¯s my brother who¡¯s paying for it. He can give it to whoever he wants.¡± Celeste turned to Liam, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping Kaylee Celestes heart immediately felt cold Seeing this, Kaylee became even more arrogant, ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, use your Campbell family¡¯s money to buy it. Your adoptive sister is trying to make money every day, and you do nothing but want to spend our money living afortable life. I really don¡¯t know why our grandmother agreed to let you into our family¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Liam couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and stopped Kaylee¡¯s rude words. Then he said to the manager. ¡°Take her to get her makeup done.¡± The manager immediately arranged for two assistants. Kaylee pouted, although she didn¡¯t dare to confront Liam directly, she still nced at Celeste with a triumphant look as she left. Celeste¡¯s face was extremely gloomy. The energy she had just shown seemed to have been completely wom away by Kaylee¡¯s humiliation. She didn¡¯t confront him as she had before. Normally, he would have thought this was a good situation because recently, her sharp tongue had been giving him a headache But seeing her like this, he felt very uneasy. Liam hesitated for a moment before speaking, his tone somewhat stiff, ¡°Pick another dress. You can get a more expensive one.¡± Celeste looked at him, with a hint of mockery in her eyes, ¡°First it was the cake, now it¡¯s the dress, what¡¯s next? If one day she wants me to give her my heart, would you agree?¡± Liam¡¯s heart tightened, and he said angrily, ¡°What the hell are you talking about?!¡± ¡°Well,¡± Celeste shrugged. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t take it yourself. How could youmit a crime? Just create an ident, and if she wants something from my body, it¡¯s just a matter of your word, right?¡± ¡°Celeste, enough!¡± Liam couldn¡¯t suppress his anger, ¡°It¡¯s just a dress, I said you can pick any other dress, do you have to be so obsessed with that one?¡± ¡°Indeed, I shouldn¡¯t be obsessed. It¡¯s the Reed family¡¯s money, what night do I have to ask for it?¡± Celeste lowered her eyes and said softly. ¡°What I like and what I want has never mattered to you.¡± Liam was so angry that he blurted out, ¡°As long as you know!¡± Celeste suddenly felt breathless, and her heart ached. Liam didn¡¯t want to argue with her anymore; he was afraid he would lose his temper if the argument continued. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 He said to the manager, ¡°Help her pick a dress. Then he turned and left The manager also felt very awkward. As the peacemaker for this couple, he didn¡¯t dare to intervene more. Liam was a big customer in the store, and if this was messed up, it would be a huge loss. ¡°We have many beautiful dresses in our store Let me show you¡± Celeste had already adjusted her emotions, and her expression returned to normal. She said indifferently, ¡°No need, just help me pick a suit¡± The manager hesitated, ¡°A suit?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t he say I could pick whatever I want?¡± ¡°Mr. Reed did say that, but¡­ The manager hesitated, then said tactfully, this is a charity g, and the famousdies and misses of J City all wear formal dresses. Wearing a suit might not be appropriate) ¡°I want to wear a suit,¡± Celeste knew the manager¡¯s concerns and continued, ¡°If Liames to you, just say it¡¯s what I insisted on, and let him take it up with me.¡± With that said, the manager couldn¡¯t argue anymore and helped Celeste pick a suit. Some people need clothes to enhance their beauty, while others are naturally able to handle any type of clothing. Celeste chose a white women¡¯s suit with a tight ck low-cut tank top underneath. She straightened her long hair and tied it into a low ponytail,pletely changing her temperament from when she was wearing that dress earlier. She looked both knowledgeable and capable. The makeup artist felt her face was already perfect, with no need for much embellishment. A simple daily makeup look was already enough to attract attention, and there was no need for heavy stage makeup to set it off. This face was simply wless and impable Liam was boredly flipping through a magazine. After a while, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. At first, he didn¡¯t pay attention, but as the sound got closer, he noticed a pair of ck high heels in front of him. Liam followed the shoes upward 4 White trousers, white suit, Celeste had her hands in her pockets, looking at him sideways. Liam put down the magazine, looked at her, and didn¡¯t say anything. There was no anger on his face. This imitated Celeste, so she deliberately pulled on her suit and asked, ¡°Do I look good?¡± Liam actually looked at her seriously for a while before saying, ¡°Not bad.¡± Celeste was a bit dumbfounded. Why did he react like this? She deliberately chose a suit to go against him, shouldn¡¯t he be angry? What was Liam thinking? Celeste frowned and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to say?¡± Liam looked at her and asked back, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Celeste was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t say she wanted to see him angry, could she? ¡°Forget it¡± Celeste said unhappily and casually sat down beside him. After sitting down, Celeste noticed that Liam¡¯s suit seemed to match the one she was wearing like a couple¡¯s outfit. Liam¡¯s cuff had two embroidered bees, and her cor also had an embroidered bee N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She finally understood why the manager had been rmending this suit to her when she was choosing one. Man, they were as sly as a fox when it came to running a business! She was wondering if she should go back and change her outfit, since there was still time anyway. After all, she and Liam were about to get a divorce, so wearing matching outfits was just way too awkward. But before she could do anything, Liam asked, ¡°Did you choose this suit to match with me or what?¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Celeste. ¡°Mr. Reed, would you believe me if I said this was a coincidence?¡± She was obviously trying to annoy Liam by going against him on purpone, but the actually picked a couple¡¯s outfit while choosing clothes¡­. Liam nced at her and asked back, ¡°Would you believe it if I told you this was a coincidence?¡± Feeling like any exnation would seem like covering it up. Celeste stood up and said. ¡°I go change into something else¡± Liam¡¯s voice, not tense, was heard nearby. ¡°If it¡¯s a coincidence, why are you so bothered¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I¡¯m not bothered! I just don¡¯t want you to get the wrong ideal¡± ¡°What wrong idea?¡± ¡°Thinking that I still like you, so I purposely wore a couple¡¯s outfit with you. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s nothing¡± She turned her head away, not looking at him, and her diamond tassel narrings swayed gently, casting light and shadow on her fair neck. Her ears were very red, probably because she had just argued with him. She didn¡¯t even know that every time she got angry and argued with someone, her ears would stay red for a long time. Liam stared at her ear for a while and suddenly heard Celeste speak again She said, ¡°Liam, this is thest time I¡¯m letting Kaylee off the hook. I¡¯ve been lenient with her because of her age, but if she disrespects me again, I won¡¯t hold back. You can take care of her, and to some extent, I can be indifferent, too. My life has been tough anyway, so I have to stand up for my dignity¡± Liam frowned and was about to ask Celeste what Kaylee had done before when Kaylee¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Brother! I¡¯m mady¡±¡± With that, she twirled around in front of Liam, excitedly asking. ¡°How do I look?¡± The dress was quite mature, so the stylist had given her a mature hairstyle and makeup. Though it took away some of her childishness and could be considered beautiful, it paled in comparison to Celeste¡¯s beauty. But because of her status, no one mentioned it Liam nced at her without making anyments and stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Kaylee followed, unsatisfied, ¡®Do I look good or not?¡± Liam expressionlessly said, ¡°If you think you look good, that¡¯s fine.¡± Celeste thought to herself: Even a ¡°not bad¡± from Liam would work. Once in the car, Kaylee noticed that Celeste was wearing a suit. For this kind of party, every woman attending would dress up in a unique gown. Wouldn¡¯t Celeste know that? Or was it because she didn¡¯t get the dress she wanted, so she purposely wore a suit to be difficult? Kaylee looked at her mockingly and said maliciously, ¡°Liam, are you really going to let her wear this? Aren¡¯t you afraid shell embarrass you?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t embarrass me, that¡¯s enough, Mind your mouth and don¡¯t provoke heri* Kaylee pouted If her brother really cared about Celeste that much, why would he give her that dress? Because he married Celeste, their family had been overshadowed by the second son¡¯s family. How could Liam like this jinx of a wife? She didn¡¯t take this warning seriously, and it was as if she had forgotten it as soon as she heard it. Not long after the car started, Liam¡¯s phone rang Celeste nced and felt a joft Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 The caller ID showed ¡°Baby¡± She unconsciously clenched her hand Liam answered the phone, and after hearing something from the other side, he frowned hung up, and looked at the driver. ¡°Park near Center Tower¡± Kaylee turned and asked, ¡°Why are we stopping, brother? What are you doing?¡± Celeste also looked at him, but unlike Kaylee¡¯s concern, there was no emotion in her eyes. Liam said indifferently. ¡°I have some urgent business to deal with You two go ahead¡± Celeste shifted her gaze Urgent business? It must be about Sydney. For him, anything involving Sydney was urgent. Her wrist was suddenly grabbed and just as Celeste was about to break free, Liam put their wedding ring on her ring finger Seeing the ring. Celeste got angry and couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°Such a valuable item, I better not wear it. In case you can¡¯t find it, you might call the police and use me of theft¡± This woman sure held grudges. Liam couldn¡¯t help but smile and forcefully put the ring over her knuckle, whispering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t call the police. If it¡¯s lost, II use something else as coteral¡± Celeste became wary and asked, ¡°Are you trying to scheme something against me?¡± Liam nced at her and said, ¡°Celeste, next time you have a check-up, remember to get your brain checked too.¡± Celeste was speechless Kaylee, not understanding, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Brother, what are you two talking about? What theft?¡± Liam withdrew his hand and said indifferently. ¡°Nothing. You have the invitation, right? When you get there, take her in first, and don¡¯t wait for me. I¡¯ll be there once I¡¯m done¡± Kaylee reluctantly agreed Soon, the car arrived at Center Tower, where Owen was waiting in his car Liam wanted to say something to Celeste before getting out of the car, but she put on her headphones and refused to talk, which annoyed him. He closed the car door and left with a stem face. As soon as Liam got in the car, Owen noticed his mood wasn¡¯t good. He instinctively felt it had something to do with Celeste but didn¡¯t dare to ask further quickly starting the car Not long after, Liam couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are all women so petty?¡± Owen listened carefully, ¡°It depends on what it¡¯s about¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Liam briefly exined what had happened while trying on dresses earlier, frowning. ¡°It¡¯s just a dress, and she has so many in her closet Why is she so fixated on this one?¡± Owen was speechless, and said, ¡°Mr Reed, how could the dress in that wardrobe be the same as this one? That dress onginally belonged to Celeste, and you forced it on Kaylee. How do you think Celeste feels about that? Have you ever considered that Celeste might really like that dress too? Today, you can ignore her wishes and give the dress to Kaylee, but what if tomorrow Kaylee needs ¨¤ blood transfusion in the hospital? Would you disregard Celeste¡¯s wishes and take her to the hospital to donate blood for Kaylee?¡± Liam¡¯s heart tightened This was almost the exact same thing Celeste had said. He felt a bit ufortable and said softly, ¡®I wouldn¡¯t do that¡± ¡°Celeste thinks you would, Owen continued. ¡°That dress, you reserved it for herst month, so why suddenly give it to Kaylee?¡± Owen knew Liam well Last year, for Celeste¡¯s birthday, he ordered a cake from vor Factory, but it was taken by Kaylee to a party. If it wasn¡¯t for Skyler stopping him, Liam would¡¯ve nearly broken her leg He wouldn¡¯t just give something onginally meant for Celeste to Kaylee because she said she liked it. But Liam just clenched his lips, unwilling to answer Owen had to change the subject, ¡°Mr. Reed, you asked me to investigate Celeste¡¯s whereabouts on the day of the car ident. I have the information now¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¡°The multiple car crash that happened on the overpass the other day-Celeste was there too, and her Porsche was one of the cars involved.¡± Liam¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank, and he quickly looked up. Owen handed over the file from the passenger seat. ¡°This is Celeste¡¯s medical record. She and Sydney were treated at the same hospital.¡± Liam¡¯s face tightened as he flipped through the papers. A fractured 11th rib on the right side; multiple soft tissue contusions, limited movement in the right wrist; forehead bleeding with bruising, headaches, nausea, and other symptoms. Hospital observation rmended¡­ Everything that happened that night yed out before Liam¡¯s eyes, his throat tightening. She never mentioned the ident to him, not a word. Liam closed his eyes. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Was this the reason why she suddenly wanted a divorce? On the way, Kaylee was constantly touching up her makeup in the mirror. She had her makeup artist use the lightest foundation, which looked good, but it was prone to smudging. Once her makeup was gone, her original skin tone would be exposed, making her look particrly unrefined. She could only try to apply more loose powder to prevent the makeup froming off. The mirror inadvertently reflected Celeste in the back row, and Kaylee couldn¡¯t help but feel envious when she saw her face. Celeste¡¯s skin was smooth and delicate. Even in a suit that downyed her feminine features, she still attracted attention. Wouldn¡¯t she steal the spotlight if she went in with her? The more she thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t stand Celeste. The car soon arrived at the venue for the charity g-The Sapphire Hotel The owner of The Sapphire Hotel, who was also one of the organizers of the charity g, had extensive connections in the J City business circle, and the invited guests were all political and business elites, socialites, and senior executives ofrge listed Although it was called a charity g, it was more of a business cocktail party where elites from various fields shared information and exchanged resources. That was why it was so important. Otherwise, Liam wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bring her, as any secretary could have apanied him to the event. She didn¡¯t know why Kaylee insisted on attending this time, since she used to dislike these types of business-oriented events. Kaylee was a top figure in the J City socialite circle. Her mother was once the number one socialite in J City, her grandmother was the former president of the J City Chamber of Commerce, and her brother was a popr entrepreneur in the country. Their family had deep roots and influence, so everyone had to show them respect. So as soon as they entered the hotel, many people came over to greet them. ¡°Kaylee, where did you get this dress? It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± ¡°I was just about to say, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you when you came in from outside.¡± 14 ¡°Weren¡¯t you on a graduation trip? We usually get sunburned when we go out, but your skin seems to be even better now.¡± The girls praised Kaylee to the skies. Kaylee enjoyed thepliments and said proudly, ¡°This dress was a gift from my brother. He has good taste, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°More than good? It¡¯s fantastic!¡¯ The girls¡¯ eyes lit up when Liam was mentioned. Liam was a legend in the social circle, rich, handsome, and capable. His private life was clean, unlike the rich kids who indulged in debauchery every day. Naturally, he became the target of many socialites. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 When the news of her marriage to Liam came out, one socialite couldn¡¯t ept it and jumped off a building to end her life. Of course, Celeste heard this from Nics, who was always talking nonsense. The truth of the matter was yet to be verified, but Liam¡¯s poprity in the socialite circle was undeniable. She and Liam had been married for three years, and she still asionally found anonymous letters in their mailbox with ambiguous content; bolder ones would send explicit photos directly to Liam.. She only discovered this when she used Liam¡¯sputer to modify the sound card data. At that time, they had been married for less than a year and had not consummated their marriage. When she saw those photos, she was stunned, thinking that Liam had cheated on her. She was young and naive back then, thinking that Liam didn¡¯t touch her because he liked the type of women in the pictures. She was angry, sad, and a little unconvinced, so she did something stupid that she still felt embarrassed about. She bought a set of clothes identical to the ones worn by the woman in the photos, then one night, after drinking half a bottle of vodka, she plucked up the courage and crawled into Liam¡¯s bed. She couldn¡¯t remember what happened afterward¡­. The next day when she woke up, Liam was gone, and she was left in pain but still feeling smug. That afternoon, Liam called to ask where she bought the clothes she wore the night before. Celeste thought he was extremely satisfied and flirting with her during the day, so she hesitated to tell him. But then Liam said, ¡°The design department sent me the product image a few days ago, but it hasn¡¯t been released yet, and there are already knock-offs. We¡¯re currently tracking down the source of the leak.¡± Celeste ¡°You mean the sample in your email?¡± Liam paused, ¡°How did you know?¡± Sheter learned that there were indeed many women sending private photos to Liam, but the one she clicked on that day was a new product from one of their lingerie divisions. They had sent Liam the effect picture. She threw away the lingerie that night, but a few dayster, Liam brought back an identical set of genuine products, saying it was a trial product from thepany. That lingerie still hangs in their cloakroom, reminding her of her foolishness from time to time. ¡°Kaylee, who is this?¡± someone finally asked about the silent Celeste. Kaylee nced at her and casually said, ¡°Oh, her? She¡¯s my sister-inw.¡± The enthusiasm waned a bit, and a girl with long, slender eyes smiled and said, ¡°Wearing a suit instead of a dress to this event, your sister-inw has quite a personality¡± Kaylee shrugged and said, ¡°Yeah, no manners, no discipline. In a way, that¡¯s a personality too.¡± Celeste smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to analyze yourself so clearly.¡± Kaylee was speechless, so was everyone else. Even though the words were clearly meant to mock her, she managed to skillfully fire back with a laugh. Seemed like everyone¡¯s previous judgment of Celeste being a ¡°pushover¡± was way off the mark Surrounded by familiar faces from their circle, Kaylee couldn¡¯t really let off steam and, clutching her dress, entered the elevator with a straight face. Celeste followed her closely. When they reached the 12th floor, as soon as they got out of the elevator, Kaylee said she needed to use the restroom. Since Celeste didn¡¯t have an invitation, she could only wait outside. After waiting for more than ten minutes with no sign of Kaylee, Celeste was about to call her when suddenly a scream came from the restroom. When the news of her marriage to Liam came out, one socialite couldn¡¯t ept it and jumped off a building to end her life. Of course, Celeste heard this from Nics, who was always talking nonsense. The truth of the matter was yet to be verified, but Liam¡¯s poprity in the socialite circle was undeniable. She and Liam had been married for three years, and she still asionally found anonymous letters in their mailbox with ambiguous content; bolder ones would send explicit photos directly to Liam. She only discovered this when she used Liam¡¯sputer to modify the sound card data. At that time, they had been married for less than a year and had not consummated their marriage. When she saw those photos, she was stunned, thinking that Liam had cheated on her She was young and naive back then, thinking that Liam didn¡¯t touch her because he liked the type of women in the pictures. She was angry, sad, and a little unconvinced, so she did something stupid that she still felt embarrassed about. She bought a set of clothes identical to the ones worn by the woman in the photos, then one night, after drinking half a bottle of vodka, she plucked up the courage and crawled into Liam¡¯s bed. She couldn¡¯t remember what happened afterward¡­. The next day when she woke up. Liam was gone, and she was left in pain but still feeling smug. That afternoon, Liam called to ask where she bought the clothes she wore the night before. Celeste thought he was extremely satisfied and flirting with her during the day, so she hesitated to tell him. But then Liam said, ¡°The design department sent me the product image a few days ago, but it hasn¡¯t been released yet, and there are already knock-offs. We¡¯re currently tracking down the source of the leak.¡± Celeste: ¡°You mean the sample in your email?¡± Liam paused, ¡°How did you know?¡± Sheter learned that there were indeed many women sending private photos to Liam, but the one she clicked on that day was a new product from one of their lingerie divisions. They had sent Liam the effect picture She threw away the lingerie that night, but a few dayster, Liam brought back an identical set of genuine products, saying it was a trial product from thepany. That lingerie still hangs in their cloakroom, reminding her of her foolishness from time to time. ¡°Kaylee, who is this?¡± someone finally asked about the silent Celeste. Kaylee nced at her and casually said, ¡°Oh, her? She¡¯s my sister-inw The enthusiasm waned a bit, and a girl with long, slender eyes smiled and said, ¡°Wearing a suit instead of a dress to this event, your sister-inw has quite a personality.¡± Kaylee shrugged and said, ¡°Yeah, no manners, no discipline. In a way, that¡¯s a personality too.¡± Celeste smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to analyze yourself so clearly¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Kaylee was speechless, so was everyone else. Even though the words were clearly meant to mock her, she managed to skillfully fire back with a laugh. Seemed like everyone¡¯s previous judgment of Celeste being a ¡°pushover¡± was way off the mark Surrounded by familiar faces from their circle, Kaylee couldn¡¯t really let off steam and, clutching her dress, entered the elevator with a straight face. Celeste followed her closely When they reached the 12th floor, as soon as they got out of the elevator, Kaylee said she needed to use the restroom. Since Celeste didn¡¯t have an invitation, she could only wait outside. After waiting for more than ten minutes with no sign of Kaylee, Celeste was about to call her when suddenly a scream came from the restroom. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Celeste frowned and walked to the door, knocking. *Kaylee?¡± There was no response from inside, but she could hear some rustling noises. Celeste raised her voice again, ¡°Kaylee, stop ying around. Say something!¡± Still, no one answered from inside. She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked in. The bathroom had only three stalls, all of which were closed. One of them had continuous flushing sounds, and it seemed some other noises were mixed in. That was probably what she had heard outside. ¡°Kaylee-¡± She hadn¡¯t even finished calling the name when someone suddenly shoved her from behind. Caught off guard, Celeste stumbled forward a few steps, her phone flying out of her hand. When she turned around, she found the bathroom door had been closed from the outside. A wave of unease washed over Celeste as she hurried to pull the door open, only to find it had indeed been locked from the outside. That little brat Kaylee! Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Celeste clenched her teeth and banged on the door, ¡°Kaylee, is this your idea of a joke? This prank isn¡¯t funny at all! Open up!¡± There was no response from outside. Had Kaylee already left? Recalling Kaylee¡¯s previous pranks, Celeste believed that she was capable of locking her in the bathroom. The hotel¡¯s soundproofing was excellent, so no one seemed to notice her banging on the door. She had initially nned to call the hotel and ask the staff to help, but when she picked up her phone, she discovered it was broken. The screen was shattered, and she couldn¡¯t see anything. Now she could only wait for someone toe to the bathroom and help her open the door. What Celeste didn¡¯t know was that before Kaylee left, she had ced an ¡°under maintenance¡± sign outside the bathroom door. Unless the staff noticed, no one would likely pass by The hotel bathroom was exceptionally clean and odorless, even scented. Still, being stuck inside was unbearable. She fiddled with her phone, trying to open the contacts from memory and call anyone for help-even just to contact the hotel. But before she could make a call, she heard a hoarse panting sounding from the bathroom stall. At first, Celeste thought she had misheard. But soon, the sound came again, even more urgent than before. Celeste took a couple of steps back and bent down to peek under the stall door. What she saw scared her to hell-someone seemed to be lying on the floor inside. She hurried over and knocked on the door ¡°Are you okay? Can you speak?¡± The person inside only continued to make that hoarse panting sound, heavy and weak. The stall door was locked from the inside, so she couldn¡¯t pull it open. At this rate, she feared that the person inside wouldn¡¯tst until someone arrived. Decisively, Celeste went to another stall, climbed up the partition wall using the toilet and a shelf. -Thankfully, she was wearing a suit, which didn¡¯t hinder her climbing at all. Once she jumped to the other side, she found that the girl¡¯s face had turned pale, and the sound from her throat had be weak. ¡°Where¡¯s your medicine?¡± As Celeste asked, she saw the asthma inhaler had fallen into the toilet, rolling around in the water. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 She took a deep breath, removed her coat, and reached into the toilet to retrieve the inhaler. She rinsed it under the tap and pressed it twice Luckily, the inhaler was well-sealed, and no water had gotten inside. She quickly opened the girl¡¯s mouth and sprayed the medicine After spraying, the panting improved significantly Celeste bent down to help the girl up and took her outside Although the symptoms had eased, the girl¡¯s was still somewhat unconscious Her face was turning pale again, and Celeste pinched her, saying, ¡°I reached into the toilet to save you, so don¡¯t let my sacrifice go to waste, okay?¡± She quessed that there might be an allergen in the room, possibly the fragrance Thinking of this, she quickly opened the bathroom window A few minutester, the girl¡¯s symptoms were somewhat alleviated, and her face looked better Her consciousness started to recover but she still couldn¡¯t speak Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Do you have your phone with you?¡± Celeste asked. The girl shook her head with difficulty Celeste nced out the window, assessed the situation, and told the girl, ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go climb over the wall and call for help¡± The girl blinked. Celeste took off her high heels and climbed out the window. Outside the window was a tform about 30 centimeters wide. Just looking at it made her legs wobble. Celeste mocked herself, saving a person wasn¡¯t easy, forcing an art student like her to be an athlete. Holding onto the window frame, she walked on the narrow tform with great difficulty. After more than ten minutes, she finally found another window Fortunately, there was someone inside. Unfortunately, it was the men¡¯s bathroom. She clung to the window like a female hooligan, scaring a man who was peeing so much that he wet his pants and ran away in panic, bumping into another man who had just entered. What was even more surprising was that the man he bumped into was none other than Mr. Fletcher, whom she had just met that morning Standing outside the men¡¯s bathroom window and seeing the client she had met in the morning, Mason thought he was seeing things. But Celeste couldn¡¯t care less about how scary she looked at that moment. She tapped on the ss, trying to get his attention and seek his help After a brief moment of shock, Mason quickly regained hisposure and walked over to help Celeste open the window. Celeste¡¯s legs were already weak, and her voice trembled with urgency. ¡°Hurry and get someone to open the women¡¯s bathroom door. There¡¯s a girl inside having an asthma attack¡± Mason grabbed her wrist and said softly. ¡°Let me pull you up first.¡± ¡°Go save her first I can get up on my own.¡± Although she said this, her legs were actually quite weak after standing on the 30-centimeter-wide tform for over ten minutes. She needed a short break Mason didn¡¯t let go, instead saying gently, ¡°Your safety is important too Put your hand on my shoulder, and I¡¯ll support you as you climb up * In that instant, Celeste was moved by his words. It had been a long time since someone had cared for her so purely She hesitated no more, following Mason¡¯s suggestion, grabbing him with one hand and cing the other on his shoulder to support herself as she climbed up It was just that she held that position for too long earlier, and her legs were kinda giving out. Before she could even get over the windowsill, her body started sliding down. Just then, Mason suddenly let go, and Celeste¡¯s face turned pale from fright. But in the next second, those hands firmly grabbed her waist and easily lifted her up. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Celeste didn¡¯t hesitate, taking the opportunity to stretch one leg in, propping herself on the other person¡¯s shoulder, and finally climbing 1. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs felt weak and she almost slid to the floor. Luckily, Mason caught her in time.. She leaned against him a bit embarrassingly, and although she wanted to keep up her image, she suddenly felt there was no need, considering he had already seen her climbing through the men¡¯s bathroom window. Celeste decided to just go with the flow since her image was already ruined in front of him. Another person entered the bathroom, saw the scene inside, said ¡°Sorry for the interruption,¡± and left immediately. Celeste was speechless. This was quite an awkward misunderstanding. The two of them left the bathroom, calling the police while looking for someone to unlock the door. The hotel staff was efficient, and the girl was quickly rescued from the bathroom. Probably because Celeste had opened the window for venttion, the girl¡¯splexion had improved a lot, and she could already speak simple words. Then the doctor arrived, gave her a quick check, and praised, ¡°Luckily, she was rescued in time. Her condition isn¡¯t too serious.¡± Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, especially the hotel manager, who was almost in tears. The people attending the business dinner tonight were all wealthy and influential. If someone had died at the hotel, the manager wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. The manager quickly arranged a room, and the group sent the girl in for the doctor to treat her. He then thanked Celeste profusely. ¡°Thanks to your help today Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. May I ask for your full name, ma¡¯am?¡± Celeste waved her hand, just about to remain anonymous, when Mason replied for her, ¡°This is Miss Selena Colton.¡± Celeste choked. It seemed the fake name was stuck with her. ¡°May I ask which room Ms. Colton is staying in? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I just want to say that you are our honored guest, and we¡¯d like to waive all your expenses at the hotel as a token of our gratitude.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Celeste thought for a moment, ¡°But I do have a small favor to ask. I wonder if you could help me.¡± The manager quickly put on an attentive listening expression, Celeste said, ¡°Could you let me into the charity dinner venue?¡± The manager hesitated, ¡°Is Ms. Colton an invited guest tonight?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°No.¡± Her husband was an invited guest tonight, but she didn¡¯t want to call Liam right now. Firstly, her phone was broken, and secondly, even if she told Liam, he wouldn¡¯t side with her because his sister was the one who caused the trouble. The manager apologized, ¡°I can help you with anything else, but I can¡¯t make the decision on this matter. Tonight¡¯s charity dinner requires an invitation for admission to prevent journalists from sneaking in and invading the guests¡¯ privacy. Even I don¡¯t have the privilege to bring someone in without an invitation. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes were filled with a sense of disappointment, but the next second, an invitation suddenly appeared in front of her. Celeste was stunned and looked up to see Mason already smiling, softly saying, ¡°Maybe you could try persuading me a bit. I should be able to bring a date, right?¡± Thest sentence was for the manager. The manager nodded and said, ¡°Of course.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Celeste¡¯s eyes brightened up, but she still asked tentatively, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± Mason nodded, but then said, ¡°Before that, we¡¯ll need to ask the manager to open a room for us.¡± Celeste looked at him confusingly. Mason smiled, gently pointing at her clothes. Looking down, Celeste saw that her white suit and pants were a mess from climbing the wall and window. It wouldn¡¯t be suitable for the dinner party, let alone walking on the street. He reassured her, ¡°You look cool like this, but you can be even more beautiful at the party¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He was maintaining her dignity while subtly praising her. Who didn¡¯t like hearing such words? Celeste imagined what Liam would say. He would probably say directly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Then threw a towel on her head, warning her not to disgrace him. Just thinking about that made Celeste instantly angry. How could people¡¯s personalities be so different? The manager readily opened a room. ¡°You clean up first, and I¡¯lle backter.¡± Mason settled her in and then left the room. Celeste let out a sigh of relief. She was worried Mason woulde in and make her awkwardly look for conversation topics. Fortunately, Mason was indeed a gentleman, not even entering the same room with her to avoid misunderstandings to protect a woman¡¯s reputation and dignity. As soon as Mason got on the elevator, Nics asked him in the group chat, ¡°Mason, did you fall into the toilet?¡± Mason didn¡¯t reply. Nics sent another message, ¡°Bob said you were ¡®ying games with a girl in the bathroom. Is that true? Howe someone as pure as you suddenly ys such exciting games? Who¡¯s the chick?¡± Mason pursed his lips, ¡°Clean up the dirty jokes in your head. Do you think everyone is as filthy as you?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s filthy about the rtionship between men and women? Right, Liam?¡± Liam replied, ¡°When ites from your mouth, it¡¯s filthy¡± Nics choked, and after a while, he said, ¡°When are you two finallying? These old guys are trying to introduce me to girlfriends, and I¡¯m so bored. Come help me share the burden.¡± Liam coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m married. I can¡¯t help you.¡± Nics thought to himself, his marriage was in crisis, so why did he still seem so smug when he said he was married? Mason said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring someone overter.¡± Why did Mason have to announce it in the group chat that he was bringing someone? Nics thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea. He asked tentatively, ¡°A girl?¡± Mason replied, ¡°Yes, the one I mentioned before, the one I met in the hospital.¡± Nics immediately became gossip-hungry, ¡°You didn¡¯t keep her contact information, how did you get in touch?¡± Mason smiled faintly, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a special kind of fate.¡± ¡°Hopeless, oh god, even Mason is going to end his single life. From now on, my parents will have even more excuses to pressure me to find a girlfriend.¡± Masonughed and said, ¡°We just happened to bump into each other.¡± Mason remembered when Celeste called him, stammering his name, and sighed, ¡°She probably hasn¡¯t even remembered my name yet.¡± Nics became interested again, ¡°Wow, even you can¡¯t impress her, this woman¡¯s taste must be really picky. Is she trying to seduce you or something? I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on youter. These girls nowadays are so calcting. If you act innocent with them, they¡¯ll be all flirty with you. But if you try to be flirty with them, they¡¯ll say they were raised strictly and act all innocent¡± ¡°Anyway, women are the most unpredictable creatures in this world. Don¡¯t be fooled by their pretty appearance.¡± Liam, who had been speechless about this topic, suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯ve got a point there.¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 ¡°She ain¡¯t the person you guys think she is. She¡¯s super simple and straightforward, whatever she thinks shows on her face.¡± Nics got more and more curious, ¡°What kind of magic does this woman have? Just after seeing her a few times, you¡¯re praising her so much. When you guys arriveter, I gotta check her out, see if she¡¯s really as stunning as you say.¡± Mason said, ¡°Don¡¯t scare her off.¡± Nics clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re still as stingy as before? Not even letting me take a look?¡± Mason countered, ¡°When have I ever been stingy with you?¡± Before Nics could answer, Liam interrupted, ¡°Nude pictures, maybe.¡± Nics and Mason fell silent at the same time¡­ Liam said leisurely, ¡°He said when you guys were kids, and you went to the bathroom together, everyone wasparing who could pee farther, but you always covered yourself like a little girl, so he got curious.¡± After a moment of silence, Mason said, ¡°Nics, are you into guys?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense! I like women, okay!¡± Nicsined, but he could only swallow the embarrassment this time. He quickly changed the subject, ¡°Kaylee dressed up specially to see you today. If she sees you brought a dateter, she might make a scene.¡± Mentioning Kaylee, Mason felt a headache, ¡°She¡¯s so much younger than me, she¡¯s like a sister to me. I¡¯ll marry the person I like, and she¡¯ll have to ept reality sooner orter.¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting¡± As soon as Liam arrived, Nics greeted him with a drink, ¡°Listening to those old men talk, I¡¯m about to be bored to death.¡± Liam took the drink, but his eyes were scanning the party scene. There were celebrities singing on stage, the lights were dim, and people were swaying, but she wasn¡¯t there. Nics asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Liam took a sip of the drink, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± Nics was stunned, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your wife, did shee?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t shee with Kaylee?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see her, when I saw Kaylee, she was alone. I thought you didn¡¯t bring her Liam pursed his lips, put down the drink, and picked up his phone to call Celeste. After dialing five calls in a row, all of them were unanswered. It seemed as if Celeste had disappeared from the earth. Liam looked at Kaylee not far away and suddenly walked towards her. Kaylee was surrounded by a group of socialites, enjoying the attention. The moment she saw Liam, her face tightened. She tried to maintain a natural smile, already thinking about how to deal with it. Anyway, she would never admit it, no matter what. ¡°Liam, you finally arrived. Let me introduce you to my friends.¡± Kaylee went forward and took Liam¡¯s arm, familiarly speaking. A few giris around Kaylee looked at him expectantly. But Liam pulled away her hand and said indifferently, ¡°Come here, I have something to ask you.¡± Although Kaylee was unwilling, she still followed him, ¡°Bro, what do you want to ask? My friends are still waiting for me to drink.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± Liam asked, ¡°She came with you, where is she?* Kaylee hesitated for a moment, Celeste hadn¡¯t called her brother toin. She rolled her eyes and quickly thought of an excuse, ¡°When we got here, she said she wanted to go to the bathroom, so I told the security guard at the entrance and came in first, who knows where she went?¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Liam¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Kaylee, you better tell the truth, where did she go?¡± Kaylee was a little flustered by his gaze and said in a suppressed voice, ¡°How am I not telling the truth? She just went to the bathroom, you can check the surveince if you don¡¯t believe me, why would I lie about this?¡± ¡°How did I tell you before we came?¡± Liam reminded her. Kaylee was unconvinced, ¡°I did bring her in as you said, but she¡¯s an adult, how can I stop her if she wants to leave? Maybe she¡¯s holding a grudge against me for taking her clothes, and she deliberately ran away to embarrass you.¡± Liam said irritably, ¡°She¡¯s not as narrow-minded as you are!¡± Kaylee was angry. ¡°Have you been brainwashed by that woman? You don¡¯t trust your own sister, but you trust an outsider?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Liam gave her a cold look, and Kaylee shivered. She wanted to say something else to defend herself, but Liam had already left her behind She let out a sigh of relief and tried to figure this out. She had just sent her friend to check outside, and the bathroom door was already open. Celeste should havee out. But she didn¡¯te to the venue or call her brother toin, which was a bit strange. ¡°Ladies, guess what I just heard outside?¡± Just after returning to her seat, a socialite she was chatting with came over, her face full of surprise and whispering in a low voice. Everyone was curious, ¡°What is it? Just tell us.¡± ¡°I heard that the Garcia family¡¯s daughter just had an attack in the bathroom and almost died.¡± Kaylee froze in her tracks. Someone asked, ¡°Which Garcia family?¡± ¡°How many Garcia families are there in J City? Fusion Dynamics¡¯ Garcia family, Kaylee should be familiar with them, I heard my dad say, the Garcia family seems to have a good rtionship with your family. In fact, they weren¡¯t that familiar. The Garcia family had some connections with the Reed family, but after her father¡¯s death, the rtionship obviously diminished, andter they heard that their youngest daughter, ir Garcia, was in poor health, so the family went abroad to seek treatment, and the contact became even less. In J City, besides the Fletcher family, the only family that could rival the Reed family¡¯s strength was the Garcia family. Kaylee, of course, wouldn¡¯t deny being familiar with the Garcia family. She elegantly took a sip of her wine and said casually. ¡°Our families go way back. What happened to ir, you said?¡± ¡°Ms. Garcia suddenly had an attack in the restroom, seemed like asthma. Unfortunately, some irresponsible person blocked the door. Ms. Garcia nearly died in there. Luckily, there was someone else in the restroom who climbed out the window to get help, and that¡¯s how Ms. Garcia was saved. The hotel is keeping it hush-hush. I heard this from a distant rtive who¡¯s in charge of security here.¡± Kaylee¡¯s hand trembled slightly How could ir be in the restroom? She didn¡¯t hear any noise from there¡­ ¡°The twelfth floor? Climbing out the window? Just imagining it makes my legs wobbly. That woman has some serious guts. Why didn¡¯t she just call for help instead of risking it through the window?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, just that she was also here for the party tonight.¡± ¡°ir is the Garcia family¡¯s darling. They¡¯ll definitely be super grateful to the person who saved her. Why don¡¯t things like this ever happen to me?¡± ¡°Even if it did, you¡¯d probably be too scared to run away¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Everyone burst intoughter. But Kaylee felt a little uneasy and even a bit panicky, nning to leave. Causing a little trouble for Celeste was one thing, but now she had put someone¡¯s life in danger. If this got to Liar¡¯s ears, Kaylee knew her brother¡¯s personality he wouldn¡¯t let her off the Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 It was all Celeste¡¯s fault, that unlucky brat. If it wasn¡¯t for her, none of this mess would¡¯ve happened. ¡°I was hoping to meet Ms. Garcia tonight, but I guess that¡¯s not gonna happen. I heard she was sent to the hospital.¡± Kaylee thought for a moment and said, ¡°The hotel¡¯s keeping it hush-hush, probably at the Garcia family¡¯s request. Let¡¯s not spread rumors.¡± She hoped to make it through the night without Liam finding out, and she¡¯d deny it to her dying breath. Seeing her say that, everyone dropped the subject. Trisha had just finished editing her manuscript and had barelyid down when her phone rang. It was a strange number, so she thought it was a delivery and answered. But the voice on the other end made her jump out of bed. ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± ¡°What¡­what do you want now?¡± Once bitten, twice shy Hearing Liam¡¯s voice, she got stressed out now. Liam repeated, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± Trisha, both resentful and timid, whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t she go to some party with you?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t show up, and she¡¯s not answering her phone.¡± What¡¯s it got to do with me? Maybe she just doesn¡¯t want to answer your call! Trisha thought. Having seen Liam¡¯s ruthless side, Trisha didn¡¯t dare say that. She tentatively whispered, ¡°Should I give her a call?¡± ¡°Thanks¡± Liam finally spoke something appropriate for once. Trisha then tried to contact Celeste, but just like with Liam, Celeste¡¯s phone went through, but nobody answered. Liam¡¯s brow furrowed deeper, and he hung up without a word. At that moment, Nics came over, hooked his arm around Liam¡¯s shoulder, and whispered, ¡°Mason¡¯s here. Let¡¯s go meet his little girlfriend.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Liam pushed his hand away. ¡°Go yourself.¡± Nics snatched his phone. ¡°Celeste¡¯s a grown woman who¡¯s alive and kicking. She can¡¯t be lost, can she? Let¡¯s tease Mason first, and 111 help you find herter.¡± Without waiting for a reply, he hooked Liam¡¯s shoulder and dragged him away. Celeste came out after washing up and changed into the dress the hotel attendant brought. It was a white off-the-shoulder fishtail dress with a slit, simple yet formal, gentle and appropriate. When Celeste left the room, Mason was waiting for her in the hallway. Hearing the sound, he looked up. Celeste had a well-proportioned physique and a distinctive appearance, so she looked amazing in anything. With some careful dressing up, she was absolutely dazzling. Mason was a bit stunned. Celeste walked over and whispered, ¡°Is this dress expensive?¡± Mason¡¯s eyes were full of smiles, and he lowered his voice, ¡°The hotel manager gave it. He said it¡¯s to thank you for your heroic act Celeste¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is he that generous?¡± Mason chuckled softly, ¡°You saved a life. Otherwise, he¡¯d have to take a huge responsibility. A dress is nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks a lot.¡± Nics and Liam walked to the front hall and saw Mason supporting a girl with an amazing figure, laughing as they walked toward the center of the venue. There were many people, and the lighting was dim, so they couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face clearly from a distance. But her tall figure and sexy curves were obvious at a nce. Nics squinted and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Mason to like sexy girls. I thought he liked the pure ones.¡± He elbowed Liam teasingly, ¡°He¡¯s got taste like you.¡± Liam red at him but didn¡¯t say anything. His gaze swept over the girl, feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. napier 92 ¡°Let¡¯s go and check her out up close.¡± With that, Nics pulled Liam¡¯s arm and followed. Celeste had been helped by Mason several times, and her initial psychological defenses had gradually faded. She thought for a moment and decided to tell Mason her real name because they would need to stay in contact for futurewsuits. It would be embarrassing if she were exposedter, so she might as welle clean now. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 She was mentally prepared and about to speak when someone suddenly patted Mason¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Been waiting for you forever, man. Let me see the beauty you were talking about¡­ Why is it you?!¡± The moment Celeste turned her head, Nics¡¯s voice got a bit shrill, and his eyes were about to pop out. What the hell was going on? How could Mason¡¯s date be Celeste? He instinctively nced at Liam next to him, who was already pale with anger. Celeste was also stunned, never expecting that Mason would know Liam. Only Mason himself was still clueless about the situation. Seeing Nics¡¯s reaction, he asked in surprise, ¡°Do you know her?¡± ¡°She¡­what did you say her name was?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Celeste hadn¡¯t looked up yet, but she could already feel Liam¡¯s gaze burning like fire. ¡°Her name¡¯s Selena Colton, Mason gently introduced her, ¡°Ms. Colton, these two are my childhood friends, Nics and Liam. Liam¡¯s the only married one among our group of friends.¡± Mason paused, then suddenly asked, ¡°Liam, where¡¯s your wife?¡± The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Even Nics, who was great at smoothing things over, didn¡¯t know what to say at this moment. His brother¡¯s new girlfriend was another brother¡¯s wife? That was something not in even TV dramas! ¡°My wife¡­¡± Liam stared coldly at Celeste, his gaze falling on her hand holding Mason¡¯s arm. He lifted the corner of his lips slightly. have to ask Ms. Colton when she¡¯s free toe and y the role of my wife.¡± Celeste silently withdrew her hand from Mason¡¯s elbow and stepped back a little. Mason looked at her in surprise Just as Celeste was about to exin, a hand reached around her waist and forcefully pulled her close. Liam, without any tenderness, roughly gripped her waist, leaned down to her eat and gritted his teeth, ¡°Should I call you Mrs. Reed or Ms. Colton?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t tell if it was her imagination, but Liam¡¯s posture seemed somewhat possessive, as if dering his territory. Mason frowned and asked, ¡°Liam, what are you talking about?¡± With one hand on Celeste¡¯s waist, Liam looked at her sarcastically, ¡°Celeste, why don¡¯t you introduce your husband to your boyfriend?¡± ¡°What boyfriend?¡± Celeste, feeling pain in her waist from Liam¡¯s grip, couldn¡¯t help but push him away, ¡°Liam, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes seemed to shoot fire. ¡°Celeste, we¡¯ve been married for three years, and I never knew you went by Selena!¡± Celeste was at a loss for words. This was indeed hard to exin. She couldn¡¯t say that she had given Mason a fake name out of caution, only to end up with so many connectionster. With Mason standing right beside her, saying that would be too hurtful. Just as she was struggling with what to say, Mason suddenly spoke up, ¡°This must be a misunderstanding. She asked me to handle some disputes on behalf of a friend. Due to my previous professional habits, I assumed she was rted to the client and thought her name was Selena.¡± Celeste felt extremely ashamed. The lie she had created was now being covered up by the ¡°victim¡± himself. Nics finally found an opportunity to speak and quickly tried to smooth things over, ¡°So it was just a misunderstanding. Let me Introduce you guys, Celeste, this is our childhood friend, Mason. When you two got married, he was abroad and couldn¡¯t make it back. The painting hanging in your wedding room was a gift from him.¡± She had always thought the valuable painting was a gift from Nics, but considering how stingy he was, it made more sense for it to be from Mason. ¡°Mason, this is Liam¡¯s wife, Celeste.¡± Mason¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and he looked at Celeste without speaking Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 She tried to ignore his hand, looking apologetically at Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, thank you so much for today¡± Mason shook his head. ¡°It was the least I could do.¡± He hesitated for a moment before taking out two band-aids from his pocket and handing them to Celeste, ¡°I asked the waiter for these.¡± Pointing at Celeste¡¯s wrist, he added, ¡°I only treated the wound briefly earlier. Be careful not to get it infected in this hot weather.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Celeste was startled. The wound on her wrist was from climbing through a window earlier. Since it didn¡¯t bleed much, she only cleaned it and didn¡¯t treat it. The wound hadn¡¯t hurt much until Liam touched it, causing the pain to intensify, making her want to break free. Liam hadn¡¯t noticed this detail, but Mason had during their brief interactions. At that moment, Celeste felt weirdly emotional. Just as she was about to say thank you, Liam snatched the band-aids and said indifferently. ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take care of my own people.¡± The atmosphere, which had slightly eased, suddenly tensed up again. Nics felt like his head was about to explode due to tension. The atmosphere at the scene was bizarre for a moment. ¡°Mason!¡± Kaylee ran over excitedly, grabbing Mason¡¯s arm, ¡°I knew you were lying when you said you had a girlfriend!¡± Nics breathed a sigh of relief, never finding Kaylee so adorable. He chimed in with augh, ¡°How could he possibly have a girlfriend? Hurry up and introduce your friends to him, maybe you¡¯ll help him get out of the single life.¡± Kaylee pouted, ¡°Mason wouldn¡¯t be interested in them.¡± She nced at Celeste, seemingly feeling a little guilty, and turned away, calling out, ¡°Hi, Liam and Celeste.¡± Celeste gave a cold smile but said nothing. She knew now was not the time to settle personal grudges. ¡°Mason, dance with me. Some guy keeps bothering me, and it¡¯s so annoying. Help me block him.¡± Kaylee begged him sweetly,pletely unlike her usual arrogant and domineering self. Celeste looked at her and suddenly realized that Kaylee hade to this event which she usually wasn¡¯t interested in, probably for Mason. Kaylee liked Mason. This conclusion made all her previous actions make sense, and it was no wonder she sometimes held back her sharpness. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Liam, but she was afraid of her true self being exposed and disliked by Mason. Mason initially wanted to refuse, but Kaylee persisted. With Nics fanning the mes, he was eventually dragged onto the dance floor. After Mason left, Celeste finally breathed a sigh of relief. Liam¡¯s reaction speed was pretty fast, but he might not have caught on just yet. Once he figured it out, though, he would definitely ask her what kind of trouble she¡¯d gotten into. There was no way she can outsmart Liam. If she identally spilled the beans while chatting, then that would be a disaster If Liam found out she was nning to sue Sydney¡¯s fans, he would probably try to stop her before she even made a move. ¡°Should we go check it out?¡± Liam¡¯s mocking voice came from behind her. Celeste snapped back to reality, ignored him, and looked away. He nced at the white dress she was wearing, his gaze bing a bit more serious. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? What¡¯s with that outfit? What happened to your clothes?¡± The tone of his voice was like saying, ¡®Where on earth did you go wandering off to? And what¡¯s with that ratty outfit? Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Liam pulled Celeste¡¯s wrist, circling her back into his arms, his possessiveness evident. Celeste furrowed her brow, trying hard to break free from his embrace, but Liam calmly threatened, ¡°Two billion.¡± Celeste immediately behaved. Liam boldly held her waist, the heat from his palm seeping through her clothes, making her feel ufortable, as if ants were crawliChapter 95 ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask your precious little sister?¡± Liam looked at her and said, ¡°She told me you¡¯re still holding a grudge about her taking your clothes, and you sneaked off to the bathroom when you had the chance.¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°If she already told you, why bother asking me?¡± Liam pursed his lips, speaking lightly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe her. I wanna hear what you have to say.¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you Kaylee locked me in the bathroom?¡± She didn¡¯t look at Liam when saying this, as she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d believe her, knowing he¡¯d always protective of his sister. No matter what Kaylee did, Liam always thought she was just an innocent little girl, pure-hearted and without malice. How could such a ¡°pure¡± girl do something like locking someone in the bathroom? She was prepared to be ridiculed by Liam, but instead, he sighed softly. ¡°So how did you get out?¡± Celeste was shocked. Liam was acting strangely today, doing things she couldn¡¯t predict. She didn¡¯t quite understand him, maybe she never really knew him. ¡°I climbed out the window.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t mention her bathroom rescue, as there was no need. On one hand, she didn¡¯t know the person she saved, and on the other hand, thinking about fishing in the toilet with her bare hands made her feel ufortable. Having this experience once was enough, better not to advertise it. ¡°Climbed out the window?¡± Liam was somewhat surprised. Celeste didn¡¯t notice his expression and nodded, ¡°Yeah, I climbed out, went along the wall to the next room, and Mr. Fletcher happened to be in the bathroom, so he helped me.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned serious, and he asked in a low voice, ¡°What was Mason doing in the bathroom?¡± Celeste found the question odd, ¡°What else could he be doing? Of course, he was taking a leak.¡± Liam asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did you see it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t react for a moment. Liam red at her, ¡°You saw it!¡± Celeste was startled back to her senses, her face turning flushed as she red at him, ¡°No! When I climbed to the next window, he had juste in! What¡¯s with your dirty thoughts?!¡± Liam¡¯s anger faded, and he looked closely at her wounds. There were obvious abrasions on her right wrist, arge patch of blood on her skin, and the torn area had rough, exposed flesh. Normally at home, when peeling an apple and identally cutting a bit of skin, even if it didn¡¯t bleed, she would whine. But now, with her wrist like this, she didn¡¯t cry out in pain. It was the same with the car ident. That night, she hade home with injuries but said nothing. She didn¡¯t want to show any more pain to him, or rather, she didn¡¯t want to show her vulnerable side to him. This realization made Liam feel somewhat lost. It was hard for him to describe this feeling. He was a person who hated trouble, whether in work or life. The simpler and more straightforward, the better. But Celeste wasn¡¯t like that. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When they got married, he knew she was a troublesome woman. Despite having no emotional foundation, she insisted on having aplete wedding and a normal marriage; after the wedding, she voluntarily changed some of his habits, like drinking milk before bed and putting aroma stones in the car. Her arrival disrupted his long-established habits, sometimes making him feel annoyed. She would ask if her clothes looked good; if he said they were average, she¡¯d think he was perfunctory; if he said they looked bad, she¡¯d think he had no taste. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Celeste didn¡¯t mention her bathroom rescue, as there was no need. On one hand, she didn¡¯t know the person she saved, and on the other hand, thinking about fishing in the toilet with her bare hands made her feel ufortable. Having this experience once was enough, better not to advertise it. ¡°Climbed out the window?¡± Liam was somewhat surprised. Celeste didn¡¯t notice his expression and nodded, ¡°Yeah, I climbed out, went along the wall to the next room, and Mr. Fletcher happened to be in the bathroom, so he helped me.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned serious, and he asked in a low voice, ¡°What was Mason doing in the bathroom?¡± Celeste found the question odd, ¡°What else could he be doing? Of course, he was taking a leak.¡± Liam asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did you see it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t react for a moment. Liam red at her, ¡°You saw it!¡± Celeste was startled back to her senses, her face turning flushed as she red at him, ¡°No! When I climbed to the next window, he had juste in! What¡¯s with your dirty thoughts?!¡± Liam¡¯s anger faded, and he looked closely at her wounds. There were obvious abrasions on her right wrist, arge patch of blood on her skin, and the torn area had rough, exposed flesh. Normally at home, when peeling an apple and identally cutting a bit of skin, even if it didn¡¯t bleed, she would whine. But now, with her wrist like this, she didn¡¯t cry out in pain. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It was the same with the car ident. That night, she hade home with injuries but said nothing. She didn¡¯t want to show any more pain to him, or rather, she didn¡¯t want to show her vulnerable side to him. This realization made Liam feel somewhat lost. It was hard for him to describe this feeling. He was a person who hated trouble, whether in work or life. The simpler and more straightforward, the better. But Celeste wasn¡¯t like that. When they got married, he knew she was a troublesome woman. Despite having no emotional foundation, she insisted on having aplete wedding and a normal marriage; after the wedding, she voluntarily changed some of his habits, like drinking milk before bed and putting aroma stones in the car. Her arrival disrupted his long-established habits, sometimes making him feel annoyed. She would ask if her clothes looked good; if he said they were average, she¡¯d think he was perfunctory; if he said they looked bad, she¡¯d think he had no taste. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Seeing her angry look, his voice unconsciously lowered, ¡°So I got the wrong idea?¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°Just like you always did, don¡¯t you?¡± In fact, Liam wasn¡¯t that unreasonable. On the contrary, although he was protective of his own family, if someone really crossed his bottom line, he wouldn¡¯t spare them, even if it was his own mother. But those bottom lines seemed insignificant in front of his true love. Unexpectedly, Liam didn¡¯t get angry at her retort. Instead, he said somewhat helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a new er. Celeste stared at him in shock, feeling like his words were meant to appease her. Was Liam actually trying to appease her? Either she had a hearing problem, or Liam had gone insane. She coughed and nced at him, ¡°If you¡¯re feeling guilty and want to make it up to me, save your breath. I¡¯m not buying it.¡± Liam paused and pushed her hand away, ¡°Did you hit your head when you climbed through the window?¡± Celeste was speechless. She knew something must be wrong! See, he was still the same sarcastic, annoying man! ¡°What are you still standing there for?¡± Liam took a few steps and saw her still standing there motionless, giving her a cold re, ¡°Do you need me to carry you?¡± She gritted her teeth and reluctantly followed. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. It was as if she was deliberately going against him. When he sped up, she sped up too. When he slowed down, she followed suit, always maintaining a proper distance. The single men at the event noticed Celeste on her own and naturally paid attention to her Celeste was stunningly beautiful. Even without wearing extravagant attire like other socialites, a simple dress was enough to make people gasp in admiration. She seemed to be one of those lucky few with great genes. Although her parents weren¡¯t particrly good-looking, it was as if she had used a cheat code when she was born, and all the excellent genes were concentrated in her. At eighteen, Celeste still had a youthful appearance and wasn¡¯t even the most beautiful girl in her ss. But by twenty-three, she had blossomed like a flower bud, her features bing more and more delicate. The older she got, the more beautiful she became. There were many beautiful women at the party, but Celeste¡¯s beauty made the others pale in comparison. Other beautiful women might first catch people¡¯s attention with their exquisite dresses, but with Celeste, no matter what she wore, people were always drawn to her face first. Liam rarely brought her to such events, so many people didn¡¯t actually know her and assumed she was some wealthy family¡¯s daughter or a guest performer at the party. In a short span of time, she attracted quite a few young talents to strike up a conversation. Liam turned his head, and she was chatting with a young man. Liam recognized the man, as someone had just introduced him. He was a partner of an emerging intepany, in his twenties, using his family¡¯s money to start a business, and doing quite well. Liam walked over with a furrowed brow. Seeing Liam, the man smiled and greeted him, ¡°Mr. Reed.¡± Liam¡¯s face was calm, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. He asked lightly. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing much,¡± the manughed. ¡°She¡¯s an old ssmate of mine. We¡¯re just catching up.¡± ¡°Old ssmate?¡± Liam looked at Celeste. The man thought Liam was asking him and exined, ¡°This is Celeste, my high school ssmate. We haven¡¯t been in touch for a long time. I didn¡¯t expect to meet her here. Celeste, this is Mr. Reed from Quantum Enterprises.¡± This old ssmate was friendly, but not very aware of the situation. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Sure enough, Liam smiled faintly, ¡°I can see you two haven¡¯t been in touch for a while.¡± The ssmate was taken aback, only to see Liam put his arm around Celeste¡¯s waist, slowly raising his eyes, and said gently. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know you¡¯re already married.¡± Liam¡¯s expression changed too quickly! Celeste thought she was good at hiding her feelings, butpared to Liam, she was still far behind The ssmate was clearly caught off guard by the sudden revtion and stammered for a moment before saying. ¡°Married?¡± Celeste cooperated by holding Liam¡¯s arm and smiling. ¡°This is my husband.¡± The man¡¯s eyes showed obvious regret, and he said awkwardly. ¡°You got married so early?¡± Realizing it wasn¡¯t appropriate, he quickly added, ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Reed to be your husband. When I was studying abroad, I heard from ssmates that you had an ident. It¡¯s good to have someone take care of you earlier.¡± The car ident involving Celeste and her mother had been a big deal at the time, making headlines. A private car collided with a taxi, causing two deaths and three injuries. The taxi driver and a passenger were killed on the spot, while another passenger was seriously injured. Celeste¡¯s mother survived but became a vegetable, unable to wake up. Among all the victims, Celeste¡¯s injuries were the lightest. However, even now, the thought of that gruesome ident still made her stomach involuntarily cramp. Liam untangled her fingers and intertwined them tightly with his own, Celeste looked up at him, puzzled. But Liam didn¡¯t look at her, and instead said lightly, ¡°Mr. Pitts, I heard your parents are in the catering business?¡± The man, seeing Liam initiating a conversation with him, was very happy and enthusiastically chatted with Liam. Liam seldom initiated conversations with strangers. When people around noticed this, they soon came over to join them. Talking business at this kinda event ain¡¯t realistic, mainly all about building connections with people. And the chatter from those housewives was just in boring. They yapped about some new Japanese restaurant that just opened, bragged about the best spot for afternoon tea, or directly or indirectly showed off their hubby¡¯s wealth. Seemed like their whole lives revolve around their husband¡¯s social circle. Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t Celeste kinda like that too? Lost in her thoughts, suddenly, a female voice called out near her ear: ¡°Liam.¡± Celeste¡¯s smile suddenly paused, and she looked up She saw Sydney wearing a blue rhinestone dress, slowly walking towards them. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Her makeup was exquisite, and she looked stunning. She had great control over both her expressions and her actions. As one of the most popr young actresses at the moment, she indeed had the aura of a female star. Usually, the high-societydies would just nod to these young actresses and wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to them. Seeing stars at various events had be no big deal to them, but the intimate shout of ¡°Liam¡¯ was just too curious. Rumors about Liam and the popr actress Sydney had been buzzing before, but there was no follow- up news, so everyone thought it was just a publicity stunt However, now, in front of his wife, such a warm shout seemed to be more than just a publicity stunt. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 No matter which circle, people always had a tendency to gossip. Everyone was secretly observing Liam and Celeste¡¯s reactions. Unexpectedly, both of their reactions were very cold Celeste just paused for a moment when she heard ¡°Liam,¡± then continued to drink her juice, as if the neer was unimportant. Liam was even more direct ncing at her indifferently and not even bothering to acknowledge her Celeste chuckled softly This bastard was really good at acting Sydney¡¯s face was slightly embarrassed, but she quickly recovered, ¡°Liam, Celeste, what a coincidence¡± Celeste nodded slightly in response Liam, seemingly mindful of the people present, casually asked, ¡°Howe you¡¯re here?¡± Celeste thought disdainfully in her heart, Didn¡¯t you pick up her call beforeing and rushed over? Now you¡¯re acting like an innocent husband? Sydney¡¯s smile was bright, and her tone was gentle Tm a charity performer for today¡¯s event.¡± Indeed, some stars were invited to perform for charity at the party. However, they were allst-minute additions, not very famous, and some were even art school students who hadn¡¯t graduated yet, mainly to liven up the scene Due to the special status of the quests attending the banquet, overly famous stars might attract paparazzi, so the organizer would not actively invite Sydney to perform. How she got in was anyone¡¯s guess Liam didn¡¯t respond, and a few young people came over to toast him, so he had no time to care about this side. Sydney nced at Celeste, grabbed a cocktail, and passed it over, ¡°Mrs. Reed, this drink is delicious, give it a try¡± Celeste looked up and firmly replied, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t drink.¡± This was, of course, not true Celeste had a moderate alcohol tolerance, but she loved to drink, especially sweet drinks like cocktails, wine, and fruit wine On the contrary, Liam, who often socialized, didn¡¯t like drinking that much. ¡°Not drinking?¡± Sydney hesitated and then asked tentatively, ¡°Mrs. Reed, are you pregnant?¡± Celeste¡¯s movements froze This sentence seemed to hit her sore spot. The legitimate wife was not pregnant while the mistress unted her pregnancy in front of her. This was truly disgusting! Was she deliberate trying to make her ufortable? Celeste really wanted to ssh the juice in her hand onto the other party¡¯s face! The fact that they had been married for three years without a child wasn¡¯t a strange thing, but what was disgusting was that Skyler had been seeking medical help for her pregnancy all these years, letting everyone in the circle know. Of course, no one would say anything on the surface, but behind the scenes, they were all saying she couldn¡¯t give birth, which was why even after being married for so many years, people still kept rmending other women to Liam. Sydney took the lead, and everyone soon inquired with concem What they were concerned about wasn¡¯t whether she was pregnant or not, they were concerned about whether they could witness this joke Everyone knew she couldn¡¯t possibly be pregnant. Sydney wanted to poke her sore spot and make her embarrassed. Sienna Reed cared most about the Reed family¡¯s image if Celeste lost herposure on such an asion and caused shame to the Reed family, would Sienna still protect her? As long as Sienna disliked her, how long could she stay in the Reed family? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Sydney was counting on this Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 But unexpectedly, Celeste didn¡¯t get angry. She even smiled at everyone and said softly. ¡°When it¡¯s time to announce it, we¡¯ll naturally say it. Some things are not good to say in advance, as it might bring bad luck.¡± Everyone was stunned, was this a response to being pregnant? N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. After all, it was indeed not appropriate to announce it during the unstable first three months. Liam was drinking tea not far away, and at such a close distance, he could hear Celeste¡¯s words. However, he neither confirmed nor denied Celeste¡¯s response, which made everyone think that the pregnancy was true. People started to congratt her instead of waiting for the drama, and Celeste became the focus, while Sydney¡¯s face turned flushed with anger. She pretended to congratte with the others, ¡°Congrattions, Mrs. Reed, you finally got what you wanted. You¡¯re wearing high heels and makeup. If you didn¡¯t say anything. I really wouldn¡¯t have noticed that you¡¯re pregnant.¡± She was practically using Celeste of lying Celeste wasn¡¯t easy to fall in her trap. She nced at her and curled her lips, ¡°Ms. Denton, as an unmarried woman, you seem to know a lot about pregnant women¡¯s matters. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you¡¯ve had a child yourself.¡± Sydney was startled and looked nervously at Liam. But Liam didn¡¯t even look at her. Although he was talking to people around him, his eyes were always on Celeste, and his deep gaze was hard to ignore. Celeste didn¡¯t have time to look at Liam but found Sydney¡¯s reaction strange. Why was she so nervous? Just as she was about to dig deeper, a voice interrupted, ¡°Ms. Denton just said a few more words out of con is a bit rude.¡± Celeste stopped and looked in the direction of the voice. The person speaking was Mrs. Kelley, the one who had won money from Skyler while ying poker earlier and w to spit the money back out. Mrs. Kelley and Skyler had a great rtionship. She was pretty savvy and experienced, and since she was older, everyon a lot. It was quite surprising that the usually smooth Mrs. Kelley actually stood up to support a little star, openly criticizing the Reed eldest daughter-inw. Celeste didn¡¯t think Mrs. Kelley really wanted to help Sydney. Others might not know, but she was aware of some inside info. ion In the past, Mrs. Kelley¡¯s husband had a scandal where he got a minor celebrity pregnant. His family was all about boys and had always wanted a son. But Mrs. Kelley had three daughters, so she was worried that if the pregnant celebrity had a son, it would threaten her position. So, she took the initiative to talk to the little star In the end, the minor celebrity asked for 10 million inpensation and agreed to terminate the pregnancy. Although Mrs. Kelley looked all shiny and morous, she didn¡¯t have control over the family¡¯s finances. Where could she get that much money? Her parents were wealthy, but after their death, they only left her one property, and the rest of the inheritance went to her two brothers. She didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with her brothers because of her husband, and nobody wanted to lend her money. So, she turned to Skyler for the cash. The day after the little star received the money, she sent Mrs. Kelley a bill for the abortion surgery. Mrs. Kelley was suspicious, so she did some investigation, only to find out that not only was the abortion surgery fake, but the pregnancy was fake too. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 When she realized she¡¯d been scammed and wanted to find the guy, that little performer had already taken the money and run. She heard about this from Kaylee during a meal Because of this, Mrs. Kelley had a deep hatred for celebrities, so she wouldn¡¯t take Sydney¡¯s side. Mrs. Kelley seemed kind, but she was actually narrow minded She won so much in thest card game, but when Liam showed up, he easily made her lose it all. How could she not hold a grudge? She didn¡¯t dare to offend Liam, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of Celeste, who had no background. She also saw through Celeste¡¯s fear of confronting her in public. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Celeste surely didn¡¯t want to offend her, as Mrs. Kelley was not like Sydney If she offended Sydney, at most she¡¯d argue with Liam. If she offended Mrs. Kelley, Skyler would probably lecture her. Celeste didn¡¯t even realize that subconsciously, she felt Liam wouldn¡¯t do anything to her, even when it involved Sydney ¡°Mrs. Kelley is night, this joke was not appropriate. If Ms. Denton feels offended, I apologize¡± Her apology was so quick that it choked Mrs. Kelley¡¯s sarcasm back into her stomach. What kind of character was Celeste? Sydney was also surprised that Mrs. Kelley would speak up for her, but Celeste¡¯s apologetic attitude was very satisfactory, so she pretended to be magnanimous and said, ¡°Mrs. Reed, don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s just a joke, I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± This response was a bit of a misstep, making Mrs. Kelley, who spoke up for her, seem meddlesome Sure enough, Mrs. Kelley¡¯s face turned gloomy. She took a deep breath and changed her tone. ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t me me for talking too much. I¡¯m like a sister to your mother-inw, and you¡¯re like my daughter Sometimes I¡¯m harsh, but it¡¯s for your own good, you know?¡± Celeste obediently said, ¡°I understand¡± Mrs. Kelley looked at her pathetic appearance and felt contempt. Seeing Liam wasn¡¯t paying attention, she assumed an elder¡¯s condescending posture. ¡°You are the Reed family¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, and your words and deeds represent the Reed family¡¯s image. Think more before you speak and act, and don¡¯t be as uneducated as before.¡± Celeste seemed to not hear the sarcasm in her words and responded, ¡°You¡¯re right, I really need to learn more from you. My mother-inw said that you are smart and virtuous, not only educating your daughter very well but also speaking and acting very properly. You and your husband are even more loving, and your rtionship is strong. It¡¯s amazing that you can do so well in everything. Is there a secret?¡± Thedies saw Celeste being so respectful to Mrs. Kelley and immediately started ttering her Mrs. Kelley had a good rtionship with Skyler, and even Celeste, Liam¡¯s wife, was so respectful to her. So getting close to Mrs. Kelley was like getting close to the Reed family, right? ¡°Mrs. Kelley and Mr. Kelley have been married for almost 20 years, right? I heard that this Valentine¡¯s Day, Mr. Kelley still gave her a ring. It¡¯s so romantic after 20 years. My husband forgot our wedding anniversary in the second year¡± ¡°Mrs. Kelley and Mr. Kelley have a great rtionship, and Mr. Kelley¡¯s mother is also very satisfied with her. Their rtionship is really enviable ¡°Mrs Kelley, please share some tips on managing marriage with everyone.¡± Everyone praised Mrs. Kelley. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 She cleared her throat and said. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing special. In marriage, we inevitably encounter difficulties Man work hard outside, and as women, we should be more understanding and tolerant, and life will be good Although some people didn¡¯t agree, they still showed their agreement on the Only Celeste sincerely asked, ¡°What if there¡¯s a fundamental mistake? Like cheating. If the husband had a child outside, and th came to provoke you How would Mrs. Kelley handle it?¡± This remark, made both Mrs Kelley and Sydney¡¯s faces change. Mrs Kelley¡¯s face tightened, and she said. ¡°Are you going through this? Celeste took a sip of juice and said. ¡°It¡¯s a friend¡¯s issue. Her husband cheated, and the mistress got pregnant. But she doesn¡¯t want a divorce and tries to negotiate with the mistress to have her abort the child and stay away. The mistress wants ten million, and my frend doesn¡¯t have much money, so she recently borrowed from me. Although I don¡¯t agree with her approach, I don¡¯t have a bette solution. Mrs Kelley is knowledgeable and experienced, so I wanted to ask what you would do if you faced this ¡± Sydney breathed a sigh of relief, while Mrs Kelley got angry and said, ¡°How can I have experience in this? You¡¯re asking the wrong person¡± Celeste humedly exined. ¡°Mrs Kelley, don¡¯t be angry I didn¡¯t mean that Mr. Kelley did anything I just thought you had experience and would have a good way to handle it¡± Mrs. Kelley tried to control her emotions and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but I really can¡¯t answer your question. I need to go to the restroom, please excuset me¡± Celeste watched Mrs. Kelley leave hurriedly and joked, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, let¡¯s y cards together sometime.¡± Mrs Kelley shuddered and walked away faster Celeste squinted her eyes, enjoying the situation, when Liam¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind, ¡°What are you guys talking about. thats so fun?¡± Celeste¡¯s smile disappeared instantly, and she said indifferently. ¡°Nothing¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Thedies were very enthusiastic about Liam and told him the whole conversation. Liam took a nce at Celeste, wondering howe he didn¡¯t know that she had a friend who got mamed and her husband even cheated on her? ¡°Did you lend money to that friend?¡± Lend money? That was a made-up story on the spot! Celeste looked at him and answered, ¡°I wanted to, but I don¡¯t have enough money¡± Liam said, ¡°I can give you an advance.¡± Would he really be that kind-hearted? ¡°What¡¯s the catch? she wondered what Liam really wanted Liam¡¯s eyes were downcast, and he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Give me a kiss¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°What did you say?¡± Liam avoided her gaze and said indifferently. ¡°My grandma has someone watching us here. I don¡¯t want any news to reach het, so don¡¯t overthink it¡¯ So that was what was going on Celeste pouted, thinking Liam¡¯s words were really strange. He was like a drama major graduate, always ready to act at any time. But why should she cooperate with him? Just as she was about to refuse, she suddenly saw Sydney staring at the eagerly, as if she wanted to rush over and separate them. She changed her mind in an instant Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 She hooked her arm around Liam¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°You better keep your word. Then she tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. Liam¡¯s lips were slightly moist, with the aroma of red wine. It was faint, but it smelled nice Liam must not know how nervous she was every time she tried her best to seduce him. No matter how skilled she seemed, she never felt confident in front of the person she liked. But Liant was different. Even in the most intimate moments, his face rarely showed any expression other than indifference She used to be infatuated with the calm andposed Liam, but she ignored the fact that no man would be indifferent to a woman he liked when she took the initiative, unless he had no interest in her at all. He had no interest in her, even if she stood naked in front of Liam, he wouldn¡¯t even give her a second nce Even if he reluctantly slept with her, he would spend two hours taking a shower in the bathroom afterwards, as if she had some germs on her body! Celeste suddenly felt unhappy. In this marriage, she was the one who had been enduring! What right did Liam have to dislike her? Staring at the face that once fascinated her, Celeste suddenly stuck out her tongue Liam¡¯s body stiffened, and he frowned. After being a little bold with his lips, Celeste let go of him. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. You germaphobe, had a taste of my saliva! Seeing Sydney¡¯s shocked and jealous eyes, she felt even better ¡°Can you two be more conscious of your image?¡± Nics suddenly appeared from somewhere, patting Liam¡¯s shoulder and joking, ¡°At least consider the single people like me.¡± Celeste turned around and found that not only Nics had arrived, but also Mason His expression was calm, and when he met her gaze, he just nodded slightly without saying a word. Celeste felt guilty and nervous. Guilty because she hadn¡¯t told him her real name, and nervous because she was afraid Mason would expose her identity. She didn¡¯t want Liam to know that she was Celestial Haze. Even if she would be discovered one day, it couldn¡¯t be ¦°¦¯¦´ Liam put his arm around her and said casually. ¡°We¡¯re all adults here. What haven¡¯t you seen?¡± Celeste came to her senses, looked down at the hand on her waist, and held back from breaking free on the spot. ¡°Where¡¯s Kaylee?¡± Liam asked. ¡°She went to answer the phone,¡± Nics joked. ¡°It¡¯s probably your mom calling, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have left her precious Mason,¡± Mason frowned but said nothing. He picked up a ss of wine from the table and looked at Celeste, ¡°Want a drink?¡± Just as Celeste was about to reach for it, Liam calmly said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you not supposed to drink?¡± Celeste hesitated. She couldn¡¯t say it was because she didn¡¯t want to drink the wine Sydney offered, otherwise it would seem like she still cared about him. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 ¡°Who said I¡¯m drinking?¡± She turned her hand and took the juice she had just drunk, smiled at Mason and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have juice instead of wine. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Mason¡¯s eyes softened slightly. ¡°As you wish.¡± Nics saw that Liam¡¯s face was not looking good, so he quickly grabbed a ss of wine and handed it to him,ughing. ¡°Drinking is more fun when we all do it together Celeste, let me toast you.¡± Celeste looked at Nics suspiciously. She and Nics usually didn¡¯t get along well. Liam¡¯s brothers didn¡¯t like her background and always frowned upon her marriage with Liam. When Liam was present, they would reluctantly greet her for his sake; if they met her alone outside, they would simply ignore her. And she didn¡¯t like Liam¡¯s rich friends, especially Nics One of the reasons she didn¡¯t like Nics was because of Sydney Liam and Sydney had kept their rtionship a secret, and Sydney had managed to stay unscathed in all those scandals, with Nics helping a lot They usually didn¡¯t see eye to eye, but now Nics was enthusiastically toasting her, no wonder she felt ufortable. Sydney watched the group chatting andpletely ignoring her, finally bing restless and asking, ¡°Mr. Francis, is this gentleman a friend of yours?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Nics seemed to just notice her and said in surprise, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sydney¡¯s mouth twitched. She had been standing there for a long time! Sydney smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t my agent tell you? I¡¯m here for the chanty performance.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I remember now. This is Mr. Fletcher, Nics introduced Mason to Sydney. ¡°This is one of mypany¡¯s artists, Sydney.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic about Sydney, probably because Celeste was there. His introduction was also very perfunctory. When Sydney heard that he was a lawyer, her expression wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic as before. Mason was still a gentleman, and he reached out to greet her, ¡°Hello, Ms. Denton.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Fletcher,¡± Sydney smiled, but her handshake was very perfunctory. She withdrew her hand almost as soon as Mason touched her fingers, as if she was afraid to touch his hand. Mason paused and looked at Sydney, suddenly saying, ¡°Ms. Denton¡¯s voice in person seems different from the one in the TV series. Sydney felt a little displeased. She had been hotly debated several times because of dubbing issues, so she was very sensitive about it, always feeling that people who brought it up were trying to ridicule her. ¡°The voices in TV series are processed during post production.¡± What it meant was that it¡¯s normal for the sound on TV to be different from the sound in real life. ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Masonughed and said in a friendly way, ¡°Ms Denton, could you please give me an autograph? I really like your work.¡± Nics was surprised and said, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought, Mason, you¡¯re into soap operas?¡± Mason said seriously, ¡®Ms. Denton¡¯s shows are pretty good. You should check them out when you have time, you know, to cultivate your taste.¡± Nics twitched his mouth, wondering if he or Mason had gone nuts. Watching those overly dramatic shows to cultivate taste? What a crazy idea! After seeing the way Nics and Mason talked, Sydney guessed that Mason must be more than just a lawyer and immediately changed her attitude. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 ¡°Sure thing.¡± Sydney said, rummaging through her bag. Celeste got nervous when she saw the bag. She sneaked a nce at Liam, who was sipping his wine with his eyes down, seemingly not noticing the bag. Well, he probably never even looked at the stuff people gave him, so how would he know what the bag looked like? Sometintes she would change outfits three times a day at home, and he wouldn¡¯t even notice Feeling a bit relieved, Celeste watched Sydney rummage for a while before pulling out a pen. ¡°Sorry¡± Sydney said, ¡°I forgot to bring paper How about I give you my autograph another day, or I can ask Mr. Francis to pass it on to you for me?¡± Mason grinned, ¡°If it¡¯s okay, could you sign on my wrist?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyelid twitched. Could Mason really be Sydney¡¯s fan? Nics was more straightforward, ¡°Mason, you serious?¡± Mason smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not every day you meet Ms Denton.¡± He stretched out his arm, revealing his forearm. With just one sentence, Sydney¡¯s vanity was satisfied, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to sign on Mason¡¯s wrist Mason stared at her writing hand. Mason had beautiful eyes, always looking at people with such deep affection N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The beautiful moment didn¡¯tst long, though. Sydney¡¯s hand was yanked away before she finished signing, and she was pped. ¡°You slut who are you trying to seduce? Kaylee, Liam¡¯s sister, was the one who pped her Sydney was dazed by the p, and it took her a second to see who hit her. Her footing was unstable, and she bumped into a table with a pyramid of wine sses, which toppled and shattered. Sydney fell to the floor, her skirt soaked in red wine and covered in ss shards. The loud crash interrupted the party, and everyone turned to look. Kaylee was still furious and hadn¡¯t realized the mess she¡¯d caused. She pointed at Sydney¡¯s nose and yelled, ¡°You stupid actress, trying to seduce everyone! You just have to get famous with a man!¡± As Kaylee tried to go after Sydney again, Mason stopped her, ¡°Ms Denton was just giving me her autograph, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Her chest was practically touching your hand! She was clearly seducing you! I¡¯ve seen these tricks from actresses before. Mason, let me go! I have to teach her a lesson!¡± When Kaylee went crazy, no one could stop her. Celeste had experienced it herself before and knew Sydney was in for it tonight. The next moment, the raging Kaylee was pped. Celeste blinked and slowly looked at Liam. His face was tight, his eyes coldpletely devoid of his usual indulgence towards his sister. Kaylee looked in shock, ¡°You¡¯re hitting me for this slut?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Liam¡¯s face was terrible. He told Nics, ¡°Take her away.¡± Then he bent down, picked up Sydney, and left the scene. Celeste watched his anxious figure and suddenlyughed quietly. She enjoyed the show just now, however in a second she turned out to be the biggest joke Nics had someone take Kaylee away, and the scene was quickly cleaned up The party continued as if nothing had happened, and she was drowned in the gossip and chatter Her husband left her and went with another woman. This was the result of marrying someone from a different social ss. In the past, she thought such sayings were nonsense, but now she found them quite reasonable. She picked up a ss of wine and emotionlessly drank it up. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 The spiciness didn¡¯t bother her, and after three sses, her stomach felt like it was on fire. Just as she reached for a fourth ss, a hand gently grasped her wrist. ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± Mason¡¯s voice was gentle. Liam¡¯s voice was also nice, but he had never been gentle to her like this. Celeste felt an indescribable sadness, and tears filled her eyes. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After a while, she said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m not a good dancer¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Neither am 1.¡± He was lying, as he was actually a great dancer. Every step matched the rhythm, coordinating closely with her, neither fast nor slow This was the kind of moment she never had with Liam-she would always step on his feet, and he wasn¡¯t exactly a patient teacher. After a few attempts, he no longer wanted to dance with her. It wasn¡¯t that she was a bad dancer, but that he never wanted to amodate her pace. After two dances, Celeste¡¯s nose was sweaty. She handed Mason a drink and asked, ¡°Are you really Sydney¡¯s fan?¡± Masonughed and wiped the autograph on his wrist with a napkin soaked in alcohol. ¡°I don¡¯t watch TV much, but I was curious about what kind of charm such a big star has.¡± Mason said. Celeste didn¡¯t believe him, because that reason seemed far-fetched. Seeing her disbelief, Mason added, ¡°I was just joking Actually, I have some things to confirm. Once I figure it out, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Celeste said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re not her fan, it¡¯s fine.¡± Her stubbornness was cute, and Mason raised his hand to swear, ¡°I promise, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s drink Celeste said. Mason raised his ss and casually said, ¡°Ms. Denton got hurt just now.¡± Celeste hesitated. He exined, ¡°When Ms. Denton fell, her armnded on the ss. She¡¯s a public figure, and her appearance is very important. If the media catch it, it would be hard to exin.¡± Celeste realized that he was defending Liam. She lowered her head andughed, ¡°Do you guys always cover for your friends and treat women like fools?¡± Mason shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make excuses for him, I just wanted to tell you what I saw.¡± Celeste put down her ss and asked, ¡°Will you tell Liam about me asking you to sue him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s client confidentiality. No one else will know, unless you agree. It¡¯s my professional ethics as a lawyer.¡± Mason said. Celeste looked at him senously. His eyes were clear, easy for anyone to see through. ¡°If you tell anyone, I won¡¯t pay you a cent forwyer fees.¡± Celeste said. Mason was taken aback for a moment, then burst into a rxedugh, ¡°For the sake ofwyer fees, I¡¯ll definitely keep it a secret.¡± With that, he raised his ss. Celeste clinked her ss with his and her mood suddenly brightened. The party didn¡¯t end until past eleven o¡¯clock. Liam had left and hadn¡¯t returned. Dressed in her evening gown, Celeste sat on a stone outside the hotel entrance, squinting at the passing cars on the road. She was lost. in thought. Suddenly, her phone rang. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 She pressed the answer button, but all she heard was a robotic female voice on the other end, reminding her to pay her credit card bill on time. With no expression on her face, she hung up the phone, raised it as if she wanted to throw it away, but caught it back just before it slipped out of her hand. Then, she turned off the phone and put it in her bag. Mason, watching her actions, suddenly found them oddly adorable. He walked over and draped his coat over her shoulders, ¡°Let me take you home.¡± ¡°If Liam sent you to take me home, don¡¯t bother. He should pick up his wife himself.¡± Celeste said. Although she said she didn¡¯t care, deep down she was sulking. She was sitting here, not wanting to leave, probably waiting for Liam¡¯s message. ¡°It¡¯ste, and it¡¯s not safe for a girl to be out alone.¡± Mason said. Mason put it gently, but Celeste understood that Liam hadn¡¯t contacted him. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He probably forgot that he had left his wife at the venue. She turned and asked, ¡°Can you take me to where we parkedst time?¡± Once in the car, Celeste didn¡¯t speak anymore. She closed her eyes as if she were asleep. When the car stopped, Mason was going to wait a while before waking her, but she opened her eyes on her own. ¡°Are we home?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Mason said. Celeste nced out the window and returned his coat. ¡°Thanks.¡± She got out of the car after saying that. Mason¡¯s phone rang at that moment. He looked down at the caller ID and threw the phone aside. He didn¡¯t leave until Celeste disappeared into the entrance of the residentialplex. Liam looked at the unanswered call, frowned, hung up, and after a moment of thought, called the home landline. The call was quickly picked up by the nanny at home, ¡°Hello, sir?¡± In a deep voice, Liam asked, ¡°Has Celeste returned?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am? Didn¡¯t she go to the party with you?¡± The nanny said. Liam didn¡¯t respond, but after a while, he said, ¡°Call me if shees home.¡± After hanging up, he suddenly remembered something and dialed Trisha¡¯s number. As soon as the call connected, he asked directly, ¡°Is Celeste at your ce?¡± Trisha seemed to have been woken up from sleep, her tone slightly annoyed, ¡°Mr. Reed, Letti is your wife, and you know best where she is. Why do you always ask me?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not at your ce?¡± Liam asked. ¡°No! If you don¡¯t believe me,e over and look for her yourself. If you find her here, you can sue me for human trafficking! Trisha said annoyedly. -Liam was silent for a moment before hanging up. As soon as Trisha hung up, she heard the doorbell. When she opened the door, she saw Celeste standing outside. She suddenly thought, would Liam really sue her for human trafficking? Celeste hade to pick up her clothes-many of her favorite clothes had been left behind when Liam picked her up. Buting for the clothes at this time was a bit odd, and Liam¡¯s call made the night even more unusual. After Celeste changed her clothes, Trisha asked in a low voice, ¡°Celeste, did you have a fight with Liam?¡± Celeste looked at her in surprise. She put her dress in her bag, then said indifferently. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 ¡°Liam called me just before you came, Trisha exined honestly, ¡°He seemed a bit anxious.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have a fight. He promised to give me a share of his wealth after the divorce. Why would I fight with him? I won¡¯t fight with money¡± Celeste said. ¡°Are you going back now?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital tonight.¡± Celeste said, ¡°ine contacted me today, saying that my mom seems to be improving and her condition is looking better. I want to spend more time with her, maybe I could wake her up sooner¡± ¡°Do you want me to take you there?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already called a car.¡± Celeste waved to her, ¡°You have some rest.¡± Caitlyn was still the same, not reacting as she had told Trisha Celeste just wanted to stay by her side, like when she was a child, and whenever she felt wronged, she wanted to be with her mother Even if she couldn¡¯t get anyfort, she felt at ease. The doctor always reminded her tomunicate more with her mother, But in reality, she didn¡¯t know what to say, as they had had very littlemunication since she was a child. She tried to recall some past events, but found that there were too few stories to tell. ine looked at her expression andughed, ¡°You can tell her about your husband. As a mother, she must be very concerned about your happiness.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to say,¡± Celeste forced a smile, ¡°If my mom hadn¡¯t had an ident, I might not have married him at all.¡± ine didn¡¯t know how to respond. Celeste got up and turned on the radio, an antique that Caitlyn collected. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She loved opera and had a lot of tapes at home. To listen to these tapes, she specially dug up this antique. Ever since the doctor suggested trying to expose Caitlyn to her favorite things to stimte her to wake up, Celeste had moved the radio from home to the hospital. She picked a tape at random, put it in, and pressed y. Then, shey down on the apanying bed and started flipping through a magazine on the table. The first story she read: ¡°I got pregnant with my ex-husband¡¯s baby after the divorce.¡± Celeste sighed and turned to the second story: ¡°My loveless marriage with my husband.¡± She didn¡¯t give up and continued flipping ¡°My husband¡¯s first love wasn¡¯t me, ¡°sh marriage, sh divorce¡±¡­ Celeste looked at the titles and asked ine helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this magazine will scare people away from getting mamed?¡± ineughed, ¡°These stories are all made up. Who would take them seriously?* Celeste remained silent. Suddenly, the heart rate on the monitor fluctuated, blood pressure began to drop, and the device beeped. ine responded quickly and immediately called the doctor. Celeste left the ward, her mood unsettled. This was the first time she had seen Caitlyn¡¯s finger move. Not long after, the doctor went in to check, and Caitlyn¡¯s vitals slowly returned to normal. The doctor said that Caitlyn indeed showed signs of waking up, but they still couldn¡¯t be sure whether she could truly wake up. They had seen a lot of patients who showed signs of waking up, but still failed in the end, and even some who kicked the bucket shortly after showing those signs. This freaked Celeste out heavily. ¡°Of course, our judgment right now is just based on past cases, and it really depends on the patient¡¯s own recovery,¡± the doctor paused, then asked, ¡°Did she only show this kind of reaction when you were talking to her?¡± Celeste shook her head, she didn¡¯t really say much, so it couldn¡¯t be that. She looked around and suddenly thought of a possibility, ¡°Could it be because she heard this?¡± She pointed at the radio. The radio was on the whole time. ine suddenly seemed to remember something. ¡°I think thest time she reacted, there was also a tape ying.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 That seemed to be the only simrity between the two reactions. The doctor noted this down in the medical record and said, ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the reason. It¡¯s fine to continue stimting her this way, but don¡¯t do it for too long. Keep an eye on her condition when you y the tapes, and notify us immediately if there¡¯s any reaction.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks¡± Celeste said. After the doctor left, Celeste took a close look at the cassette. The tape was pretty old, and most of the words on it were blurred. ¡°Do you remember which tape was yingst time my mom had a reaction? Celeste asked. ¡°I really can¡¯t remember, but I do recall the tune. Let me hum it for you,¡± ine said. Celeste was eager to hear it. After ine finished humming, she quickly asked, ¡°Did you recognize it? I remember this tune so clearly!¡± Celeste remained silent. ine had only hummed a couple of notes, and they didn¡¯t seem to be in tune at all. Having been with Caitlyn for so many years, Celeste had listened to most of these tapes, but she couldn¡¯t figure out which one ine was trying to singN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Not wanting to burst ine¡¯s bubble about her sense of pitch, Celeste said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard this part before.¡± ine was very enthusiastic, ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t hum it well enough. Let me try again!¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste put the tape on the table and turned to ine, ¡°From now on, y these tapes in order and see which ones my mon reacts to. Then focus on those.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± in said Celeste spent the night on the apanying bed ine got for her. The hard folding bed made her bones ache all over. The next morning, she got up before the sky was fully lit She went downstairs to get breakfast for ine, gave her some instructions, and then took a cab. Her phone wasn¡¯t working, so she couldn¡¯t stay here all the time. When she returned to the vi, it was just past six o¡¯clock. It was the weekend, and at this time, Liam would usually be resting, and the housekeeper would be out shopping for groceries. As expected, there was no one in the living room when she entered. She changed her shoes, tossed the bag containing the gown on the couch, and went to the kitchen to find something to drink. The hospital room was stuffy, and her throat was dry when she woke up. Celeste took a bottle of water from the fridge, and took a big gulp. She closed the fridge, only to find herself face to face with Liam¡¯s gloomy expression. She was startled, and the water in her mouth sprayed out, choking her and making her face turn red. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make any noise when you walk?¡± Celeste red at him. Liam looked at the clothes she had taken off and said solemnly. ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± Celeste replied casually, ¡°A friend¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Which friend?¡± Liam obviously didn¡¯t believe her, ¡°Besides Trisha, who else do you know in J City?¡± Celeste was in a bad mood. Liam had left with another woman without giving her any exnation, and now he had the nerve to ask her? She said nonchntly, ¡°I have so many friends. It¡¯s just that you only know about Trisha.¡± Liam was silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call home if you weren¡¯ting back?¡± ¡°My phone is broken.¡± Celeste said. That was a perfectly reasonable excuse. Liam was irritated by her attitude, and his voice became deeper, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your friend have a phone? Is it that hard to make a call?¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°It¡¯s not hard to make a call, but I was afraid you would be too busy to answer. After all ¡°You didn¡¯t even have time to say goodbye when he left.¡± Liam had no response After a while, he said, ¡°Sydney got injured¡± Celeste paused for a moment and said lightly. Sydney was injured, and he was worried, so he rushed her to the hospital without telling Celeste ¡°Oh, Celeste said quietly. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Her tone was sharp, making Liam frown ¡°Celeste, do you have to be so sarcastic? Liam asked ¡°I¡¯m just asking casually. Why are you so nervous? It¡¯s not like if I say she¡¯s fine, shell be fine.¡± Celeste finished speaking and walked past Liam Liam watched her retreating figure for a few seconds before catching up with her. Celeste sat cross-legged on the sofa, eating an apple and browsing her iPad N?velDrama.Org ? content. Her phone was linked to her tablet, so she could check her messages on it now that her phone was broken. Hearing Liam¡¯s footsteps, she ignored him and continued checking her emails. Liam reached out and touched the gown on the sofa, suddenly asking. ¡°Who gave you this dress?¡± ¡°The hotel manager Celeste said. Liam obviously didn¡¯t believe her ¡°Why would the hotel manager give you a dress?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer that question. If he really cared about her, he could check with the hotel to find out what happened to her when she was locked in the bathroom. But Liam had no intention of doing that. The person who had locked her in the bathroom was his sister, and considering Liams protectiveness towards Kaylee, it was normal for him to pretend not to know ¡°You should ask the hotel manager about this questions. Maybe he thought I was pretty and wanted to give me a dress?¡± Celeste said. Just then, Liam¡¯s phone rang. He didn¡¯t continue questioning Celeste and answered the call. It was obvious that the call was from Sydney Liam didn¡¯t even care about Celeste¡¯s presence and spoke to Sydney in a gentle tone. Celeste was irritated and deliberately made a loud noise when she took out a drawer. Liam nced at her but continued speaking softly, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay¡± Damn Liam, acting like she was invisible! She was about to lose her temper when Liam handed her the phone, ¡°Grandma wants to talk to you.¡± Celeste¡¯s anger vanished instantly. She took the phone and whispered, ¡®Grandma. Liam was stunned ¡°Letti, why haven¡¯t you been visiting metely? Sugar has been missing you. She hasn¡¯t even been eating her apples¡± Grandma said Sugar was a horse owned by the olddy. She was nearly six feet tall, with shiny dark hair and strong muscles. The only w was that she was blind in her left eye. Otherwise, she would have been a champion horse The olddy had traveled a lot when she was young and had a particr fondness for spirited horses -A few years ago, when the olddy went overseas to watch horse racing, she bumped into Sugar by chance. At that time, this little guy was only half a year old. Due to the mistake of the previous caretaker, its left eye was injured, making it unable to participate in races, so it was sold to a farm However, Sugar had a fiery temper and didn¡¯t like to be disciplined. The farm ownercked experience in training horses, so they would whip it at the drop of a hat. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Sugar was a descendant of a champion racehorse, and its proud bloodline couldn¡¯t stand this kind of humiliation. The more it got whipped, the more it fought back. The farm owner thought it had gone crazy and wanted to send it to be euthanized, but it broke free and ran wild in the streets. The olddy happened to be sitting in her car and, fearing that she might hit the horse, asked the driver to stop. Cops quickly arrived on the scene and shot it with a tranquilizer gun. Even though its body had lost control and was about to copse, the little horse still stood there, panting heavily, staring at everyone with its defiant eyes. It was that gaze that touched the olddy¡¯s heart, and she spent a thousand pounds to buy it back from the farm owner. Everyone thought that if a professional horse trainer couldn¡¯t handle it, what could an olddy do to tame it? But the day the olddy took it away, the little horse stared at her for a long time, then suddenly lowered its head and nuzzled her cheek. Everyone was shocked, but the olddy wasn¡¯t surprised, so she happily led her little horse back home. Perhaps because it had been whipped since it was young, Sugar was very wary of strangers. Apart from the olddy, it only allowed Liam to touch it. The olddy said it was because they had simr temperaments. Celeste thought it made perfect sense. ¡°Granny, you must be joking. Every time I go to see Sugar, it ignores me. It should eat better when I¡¯m not around.¡± Celeste said. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The olddyughed, ¡°If Sugar didn¡¯t like you, why would it eat the food you brought? Sugar doesn¡¯t eat what Kaylee feeds it, and even spits it all over her.¡± Thinking of that scene, Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh too. ¡°Come overter and have lunch here. You can ride and y with it. Otherwise, Sugar will get depressed.¡± Grandma insisted. The olddy¡¯s words made it hard for her to refuse. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there in a bit Celeste said. After hanging up the phone, she gave it back to Liam without saying a word, and went upstairs to freshen up. When she finished and came downstairs, Liam was standing by the door, tying his tie Celeste tried to sneak past him to change her shoes, but Liam turned around and blocked her way. ¡°Help me tie my tie.¡± Before, she would have done it without him even asking. To her, these little things were all about enhancing the bond between husband and wife. But now, she was about to divorce him, and he still dared to ask her for help? So she retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own hands?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam didn¡¯t get angry and calmly replied, ¡°I just want to make my ten billion worth a little more.¡± Celeste She reluctantly took the tie Liam handed her and red at him, ¡°Lower your neck.¡± Liam¡­. As he bent down, he couldn¡¯t help but tease her, ¡°Forgot you were short.¡± Celeste wanted to strangle him with the tie so that he couldn¡¯t use this sharp tongue of his! She lowered her head and carefully tied his tie for him. Liam looked down at her without blinking. Celeste hadn¡¯t put on any makeup, just some lipstick. But her skin was smooth, and her eyebrows and eyes were very delicate. Just wearing lipstick made her look radiant She had just taken a shower, so her body had a faint scent, not like shampoo or perfume. That smell was like the little white flowers blooming in the spring grass, with a faint fragrance and the fresh smell of grass after the rain. He wanted to get closer Celeste let go of her hands, ¡°There, Mr. Reed, was the ten billion worth it?¡± Liam looked in the mirror andmented, ¡°Not bad¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, put on her shoes. She picked up her bag, and walked out the door. As soon as she stepped out, she saw a Mercedes parked at the door. The olddy¡¯s personal driver, Mr. Robinson, was standing nearby. When he saw her, he politely greeted her, ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am. The Old Lady asked me to pick you up.¡± Celeste quickly replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Robinson.¡± After she got in the car, Mr. Robinson turned the car around but didn¡¯t start driving immediately. Just as Celeste was about to ask what he was waiting for, she saw Liam walking towards the car, opening the door, and getting in. Celeste frowned, ¡°Why don¡¯t you drive yourself? Granny¡¯s ce is not on the way to the office.¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m going to the office?¡± Liam nced at her and turned to the driver, ¡°Mr. Robinson, let¡¯s go.¡± Celeste¡­ If she had known Liam was going, she would have refused to go! She moved closer to the window, trying to keep her distance from Liam. Liam didn¡¯t mind, keeping his head down and typing on his phone, not sure who he was chatting with. Celeste sneaked a peek, but Liam noticed and lifted his phone higher, keeping the screen just out of her line of sight. She didn¡¯t care who he was chatting with! Mason was in his study, looking up information when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was a video call from his mother, he casually picked up and put the phone on the table, continuing his work while asking. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Mason, what do you think of this dress I¡¯m wearing?¡± Mason¡¯s mother asked. Mason quickly nced at the screen and casually replied, ¡°It looks great and suits your temperament.¡± His mother was not satisfied, ¡°Are you trying to brush me off? Did you really look at the screen?¡± Mason¡¯s mother had a good temper, but when she was truly angry, she was not easy to appease Mason had no choice but to take another look at the screen, ¡°I did, and it looks really good.¡± His mother was wearing a beautiful dress, twirling in front of the camera, and eagerly asked, ¡°Does it look nice?¡± She was a great beauty when she was young. However, she was ill in her forties, and after her recovery, she gained some weight. Although this made her look more wealthy, she was not as confident in her clothing choices as before. She often chose loose, borate dresses to cover her figure. Today¡¯s dress was obviously different from her previous style: a dark green knee-length dress with a silky texture, a ck belt at the waist, making her look spirited and youthful. Mason¡¯s mother was obviously delighted with the dress, her face full of joy. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Mason sincerely praised, ¡°It looks almost like the dress from your wedding photos.¡± She knew her son was just saying nice things to her, but she was still happy and shouted at her husband not far away, ¡°Did you hear that? Your son has a better taste than you¡± He simply turned away, not participating in the discussion. Mason asked. ¡°You used to avoid the clothing counter. What made you try a different style this time?¡± ¡°Liam gave it to me Mason¡¯s mother said. Mason paused for a moment, ¡°Liam gave it to you?¡± ¡°Yeah, has mom said excitedly, he said it¡¯s a birthday gift for me. I told him my birthday isn¡¯t for another two months, but he said he came across this skirt while on a business trip and thought it was perfect for me. So, he bought it and asked me to try it on to see if it fits.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Mason stayed silent. His mom sighed beside him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I have a daughter? If I had a daughter, I¡¯d definitely want Liam to be my son-inw.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t help but say ¡°Liam is already married.¡± ¡°I know, but Liam is such a great kid. How could that olddy find him such a wife?¡± His mother asked. ¡°Auntie and uncle had the same situation as Liam, but they ended up getting divorced, right? Now Auntie has a younger boyfriend and seems to be quite happy.¡± Mason said. ¡°Your aunt was spoiled by your grandpa, Mason¡¯s mom got a headache just thinking about his aunt. Then she said to him, ¡°Remember to visit Sienna. You¡¯ve been abroad for years, and she¡¯s been thinking about you.¡± Mason nodded. ¡°Has Kaylee contacted you recently?¡± His mother asked. Mason knew what she was thinking, so he changed the subject, ¡°I have some work to deal with right now. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for her to reply and hung up the phone. Mason went online and checked the price of the dress his mom was wearing. It was about the same as the one he gave Celeste. Liam was really childish. No one spoke on the way. When the car arrived at Cherrywood Avenue, Liam finally said, ¡°Mr. Robinson, stop at the mall ahead.¡± After the car stopped, Liam said to her, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°You¡¯re nning to visit grandma without bringing a gift?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go buy it yourself?¡± Celeste said. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Celesteined softly and reluctantly followed Liam out of the car. Liam had always been close to the olddy, as she raised him since he was a child. He¡¯d always followed her orders, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have broken up with Sydney because of her. The olddy was the most powerful figure in the Reed family When she was young, she and her husband founded Quantum Enterprises together. After her husband passed away, she managed thepany while taking care of her two underage children and dealing with greedy shareholders. It was only after her children had grown up and thepany had stabilized that she went through the pain of losing a child. The olddy then picked herself up, singlehandedly supporting the entire company. J City¡¯s business had flourished for decades, and Sienna had made a huge contribution to it. Her decisive actionsid the foundation for Quantum Enterprisester development. People at the J City Chamber of Commerce would always praise Sienna as a heroine. The olddy pitied Liam for losing his father at a young age and was very fond of him, so she was also very kind to Celeste, her granddaughter-inw When she first married Liam, Shawn reminded her that the real person in power in the Reed family was Sienna. She had to find ways to please the olddy As long as the olddy adored her, her position in the Reed family would be stable. She was not good at socializing, and the olddy had seen all kinds of people in her life. How could she not see through her intentions? So the first time she tried to please the olddy, she was seen through But the olddy didn¡¯t get angry Knowing that she had a hard time in the Reed family, she often called her toe to the old house to apany her. The olddy taught her chess and horse riding, and she apanied the olddy to the opera it was because of the olddy¡¯s love for her that her days in the Reed family weren¡¯t so unbearable Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 So when Liam said he was buying a gift for the olddy, sheined but still got out of the car willingly. Even if she wasn¡¯t the Reed family¡¯s granddaughter-inw anymore, Sienna was still a respected elder. Half an hourter, Celeste stared nkly at the shopping cart filled with stuff. And Liam was still stuffing more things in.. He probably hadn¡¯t been to the supermarket very often, or rather, he hadn¡¯t really bought things himself. She wasn¡¯t going to speak, but when she saw him put tworge boxes of nuts in the cart, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Do you think grandma¡¯s dentures can handle pine nuts?¡± Liam hesitated, ¡°What about macadamia nuts?¡± ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t like nuts. Celeste said. She threw out the things he¡¯d stuffed in, ¡°These are too sweet, grandma has diabetes. Do you want her to die? She doesn¡¯t like this brand of milk powder, she prefers this one. But it has a short shelf life, so if she doesn¡¯t finish it in three months, you have to remind her to throw it away. She never checks the expiration date¡­ Liam lowered his head, looking at the nagging woman. She hadn¡¯t talked to him so much in a long time. During the two weeks Celeste left home, the house suddenly became quiet, and he was a bit unustomed. Now, with her chattering beside him, he felt at ease. ¡°Dried mango?¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you know grandma is allergic to mango?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She was about to throw it out, but Liam stopped her and put it back in the cart, ¡°This is for you¡± He pushed the cart and walked straight ahead. Celeste hesitated. The Reed family¡¯s genes were inherited, and they were all allergic to mango, including Liam. Only she liked mango. Why would he know? She suppressed her curiosity and caught up with him. ¡°You¡¯re not going to deduct it from my 10 billion again, are you? If so, I won¡¯t eat it Celeste said. Liam nced at her and suddenly asked, ¡°How much did you sell that bag for?¡± Celeste pretended to be clueless, ¡°What bag?¡± Liam snorted, ¡°The bag on Sydney¡¯s wrist. Do you really think I¡¯m blind and can¡¯t recognize it?¡± Celeste whispered, ¡°You didn¡¯t want that bag, did you?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°So you picked it up and sold it?¡± She was unconvinced and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t sell it to outsiders, isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± Liam asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Since it¡¯s already sold, I can give you half of the money.¡± To keep him from getting angry, Celeste exined, ¡°After all, the bag is marital property, and I should have half of it.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Did you really sell it?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart tightened, ¡°Are you scamming me?¡± Liam was super pissed, ¡°You know what? I went through so much trouble to get that bag! And you just went and sold it to someone else!¡± Celeste asked, all confused, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that bag a gift from a client?¡± Learn angrily said, ¡°Celeste, your stupidity is going to cause you death one day!¡± With that, Liam pushed the shopping cart to check out. Celeste was so mad-they were about to get divorced, and he was still treating her like that! Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 After buying the gifts, Liam went to the restroom and Mr. Robinson helped load the items into the car. Celeste was initially nning to take the opportunity to check her phone, but as she passed by a jewelry store, she was drawn to a poster disyed on the window. The bracelet worn by the female model on the poster looked stunning. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you like it, you cane in and try it on. We have many beautiful designs,¡± a salesperson at the entrance greeted her enthusiastically. Celeste nced in the direction of the restroom and saw that Liam hadn¡¯te out yet, so she walked into the store. It was early in the morning and the store seemed to have just opened. Some of the salespeople were still busily changing the disys at their counters, but customers were beginning to trickle in. Celeste went straight to the jade section to look at the bracelets. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. A salesperson quickly approached and asked, ¡°Miss, are you looking for a bracelet for yourself or as a gift for a friend?¡± Celeste was examining the disyed items in the counter and casually responded, ¡°I¡¯m just casually browsing for now.¡± ¡°Take your time, and if you need any assistance, just let me know,¡± the salesperson said. After looking around and not finding the item from the poster, Celeste asked, ¡°Which one is the model wearing in the poster?¡± ¡°Miss, you have a great taste. That one is a new arrival in our store. We didn¡¯t ce it in the disy counter because of its high quality and to avoid any damage,¡± the salesperson exined. ¡°Can I take a look at it? Celeste asked. ¡°Yes, please wait a moment while I speak with the manager.¡± The salesperson said. In a short while, the salesperson returned cautiously carrying a box. Upon opening the box, a jade bracelety on velvet, lustrous and transparent with an even, rich green color. The salesperson put on gloves and held the bracelet up to the light for Celeste to see. The texture was extremely delicate, without any impurities or cracks, and the color appeared natural, not like it was artificially enhanced. However, as Celeste was not an expert, this was about all she could discern. ¡°May I try it on?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°Of course, let me help you with that.¡± The salesperson said. Just as Celeste was trying on the bracelet, Angel entered the store and saw her. She frowned, wondering what Celeste was doing there. A girl beside Angel noticed her standing still and turned to ask her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Angel lowered her voice and said, ¡°Adriana, can we go to another store?¡± The girl frowned in displeasure and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted toe here?¡± Angel whispered, ¡°My sister is here, and she doesn¡¯t like me very much. I¡¯d rather not appear in front of her¡± Adriana then noticed Celeste not far away. ¡°I thought it was someone important. It¡¯s just Celeste! Come on, I¡¯ll help you teach her a lesson, Adriana said, dragging Angel towards Celeste. The bracelet looked stunning, casting beautiful reflections on Celeste¡¯s wrist under the lights. ¡°The color matches your skin perfectly the salespersonplimented. Celeste smiled but didn¡¯t respond. Salespeople would say anything to make a sale. The bracelet was indeed beautiful, but it didn¡¯t suit her very well. The size was slightlyrge for her, and the highly saturated color wasn¡¯t quite appropriate for her age. ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone attending to the customers? Is this the kind of service you provide here?¡± A overly confident female voice came from the side. The saleswoman standing next to Celeste immediately went over and greeted, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m terribly sorry, how can I assist you?¡± The woman nced at the merchandise in the disy case and arrogantly said, ¡®Is this the quality of the bracelets in your store? It¡¯s really below standard¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 The salesperson was used to dealing with all sorts of customers, so she immediately exined, ¡°I apologize, in fact, because jade jewelry is fragile, our higher quality products are particrly valuable. To prevent customers from identally breaking them, we usually store them in a safe. We only disy them when a customer requests.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you get it then?¡± She said. The salesperson took out an iPad and politely said, ¡°These are our high-quality items, please take a look at it, or tell me your budget, and I will make a rmendation for you.¡± The girl casually flipped through, then suddenly pointed at Celeste and asked, ¡°Which one is that on her wrist?¡± The salesperson found the corresponding product demonstration video for her. The woman took a nce and immediately said, ¡°I want to try this one!¡± ¡°Alright, as soon as thisdy finishes trying, I will assist you.¡± The saleswoman said. The girl sneered, ¡°She has been looking for so long, do you think she will buy it?¡± The salesperson awkwardly looked at Celeste. Celeste didn¡¯t raise her head, she just twisted her wrist to look at the mirror and lightly said, ¡°Whether I buy it or not, I was here first. If you want to try it. you¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Celeste had already seen them approaching in the mirror. She recognized the girl dressed in Chanel style, Adriana Reilly, a close friend of Kaylee. Her family had business dealings with the Reed family. Adriana was very close with Kaylee, and Kaylee¡¯s friends all thought that without a sufficient background and status, they were not worthy of interacting with them. Seeing Angel with this person was surprising to her. Celeste had no intention of tolerating the temper of thesedies. She hadn¡¯t slept wellst night and was already in a bad mood, looking for an outlet to vent. ¡°It¡¯s quite amusing. You¡¯re a housewife, even buying clothes requires asking your man for money. Such expensive things can¡¯t be bought as simple as buying clothes,¡± Adriana mocked the salesperson, ¡°When screening customers, you should also consider their purchasing power. Women who have to ask their husbands for money to spend a few dors can¡¯t afford it. In fact, aside from being somewhat stingy in emotional aspects, Liam never let Celeste suffer in daily life. She travelled abroad, bought jewelry and diamonds, as well as expensive perfumes without ncing at the price. But she never mentioned these things to the Campbell family. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After her marriage, Shawn always tried to get her to persuade Liam to seek benefits for the Campbell family. But Liam understood the distinction between business and personal lives. Since the Campbell family¡¯s production line was unqualified, even if it was proposed by his father-inw, he would not consider choosing it. After a while, she herself didn¡¯t have the courage to speak to Liam, so to reduce such awkward situations, she actively told others that her life in the Reed family was very difficult, that she had to ask Liam for money to buy clothes. After that, Shawn rarely asked her to talk about thepany¡¯s affairs with Liam, instead began to persuade her to spend more time on Liam, and have a child soon. She had only told Shawn these things, how would outsiders know? She nced at Angel, who clearly avoided her gaze somewhat guiltily. Celeste raised her head and calmly said, ¡°Ms. Reilly seems to look down on housewives.¡± Adriana sarcastically said, ¡°You don¡¯t work yourself, yet you have to ask men for money even for small expenses. A woman who relies on men for financial support her entire life, why should I respect someone like that?¡± A contemptuous look had already appeared on Adriana¡¯s face. She spent Liam¡¯s money and Liam was okay with it. However, these outsiders started to give their opinions first. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 ¡°Ms. Reilly, I think you got it wrong. Being a housewife doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re not independent, it¡¯s just that we y different roles in the family. My husband works outside, and I take care of the household. If one day he¡¯s tired and needs to rest, he can stay at home, and I can go out to work. His status doesn¡¯t affect my feelings for him. Instead, I don¡¯t really like those who can¡¯t make money on their own but criticize others for not being independent enough.¡± The jewelry store was spacious, and Celeste¡¯s voice was just right for everyone to hear. Most of the people who came to the store in the morning were housewives. Some were like Celeste, with good family conditions and no need to bear financial pressure; some women had to be housewives because of their children. These women sacrificed their careers to take care of their families, and it was natural for them to feel hurt when they were belittled. Celeste spoke the thoughts of everyone present. Someone couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Going to work is pretty nice, if my husband is willing to stay at home, I¡¯d be happy to work full-time.¡± ¡°What right do you have to look down on housewives?¡± Adriana¡¯s face turned red with anger as she yelled, ¡°All of you shut up! What¡¯s it to you?¡± The salesperson reminded, ¡°Miss, please keep quiet.¡± Angel didn¡¯t expect Adriana to be so stupid. She hadn¡¯t even started, and she was already angry with Celeste.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She tried to appease Celeste, ¡°Sis, my friend is just straightforward. She really likes this bracelet. If you haven¡¯t decided yet, could you let her try it on first?¡± Celeste nced at her, ¡°What kind of logic is that? I¡¯m still considering, why should she try it on first? Can she guarantee she¡¯ll buy it after trying it on? Let her wait until I¡¯ve decided.¡± With Celeste like this, Angel was helpless. If it were in the Campbell family, Shawn would have supported her, but outside the family, she couldn¡¯tpete with Celeste at all. Adriana gritted her teeth, ¡°Let her take the bracelet off for me, I want it!! The salesperson kindly reminded, ¡°Miss, are you sure? This bracelet is very valuable, and once sold, it cannot be returned or exchanged if there are no quality issues.¡± Angrily, Adriana shouted, ¡°Can¡¯t I afford this lousy bracelet?¡± She took out a credit card from her bag and threw it on the counter, ¡°I¡¯m buying it now!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± The salesperson had to ask Celeste, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what do you think?¡± Celeste shrugged, ¡°The appearance and color are good, but the size is not quite right for me. Since Ms. Reilly wants to buy it, I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± She signaled the salesperson to take off the bracelet. Adriana looked at Celeste with contempt, ¡°Wipe it clean, I don¡¯t want any weird smell from other women on my newly bought stuff.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t take her childish behavior to heart. ¡°Ms. Reilly, I¡¯m sorry, but your credit card limit is not enough. The saleswoman said. Adriana¡¯s smugness didn¡¯tst long, as she was shocked by the salesperson¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How is that possible? This card has a limit of five million!¡± The salesperson said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the discounted price of this bracelet is 18 million. Your limit is indeed not enough. Or are you nning on installment payments?¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Adriana was stunned. A jade bracelet, she thought it would be at most two or three million, but over 18 million? How could she afford this bracelet with her pocket money? She had just said she would buy it, and now she couldn¡¯t let them know she didn¡¯t want it, wouldn¡¯t that make Celesteugh at her? Angel also whispered, ¡°Adriana, let¡¯s forget about it. It¡¯s too expensive.¡± ¡°The price of 18 million is not bad for this kind of jade, which is quite rare, Celeste came over and said with a smile, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be considered expensive for Ms. Reilly, right?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Adriana couldn¡¯t stand this kind of provocation, and she stubbornly said, ¡°It¡¯s just 18 million, only a matter of stretching my fingers! I¡¯m not like you, having to look up at others when buying something.¡± She handed another card to the salesperson, ¡°Use this card.¡± Over 18 million was spent in an instant, it was the first big order of the day. All the store employees congratted in unison. Adriana turned around and saw Celeste still standing there, showing off the bracelet on her arm and said smugly, ¡°Sorry, I stole your mour. You can pick a promotional piece of jewelry. I have a good rtionship with Kaylee, so consider it a gift for her sister-inw.¡± Celeste nced at her and smiled faintly, ¡°Ms. Reilly misunderstood, I¡¯m not here to buy jewelry, I¡¯m here to make money.¡± Adriana was stunned, ¡°What?¡± At this moment, the salesperson who had just settled for them came out with a slip, ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am, this is themission for the bracelet just now, ording to the total price of 0.3%. Here¡¯s the check, please keep it well.¡± Celeste checked the amount on the check, smiled, and said softly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Adriana finally understood that all of Celeste¡¯s actions were to provoke her, make her buy the bracelet, and get themission! ¡°Celeste, are you that poor?¡± Adriana was furious, immediately took off the bracelet, and angrily said, ¡°I want a refund!¡± The salesperson was very firm, I¡¯m very sorry, Miss, but I¡¯ve made it clear to you when you paid that once the goods are sold, if there are no quality issues, we will not ept returns or exchanges. We offer lifetime cleaning, maintenance, and repair services. If you have any problems, you can contact our customer service.¡± Adriana felt extremely angry about this experience. She pointed at the salesperson, panting. ¡°You guys teamed up to set a trap for me to jump in! This is fraud! I¡¯m going to call the police and report you!¡± The manager in the store heard the argument and quickly came over to ask what was going on. After hearing the whole story, he patiently exined, ¡°Actually, Ms. Celeste is one of our VIP members, and she can earn amission by referring new customers. Since you¡¯re here through Sienna Reed¡¯s referral, it¡¯s only fair that themission from your purchase of this bracelet goes to her. It¡¯s all legit and there¡¯s no scam involved. In fact, Ms. Reilly. your spending today meets our membership requirements. Next time, you can also refer your friends to shop here, and we¡¯ll give you amission too.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Adriana said angrily, ¡°How did she introduced me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to buy jewelry for Mrs. Celeste? How would you buy jewelry for her if you guys aren¡¯t close?¡± The manager said. Adriana was speechless. She pointed at the people around her fiercely and said. ¡°You guys are a bunch of crooks! I¡¯m gonna expose you to the media!¡± Then she red at Celeste and said bitterly, ¡°Celeste, I¡¯ll get back at you.¡± Celeste waved the check and smiled, ¡°Bye.¡± Angel secretly chewed Adriana out for being so muddle-headed. She wanted to say something in her defense, but suddenly saw Liam standing not far away. She didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore and followed Adriana quietly out of the jewelry store. ¡°Ms. Celeste, do you want to see any other jewelry?¡± The manager asked politely. This jewelry store was owned by Nics. Liam had brought her here several times. The manager knew her well and helped her for this reason. After all, she still relied on Liam¡¯s fame. ¡°Please wrap that bracelet for me. I want to give it as a gift.¡± Celeste said. ¡°Sure, please wait a moment. The manager said. ¡°Who are you giving it to?¡± Liam suddenly appeared beside her and asked, startling Celeste. She rubbed her ears and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m giving it to your grandma¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Celeste added, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s for Granny Sienna.¡± ¡°You made a lot inmissions, but only bought your grandma something worth just over one-ninth of it?¡± Liam asked. It turned out that he knew everything that had just happened! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? I bought it with my own money, and I didn¡¯t ask you for anything! Besides, grandma isn¡¯t like you guys, measuring everything with numbers¡± Celeste said. Liam looked at her, ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who measures everything with money?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to measure everything with money either, but what else can you give me? You don¡¯t want children, marriage¡­ forget it, you don¡¯t care anyway¡± She took the wrapped bracelet and walked outside, ¡°I¡¯d rather have money. It can at least give me a sense of security.¡± Liam felt ufortable, ¡°Having a child would give you a sense of security? Celeste, don¡¯t you think a child would be a burden if our marriage doesn¡¯tst?¡± Wasn¡¯t his child with Sydney a burden? Celeste couldn¡¯t help but want to question him, but in the end, she didn¡¯t say it. Some things were better left unsaid, so why would she make herself more unhappy by saying them? Thinking about this, she calmed down, ¡°You¡¯re right. If we divorce, a child would indeed be a burden. I should be thankful I didn¡¯t get pregnant. This way. after the divorce, there¡¯ll be no ties between us, and I won¡¯t have to see you again.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he angrily replied, ¡°It¡¯s best if you think that way!¡± Then he turned around and walked away quickly. Celeste was confused. Why was Liam acting like a madman, getting angry at the drop of a hat? Liam was walking fast, furious, especially after hearing Celeste say ¡°I won¡¯t have to see you again.¡± His heart felt like it was being pressed by a rock, angry and suffocating! The word divorce came so easily from her lips, as if their marriage meant nothing to her at all! When she wanted to be with him before, she would cling to him every day. Now that she didn¡¯t want to be with him, did she find him annoying even just to look at? Nics was right, you couldn¡¯t marry someone much younger than yourself. They would never love you for a lifetime! His sleeve was suddenly pulled by someone. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Liam slowed down, ¡°What, you regretted what you just said?¡± The person behind him didn¡¯t speak, still holding his sleeve. Liam softened, ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t be childish. It won¡¯t work on me.¡± He turned around to look and saw a little girl at the height of his thigh, holding his sleeve and whispering, ¡°Uncle, you stepped on my flower.¡± Liam looked down and saw a folded paper lily under his left foot. He bent down to pick up the paper flower and squatted down to give it to her, ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± Just as the girl was about to speak, a man called her name and ran over. The girls father thanked Liam and led the little girl away. Liam looked around and saw the familiar figure in the men¡¯s clothing store across the street. He walked in with a gloomy face and saw Celeste choosing a tie. His annoyance vanished instantly. Celeste was hesitating between two ties, turned her head and asked Liam, ¡°Which one do you think looks better?¡± Liam pretended to be calm and said lightly. ¡°The blue striped one, I guess.¡± Celeste held the tie against his neck and shook her head, ¡°The blue one suits you, not him.¡± Liam¡¯s body stiffened, his expression turned cold, ¡°Him? Who is him?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t notice Liam¡¯s mood change and said. ¡°I want to give it to Mr. Fletcher. If it weren¡¯t for him last night, I don¡¯t know how long I would have been locked in the bathroom. I don¡¯t know how to thank him, so I thought I¡¯d buy him a tie while I¡¯m at the mall.¡± It was good to return favors, but having dinner together would be a bit awkward. Giving a gift was more convenient. As she spoke, Celeste suddenly remembered something and looked up at him, ¡°Oh right, aren¡¯t you guys good friends? Do you know what style he likes?¡± Liam said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Does he usually wear dark or light-colored clothes? Celeste asked. I have no idea.¡± Liam said. Celeste frowned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys good friends? Howe you don¡¯t know this?¡± Liam said irritably. Tve never observed a man¡¯s preferences! Hurry up, grandma is waiting¡± He left without paying any more attention to Celeste. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist prying open this woman¡¯s head to see what was going on inside! Liam waited in the car for over 20 minutes before he saw Celesteing out of the elevator and walking towards him. Mr. Robinson immediately drove over, picked up Celeste, and drove out of the underground parking lot. Because of what happened at the mall, Liam was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t look at Celeste properly since she got in the car. Celeste was already used to Liam¡¯s unpredictable temper. She took a box out of her bag and put it on the passenger seat. ¡°Mr. Robinson, this one¡¯s for you. My friend who¡¯s studying medicine rmended this brand. They said this knee pad is specifically designed for people like you who¡¯ve had joint recement surgery. It can help reduce the stress on your joints, and you can wear it daily. Give it a try and see how it works.¡± Mr. Robinson was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Celeste waved her hand, ¡°We¡¯re all counting on you to take care of Grandma. Only when you¡¯re in good health can you help us look after her better, so we can work with peace of mind¡± As she spoke, she shook a box, I¡¯ve also got two boxes of face masks for your wife. Please make sure to give them to her.¡± Liam nced at her. So that was why she spent so long at the mall-she was buying gifts for others. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Who else did you buy gifts for?¡± Liam asked. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Liam couldn¡¯t help but ask a question. Celeste was the kind of person who always liked to share. When Liam asked, she immediately started talking non-stop, opened the bag, and introduced each item to him one by one. She bought a pair of anti-wear gloves for the gardener at the botanical garden, a massager for the nanny, new boots for the horse trainer, and even a cute hairpin for Sugar. She excitedly introduced each item,pletely oblivious to Liam¡¯s gradually cold expression. When all the gifts had been introduced and there was only one box left in the bag. Celeste suddenly remembered something, took out the box and said, ¡°Oh, this is for you¡± Liam nced at the box. The logo on the box was from the store Celeste had just visited. He pretended not to care and took it, saying casually. ¡°Why did you buy me a gift?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°It¡¯s not a tie,¡± Celesteughed, ¡°When I bought the tie earlier, the salesperson told me there was a promotion in the store. If you add $99 at checkout, you can get a pair of socks! You always say their socks arefortable, right? They usually cost hundreds of dors, so I specifically chose dark blue ones that would match any suit¡­¡± As soon as Celeste finished speaking, Liam expressionlessly threw the box back into the bag. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celeste was quite unhappy with his attitude. He was fine shopping with her just now, but now he had this dark face when she gave him a gift! Liam ignored her and coldly told the driver, ¡°Mr. Robinson, step on it It was so baffling, who knew what had upset him again! Half an hourter, the car finally arrived at the old Reed family mansion. The old mansion was bought by the old Mr. and Mrs. Reed after they made their fortune. They built the house on thend themselves. It stood out among the nearby developed vis. Later, the olddy started raising horses, so she bought the 20 acres ofnd behind the house to build a horse racing track and vegetable garden. She enjoyed her days gardening and ying with the horses. When they entered the mansion, Celeste saw a Bentley without a license te parked outside. She hadn¡¯t noticed the car before and thought it was a new car for the family. As she walked closer to the main house, she could hear the livelyughter and conversation in the living room. When she reached the front door, she realized that there were indeed guests in the house. One was Mason, and the other was a handsome young man about Mason¡¯s age. He had an air of a schr, but his tall and straight figure was not effeminate at all. When Celeste and Liam entered, the young man was chatting with the olddy. Whatever he had said made the olddyugh heartily. When she saw Celeste and Liam, she put away her smile and pointed at Celeste, saying, ¡°Look, this is my granddaughter-inw. Is it her?¡± The man stoppedughing, studying Celeste carefully Celeste was confused and didn¡¯t know what to ask. She awkwardly nodded at him, secretly poked Liam¡¯s hand with her pinky finger, and asked him with her eyes who this person was Liam didn¡¯t know what was going on either and pinched her pinky finger. Celeste immediately pinched the back of his hand Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 The man looked away, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°Since she¡¯s the granddaughter-inw of the Reed family, it must be her.¡± Celeste was even more puzzled. Finally, Mason exined to her, ¡°This is Steven Garcia. The girl you saved in the restroomst night is his sister.¡± Not only that, but Steven¡¯s father and Liam¡¯s father were close friends from school, so close that they were inseparable. Many years ago, the Garcia family moved most of their business overseas to get medical treatment for their younger daughter. In recent years, as the daughter¡¯s health improved, the Garcia family nned to move back to their home country. Since they still had to deal with their overseas business, the brother and sister returned first. They were supposed to attend the party togetherst night, but the brother waste, and the sister fell ill in the restroom. After the girl was rescued, she was sent to the hospital. When ir¡¯s condition stabilized, Steven contacted the hotel to find the ¡°life-saving benefactor.¡± With the help of the hotel manager, he got in touch with Mason and learned that the person who saved his sister was the Reed family¡¯s daughter-in- law. Upon hearing this news from abroad. Mr. Garcia immediately asked his son to visit the Reed family, which led to the scene just now. Steven immediately said warmly. ¡°Thank you for saving my sisterst night. She has been frail since childhood. If you hadn¡¯t been therest night, the consequences would be unbearable. On behalf of our entire family, I sincerely thank you.¡± He handed a box to Celeste, ¡°This is a small token of appreciation from our family. I hope you can ept it. Inside is my business card. If Ms. Campbell needs anything in the future, please feel free to contact me. As long as it is within my power, I will do everything I can.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. If Celeste hadn¡¯t recognized it wrongly, wasn¡¯t that box a Bentley key box? The small token of appreciation he mentioned should be the Bentley outside the door, right? Thest time Celeste was thanked for a good deed was when she found her teacher¡¯s wallet in kindergarten and was rewarded with a piece of candy. She had never encountered such a formal thank you before and was at a loss. ¡°Mr Garcia, you are too kind. I appreciate your gratitude, but I can¡¯t ept such a gift. Celeste said. Steven insisted, ¡°Before I came here, my father specifically instructed me to make sure I delivered our appreciation. If you don¡¯t ept it, I won¡¯t be able to exin it to him¡± Celeste felt very embarrassed. She did like money, and if the Garcia family had given her some other gift, she would have epted it. But giving her such an expensive car directly made her not want it at all Such things always made her feel uneasy. On the one hand, she felt that her action wasn¡¯t worth the price, and on the other hand, it seemed that epting this gift would make her act of saving someone seem less pure. She tried to refuse for a while, but in the end, it was the olddy who persuaded her, ¡°Celeste, this is a token of appreciation from the Garcia family. You should ept it Liam also said indifferently. ¡°Just take it¡± Seeing this. Celeste no longer refused After taking the gift, the olddy asked the two of them to sit down nearby and continued chatting with the young man. Although Granny was almost eighty years old, her mind was still very clear. She asked about Mason¡¯s health, cared about Steven¡¯s job, and even remembered the childhood very clearly Through everyone¡¯s chat chat, Celeste learned that Mason had gone abroad seven years ago because of health problems To be honest Mason looked very healthy almost as fit as Liam who worked out regrly Celeste found it hard to imagine that he was once seriously ill She was so absorbed in watching him, when suddenly she felt a pain on her head. That jerk Liam had actually twisted her hairt She red at turn and whispered. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Liam twirled a strand of hair between his fingers and casually said, ¡°Gray hair.¡± Celeste looked down and saw that he really did have that gray hair in his hand. She was too pissed off to speak. Was this really the time to be plucking gray hairs? What was with Liam today? Acting like he had got some terrible illness or something? Their actions quickly caught the attention of others. Steven nced at them and chuckled, ¡°Last time I saw Liam, we were both in high school. Time flies, and now he¡¯s married to such a smart and wonderful woman.¡± Celeste modestly smiled, but in her mind, she thought, ¡°Finally, someone with some sense around Liam.¡± Mason chimed in, ¡°Celeste is one of the bravest girls I¡¯ve ever met.¡± He went on to tell everyone about how she saved someone in the restroomst night. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Celeste didn¡¯t think her rescue was a big deal, after all, she had to unblock the toilet with her hands, which was pretty gross. But in Mason¡¯s mouth, the story became a heroic and magnificent tale If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had experienced it herself, she would have thought Mason was talking about another woman. The olddy listened with pride, and the conversation turned into a praise-fest for Celeste. Celeste began to feel very awkward. Liam was looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze, as if questioning whether the woman they were talking about was the same one in front of him. The olddy suddenly sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for them to have a child, so I can have no regrets in my life¡± Celeste lowered her head and didn¡¯t speak. Liam didn¡¯t seem interested in talking either. He never wanted children in the first ce, so he naturally didn¡¯t want to discuss it. In the end, Steven tactfully said, ¡°Young people have their own ideas. Sometimes it¡¯s best to just let things happen naturally. Then he changed the subject, ¡°Grandma, I heard you have a few horses. I¡¯m actually quite interested in horse riding¡± As soon as the horses were mentioned, the olddy forgot all about her desire for a great-grandchild. Her horses were strong and agile, with two having evenpeted and ced well in races. When talking about her beloved horses, the olddy was over the moon. Steven wasn¡¯t just making small talk, he really knew a lot about horses. The olddy finally found a kindred spirit and enthusiastically talked about the horses. She even got so excited that she wanted to take everyone to the stable to see them for themselves. ¡°You should monitor your blood sugar.¡± Liam interrupted and stopped the olddy¡¯s impulsive behavior. ying on the one hand, the olddy still took her health very seriously. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t go. You and Celeste take them for a tour, and we¡¯ll have lunchter¡± When they arrived, the stable workers were grooming the horses. The olddy¡¯s stable was managed very professionally, and after careful care, the horses were all in great shape. The horses noticed the visitors and curiously poked their heads out of their stalls. But only one horse didn¡¯t react. When Celeste walked over, it turned its back on her The horse was all ck, with shiny hair, smooth muscles, and silky mane. This was Sugar. Celeste held out an apple, ¡°Sugar, want an apple?¡± Sugar turned around again, this time with its butt facing her. Celeste thought, How could Sugar possibly like mer I¡¯ve been busytely, so I haven¡¯t been able toe Don¡¯t be mad Celeste said. ¡°Can the understand you? Mason asked as he walked over. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Celeste nodded, ¡°It¡¯s the smartest horse here. Once. I was talking about another horse looked better than her in front of her, and she deliberately sprayed me with water when she was drinking. If she couldn¡¯t understand, how could she do such a thing? Even humans don¡¯t hold grudges like that!¡± Sugar seemed to understand that Celeste was talking about her, so she stomped her hoof in dissatisfaction. Celeste quickly changed her tone to appease it, ¡°Good girl, I was praising you for being beautiful.¡± Sugar turned to look at her, her gaze piercing. There was a scar about two inches above and crossed her left eye, which was dullpared to the shiny ck right eye. But it was this scar that added a sense of dignity to Sugar. At first nce, it looked like a brave and skilled warrior on the battlefield, attracting people¡¯s attention. Celeste was startled by Sugar¡¯s sudden turn, and Sugar took the opportunity to snatch the apple from her hand, then turned its butt towards her again. Celeste was taken aback, and Masonughed, ¡°It seems to like you quite a bit.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Steven stood not far away and asked Liam, ¡°Can such a stubborn horse be tamed?¡± Liam nced at Celeste, who was talking to Sugar, and said nonchntly. ¡°It depends on who¡¯s doing the taming.¡± ¡°Can a horse with only one eye be tamed?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°We can give it a try¡± Liam said. Steven seemed eager to try, ¡°How about a race? Twops?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Pick a horse.¡± Steven was good at horse riding. He had even participated in amateur equestrianpetitions when he was younger and had won some awards. He quickly chose a chestnut-colored horse, the only one in the stable that had won a championship. Steven called Mason over, ¡°Mason, want to race twops?¡± Mason waved his hands, ¡°Nah, you two go ahead¡± The horse whisperer led Sugar out, and she stretched her body, her fur shining brightly in the sunlight. Liam took off his tie and threw it, along with his jacket, to Celeste. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± As he passed by. Liam asked her a question.. Celeste hummed softly. ¡°Even if you win, it¡¯s only because Sugar is amazing!¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything else. He jumped onto the horse, gave a tug on the reins, and Sugar trotted onto the racetrack. Steven said, ¡°Since it¡¯s a race, there should be a reward, right?¡± ¡°What kind of reward do you want?¡± Liam asked. Stevenughed, ¡°The loser has to call the winner big brother. How about that?¡± Celeste was puzzled. What kind of reward was that? Mason exined on the side, ¡°Their birthdays are only five days apart, in the same month, but Liam just refuses to call him brother. Can¡¯t believe after all these years, he still can¡¯t let it go.¡± Celeste said, ¡°This kind of childish thing is totally something guys would do.¡± Mason looked at her, surprised. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Mason couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°That was back in school. We¡¯re not that childish anymore.¡± Oh, really? Not childish? Two grown men in their thirties, racing horses just to make the other call him ¡°brother.¡± So childish indeed! Surprisingly, Liam didn¡¯t object to the challenge and calmly said, ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯ll have another big brother today.¡± Steven confidentlyughed, ¡°Or maybe another little brother.¡± As the whistle blew, the two horses shot off like arrows. But it didn¡¯t take long for Sugar to fall behind the red horse, and the gap between them kept widening. Masonmented, ¡°Looks like the limited vision did affect her¡± Celeste spoke softly but firmly. ¡°Sugar won¡¯t lose.¡± Especially with Liam riding it. The two of them were a perfect match. No one understood Sugar¡¯s pride and dignity as a racehorse better than Liam, and no one could handle it better than him. ¡°Oh, by the way¡± Mason suddenly remembered something and took an item out of his pocket, ¡°Is this yours?¡± Celeste looked over and saw that Mason was holding the earring she had worn the night before. Mason exined. ¡°I found it in the car this morning. Must have fallen off when I was giving you a ride last night It¡¯s mine. I thought I¡¯d lost it.¡± Celeste said. Celeste took it and expressed her gratitude, thinking that she should have brought the gift with her when she first came to the racetrack. This would be a good opportunity to give it to Mason ¡°How¡¯s Kaylee doing now?¡± Mason suddenly asked. Celeste wasn¡¯t really interested in Kaylee¡¯s affairs, so she gave a perfunctory reply. ¡°Probably hanging out with her friends.¡± Mason looked puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t Liam rip her a new one?¡± ¡°For what?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°Ms. Denton got hurt pretty badlyst night. Her arm needed three stitches, and now she can¡¯t even shoot themercials she¡¯s been working on. There¡¯s a hefty penalty for that. Liam was at the hospital all night. I thought he would punish Kaylee severely. He didn¡¯t use to spoil her like this.¡± Mason said Celeste¡¯s fingers slowly curled. The phrase ¡°Liam was at the hospital all night¡± automatically filtered through her mind. It made sense. A small injury was enough to make him anxious and rush to the hospital. With three stitches, he must have been worried sick. It was hard on him toe back in the morning and apany her to the mansion to y her part. She tried to convince herself that she was staying in the marriage for Liam¡¯s money right now, and when the time was right, Liam could be his own CEO, and she¡¯d take her money and go their separate ways. There was no need to care about these things. But the uneasiness in her heart persisted. Especially when she thought about that no one had been there to sign for her when she was hospitalized after her car ident, and her husband was watching over another woman¡¯s bedside. Her heart ached with every thought of it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure she didn¡¯t want to show her disappointment in front of others, so Celeste spoke in a low voice, I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s too sunny here. I¡¯m going back¡± After saying that, she hurried away from the scene. The race had now entered the second half, and Sugar, who was ap behind, suddenly began to speed up its speed was swift as the wind and powerful as lightning, leaving only a blur in people¡¯s vision as it raced Mason had only seen such speed in internationalpetitions. Sugar was getting closer and closer to Steven¡¯s horse, which felt threatened and also sped up. But its earlier eleration had consumed too much energy, and after a desperatep, it was finally overtaken by Sugar Sugar, carrying Liam, crossed the finish line with excitement, raising its front hooves as a proud deration of victory Steven took off his helmet, panting. ¡®Did your horse take some kind of stimnt?¡± Liam sneered, ¡°Just ept your defeat and call me ¡®big bro¡± Stevenughed, ¡°You won, my dear big brother¡± Liam looked at Mason in the distance and asked, ¡°Did you get it on camera?¡± Mason waved his phone, ¡°Of course N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Steven said, ¡°You guys are so childish¡± Liam ignored him and told Mason, ¡°Send it to me.¡± Steven took a sip of water and suddenly asked, ¡°Where did your wife go?¡± Liam only then noticed that Celeste had left the scene, her clothes carelessly thrown on a seat far away from the crowd. Mason ryed Celeste¡¯s words, ¡°Celeste said it was too sunny, so she went back to rest,¡± Steven looked up at the sky. It was cloudy today, and the sunlight wasn¡¯t strong. There had even been a dark cloud passing by earlier, making it look like it was about to rain. It was obvious that this was just an excuse. Stevenughed and said, ¡°Girls are like that. My sister is the same, always carrying an umbre on a cloudy day.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything. When the three of them returned, Celeste was serving dishes for everyone. The olddy pulled them over to wash their hands and said it was time for lunch. The olddy was delighted to have lunch with them because Liam and Mason were both family, and she also enjoyed being with young people. The atmosphere was joyful, and everyone ate happily. After dinner, they went for tea, mostly talking about their childhoods. Celeste excused herself to cut fruit for everyone and then quietly slipped away. After spending a while in the kitchen, Celeste was chased out by the maids for interfering with their work. To avoid the living room, she decided to go to the rooftop for a while. When she arrived at the rooftop, she found Mason smoking there. Hearing the noise, Mason came to his senses and immediately put out the cigarette, saying, ¡°Sorry, I thought no one woulde up here.¡± Celeste waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind.¡± She found it a bit strange because Mason didn¡¯t seem like the type to smoke. He looked very decent, like the kind of obedient and well-behaved student in school. But Liam appeared to be someone with a loose lifestyle, yet in reality, he was very disciplined, didn¡¯t smoke, and couldn¡¯t handle alcohol well. Mason smiled but didn¡¯t light another cigarette.. ¡°By the way, I wanted to discuss thewsuit with you. Maybe it was better to drop it. Before Celeste had a chance to speak, Mason took the initiative, I didn¡¯t tell Liam. Your business is a client¡¯s secret.¡± With that, Celeste couldn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°Do you remember this ount? Mason suddenly brought his phone closer, pointing at a Facebook profile picture on a screenshot and asking her. Celeste took one nce and replied, ¡°Of course I remember, cause out of all those people who sent me nasty private messages, she was the meanest one.¡± The stuff this person said to her was just disgusting. When Celeste blocked her, she would switch to another ount and keep insulting, always using the same profile picture and nickname. There was no way Celeste could forget. This person even organized a group of people to target her specifically For the first two months, Celeste spent all day reading those private messages and nearly drove herself into depression. Looking back, why on earth do some people have so much free time to stir up trouble online? If she let it slide this time, it would only make these people more arrogant. Mason was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, ¡°Do you have any personal beef with Ms. Denton?¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Mason went quiet for a few seconds before suddenly asking. ¡°Do you have any personal beef with Ms. Denton?¡± Celeste stopped in her tracks, holding back a smile, and asked, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Mason erged the profile picture of the ount that had been attacking her and said, ¡°The hand in this picture belongs to Ms. Denton.¡± The profile picture showed a right hand holding a cup of coffee. Celeste still didn¡¯t get it. Most of the people attacking her were Sydney¡¯s fans, so using Sydney¡¯s picture as their profile picture wasn¡¯t strange at all. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°I had a friend use some tech magic to search the entire inte for this picture. It can¡¯t be found on any public tform. Judging from the angle, it looks. like the person holding the coffee took the picture themselves, and it hasn¡¯t been shared anywhere. Last night when Ms. Denton was signing autograph for me, I paid close attention to her hand. The mole on her hand is in the exact same spot as the one in the picture. As she used substitute for hand close-ups in movies, there are no close-up shots of her hands on the inte¡± So he had asked Sydney for her autograph just to check out her hand Celeste finally caught on, ¡°You¡¯re saying this ount is Sydney¡¯s own ount?¡± ¡°If not her, then it¡¯s definitely someone close to her. How would an ordinary person get a private picture like this?¡± Mason said. The fact that she was behind the ount Celestial Haze was only known to be hers by Trisha and now Mason. Sydney had no idea, so there¡¯s no way personal grudges could be involved. The only possible reason was the voice acting incident. The show Sydney and Celeste worked on together was a huge sess. Celeste¡¯s voice acting not only added depth to the character but also stole some of Sydney¡¯s mour. Just because a voice actor stole her mour, she led her fans to attack others on the inte. After all these years in the entertainment industry, how could Sydney not know the consequences of cyberbullying? How could she be so cruel? What kind of person was Liam into?! ¡°If it was her, could we win awsuit?¡± Celeste asked. Mason spoke honestly. Whether or not it¡¯s her personally using the ount, the registration info probably isn¡¯t hers. If we sue, her PR team would likely find a scapegoat.¡± Celeste looked disappointed, ¡°So, is this the extent of the consequences for online violence?¡± ¡°Law can¡¯t restrain morality,¡± Mason paused, then continued, ¡°but if we don¡¯t fight back, this kind of behavior will only get worse.¡± Celeste stayed quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°I want to push forward with thewsuit! Even if suing Sydney fails, she wanted her poprity to take a hit! Mason smiled slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Do I need to pay a part of thewyer¡¯s fee first? Celeste suddenly remembered. Masonughed, ¡°No rush, we can discuss that when the legal proceedings advance¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Celeste nodded and suddenly remembered the gift she wanted to give Mason. She quickly said, ¡°Wait here, don¡¯t leave!¡± She then hurried off. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The gifts they brought had been collected by the housekeeper. It took Celeste a while to find the bag with the tie. Opening it for a quick nce, she rushed back to the rooftop. Liam was looking for her and saw her running up the stairs like she was being chased. After all these years of marriage, she was still the same. Liam sighed and followed her up When Celeste returned to the rooftop, Mason was still there. She walked over, handed him the gift, and said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, thank you for your help yesterday. I didn¡¯t know how to thank you. I saw this at the mall today and bought it, I hope you like it,¡± Mason was taken aback, thenughed, ¡°I have something for you too.¡± He took out a brand new, unopened phone and handed it over, ¡°I saw your phone got broken yesterday. I happen to have a spare one at home that you can use.¡± Celeste quickly refused, ¡°It¡¯s too valuable¡± She didn¡¯t want to owe any more favors. ¡°Compared to the tie, it¡¯s much cheaper,¡± Mason said. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t have a phone today, so you probably haven¡¯t bought a new one yet. It¡¯s inconvenient without a phone these days. Take it and use it for now You can give it back once you get a new one. I can¡¯t ept such an expensive gift.¡± After some back and forth, Celeste had no way out. She originally wanted to give a gift to repay the favor, but it seemed like the more she tried, the more she owed. ¡°Alright,¡± Celeste took the phone and handed him the tie. ¡°Next time I have some free time, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Mason said Liam watched the twoughing and chatting on the rooftop. He looked down at the unopened phone in his hand and left with a heavy heart. As Sienna got older, she felt tired after only a short afternoon tea. Seeing this, the younger guests made excuses to leave. Sienna didn¡¯t try to keep them and asked Liam to walk them out. After Mr. Garcia and Mason left, the sky began to drizzle The forecast said there would be heavy rain at 4 PM. It was unsafe to drive on the mountain roads in the rain. Mr. Robinson took the opportunity to drive them off while the rain was still light On the way back, Liam¡¯s face was even more gloomy than before. Celeste was also annoyed and didn¡¯t bother to deal with him. She opened her bag and took out the new phone Mason had given her. It was the same brand as her old one, but not thetest model. So she believed Mason when he said it was a spare one. ¡°Where are the socks?¡± Liam suddenly asked. Celeste looked at him with confusion, pointing to a nearby bag and said, ¡°Over there.¡± Liam searched the bag and said, ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± Celeste put down the phone and searched through the bag herself, but they were indeed gone. ¡°How could they be gone? I put them in there myself¡­ Celeste paused and looked at the bag again, realizing it looked very simr to the one she had given Mason Did she identally put the socks in that bag? She looked up at Liam¡¯s unhappy face, swallowed nervously, and said, ¡°I think I might have given them to Mr. Fletcher¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Liam¡¯s face turn super ugly. His eyes looking like they were about to swallow her whole, he angrily said, ¡°That¡¯s my stuff! Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Celeste was shocked, thinking to herself that this was just a pair of socks. Was there any need for him to be so angry? She exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. The two bags looked almost identical, I didn¡¯t notice when I put them in.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Liam, with a serious look on his face, said coldly, ¡°Call him and ask him to bring it over.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve already given it to him. How could I ask for it back?¡± ¡°You know that once something is given away, you can¡¯t ask for it back. Then how could you give away something that was meant for me?¡± Liam asked. Celeste felt that Liam was deliberately causing trouble! He had been keeping an eye on her since their time at the old mansion. What did the socks matter? He was just looking for an excuse to pick a fight with her! Because Mr. Robinson was still in the car, she had to suppress her anger and said patiently, ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to. It¡¯s just a pair of socks, if you want, I can buy another pair for you.¡± Liam was even more angry at her perfunctory response, ¡°Is this about buying a new pair? The key is you never take me into consideration!¡± Celeste was getting angry too. Regardless of the fact that Mr. Robinson was still in the car, she rebuked, ¡°That¡¯s right, I didn¡¯t care about you! When I gave it to you, why didn¡¯t you put it away yourself? I give you a gift, and you don¡¯t say a word. Who knows if you want it or not? Now that I¡¯ve given it away, you me and get angry with me. I think you don¡¯t care about the socks at all, you¡¯re just looking for an excuse to quarrel with me!¡± Liam was so angry that his hands were shaking. ¡°You¡¯ve done something wrong, yet you still justify yourself?¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°The biggest mistake I made was buying that damn pair of socks for you to pick on me!¡± ¡°Mr. Robinson, stop the car!¡± Both of them said in unison, their faces cold. Celeste turned her head angrily and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to kick me out of the car! I¡¯ll leave on my own!¡± Liam¡¯s face looked even worse, saying, ¡°When did I say I was kicking you out of the car?¡± This gave Celeste the chance to bring up old scores. ¡°Mr. Reed really has a short memory, he can forget about leaving someone on the side of the road in a blink!¡± Liam¡¯s eyebrows twitched, he said, ¡°Celeste, enough! I haven¡¯t settled with you about selling the bag yet!¡± ¡°Whatever, worstes to worst, I¡¯ll give back your money! I don¡¯t want it anyway? Celeste said. Mr. Robinson finally couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Both of you calm down, it¡¯s not worth it over such a small matter. Plus, we can¡¯t stop here, the rain is getting quite heavy¡± Celeste huffed, ¡°What¡¯s this bit of rain? Last time someone left me on the side of the road, it was raining much heavier than this!¡± ¡°Celeste Liam shouted. Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Mr. Robinson raised his voice and said, ¡°If you continue to argue, I¡¯ll call the Old Lady!¡± At this remark, the two finally quieted down. Each turned their heads to the side, wishing they could be far away from each other. Upon reaching their residence, Liam didn¡¯t say a word and mmed the car door shut. Celeste muttered ¡°enough is enough¡±, then turned to Mr. Robinson and said, ¡°Mr. Robinson, could you give this to Grandma for me?¡± Mr. Robinson looked and saw that it was the car key that Steven had given her. When they had left, Sienna was already resting Celeste had no choice but to ask Mr. Robinson, whom the olddy trusted most, to deliver it Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°Madam, since the she has said so, you should ept it.¡± Mr. Robinson said. ¡°But this is too valuable. Mr. Garcia also considered his rtionship with the Reed family so he was such generous. This was originally the Reed family¡¯s property.¡± Celeste said. Mr. Robinson smiled and said, ¡°Madam, you are also a member of the Reed family. Why can¡¯t you get something from the Reed family?¡± Celeste was left speechless. She certainly couldn¡¯t say that she was going to divorce Liam before long, could she? ¡°Madam, if the Old Lady asked you to ept it, please feel free to do so. As for the return gift to the Garcia family, she has her own ns. Mr. Robinson said In the end, the key was not returned, so Celeste had to take it temporarily Back at the vi, Liam had already gone upstairs. The maid helped her tidy up and asked, ¡°Madam, is there something wrong with the master? His face was very dark when he came back just now.¡± Celeste was angry too, she said indifferently. ¡°He¡¯s in a bad mood, don¡¯t bother with him.¡± The maid was taken aback, and by the time she came back to her senses, Celeste had already gone upstairs. Fortunately, Liam was not in the master bedroom, otherwise Celeste would have to sleep in the guest room, where the bed wasn¡¯t asfortable as the one in the master bedroom and she didn¡¯t want to sleep anyway. She untied her hair, took a couple of clean clothes and went to take a bath. The water flowed over her body, it was veryforting. Liam knew how to enjoy life. The master bedroom bathroom had a massage tub, which was very rxing to soak in. But the water flow was too slow, it took more than ten minutes to fill the tub. Celeste couldn¡¯t wait. Shebed her hair smoothly to one side of her shoulder, squeezed some shampoo. Shethered it up, and gently applied it to her scalp. Celeste¡¯s hair was very dark and thick, it was soft like seaweed when wet Coupled with her delicate features, she looked a bit like a mermaid. Just as Celeste was rinsing the foam off her hair, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. She was startled, hurriedly reached for the towel, which was why she lost her footing, and fell forward. Liam reached out to catch her, but Celeste grabbed him first. Neither of them managed to stay upright, and they both fell to the ground. Liam got the worst of it, his entire back hitting the ground, making a dull thud. Celeste was on top of him, bare-bodied, her knee also hit the floor. But with Liam acting as a cushion, she was in a better state. Liam rubbed the back of his head, his face dark, and said, ¡°Celeste, did you do this on purpose? ¡°What?¡± Celeste got up, pulled the towel over and wrapped herself, ¡°I was taking a bath, what are you doing in here?¡± Liam sat up, his face gloomy, and said, ¡°I came to get a towel, you didn¡¯t lock the door when you were bathing, who knew what you were taking a bath?¡± ¡°Then you hear someone inside, you should at least knock and ask, right?¡± Celeste said. Liam red at her, and with an air of self-evidence, said. ¡°This is my house, why should I knock?¡± Celeste was about to explode. How could Liam be so unreasonable? Perhaps thinking that he was not satisfied yet, Liam picked up the towel, took a nce at her before leaving, and said, ¡°Such a figure has no appeal at all. Is there a need to cover it up?¡± Unable to contain her anger, Celeste picked up something and threw it at Liam, ¡°Liam, go to hell!¡± Liam was quick and closed the door. The object hit the door and shattered on the floor. Celeste looked and saw that it was the expensive essential oil she had mazed herself! Her face turned pale! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. What a horrible guy Liam was, how could she have been blinded by him in the first ce? Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¡°Celeste, my script got approved!¡± Trisha said. Celeste had just gotten out of the shower when Trisha excitedly called her.. Celeste was both surprised and happy, saying, ¡°It got approved so quickly?¡± Just yesterday, Trisha was still revising the script, and it got approved in one go. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m surprised too. When I submitted it this morning, I was prepared to make revisions again. But I just got a call saying the script was approved, and they want me to sign the contract next week Trisha said. Celeste tied her hair up and asked, ¡°How much do you think it¡¯ll sell for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I guess it¡¯ll be around a million or so.¡± Trisha said. If this script gets turned into a movie, will you be the screenwriter? Celeste asked. It¡¯s not that easy These filmpanies usually stock up on copyrights first, and when they¡¯ll actually start filming depends on their schedule. For those big-name authors, they usually start filming within two years after signing. For people like us who aren¡¯t famous, they might not even film it before the copyright expires. So it¡¯s pretty hard to be the screenwriter Trisha said. Celeste was a bit disappointed. But Trisha was quite optimistic, ¡°Selling it is already a big step forward, I¡¯m still young, and I¡¯m not in a hurry. One day, my scripts will be on TV!¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Celesteughed and said, ¡°By then, all the best actors and actresses will be fighting to join in your scripts!¡± Trisha happily said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make you my leadingdy, and turn you into a superstar, so Liam will bow down to you!¡± Celeste¡¯s smile faded, ¡°Don¡¯t mention him, he¡¯s annoying.¡± Trisha noticed her tone was off and asked softly. ¡°Did you two have another fight?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help but tell Trisha what had happened today. Afterward, she angrily said, ¡°He¡¯s mad about socks? He¡¯s just trying to pick a fight with me! I¡¯m so stupid for buying him socks and giving him a reason to argue!¡± ¡°Hold on Thewyer I introduced you to is Liam¡¯s childhood friend? The handsome guy who helped you out before?¡± Trisha asked. Celeste nodded. ¡°Yes, can you believe how small the world is?¡± Trisha was silent for a moment, then whispered, ¡°So you gave the socks meant for Liam to his childhood friend?¡± Celeste corrected her, ¡°I didn¡¯t give them, I put them in the wrong bag¡± ¡°Then is Liam mad because he¡¯s jealous?¡± Trisha asked ¡°Mr Fletcher is his friend, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be interested in me. And Liam doesn¡¯t even like me, so what does he have to be jealous about? He¡¯s just picking a fight with me! He¡¯s probably annoyed that he¡¯ll have to give me money in the divorce, so he¡¯s targeting me on purpose! Celeste said. Trisha wanted to say something more, but Celeste got another call. ¡°Its Liam¡¯s mom Let me answer this, and we¡¯ll chatter Celeste said. She hung up the call, took a deep breath, and answered. Her tone instantly be obedient, saying, ¡°Hi, Skyler? Why are you calling me? Are you looking for Liam? I¡¯ll call him for you¡­ Tm looking for you¡± Skyler¡¯s voice was icy cold ¡°You¡¯re looking for me? Celeste said meekly. ¡°What do you need from me?¡± ¡°You and Liam went back to the old house today?¡± Skyler asked. Skyler¡¯s people were everywhere in the Reed family, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that she knew their whereabouts. So Celeste didn¡¯t dare to lude anything. Mr Fletcher and Mr Garcia visited grandma, and she wanted us to apany her guests.¡± is that all? Skyler asked ¡°We just had a meal together¡± Celeste said She didn¡¯t mention Steven giving her a car because it involved Kaylee Steven hade to the house to thank her but didn¡¯t mention Kaylee. Although she didnt know why she didn¡¯t want to ask and bring trouble upon herself Skyler went straight to the point, I heard from Mrs Kelley that you¡¯re pregnant? Wasnt the reason the olddy called you over because of your pregnancy?¡± Celeste was shocked She didn¡¯t expect Skyler to call her about this Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°Mrs. Kelley must have misunderstood; I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± Celeste said. Skyler seemed unconvinced, ¡®Mrs. Kelley said both you and Liam admitted to being pregnant. How could that be false?¡± Celeste had no choice but to exin, ¡°Mrs. Kelley probably didn¡¯t understand what I meant. What I actually said was that we¡¯d share the good news with everyone. We wouldn¡¯t hide something as important as pregnancy from you, would we?¡± ¡°Martha said you haven¡¯t been taking your medicine on timetely. What¡¯s going on?¡± Skyler asked. The maid was indeed sent by Skyler. Anything from their side would be known by Skyler. Celeste could only make up an excuse for herself. ¡°The hospital called a while ago, saying my mom¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good. I apanied her for a few days, and I didn¡¯t take the medicine during that time. But I¡¯ve been taking it on time since I got back.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t know whether to believe it or not, and after thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Tll pick you up tomorrow, and we¡¯ll go to the hospital for a check-up¡± Celeste frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just have a check-up two months ago? I just finished my period, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Liam hadn¡¯t touched her for three months; how could she possibly be pregnant? ¡°Having a check-up is always good. The doctor said before that your uterine wall sticity is poor. You¡¯ve been taking this medicine for quite a while now, let¡¯s see how it¡¯s working¡± Skyler said. Celeste really wanted to say that why not taking her son for a check-up instead? Maybe the problem was with him! But she didn¡¯t dare. ¡°Alright¡± A normal check-up result might convince Skyler to stop her from taking the medicine, which would be a good thing for her Just looking at that medicine made her want to vomit! ¡°By the way¡± Skyler suddenly asked before hanging up. ¡°Liam locked Kaylee in the bathroom overnight. Do you know why? Did Kaylee upset him?¡± Celeste hesitated, then cautiously asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying Kaylee was locked in the bathroomst night?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Skyler asked with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°You don¡¯t know about this?¡± Celeste replied, shocked, ¡°After the partyst night, I went to see my mom and didn¡¯t know what happened after. I remember Kaylee was sent home by Mr Francis¡± Skyler, feeling a headacheing on, said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened either. This morning. Kaylee came back crying, saying Liam locked her in the bathroom and only let her out this morning I asked her what happened, but she wouldn¡¯t say You were therest night too, so I thought you would know¡± Celeste was stunned Liam locked Kaylee in the bathroom for the whole night? Was he nuts? She didn¡¯t think Liam did it to get revenge for her But when she recalled Stevening to the old house to express his gratitude, Liam didn¡¯t seem surprised at all, so he probably knew that Ms Garcia was locked upst night as well. Steven didn¡¯t mention the culprit, most likely because Liam had already punished Kaylee, giving the Garcia family an exnation. Even if it was because of Ms Garcia, it was indirectly getting revenge for her! With a bewildered look, Celeste said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Liam didn¡¯t tell me anything Mom, is Kaylee okay?¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 ¡°No big deal, she just caught a cold. She took some medicine and went to bed¡± Skyler said Celeste muttered silently in her mind. ¡°Serves you right.¡± and then expressed concern, saying, ¡°Should I call M- Francis? He was therest night, so he should know what happened, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t want to ask outsiders about their family matters. She arranged to meet with Celeste tomorrow, and then hung up. It seemed Liam slept in the studyst night. When Celeste woke up the next day, he had already left. The maidined that he didn¡¯t eat breakfast again, sounding very worried. Celeste rolled her eyes and thought to herself, ¡°He¡¯s a grown man, how could he starve himself?¡± As she was about to leave, the maid caught up, handing her a lunchbox, ¡°Ma am, could you please give this to Mr. Reed on your way? I noticed his appetite hasn¡¯t been greattely, and I wonder if it¡¯s because of his stomach problems. I made him some soup that¡¯s good for the stomach, tell him to have it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Celeste reluctantly said. Thepany has a cafeteria, isn¡¯t this too much trouble?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like the food at thepany. He has a weak stomach, and he¡¯s been busy with social engagements and irregr mealstely. If this continues, it¡¯s bound to cause problems¡± The maid said. ¡°He¡¯s an adult, not a child, how can he not know his body¡¯s condition?¡± Celeste grumbled a bit but took the lunchbox. Tll help you deliver it this time, but you can give it to him yourself tomorrow.¡± She was still angry with him, what was this about to deliver him lunch? Was she shameless? Since she had to meet Skyler, Celeste didn¡¯t drive and took a taxi instead. Celeste actually left quite early and there would be various tests to be done at the hospital. When she arrived at thepany, Quantum¡¯s doors had just opened, and the cleaning staff was still cleaning. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Considering their argument yesterday. Celeste didn¡¯t want to call Liam. Instead, she handed the lunchbox to the security guard, asking him to give it to Liam The security guard said strangely, ¡°Mr. Reed hasn¡¯te to thepany today.¡± Celeste was stunned. The maid said Liam took a call at 6 am. and hurried to thepany. Howe the security guard said he wasn¡¯t there? Just then, Skyler called, asking how much longer until she arrived. Celeste quickly replied, ¡°Right away and hurriedly told the security guard, ¡°When hees, please give this to him and say it¡¯s from the maid¡± After giving her instructions, Celeste rushed to the agreed meeting ce. As soon as she arrived, a Maserati pulled up. Skyler rolled down the window and calmly said, ¡°Get in.¡± Celeste hesitantly got into the car. Skyler wore a dark coffee-colored shirt and ck pants, with shoulder-length hair naturally curled. She looked neat and tidy. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Even after learning Skyler¡¯s real age. Celeste still thought she looked very young However, this seemingly young mother-inw wasn¡¯t easy to get along with. Skyler¡¯s obsession with having descendants made Celeste feel suffocated As the car started, Skyler asked casually. You didn¡¯t eat anything before the blood test, right?¡± Celeste nodded. Skyler asked again, Does Liam know I asked you to get checked?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ?n didn¡¯t tell him ¡± Celeste said They were in a fight now If she spoke to Liam, wouldn¡¯t that be admitting defeat? No way! The conversation ended there, and Skyler didn¡¯t say anything else Soon, they arrived at Hope Hospital It was a famous private hospital in J City with expensive fees but excellent medical resources Many celebrities, businessmen, and wealthy people were regrt here As a result, the hospital wasn¡¯t as crowded as City Hospital, and routine check-ups usually didn¡¯t require waiting in line They registered at the hospital, and after the doctor¡¯s consultation, Celeste was given a list of tests to complete Celeste told Skyler ¡°Wait here. Mom These tests are in the building across the street. I¡¯lle find you when I¡¯m done¡± Skyler initially wanted to go with her, but she received a phone call and agreed to let Celeste go alone Celeste first had a blood test and urine test, followed by an ultrasound The ultrasound room was busy today and she had to wait for a while before it was her turn The young doctor performing the ultrasound looked at the results for a while before asking. ¡°Have you had surgery before?¡± A few years ago, I had a car ident and had a minor surgery Doctor, is there a problem? Celeste asked ¡°A car ident surgery? The young doctor thought for a moment, seemingly struggling to make a decision, and finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s see what your primary doctor sayster After that, the young ductor printed the results, signed them, and called for the next patient Celeste stared at the report for a long while trying to make sense of it. She could understand some of the normal results, but there was something about uneven echoes that she didn¡¯t get After waiting for almost an hour all the tests were finally done. Skyler was getting impatient and started calling her asking how many tests were left. All done i¡¯m on my way back now, should be there soon¡¯ Celeste sad ¡°Great grab me a bottle of water of your way up ¡°beyler sard Celeste had already reached the ground floor but she had to turn back and head to the patient department to buy water since that was the only ce in the white hospital with a vendag was afroul to get the water she saw Liaming out of the sievates 19e was turning a fastand the kid that girls were wing ha assistant Owen was night befund hun. Me? The beat to spot ter was wen Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Liam only noticed her when he heard Owen speak. Celeste didn¡¯t show any particr emotion on her face, her gaze swept past the hairband and fell on Liam. He clenched the hairband in his hand and walked over to her with his lips pressed. Liam asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Celeste said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not bored enough to stalk you.¡± She shook the few medical reports in her hand, ¡°Your mom asked me to get a checkup.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Did shee with you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡¯ Celeste said. Liam¡¯s expression was a bit weird, and his frown never rxed. Celeste wasn¡¯t in the mood to guess what he was thinking. Seeing Liam in the hospital in the morning made her very ufortable. Who could be in the hospital at this time? Who had such a big deal to make him rush to the hospital at six in the morning? And with a hairband? N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Holding back her anger was the best she could do. ¡°You must be busy, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± She dropped this sentence, not bothering to look at Liam, and turned to leave. Liam suddenly grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°Wait¡± He handed the hairband to Owen and whispered, ¡°Buy her an identical one.¡± Then he pulled Celeste away from the inpatient department. Celeste was holding back her anger. As soon as the two of them left the elevator, she suddenly opened her mouth and bit his wrist. Liam was in pain and let go of her. Looking at the deep bite mark on his wrist, Liam asked with a dark face, ¡°Celeste, did you get bitten by a dog?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who got bitten by a dog!¡± She cursed, then realized she was attacking herself. Celeste was annoyed and said, ¡°Liam, we¡¯re just in a contract rtionship now I¡¯ll cooperate with you when necessary, but at other times, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Pulling your hand is touching you? Then what do you call the time you got drunk and forcibly kissed me? Sexual harassment?¡± Celeste said with a disgusted face, ¡°When did I forcibly kiss you? Liam, watch your mouth, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡± Liam sneered and took out his phone, did something, and then her phone rang in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a video Liam had sent her. Celeste looked at him with a puzzled face, ¡°What did you send me?¡± Liam pulled up the corner of his mouth, ¡°Open it and see for yourself¡± Celeste frowned and stared at him for a few seconds before opening the video. Then, her face turned flushed. In the video, a drunken woman, wearing only a bathrobe straddled a man¡¯s legs. She had one hand on his chin, forcing his face towards the phone camera, giggling and saying, ¡°All that money can¡¯t be spent in vain, I need to keep a souvenir.¡± Then she lowered her head and kissed his lips, boldly trying to pull off his clothes but failed, so she went to pull off her own. Her clothes were easy to pull off, the straps loosened, and the clothes slid off her shoulders. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Just at that critical moment, the man raised his hand to snatch the phone away. The screen shook for a moment, and the video ended. The bold woman in the video was none other than herself, and the one she forced a kiss on was Liam. Celeste¡¯s eyes almost popped out, and she immediately tried to grab Liam¡¯s phone. Liam was quick to avoid her hand, lifting the phone with ease. He nced at her indifferently, his lips curling up. ¡°What, want to destroy the evidence?¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned dark, ¡°Liam, you took advantage of me! You knew I was drunk, and you still recorded this. How can you be so shameless?¡± Liamughed at her twisted logic, ¡°Celeste, look closely at who¡¯s filming the video.¡± Celeste argued, ¡°Even if I took it, it was because I was drunk and not in control of my actions! You weren¡¯t drunk. However, you didn¡¯t stop it and even kept the video. That makes you shameless!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She was trying to provoke Liam to delete the video, but Liam just chuckled and said, ¡°Since you say I¡¯m shameless, why don¡¯t I just send it to everyone to see?¡± As he spoke, he picked up his phone and started editing. Celeste couldn¡¯t bear it and immediately pounced on him to grab the phone. Liam was half a head taller than her. All he had to do was raise the phone above his head, and even if Celeste jumped, she could only reach his wrist. Seeing that he was about to finish editing, Celeste panicked and hugged his neck, suddenly pushing her head up. She was aiming for Liam¡¯s chin, but he suddenly lowered his head, and she hit his nose instead. He immediately started bleeding from his nose. Celeste was dumbfounded, and before she could react, a cold voice came from behind her, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Celeste turned around to see Skyler walking towards them with an icy face, looking extremely displeased. When she reached them, she quickly used a handkerchief to cover Liam¡¯s bleeding nose. Seeing Celeste still standing there in a daze, Skyler scolded, ¡°What are you waiting for? Call a doctor!¡± Celeste finally came to her senses and hurriedly called a nurse to help. It took a while for the nosebleed to stop. Liam tilted his head back, his face pale, not knowing if it was because he lost blood. After the nurse left, Skyler started questioning. ¡°What the heck happened for you to fight with your own husband outside and make him bleed?¡± Celeste clenched her lips, lowered her head, and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to, but you still hurt him?¡± Skyler said angrily. ¡°This is what you can do outside. What do you do at home when no one¡¯s around?¡± Liam frowned and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not as serious as you think. We were just joking around.¡± That still doesn¡¯t mean you can be so reckless!¡± Skyler said coldly, looking at Celeste, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were like before or if your mom taught you. Now that you¡¯re married to the Reed family, you must have manners! Even with your own husband, you can¡¯t act like this outside. It¡¯s not proper, and it looks bad to outsiders¡± Celeste clenched her fingers and suppressed the difort in her heart. She whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Liam looked at her submissive appearance and felt very ufortable. She was cuter when she was feisty. ¡°And that party the other day, I heard you were getting all cozy with Liam in front of everyone? What a spectacle, do you know what people are saying?¡± Skyler said ¡°Let them say what they want! This is between us as a couple, who cares if they like it or not?¡± Liam threw the gauze into the trash and looked up coldly, ¡°Mom, when did you be so uptight?¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Skyler frowned and asked, ¡°Am I that uptight? You guys need to behave. With so many people watching the Reed family, her behavior will make people think we¡¯re all a bunch of savages!¡± Liam, annoyed by her nagging, turned to Celeste and said, ¡°Water, please.¡± Celeste handed him the water she¡¯d just bought. Liam took a couple of sips, and seeing his pale face, Skyler dropped the subject and asked him, ¡°Why are you at the hospital so early?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Just visiting a friend, Liam answered briefly, then asked her, ¡°Why¡¯d you bring her in for a checkup again? Didn¡¯t she just have one two months ago?¡± Speaking of this, Skyler calmed down and said, ¡°Nothing much, just a routine checkup. She¡¯s been taking the medication for so long, so we want to see if it¡¯s working. My friend¡¯s daughter-inw is almost due, and they got marriedst year. You guys have been married for three years, and I¡¯m getting anxious for you¡± This remark was obviously ming Celeste. Liam said expressionlessly. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can force it to happen. She¡¯s been taking the medication for so long, and it hasn¡¯t worked. Maybe she¡¯s taken too much and that¡¯s why she can¡¯t get pregnant.¡± Although she didn¡¯t like the medication, Liam¡¯s words were a bit too much. She couldn¡¯t get pregnant because he didn¡¯t want to have sex with her! They barely had sex, and he deliberately avoided her ovtion period. Even if she was highly fertile, she couldn¡¯t get pregnant without his cooperation. As expected. Skyler got angry. ¡°What do you mean, taking too much medication prevents pregnancy? Do you know how hard I¡¯ve worked to get those? Whom I¡¯m doing all this for? If she could get pregnant, would I be interfering like this?¡± Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Celeste quickly tried to mediate, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m taking the medication on time. Have some water¡± Skyler brushed her hand away and said coldly, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll mind my own business. You guys can handle your own affairs from now on, so I don¡¯t have to worry and be med by you!¡± With that, she left angrily. As soon as she was gone, Celeste dropped the act and said indifferently, ¡°Call your assistant to pick you up. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Are you just going to leave me like this after hitting me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bloody nose, right? I didn¡¯t break your arm or leg. What else do you want me to do? Hold you like a baby?¡± Celeste said. Liam¡¯s face turned gloomy, ¡°Do you even have a conscience? Who was I just standing up for?¡± ¡°I have been very conscientious. We were on the verge of divorce, yet I still went along with the act, pretending to be a family with you, only to be humiliated by your mother with a nonexistent usation!¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know why that particr remark struck a chord with her, perhaps because she had been suppressing her feelings for a long time, and once she found an outlet, she couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°You were bleeding, and everyone was worried about you. Some even vented their anger on me because of you! And what about me? I had a car ident, but I couldn¡¯t even get in contact with you! Do you know how it felt when the nurse asked why there were no family members showed up? I thought to myself, if I were to die in the hospital, would there even be anyone to im my body?¡± Liam¡¯s expression turned cold, and he clenched his lips. After a moment, he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the ident on the phone that day?¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Celeste forced a smile, so he knew. She said, ¡°What difference would it make? Even if I told you, would you really abandon Ms. Denton?¡± Liam fell silent. Celeste felt extremely disappointed; he didn¡¯t even bother lying to her. That¡¯s great,¡± Celesteughed, ¡°It just proves that my decision is correct.¡± Liam looked at her, puzzled. Celeste took her wallet out of her bag and said calmly, ¡°But I¡¯m not as heartless as you. You got hurt because of me, but you provoked me first. I¡¯ll cover the medical expenses, and if you think it¡¯s not enough, there¡¯s nothing I can do. We¡¯re not divorced yet, this is all I can do.¡± As she spoke, she handed Liam a signed check. He nced at it, and it read twenty thousand dors. Liam¡¯s face turned ugly, and he tore the check into pieces, ¡®Enough, Celeste!¡± Celeste nced at the pieces on the floor and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as you epted it. As for the divorce, please get it on your agenda soon. I can¡¯t keep covering for you with the ¡®unable to get pregnant excuse for much longer.¡± After leaving the hospital, Celeste¡¯s shoulders drooped, looking exhausted. Everything was a mess, as nothing went ording to her wishes. She knew she was taking her anger out on Liam, but she couldn¡¯t stand Skyler¡¯s attitude anymore. She looked down at the thin scratch on the back of her hand, caused by Skyler¡¯s ring when she pushed her away. Skyler¡¯s dissatisfaction with her had been building up for a long time. Although she usually hid it well, it was clear from her eyes that she didn¡¯t like her. Neither her as a person nor her background met Skyler¡¯s expectations. And with no children after years of marriage, this dissatisfaction had reached its peak. Liam¡¯s defense of her only deepened the conflict. She wondered if all mothers-inw disliked their sons being too close to their wives. Or was it that widows like Skyler, who lost their husbands at a young age, were particrly possessive of their sons? Although she and Liam didn¡¯t have a great marital rtionship, she could always feel Skyler¡¯s growing dislike for her whenever he stood up for her. Like that remark just now, how could it hurt so deep if it wasn¡¯t intentional? Even Liam couldn¡¯t be med entirely, he was indeed the root cause! The Campbell family Shawn¡¯s family was having dinner when a phone on the table rang. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Shawn answered the call, smiling, ¡°Mr. Reilly, what brings you to call me at this time? Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Dinner? Shawn, you¡¯ve raised quite a daughter! She¡¯s scheming against our family, and you still have the nerve to ask?!¡± Mr. Reilly said. Shawn¡¯s smile faded, and he said solemnly. ¡°Mr. Reilly, what do you mean by that? What did my daughter do wrong?¡± ¡°Are you ying dumb?¡± Mr. Reilly was furious, ¡°My daughter is usually well-behaved and sensible. Yesterday, she went out with your daughter, Angel, and ended up spending over 30 million on a crappy bracelet, using thepany¡¯s money! When I asked her what happened, she said that your daughter wanted her to help get back at someone? She agreed out of kindness, but now we can¡¯t return it! There are over a hundred employees in ourpany who need to support their families. I really want to know, just how big of a grudge does your family have to blow 18 million to settle it? Does this make any sense?¡± Sitting across from him, Angel tightly gripped her fork. Damn Adriana! She got herself into trouble and then pushed the me onto her, utterly shameless! Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Shawn looked upset and said, ¡°Mr. Reilly, I¡¯m not quite familiar with this matter. Please give me some time to ask Angel what¡¯s going on. Maybe there¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could there be? My daughter was very clear, it was your daughter who instigated it. Let me tell you, you either find a way to return this bracelet, or you buy it. If not, just wait and see!¡± Mr. Reilly said, With that, the other party hung up the phone. Shawn put down his phone with a gloomy expression, then looked up at Angel and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with what Mr. Reilly said? About this bracelet?¡± Angel, annoyed, ripped Adriana a new one in her mind, and then detailed the events of that day to Shawn. Of course, she didn¡¯t mention her own hint to Adriana. After finishing, Angel said with a hint of grievance, ¡°Indeed, I didn¡¯t think this through. I knew my sister didn¡¯t like me, so I shouldn¡¯t have been dragged into that store by Ms. Reilly. That store belongs to Mr. Francis, who has a good rtionship with Liam. Mr. Reilly doesn¡¯t want to offend Mr. Francis or the Reed family, so she¡¯s pinning the me on me. Do I really have that much influence over Ms. Reilly?¡± At this point, ady next to her handed Angel a tissue tofort her. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. Who in their right mind would spend over 18 million on a bracelet?¡± Thisdy was Shawn¡¯s secretary, Helen, who Celeste had seen with Shawn in the underground parking lot before. Now she was wearing casual clothes, eating at the spot that used to belong to Caitlyn, looking like the lady of the house. Shawn frowned and nced at Helen, ¡°What¡¯s the need of talking about this now? Mr. Reilly has made it clear that he wants us to foot the bill for his daughter!¡± ¡°Will we obey what he orders?¡± Helen sneered. ¡°Why should others be responsible for his daughter¡¯s matters? Thatpany is falling apart. He only stands a chance now because his sister¡¯s marriage.¡± Helen said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand theplexity of this situation. We need Garfield Reilly¡¯s help to secure the Riverside Shirend. The bidding isn¡¯t final yet, and if we offend him now, we might lose this project. A multi-billion dor project is just around the corner, and we can¡¯t let it slip away.¡± Shawn said. Helen looked puzzled. ¡°Does Garfield really want to let go of such a big project?¡± Shawn scoffed, ¡°Of course not, but he can¡¯t handle it. His brother-inw happens to be in charge of the project, and although he wants it, it¡¯s not legally allowed.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. For this project, Shawn had already given Garfield gifts worth over 10 million. But the guy was still not satisfied! Helen frowned. ¡°So what do we do? Over 30 million is not a small number. Are we really going to pay for her?¡± Shawn obviously didn¡¯t want to spend the extra 30 million for no reason. He picked up the phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call to see if Mr. Reed can help.¡± Helen forced a smile but didn¡¯t say anything else. As soon as Celeste got in the car, her phone rang. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Seeing it was Shawn, she didn¡¯t want to answer. Shawn usually didn¡¯t have any good news when he called her. However, Shawn wasn¡¯t going to give up easily. If she didn¡¯t pick up, he would just keep calling. Celeste had no choice but to answer. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Letti, what¡¯s going on? Why did it take you so long to answer?¡± Shawn asked. Celeste replied, ¡°I was in the bathroom just now, it wasn¡¯t convenient to answer. What¡¯s up, Dad?¡± ¡°Nothing much, are you with Liam?¡± Shawn asked. ¡°He¡¯s at work. If you need to talk to him, please call his office: Celeste said. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for him, just have a question for you.¡± Shawn said. What could Shawn had to ask her? ¡°Letti, are you close to Mr. Francis?¡± Shawn asked. ¡°Not really¡± Celeste answered almost without hesitation. This wasn¡¯t a lie, as she really wasn¡¯t very close to Nics. Strictly speaking, she didn¡¯t know much about all of Liam¡¯s friends. Liam rarely took her to friends¡¯ gatherings, perhaps he had anticipated that their marriage wouldn¡¯tst long, so he didn¡¯t bother to involve her. Why did Shawn mention Nics? She soon found out the answer. Shawn said, ¡°I heard from Angel that she and her friend went to a jewelry store yesterday to buy some jewelry and ran into you.¡± Celeste narrowed her eyes and said indifferently. ¡°Yes, that happened. What about it?¡± ¡°Her friend spent over 30 million on a bracelet in the store, did you know?¡± Shawn asked. Celeste exaggeratedly said, ¡°Ms. Reilly has great taste. I heard that bracelet was their store¡¯s treasure.¡± Shawn paused for a moment and said, ¡°Ms. Reilly doesn¡¯t want the bracelet now, but she can¡¯t return it. I heard that store is owned by Mr. Francis. Isn¡¯t Liam friends with Mr. Francis? Can you ask him to see if he can return the bracelet?¡± A 30 million bracelet, after she bought it and showed off, she must have regretted it when she got home, right? She still overestimated Adriana¡¯s character and didn¡¯t expect her to turn to Shawn. How could Celeste help with the trap set by herself? ¡°Dad, you¡¯re a businessman too. Without quality issues, they generally can¡¯t be returned. If people like Ms. Reilly can just say they regret it and want to return it the next day, how can others do business?¡¯ Celeste said. ¡°That¡¯s true. But in the end, it¡¯s all about rtionships. Talk to Liam, ask him to talk to Mr. Francis. Isn¡¯t this just a matter of him saying a word?¡± Shawn said Celeste didn¡¯t really want to, but she had no choice but to agree, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask Liam to check with him. But it¡¯s not guaranteed whether Nics will be willing to help or not.¡± Shawn breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°With Mr. Francis and Liam being so close, how could he not help out?¡± With the serious talk over, the atmosphere became a bit awkward. Shawn tried to make small talk, ¡°How¡¯s your mom doingtely?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been the same ¡°Celeste paused, ¡°The doctor still suggests that we talk about the past to stimte her. If you have time, you could go and chat with her more. You used to be the person she cared about the most.¡± Shawn said nonchntly, I¡¯ve been really busytely and haven¡¯t had the chance to visit. In a few days, when i can take a break, I¡¯ll go to the hospital to see her¡± Celeste had heard this kind of talk from him before. Thest time he visited the hospital was a year ago, and that was only because her grandfather¡¯s friend came to visit, and he wanted to put on a show Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shawn was such a cold-hearted and ruthless person. How could her discerning grandfather have agreed to let his daughter marry someone like him? After hanging up the phone, Celeste immediately called Nics. Nics was in the middle of a boring meeting at the time. When he saw the iing call, he was first taken aback and then perked up. He got up, picked up his phone, and said seriously, ¡°You guys continue, I need to take a client call¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 ¡°Hey, who¡¯s this?¡± As soon as the call was connected, Nics¡¯ voice came through, sounding calm and steady, unlike his usual frivolous tone. Celeste was puzzled. Didn¡¯t this guy have her phone number? Did he not save it? But she didn¡¯t have time to think about it, and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Celeste.¡± Nics eximed in surprise, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡¯ What¡¯s up?¡± Being so direct, Celeste felt a bit awkward. But now wasn¡¯t the time to be awkward, so she got straight to the point, ¡°I need a favor from Mr. Francis.¡± Nicsughed, ¡°What can I do for you? Liam is way more capable than me.¡± In other words, she should go to her husband. Celeste was pretty straightforward, saying directly, ¡°We had a fight, and I don¡¯t want to talk to him any more than I have to. Plus, Mr. Francis is the only one who can help with this issue.¡± Nics became interested, ¡°You guys had a fight? What about? Tell me more.¡± Why did she feel like Nics was so excited to know about her fight with Liam? ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I identally gave the socks I bought for him to Mr. Fletcher, and he got mad at me.¡± Celeste said. Nics got the point, ¡°You gave socks to Mr. Fletcher?¡± ¡°Mr. Fletcher helped me a lot at the party, so I bought him a tie as a thank you gift. The socks were identally mixed in, not meant as a gift.¡± Celeste said ¡°Oh, Nics said meaningfully, ¡°then Liam is being unreasonable. It¡¯s just a pair of socks, is it really worth getting upset over?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to discuss who was right or wrong with him. Nics was Liam¡¯s childhood friend, and if she said anything else, it could easily get back to Liam. ¡°Mr. Francis, let¡¯s get to the point. I need your help.¡± Celeste said. Nics attitude warmed up. ¡°We¡¯re all family here. Just tell me what you need.¡± Celeste briefly exined the situation at the jewelry store yesterday and Shawn¡¯s request. In fact, Nics already knew about the incident yesterday, even pulled out the surveince footage from the store and watched it again. The bracelet was something he had spent over 20 million to auction off from Myanmar, and then gave it to his mother. His mom didn¡¯t want it because she thought it looked old-fashioned, and he had no use for it. So this cunning businessman put it up for sale at the jewelry store for over 18 million. The bracelet had been sitting there for half a year when he heard from the store manager that it had been sold. He wondered who the sucker was, only to find out it was Liam¡¯s wife who helped sell it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He was shocked after watching the surveince footage. He thought he was shameless enough at making money, but he had met someone even more ruthless Liam¡¯s wife had given him so many surprises. How could he have ever thought she was just a dumb beauty? ¡°So you mean, you want me to return the bracelet for Ms. Reilly? Nics asked. Celesteughed, ¡°If I wanted you to help me return the bracelet, I would¡¯ve gone to Liam instead of you.¡± Nics didn¡¯t have much connection to her, and over 18 million wasn¡¯t a small amount. He might not be willing to help her with this, but if Liam were to ask, it would be a different story Celeste was very smart Nics liked talking to smart people, so he smiled, ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± Celeste revealed a smile, ¡®Mr. Francis made a lot of money selling that jewelry for over 18 million, right?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Nics didn¡¯t know what Celeste was up to, but out of his businessman nature, he downyed it, ¡°Not much, just made a little profit.¡± Celeste saw him as a ¡®cunning businessman in her mind, then returned to the main topic, ¡°Ms. Reilly bought such expensive jewelry, she must be one of the highest-level customers in your store, right? For such a big order, I think there should be some publicity and maybe offer some discounts or something to consolidate the customer rtionship. Although it costs a little money, it helps to promote your store. I think it¡¯s a good marketing strategy.¡± Nics immediately understood her intentions. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Celeste wanted him to publicize Adriana¡¯s purchase of the bracelet, making sure everyone in high society knew about it. Garfield was a very prideful man, and the idea of returning the item now would make him the laughingstock, right? This move was really vicious, cutting off any follow-up developments on the issue. If Garfield gave up on returning the item, how could Shawn bother her then? Nics himself had never done something so ruthless! Seeing that Nics didn¡¯t speak for a while, Celeste tentatively asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Did you study public rtions in school?¡± Nics asked. ¡°1 studied acting ¡°Celeste said. Nics licked his lips, ¡°I think you should go study public rtions. I would definitely hire you at a high sry¡± Celeste took it as a joke, ¡°So what do you think, Mr. Francis?¡± think it¡¯s a great idea. Just a few days ago, the manager also mentioned publicity to me. This is a good opportunity. I¡¯ll have someone arrange it right away. Nics said. Celeste sighed in relief, ¡°Thank you.¡± Nics joked, ¡°I should be thanking you. If it weren¡¯t for you, who knows how long this bracelet would¡¯ve stayed in the store.¡± After hanging up, Nics immediately called Liam. After all, work was boringpared to their couple¡¯s issues. Liam had just left the hospital and saw Nics¡¯ call. He was in a bad mood. Due to the unpleasant experience at the hospital, he hung up on Nics¡¯ call right away. But Nics wouldn¡¯t give up easily, so he called Owen instead. Owen reluctantly handed the phone to Liam. Liam took the phone with an unhappy face, ¡°This better be important!¡± ¡°Your wife called me ¡± Nics said. ¡°What?¡± Liam was surprised. Nics smiled, 1 said Celeste just called me.¡± Thinking of that woman and the $20,000 check, Liam¡¯s nose hurt again. He replied irritably, ¡°She called you, why are you telling me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why she called me?¡± Nics asked. ¡°No¡± He was about to hang up right after. Nics hurriedly said, ¡°Garfield wants to return the bracelet, and she asked me for help!¡± Liam paused, ¡°She asked you?¡± ¡°Yeah, she said her dad was threatening her, making her return the bracelet no matter what. She was crying her eyes out, and I¡¯m just too nice, so I agreed when my heart softened Nics said Liam kept a straight face, Finish your story and then get lost Nics said disappointedly. ¡°I said it so sincerely, why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Liam didn¡¯t believe Celeste would ask him for help, but he couldn¡¯t believe she would cry and beg him to do it. That woman seemed really strong, so how could she possibly cry andin about her family troubles in front of someone like Nics? Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Liam snorted, ¡°If you had said she beat you up and threatened you to help her, maybe I would¡¯ve believed it.¡± ¡°Celeste looks so skinny and weak, could she really beat you up?¡± Nics asked. Liam¡¯s nose started to hurt again. ¡°Are you going to tell me or not? If not, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Liam said. Nics stopped beating around the bush and told Liam everything Celeste had asked him to do. ¡°Celeste really is ruthless. I heard Shawn is bidding on that Riverside Shire project and has put up most of his fortune. He¡¯s counting on Garfield to help him out. If he can¡¯t pull it off, given Garfield¡¯s petty nature, he probably won¡¯t deal with him again, and the bidding project will be screwed. Celeste isn¡¯t their only daughter, how could she be so heartless towards her own dad?¡± Nics said. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Liam didn¡¯t say anything. Not long after Caitlyn¡¯s car ident, Shawn had cut off her medication and nned to give up treating her. This was something Celeste could never forget, and putting pressure on him was actually going easy on him. ¡°Huh? Why are you silent?¡± Nics asked. Liam frowned, ¡°If you¡¯re so concerned, why don¡¯t you go ask her yourself?¡± Nics was at a loss for words. ¡°What¡¯s with you towards Celeste today? It¡¯s just a pair of socks, man. Is it really worth making such a big deal out of?¡± Nics said. Liam suddenly paused, ¡°Who told you about the socks?¡± ¡°Celeste,¡± Nics squinted, ¡°Are you really mad about the socks being mistakenly sent to Mason?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking too much crap today!¡± Liam said. Liam¡¯s face darkened. How could this woman tell everyone everything? Nics was satisfied with his sessful gossiping and asked cheerfully, ¡°Should I help her with this?¡± ¡°You agreed to it yourself, why are you asking me?¡± Liam said. Liam didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore and hung up the phone. Nics clicked his tongue and then called the jewelry store manager. Celeste went to the recording studio. A friend had asked her to voice a female character in an animated show. There was still no news about the audition, but since she had nothing else to do, she went over. The friend used to do voice acting with her named Kendrick Kidd, and he was a top voice actor in the industry. But in recent years, he had rarely done voice acting for TV shows. He had invested in animation production with his friends and focused his energy on that. The project that he invited Celeste to join was his own production. Since her part was small and it was just a friendly guest appearance, she considered it as doing him a favor. When she arrived, she saw a lot of people gathered in the lobby. They all had distinctive styles and looked very young. When Kendrick¡¯spany was first established, Celeste had sent gifts. So, she nced at the crowd and nned to go around them and head upstairs to the recording studio. Before she could get past, someone called out to her, ¡°Sign up here!¡± Celeste stopped, ¡°Sign up?¡± A young girl enthusiastically said, ¡°Register your information. Everyone¡¯s here because they admire Kendrick, so you have to register before you can apply¡± This guy was actually using his own name to recruit people, no wonder there were so many young students gathered here. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 It wasn¡¯t the girl¡¯s fault for mistaking her as an applicant. There were indeed a lot of people, and Celeste had a ponytail and was wearing casual clothes. Although she wore a mask, judging from her age and appearance, she did look like a recent graduate. Celeste originally wanted to say she wasn¡¯t an applicant, but the girl immediately handed her the registration book and was about to give her a pen when she saw the wound on her hand, ¡°Oh, your hand is injured Let me help you, what¡¯s your name?¡± Celeste had a problem with not being able to reject people when they were kind to her. Seeing that the girl was already holding a pen and ready to write, Celeste reluctantly said, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± As she wrote, the girl kept talking. ¡°Your eyes are so pretty. When you first came in, I thought you were an actress. Which school are you from?¡± The girl asked. Celeste said lightly, ¡°T University¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°T University? I¡¯m also from T University! I majored inputer science, are you from the acting department?¡± The girl asked. Celeste said, ¡°I graduated many years ago, I¡¯m much older than you guys.¡± The girl said, ¡°You don¡¯t look like older than me. Instead, you look very young. Should I call you my senior sister?¡± ¡°You can call me whatever you like.¡± Celeste said. The girl whispered, ¡°Sis, have you done voice acting before? I heard we have to do a voice test in the recording studioter. I¡¯ve only done voice acting by myself. I don¡¯t even know what a recording studio looks like. But I wrote down that I have a year of voice acting experience on the form, will they find out?¡± Celeste found it funny, as the girl was quite interesting. She said. ¡°Actually, many people just make up their experience. If you appear calm andposed during the interview, they won¡¯t be able to tell.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll definitely be nervous when I see Kendrick The girl said. Celeste pointed to a man who had just entered the room and whispered, ¡°What do you think about him?¡± The girl turned her head to look and saw a man with a rugged appearance, very tall and strong. He had tattoos on his arms, looking like a mobster. ¡°Kinda scary¡± The girl honestly said. ¡°What do you think of Kendrick in your mind? Celeste asked. Kendrick had never shown his face on screen, but his voice was incredibly maic and pleasant. A person with such a good voice must be very handsome. The girl didn¡¯t hesitate to say. ¡°Like a god¡± Celeste handed the signed registration book back to her, waved at the tattooed man, and called out, ¡°Kendrick!¡± The tattooed man immediately smiled and walked over. ¡°You got here so soon? I thought I¡¯d have to wait a bit longer.¡± The girl¡¯s face stiffened, unable to believe that the mobster in front of her was her ¡°god.¡± This voice and appearance didn¡¯t match at all, did they? ¡°It¡¯s a weekend, so there wasn¡¯t much traffic, that¡¯s why it didn¡¯t take too long to get here.¡± Celeste said. Kendrick handed her a cup of coffee, ¡°Let¡¯se upstairs and take a look.¡± Celeste nodded and just before leaving, she remembered something and turned to the girl with a smile, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be nervous now.¡± What was there to be nervous about now? She was just a little disappointed! But how could Kendrick¡¯s voice be so nice? She was just looking at his talking face, her mood hovering between excitement and disappointment. That would be perfect if only Kendrick had kept his mouth shut during the interview She looked down, about to put the notebook back in its ce, but saw the name written on it and felt like she¡¯d been struck by lightning. The name was: Celestial Haze Celestial Haze Celestial Haze! Oh my gosh, that girl was actually Celestial Haze! Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Kendrick was a few years older than Liam, already married, and had a daughter in kindergarten. Celeste initially got into voice acting for anime because of Kendrick¡¯s introduction. They had worked together many times, and Kendrick even taught her some pronunciation techniques. In Celeste¡¯s heart, he was like an older brother or a mentor to her. Celeste didn¡¯t have much to do, so she finished it all before noon. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Kendrick was very satisfied with the final product, and when they left the recording studio, he called out to Celeste, ¡°Hold on. My wife already booked a table at Culinary Crest. You can ride with me, and we¡¯ll have lunch together.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s fine. I live nearby, so I¡¯ll just go home and eat.¡± Celeste said. As Celeste tried to leave, Kendrick grabbed her wrist and stared at her, ¡°Why is it so hard to have a meal with you? Can I sell you or something?¡± ¡°Kendrick, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­ Celeste said ¡°Then juste! Otherwise, my wife will think there¡¯s something fishy between us so you¡¯re too afraid toe to dinner.¡± Kendrick said. Celeste said, ¡°Alright.¡± But deep down, she knew it wasn¡¯t like what Kendrick said. Kendrick¡¯s wife was a history teacher. Celeste had met her before, and she had a great demeanor and was well-spoken. Kendrick waspletely smitten with her, so how could he possibly have an affair with a coworker? The real reason was that one of the main female characters in the anime was originally meant for Celeste to voice. Kendrick had even mentioned it to her beforehand, and she had agreed. But not long after, another partner rmended his girlfriend, who was also a somewhat famous voice actress They hadn¡¯t signed a contract, it was just a verbal agreement. So, Kendrick couldn¡¯t refuse the other party, and had always felt guilty about it. He had asked Celeste out several times, wanting to treat her to a meal and apologize in person, but she had always declined. This time, he mentioned his wife because he was afraid she would refuse again. Kendrick was not like other top voice actors; he never showed his face. Besides meeting a few close friends from the industry in private, he didn¡¯t attend any other industry events. Because of this, he was very mysterious in the eyes of his fans, and even more people liked him. After getting to know him, Celeste jokingly asked if he was afraid that the contrast between his appearance and voice would be too much for fans to ept Kendrick said that was not the case, and he was even very satisfied with his manly appearance. He didn¡¯t show his face to the public because he didn¡¯t rely on it for a living. Secondly, his child was already in school, and he worried that frequently appearing in the media would have a negative impact on his family He loved his job but didn¡¯t want it to affect his life. For this, Celeste really admired him. It was rare for a man to be so family-oriented after achieving sess in his career. in the early afternoon, there were still many customers in the restaurant. Kendrick¡¯s wife hade early and waited in line for a long time. When Celeste and Kendrick arrived, she had just sat down not long ago. She waved at them from a distance. ¡°Lett, over here Kendrick¡¯s wife shouted out Celeste squirted her eyes and smiled as she walked over, ¡°Long time no see You¡¯re looking more and more beautiful¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Kendrick¡¯s wife really liked Celeste. The girl was beautiful herself, but she was always generous with compliments when she met others. People easily liked her. ¡°Still so sweet-talking. Sit down and rest first. Kendrick always says he¡¯ll be here soon, but I¡¯ve been waiting for an hour. Did he make you work overtime again?¡± Kendrick¡¯s wife said. Kendrick quickly denied it. Celesteughed and said, I¡¯m just helping out. He couldn¡¯t make me work overtime even if he wanted to.¡± As she spoke, she handed over the bag in her hand, ¡°I bought some cakes to bring for the kids.¡± ¡°Inviting you to lunch and you¡¯re giving a gift in return?¡± Although she said this, Kendrick¡¯s wife didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Are you two hungry? Should I order dessert first?¡± Kendrick asked. Kendrick¡¯s wife whispered. ¡°Another friend isingter. I thought we could wait for him to arrive before ordering the main dishes, is that okay?¡± Celeste was taken aback, not knowing they had invited someone else, and felt a little ufortable. Because they invited a friend she might not know, it could be a bit awkward to eat together. But she still said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry yet¡± Seeing her unease, Kendrick exined, ¡°He¡¯s an old ssmate of mine and a small-time director. I know you¡¯ve been wanting to act recently, but I¡¯m not familiar with that side of things, so I thought I¡¯d introduce you two. Maybe if he has a good role, he can let you try out.¡± Apparently, the acting thing was only known to Trisha. Trisha was Kendrick¡¯s loyal fan, so it must have been her who told Kendrick. Celeste sighed and picked up her wine, ¡°Kendrick, let me toast you.¡± She was really grateful for a friend like him, who could still think of pulling resources for her at a time like this. ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for that toast Kendrick teased her, but still epted the wine she offered. The three of them quickly got along well. Kendrick and his wife were very easy-going, and although they argued, Kendrick always yielded to his wife. Their marriage made Celeste envious. After having some drinks, the awaited guest finally arrived fashionablyte. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Kendrick had been watching the door, and when he saw the person, he shouted loudly, ¡°Zach, over here!¡± Zach Miller? Why did this name sound familiar? He was a director too. No way, what a coincidence! Celeste hesitated before turning her head, then froze the next second. The unknown director mentioned by Kendrick was actually Zach, the director of the TV show she had auditioned for before! This was the ¡°unknown director¡±? How incredible was Zach in the industry? Let¡¯s put it this way, none of the TV shows he had directed had scored below 7 points on the strictest rating website in the country! A 7-point show was already considered a must-watch ssic! Having an unanticipated meal with director Zach, especially a casual gathering like this, made Celeste somewhat nervous. Zach caught sight of her and hesitated for a moment before naturally walking over and greeting Kendrick and his wife. From their conversation, Celeste learned that Zach and Kendrick were ssmates at the same school. They had been close friends since school, and Mrs Kidd was Zachs wife¡¯s cousin They had met through Zach¡¯s introduction, so their rtionship was naturally even closer ¡°Zach, let me introduce. This is Celeste She¡¯s famous in the voice acting industry The Celestial Haze I¡¯ve been telling you about is her. She¡¯s beautiful, has a great voice, and is pretty easygoing Celeste, this is my buddy Zach Kendrick said. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Celeste felt a bit awkward. Zach¡¯s reaction just now indicated he recognized her. Since he didn¡¯t mention it, Celeste didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to address it directly. She extended her hand and said, ¡°Hello Mr. Miller, I¡¯m Celeste Zach didn¡¯t shake her hand, only nodding his head indifferently. Celeste was taken aback, and awkwardly retracted her hanging hand. Mrs. Kidd sensed something was off, but didn¡¯t dwell on it, taking the initiative to say. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meal, it¡¯s about time and everyone is hungry, let¡¯s chat while we eat.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s get the food started. Kendrick said. Compared to the Kendricks enthusiasm, Director Zach was much more reserved. It might be due to his profession that he wasn¡¯t a very warm person, or it might be because of the presence of Celeste, a stranger, that he didn¡¯t want to say too much. Moreover, Celeste noticed that whenever Kendrick brought her up in conversation, Zach hardly spoke. Celeste felt embarrassed, thinking Zach might be bothered by her intrusion that day during the audition. Kendrick was a talkative person, so with him at the dinner it didn¡¯t seem too cold. After having a few drinks, Kendrick finally got down to business. ¡°Zach, you know I usually don¡¯t ask for favors, but I really need your help with something today¡± Kendrick said. Zachughed. ¡°Had some drinks, and now you want to say some true words?¡± Kendrick scoffed, ¡°How strong is beer? My mind is clear.¡± He pointed at Celeste, ¡°Celeste graduated from the University of T¡¯s performing arts program, a prestigious school with outstanding skills. If you have a suitable role for her in your film, consider her. I guarantee she won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± Zach sipped his coffee silently, paused for a moment, and said softly. ¡°You know my temper, I don¡¯t discuss work during meal¡± Kendrick frowned, ¡°We are friends, why are you so stubborn? I¡¯m not asking you to do anything shady, just let her try out for a role. I¡¯m sure she can do better than the actors you¡¯ve found!¡± ¡°I do open auditions for many of my actors. If the conditions are right, everyone cane give it a try. But if the audition is just toying with others, there¡¯s no need to waste everyone¡¯s time.¡± Zach said. Celeste furrowed her brows She sensed a hidden meaning in Zach¡¯s words. Zach didn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, It¡¯s rare for us to get together, let¡¯s talk about something unrted to work.¡± Kendrick wanted to say more but was gently pulled by Mrs. Kidd under the table, so he closed his mouth. The lunch left Celeste feeling ufortable. Once the meal was over, Kendrick went to pay the bill and Zach went to the restroom. As he came out, Celeste waited for him at the door. Zach paused and whispered, ¡®Excuse me. Without beating around the bush, Celeste confronted him head-on, ¡°Mr. Miller, what did you mean by what you said at the table?¡± Zach nced at her, ¡°Ms. Campbell knows what¡¯s going on, so why ask me?¡± ¡°What do I know?¡± Celeste felt increasingly confused. ¡°You said earlier that I was toying with others at my auditions? I don¡¯t understand why you would say that Do you think I¡¯m using shady methods by asking others for opportunities to have lunch with you? Or are you still unhappy about my intruding into your room on the day of the audition? I can apologize for that; it was impulsive of me. But as for today¡¯s gathering. I only found out Kendrick had invited others after you arrived¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Zach didn¡¯t want to listen and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not my business. Please step aside¡± Celeste took a deep breath, her patience gone. She continued, ¡°You have to exin yourself! When did I toy with others?¡± Her audition had failed anyway, so she didn¡¯t care how Zach thought of her, but she absolutely wouldn¡¯t tolerate being used for no reason! She couldn¡¯t let Zach have any negative impressions of the Kendricks because of her. Zach was taken aback and his face turned sour, ¡°Well, if you think the roles don¡¯t have enough weight, go audition for roles with more importance! Our ce isn¡¯t big enough to amodate someone like you?¡±. ¡°When did I ever think the roles were too small?¡± Celeste frowned. ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen the script. How could i possibly think that?¡± Zach paused. ¡°You didn¡¯t receive the script?¡± Celeste shook her head ¡°No one contacted me after the audition¡± Zach sensed something was amiss. He took out his phone, searched through it for a while, and pulled up a few chat screenshots Is this you?¡± Upon ncing at the messages, Celeste saw a WhatsApp profile with her name and picture, but the messages in the screenshots weren¡¯t sent by her. In the screenshots, someone from the production team added her on WhatsApp, sending her the script and asking about her intentions to sign a contract ¡°She¡± responded by saying that she felt the role was too small with so little pay, and she wanted to increase her screen time and ask for more money Plus, her attitude when talking was so unfriendly, constantly putting the script down and saying it was written terribly. The problem was, this script was an original creation by Zach and the editor, how could he not get mad after seeing thesements? After reading this, Celeste said solemnly. ¡°I can assure you, I didn¡¯t say any of that This conversation took ce the night beforest, and my phone happened to break that night I didn¡¯t get a new one until yesterday afternoon, so there is no way I could¡¯ve been talking to anyone during that time Celeste pulled out her phone, a brand-new one, and there were only a few chat boxes on the WhatsApp interface. She wasn¡¯t lying Zach frowned, stayed silent for a moment, and finally said, ¡°The role has already been confirmed and the contract was signed this morning Celeste was stunned, and then it dawned on her. Someone must¡¯ve been messing around, and that person could be the actor who reced her and signed the contract. She¡¯d known that the industry could beplicated, but she didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation just from an audition. Celeste felt a bit disappointed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were a voice actor when you auditioned?¡± Zach asked her. Celeste shook her head, ¡°There was no need. No matter how sessfull am in voice acting. I¡¯m still a newbie as an actress¡± Besides, such experience might not necessarily benefit her acting career. In fact, her achievements in voice acting could hinder her future development. Zach stared at her for a while, seemingly pondering something, then finally asked, ¡°What¡¯s your phone number? Give me your personal contact info N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Celeste hesitated Zach said casually, ¡°After all, Kendrick introduced you¡± Celeste thought there was no need to be so blunt¡­. Zach only asked her to leave her phone number, without giving his. In other words, this one-way contact was simply to give Kendrick an exnation. After the lunch, Celeste returned to the vi Chapter 148 Chapter 148 hapter 148 Though, she appeared calm upon learning the role went to someone else, her inner disappointment was known only to her. She had fantasized about achieving career sess after her divorce, causing Liam to regret his words. That now seemed like a pipe dream. What level of sess should an actor achieve? A famous actress? Yet now, she couldn¡¯t evennd a minor role. Things weren¡¯t as simple as they seem for a woman who got married right after graduation. Real-lifepetition was fierce, and no matter the means, only the winner was deemed victorious. Being sheltered by Liam for so long had simplified her thinking. How would she expect someone to take a role in such a way? ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s time for your medication.¡± The maid¡¯s voice interrupted Celeste¡¯s thoughts. Without turning around, she smelled the familiar scent. The maid ced the bowl of medicine on the table, and unwrapped a chocte bar in front of Celeste. The maid said, ¡°This is chocte extra sweet. After drinking the medicine, bite into it, and it won¡¯t taste so bitter.¡± Celeste sighed. Taking her medicine always felt like a battle that annoyed her. Remembering Skyler¡¯s words at the hospital, she took the bitter medicine, downing it all in one shot to the maid¡¯s amazement. It was so bitter! She put down the bowl, drank some water, and the taste in her mouth gradually faded. ¡°Martha, I¡¯ll take my medication on time from now on. You don¡¯t have to report everything to her like you¡¯re doing now.¡± Celeste said. Martha¡¯s face changed, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean¡­¡± Celeste nced at her, ¡°My mother-inw sent you here to take care of us, primarily to ensure I take my medication, right? I will do that. As for other matters like my arguments with Liam or our intimate rtions, please don¡¯t tell her. Matters between a husband and wife are private, even though you were arranged by my mother-inw, revealing them would still be an invasion of privacy Celeste continued with a reminder, ¡°And now your sry is paid directly into your ount by Quantum, which is managed by my husband. You should know who your boss is and who you¡¯re working for. If you can¡¯t even do that, I don¡¯t mind asking my husband to find a new maid¡± Martha¡¯s face turned ugly, ¡°I was sent by Skyler. You don¡¯t have right to do this.¡± Celeste just smiled and calmly said, There are a thousand ways for me to fire you. I just don¡¯t want to do it. If I fire you, my mother-inw might get angry, but with my husband on my side, she¡¯ll just ignore me for a few days. But you? This jobes with high sry and numerous vacation days, but it won¡¯t be easy finding another job like this at your age in J City, would it? I¡¯ve heard your husband wasid off recently, and your son just started college. This job must be important to you, right?¡± Martha trembled with anger. Celeste had been too gentle for so long that everyone assumed she was a harmless rabbit. In reality, she was a leopard with ws and fangs! How could Celeste possibly be a rabbit, being able to stand out among many wealthy daughters?Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Liam was powerless against her, let alone a mere maid. Even if Martha was loyal to Skyler, if Celeste could maintain her position as Liam¡¯s wife, she would be the future hostess of the Reed family. But could she hold on to that position? Martha was angry but didn¡¯t dare provoke her further. Firing her was well within Celeste¡¯s rights. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 She lowered her head and hoarsely apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Celeste skipped dinner and went to bed early. She didn¡¯t know when Liam returned, but when she woke up the next day, she was the only one in the bedroom, and it seemed like Liam hadn¡¯te back at all Upon asking Martha, she was told Liam had returned around 11 PM and likely spent the night in the study. He had left early the next morning. Celeste had be quite indifferent to Liam and even wished he wouldn¡¯te back. She enjoyed living alone in the spacious vi and even considered getting a pet. However, she knew that Liam was heartless and disliked animals. He might throw her pet away while she was gone, leading to a huge fight between This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. them. Just after washing her face, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Shawn, Celeste decided not to answer it and left her phone upstairs as she went downstairs to eat. Trending topics caught her eye as she woke up in the morning. [A mysterious woman splurged 18 million on a rare, top-quality jade bracelet; the seller rewarded her with an Herm¨¨s designer bag] [The mysterious woman was suspected to be Garfield Reilly¡¯s daughter] [What does a 18-million jade look like?] [I can¡¯t understand the world of the rich] She wondered how much Nics paid to get trending topics like that. In any case, there were nearly ten hot topics on the matter. What surprised her was that stingy Nics was willing to give an Herm¨¨s bag. Though it didn¡¯tst long, as she found out online that the gifted bag was worth just around 3,000 to 4,000, nothing compared to the 30-plus million bracelet. He was always been stingy, but he was really good at creating a vibe. Just in one night, the news of Mr. Reilly spending over 30 million on jade had spread everywhere. Shawn must have seen the news since he called first thing in the morning. Celeste went for a run, yed with the neighbor¡¯s dog, and only during breakfast did she take her phone to call Shawn back. By this time, Shawn was already freaking out. At 5 AM, Garfield had called and chewed him out, using him of ying tricks and threatening him that there would be hell to pay. Only then did Shawn realize how serious this was. He didn¡¯t even have time to freshen up, and hurriedly called Celeste to ask if she had let Liam talk to Nics about it. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 In fact, no one had been picking up Celeste¡¯s phone In the blink of an eye, over an hour had passed, and Shawn tried to find someone to delete the post. But as soon as one was deleted, a new one immediately reced it. The trend was like a premeditated explosion, bing harder and harder to contain Thinking about the project that might be in trouble, Shawn anxiously paced back and forth in the room. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Still no answer?¡± Helen ced the heated coffee on the table. Shawn frowned and shook his head, ¡°No one¡¯s picking up.¡± Helen nced at the time, ¡°She should be awake by now, right? Is she ignoring your calls on purpose?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for her not to answer my calls¡± Shawn said. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s too quilty to pick up, Helen snorted, ¡°You called her yesterday, asking her to help talk to Liam and Nics. And bam! Today, the news came out. Isn¡¯t it too coincidental? A store giving back to customers, not on the day of purchase, but after two or three days? With such a big fuss, is that normal?¡± Shawn frowned, actually feeling a bit strange about it, but also thinking that Celeste had no reason to do so. He said, ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding. Letti is now the only heir of the Campbell family, would the Campbell family being in trouble bring her any benefits?¡± Helen didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°Don¡¯t forget whose daughter Celeste is. She¡¯s as ruthless as Caitlyn. Remember how she confronted you when she saw us in the parking lotst time? If she knew what happened back then, she wouldn¡¯tpromise for her own gain! As for being an heir, she¡¯s now the Reed family¡¯s eldest daughter-inw If Liam bes the heir of Quantum, she¡¯ll be thedy of the Reed family. Do you really think she¡¯d care about the Campbell family¡¯s meager profits?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Shawn¡¯s face turned a bit dark, as he also considered this possibility Celeste had never been close to him since she was young, and their rtionship had be very tense after Caitlyn¡¯s incident, only improving after Celeste¡¯s marriage. In the past two years, he felt that Celeste was gradually getting out of his control. She was bing more and more perfunctory in doing the tasks he assigned, even suspecting that she might have learned something. If this were true, would her bing thedy of the Reed family really be a good thing for him? Just as he was thinking about it, his phone suddenly rang. It was Celeste. Shawn gestured for Helen to be quiet and answered the call. ¡°Dad, I just woke up and saw your call.¡± Celeste¡¯s voice was a little hoarse, sounding like she had just woken up, ¡°I wanted to talk to you too. Mr. Francis agreed to the request you asked me about yesterday.¡± This sentence dispelled all Shawn¡¯s doubts. ¡°You mean Nics agreed? Shawn asked. ¡°Yeah, Liam told mest night. He spent the whole night drinking with Mr. Francis and didn¡¯t get home until early morning. I wanted to tell you, but it was toote, and I didn¡¯t want to disturb your rest, so I nned to tell you this morning. I never expected you to call first. Celeste said. ¡°Mr. Francis said, Mr. Reilly cane with the item and shopping receipt, and if the manager verifies the item is fine, they can refund the money.¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 She said it so seriously that Shawn began to doubt if he was mistaken. After some hesitation, he whispered, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen today¡¯s hot news?¡± ¡°What hot news?¡± Celeste sounded clueless, ¡°I just woke up, didn¡¯t have time to look at anything else before I saw your call. What¡¯s up?¡± Shawn¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Mr. Reilly¡¯s jade purchase made the news. ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal for such expensive jewelry to be reported off the news?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Everyone knows about it now because of the news, how is Mr. Reilly going to return it?¡± Shawn frowned, ¡®Can you ask Liam to talk to Mr. Francis again, see if the seller can take the bracelet back under the pretext of it having issues?¡± Celeste sneered in her heart, what a shameless request! How was she supposed to exin this to Liam? Shawn didn¡¯t care about her situation at all. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You asked me to get Mr. Francis to help with this, and I did. He agreed, and now because Mr. Reilly¡¯s on the hot news and feels embarrassed to return the item, you want the seller to im the bracelet is faulty and take it back? If you were selling the bracelet, would you do that? Agreeing to return the bracelet for a friend, and then ending up being used of selling faulty products, why would Nics agree? I can¡¯t even ask Liam myself.¡± Celeste said. Shawn became anxious, ¡°We¡¯re all family, isn¡¯t this the time to help each other? Isn¡¯t it because of my backstage operations that you managed to marry into the Reed family? Now that you¡¯re living the good life, don¡¯t you care about your family?¡± He had the nerve to say that! His operations went far beyond the Reed family. After her mother¡¯s incident, thepany was thoroughly changed by Shawn, and several key employees left. In less than two years, thepany faced a crisis. In a hurry for funds, Shawn began to consider a marriage alliance While she hadn¡¯t even graduated yet, Shawn began looking everywhere for a suitable partner As long as they met his requirements, even if they had a terrible reputation or were much older than her, all that mattered to him was the benefit. For the sake of that, he was willing to throw even his own daughter away! When he was profiting off the Reed family¡¯s name, he never credited her for any of it. Now that there was a problem, she became ungrateful? She suddenly felt that her expectations of Shawn were ridiculous. ¡°Over the years, haven¡¯t I gone to Liam for help countless times because of thepany? Was there one time that I haven¡¯t tried my best to do what you asked? Even if it¡¯s tough, I¡¯ve neverined, always thinking we¡¯re family and should help each other out. But don¡¯t you think you should consider my situation too? Celeste took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she continued, ¡°Liam and I almost got divorced recently¡± ¡°What?¡± Shawn¡¯s voice suddenly rose. ¡°Why? Howe you guys almost split up?¡± ¡°Do you remember thest time you asked me to talk to Liam about the production line? Celeste sniffed. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t tell him, but actually, I lied. I did tell him. And because of that, Liam was really mad. He thought I was meddling too much and always helping outsiders. We had a huge fight over this. and if it wasn¡¯t for grandma¡¯s intervention, he would¡¯ve divorced me for real. Liam and I don¡¯t have a strong emotional foundation, so there are things I really can¡¯t push too far. Because I haven¡¯t gotten pregnant, my mother-inw isn¡¯t very happy with me, so I can¡¯t keep making Liam unhappy either¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She sounded so sincere that Shawn¡¯s expression softened a bit. Meanwhile, Liam, who was in a meeting, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Shawn breathed a sigh of relief, and his attitude softened. He said gently, ¡°It¡¯s my bad for not considering the whole situation, putting you in a tough spot.¡± ¡°Dad, we¡¯re family. I¡¯ll do my best to help with anything, but I really can¡¯t bring this up to Liam. Why don¡¯t you let Mr. Reilly give it a try? Mr. Francis has agreed already, and he¡¯ll definitely keep his promise. How much is dignity worth? Right?¡± Celeste said. Shawn said, ¡°I¡¯ll think of some other way. Oh, I just got two boxes of oysters. I¡¯ll send them to youter so you can cook them for Liam. As long as you guys are happy, I¡¯ll be at ease.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Celeste said. Cook for Liam? Might as well feed a dog! Just as she was about to hang up the phone, Celeste suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Actually, I warned Ms. Reilly to think carefully the other day. But when Ms. Reilly and Angel were together, young girls tend to be a bit vain in front of friends. They impulsively spend after a few compliments. It¡¯s fine with ordinary friends, but considering your rtionship with Mr. Reilly, it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± Shawn held back a breath in his heart and said solemnly, ¡°I got it. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± After hanging up the phone, Helen couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°You don¡¯t really believe her nonsense, do you?¡± Angel, who had been listening for a while, turned pale. Celeste had actually dragged her into this! She hurriedly defended herself, ¡°Dad, if it weren¡¯t for Celeste constantly provoking Adriana that day, Adriana wouldn¡¯t have impulsively bought that bracelet. It was clearly a trap set by Celeste, and she was certain that Adriana would fall for it. I saw her epting amission from the store¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shawn said with a gloomy expression. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before to be careful with your actions. Did you listen to me? You knew she was in the store, so why did you deliberately provoke her by bringing Adriana inside? Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking?¡± Angel still wanted to argue, but Helen quickly pulled her aside, handed Shawn a cup of water, and gently persuaded, ¡°Shawn, don¡¯t be angry. At this point, there¡¯s no point in ming anyone. You should think about how to solve the problem instead.¡± ¡°How can this problem be solved? Is there any other way?¡± Shawn said angrily. ¡°Do we buy it ourselves? It¡¯s not a small amount. If we can¡¯t handle this matter well for the Reilly family, all our previous efforts will be in vain Shawn said. Helen had an idea, ¡°You just reminded me. We can¡¯t afford to buy it, but we can sell it to someone else.¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°Who would buy it?¡± Helen smiled, leaned close to Shawn¡¯s ear, and whispered something. Shawn¡¯s face changed, and he hesitated, ¡°Can this work?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We need to give it a try. Do you really want to spend that much money to buy it back?¡± Helen said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go talk to Mr. Reilly about it.¡± Shawn said. Shawns oysters arrived that afternoon, and the quality was indeed excellent. Celeste didn¡¯t like seafood, let alone oysters. But Liam loved them. In the past, whenever there was something good, she would definitely save it for Liam. But now, who would face his indifference with enthusiasm? She put the oysters in the car and first took a box to the Reed¡¯s old house. Then she dragged the remaining box to Nics¡¯spany. Nics had helped her with this matter, and she didn¡¯t like to owe favors, especially to those rted to Liam. When she got to thepany¡¯s entrance, Celeste called Nics. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 At this time, in Nics¡¯s office, Liam was sitting on the couch drinking coffee. While Nics, who had lost a few games, looked resentfully at the calm man across from him, ¡°You don¡¯t want to go home after work, or the club that I invited you to. You say you¡¯re busy. Is your business just sitting here drinking coffee for an hour?¡± Liam nced at him indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t you have nothing better to do? Just keep ying your games.¡± Nics¡­ He squinted his eyes and tried to probe, ¡°Are you still fighting with Celeste?¡± Liam paused his movements, his expression unchanged. ¡°No.¡± As soon as he denied it, Nics was sure, ¡°It¡¯s been several days, isn¡¯t it a bit too much? If you¡¯re unhappy, go home and talk to your wife about it. Why are you venting your anger on your friends? You have a wife, but I¡¯m still single. Shouldn¡¯t I go out and look for my true love too?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Liam red at him, ¡°Find true love in a club?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? There are good girls in clubs too. Weren¡¯t you and Celeste meeting at a club when you first met?¡± Nics said. Liam frowned, ¡°Who told you we first met at a club?¡± Nics was taken aback. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t at a club, where else could it be?¡± He remembered it clearly. Five years ago, they celebrated Liam¡¯s birthday and forced him to go to a masquerade party in a club. Upstairs were people ying board games, and two girls went in by mistake. They were harassed by a few drunk guys. One guy punched one of the girls for ¡°not knowing better¡±. People from both sides argued fiercely, even to the point of calling the police. At first, they didn¡¯t want to get involved, but the guy was attending the party. If they called the police, Liam would have to go to the station and give a statement on his birthday. It would be pretty awkward. They went out to try to settle the matter. When they were outside, they saw a young girl with a ponytail, taking pictures of the guys with her phone, yelling. ¡°Try touching me again! I have you recorded now! Sexual harassment and physical conflicts, where¡¯s the justice?¡± She was bold but looked too young to be threatening, especially since she was so pretty, which stirred up the wicked thoughts of those guys who tried to touch her face. Nics didn¡¯t want to intervene, but Liam suddenly grabbed a ss and smashed it at the guy¡¯s feet. The loud noise made everyone shut up. The drunken guys knew Liam was angry, so they didn¡¯t dare to make a fuss. They apologized and paid some money, and the matter was finally settled. Nics didn¡¯t think much of it at the time. But after learning that Liam had married that same girl from the club, he couldn¡¯t help but think that the way Liam looked at that girl was not simple. He initially thought the club was their first time meeting each other, but he didn¡¯t expect Liam to say it wasn¡¯t their actual first meeting. So, where was their actual first rendezvous? Nics rubbed his chin, narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°At the nightclub encounter, Celeste was only 19 years old. So, if it was even earlier than that, does that mean she wasn¡¯t even legal yet when you first¡­.?¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 With a ponytail, a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers on her feet, she stood out next to the two gentlemen in suits. Before they went in, Nics told them, ¡°We¡¯ll enter separately. Once I¡¯m in, keep an eye on me from a nearby spot. If I give an ok sign when a girl chats me up, leave it be. If I don¡¯t like her, then I¡¯ll need Celeste toe and save me.¡± Celeste gave an ok sign, ¡°No problem.¡± As Nics entered the venue, she and Liam were left in the car, Celeste turned on the music, lowered her head, and yed with her phone, ignoring the person next to her. ¡°My grandma just texted me that you sent her a box of oysters.¡± His tone was a little heavy and even sounded a bit resentful. Celeste didn¡¯t notice his feelings and casually said, ¡°My dad gave me two boxes.¡± One went to Sienna, the other to Nics-none for Liam. Liam was a bit upset. It was just a box of oysters, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous. In the past, whenever she had something good, she¡¯d give it to him first. But now, even Nics got to enjoy her gifts!This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Stop worrying about useless stuff. Nics doesn¡¯t even like that kind of thing.¡± He said it quietly, but it felt a bit awkward, like he was using her. What he meant to say was that Nics couldn¡¯t tell the difference between good and bad stuff, and giving it to him would be a waste. But before he finished. Celesteughed, ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Reed, but I¡¯m not that clueless. I only gave him those to thank him for his help. Whether he likes them or not is up to him, and he can throw them away if he wants.¡± Celeste remembered a simr incident in the past. In the first year of her marriage to Liam, Liam had some friends over for his birthday. She was meeting his friends for the first time and was very nervous and eager to impress. She helped the housekeeper prepare a feast for everyone. Though Celeste¡¯s cooking was average, her desserts were delicious, and everyone praised them. Afterward, she made countless more desserts, divided them into portions, and packed them. She sent one to each person who attended the party. Liam was furious when he found out. He probably thought her actions were too ingratiating, or maybe he just hated her getting close to his circle without telling Him. At any rate, after that incident, Liam barely invited her to gatherings like that. He might have thought that she wasn¡¯t elegant enough and didn¡¯t belong in suchpany Little did Liam know that her gifts were just a way for her to learn about his likes and dislikes through his friends, so that she could mold herself into his ideal partner It turned out that if someone didn¡¯t like you, they wouldn¡¯t notice even if you were perfect. They would always find something bad with you. Liam was kinda pissed, she¡¯d rather give the stuff to Nics than keep it for him. ¡°Are you mad at me or what?¡± Liam asked. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 ¡°Nope, not at all,¡± Celeste said insincerely. ¡°Why would I be mad at you? That would make me seem petty, right? Mr. Reed, you got it all wrong.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mr. Reed! It makes me feel ufortable.¡± Celeste kept calling him Mr. Reed, which sounded like mockery to Liam and made him unhappy. ¡°So what should I call you?¡± Celeste seemed to think seriously for a moment, then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick one?¡± Liam red at this pretentious woman, feeling very annoyed. ¡°What did you call me before?¡± Celeste paused for a moment. She used to call him ¡°darling.¡± Ever since the first time she called Liam darling, he never refused, so she kept calling him that both in public and private. When did she stop calling him that? She couldn¡¯t remember, probably after realizing that no matter how hard she tried, Liam would never like her. ¡°It¡¯s just a form of address. If Mr. Reed likes the previous one, I¡¯ll just continue with that.¡± Liam gave her a nce and said indifferently, ¡°Stick to the old one.¡± Celeste¡­ She wanted to deliberately make things difficult for Liam, but he didn¡¯t act as expected. Seeing that she didn¡¯t speak for a while, Liam looked up at her, ¡°Well?¡± Celeste pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Reed, given our current rtionship, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for me to address you like that?¡± It seemed that Liam was waiting for her to say that, and he immediately used her previous words to question her, ¡°It¡¯s just a form of address, I like the previous one, there¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it.¡± Damn it! Of course, she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat, so she teased him, ¡°Mr. Reed is really weird. When I used to call you that, you were very annoyed, but now that we¡¯re getting divorced, you insist on me address you like that. Do you think forcing things is better?¡± Liam looked at her indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s better or not, why don¡¯t you try calling me that?¡± She suddenly felt like she was being flirted with, but Liam¡¯s expression was very serious, so she thought she might have misunderstood. Blushing, she said unhappily. ¡°Boring¡± Then she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car first. Liam stared at her back for a few seconds before leisurely getting out of the car. As they entered the venue, an attendant handed Celeste a rose, which was a unique token for women at this party tonight. If a girl met a boy she liked, she can give the rose to him. If the boy epted it, it meant he also had feelings for the girl. Simrly, if a boy had feelings for a girl, he can directly ask if she can give him the rose. If the girl agreed, it meant they both have feelings for each other. This was the first time Celeste had seen such a party, and she thought it was interesting. When she was in school, many people would attend parties, but some actually nned to confess their feelings in the process. If the two people liked each other, it was fine, but if one party wasn¡¯t interested, confessing in public felt a bit forced. Girls often have limited initiative and may even be subject to being scrutinized and judged by some men The bar wasrge, and it took Celeste a while to spot Nics sitting at the bar, flirting with a girl with a great figure.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 This guy had spent a lot of time getting dressed in the car, and now he looked quite decent. The girl seemed very interested in him, sitting next to him and chatting. Celeste found a seat nearby, ready to ¡°save him at any time. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Two or three hundred thousand dors to help him chase away those bad women was worth it. As soon as Celeste sat down, Liam followed and sat across from her. In addition, as soon as he sat down, Celeste noticed that the girls at the table behind them kept looking over. Celeste snorted disdainfully, it was just a good-looking guy, what was the big deal? A waiter came over and asked her what she wanted to drink. Since she had to driveter, Celeste asked for juice. The waiter said, ¡°Miss, if you buy drinks in our store and spend up to 188, we will give you an extra rose¡± Celeste asked in confusion, ¡°What do I need so many roses for?¡± The waiter asked, ¡°Is this your first time attending our singles party?¡± Celeste nodded. The waiter enthusiastically exined, ¡°The more roses you have, the more people you can give them to. After all, it¡¯s hard to get to know each other in one night, so the more people you interact with, the higher your chances of sess. Of course, men can also get roses by buying drinks and giving them to the girls they fancy. The girl who gets the most roses can be our store¡¯s supreme member for a year.¡± Celeste was dumbfounded. She had thought that this method was innovative, but it turned out to be just an alternative promotion for the bar. And by talking about increasing sess rates, wasn¡¯t this encouraging everyone to find several partners and include all potential targets, was this really a decent party? She asked in a low voice, ¡°What are the benefits of being your store¡¯s supreme member?¡± The waiter replied, ¡°30% off on drinks, and a fruit tter will be provided once the minimum consumption is reached.¡± Celeste thought to herself, the owner of this bar must be a business genius, trying every means to make money! She asked again, ¡°Does your store often hold singles parties like this?¡± Liam, who had been listening on the side, couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Why are you asking so many details? You¡¯re married, behave yourself?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I ask?¡± Celeste red at him. The waiter replied, ¡°Every month. You can add my WhatsAppter, and I¡¯ll add you to the group. All event notifications will be posted in the group.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Celeste nodded, then asked curiously, ¡°How many roses did the girl who received the most roses last month get?¡± ¡°Over five hundred¡± Two hundred for one rose, five hundred roses, almost equal to a hundred thousand in drink consumption. And that was just for the girl who received the most roses. With so many people attending, the total revenue for the bar that day could reach hundreds of thousands ¡°Miss, would you like to order drinks?¡± Tll decideter, please bring me a ss of juice for now¡± The enthusiasm on the waiter¡¯s face visibly diminished. ¡°Which kind of juice would you like? It seemed that they made more profit selling drinks, so talking to Celeste, who was unwilling to buy alcohol, was a waste of time. Celeste didn¡¯t really care about the other person¡¯s attitude, and said softly. ¡°Get me a lemonade¡± The waiter took note of her order, said, ¡°Just a sec, and then turned back to Liam with a smile, ¡°Sir, what kinda booze do you want?¡± Liar just raised an eyebrow, ¡°Same as her¡± Then waiter was speecidess Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 After the waiter left, Celeste pulled out her phone and quickly started tapping on it. Liam nced over and saw that she was using a calctor, puzzled, he asked, ¡°What are you calcting?¡± Celeste widened her eyes, still focused on the screen, I¡¯m trying to figure out how much money a bar like this can make in a month.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t quite understand this woman¡¯s train of thought, always feeling like her mind was filled with unconventional ideas. Is there a peak and off-season for bars? Celeste looked up and asked him. ¡°Of course,¡± Liam replied, ¡°Winter is the off-season, with many people going home around Christmas, so there are fewer customers. Summer is the peak season, people like to go out at night, and with the hot weather, bars be a popr ce to cool down. Spring doesn¡¯t have as many customers as summer, but there are still many other holidays, so the revenue is pretty good.¡± Celeste seemed very interested, ¡°ording to this calction, the profit in a year could reach around a million.¡± ¡°More or less¡± Liam paused, ¡°Why are you suddenly calcting this?¡± ¡°I was thinking, what about opening a bar around here?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Not so good, I guess you¡¯ll lose money and close down before you even make any.¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re such a buzzkill! So many bars are making a fortune now!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Liam helplessly curved his lips, ¡°This bar took four years to be profitable, with the first four years all about investing money. Bar business isn¡¯t that easy, this ce is too far from the city center, and the security in this area isn¡¯t that great either. Customerse from all over the social spectrum, and a little carelessness could lead to closing down due to certain incidents.¡± Celeste suddenly stopped, ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Liam casually said, ¡°This bar is owned by the Reed family.¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth dropped open¡­ Seeing Celeste¡¯s surprised expression, Liam added, ¡°It¡¯s under my management now Celeste was stunned¡­ So the one who came up with this weird marketing strategy was Liam! She thought, this ruthless boss of J City was really something! As they were chatting, a girl with roses walked up to their table. ¡°Handsome, can I sit next to you?¡± This girl had just been sitting at the table behind them. She had a sweet face, blonde hair, long and straight legs under her shorts, a beautiful waistline, and a white tank top that covered her chest just right, which was very ample. Celeste nced at herself and felt a little down, thinking, why were kids growing so well nowadays? However, Liam didn¡¯t even look at the girl and said indifferently, ¡°As you wish.¡± The girl pulled out a chair and sat down, supporting her chin with one hand and tilting her head, unabashedly sizing up Liam. ¡°Sir, did youe here after work? It¡¯s rare for men to wear suits here.¡± Her voice was sweet and pleasant, and even Celeste felt like she was about to be intoxicated. But Liam was unmoved, even a bit disdainful, ¡°Is there a rule against wearing suits?¡± The girl smiled and said, ¡°Of course not. Suits can expose the weaknesses of one¡¯s figure, but you look great in a suit. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you when you came in Celeste thought, ¡°This girl really knows how to talk.¡± Liarn replied, ¡°I¡¯m just here with a friend¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 He didn¡¯te here on purpose, so he didn¡¯t dress up specially. The girl nodded and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s your first time here?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything. The girl gently smiled, put the rose in Liam¡¯s chest pocket, and hooked her lips, ¡°Let me show you around, then.¡± Celeste looked at the rose, stunned for a few seconds. Just as Liam looked over, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to check her phone. Liam¡¯s gaze seemed to linger on her for a few seconds, and then Celeste heard him say, ¡°You¡¯re very familiar with this ce?¡± The girl said, ¡°I¡¯m a regr here. There¡¯s a dance floor over there and a game room. I¡¯ll show you.¡± Liam was silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. By the time she looked up, Liam had already disappeared into the crowd with the girl. The girl was very pretty, her features somewhat simr to Sydney, so she was Liam¡¯s type. He had no reason to refuse. Celeste suddenly felt a little sad. She and Liam were bound to divorce sooner orter, and he was bound to be with other women sooner orter. Hadn¡¯t she been prepared for this? Why was she so ufortable seeing him not refusing other women? The so-called letting go and being free was all just talk. Only she knew how hard it was to let go of her feelings. Nics seemed to be having a great time with the girl next to him, so Celeste figured he didn¡¯t need her help. She lowered her head and used a straw to pick at the uncleaned seeds on the lemon slice, but her mind was on Liam, One moment she was wondering what he was doing with the girl, the next she was thinking: Liam likes Sydney, right? He shouldn¡¯t do anything with the girl But Liam liked Sydney, and he still married her and slept with her, right? Men and women were different; men canpletely separate sex and love. Even if he liked Sydney, it didn¡¯t prevent him from sleeping with other women As she was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was an unknown number, Celeste hung up. Just as she hung up, the other party called again. Celeste had no choice but to take her phone outside to answer it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, ¡°Mr. Miller?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zach didn¡¯t bother with small talk and went straight to the point, ¡°Are you free tomorrow morning? Come and audition for a role.¡± The suddenness of it all left Celeste¡¯s mind nk for a moment, and she blurted out, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already sign another actor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a different role. Are youing?¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Afraid he would refuse, Celeste agreed very quickly ¡°The role does not have many scenes, and the pay is low, probably less than what you¡¯d make dubbing a show. Are you sure?¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, and Zach frowned, thinking she would refuse But then he heard her say, ¡®Is catering provided?¡± Zach said, ¡°You¡¯re on your own for breakfast, but lunch and dinner are provided. If there¡¯s any night shooting, we¡¯ll throw in somete-night snacks too¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem at all. She didn¡¯t have an assistant, so if meals weren¡¯t provided, it might be a bit of a hassle for her to sort it out on set. ¡°Come for a rehearsal tomorrow, then. I¡¯ll send you the time and address in a bit. This is my number, please save it.¡± After hanging up, Celeste felt a bit incredulous. Back at the bar, Liam still hadn¡¯t returned, and Nics was nowhere to be seen. When the waiter came to take away the sses, she downed the remaining half ss of water and then called Nics. But Nics¡¯ phone was switched off! Maybe it was because the bar was too noisy, but she felt a bit dizzy, with blood rushing to her head and her cheeks getting hot. The scene in front of her started to sway She quickly sensed that something was off, so she got up and headed out with her phone, dialing Liam¡¯s number as she went. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Celeste heard a faint voice, it seemed far away and a little hazy, almost unreal. ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled, trying to reach for her phone, but as she took a step, her legs went soft, and she couldn¡¯t stand anymore. Someone caught her waist and pulled her into their arms. The stranger¡¯s scent made her internal rms go off. She tried to break free, but she was so weak, her struggle looked more like a yful game. They dragged her out of the bar. A waiter noticed something was off and asked if they needed help. Celeste wanted to scream for help, but a hand suddenly tightened around her neck, cutting off her breath. She couldn¡¯t make a sound. ¡°We¡¯re fine. She¡¯s just my girlfriend having a bit too much to drink, and we¡¯re having a little argument, one guy exined, while the other muttered, ¡°You two fought, and I had toe with you to find her at the bar. Let¡¯s hurry, I have stuff to doter!¡± ¡°Give them a call and say we found her, tell them to go home.¡± Seeing the two men chatting naturally, the waiter didn¡¯t ask any more questions. After all, this kind of thing wasmon in bars. Once the waiter left, one of the guys ced a coat over Celeste¡¯s head. They dragged her out of the bar. The hand gripping her neck finally loosened, and Celeste gasped for air. ¡°Phew, that was close!¡± one of them said as they left the bar. ¡°This new drug works so well, it kicked in so fast!¡± ¡°Enough talking, call a cab.¡± ¡°The cab is already on its way. I¡¯ll go buy some fun stuff,¡± he smirked disgustingly, ¡°Tonight, she¡¯s gonna enjoy it.¡±. ¡°Get me a few of those pills too. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait to get a taste of her inside earlier, could you?¡± They exchanged vulgar words, and Celeste¡¯s face turned pale. Her mind was clear, and she could hear their conversation. She was sure she had been drugged, probably from the half ss of lemon water she had when she got back on the phone. They must have slipped it in when she left. She never thought something from a legal drama would happen to her. These two were definitely not new to this, their teamwork was seamless. If she fell into their hands, her fate would be grim. She couldn¡¯t just wait for the worst! To stay awake, Celeste bit her lip hard. The pain mixed with the taste of blood helped her stay alert. She quietly gathered her strength and bit the arm of the guy who was on the phone with the taxi driver. He let go in pain, and Celeste stumbled and fell. She couldn¡¯t feel any pain. She struggled to stand and started to run. ¡°You bitch,¡± the man chased after her, grabbed her hair, and dragged her back. Celeste fought back, quickly attracting the attention of passersby. The man hugged her waist and smiled, ¡°Baby, I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s go home, okay? From now on, I¡¯ll listen to you, alright?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Celeste tried to scream, but her voice was weak and quickly drowned out by the man¡¯s voice, ¡°Baby, don¡¯t say such things even if you¡¯re angry. It¡¯s just a bag. I¡¯ll buy it for you, okay?¡± He turned to the crowd, ¡°Really, this is my wife. We got marriedst year, and I have our marriage certificate on my phone.¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Sure enough, he pulled out a photo of their marriage certificate, and the woman in the photo really was Celeste With this undeniable evidence, the crowd¡¯s suspicions vanished. After all, it was a family matter, and they shouldn¡¯t interfere Celeste was terrified, ¡°No, he¡¯s not my husband, my husband is Before she could finish, the man covered her mouth, ¡°Baby, stop it, okay? His palm seemed to have some drug on it, and it gave off a strange scent. Once Celeste smelled it, her head became heavy and her struggle weskered The man held her close and apologized to the onlookers, ¡°Sorry for the scene¡± But a girl in the crowd felt something was off. Thedy seerns disoriented. We should wait until she¡¯s sober to decide, or we can the police¡± The mention of the police made the maris eyes sh with anger, ¡°What do you mean? Would I hurt my wife? Do you want us to beughed at in the police station?¡± ¡°Going to the police station is not a big deal She is your wife, but she also has human rights. The girl tried to argue, but her friends worried the man would react violently and urged her to back off ¡°Human rights? It¡¯s all because of you college students stirring up gender conflict. My wife is influenced by you and always fights with mer The man spoke aggressively, clearly not giving up easily The girls face turned red with anger Just as everyone thought it was just a family dispute and was about to leave, a man pushed through the crowd, grabbed the guy by the neck, and pushed him away He quickly held Celeste in his arms. ¡°Who are you? Let go of my wife the man shouted angrily At this moment, Celeste, feeling groggy, tried hard to open her eyes and barely saw Liam¡¯s outline. She felt sad and tears streamed down uncontrobly Her tears seemed to roll into Liam¡¯s heart, making him feel heartbroken. He tightly shut his mouth, wiped away the tears from her eyes, and turned to the girl who had just spoken, saying, ¡°Please take care of her for me.¡± Tm talking to you¡± the man shouted, trying to grab Liarr¡¯s cor, but his wrist was twisted before he could touch him. Nics showed a sinister smile, Tve been waiting for you for so many days, and finally found you, you bastard. How dare you act recklessly on my turf Who gave you the courage?¡± The man looked panicked and stared wide-eyed, but he still tried to hold on, ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Let go of me, or I¡¯ll call the police-¡± Before he could finish speaking, his hand was twisted behind his back, and he let out a scream of pain. ¡°Let him go.¡± Celeste heard Liam¡¯s voice, feeling a bit dazed. Celeste tried to open her eyes to see Liam, but the drug¡¯s effect was too powerful. She could only keep them open for a few seconds before sumbing to unconsciousness. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Before she lost consciousness, she seemed to hear Liam say something really important. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 When Celeste woke up again, she found herself in the hospital. Trisha was dozing off by her bedside. She tried to move and realized that there was a needle in her arm, and the medicine from the IV was dripping into her body. ¡°Hey¡­¡± As soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she found her throat dry and sore, and she couldn¡¯t help but cough a few times. Trisha woke up in a panic and asked anxiously, ¡°Letti, you¡¯re finally awake! You scared the crap out of me. What happened? How did you suddenly pass out?¡± It seemed that Trisha didn¡¯t know what happenedst night. Celeste didn¡¯t have time to exin and hurriedly asked her, ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Liam. Last night, a so-called Mr. Francis called me and said that you had fainted and were in the hospital. He told me toe over right away.¡± Nics called? Then where was Liam? Celeste closed her eyes, her head throbbing with pain. She vaguely remembered seeing Liam before she passed out, but that was all she could recall. He was there, but where was he now? ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± ¡°Right here.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Trisha handed her the phone. ¡°The screen is cracked. I haven¡¯t tried turning it on yet, not sure if it still works.¡± Celeste looked at it, and indeed, the screen was shattered. Probably broken during the scuffle with the bad guysst night. She pressed the power button, and thankfully, only the screen was damaged, and the disy was normal. After turning on the phone, there was a text message from Zach, asking her toe to his studio at 9:30 this morning for an audition. Celeste pursed her lips and checked WhatsApp. The unread messages were all from various groups, and none were from Liam. She clenched her phone, a sense of loss welling up in her heart. Her finger lingered on Liam¡¯s number for a long time before swiping open the dialing interface and looking up at Trisha, ¡°Can you drive?¡± Trisha nodded. ¡°Take me to a ce.¡± Trisha asked in surprise, ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± On the way, Trisha found out that Celeste was going to Zach¡¯s for an audition and got super excited. But when she heard it was just a minor role, she was a bit disappointed, ¡°With your face, if you y a supporting role, the audience will wonder if the director is blind.¡± Celesteughed, ¡°As long as I can act, I¡¯m happy with even a small role. Only by taking the first step can you take the second and the third¡­ ¡°I think your attitude has be much more positive now. A couple of years ago, when I encouraged you to act, you always had many concerns and thought you were not capable. You were afraid of not being able to speak in front of the camera, and worried that the Reed family would not agree, or that you would I argue with Liam about it. You were also worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to do your best and be aughing stock. When I advised you to continue being a housewife, you were worried about being out of touch with society for too long, not being able to keep up with Liam, and drifting further away from him. Just now, listening to you, have you stopped worrying about all these things?¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Celeste said, feeling down, ¡°What¡¯s the use of worrying? Nothing will change because of my worries. They won¡¯t make me better, but only make me sink deeper. Every time someone jokingly says that my marriage is good, I feel really upset. I know most of these words are just jokes, and they just think I¡¯m lucky. I was lucky to enter the Reed family, but luck is not eternal. If one day I fall, there will be even more peopleughing at me. Now, I¡¯m trying to climb up by holding on to whatever I can, just so I won¡¯t be too pathetic when I leave. I also want him to understand that my willingness to let him support me is not because I can only rely on him for support. There was no need to say who ¡°he¡± was. As a single person, Trisha naturally couldn¡¯t fully understand the thoughts of someone like Celeste who had fallen in love. But seeing her best friend regain her confidence and optimism made her happy. The car soon arrived at the destination. At first, Celeste thought she had the wrong address. The so- called studio didn¡¯t even have a sign. It was just a ss sliding door with half a letter missing. Trisha whispered to her, ¡°Did Zach get scammed by thepany? Why is the studio so shabby?¡± It wasn¡¯t actually shabby, butpared to Zach¡¯s fame, the studio indeed seemed a bit too simple. As they entered, there was no receptionist at the door. The studio was quiterge but seemed to have few people. Celeste stopped someone and asked, ¡°Excuse me, is Director Zach here?¡± The person looked her up and down with a pair of sses and asked, ¡°He¡¯s not here. What do you want with him?¡± ¡°Mr. Miller called me for an audition. We agreed on 9:30¡± ¡°An audition?¡± The person frowned, ¡°For what? I never heard him say anything about it.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Mr. Miller contacted mest night. He might not have had time to tell you.¡± ¡°Then which role are you auditioning for?¡± ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± The person immediately denied, ¡°All the roles for Phoenix Fire have been confirmed. How could he let youe for an audition? Your face is very unique, and I haven¡¯t seen you before. Which investor introduced you?¡± I¡¯m a neer. I¡¯ve attended auditions before, so you might not have seen me,¡± Celeste exined patiently. ¡°Who did you audition for before?¡± ¡°The wealthydy.¡± The person hesitated, looked at Celeste again, and said, ¡°Zach never gives second chances. How did you, a newbie, manage this?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Maybe Mr. Miller¡¯s and I have a special kind ofpatibility.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The person snorted, ¡°Your face is too beautiful. You should consider acting in idol dramas, and you might make a fortune.¡± Before Celeste could reply, Trisha couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Look at yourself, mocking others for being beautiful. Are you allergic to beauty?¡± The woman was speechless for a moment, then pointed at Trisha and said, ¡°You are so rude!¡± ¡°You were being rude first!¡± Trisha was super pissed, and Celeste couldn¡¯t hold her back. ¡°We just came to ask for directions. If you wanna tell us, cool; if not, then shut up! Just because someone¡¯s pretty doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ve had stic surgery or got to where they are by using dirty tricks!¡± The woman clearly wasn¡¯t as good with words as Trisha and was immediately so angry that her face turned red. She pointed at the door and said shakily, ¡°Get out! I won¡¯t talk to someone rude like you!¡± Themotion quickly caught the attention of Zach, who was in the office. He came out and frowned upon seeing the scene. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you guys arguing?¡± The woman immediately ran to tell Zach, ¡°Mr. Miller, where did you find these people? They¡¯re so rude! I just asked a couple of extra questions, and she started cursing at me! I¡¯ve worked with so many actors, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone as arrogant as her!¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Thisdy really knows how to twist things! Trisha was about to speak up, but Celeste stopped her. ¡°Mr. Miller, thisdy just told us you weren¡¯t here, I thought you forgot about today¡¯s audition.¡± The woman¡¯s face darkened, and she quickly defended herself, ¡°Mr. Miller, when did you get here? I asked the others, and they said you weren¡¯t around.¡± Zach¡¯s gaze swept over the three of them before saying lightly. ¡°Follow me.¡± Zach led them to a slightlyrger office-like space, then took the woman who had just argued with them away, asking Celeste and the others to wait for a moment. As soon as the two left, Trisha started checking her phone. Celeste saw her scrolling through Instagram and whispered, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Trisha replied, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen that woman before, but I can¡¯t remember where. I¡¯m trying to find a group photo they posted:¡± As soon as she said that, she found it. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Lorinda¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°That name sounds familiar. The crappy TV show you did voiceover work for, Mystery Lover, was directed by her. She¡¯s known for making terrible TV shows and loves stirring up drama! She¡¯s famous for making idol dramas but always says she looks down on them. What a joke!¡± With that, Celeste remembered seeing Lorinda¡¯s name in several TV shows, ¡°Why is she here with Zach?¡± I¡¯m not sure. There are rumors that Lorinda¡¯s husband is very powerful. Early on, her shows were crappy, but she always managed to secure funding. Then she bought a few popr shows and hired famous stars, making a lot of money. She¡¯s been on a roll these past few years. Ugh, I kind of regret arguing with her just now. What if she makes things difficult for you?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste was surprisingly calm, ¡°What will be will be. If she really wants to make things difficult for me, it¡¯ll happen sooner orter, whether you argued with her or not. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± Trisha was still worried, but then she thought that no matter how powerful Lorinda¡¯s husband was, he couldn¡¯t be more powerful than the Reed family of J City, right? Liam wouldn¡¯t just stand by and let his wife be bullied, would he? With that thought, she felt relieved. After about ten minutes, Zach, Lorinda, and three others walked in. A younger man handed Celeste a few sheets of paper. Zach said, ¡°You have five minutes to look over the script, and then we¡¯ll begin.¡± Celeste was taken aback when she saw the script because it was for the queen¡¯s lines. The queen was the biggest antagonist in the y, and a very famous senior actress had already been chosen to y the role. Why was Zach giving her the queen¡¯s lines? Celeste looked up to see several people either ying on their phones or whispering to each other. In the end, she suppressed her doubts and quickly memorized the lines. When the time was up, she told Zach, ¡°I¡¯m ready¡± Zach gestured to the man who had handed her the script, and he immediately understood, starting to narrate. This scene was after one of the king¡¯s lovers had fallen out of favor. The queen, in order to gain custody of the prince, deliberately arranged for the prince to fall into ake. Then, she jumped into the freezing water on a cold winter night to save him, so that the king would eliminate all doubts and entrust the prince to her care Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 The challenge of this scene was that the queen still appeared gentle and well-mannered in front of everyone. She couldn¡¯t be too exaggerated in her performance, or her true identity would be revealed too soon. At the same time, she needed to leave subtle hints for the audience to feel a sense of horror when her true intentions wereter revealed The queen was one of the most brilliant characters in the y. On one hand, she endured the pain of sharing her husband with other women. On the other hand, she had to show the grace of a queen, not losing herposure even when facing the pain of losing a child. Always mindful of her duty as a mother to the kingdom, the queen numbed herself with the king¡¯s emotionless love, carefully restraining her own feelings. However, when she discovered that the king had fallen in love with the heroine, her long-held beliefs crumbled, and hatred born from betrayal surged in her heart. This love-hate rtionship was the greatest charm of the character Celeste took a deep breath and instantly got into character. As soon as she began, those who had been ying with their phones suddenly stopped and looked at her Celeste waspletely immersed in the role. Her every move was so natural that, even without props, you could tell what she was doing Her lines were clear and her emotions were just right. Particrly in the details, her smile while coaxing the prince to sleep was increasingly chilling. However, until knowing she was the antagonist, her smile seemed perfectly normal. After her performance, the room was silent Zach said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear your thoughts.¡± Everyone exchanged nces before letting the assistant director share his opinion. The assistant director said, ¡°Her performance was not bad, but the actress might be a bit too young to handle such a role¡± Zach rested his thumb on his chin, deep in thought This was indeed a practical concern. The original choice for the queen was a 30-something actress with a mature and experienced demeanor, making people feel she has a lot of stories to tell. Celeste, on the other hand, was too beautiful. Wherever she stood, people always noticed her face first. This was an advantage for an actress but also a fatal w Her stunning appearance could inadvertently make the audience overlook her acting skills. A teacher oncemented on Celeste¡¯s looks, saying that her beauty might make her famous, but it could also limit her development. Celeste had always been unwilling to ept this. In college, while others were busy dating, she was busy taking care of her mother and studying. However, she married Liam before she had a chance to prove herself Now that this issue was brought up again, Celeste seemed very calm. After a moment of silence, Zach asked, ¡°When you heard her lines just now, did you think she was too young?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Everyone was at a loss for words. Celeste¡¯s lines were nearly wless, from pronunciation and intonation to the handling of emotional intensity. She even showed greater depth in the details than the original actress. But obviously, Celeste wasn¡¯t the ideal candidate in these people¡¯s minds. Someone said, ¡°I just checked her resume, and there¡¯s no work experience at all. It¡¯s a bit risky to let a newbie with no experience y such an important role, isn¡¯t it?¡± At this point, Lorinda also chimed in, ¡°Mr. Miller, this role is almost as important as the female lead. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite right to have someone so green y this crucial role.¡± Zach nced at her and asked, ¡°So do you have a better suggestion?¡± Lorinda immediately replied, ¡°Sydney. We¡¯ve worked together before, and she¡¯s got decent acting chops, plus a decent fan base. She¡¯s also really interested in the role. Maybe we could give her a shot?¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Celeste was surprised as there were umors before that Sydney was the protagonist of the show Wasn¡¯t she? Trisha was also confused, as she heard the news in her work chat group where many people forwarded it, saying Sydney was going to act in Zach¡¯s show With such big fuss and yet nothing gained, it must have been that woman¡¯s self-directed performance First, created some hype and when it turned out she was not among the confirmed cast, fans would me the show¡¯s producers and brought her What a great strategy! bor hearing the rmendation from Lords, Zach pursed his lps. Tve seen her act¡± Lorna¡¯s heart leaped with What do y hink? if it¡¯s okay, I can contact her now toe for an audition¡± Zach sad indifferentia Just as Lorinda thought Zach was praising Sydney, she heard him continue. No emotion at all. She can cry so miserably, but her eyes don¡¯t even turn red At this port n if Lorinda was slow she knew Zach was being sarcastic. Her face turned awkward and another assistant director stepped in to mediate. It¡¯s teen dramas, mainly for fans to watch. Maybe she didn¡¯t take it seriously in Zach raised an eyebrow. She can make money off her fans by making low-quality dramas to please them?¡± was refuted and awkwardlyughed, not saying anything more Zach hat always been known for his straightforwardness in the industry, but his shows were indeed good, so many people were willing to work with him Zach represented quality assurance, and his shows had never failed to be famous Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Eur Londa waspletely different. Her shows focused on the capital market, casting whoever was more famous, investing heavily in marketing during the popr period and manly making money from fans People were always like the pursun fame after making enough money. On a well-known domestic website the highest rating of her shows was not more than five stars. The TV dramas in which Lorinda appeared have an average rating of around 3.5 even if they were idol dramas. In terms of quality, her dramas were considered the worst Thereforeo gave her a nickname the queen of poor-quality dramas Londa was eager to get rid of the She thought that on Her husband had invested a lot of money in this show and got her the position of assistant director. + crew, everyone would give her some leeway, and she could still have a lot of power in the crew like before. But she don¡¯t expect to meet Zach, who didn¡¯t care about any of this. All her suggestions were directly rejected, and now he was making her mbarassed in front of so many people Lorinda hated hum She held back ter hurt feelings and said ¡°Since Mr Miller has already made up your mind, why did you even need us here?¡± cusing Zach of being arbitrary Zach nced at 1 ¡°if i didn¡¯t ask youe over how could I make sure no one would use their power to secretly change my candidate?¡± Everyone looked at each other and Londa¡¯s face turned a little gloomy. She closed her mouth and didn¡¯t say anything more Zach said and then asked the concerned Trisha ¡®Are you her agent? Whichpany do you belong to ¡°¡± Trata reples. Im from Bonar Group and I¡¯m currently her temporary agent¡± Temporary? Celeste exined. ¡± havent signed Zach agency yet! i a bit surprised but thought about her being Kendricks colleague and could somewhat understand her situation, Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 ¡°Then find yourself an assistant. You¡¯ll need someone to help you on set, so don¡¯t let that affect the shooting.¡± Celeste was emotionally excited, but she kept her cool and answered softly, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Lorinda didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore and left angrily while Celeste was looking at the contract. The other people chatted with Zach for a while and then left one after another. Soon, only Celeste, Zach, and his assistant were left in the conference room. The contract was actually a standard industry temte, with just two additional uses in the obligations of Party B. One was to re-register on Twitter during the contract period to cooperate with the show¡¯s promotion, and the other was not to engage in other industries during the promotional period. These two uses were clearly targeting her previous profession.. Celestial Haze was herst trump card, which could not be exposed too early. Celeste had no objections. In fact, she hadn¡¯t taken any voice acting jobs for almost half a year before this.. Just as Celeste was about to sign, Trisha pulled her aside and whispered, ¡°Letti, isn¡¯t the sry too low?¡± The pay in the contract was based on the entire show, with a pre-tax amount of 200,000 for 120 days of shooting. This role had quite a lot of screen time and was indeed too low by market standards. After deducting taxes, plus hiring an assistant, necessary expenses for the crew, and spending on promotion, Celeste probably wouldn¡¯t make much money after shooting this show. Celeste also whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s work with him first. Plus, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re making a lifetime of money from this one job. What if this show makes me famous? Won¡¯t I have more opportunitiester?¡± Zach was sipping his coffee, and were they acting like he couldn¡¯t hear them? This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The conference room had sound focusing, and there were only four people in the room. Even if their voices were small, he could still hear them. Trisha thought about it and found it very reasonable, so they quickly signed the contract. Celeste sighed in relief and extended her hand to Zach, ¡°Mr. Miller, I look forward to working with you.¡± Zach shook her hand and said lightly, ¡°We¡¯re colleagues now, no need to be so polite.¡± Celeste really needed to change her habit ofining about others! The assistant took the contract and handed her theplete script. ¡°When you have free time at home, you¡¯d better read the entire script. This role is very important to the whole show. If you mess up, don¡¯t me me for being blunt.¡± Celeste nodded. In her heart, she thought, who could be more straightforward than Liam? After leaving the office building. Trisha excitedly said she wanted to buy a lottery ticket. She thought Celeste¡¯s luck was excellent since she wasn¡¯t supposed to be in this show but now got the opportunity and even a more important role. She wanted to try her luck by buying a lottery ticket, maybe she could win big Celeste was also very happy, so she apanied Trisha to buy a lottery ticket. While they were picking numbers, Celeste¡¯s phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was Nics calling. Celeste told Trisha she had a call and stepped aside to answer it. ¡°Celeste, where were you this morning?¡± Nics asked. ¡°I was out running some errands, Celeste replied, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing much with me, but Liam¡¯s in big trouble. If you don¡¯t get over here, you might not see him again, Nics said. Even though she knew Nics was joking, Celeste still felt a bit anxious. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Literally what I said, Nics exined. ¡°Last night, Liam got beaten up by some bad guys, and now he¡¯s lying in the ICU. The doctor said it¡¯s pretty serious.¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°Stop talking nonsense, let him answer the phone¡± ¡°Would I lie to you? If you don¡¯t believe me, call him. He¡¯s unconscious right now, how can he answer? Those two guysst night were crazy, holding knives and being unstoppable! If the police hadn¡¯t arrived in time, he¡¯d be dead! I¡¯ve never seen such a bloody scene¡± Celeste started to panic, because she had passed outst night and had no idea what happened. But when she woke up in the morning, she had indeed noticed a few brownish-red spots on her sleeve, which she had thought were coffee stains. Could it be blood? ¡°You¡¯d better get over here, I¡¯m really worried that he can¡¯t make it.¡± The call ended at that point When Celeste tried calling back, the line was busy And Liam¡¯s phone was still off She felt her heart tighten. Trisha called her from inside the store. Celeste snapped out of it, went in to pay, and turned to Trisha, ¡°Something happened at home, I need to go back. You take your time, we¡¯ll talkter¡± Seeing how pale Celeste looked, Trisha quickly asked, ¡°What happened? Is it serious? Do you need me to go with you?¡± Celeste waved her off, I¡¯ll tell youter¡± After that, she hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital. Her phone rang again on the way. Thinking it was Nics, she checked, but it was Shawn, which immediately made her frown. Her patience was already running thin, so she put her phone on silent and ignored the constant vibrating. When she arrived at the hospital, she ran into Skyler and Kaylee Reed, as well as Shawn from the Campbell family. Before Celeste could figure out why these three were at the hospital together, Kaylee rushed up, demanding. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother? How¡¯s my brother?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just got here¡± At this, Kaylee got angry. ¡°What? Was my brother alone in the hospitalst night? Where did you go? How did he get hurt? He didn¡¯te home all night, and you didn¡¯t even bother to call and ask? When the Campbell family needs his help, you remember him, but now that he¡¯s in trouble, where are you?¡± Upon hearing this, Shawn felt ufortable, ¡°What do you mean? Liam is my son-inw. How could I not care about him when I gave my daughter to him?¡± ¡°Care?¡± Kaylee sneered, ¡°You must be hoping something bad happens to him, right? So your daughter could inherit his property. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. If anything happens to him, you can forget about getting a dime from the Reed family!¡± Shawn was furious, but seeing Skyler not saying anything, he had to grit his teeth and say, ¡°Madam, now is not the time for me. The most important thing is Liam¡¯s condition.¡± Skyler shot him a cold re, then turned to Kaylee, ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s go see your brother first.¡± So they all took the elevator to the seventh floor and went to room 709. Just as they were about to push open the door, the nurse on duty stopped them. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Celeste said. ¡°We¡¯re the family of the patient in room 709. Is he getting better?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the family? The nurse looked them over and said indifferently. ¡°You¡¯rete. He¡¯s gone.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Celeste¡¯s heart tightened, ¡®Gone what do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead, probably about 10 minutes ago. If you¡¯d been a littleter, he¡¯d have been sent straight to the morgue.¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 As the door opened, therey a stiff body on the bed, a white sheet covering its head. The room was full of the smell of disinfectant, making people feel suffocated. Skyler¡¯s face turned pale, and Kaylee shook her head in disbelief, ¡°No way, my brother couldn¡¯t have an ident¡­¡± Standing still, Celeste unconsciously stepped back. Shawn suddenly pushed her from behind, causing her to fall forward to her knees, her wrist hitting the bed railing. The intense pain made her cry out, and tears instantly filled her eyes. Shawn looked sad, ¡°How could such a healthy person just die like that?¡± Celeste¡¯s knees hurt, her wrist hurt, and the thought of the body under the white sheet made her burst into tears. At that moment, a familiar voice sounded at the door, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Celeste¡¯s body tensed, and she slowly turned her head. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Liam, his arm in a sling and wearing a patient gown, stood expressionlessly at the door, with a shocked Nics beside him. Celeste¡­. ¡°Bro¡± Kaylee pounced, ¡°You scared me to death!¡± It turned out that Liam had originally been in room 709, but he didn¡¯t like the location, so he had switched to room 704 in the morning. However, the hospital system hadn¡¯t updated in time, leading them to mistakenly believe he was still in 709 and causing the misunderstanding. ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± Skyler started to recover. Before Liam could answer, Nics exined, ¡°Last night, he helped the police catch the bad guys and identally got cut. The wound was deep, so they had to stitch it up with seven stitches!¡± Seven stitches¡­. Celeste felt guilty ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you call when there was such a big problem? If Kaylee hadn¡¯t seen the picture Nics posted in the group, we wouldn¡¯t have known until now!¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers involuntarily tightened. Liam said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. I didn¡¯t even n on letting you guys know in the first ce.¡± Nics had taken a picture of Liam lying in the hospital bed when he was asleep and sent it to their group of friends. But it got sent to arger group by ident, and someone screenshot it and sent it to another group where Kaylee saw it. Skyler wasn¡¯t happy, ¡°Seven stitches, and you call this a minor injury?¡± Afraid they¡¯d start arguing, Nics quickly stepped in, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the room first and talk there? Also, there¡¯s a dead body here; we should show some respect for the deceased¡± It really wasn¡¯t the ce for chitchat. Liam nced at Celeste, who was still kneeling, and said, ¡°How long are you nning to kneel?¡± She didn¡¯t want to kneell Her knees hurt! Kaylee said impatiently, ¡°Ugh, so embarrassing! You didn¡¯t even recognize him and thought he was dead, and even knelt down. How much do you want my brother to be in trouble?¡± Shawn exined for her, ¡°It¡¯s just that Celeste was too worried. She thought something happened to Liam and was all freaked out.¡± As Kaylee was about to say something else, Skyler interrupted her, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the room first and talk about itter.¡± With that, she stopped nagging. Just as Kaylee was about to support Liam, he avoided her hand and walked up to Celeste, extending his uninjured hand. Celeste followed his fingers with her eyes, looking up Aside from his injured hand, Liam was in good shape and didn¡¯t look as close to death as Nics had described. But as soon as she thought about how his arm needed seven stitches because of her, guilt began to bubble up inside her again. From Liam¡¯s perspective, Celeste¡¯s eyes were red, tears still hanging in the corners, her nose was also red, making her look absolutely pitiful and stirring feelings inside him. *nning on sticking around for the whole vigil before you leave?¡± As soon as Liam opened his mouth, most of the quilt in Celeste¡¯s heart faded away She thought angrily, Liam must have been beaten up because he was so good at making sarcastic remarks, and it had nothing to do with her! Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Liam¡¯s hospital bed was surrounded by Skyler, Kaylee, and Shawn, leaving Celeste with no room to breathe. Nics said, ¡°Kaylee, go get some water. Your brother hasn¡¯t taken his medicine yet.¡± Kaylee frowned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone else standing there?¡± ¡°Hey, you-¡± Before Nics could say anything else, Celeste took the cup and said indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± With these people around, Celeste didn¡¯t want to stay either. Perfect timing. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. As soon as she closed the door, she heard Skyler asking, ¡°What happenedst night?¡± ¡°Nothing much,¡± Liam replied briefly. ¡°Just bumped into a few troublemakers while drinking, and a conflict started.¡± ¡°What kind of conflict results in someone getting injured like this? Where¡¯s the person who hurt you now?¡± ¡°Mom, I can handle this on my own. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Skyler was unhappy. ¡°How can I not worry? Look at the state you¡¯re in! I didn¡¯t even find out about your ident until this afternoon. If someone was taking care of you and I could feel reassured, that would be fine. But you were alone in the hospital all night with no one to even bring you water or food. How am I supposed to feel at ease?¡± Celeste pursed her lips. Clearly, this was meant as a criticism towards her. As a wife, was it right that she didn¡¯t know anything when her husband had an ident? Then, she heard Liam saying, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not telling her. She¡¯s afraid of blood and would cry if she saw it, which makes me feel ufortable.¡± Celeste¡¯s mood suddenly improved a little. Holding the cup, she went to the coffee room. ¡°You¡¯re bothered by that? Haven¡¯t you thought about how your grandmother would feel seeing you like this? Or how I feel?¡± ¡°Bro, seriously, you¡¯re still defending her! If she cared about you, she would¡¯ve been at the hospital by now! Liam frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make this situation any worse!* Kaylee shrank back, while Skyler questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what Kaylee said? You¡¯re spoiling her too much!¡± Shawn added, ¡°Liam, my daughter has been pampered since childhood, so it¡¯s natural that she sometimes goes too far. Your mom is right. You should discipline her a bit, not spoil her. You¡¯re married now, you can¡¯t let her be so careless.¡± Nics was dumbfounded. Were these wordsing from a father? What did he mean, discipline her? Encourage domestic violence? Was Celeste really his biological daughter? Liarn nced at him coldly. ¡°How did you find out I was in the hospital?¡± Skyler and Kaylee found out through a group photo, but how did Shawn know? And he came with them. Shawn was unhappy with Liam¡¯s cold question, but he didn¡¯t dare to show it. He just avoided eye contact and said, ¡°I went to discuss something with your mom, and I heard about this incident when I arrived, so I came with them.¡± Liam didn¡¯t care about what he wanted to discuss, so he turned to Skyler and said, ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t go to thepany for a few days. If grandma asks, just tell her that Celeste and I went on a trip.¡± ¡°Your grandma is not easily deceived, you know¡± ¡°Just say we went on our honeymoon. She¡¯ll believe that.¡± Skyler closed her lips tight and didn¡¯t say anything else. After a while, a nurse came in to change Liam¡¯s dressing, and he asked everyone to leave first. Leaving the room, Shawn stopped Skyler. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking welltely¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 hapter 171 Skyler said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Did you try the white truffle I asked Celeste to give you some time back? How was it?¡± Skyler frowned. ¡°White truffle? I didn¡¯t see it.¡± Shawn was stunned. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I handed it to Celeste personally How could you have not seen it?¡± ¡°What are you implying?¡± Kaylee raised her voice. ¡°Are you saying my mom took your stuff and won¡¯t admit it? What good stuff hasn¡¯t she seen? Does The Reed Family need your little gifts? Don¡¯t think marrying Celeset into The Reed Family means The Campbell Family can climb up the socialdder. She doesn¡¯t count for much in our family!¡± Shawn¡¯s face darkened, and Skyler waited for Kaylee to finish before saying softly, ¡°Kaylee, how can you speak to your elder like that?¡± Kaylee snorted andpletely ignored him. Shawn, a middle-aged man in his fifties, felt a bit embarrassed being scolded by a young girl. Skyler said. ¡°My daughter¡¯s temper is not good, Mr. Campbell. Please don¡¯t mind her¡± Shawn forced a smile ¡°No, how could I possibly take offense at a younger generation?¡± ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t need to focus your attention on me. Liam knows what to do about thepany¡¯s affairs, and I don¡¯t have a position in thepany so I can¡¯t help much.¡± With that sentence, she cut off any furtherment from Shawn. Shawnughed and said, ¡°You misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean that. Celeste relies on you in The Reed Family, and my giving you gifts is just my personal sentiment as a father, hoping your rtionship will be harmonious¡± Skyler nced at him ¡°As long as shes good to The Reed Family, I¡¯ll treat her well. I just hope she understands that.¡± These words were full of meaning, and Shawn¡¯s face darkened. In the coffee room, a uniformed police officer was getting water, so Celeste had to wait nearby. The officer finished, looked back at her, nodded, and left with his cup. Celeste was a bit confused but then saw a WhatsApp message from Trisha. We¡¯ve picked ten lottery numbers, let¡¯s hope we hit the jackpot! The next message showed two lottery tickets with their chosen numbers Celeste sent a ¡°pray for wealth¡± emoji, put away her phone, and went to the nursing station to ask about Liam¡¯s condition. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The nurse on duty happened to be in charge of Liam and exined his situation in detail. ¡°The wound is quite deep, but luckily, he can be discharged in the afternoon. He just needs to rest at home, and in about ten days, the stitches can be removed Once the wound scabs over it¡¯ll be fine Just make sure the wound doesnt get wet during that time.¡± Celeste was still a little worried. He lost so much blood, can he really go straight home?¡± ¡°Actually he didn¡¯t lose that much blood¡± As they were talking another nurse walked in and said. ¡°The patient in bed 32 woke up, and the police have already taken him away. Can you get someone to clean up the room? I¡¯m off work now¡± ¡°Already? That guy in bed 22 wasnt doing too well. What did he do to make the police take him away so quickly?¡± nurse tuck off her uniform she said. I heard from the right shift that he apparently tried to drug a girl in a bar and ended up getting his ass implice Too that guy got it corse has nose was broken. He had surgeryst night and hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Before the shift You hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but I saw it. One of the women was even pregnant, sung good people. There were CCTV recordings, but they just wouldn¡¯t believe it I mean, what are Their wives came to the hospit, jung with the police saying they were to the eighth four this morning here for thea ? But what about the people who beat them The police A knot formed in Gotivates alor as ste thought about the pol ars she had just seen. Could they be looking for Liam? Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 She didn¡¯t ask any more questions and just bolted toward the hospital room. As she pushed open the door, the room only had Liam and no sign of any cops. Liam, however, was startled by her abrupt entrance and frowned, ¡°You¡¯re so reckless.¡± Celeste breathed a sigh of relief, twisted open the water bottle, and poured him some water into two paper cups. Liam watched her actions and suddenly asked, ¡°Where did you go this morning?¡± ¡°I went to buy lottery tickets.¡± Liam¡­ ¡°Where are the tickets?¡± Celeste put down the paper cups, turned on her phone, and flipped to the two photos of the tickets she had taken earlier. She showed Liam, 1 spent a long time picking them, I think they¡¯ll win a big prize¡± Liam looked at the photos, and the cracks on her phone screen were very obvious. He said, ¡°Every person who buys lottery tickets thinks they¡¯re going to win.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s important to have dreams.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like a delusion.¡± Celeste made a face, ¡°Someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth like you wouldn¡¯t understand the significance of lottery tickets.¡± Liam suddenly said, ¡°If the lottery ticket wins, it would be considered unexpected ie. Since we¡¯re married, wouldn¡¯t half of it belong to me? That makes it meaningful too! Celeste¡­ This jerk Liam, she wouldn¡¯t cash in the lottery ticket until after their divorce! Take your medicine¡± Liam took it but didn¡¯t move to drink it. Instead, he just looked at her. Celeste was confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam said unhappily. ¡°Do I have a free hand to pick up my medicine?¡± Celeste picked up the prepared medicine from the table, opened it up, and ced it on her palm. She brought it up to Liam¡¯s lips. Liam opened his mouth, and she put the medicine in. Liam¡¯s dry lips brushed over her palm, his warm breath tickling her hand. It felt both weird and strangely intimate. Celeste pulled her hand back and rubbed her palm somewhat ufortably. She suddenly realized that Liam could just get the medicine first and then take the water afterward; he didn¡¯t have to pick up both at the same time? Liam should really have injured his brain instead of his arm. It seemed that Liam didn¡¯t notice her either. He took a sip of water and swallowed the medicine. Celeste thought about what the nurse from the duty room had said. After hesitating for a few moments, she asked, ¡°I just ran into a cop in the coffee room Liam closed his eyes, not even lifting an eyelid. Celeste continued, ¡°Did the cop note to talk to you?¡± Liam still didn¡¯t open his eyes, but he did respond. ¡°Why would the police look for me?¡± Celeste was taken aback ¡°Didn¡¯t you but someone?¡± Liam opened up his eyes. ¡°You think the police came to arrest me?¡± ¡°Well, they would have to question you, right?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already asked Liam paused, then added, ¡°Right when you went to buy lottery tickets¡± ¡°Also, I was acting in self-defense, not hitting someone on purpose Your drug test results have already been submitted to the police. Thewyer will handle the whole matter.¡± Celeste still couldn¡¯t understand. If those people had knives, why would she dare to scream when they were threatening her with them earlier? *Come here¡± Liams low voice interrupted her thoughts. Celeste looked up. ¡°For what?¡± But she still went to Liam¡¯s bedside. Liam frowned, ¡°Lower your head, get closer. Can I eat you?¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Celeste pursed her lips, leaned down, and asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Before she could finish speaking, Liam lowered his eyes and gently applied some ointment to the wound on her lower lip with his index finger. She had bitten her lipst night to keep herself from losing consciousness. The cold ointment mixed with Liam¡¯s warm fingertip felt like it also carried his tenderness. Rememberingst night¡¯s ordeal, she suddenly felt so wronged she wanted to cry. ¡°Your mouth is swollen like a sausage. Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± Liam¡¯s words sessfully suppressed the feeling of injustice welling up inside Celeste. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She swatted his hand away and red at him, ¡°If you don¡¯t like looking at me, then don¡¯t!¡± Tve seen you look much worse than this. I¡¯m used to it by now.¡± Celeste pursed her lips. Liam really should have injured his tongue instead! There was a knock on the door, and Shawn entered with a basket of fruit. Celeste stood up. ¡°Dad, I thought you left.¡± Shawn said gently, I was about to, but I saw some fresh fruit downstairs. I didn¡¯t know what Liam likes, so I just bought some of everything. You can peel some fruit for Liam in a bit.¡± Celeste nodded and took the basket from him. Ironically, when she was a kid and sick, she wanted to eat cake, but her dad never bought her one even though there was a dessert shop right across from his office. She hadn¡¯t received the care she should have from her father, but Liam did. ¡°Liam, how do you feel now?¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I can be dischargedter.¡± ¡°Rest well at home, and if you want anything, ask Celeste to cook it for you.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. Why did her dad have to drag her into his attempts to please Liam? Liam nced at her and said, ¡°OK.¡± Shawn exchanged a few more pleasantries before getting up to leave. ¡°Celeste,e with me for a moment. I need to talk to you¡± Celeste wondered what he wanted to say. They left the hospital room, and Shawn strode towards the rooftop. Celeste hurried after him, asking. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± As they entered the rooftop, he finally stopped, turned to her with a dark expression, and asked, ¡°Did you deliver the white truffle I asked you to givest time?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Yes, I did.¡± As soon as her words fell, Shawn suddenly pped her hard across the face. The p was fast and vicious Celeste¡¯s ears rang, and her face stung terribly ¡°Skyler never received anything! Who did you give it to?¡± The thought of Kaylee¡¯s humiliation made Shawn¡¯s anger re, ¡°You think you¡¯re so capable now that you can decide everything for yourself? You even have the confidence to liel Don¡¯t forget who got you into the Reed family! Celeste¡¯s vision went kinda fuzzy for a sec, she brushed her messy hair behind her ears, and looked up, I am not lying¡± ¡°You still dare to say that! Shawn raised his hand to p her, but this time Celeste was prepared and grabbed his wrist, ¡°Liam¡¯s in the hospital room, you try to touch me again, see what happens! Hearing this, Shawn really couldn¡¯t move his hand anymore, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty tough, huh? Threatening your own father?¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Celeste shook off his hand, ¡°Do you even remember you¡¯re my dad? You believe what others say so much, but why don¡¯t you believe in your own daughter? I said I delivered the item, that¡¯s it. You were humiliated by Skyler, why are you taking it out on me?¡± Shawn didn¡¯t buy her exnation at all, Would she tell me she didn¡¯t receive it if she had? Last time when I asked you to mention the City of C project to Liam, you kept putting it off. So now that you have Liam as your backer, you think the Campbell family doesn¡¯t matter to you? Your mom¡¯s treatment costs millions every year, do you think that moneyes from the sky? I¡¯m asking you to do these things for whose sake? If the Campbell family can¡¯t get stronger, who in the Reed family will look up to you!¡± He sounded so righteous, as if all he did was for her and her mother¡¯s sake Did he think that the Reed family would appreciate wealth and status obtained by such means? The Reed family would only look down on her even more! Tve said it. I delivered the item. If you don¡¯t believe me, you don¡¯t have to entrust me with these matters in the future. When ites to ttery and pleasing others, I¡¯m not as proficient as you¡± ¡°You¡± Shawn¡¯s anger welled up again, but at that moment, several people entered the rooftop, and he held back his words. Celeste left directly. In the hospital room Nics brought up Celeste¡¯s mistaken kneeling andughed heartilyExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Liam frowned. ¡°Enough¡± Nics held back hisughter and teased, ¡°Well, at least you got to experience how it feels to have someone kneel before you. How¡¯s it feel?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°When you die, there might not be anyone who will genuinely kneel for you.¡± The smile suddenly disappeared from Nics face. Not to mention sadness, thest time he was on an IV due to a fever and posted a photo on Instagram, several of his ex-girlfriendsmented that he deserved it ¡°Any news from the police?¡± Liam asked about the real issue ¡°Ar first, they denied it, but after checking the surveince, they all confessed. Together with the case fromst night, this year is already their third crime. Those two bastards¡± These two were repeat offenders-their first crime took cest year. They met a drunken girl at a bar and seeing her alone, took her to a hotel and defiled her. After releasing their lust, they dumped her in a secluded ce with no surveince A month passed, and there was no trouble, giving them the courage to continue. Crawling from bar to bar picking up unconscious girls became a routine. Alone, almost all the single women drinking at night would eventually sober up and probably recognize them, so they bought some illegal drugs to lure the gris into their traps. These two scoundrels gambled that the victims, out of shame or public opinion, wouldn¡¯t dare report the crime. So, their modus operandi became more and more braver If they had arrived a few minutesterst right, things would have been uru Even now, Nics stall remembered Liams expression when he feid Celeste was the first time he saw Liams usually calm face show such an Thing of this he grinned alightly if something had really happened to Celestest night, would you have divorced her? Liama movements paused for a mument and the coldly shot at a nce. To kill you first¡± Nics was speechless. How Can you me the for that i rtionship but I ended up like this you two mos groning each other for so long. I wanted to help you build your His voice became smaller and smaller eventually shutting up Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Well whose faut was it that he came up with the rotten ideast night? Just then, Celeste returned Nics immediately stood up and said, ¡°Celeste, I have some matters to attend to back at mypany I¡¯ll leave first. You take care of Liam. If you need anything just contact me Liam nced at him, ¡°You¡¯re leaving empty-handed, how inappropriate. Why don¡¯t you take the frut basket with you? Tm not the patient, why should I eat frut Halfway through Nics suddenly realized that Liam wasn¡¯t asking him to take the fruit basket but hinting that he showed up empty-handed Twont take the fruit basket. You keep this card, there are fifty thousand in it, which was the reward I promised you before, along with mypensation for Liam¡¯s lost work and emotionalpensation for you After all you two went with mest night and encountered such an unlucky situation Celeste nced at it but did not ept it. ¡°My husband¡¯s daily sry is much higher now. Due to the arm injury, he probably needs to rest for at least a week, right, sweetheart?¡± The hidden meaning in her words was that Nics money was probably not enough Liam was amused by the word ¡®sweetheart and looked over. It depends on the recovery of the wound, could be as short as a week or as long as half a month Celeste had a ¡°See? I told you so, I didnt be to you expression. Nics found his lips twitching. These two really were made for each other, even joining forces to swindle his money under these circumstances! Celeste didn¡¯t mean to be unkind, she somewhat med Nics. If he were already at the scene, why would Liam get injured¡± So, Nics directly wrote a check for two hundred thousand dors for Celeste. It was myck of consideration. You hold on to this check, and you can cash it at any bank in J City. Is that enough for your husband¡¯s lost wages?¡± Celeste epted the check and returned the card Nics had given her earlier. ¡°It¡¯s still a little short, but since we¡¯re friends, let¡¯s call it even. No need to get too nitpicky; it¡¯ll hurt our feelings¡± Nics felt a wave of helplessness inside Celeste thought Liam was telling her that taking two cards was too much, but then she heard him say. You should take five hundred thousand is a round number¡± Celeste¡­ She really thought too highly of Liam, he was much more cunning than she was! Liam calmly said. ¡°Truthfully, the bracelet could be bought for less than two million¡± Celeste quickly realized that Nics was the most insidious person of them all! ¡°Let¡¯s forget it after all, this wealth was identally obtained ¡°She handed Liam a check T take the bark card, and you can have this check¡± Liam didnt take it, instead, he looked at her left cheek and frowned. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± When Celeste first came in, she was facing him with her night cheek, so he didn¡¯t notice When she handed him the check, she turned her whole body around, and the finger marks on her left cheek became quite obvious Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste reached up to adjust her hair on the left side and said softly ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡± Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 ¡°Grab the check quickly, before I change my mind.¡± Liam stared at her for a while before saying, ¡°Answer one question, and the check is yours.¡± ¡°What? Celeste looked up at Liam. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°What did Shawn talk to you about?¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and said, ¡°Your mom didn¡¯t receive the white truffles. If you were too busy, you could¡¯ve just said no.¡± There was no need to deceive her by saying it had already been sent. Liam¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°You think I purposely didn¡¯t send them?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do something, it¡¯s best not to promise people.¡± Liam frowned, wanting to say something, but Owen knocked and entered. ¡°Mr. Reed, ma¡¯am, the paperwork is done.¡± Seeing the two not responding, Owen whispered, ¡°Are we still checking out?¡± On the way home from the hospital, both were very quiet. Owen was actually a bit uneasy,tely he¡¯d frequently heard them quarreling, but now they suddenly went quiet, making him a bit ufortable. He sneakily nced at the rearview mirror. Liam was frowning, lost in thought. Celeste was looking out the window, her expression cold. What on earth was going on between them again? ¡°Owen,¡± Liam suddenly spoke, ¡°did you deliver the white truffles I asked you to send to my mother?¡± Celeste¡¯s ears perked up. Owen nodded, ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Did she personally receive them?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reed wasn¡¯t home at the time, her maid received them.¡± ¡°Did you tell her it was from us?¡± 1 made it very clear, as per your request¡± Liam¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. Then why would his mom still say she hadn¡¯t received them? He grabbed his phone and dialed the house. The call connected quickly, it¡¯s me.¡± The maid recognized Liam¡¯s voice immediately, ¡°Mr. Reed, why are you calling? Skyler and Kaylee aren¡¯t home.¡± ¡°I know, I just want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Please ask.¡± ¡°I asked Owen to send the white trufflesst time, and he said he gave them to you. So why did my mother say she didn¡¯t get them?¡± The maid¡¯s voice became nervous, stammering, ¡°Maybe, maybe I just forgot.¡± ¡°Forgot? Liam¡¯s tone was low, ¡°Find them right now, I¡¯ll pick them up on the way¡± How could she find them when they¡¯d already been crushed and thrown away by Kaylee? 1, I don¡¯t know where I put them.¡± ¡°No worries, we won¡¯t be there for a while. The house isn¡¯t that big, it couldn¡¯t have been lost. Just look for them.¡± The maid was restless, but she didn¡¯t dare say it was Kaylee who had thrown them away. She had to lie, ¡°Actually, I remember now. While I was cleaning the storage room a few days ago, I found the truffles had all gone moldy, so I threw them away¡± ¡°Threw them away¡± Liam¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Those two boxes of truffles were worth thousands, did you throw them out, or did you take them for yourself? The usation of theft was too serious, the maid hurriedly denied, ¡°Not me, i didn¡¯t steal! I¡¯ve been working for the Reed family for nearly twenty years, and you know my character well How could I dare to touch the family¡¯s stuff?¡± ¡°So where is it?¡± Celeste looked at Liarn It was indeed a bit inappropriate for Liam to question the maid, who had been working for the Reed family for so many years. She wanted to say forget it, after all, the p had already been given, what was the point of pursuing this now? Before she could speak, she heard the maid stutter, ¡°It was it was Ms Reed she threw them away, told me not to.¡± ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 The maid hadn¡¯t finished, Skyler¡¯s voice came through the phone, and then Skyler took over. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Reed, asking about the truffles¡­¡± There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, and then Skyler got on the line, ¡°Just two boxes of truffles, does it need to be brought up non-stop at home? What do you n to do after figuring things out? Call the police and arrest someone? You¡¯re great at tattling, but not much else! Even if the truffles arrived, I wouldn¡¯t have epted them! You should spend your time taking care of your wife, and tell her stop favoring others now that she¡¯s part of the Reed family!¡± With that, she hung up. Liam held the phone, saying nothing for a while. Celeste sighed with relief. He didn¡¯t lie to her, and that was good. She said softly. ¡°Let it go. I didn¡¯t want to send them in the first ce, and now I don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Liam¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and after a while, he asked quietly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Celeste was startled, then realized he was asking about her cheek. All her grievances welled up in her heart, her eyes reddened, afraid to cry, she quickly diverted her gaze, trying hard to suppress her sadness, feigning nonchnce, ¡°He¡¯s my father, do you think he¡¯d use much force?¡± Actually, it hurt quite a bit. Shawn¡¯s p had used almost all his strength, and her face seemed a bit swollen now, but she didn¡¯t want to tell Liam. She was afraid of his disappointment, and she didn¡¯t want his casual remarks to make her fragile. After dropping them off at home, Owen left. The maid came to help, but Liam avoided her hand and said tly. ¡°Draw a bath for me, I want to take one.¡± Celeste said, ¡°The doctor said my wound can¡¯t touch water.¡± Liam paused, ¡°You can help me washter then.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a good idea.¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°We¡¯ve bathed together before, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Celeste thought of their past encounters in the bathroom and her ears turned red, ¡°It¡¯s different now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so different? I got hurt because of you, you should take some responsibility, right?¡± Celeste was left speechless. Because Liam¡¯s words had touched her guilt deep inside. It was just a bath, Celeste told herself, it was not like they were doing anything else. They¡¯d been honest with each other many times, what was there to be nervous about? With his body like that, she thought she¡¯d seen it all, giving him a bath was as normal as bathing a kitten or a puppy. Twenty minutester, Celeste stared at Liam¡¯s strong back, her fingers trembling nervously. How could bathing him bepared to bathing a kitten or a puppy? Who would watch the process of bathing a pet so intently? Liam¡¯s hands were propped on both sides of the bathtub, water droplets slid down his cheeks, past his Adam¡¯s apple, and finally dripped into the water. He turned his head and looked at her indifferently, his eyes deep and clear, ¡°Aren¡¯t you undressing?¡± Celeste watched him cautiously. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Liam looked at her as if she was a fool, ¡°Your clothes are wet, and it¡¯ll be hard to take them offter. Go change into something thinner.¡± ¡°No need. I feel safer dressed like this¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Since trying to persuade her was useless, Liam stopped talking. When Celeste walked over, Liam smelled alcohol and was a bit surprised, ¡°Did you drink?¡± ¡°Nope, Celeste replied, her face blushing Realizing that her denial wasn¡¯t very convincing, she added, ¡°Well, not much. Just a little bit.¡± It was indeed just a little bit half a bottle of red wine, that was it. She could hold her liquor well, so half a bottle of red wine didn¡¯t get her drunk, just a bit braver Liam stared at her for a few seconds before handing her a towel and saying nonchntly, ¡°Give me a wipe-down first¡± For the first time in her life, Celeste bathed someone else Sure, they¡¯d yed around in the bathroom before, but that was when she was goofing around with Liam while he was taking a bath under the guise of giving him a back scrub. But in the end, she¡¯d end up being the one teased by him and he¡¯d also have to clean her up and carry her back to their room. in the past, Liam rarely rejected her advances, despite his lukewarm feelings for her Still, he¡¯d always be passionate in bed. However, sincest year, he began to grow colder towards her. They¡¯d fought over having a child, and Liam seemed to lose interest in her. Maybe he had gotten tired of her long ago, and not wanting a child was just an excuse, or maybe it was only to protect Sydney? Damn it! Why didn¡¯t he think about protecting his beloved woman when he was touching her? Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt her hand being held Coming back to her senses, she met Liam¡¯s eyes. He asked hoarsely, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Only then did Celeste realize that, while she was deep in thought, her hand had wandered down to his lower abdomen. Feeling embarrassed, she hurriedly tried to pull her hand back, but Liam suddenly pulled her forcefully, and she fell into the bathtub. Water sshed everywhere, and Celestended on top of Liam, struggling to get up. Liam held her waist tight with one hand, locking her close Feeling the heat from his hard body, Celeste¡¯s mind went nk. She heard Liam¡¯s maic voice close to her ear, ¡°Told you to change your clothes earlier, see, you¡¯re all wet now.¡± The scene and words both had a hint of ambiguity But it seemed Celeste had indeed drunk too much, her brain processing the situation, sheined, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, how would I be wet?¡± Liam was stunned for a second before he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle His vibrating chest revealed his delight. Celeste froze, looking at him. She had never seen Liamugh like this before Such a good looking face, why did he hold back his smile, always looking so serious? Even when he did smile, it¡¯d be a cold or mocking one. Now, this kind of smile, the corner of his eyes sparkling with gentleness, she¡¯d never seen before. As Celeste opened her mouth to say something, Liam suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stunned, she instinctively widened her eyes, forgetting to resist. The alcohol indeed increased her courage but slowed down her reaction. Liam¡¯s movements were slow and gentle With their years of intimacy, be easily found her weak spots, making her defenseless. ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡± While grinding their ears together, Celeste still couldn¡¯t quite make sense of the meaning behind those words. Later, things got out of her control In any case, it was a chaotic night Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 The next morning, Celeste was woken up by the ringing of a phone. Eyes still closed, she tried to find it on the bedside table. After searching for a while, she remembered her phone was with Liam, so she nudged him and mumbled, ¡°Answer the phone.¡± Liam frowned, grabbed the phone, and saw the caller ID- 50 million? Who was this? He nced at the woman next to him, who was pretending to still be asleep, and picked up the call. ¡°Hello¡± Once the call was connected, a familiar voice came through. It turned out to be Mason. Liam pursed his lips, not saying a word. Hearing no response, Mason hesitated for a moment before calling out, ¡°Liam?¡± Liam finally uttered a quick ¡°yes¡± Mason said, ¡°Your phone couldn¡¯t be reached, why?¡± ¡°Ran out of battery.¡± Liam paused, ¡°Were you looking for Celeste?¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°No, I was looking for you. Just couldn¡¯t get through and thought I¡¯d try Celeste¡¯s¡± Celeste¡­ Savoring the name, Liam¡¯s lips twitched slightly. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Mason¡¯s voice was gentle, ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely. I heard from Kaylee this morning that you got hurt, and after asking Nics about it, I wanted to check on you. Are you feeling better?¡± Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± ¡°Had the person taken care of? Do you need any help?¡± With Mason¡¯s abilities, he could ensure that the person gets the heaviest sentence. ¡°If I need it, I¡¯ll contact you.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Just as Liam finished speaking, Celeste groggily opened her eyes and said, ¡°Who is it? Talking for so long?¡± Her voice was soft and hoarse from just waking up. Mason paused momentarily. Liam nced at her and answered indifferently. ¡°Mason, then asked, ¡°Do you want to talk to him?¡± In an instant, Celeste was fully awake. Was it possible that Mason had revealed their n to sue? She quickly grabbed the phone, sat up with her back to Liam, and nervously asked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, why did you suddenly call me?¡± Liam¡¯s expression darkened. Mason quickly regained hisposure, ¡°Liam¡¯s phone was unreachable, and Nics told me you two had some troublest night. Are you alright?¡± Celeste let out a sigh of relief. She was scared to death, thinking Mason might discuss their n to sue. Tm fine Liam got hurt, but it¡¯s not too serious¡± ¡°Alright then. There¡¯s a jewelry exhibition the day after tomorrow, would you like to attend?¡± ¡°What jewelry exhibition?¡± Mason gently exined, ¡®My aunt, she¡¯s hosting a jewelry exhibition the day after tomorrow. She¡¯s a jewelry appraiser and the vice president of our J City Jewelry Association She has good rtionships with many jewelers. She¡¯s been nning this semi-private jewelry exhibition to showcase her own and her friend¡¯s private collections, as well as pieces from various major jewelers Want to check it out?¡± Back in the day, Celeste would¡¯ve been all over that Picking out some nice jade and sparkly jewels was right up her alley, but now that she and Liam were getting a divorce, those pricey gems weren¡¯t exactly pocket change for her anymore. Even if she went to look, she wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it and it¡¯d Just burn her out So she replied, ¡°Nah, better not My hubby hurt his arm and I gotta stay home and take care of him¡± At that, Liar¡¯s eyes flickered Wait, who said his injury wasn¡¯t serious just now? Mason didn¡¯t push it either ¡°Alright, then You take care of Liam and I¡¯ll swing by once I¡¯m done with all this work.¡± After hanging up, she turned to see an awkward expression on Liam¡¯s face. Celeste cringed at the memory ofst night. She really shouldn¡¯t have had that half bottle of wine. With Liam¡¯s tempting, she couldn¡¯t resist and not only that, when he said his hands were tied (literally) and asked her to take the lead, she actually went for it! Thinking back on it made her feel awful. All she wanted to do now was erase all those unspeakable things fromst night out of both their minds! ¡°Why did Mason was called $50 million, by the way?¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Celeste was wondering that if Liam would mention what happenedst night, she should find a casual way to say. ¡°Last night was just an ident. As adults, sometimes we can¡¯t help but be impulsive.¡± However, Liam didn¡¯t ask at all, as if he didn¡¯t care Celeste suddenly felt a bit annoyed. But she couldn¡¯t get angry directly. If she did, it would be as if she cared about what happenedst night. From another perspective, since Liam was willing to do it, she just treated it as a free service! Thinking like this, her mood felt much better. ¡°It¡¯s just a random note.¡± Celeste definitely wouldn¡¯t tell Liam that fifty million was what she imagined Mason would give her as attorney fees when they divorced In fact, she never thought of having Mason help her with the divorcewsuit. After all, Mason was Liam¡¯s friend, and even if they went to court, he wouldn¡¯t possibly help her, right? So, there was a reason why she said it was saved randomly Liam didn¡¯t quite believe it, but he didn¡¯t ask further. Instead, he asked Celeste, ¡°What did you save my number as?¡± Liam quickly noticed that, just after he finished speaking, Celeste¡¯s expression seemed evasive. She immediately answered, ¡°Of course, I saved it as your name What else could I save it as?¡± Liam stared at her for a few seconds, making Celeste feel a bit creeped out, as if he would grab her phone to verify at any moment. But Liam didn¡¯t do that. He looked at her for a while, then shifted his gaze, lifted the covers, and got out of bed. He walked barefoot on the carpet, bending down to pick up the sleepwear from the floor and draped it over his shoulder. Celeste kept staring at his body. Liam had a low body fat percentage, and his muscle lines were very attractive. It was normal for men to have abs, but having back muscles was impressive People who exercised knew that working on back muscles was actually quite challenging. Liam was very busy every day, but he still had time to work out. This guy had great perseverance. ¡°Do you always look at men so rudely?¡± Liam put on his pants and nced back at her. Celeste¡¯s face reddened a bit, but the curtains weren¡¯t open, so it was dim and not very noticeable. ¡°After we get divorced, you won¡¯t be able to look so directly anymore.¡± Liam¡¯s hand paused while fastening the button, ¡°Should I take it off so you can look longer?¡± Celeste awkwardly said, ¡°No need to be so deliberate.¡± Liam ignored her, put on his clothes, and went downstairs. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Celestey on the bed for a while, then got up. Liam seemed to be sent from heaven to punish her for her love of handsome guys. She thought something would be different afterst night, but everything was the same They just slept for one night, it wasn¡¯t the first time, and there was no particr meaning, only the impulse of being an adult. She opened the bedside table and searched around, finally finding the box of contraceptives. Opening it, there was exactly one left. She took it out, swallowed it, and threw the box into the trash can. Even though he was supposed to be recovering, Liam didn¡¯t seem idle at all, either attending video conferences or reviewing documents. Celeste was also busy, busy reading the script She spent the whole day reading the entire script. Zach¡¯s story was very well written, with apact structure, ups and downs in the plot, continuous climaxes, and very well chosen dialogue. He must have researched a lot After reading it all, she loved the script even more In the evening, Trisha called her. ¡®Celeste, have you seen the news?¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 ¡°What news?¡± Celeste rubbed her eyes, reading the script on the phone was really tiring. ¡°An actress¡¯s works have been deleted, and she¡¯s suspected of being cklisted¡± ¡°Who?¡± The actress who was originally selected for the role you¡¯re ying now, a famous actress who won many awards¡± After Celeste signed the contract, Trisha joined the Phoenix Fire¡± crew group and heard lots of news, such as the original actress for the role. ¡°How did she get cklisted?¡± 1 heard she posted some sensitive remarks online. She¡¯s been reported several times before, but it was always just rumors without substantial evidence. This time it¡¯s been confirmed, and people dug up her remarks from ten years ago. I guess Zach might have known about this for a while, so he dismissed her¡± No wonder N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She wondered why such an important role hadn¡¯t been confirmed yet, and it turned out that it was an emergency recement. She really was lucky. ¡°There are so many people eyeing your role. This actress¡¯s cklisting news just came out, and people are rmending actors to Zach from everywhere. They don¡¯t know that Zach has already chosen you. So, from now on until the shooting ispleted, we have to keep a low profile to avoid idents Trisha¡¯s concern was not unfounded. This happened very often in the industry. Zach had this concern early on and had been very secretive about the main character¡¯s casting Despite this, the original actress was still caught with evidence. Digging up remarks from ten years ago had a bit of malicious intent By choosing Celeste, Zach was partly really appreciating her and also challenging the person behind the scenes. He was sending a message that even if someone else was pushed down, he wouldn¡¯t choose that person for the role. Sa to some extent, Celeste getting this role relied on luck. She was a neer with no background in the entertainment industry. Even if she were targeted, there would be no impact. Behind Zach giving her this opportunity was a huge trap. Whether she could avoid this trap depended on her own abilities. ¡°Who do you think did it?¡± Trisha sneered, ¡°Whoever wants the role the most¡± Celeste pursed her lips Initially, during the audition, Lorinda strongly rmended Sydney. They had worked together before, and if they didn¡¯t have a good rtionship, Lorinda wouldn¡¯t have rmended Sydney so strongly, right? If it was really Sydney, could it be Liam who cklisted the actress? in the Study After the video conference ended, everyone gradually left. Nics nced at Liam on the other end of the screen and hesitated for a moment before asking. ¡°Are you really nning to let Shawn invest in Smart Chips?¡± Nics was very puzzled Smart Chips was about to go public, and as the most anticipated semiconductor technologypany of the year, it held great expectations. As long as the materials at North Stock Exchange passed the review. They would make some dough from going public. Liam worked his butt off to grow thispany to where it was today and now Shawn just waltzed in to cash in He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it Chawris such a slick guy going with the flow and ying the system Plus, he was short sighted and greedy as hell. Since getting hitched with the Reed family had always been using their name to make moves in his own business Investing in Smart Chips may seem like supporting R&D, but really, he was past eyes the potential profits after it went public, looking out for numero und If he really wanted to support R&b why didnt he invest when Liam was buying Smart Chips and looking for shareholders? It was not like he didn¡¯t know about it Now that the tough times were befand them, and the profits were rolling in he was suddenly pretending to support R&D Who was he trying to fool? Nics¡¯s prejudice against Celeste mavily came from Shawns never ending greed Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. But Celeste was obviously way cuter than Shawn, and the thought of her making over three million for him made her seem quite likable. She even gave him a box of oysters. ¡°Shawn¡¯s gonna invest in Riverside Shire and buy shares of Smart Chips, where the hell is he getting all that money from?¡± They were very clear about the Campbell family¡¯s strength. Before Celeste and Liam got married, the Campbell family in the City of Y was just a small business at best. Their achievements were all thanks to the wise guidance of his wife. After his wife¡¯s ident, he quickly took control of thepany and fired many core employees. Unfortunately, his ambition was huge, but his ability was just average. Thepany was in trouble within two years. He struggled with finances and dyed orders, so he nned to use his soon-to-graduate daughter to solve the problem. Although the Campbell family wasn¡¯t exactly filthy rich, they were still part of the capital world. Shawn, a penny-pincher, naturally frequented their business parties. To solve the current problems, he brought his daughter to these events frequently. Shawn and his wife were good-looking, but their daughter was just too stunning. Although beautiful women weremon in this circle, even celebrities were everywhere. But everyone liking celebrities did not necessarily mean they would marry them. In a marriage between wealthy families,patibility and mutual benefit were valued above all. A wife with a simple and clean private life was the best choice. Celeste perfectly fit the bill. Beautiful, clean, young and Shawn¡¯s only daughter. Even if they spent some money to help the Campbell family through their current crisis, wouldn¡¯t Shawn¡¯s assets still belong to them after his death? So the number of men pursuing her was endless. For the sake of money, Shawn wouldn¡¯t refuse a man older than him to marry his daughter. Would he have had to sell his daughter if he had that much money back then? Liam took a sip of coffee and said indifferently, ¡°He sold part of hispany¡¯s shares, and once he gets the Riverside Shire project, he will make a million¡± The Riverside Shire project wasn¡¯t small, and Shawn didn¡¯t have enough money on his own. But with the Reed family¡¯s connections, he had umted some resources in recent years.. He formed a Syndicate and set up a newpany to bid on the Riverside Shire project. With Garfield¡¯s connections, the project¡¯s sess was virtually a done deal. After the project¡¯spletion, Shawn could sell his shares to his partners, turning them into cash without shouldering project risks. ¡°But he still needs to get the project, Nics sneered. ¡°Garfield has already lost a lot of money because of that bracelet. If Shawn doesn¡¯t return the money, would Garfield help him? Spending over that much money before even making money and then adding the money he spent on connections for the project, even if he gets it in the end, he won¡¯t make much.¡± Pausing, Nics continued, ¡°Your wife hasn¡¯t been using your money for them, has she?¡± Liam shot him a cold nce. ¡°If she were, why would she let you make that money?¡± Nics shut up He was just guessing. Why would Liam get mad? It had happened before When Liam and Celeste got married, Sienna loved her grandson very much and prepared generous gifts for her new granddaughter-inw. In addition to a set of high end jewelry and a limited edition sports car, there was a bank card with an unrestricted limit of more than 1.3 million. Although the jewelry and sports car were worth much more than the bank card, the bank card was just Sienna¡¯s pocket money for her granddaughter-inw But the card was tied to Liar¡¯s phone Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Not long after their marriage, Liam received a text message for a one million transfer. They were together at the time, and he just happened to see it. The recipient was indeed Shawn. Since then, his impression of Celeste was not good. The Reed family didn¡¯t care about the money, but the fact that she transferred the money to her family without telling them was simply despicable. Liam didn¡¯t let him tell this to others, otherwise, Sienna would never have a good impression of Celeste because of this. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. But in the past month, Celeste¡¯s performance had significantly improved his opinion of her and made him wonder if his previous thoughts were too one-sided. If Celeste was really all about helping Shawn, why would she deliberately hurt him with the bracelet? If Celeste was really a vain person, she should be clinging to Liam, so why did she want a divorce? And besides, she was Celestial Haze. His idol, whom he had liked for so long, was the person he used to dislike the most. Perhaps being a fan made him not look down on her. Nics nced at Liam and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not letting Shawn invest because of Celeste, are you?¡± Liam answered coldly. ¡°You misunderstood. The more he invests, the easier it is for me to control.¡± Shawn was so naive. Did he think Liam¡¯s money was easy to make? The money he could make was all because Liam wanted him to. If Liam didn¡¯t want it, eight million dors could turn into eight hundred. ¡°By the way, the day after tomorrow, Mason¡¯s aunt¡¯s jewelry exhibition. Are you going? I remember Celeste likes jewelry. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you, how about I take her?¡± Liam nced at him. ¡°You seem to like hanging out with hertely¡± Nics blinked. ¡°Really?¡± Liam said tly, ¡°You didn¡¯t use to like it when I took her to gatherings¡± Although Nics hid his dislike well, Liam¡¯s observation skills were quite sharp. Of course, Nics would never tell Liam that Celeste was actually Celestial Haze. He couldn¡¯t wait to see Liam¡¯s reaction when he found out the truth. So he said, ¡°That¡¯s because I used to misunderstand her as a social climber who only cared about money, man. But now that she wants to divorce you, I suddenly feel like maybe I was wrong back then. Plus, she even helped me make some money and sent me a box of oysters. Now I¡¯vepletely changed my mind, and I n to get along with her.¡± Just then, there was a knock on the door of Liam¡¯s study. ¡°Come in.¡± Celeste pushed the door open, holding a ss of milk, and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, this is some freshly heated milk, do you want some?¡± Mr. Reed? Nics raised an eyebrow. Was this a nickname between husband and wife? Liam looked up at her and epted the offer. Celeste walked up and handed the milk to Liam. Liam picked it up and was about to drink when he noticed Celeste staring at him intently. He hesitated and asked, ¡°Is it poisoned?¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched a little. ¡°Of course not! I just thought you might be bored, so I came over to chat with you.¡± She paused for a moment, and to avoid making her words sound too abrupt, she added, ¡°The doctor mentioned that being in a good mood can help the wound heal Liam stared at her for a few seconds and said fatly, ¡°You want me to never get better, don¡¯t you?¡± Celeste Campbell¡­¡­. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Nics Francis was holding back hisughter on the other side of the screen. Liam Reed¡¯s words were so damn sarcastic. Thankfully, Celeste didn¡¯t care. She felt a bit upset for a second, but remembering her purpose, she quickly got over it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know better, and you got hurt because of me. I have to take care of you. I just heard a few funny jokes. Wanna hear one?¡± Celeste said. Liam was surprised by this woman¡¯s change of attitude. As far as he knew, Celeste couldn¡¯t be so understanding. Usually, if he had just made fun of her like that, she would¡¯ve already fired back. What the hell was she thinking? Liam was silent for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± As he said it, he took a sip of his milk. Celeste thought for a moment and said, ¡°One day, Mama Fly took Baby Fly to lunch on a pile of poop. Baby Fly asked, ¡®Mom, mom, mom, why do we eat poop? Mama Fly got angry and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about such disgusting things during mealtime!¡± Liam felt his mouthful of milk stuck in his throat. Nics on the other side of the screen didn¡¯t have that much self-control, and he pounded on the desk,ughing Only then did Celeste realize that Liam was on video chat and felt a bit embarrassed. Liam struggled to swallow the milk, frowning andmenting, ¡°Lame!¡± think it¡¯s hrious,¡± said Nics, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Celeste, you have a talent for telling jokes.¡± Nics wasn¡¯t ttering her. When Celeste told stories, probably due to her professional habits, she would adopt different voices for different. characters, making them reallye to life. Yet Celeste thought he was making fun of her and forced augh. If she had known that Liam was on video chat, she wouldn¡¯t have started this conversation. As she was about to leave, Liam nced at her, ¡°Are there any other jokes?¡± You just said it wasme, didn¡¯t you? Celeste snapped back in her mind. ¡°Yeah, let me try a better one¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a big fish and a small fish One day, the little fish asked the big fish, Big-fish-big-fish-what-do-you-usually-like-to-eat?¡± The big fish replied, ¡°T-like-to-eat-little-fish-that-talk-slowly! Then the little fish said, ¡®Oh, I see Got it!¡± After she finished, it was dead quiet. Celeste also thought the joke was somewhatme, and she coughed awkwardly, ¡°Not that funny, huh?¡± Nics yed along, it¡¯s funny, very funny¡± Liam, on the other hand, sarcastically said, ¡°Ridiculous, it shoud be.¡± Celeste almost wanted to ssh the milk on Liam¡¯s face. Nics, reading the room, quickly changed the subject ¡°Celeste, are you going to the jewelry show the day after tomorrow? Masons aunt has a luminous pearl said to have been unearthed from a tomb dating back many years. She bought it at a museum auction and wants to donate it to the country Before donating, she wants to hold a jewelry show to let everyone see its thousand year charm. Do you want to see it?¡± Celeste was instantly interested and found it hard to resist The market price for luminous pearls isn¡¯t hugh. The real value lies in the history it bears For those who love jewelry and antiques, this luminous pearl, spanning more than two thousand years, is an incredibly precious treasure. 1.I¡¯d better not go Liam¡¯s arm is still injured, and I need to take care of him¡± Celeste hesitated, obviously tempted Nics said, ¡°Hes not a kid, and you dont need to coddle him. Leave him at home, and I take you there.¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Liam¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he suddenly wanted Nics to shut up. ¡°Then¡­ should I go?¡± She tentatively asked Liam. Liam red at her, ¡°If you want to go, just go. What are you looking at me for?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Celeste, asking for more details, ¡°What time the day after tomorrow?¡± Nics said, ¡°Around 7 or 8 in the evening. Luminous pearls, of course, must be seen at night for their beauty to be properly appreciated. Be ready by 6:30, and I¡¯ll pick you up and take you there.¡± Having made these arrangements, Nics went offline, and the room fell silent. Celeste hadn¡¯t had a chance to say the things she came in to say, so she just stayed in the study. But Liam was starting to find her annoying. He nced at her and said indifferently. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No, you do your work. I¡¯m here if you need anything.¡± Liam said coldly. ¡°Your presence is affecting my work.¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched. She held back her anger and serviently said, ¡°The doctor told you not to overexert yourself when recovering from an injury, Mr. Reed. You¡¯ve been in the study for hours. Can I massage your shoulders?¡± Liam looked at her with confusion. ¡°What are you up to?¡± Celeste¡¯s pretend kindness crumbled at the harsh words, ¡°Liam, can¡¯t you see the sincerity in my eyes? I feel guilty for your injury, and I want to make it up to you. If you don¡¯t want me to, fine!¡± Liam looked at her and asked, ¡°Wasst night¡¯s incident also to make up for it? Using your body for compensation?¡± Upon hearing this, Celeste was speechless. She grunted, blushing instantly, ¡°Last night was an ident!¡± ¡°An ident?¡± Liam thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Howe I recall thatst night, when I asked you if we should stop, you hugged me even closer and said no?¡± As he spoke, he looked at her slender legs andmented, ¡°Your legs were quite strong, too¡± Now the flush had extended down her neck. She turned away angrily, wanting to leave. Liam grabbed her wrist and said in all seriousness, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to massage my shoulders?¡± This rascal! Right now, Celeste just wanted to pour the milk all down his throat to shut him up. She enjoyed the thought before eventually calming down. Skyler Reed had already scolded her for identally hit Liam¡¯s nosest time, causing it to bleed. If she were to do more harm to Liam this time, Skyler would definitely be angry. Besides, she didn¡¯te here to argue. After hesitating for two seconds, she obediently went behind Liam and massaged his shoulders. Although Celeste was skinny, she had a surprising amount of strength in her hands. She and her ssmates used to do massages for each other all the time to relieve their exhaustion after practice. Liam half-closed his eyes, obviously already enjoying it. Celeste felt like the timing was right, so she whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you know Actor Z?¡± Liar frowned, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You know, that super famous actress who yed the forensic scientist in that crime drama that aired this year We even watched it together¡± Liam thought for a moment. He couldn¡¯t remember at all what was on TV, but he did recall watching the show together and the male lead dying Celeste was bawling her eyes out on the couch, and when she woke up the next morning, her eyes were swollen like two peaches. He still couldn¡¯t remember Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. what the show was about ¡°What happened?¡± Celeste said quietly, ¡°That actress gotpletely resisted by the whole inte Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 After Celeste finished speaking, she kept an eye on Liam¡¯s reaction. But he didn¡¯t seem to have any change of expression. He just said ¡°Oh, and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Did Liam really not know about this? Celeste was doubtful and continued, ¡°Someone dug up some oldments she made online years ago, saying her stance was problematic, and then she got boycotted, and her works were taken off the shelves.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything. Celeste added, ¡°She must have pissed off someone, or stepped on someone¡¯s toes. Otherwise, who would go out of their way to dig up something from over a decade ago?¡± Liam replied indifferently. ¡°If she didn¡¯t have any dirt to be dug up, nobody could have caught her.¡± ¡°I heard she was supposed to take on a new drama role, but someone else had their eyes on it, which led to this whole mess. Can you believe they¡¯d boycott someone just for a role ¨C isn¡¯t that a bit too ruthless?¡± ¡°Businesspetition is always like this. It¡¯s her fault for giving people an opening.¡± Liam pointed to the left and said indifferently, ¡°Harder.¡± Douchebag Liam wasn¡¯t continuing the conversation, so Celeste decided to get straight to the point ¡°By that logic, Sydney Denton must be using these kinds of tactics all the time to get all her good resources.¡± Liam paused and frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing, just casual chitchat Sydney was in the news before because of the voice acting recement for Legend. It seems simr to this situation.¡± ¡°How is it simr?¡± Liam said, displeased. ¡°Who has been utterly ruthless toward that female voice actress?¡± Celeste immediately fired back with what he¡¯d just said, ¡°That¡¯s because she didn¡¯t have any dirt on her, so they couldn¡¯t find any leverage even if they wanted to. ¡°How do you know she didn¡¯t ept a bribe and quit on her own?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I hadn¡¯t heard that she took money.¡± Celeste almost let slip the truth. ept a bribe? As if! She took pains for the audition, and was about to sign the contract when they told her she would be reced. Compensation? She even had to pay for her trips to the audition! Liam said coldly. ¡°Why would she let you know if she¡¯s taken money?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Celeste was annoyed, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have posted those things online if she¡¯d been bought off! She¡¯s not crazy!¡± Liam replied without much thought, ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be for publicity? Isn¡¯t that what people in show biz love the most?¡± Celeste almost wanted to curse. Liam, this asshole, didn¡¯t realize he was in the wrong. To him, using money to snatch jobs from others was toomonce. Suddenly, Celeste felt there¡¯s no point for her to test him like this. Even if Liam didn¡¯t do it this time, it wouldn¡¯t stop him from doing it for Sydney in the future to smooth her path. If one day. Sydney¡¯s desires shed with her own interests, would Liam hesitate to side with Sydney? The answer was obvious no The wife he didn¡¯t love, versus the first love with whom he¡¯d been forced to part in guilt? It would be an easy decision to make. With these thoughts in mind, Celeste regained herposure. If she had previously bickered and quarreled with Sydney, it was because she wanted to upy a ce in Liam¡¯s heart. Now, however, she simply wanted to stand her ground for herself The day of the jewelry exhibition arrived swiftly After her lunch break, Celeste began choosing her attire. Liam had been initially in his study, but the sound of her constant pacing was disruptive, making it difficult for him to concentrate on his reading. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 With a frown on his face, he emerged with the intent to reprimand her, only to find Celeste in the midst of changing her dress in the living room. The full-length mirror in the living room was thergest and better than the one in the bedroom. The living room¡¯s lighting was also closer to natural light, making the reflection more urate. At least twenty outfits were piled on the sofa, with those she had discarded presumably being the ones she had already tried on but found unsatisfactory. Usually, Celeste dressed quite modestly. Even when wearing dresses, she preferred necklines higher than her corbone. But now, she found these styles. unsatisfactory. She twirled around in front of the mirror, but eventually she disrobed. Her waistline was quite stunning, and as she undressed, her slender midriff was revealed. Her legs, long and straight, were beautifully contoured, giving her an ethereal appeal like a captivating fairy. Leaning against the railing of the second floor, Liam sipped his coffee nonchntly, unapologetically enjoying the scenery below. Celeste received a call from Trisha Colton. Tm in the middle of changing. I¡¯m attending a jewelry exhibition tonight,¡± she said, flipping through her pile of clothes with a slight irritation, ¡°I can¡¯t seem to find anything suitable to wear Liam wondered, could all these clothes truly be unsuitable? ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow then, yes, okay.¡± After hanging up, she suddenly spotted a white dress among the heap of clothes. Liam found it familiar, and as she put it on, his expression involuntarily darkened. The dress was the one Mason Fletcher had given her during thest charity event. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The corner of Liam¡¯s lips tightened as he set his coffee cup down and descended the staircase. Celeste really liked this dress. Although the design was simple, it was incredibly ttering, entuating her figure. She had been admiring herself in the mirror for quite some time, and just as she was about to essorize, she turned around and bumped into Liam, causing the coffee in his hand to spill, sttering her dress. With a cry of surprise, Celeste quickly grabbed some tissues to blot the stain, but it was toote. The coffee had quickly seeped into the fabric, marring the pure white dress with arge, unsightly blotch. ¡°Why on earth didn¡¯t you make a sound standing behind me?¡± Celesteined while trying to clean the stain, wondering if it could bepletely washed out, as she had only worn the dress once. Liam, however, showed no signs of guilt. ¡°How was I supposed to know you were going to suddenly turn around?¡± Celeste was extremely displeased with his attitude, ¡°You knew I was changing. Why would you stand behind me with a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°This is my house, I can stand wherever I please, Liam retorted. Celeste managed to spit out, ¡°How can you have the nerve to call yourself human?¡± She wanted to add: ¡°You¡¯d be better suited as a fox¡± Liam seemed to anticipate her next words, giving her a cold stare, ¡°What did you say?¡± Celeste, seething with anger, fell silent. Right at that moment, the doorbell rang. Liam remained still like a statue. Celeste had no choice but to open the door in her dirty dress. She thought it was Nicsing, but to her surprise, it was Sienna Reed. ¡®Grandma? What are you doing here?¡± Celeste hurriedly let the olddy in As Grandma walked in, she said, ¡°Your mom told me Liam wasn¡¯t feeling well, so he took a leave. I thought I¡¯de check on him¡± Just as she said that, she saw Liam standing in the living room, perfectly healthy with a cup of coffee in his hand. The olddy paused and asked, ¡°So, what ails you?¡± Celeste was about to speak, but Liam nonchntly replied, ¡°Stomach ache, same old problem.¡± Celeste had no choice but to keep quiet. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 It was clear that Liam didn¡¯t want to let grandma know that he got injured, probably because he didn¡¯t want to make her worry. ¡°Have you not been eating well?¡± The olddy frowned and said, ¡°You looks skinnier than usual. Are you feeling better these days?¡± ¡°Much better. I¡¯ll be back in the office in a couple of days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush it. Taking care of your health is your top priority, the olddy looked at the coffee cup in his hand and frowned, ¡°You¡¯re drinking coffee when your stomach isn¡¯t feeling well?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Liam immediately shifted the me onto Celeste, ¡°It¡¯s hers.¡± ¡°Celeste shouldn¡¯t drink it either. It¡¯s already the afternoon, and it will affect her sleep at night.¡± Celeste yed along. ¡°I got it, Grandma. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± The olddy seemed quite satisfied and then noticed a pile of clothes on the sofa. She asked, ¡°Are you going out?¡± Now Celeste was at a loss for words. The olddy already knew that Liam was ¡°sick.¡± If she found out that Celeste was going to an event and leaving her ¡°sick¡± grandson home alone, she would be unhappy even if she didn¡¯t say anything. As she was thinking of an excuse to get herself off the hook, Liam said, ¡°She has been making a lot of noise at home, so I¡¯m sending her to the jewelry show tonight to let my ears have some peace.¡± The olddy wondered, ¡°The jewelry show organized by Krista?¡± Krista Fletcher, the organizer of the event, and also Mason¡¯s aunt. Liam nodded. The olddyughed and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go with Celesteter.¡± Liam was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Krista told me there was a precious gemstone filled with good fortune at the show. Since I have nothing else to do, I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± The olddy was superstitious and very fond of gems. She is close friends with a fortune teller and even donates money for the renovation of his studio. Even when Celeste and Liam got married, the olddy had their astrological charts read, iming that they were a match made in heaven. Celeste always thought this fortune teller was a bit of a con artist. However, there¡¯s no need to bring it up and make the olddy unhappy. Liam frowned, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of that gem. Isn¡¯t it a luminous pearl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from a friend of hers. I¡¯m not sure either. We¡¯ll know when we go see it.¡± Liam said impassively. Tll go with you two.¡± The olddy nced at him, ¡°If you think Celeste alone is too noisy, how can you handle such a crowded ce? You would get even more irritated, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Liam said with a straight face, ¡°I¡¯ll try to get used to it. I can¡¯t just keep sending Celeste away, can I?¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. Damn him, his excuses were always on point! Mason¡¯s grandpa had four children, with the first three being sons and the youngest one a daughter. Being the only daughter, the Fletcher family spoiled Krista a lot. Krista herself was quite aplished, being a prestigious school graduate, having a sessful career, anding from a wealthy family. The only w would be her marriage It was said that she got divorced after being married for just a few years with a daughter. Although she had always had boyfriends since, she never remarried. A few years ago, she found a boyfriend who was more than a decade younger than her, and they got engaged despite objections. They hadn¡¯t held a wedding yet, probably because her family still disagreed. Celeste envied her. A fifty-year-old woman could find herself a thirty year-old boyfriend as long as she was rich. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Originally, Celeste thought that it would be a small private jewelry exhibition. However, when she arrived at the ce, she realized how luxurious it was. The exhibition venue was huge, decorated extravagantly within just a few days. There were nearly a hundred security guards and many local socialites in attendance. Luxury cars lined up in front of the entrance. Mr. Robinson parked the car, and they all entered the exhibition center together. The Reed family¡¯s olddy had a very high reputation and rarely attended various activities after retiring. As soon as she arrived, she immediately became the focus of the event. Many socialites rushed to greet her, and even though the olddy had aged, her mind was still clear. She could remember the names of most people, and even those she didn¡¯t know she would politely respond to. The olddy had very good connections in town, which also benefited Celeste. ¡°Why is Grandma here?¡± Seeing the group not far away, Kaylee Reed frowned and said, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t Grandma tell you she will come? And she even brought that woman with her.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Skyler stared at them coldly and didn¡¯t say a word for a while. Finally, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and say hello to Grandma.¡± Kaylee grumbled, ¡°Grandma is always partial to my big brother and that woman. I¡¯m not going to suck up to her.¡± ¡°Your grandma is partial to her because of your big brother. You are her granddaughter, and she loves you as well. Hurry up and go. Don¡¯t make a scene.¡± Reluctantly, Kaylee went over. ¡°Grandma.¡± The olddy turned around and saw her granddaughter. She smiled lovingly, ¡°You¡¯re here too.¡± ¡°I came with my mom. It¡¯s Aunt Krista¡¯s exhibition, so of course we have toe and support her.¡± Skyler said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I thought you didn¡¯t want toe. What changed your mind?¡± Sienna, showing up with her granddaughter-inw who was not the one rumored to be her favorite, made the socialites gossip. Skyler¡¯s high position in the socialite circle was, to arge extent, due to her outstanding son and Sienna¡¯s years of prestige. Her own family¡¯s strength was rtively average. This was simr to Celeste. Both of them came from ordinary backgrounds and married into wealthy families. Just now the socialites were questioning why Sienna hadn¡¯te, and Skyler told them that the old lady¡¯s health was not good. But now that she came with her grandson and granddaughter-inw, Skyler felt a bit embarrassed and could only try to save face. The olddy, like Liam, was a pro at passing the buck. She did so skillfully by ming Celeste, ¡°Celeste insisted on meing. I had no choice but to apany them.¡± Celesteined in her head but said, ¡°You¡¯re such a great grandma to me!¡± Looking at Celeste unpleasantly, Skyler said in a low voice, I thought Liam was not feeling well, so I didn¡¯t invite them. If you wanted toe, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Meaning, your hubby¡¯s feeling under the weather, and you still drag him out for this event? Is that really okay? Celeste immediately shifted the me onto Liam, ¡°it¡¯s Liam who said he¡¯s bored out of his mind at home and insisted oning out. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Liam¡­. Although Skyler knew she was lying, Liam didn¡¯t speak up to expose her, so she didn¡¯t say much either. She just gently said, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, take good care of Liam ¡°I will, ma¡¯am¡± Skyler turned to the olddy with a polite and respectful attitude, ¡°Krista is right over there. Let me take you to see her The olddy nodded and turned to her grandson, ¡°Take Celeste around, and if she likes anything, just buy it for her.¡± Skyler¡¯s figure momentarily paused, shooting a cold nce at Celeste, before helping the olddy leave. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 The scene stirred all thedies around. Everyone was trying to make sense of it in their own way. People always said that the olddy and Skyler had a great rtionship, but for so many years, even when Skyler¡¯s husband was alive, the olddy had never taken care of her like this in public. However, the olddy seemed to favor Celeste a bit too much. Of course, Liam¡¯s father passed away when he was young, and the olddy was biased towards her oldest grandson. Naturally she would extend her love to the wife as well. This wasn¡¯t abnormal, yet just this alone made the otherdies envious. They were morous on the surface, but they all had some bumps with their inw¡¯s family, and even if they were well-matched, friction between mother-inw and daughter-inw couldn¡¯t be avoided. But Celeste, born ordinary, married into a wealthy family, and so adored by Sienna, naturally made others envious. Celeste, meanwhile, was whispering to Liam at the moment, ¡°If I like something, and you buy it for me, it won¡¯t be taken from my billion, right?¡± Liam helplessly said, ¡®Did Shawn Campbell starve you when you were young? Why are you so stingy when ites to money?¡± ¡°Well, not really, but who doesn¡¯t like more money?¡± Celeste suddenly asked, ¡°How old is Mason¡¯s aunt?¡± Liam was a bit confused by the change of topic, but still answered, ¡°Two years younger than my mom.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s over fifty too, right? Does she look very young?¡± Liam said. ¡°You¡¯ve met her.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°That Mrs. Meyer who yed cards with youst time.¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°Mrs. Meyer is Mr. Fletcher¡¯s aunt?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°She did look young Skyler had been well maintained, looking just in her forties even past fifty, but Mrs. Meyer looked even younger. No wonder she found a much younger husband. Liam looked at her, ¡°Does this have anything to do with your love for money?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? As long as I take good care of myself, I can pick a young husband at will, and the maintenance costs are high. I have to save up for it in advance.¡± ¡°That bracelet looks nice,¡± Celeste pulled Liam, ¡°let¡¯s go have a look.¡± Liam pped her hand away, his face gloomy, ¡°Go pick your husband.¡± After saying that, he left with a cold face. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. This man really has a temper! Celeste didn¡¯t mind him. With the olddy around, he wouldn¡¯t leave anyway, so she went to look at the jewelry alone. The Fletcher family was indeed very powerful, and the jewelers present today were all big names. Krista was able to gather them all together, which showed her connections and status. Celeste loved jewelry and jade, especially jade. She wandered around for a while and finally took a fancy to a jade bracelet. The transparent base had a green color, which was clear and beautiful. The bracelet was wide, suitable for older women. The price was reasonable at just over a million. Sienna¡¯s birthday was approaching. In the past few years since she joined the Reed family, the olddy had always treated her well. The olddy was turning eighty, and even if she couldn¡¯t attend the birthday party, she had to give her a gift. Before tonight, she had eyes on the bracelet that Adriana Reilly bought, but the price was a bit high for her. But this time, she felt this bracelet would be perfect. Celeste was about to grab the bracelet, but someone was faster and had already taken it in their hands. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 ¡°Dad, what do you think of me wearing this bracelet?¡± A familiar female voice made Celeste¡¯s lips tighten. Then she heard a familiar male voiceughing, ¡°Looks good! If you like it, just buy it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over a million dors¡­¡± The girl hesitated, ¡°It¡¯s too expensive. Forget it. Your project needs money right now. I can¡¯t help you with that, and I shouldn¡¯t give you any more trouble.¡± Someone nearby praised, ¡°Mr. Campbell, your daughter is really sensible, always thinking about you.¡± Shawnughed and said, ¡°She has suffered a lot since she was a child, so she¡¯s more sensible and more lovable than other kids.¡± That person joked, ¡°Just buy it if she likes it. It¡¯s not too expensive. Girls need to see the world, so they won¡¯t be easily swayed by men in the future.¡± Shawn was about to speak when Celeste¡¯s cold voice came from the side, ¡°Dad, are you going to buy it?¡± Shawn¡¯s smile froze, only then realizing that the person who had been standing with her back to them was Celeste. Celeste turned around with a sneer on her face. Angel Campbell pretended to be surprised, ¡°Celeste, what are you doing here?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look at her. Angel bit her lip as if she were wronged Shawn still remembered their conflict at the hospital. He wasn¡¯t expecting Celeste to show up tonight as well. Helen pinched him, and he stopped looking surprised. Helen said enthusiastically, ¡°Celeste, your dad said you¡¯d be at home taking care of Liam. If we had known you wereing, we would have picked you up.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes fell on Helen. The woman looked to be in her forties, not very beautiful, but had seductive eyes and a good figure. She was dressed youthfully and looked as if she were still in her thirties. She was clinging to Shawn, talking like the mistress of the ce. She was the woman Celeste had met in the parking lot of the mall before, the one who was with Shawn. She remembered that this woman was Shawn¡¯s secretary The woman hade to their house to deliver some documents before when her mother had died for about a year. She felt sick that day, took a sick leave from school and came home, just running into this woman. At that time, Shawn was sending her out, saying that thepany¡¯s secretary was delivering documents. She remembered this woman well because her eyes made her feel somewhat ufortable. The woman felt Celeste¡¯s gaze and naturally let go of Shawn¡¯s hand, saying with a smile, I¡¯m just temporarily acting as Mr. Campbell¡¯s femalepanion.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t be bothered with what was going on between them. As long as Shawn didn¡¯t bring anyone home, he could do whatever he wanted. However, she really couldn¡¯t stand the way this woman spoke. Even just now when she exined herself, she did it with an air of superiority. Speaking with an icy tone, she said. ¡°I¡¯m talking to my dad. What¡¯s it to you?¡± Helen¡¯s face tightened, and Shawn quickly jumped in, ¡°How can you talk to an elder like that?¡± ¡°Dad, just because she¡¯s your secretary doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s my elder, right? If you need a female companion, just let me know. I do know some divorced or widoweddies who¡¯d be more than happy to help out. It doesn¡¯t look too good if you¡¯re dating your secretary, right?¡± Angel frowned and said, ¡°Sis, that¡¯s going too far. Dad¡¯s relied on her help with work for all these years, and we, as daughters, haven¡¯t even expressed any gratitude. How can you talk like that?¡± Celesteughed softly and looked at Shawn, ¡°When mom had her ident back then, I worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle thepany on your own. But it turned out thepany was doing just fine. So it was Helen who was helping out, huh? This is my bad, I apologize for that.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Helen, who was already flushed with anger, now felt her face burning red with embarrassment. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Shawn¡¯s macho attitude used to cause a lot of arguments with Caitlyn. People often said he was lucky to have married such a good wife, or else he wouldn¡¯t have achieved so much. After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, he hurried to take control of thepany, wanting to prove to everyone that he could still seed even without her. What he hated most was people saying he relied on a woman. Celeste just yed on this point, shifting the disaster onto Helen. Shawn¡¯s face darkened as he coldly said, ¡°What help? She¡¯s just a femalepanion for the party¡± Helen, looking pale but with excellent restraint, bowed her head and said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Angel wanted to say something but saw Helen¡¯s gesture, and ended up just biting her lip in silence. A nearby salesperson gently asked, ¡°Miss, would you like this bracelet?¡± Angel calmed down and nced at the distance, suddenly having an idea. She lowered her head, looking shy and hesitant. ¡°It¡¯s too expensive. I¡¯ll look for something else.¡± Just as Celeste was about to speak, a sarcastic male voice rang out, ¡°Let your sister buy it for you. The money is nothing for the Reed family. Back in the day, she always gave you whatever she didn¡¯t want, and now that she¡¯s married into a wealthy family, she¡¯s got to take care of her little sister, right?¡± Celeste looked up and saw a young man in a suit, about her age, with a clean-cut, star-like appearance. His name was Jarvis, and he was Celeste¡¯s high school ssmate Her eyes involuntarily darkened at the sight of him, as he brought back some unpleasant memories.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Angel looked nervous. ncing at Celeste fearfully, she stammered, ¡°Jarvis, don¡¯t say that. My sister has been good to me.¡± Jarvis scoffed, ¡°Good to you by giving you her trash like charity? Taking you in has earned her quite a reputation, so she ought to treat you well, right? But how does she actually treat you?¡± Jarvis¡¯s family was quite powerful in J City, and as soon as he spoke, others began chiming in. That adopted girl from the Campbell family is Angelica, the inte celebrity, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her. No wonder she looked so familiar. So Celeste is the sister who¡¯s always been giving her a hard time?¡± ¡°Exactly. When the Campbell family adopted Angel, they made headlines and earned a lot of money. But soon, rumors spread that they didn¡¯t treat her well, but instead were making her life miserable. However, Angel persevered, graduated from a prestigious university, and now works for a top-100 company. In contrast, the Campbell family¡¯s biological daughter graduated from somemon school. She¡¯s lucky she¡¯s pretty, otherwise, the Reed family wouldn¡¯t have given her a second look.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, we went to the same school! She once got into a massive fight there, leading to the news about her mistreating her adopted sister. She¡¯s quite a fierce one! I can¡¯t believe she managed to marry into the Reed family.¡± Shawn frowned, about to say something but was stopped by Helen, who said. Think about what Celeste has done.¡± Shawn held back, pursing his lips. Celeste¡¯s expression grew icy, but these words could no longer hurt her as they once did. Instead, they only confirmed and strengthened her view of Angel. Angel was an orphan who had lived in an orphanage. The very same one Caitlyn and Shawn sponsored. As stakeholders in the orphanage, they were often invited to various charity events. During one event, there was an ident. A warehouse storing donated supplies caught fire, and a child was trapped inside. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Thankfully, firefighters arrived quickly, extinguishing the ze and rescuing the trapped child. The incident received widespread attention, with live media present to cover the rescue. After the child was taken to the hospital, many reporters and kindhearted people came to visit her. Many people wanted to adopt her, but she was extremely distrustful of strangers, so no one was sessful. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. However, the orphan happened to trust Shawn and Caitlyn very much. In front of the reporters cameras, she would always cower in fear, hiding in Shawn¡¯s embrace. People following the story urged Shawn and Caitlyn to adopt the girl, and with time, the calls grew louder. Shawn and Caitlyn had always engaged in charity to boost their reputation. Now, presented with such a golden opportunity, they found it hard to refuse. With the help and encouragement of others, they eventually adopted Angel and named her so. After being adopted by the Campbell family, Angel attracted much attention. To showcase her growth, Shawn created a Twitter ount to update her daily life. Once Angel began junior high, she managed the ount herself. Over the years, the ount gained millions of followers, and Angel became a very influential inte celebrity. This rags-to-riches transformation, with its inspirational, wholesome, and optimistic image, indeed brought her many benefits. But that was merely the side the public saw. In Celeste¡¯s heart, Angel is nothing like what the inte believes her to be! Celeste was not happy when she first learned that her parents were adopting Angel. Growing up, her parents had always been busy, leaving her little attention. Now that they were finally sessful and had more time, they brought in an adopted sister, which, naturally, she wasn¡¯t thrilled about. But when Caitlyn told her about Angel¡¯s background, she changed her mind. Having a sister didn¡¯t seem too bad, at least someone could keep herpany After a brief struggle, she soon decided to be friendly towards Angel At first, Angel was super careful and well-behaved, which, when contrasted with Celeste¡¯s bustling energy, made her seem incredibly gentle and docile. Not only did Shawn like her, but Caitlyn also praised her for being sensible from time to time. Soon, she became a real member of the Campbell family Everything seemed normal as the story unfolded. But it onlysted for two years. The year Angel was adopted, Celeste happened to be in her second year of junior high. Two years later, she got admitted into the High School of J City. Because the high school had a closed-off management policy requiring students to live on campus, she ended up spending more time at school. What should¡¯ve been her golden time to hang out with her ssmates and make friends, for young Celeste at school, gradually proved to be a time of istion Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 At first, she thought she was just overthinking it, but gradually, those weird looks became more and more frequent until one day someone scribbled on her desk, cursing her with words like ¡°bitch¡± and ¡°cheap.¡± That¡¯s when she realized something was really wrong. The person who scribbled on her desk was soon found out to be Jarvis. At the time, he was already known to be quite arrogant even in front of the principal. It wasn¡¯t until the principal threatened to ¡°call his parents¡± that he gave a reason. It turned out that Jarvis was a diehard fan of Angel, following her every move since the adoption incident. He said that after Angel was adopted, she wasn¡¯t happy. Her family had been treating her like an outsider, and Celeste, her sister, would often bully Angel, making her eat their leftovers and wear clothes they had already worn out. Celeste waspletely confused: She had never done such things! In his defense, Jarvis pulled up Angel¡¯s Twitter. ¡°My sister gave me a cake, mango-vored, which I hate. She seems to have forgotten or never remembered.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s my birthday, and I hope next year I can have a whole birthday cake like my sister, instead of just leftovers¡­¡± ¡°My sister gave me a skirt. It¡¯s pretty, but I wish it was new.¡± ¡°My sister¡¯s friend asked if I was an orphan. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I wish I were their biological daughter¡­¡± The more Celeste saw, the more shocked and chilled she felt. Based on these posts, everyone would think that Angel was being treated unfairly in this family, and Celeste was the main culprit. In fact, she did give Angel a cake, but it was not leftovers. The unevenness in the picture was due to the rain that day. While taking the crowded bus, the cake got bumped. She cut off the damaged part and ate it herself, giving the untouched part to Angel. Angel never told her she didn¡¯t like mango cakes. Celeste liked mangoes, and when she asked Angel, Angel also imed to like mangoes. That¡¯s why she ordered a mango vored cake for Angel¡¯s birthday! As for the skirt, she had actually taken note of Angel¡¯s size, and asked Caitlyn to buy it for her as a gift while they were shopping together. Since it was quite expensive and she didn¡¯t want Angel to feel burdened, she imed it was the wrong size for her and that it couldn¡¯t be returned, so she could only give it to Angel. The tag was never removed. How could it have been worn before? She finally saw Angel¡¯s true color on that day ¨C her thoughts and what she showed werepletely different. She could appear to be close to you while badmouthing you behind your back. Back in the day, Angel¡¯s story caught attention in J City. She was cute and gentle, and many ssmates were her fans. So, her ¡°enduring it in silence posts on the inte immediately gained everyone¡¯s sympathy and induced outrage. Compared to Angel, Celeste had a more privileged background. She never wanted anything, academically well-achieved and popr with both teachers. and students. Yet, she still bullied the poor Angel. How could people not hate her? Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Shocked and angry, Celeste confronted Angel about why she was attacking her online. Of course, Angel wouldn¡¯t admit it, crying and shouting that she only posted those things to document her sister¡¯s kindness, with no other intention. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Shawn thought Celeste was making a big deal out of nothing, even ming Celeste for not giving her sister new gifts and for giving her unwanted items as presents Caitlyn had some suspicions but ended up not saying much due to Shawn¡¯s defense. In the following days, she took Angel to buy many clothes and moved her to the room right next to Celeste¡¯s. This ¡°fair treatment¡± made Celeste see Angel¡¯s true nature clearly Over the years, the worsening of the rtionship between Celeste and Shawn was also partly driven by this ¡®good sister.¡± Angel was best at winning people¡¯s sympathy with her background and weakness to achieve her goals. Now, at the jewelry exhibition, the surrounding gossip sounded just the same. ¡°Can¡¯t believe she¡¯s that kind of person.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No wonder Kaylee hates her so much. Everything happens for a reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Angel to turn up so well in their family with such a sister.¡± ¡°I heard initially Angel was supposed to marry Mr. Reed, but on the blind date, she suddenly got sick, and Mr. Campbell had to let his eldest daughter fill in. That¡¯s when Celeste charmed Mr. Reed with her beautiful face.¡± ¡®Really? Missing such an important blind date because of sickness? That¡¯s so strange.¡± Jarvis nced at Celeste and provocatively said, ¡°Maybe someone was up to some mischief?¡± Celeste was now in the spotlight. Her marriage to Liam had already aroused everyone¡¯s jealousy, and combined with Kaylee not liking her, her situation was exposed again, giving everyone a chance to step on her They didn¡¯t care about the truth behind what happened back then. Angel looked at Celeste, secretly pleased with how ufortable thetter was. She then said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My sister and brother-inw are in love. Besides, it¡¯s all in the past, and we were both young and ignorant. I¡¯m already very grateful to the Campbell family for adopting me.¡± Though it seemed like Angel was defending Celeste, her words wereced with craftiness. As an adopted daughter, even if treated unfairly, she was still grateful and didn¡¯t expect more. Didn¡¯t this just confirm the fact that Celeste was sidelining her? Celeste looked calmly at these people¡¯s faces. After so many years, she was no longer impulsive and easily angered. She smiled and turned to ask Shawn, ¡°Dad, Angel is 22 years old now, right?¡± Shawn paused for a moment before answering. ¡°In a few months, she¡¯ll be 23. ¡°When I got married, Angel had just barelye of age. I really don¡¯t know how these rumors started, and some people actually believe they¡¯re true!¡± Those who had been furious earlier found their faces turning red with embarrassment. Of course, this rumor was ¡°identally¡¯ leaked by Angel through her friends on purpose. Angel was well aware that people didn¡¯t really care whether the rumors were true or not. All they cared about was pushing Celeste down as much as they could Belittling Celeste gave them a perverted sense of thrill and satisfaction. These people had done simr things in the past, and it wasn¡¯t the first or second time Celeste had been isted in public. Too afraid to fight back, Celeste had always been very cautious since she had married into the Reed family, always worried that any mistake would cost her her social status. Knowing Celeste well, Angel assumed that she would either swallow her pride and go silent like Kaylee said, or she¡¯d argue like she had done previously. In either case, Angel felt confident in handling the situation and bringing down Celeste¡¯s reputation even further. However, this time, things unfolded in a way Angel didn¡¯t expect. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Jarvis scoffed, ¡°Everyone¡¯s saying you¡¯re too harsh on your sister. Why don¡¯t you talk about that?¡± ¡°Harsh?¡± Celeste chewed on the word before suddenly asking Angel, ¡°Angel, since you came to our family, have I treated you badly, or have my parents mistreated you?* Angel was still thinking about Celeste¡¯s recent changes, and was caught off guard when her name was mentioned. Wasn¡¯t this exactly what she had been thinking? She immediately pretended to be scared, ¡°No¡­no, everyone¡¯s been good to me. You always think of me and let me have my share. Jarvis, just drop it.¡± The more she acted like this, the more Jarvis felt he was upholding justice and showing his heroic spirit. ¡°She lets you have your share, but she also lets you wear old clothes and eat leftover cake? Celeste, did you think that just because so many years have passed and Angel deleted the posts, no one would remember all those things?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also puzzled, Celeste suddenly put on a heartbroken expression, and said sadly, ¡°Angel, ever since you joined the Campbell family, I¡¯ve treated you like my own sister. I share everything with you, my favorite dresses, my favorite cakes, anything I think is good, I want to give to you. Even the jewelry set my husband gave me when we got married, aren¡¯t you wearing it right now?¡± Angel was startled and unconsciously tried to hide her hand. The ne she wore, the bracelet on her wrist, and even the earrings were all part of the Reed family¡¯s gifts to Celeste. Of course, the jewelry set wasn¡¯t given to her by Celeste but rather by Shawn, because Celeste thought it was ugly. Angel resented Celeste but loved the jewelry set. Worth over three million, the set is very rarely worn. She had only put it on today for the special asion, only for Celeste to recognize it and use it as leverage Her face turned ugly. The Reed family members were all present, and there was no denying the truth. Celeste, that bitch! She really underestimated her! She gritted her teeth to suppress her anger and whispered, ¡°I remember all the good things you¡¯ve done for me, sis.¡± ¡°Why did you put thosements on the inte if you remember? Celeste¡¯s tone changed suddenly, exuding sharpness. Angel panicked, realizing that she was being counterattacked by Celeste. But Celeste turned the tide and relentlessly pursued her, ¡°If you have any problem with the way you¡¯re treated, you can talk to me directly. Why do you have to make such statements? Because of those words, I was alienated at school and then rejected by my dream school. I don¡¯t me you for that. I just can¡¯t understand why you did it?¡± In fact, the dream school issue was made up by Celeste. They actually did grant her an offer, but she decided she didn¡¯t like the school very much and gave it up herself. But what does the truth have to do with it, as long as people believe whatever they hear? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste¡¯s series of counter-questions steered the conversation in a different direction. ¡°I heard about that incident back then. I have a cousin who was ssmates with Celeste. They were close and often hung out together. When Celeste went shopping she would always get two of everything. My cousin asked her why, and she said it was because she had a sister at home. After the incident blew up online, my cousin was quite surprised because just a week before the incident, she and Celeste were out shopping for a birthday present for her sister¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°Celeste didn¡¯t graduate from some random college. She graduated from the University of T, so what she said about the unexpected rejection should be true.¡± The University of T is notoriously difficult to get into. Only very talented students would be admitted. Angel¡¯s school wasn¡¯t even one of the top five in their area, so the notion that she was more talented than Celeste was ridiculous. ¡°Besides, giving away millions worth of jewelry; my own mother didn¡¯t even treat me that generously.¡± ¡°If what Celeste said is true, isn¡¯t Angel an ungrateful person? Others treat her so well, and she spreads rumors online and destroys their reputation?¡± ¡°Generally speaking, people in extreme fear tend to find the person who first saves them the most reliable and depend on them. But after the fire, Angel only attached herself to the Campbell family. I found it weird when I saw the news this kid is too calcting, so it¡¯s no wonder she did such a thing.¡± The public opinion shiftedpletely. Compared to Angel¡¯s baseless rumors, Celeste¡¯s evidence was solid. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. With witnesses and material proof, Angel couldn¡¯t find a way to refute. Angel¡¯s face now looked ugly with surprise and rage. Just as Celeste was about to continue, Shawn hurriedly spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. Why bring it up now?¡± Celeste red at Shawn. He only jumped in like this because he was worried about Angel. When Celeste was being ndered just now, he didn¡¯t seem anxious at all. ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t bring this up. I just wanted to know the truth. Haven¡¯t you always hoped that we sisters would get along? I¡¯ve been holding onto this matter for many years. Isn¡¯t it good to get it out today?¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°Angel was young and didn¡¯t understand things back then. Didn¡¯t she delete the posts afterward? What¡¯s the point in bringing it up again?¡± ¡°So, Dad, you mean that Angel really did make up those stories on the inte?¡± Shawn suddenly realized that he¡¯d been tricked. He frowned at Celeste, ¡°Angel is adopted and naturally sensitive. If she vents her emotions online, can¡¯t you, as her sister, give her some ck?¡± Celeste felt like her heart was encased in ice. Shawn was still defending Angel at this point. She was about to speak, but she heard a softugh from behind, ¡°Your father-inw is so unfair, dude. It¡¯s almost unbearable. Isn¡¯t your wife his biological daughter?¡± Shawn was startled and looked up to see the person talking. Liam was standing not far away, looking like he didn¡¯t give a damn. The one who had just spoken was Nics, standing next to him. The two seemed to have been observing the scene for quite some time. Liam¡¯s appearance made those who had just been pointing fingers at Celeste immediately shut up. Celeste impatiently red at Liam, thinking, ¡°Why the hell did this guy show up now, stealing my thunder?!¡± As for Shawn, he was feeling a bit panicky. He still remembered that after he had beaten Celeste in the hospitalst time, he lost several big clients that very night. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Those clients were allpanies rted to the Reed family. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Liam knew something and did this on purpose. Anyway, he had just defended Angel. No matter how cold Liam was to Celeste, he wouldn¡¯t just stand by idly and watch her suffer. Shawn was annoyed. He should¡¯ve realized it sooner. With Liam injured, how could Celestee to the jewelry exhibition all by herself? Thinking about this, he immediately changed his tone, ¡°Mr. Francis, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Of course I love Celeste, my only biological daughter. It¡¯s just that Angel is adopted, and I feel sorry for her being all alone, so sometimes I can¡¯t help but take more care of her. Mr. Francis, you haven¡¯t built a family yet, and you naturally don¡¯t understand the difficulty of being a father¡± Nics smiled and abruptly said, ¡°I heard that the second daughter of the Campbell family just bought a new car a while ago, and it cost hundreds of thousands, right? Liam, I remember when you got married, your father-inw gave your wife a small Cayenne as a dowry gift. How much was it worth?¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°One hundred thousand.¡± Celeste was a little surprised. Liam usually couldn¡¯t care less about the car she got as her dowry, but he actually knew the price. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. When Nics mentioned the car, Shawn immediately had a bad feeling, and sure enough, Nics continued, ¡°The biological daughter¡¯s dowry car is worth one hundred thousand, while the adopted daughter casually buys one worth hundreds of thousands. Your wife has been in aa for six years, Mr. Campbell, and you don¡¯t care for your own daughter who has been without a mother since such a young age, but continue to disadvantage her for an orphan. I really don¡¯t get it.¡± Hearing his words, no one spoke up for Angel anymore. After epting her sister¡¯s dowry of more than three million, driving a car more expensive than her sister¡¯s gift, and taking advantage of all the benefits of the family, Angel still went online to mock her sister, repaying kindness with hatred. ¡°Howe people who seem so nice online turn out to be so evil?¡± ¡°When Liam got married, I heard the gift money was worth nearly one billion. And the Campbell family only gave a lousy car. How can they be so cruel?¡± ¡°What was Shawn thinking? Favoring an adopted daughter over his own?¡± ¡°The adopted daughter knows how to act pitiful. We all must have been fooled by her!¡± Angel¡¯s look was distorted, and Shawn¡¯s face was turning green and pale. ¡°What can a car prove? Maybe Mr. Campbell ispensating Angel for something Celeste did when she was young. Angel was only fourteen years old when she posted those things online, and how could a 14-year-old girl have evil intentions? She was just documenting what she saw and felt. After all these years, who can tell right from wrong? What¡¯s suspicious is Mr. Francis bringing up the car. Maybe Mr. Francis is encouraged by Liam and is biased towards Celeste¡± At this point, someone actually chose to turn a blind eye. This person was, of course, Jarvis. Celeste really didn¡¯t understand how she had offended this guy who seemed determined to fight her to the death. Angel clearly twisted the facts, and now he said that what happened when Angel was young had long since passed, and it was all mere spection? Such double standard! Just as she was about to get angry, she suddenly heard Liam coldly say, ¡°So what?¡± Celeste was taken aback and looked at Liam curiously. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Jarvis waspletely choked. He had heard that Liam was indifferent to Celeste and had been coldly watching from a distance during the earlier part of the incident. When he finally stepped in, he didn¡¯t say much, but who would have thought that once he opened his mouth, he was to protect Celeste so? Shawn¡¯s gaze subtly swept over Celeste and Liam, and suddenly he came up with a n. His attitude suddenly changed, and his tone became kind and amiable. ¡°Mr. Francis, you misunderstood. Both of them are my daughters, and I wouldn¡¯t favor one over the other. When Celeste got married, I was tight on money, so her dowry might seem inadequate. The car Angel got was in fact for me. She needs transportation to get to work, so I let her use my old car once I got the new one.¡± Nics raised his eyebrows in response, ¡°Oh! In that case, since Mr. Campbell¡¯s not so tight on money now, why not give your daughter an additional dowry gift to make up for the past? Or else wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing?¡± Since Shawn wanted to establish a loving father image at any cost, shouldn¡¯t there be some practical actions to show it? Shawn was silent for a moment, feeling annoyed and angry while pretending to be calm. ¡°Of course. I will prepare something when we¡¯re back home¡± Liam suddenly nced at the bracelet Celeste had just been looking at, and whispered, ¡°This bracelet isn¡¯t bad.¡± Nics immediately understood, ¡°Mr. Campbell, don¡¯t wait until you go home. This bracelet is quite good. Use it topensate for your daughter¡¯s dowry. With so many witnesses here, it¡¯s quite decent.¡± Shawn despaired. If he went home to prepare the dowry, no one would know what he actually came up with. However, if he prepared it here, he would have to fork over real money He¡¯s put on the spot now. Knowing it was a trap, he had to ept it. ¡°I heard from Mr. Campbell that you wanted to give it to your younger daughter just a few moments ago. Now that it¡¯s going to your elder daughter, suddenly you¡¯re hesitant?¡± Nics sure knew how to annoy people. Shawn took a deep breath and forced a smile, ¡°How could I be?¡± After that, he said to the sales staff, ¡°Please help me wrap up this bracelet.¡± Then, he looked at Celeste with an affectionate gaze, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Celeste sighed inwardly. After this incident, Shawn would probably hate her to death. But unbelievably, he could still y this loving father-daughter act with her here. Lowering her eyes, she obediently epted his gesture, ¡°Thank you, dad.¡± After that, she nced at Angel and saw her burning with jealous hatred. Celeste smiled and gently said, ¡°Angel must be upset that I just took her favorite thing. Angel had no idea that Celeste could take advantage of her at this moment. Everyone¡¯s gaze was now turned to her again. Angel¡¯s previous hateful expression still lingered, which people saw She nervously lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Sis, don¡¯t say that. You gave me such precious jewelry and treated me like a real sister. This bracelet is nothing I¡¯m happy as long as you like it.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Celeste smiled slightly. ¡°That¡¯s good. We can¡¯t ruin our sisterly bond over a bracelet.¡± Angel wanted to p Celeste, but she could only swallow her anger. I¡¯m d you don¡¯t me me, sis¡± Jarvis couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and slipped away at some point. Celeste felt a bit disappointed. She had wanted him to see how her goddess was exposed, but he left early Finally, the drama was over, and Celeste got a free bracelet, which put her in a great mood. Her gaze at Liam became much kinder. Smiling, she said to Liam, ¡°There are some really nice cufflinks here. Take a look around and pick a pair. I¡¯ll get them for you.¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Liam looked at her. She was squinting her eyes like a silly, yet charming, little fox. Liam¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he was about to speak, but Nics interrupted him jokingly. ¡°Celeste, why don¡¯t you ask if there¡¯s a gift with the purchase of this bracelet? I think Liam really likes free gifts.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°When did I ever say I like free gifts?¡± Nics blinked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you two fightst time because Celeste gave your pair of socks to Mason?¡± Celesteughed, ¡°It¡¯s not because the socks were free. He just doesn¡¯t like me disposing of his things randomly. It¡¯s just his possessiveness acting up.¡± Possessiveness¡­ Nicsughed for quite a while before someone came to find him. He greeted them and then left. Celeste held Liam¡¯s hand, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s pick something.¡± Liam looked down at the delicate fair hand in his palm and slightly tightened his grip. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He always said that Celeste was greedy, but in fact, every time she got an unexpected fortune, she would share it with him. Thinking about it, Liam checked the price of those cufflinks, the most expensive pair costing 38,000 He hesitated for a moment, thinking that although she liked sharing, it wasn¡¯t much that she shared. The cufflinks were from a niche brand, not too expensive, but the salesperson was very enthusiastic and kept rmending different styles to Celeste. Celeste picked them up one by one andpared them on Liam¡¯s sleeves. Liam let her fiddle with them and calmly asked, ¡°That Jarvis, how do you know him?¡± ¡°That guy is my high school ssmate. We were in the same junior and senior high school, and even in the same ss several times.¡± ¡°Why is he targeting you so much?¡± Actually, Celeste didn¡¯t quite understand either. She and Jarvis used to be quite familiar because they were often in the same ss. Their only disagreement was in their views on certain things. When she was a teenager, she thought dating was normal. Boys and girls would get together if they liked each other and break up if they didn¡¯t. Enjoying the present was the most important thing. But Jarvis was quite old-fasioned and opposed to dating at an early age. If there was a rumor in the ss about who was dating who, she would gossip with him, and he would frown and say that those people were not doing their jobs and were wasting their parents¡¯ money for fun at school. Over time, Celeste stopped talking to him about those things. Once, a ssmate borrowed her notes and found a love letter in them while flipping through. It was a super cheesy letter. There was no signature, so she didn¡¯t know who wrote it She wasn¡¯t in the ssroom at the time, and the ssmates circted the letter among themselves. By the time she came back, the matter had already caused an uproar among all. Rumors about her dating someone spread quickly, and after that, Jarvis seemed to not like her much. Her ¡°misconduct probably disgusted him. There wasn¡¯t much friendship between them in the first ce, so Celeste quickly forgot about it. Who would have thought that guy would be Angel¡¯s die-hard fanter? Liam pursed his lips, ¡°What about the person who wrote you the love letter? Didn¡¯t you get together?¡± ¡°Who knows who wrote it? Celeste helped him put on a silver-white cufflink and said, ¡°I used to get love letters every day. Am I supposed to be with everyone who wrote one? Besides, that letter was too much, I really couldn¡¯t take it.¡± Receiving love letters every day Liam¡¯s forehead twitched Was she showing off? Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 ¡°Since you were so popr, didn¡¯t you ever think about dating?¡± Celeste replied without looking up, ¡°I already had someone I liked at the time, so why waste other people¡¯s time?¡± Liam paused for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s settle for this one.¡± Celeste stood up, ¡°What do you think?¡± Liam looked down and said, ¡°It shows your taste, no doubt.¡± Celesteughed, but just as she was about to say something, she heard him casually say the second half of the sentence: ¡°As always, it¡¯s unbearable to look at.¡± Celeste¡¯s smile froze on her face, and she unhappily took off the cufflinks and handed them back to the salesperson. Liam thought she would pick another pair, but she just strolled away to look at diamonds instead. Liam followed her and couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to pick cufflinks for me?¡± Celeste finally found an opportunity to mock him, ¡°My taste is not good enough for Mr. Reed, so let¡¯s just forget it.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes twitched. This woman¡¯s temper has really been growingtely! He reluctantly said, ¡°I can bear to wear it if it¡¯s a gift from you.¡± Humph, he¡¯s really taking advantage of her. Celeste deliberately looked disdainful, ¡°So you¡¯ll be tolerating it and doing me a favor every time you wear them? I really can¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Indeed I might, but¡­ Liam hesitated for a moment, nced at the row of diamonds next to him, and smiled, ¡°Buy an expensive diamond one then, so you won¡¯t feel guilty.¡± Celeste: ¡°¡­¡± Not far away, Angel gloomily looked in Celeste¡¯s direction. She originally wanted Celeste to make a fool of herself, but instead, she ended up being the one embarrassed. Those who had been chatting warmly with her before were nowpletely avoiding her. Shawn said in her ear, ¡°Pull yourself together. How much longer do you want to embarrass yourself for?¡± Angel clenched her fists, her lips trembling with anger. Helen frowned, ¡°She¡¯s already very wronged, and you¡¯re still scolding her?¡± Shawn nced at her unhappily, ¡°How many times have I told her not to have a direct conflict with Celeste? When has she ever listened? I¡¯ve told her a hundred times to keep a low profile when picking up the car, but she still made a big scene!* Helen looked unhappy. ¡°How can you me Angel? If it wasn¡¯t for Celeste causing Mr. Reilly to lose 30 million dors, would we be in this mess right now? Would you need to be insulted by Kaylee? Angel was just trying to stand up for you. Who knew Liam woulde? And just now with the bracelet, it¡¯s obvious that she and Liam did it on purpose! Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Of course, Shawn understood. It¡¯s just that he had to give away that bracelet under the pressure. He naturally had his own worries. Liam didn¡¯t say much just now, but the way he stood there, it was obvious that he was on Celeste¡¯s side. Plus, Mr. Campbell¡¯s investment in Smart Chips was going super well, so maybe it was all because Liar¡¯d been looking out for Celeste after all. That Celeste mattered to Liam was an advantage for him. What was a braceletpared to that? He said in a deep voice, ¡°Stand up for me? You think I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking? It¡¯s all because you spoil her, encouraging her to steal the spotlight. Don¡¯t bring it up again.¡± With that, he turned and left. Angel looked almost sick. Helen nced at her and sighed, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s nothing I fear you¡¯re so impatient that you¡¯ll always be under her thumb in this lifetime.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Angel couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I just can¡¯t ept it! Why does Celeste get so much?¡± ¡°Because she married well. With the support of the Reed family, she¡¯s useful to your dad so he naturally favors her, Helen said indifferently. ¡°You need to step up your game, find a good partner, and your dad will take you into consideration.¡± Angel didn¡¯t buy it. In J City, which family canpare to the Reed family?¡± Helen frowned. ¡°Forget the Reed family. The only eligible young man left in the Reed family is Wesley Reed, and he¡¯s far from Liam in many ways. Besides, he loves ying with women and is not a good partner¡± Angel scoffed, ¡°Why can¡¯t it be Liam?¡± Helen felt a tight grip on her heart. You¡¯d better give up that idea quickly Even if Liam were interested in you, he¡¯d only y with you and break your heart. He wouldn¡¯t give you a proper status. Do you want to walk the same path | did?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Angel pursed her lips and said nothing, but she still thought to herself: If Celeste can marry Liam, why should she only be yed with? ¡°Recently, I asked Mrs Meyer to inquire about some eligible young people in J City and picked out a few good matches for you. Once you get your job settled, we¡¯ll arrange for you to meet them.¡± On the other side of the room, as soon as Liam finished speaking, the salesperson immediately began enthusiastically rmending diamond cufflinks. She thought this stingy woman would argue with her partner, but instead, Celeste started selecting seriously. Finally, she chose a pair of square cufflinks with small diamonds. Celeste held up Liam¡¯s sleeve to compare and then looked up at him, ¡°How about these?¡± Liam looked at her sparkling eyes and couldn¡¯t help but waver. He looked away and said casually. They¡¯re fine, I guess. Right at this moment, a man¡¯s voice came from the side, ¡°These cufflinks suit Mr. Reed very well. You have a good eye, madam.¡± Celeste looked up and was quite surprised. It turned out to be Simon Rowley, with his wife Micha Sanders. Liam didn¡¯t have many good friends, and the Rowleys was one of the few. She felt that among the friends who got along well with Liam, she thought the best of Simon. Of course, her fondness for Simon had a lot to do with his twin brother, Gavin Rowley. Simon¡¯s wife, Micha, was a capable detective in the criminal investigation squad despiteing from an ordinary background. Unlike Celeste who had married into the Reed family by luck, Micha and Simon were truly in love. For Micha, Simon defied the pressure from the Reed family and married her. He must have really loved her. Simon was about as tall as Liam, with a more introverted and humble personality. He also had a gentle voice, but his looks were quite aggressive. Micha looked serious when she didn¡¯t smile, which was a professional habit. She was taller than Celeste, probably over 5¡¯8¡å. When other wealthy women attended jewelry exhibitions, they always wanted to wear their finest jewelry and most beautiful clothes. But Micha was very casually dressed. She had smooth hair at shoulder length, and was wearing a white blouse paired with ck pants, and white t shoes. The only piece of jewelry she wore was her wedding ring Despite her casual attire, she was tall and had a beautiful figure. She looked stunning. ¡°Mrs Rowley, it¡¯s been a while since we saw each other, Celeste greeted softly. Micha nodded, ¡°Indeed¡¯ Hello¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Micha wasn¡¯t talkative, and she wasn¡¯t close to Celeste, so after exchanging greetings and making small talk, she didn¡¯t say anything more. On the other hand, Simon chatted with Liam for a while. The Rowley family was in the inte business with top-notch technology in the country. They had a close business rtionship with Quantum. Quantum used the Rowley family¡¯s processing system for their internalwork. The two families were also close. Celeste wasn¡¯t interested in their conversation, so she stood idly by, wondering if she should leave if Liam continued to chat. Just as she was hesitating, Simon suddenly turned to her and asked, ¡°What has Sienna been up to lately?¡± Celeste snapped back to reality, ¡°Not much, just tending to the garden at home. I¡¯m actually quite idle.¡± Simon spoke softly, ¡°I heard you studied acting in college. Didn¡¯t you take on any roles afterward?¡± Celeste was taken aback. Why was he suddenly asking about her acting? She sneaked a nce at Liam but couldn¡¯t read his face. Unsure why Simon asked, she cautiously replied, ¡°I acted in some ys during school, but I haven¡¯t acted since I graduated.¡± Simon smiled and said, ¡°Could you do me a favor then?¡± ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°My wife recently received a task from the criminal investigation squad to find an actor. I was wondering if you would be willing to help.¡± Celeste was surprised. What could the criminal investigation squad need her help with? ¡°May I ask why you need an actor?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Tll exin.¡± Micha said gently, ¡°Our department has recently been coborating with a TV channel tounch a legal program, aiming to bring some ssic cases to the screen for public legal education. However, finding actors has be a problem. It¡¯s essentially a public welfare program, so our funding is very limited. Professional actors find the pay too low and are unwilling toe. So the task of finding actors was assigned to each department.¡± So that¡¯s what it¡¯s about¡­! ¡°I don¡¯t have many actor friends. Simon said he¡¯d help me find one, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be you, Celeste.¡± Simon said he would help her find an actor, which was why she agreed to attend this jewelry exhibition. In fact, when she first saw Celeste, she had a feeling, but she didn¡¯t expect Simon to be actually talking about her. Celeste was just too pretty, with bright features and a well-proportioned figure. Celeste has a fit body with a cute tiny face. That¡¯s why she looks just as good on camera as other female stars, even though she might be a few pounds heavier than those other actresses. If she agrees to join the program, she¡¯ll definitely make the section chief happy, but in reality, Celeste, being a richdy, doesn¡¯t really need the money, and she doesn¡¯t like being in the public eye because of her status. Micha didn¡¯t have high hopes, so she didn¡¯t go into details. However, Celeste was in fact very interested in it. Although the legal show wouldn¡¯t make her much money, doing a public welfare program could help improve her reputation. The incident with Actress Z was a wake-up call for her, and she realized that some things need to be prepared in advance. So, after considering it for a moment, she asked, ¡°Could you tell me more about it?¡± Micha was a bit surprised and then exined the show to Celeste in detail. The show is called ¡°Mastermind of Law,¡± a weekly show that airs during lunchtime on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The show is in the form of legal short dramas. The scripts were based on real cases from the national police database, all of which are ssic cases in recent years. Actors would recreate each story ording to the script, and then experts would exin the case and introduce relevantws and regtions to the public. The show was also to be broadcast on various short video tforms so that it could reaching a wide audience. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Celeste also found out that the director of ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± had loads of experience under his belt. He had made simr shows for otherpanies more than a decade ago, which were super popr back then. Unfortunately, due to somepany reshuffling and business disputes, the show was canceled after a few years. Even today, people still can¡¯t get over that show, and many Tik Tok video creators have used the old materials to make new content. With him in charge, it¡¯s guaranteed that the new show would be a hit just like the old one. Celeste thought to herself, ¡°I really hit the jackpoting to this jewelry exhibition. A job opportunity has just fallen into myp!¡± Trying not to look too excited, she pretended to be hesitant and said, ¡°I¡¯m interested, but I haven¡¯t acted in years. I¡¯m afraid I might not be good enough.¡± Simon chuckled. Celeste nced at him, and felt as if he could see right through her. Before she could analyze his look further, Simon said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, Celeste. I¡¯ve seen you act before, and you¡¯re great at it.¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯ve seen me act?¡± Simon paused for a moment and then said, ¡°You performed at the University of T¡¯s anniversary celebration, and I was in the audience.¡± That role was the pinnacle of Celeste¡¯s time at college. It made her a sensation. She never thought someone would remember that performance after all these years. Sheughed. ¡°Even a butcher¡¯s knife gets rusty if left unused for a few months, let alone me being away from the stage for years.¡± She paused, then said, ¡°Since Mr. Rowley has so much faith in me. I¡¯ll give it a shot. Liam, who had been listening to the conversation, frowned, ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Why not? I don¡¯t have much going on at home. This way I can help a friend and contribute to a good cause. Shouldn¡¯t you be proud of me?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind the embarrassment.¡± Celeste grumbled, ¡°If there¡¯s any embarrassment, it¡¯s on you. I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched. Celeste had just exchanged numbers with Micha when the exhibition officially began. The organizers had invited a well-known professional host for the opening speech. The Fletcher family had really gone all out for this jewelry exhibition. Celeste waspletely engrossed in the event when Liam¡¯s voice came from beside her, ¡°Are you close with Simon?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Not really, but his brother helped me before¡± Celeste knew what Liam was going to ask. As far as Liam could see, she had no connection to Simon and his wife. Yet she agreed to help them without hesitation, which seemed unreasonable Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell Liam her real motive, but she was confident in deceiving him. ¡°Gavin?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°What did he help you with?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°He helped me when we got married¡± Back when she and Liam got married, Liam left her alone at the ceremony, and everyone made fun of her. To deal with the situation, Skyler had her go from guest to guest, thanking friends and family while toasting No matter how good the girls alcohol tolerance was, there was a limit After seven or eight drinks, she was already feeling dizzy Those prim and proper people at the event turned into beasts in human skin, constantly filling her cup with strong liquor She had already drunk a lot, and if she had continued, she might end up in the emergency room instead of the bridal chamber on her wedding night. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡°Why are you drinking at every table but ours? Don¡¯t you respect me as well?* Everyone started egging her on, and just then, someone snatched the wine ss from Celeste¡¯s hand and sshed it on the face of the person urging her to drink. The man who snatched the ss sneered with squinting eyes, ¡°Take a look at yourself. Do you deserve respect? Shame on all of you.¡± He pointed furiously at everyone at the table, ¡°All of you look so decent, but all you¡¯re thinking about is how to strip the bride naked. Bastards!¡± This statement offended everyone at the table. The man who had been sshed with wine wiped his face and scoffed, ¡°Who do we have here? It¡¯s Gavin, the young master of the Rowley family! Didn¡¯t you get thrown in jail for beating someone up? How did your brother get you out so quickly? You¡¯re so lucky to be born into such a good family. No matter how much trouble you cause, someone will always clean up after you. All you have to do is be a good-for-nothing¡± Gavin let out a coldugh, and the next second, he rushed forward, grabbed the man¡¯s cor, and held a fork to his throat. He said with a mocking smile, ¡°I¡¯ve never killed anyone before, so why don¡¯t I try it on you and see if they¡¯ll clean up after me?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The man had never seen anything like this before, and his arrogance vanished, leaving him pale with fear. As the situation grew tense, a voice called out, ¡°¡®Gavin, let go!¡± Celeste turned to see a man who looked exactly like Gavin. It was his twin brother Simon, the best of the younger generation in the Rowley family and the designated heir to the Rowley family. They looked identical, but their temperaments werepletely different. Gavin appeared dark and dangerous, while Simon was more reserved and gentle. ¡°Is this the ce for you to cause trouble? Let go and apologize!¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± Gavin looked down at the terrified man at his mercy, ¡°Sure, just call me daddy and apologize, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Among all the rich kids in J City, only Gavin would dare to cause such a scene. Gavin wasn¡¯t just a rich kid; he was an aggressive rich kid. He had always been a loner since childhood. In elementary school, he killed a rabbit meant for the kindergarten children to observe and stuffed the mutted corpse into a little girl¡¯s backpack In middle school, he got into an argument while ying basketball and pushed his opponent down the stairs, causing severe injuries. Over the years, his fighting, racing, and all kinds of crazy stuff never stopped, because the Rowley family always cleaned up the mess behind him. There was nothing he didn¡¯t dare do. So if he ever killed someone one day, people wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all. The fork had already pierced the man¡¯s skin, and he cried out in pain, really afraid that if Gavin added a little more force, he would die right there. Dignity is important, but is it more important than life? The man immediately gave in and begged for mercy. Simon¡¯s face dropped, ¡°Are you done making a scene?¡± Gavin nced at him, let go of the man, threw the fork into the wine ss, and muttered, ¡°Boring.¡± Then he swaggered off. No matter what the outside world thought of Gavin, Celeste was actually quite grateful to him for what happened that day. What she didn¡¯t expect at the time was that such a wild and unruly person were to die drowning. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Gavin drowned on the very day of Simon¡¯s big wedding. She and Liam attended the wedding that day but didn¡¯t see Gavin. Since it was a beach wedding, it was a bit far from downtown. To make it easier for the guests, the Rowley family booked many rooms for them at a nearby beach hotel. However, right after the wedding, they received a call from home saying that grandma had taken a fall. So, they didn¡¯t stay there overnight and hurried back to the city. The drowning incident happened just on the night they left. There were many spections about what happened that night, but the Rowley family never gave a definite exnation except that it was an ident. The guests staying at the hotel that night werepletely clueless. By the time they found out, Gavin had been rushed to the hospital and soon dered dead No one knew what kind of emotional rollercoaster the Rowley family went through as their wedding turned into a funeral. But one thing was certain, Gavin¡¯s funeral was very low-key, and there was very little media coverage of the incident. People in J City sighed when they mentioned Gavin, thinking that if it was retribution, it was too light. However, Celeste genuinely felt it was a pity. The gratitude was still in her heart, which was why she easily had a good impression of Simon, who looked just like Gavin. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. That¡¯s how it happened If it weren¡¯t for Gavin stepping in that night, I might have spent my wedding night in a hospital, Celeste said calmly. 7 didn¡¯t get a chance to repay him before he died. Now that Simon is asking for my help, I can¡¯t refuse.¡± Liam looked at Celeste with aplex expression, and after a moment, he asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you ever mentioned any of this to me before?¡± Celeste smiled and looked up at him, ¡°Liam, when you left me alone at the wedding, didn¡¯t you think something might happen to me?¡± Liam pursed his lips, swallowed hard, and said after a moment of silence, ¡°I had an emergency that day Celeste lowered her head, ¡°You always have some emergency to deal with.¡± It didn¡¯t mater if it was their wedding or her mother¡¯s critical illness, or if she needed a family member¡¯s signature at the hospital. Sydney¡¯s call always meant that she was not to be his top priority. She has gotten used to it and didn¡¯t say anything anymore. Liam remained silent for a long time. Although she was trying to deceive Liam by not letting him find out the real reason she wanted to ept the role, when she actually uncovered the scars, It still troubled her ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve already agreed to help. If you think it would make the Reed family lose dignity, let¡¯s get the paperwork done first. When your family asks about it, I won¡¯t be considered a Reed family member anymore, and it won¡¯t affect you¡± Liam red at Celeste unhappily, ¡°Fine, just do it! I¡¯m already used to being humiliated by you!¡± Celeste was about to make Liam exin to her how she had ever made him lose dignity when suddenly, the lights dimmed in the exhibition hall. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Dear guests, please move forward in an orderly manner, pay attention to safety, and avoid stepping on each other. We are all excited for this moment, but please remember: Safety first. Please put away your phones. No photography is allowed, as the sh will affect the disy of the Luminous Pearl. We have a professional camera crew that will record the entire process and share it with you afterwards.¡± So, the Luminous Pearl was about to be disyed. Celeste couldn¡¯t help but move forward, with Liam following closely behind. When all phones were turned off, the lights above gradually went out, leaving only the faint red light of the infrared surveince and the green light from the emergency exit. The room were pitch ck, and people couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s faces even if they were close. Thank you for your cooperation,¡± the host¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Now, let¡¯s have our staff remove the cover and enjoy this treasure that has been sealed for more than two thousand years¡± As the cover was removed, a faint light emerged, and it gradually spread out. When the cover was completely removed, a soft purple light enveloped the stage, emanating from a tennis ball-sized pearl inside the ss cover. The room gasped. Although everyone had seen Luminous Pearls before, most of what they¡¯ve seen were green or yellow- white. This pale purple light was extremely rare. People who were far away couldn¡¯t see clearly and squeezed forward. Celeste was pushed around in the crowd. Someone quickly supported her, shielding her between the disy case and himself. Liam was really something today, knowing to protect her. Was it because what she had just said made him feel guilty? The host introduced the origin of the Luminous Pearl on stage while people around continued to squeeze forward, bumping into Celeste from time to time. At this point, she had to lean back. Feeling Celeste leaning, Liam stiffened and unconsciously stepped back, keeping the distance between them. Celeste frowned. What was up with this guy? Why did he get all cuddly with her before if he didn¡¯t want her to be close to him? She gritted her teeth and leaned even closer to him, but Liam still tried to avoid her. Annoyed, Celeste wrapped her arms around his waist, ¡°If you push me away, I¡¯ll tell grandma you have a mistress outside and want to divorce me!¡± Liam stopped dodging her. Celeste maintained this position while watching the Luminous Pearl on stage. The pearl emitted a beautiful glow, and the host on stage calmly exined its origin. It turned out that Krista saw it at an auction and then spent 8 million dors to buy it. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. To allow audiences from all over the country to appreciate the beauty of the Luminous Pearl, an exhibition would be held every mid-month, and it would be officially donated to the National Museum at the end of the year. After listening for a while, Celeste finally understood that the exhibition of the Luminous Pearl was just a gimmick. It¡¯s real purpose was to attract people to the exhibition and sell jewelry. The jewelry sales alone tonight should far exceed the money spent on buying this pearl. If they hold ten more exhibitions like this one, they can make enough money to buy dozens of pearls. Now that I think about it, Mr. Fletcher¡¯s aunt and you are quite simr, both heartless business people¡± The person being hugged suddenly froze, and Liam¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Celeste, who are you talking to?¡± Celeste was taken aback. The voice wasing from behind? Liam was at the back? Then who the heck was she hugging? Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Just then, all the lights in the venue were turned on again, and Celeste squinted her eyes, waiting to see who she was holding. She waspletely stunned. ¡°Mr. Fletcher?¡± Liam¡¯s face dropped instantly. He saw Celeste holding onto Mason like an octopus, looking up rather stupidly at his face! He gritted his teeth, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Celeste snapped back to reality. She immediately wanted to let go, but Liam grabbed her wrist first, forcefully peeling her off Mason. Celeste¡¯s wrist hurt, but she didn¡¯t have time to cry out in pain. She just felt so embarrassed. She wished there was a crack in the ground she could crawl into. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Fletcher, I mistook you for someone else.¡± Then she whispered aint to Liam, ¡°Weren¡¯t you by my side? Where¡¯d you go?¡± Liam was clearly unhappy, ¡°You hugged someone else and didn¡¯t let go, and you still me me?¡± Celeste was speechless. Can¡¯t you help ease the embarrassment for me? In the end, it was Mason who said, ¡°It¡¯s understandable to mistake someone in that situation just now. Besides, I do have a simr build to Liam.¡± His words eased Celeste¡¯s embarrassment. In fact, what Mason said was true. He did have a simr build to Liam, and his clothes also had a simr pine scent on them, which led to Celeste mistaking him for Liam. ¡°I just met Nics. He said you guys were here, so I came looking for you¡± Celeste remembered that she had declined Mason¡¯s invitation on the phone earlier, and now that she appeared at the jewelry show, he must feel ufortable. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Grandma said she wanted toe and have a look, and we felt like we shoulde with her.¡± 1 saw Mrs. Reed.¡± There were many people around, and everyone unconsciously raised their voices. Mason said, ¡°It¡¯s crowded here. Liam is still injured, and it¡¯s easy to bump into people. I¡¯ll take you to the front where we can sit down.¡± If Simon had left a good impression on Celeste, then Mason at this point definitely seemed like an angel. Gentle and polite, his words and actions were always thoughtful and considerate, never making people feel ufortable. How could such a perfect person¡­ be friends with someone like Liam? This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Wondering about this, Celeste looked at Liam with disdain. Liam was confused. Then he saw her gentle look to Mason, ¡°Thanks for the trouble, Mr. Fletcher,¡± Liam: ¡± Mason led them through the crowd, and as soon as they reached the front row, someone ran over and jumped into Mason¡¯s arms, ¡°Mason, where did you go?¡± A coquettish voice. Who else could it be but Kaylee? Mason looked a bit helpless. He patted her on the shoulder, ¡°Kaylee, you¡¯re an adult, and there are so many people watching. This isn¡¯t appropriate. Let go quickly Kaylee smilingly retorted, ¡°No! I haven¡¯t seen you for days¡± Mason wanted to say something, but Skyler¡¯s frustrated voice came from the side: Look at this child! She¡¯s over twenty years old and still acts like a little kid, always sticking to Mason Honey, behave yourself¡± A plump but beautiful womanughed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t she just a child? She¡¯s been hanging out with these boys since she was young, and her rtionship with Mason is the best, so how could she change so quickly?¡± ¡°Even if she can¡¯t change, she¡¯s already grown up and can¡¯t act like this forever. What would it look like when Mason has a girlfriend?¡± The beautiful womanughed and said, ¡°Then let Kaylee be his wife! Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡± Kaylee blushed, and she said shyly, ¡°Godmother, what are you talking about?¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Mason frowned and pushed Kaylee¡¯s hand away, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t joke around. Kaylee is much younger than me. She¡¯s like my sister.¡± Kaylee anxiously said, ¡°But I¡¯m not really your sister¡­¡± ¡°Kaylee!¡± Skyler scolded, ¡°Go and help your grandma¡± Kaylee was reluctant to let go at first, but seeing Skyler¡¯s serious face, she had to grit her teeth, let go, and leave. After Kaylee had left, Skyler sighed, ¡°She never grows up.¡± The beautiful woman was Mason¡¯s mother. Celeste had met her a few times. Although she looked a bit chubby, she was very elegant, and her eyes revealed her youthful charm. Shanna Fletcher and Skyler were close, which was why Kaylee was considered her goddaughter. It was clear that both women wanted this marriage to happen, but Mason seemed unwilling Skyler could see that, and naturally didn¡¯t want her daughter to appear cheap and clingy, so she sent Kaylee away after Mason¡¯s words. Between the two children, Celeste always felt that Skyler was more intimate with Kaylee, while with Liam she had always kept a polite distance. ¡°Kids, don¡¯t always be so demanding.¡± Shanna Fletcher said softly, then cast a gentle look on Liam, ¡°I really envy you, Skyler, for having both a son and a daughter.¡± Skyler said, ¡°So what? Neither of them listens to me when ites to important matters.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Shanna Fletcher of course understood what she was suggesting ¨C Skyler was not very satisfied with this daughter-inw. But Shanna Fletcher didn¡¯t respond. It was someone else¡¯s family affair, and it wasn¡¯t her ce to interfere. She just smiled and said, ¡°Let the younger generation handle their own affairs. We can¡¯t always control them.¡± Celeste kept her head down, already used to Skyler¡¯s veiled barbs. The two women were chatting when Mrs. Meyer, Mason¡¯s aunt Krista, and the organizer of the private jewelry show, came over surrounded by a group ofdies. Krista looked radiant and dazzling in her white gown. She seemed younger and more energetic than her peers, probably because she had married a younger man, She was holding hands with a young man who appeared to be in his thirties. He was tall and thin with a handsome face. This must be Krista¡¯s husband. ¡°Why are you guys just standing here? Aren¡¯t you gonna check out the stuff you like?¡± Skyler said, ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for that big surprise you mentioned. When¡¯s it gonna happen?¡± Big surprise? Wasn¡¯t that Luminous Pearl already a big enough surprise? Krista chuckled, ¡°What kind of rare stuff haven¡¯t you seen in this world?¡± ¡°A gem infused with good luck by the most powerful fortune teller? I haven¡¯t seen that one.¡± Although Celeste hadn¡¯t met this fortune teller, she had heard a lot about him. Most of the rumors were about his extraordinary abilities. And this fortune teller was quite a character. It was said that he rarely showed up, and even if you were rich and powerful, he wouldn¡¯t appear unless he wanted to. As a result, it was near impossible to get him to charge a gem with energy. Despite this, the entrance to the fortune teller¡¯s house was always bustling, thanks to the contributions of richdies. So when thesedies heard about a gern infused with good luck by this fortune teller, they were naturally very interested. Krista smiled and said, ¡°Indeed, the fortune teller did infuse the gem, but it¡¯s not mine. It belongs to a friend of mine. The fortune teller said that my friend¡¯s temperament isn¡¯t strong enough to control the gem, so if she insisted on wearing it, the gem¡¯s energy could backfire. So, it was left with me to sell¡± Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 ¡± actually quite like that gem. It¡¯s just that it doesn¡¯t match my vibe. The fortune teller gave me a number, saying that if a buyer draws this number tonight, they¡¯re definitely the one meant to have it. The family that gets it will be blessed with good fortune, abundant wealth, good health, and longevity. and all their wishes wille true.¡± Hearing this, all thedies got really excited. A destined person predicted by the fortune teller himself! No matter whichdy is lucky enough to win it tonight, she will be the center of attention. Mrs. Garberughed and said, ¡°Tell us the price now so that we don¡¯t get our hopes up in vain.¡± Krista chuckled, ¡°Wait for it to be disyedter, and you¡¯ll know.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You¡¯re such a tease,¡± Sienna¡¯sugh came from behind, and everyone made way for her. Sienna walked steadily, followed by Kaylee, ¡°Hurry up! There won¡¯t be anyone left to see it if you dy the exhibition any longer. Krista stepped forward to help the olddy and said gently, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do as you say. How could I not?¡± Then she turned to the man next to her and said, ¡°Joe, go let them know.¡± The man left as instructed. Krista kept her distance from everyone, even the respected Skyler. Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and she chatted with people with a smile. Yet she seemed particrly close with Sienna.. Mason noticed Celeste¡¯s confusion and whispered, ¡°When she was young, she lived with the Reed family for a while. Granny Reed treated her like her own. daughter, and they even promised that she would marry into the Reed family when she grew up.¡± Celeste was very surprised. It turned out that Krista had a marriage arrangement with Liam¡¯s father. So, was she a love rival to Skyler? But then again, who would take a marriage arrangement between kids so seriously? Just as she was thinking, she heard ady say. ¡°Is it a jade bracelet?¡± Another jade bracelet? Celeste looked in the direction of the voice and saw the disy next to the Luminous Pearl. The ss cover had been removed, revealing a dark green bracelet. The close-up of the bracelet was shown on the big screen behind it, and the more Celeste looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. Eventually, she was sure that it was the same bracelet that Adriana had bought from Nics¡¯s shop earlier. Was this the bracelet the Reilly family wanted to auction off? No, Adriana didn¡¯t even know the Fletcher family, so how could they be so close with Krista, and even have her promote the bracelet to thesedies? Remembering Shawn¡¯s presence, Celeste quickly looked back. Angel seemed to have anticipated Celeste¡¯s gaze and had been watching her all along. When their eyes met, Angel put on a malicious smile. Celeste felt her heart sink and suddenly had a bad premonition. The bracelet itself was of excellent quality, and now with the fortune teller¡¯s blessings, thedies were even more eager for it.. ¡°So this is the final jade bracelet? It does seem like a nice item.¡± ¡°Ive never seen such a beautiful shade of green before.¡± ¡°This jade bracelet has the fortune teller¡¯s blessings, so of course, it¡¯s pure treasure. The color is very eye-catching.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of liking it? It¡¯s all down to drawing lots; we don¡¯t know who will get it. Mrs. Kelley, do you want to tryter?¡± Seeing Skyler staring at the bracelet closely, Mrs. Kelleyughed, ¡°I¡¯m just here for fun. My hands are busy picking up and dropping off kids all day, so wearing a bracelet is not very suitable for me. But I think this bracelet would look great on Skyler. Her skin is so smooth, and it would look stunning on her¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Skyler smiled slightly, ¡°I used to think jade bracelets were inconvenient, prone to bumps and scratches. But now that I¡¯m older, I like jade for its health benefits. But it¡¯s all about fate; even if I really like it, I might not be able to get it.¡± Mrs. Kelley said, ¡°The bracelet¡¯s starting price is 20 million. There aren¡¯t manydies here who really like jade and are willing to spend that much, so the odds are pretty good.¡± Thedies were all smart, and even without the fortune teller¡¯s blessings, the bracelet would be worth at least 20 million. But now, with the added value, the price would surely soar to 30 or 40 million, making it a great buy and a chance to show off. But now that Skyler had expressed her interest in buying it, if they jumped in first, they would undoubtedly offend her. The Reed family¡¯s business was extensive, and almost all of thedies¡¯ family businesses had ties to the Reed family, with projects worth far more than 20 million. There was no need to risk offending Skyler for the sake of showing off. Skyler remained silent, her eyes clearly determined Krista, holding Sienna, asked softly. ¡°What do you think? Do you like the bracelet?¡± Sienna smiled kindly. ¡°Would you have gone to all this trouble if it wasn¡¯t good?¡± Krista smiled, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m just doing a friend a favor. He urgently needed to sell this bracelet, and since I was having a jewelry exhibition, I brought it over for him. All I charge from him is a booth fee.¡± Celeste listened quietly. The bracelet had cost Adriana 30 million at the time, and now at such a big event, it was only selling for 20 million. The price might have been pushed down by Krista. Celeste didn¡¯t understand why Krista would help the Reilly family sell the bracelet but also deliberately lower the price. After the host introduced the bracelet, he called those interested in buying it to the stage to draw lots. Thedies all hesitated, and only three people stepped forward to draw lots. Two of them weredies who had no connection to the Reed family, and the third was surprisingly Nics. Celeste¡¯s eye twitched. Could he be thinking of buying it back for 20 million to sell again? Krista was a bit surprised, ¡°Nics, what are you doing up there? Come down! Don¡¯t get in the way of thedies drawing lots.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Nics grinned, ¡°Auntie, the fortune teller didn¡¯t say whether the destined person is male or female, so maybe I¡¯m the one?? Krista helplessly said, ¡°This bracelet is for women. If you really are the destined person, it would be a blow to the fortune teller¡¯s reputation.¡± Nics smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good chance to test his uracy?¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t dissuade him, Krista let him be Skyler observed the crowd for a while and was sure no one else wasing up. Just as she was about to go, Celeste¡¯s heart tightened, and she hurriedly called out, ¡°Mom.¡± Everyone froze and looked at her. Liam was also quite surprised. Celeste was extremely nervous, but she knew that today¡¯s event obviously targeted Skyler. The Reilly family wanted to recover the losses caused by her through the Reed family. If Skyler bought this bracelet, it would definitely cause trouble for her once they found out its origin, so she couldn¡¯t let Skyler buy it Frowning, Skyler looked at her with some displeasure, but her tone was still patient, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Celeste pursed her lips and whispered, ¡°Liam said you¡¯ve been interested in jade recently, so I picked out a bracelet for you. Take a look and see if you like it¡¯ Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 After saying that, she opened the bracelet she just got from Shawn and handed it over. Although the bracelet was of good quality, it was still a bit inferiorpared to the one worth over 20 million. However, Celeste could no longer contain herself. She couldn¡¯t stand by while Skyler thoughtlessly bid for that bracelet. ¡°Mom,¡± she interjected, just give it a chance. If it doesn¡¯t suit you, I¡¯ll help you select another one.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t happy Celeste had to give her the bracelet right when she was about to bid. If she didn¡¯t ept it, there would be rumors about their rtionships; but if she did, with Sienna there, she had to reciprocate. Otherwise, Sienna would think she¡¯s impolite. Also, whether she epted it or not, since Celeste gave out the bracelet, bidding for the one on stage would make people think she didn¡¯t like Celeste¡¯s gift. As expected, after Celeste took out the bracelet, Sienna said, ¡°It¡¯s your daughter-inw¡¯s heartfelt gift. Give it a try and see if you like it.¡± Skyler felt frustrated but tried to keep smiling as she took the bracelet. Coincidentally, the size of the bracelet was perfect, as if it was made for Skyler. Sienna praised, ¡°Celeste has a good eye! It suits you really well.¡± Skyler smiled awkwardly. ¡°Her taste has always been good, I really like this bracelet.¡± After Sienna expressed her opinion, manydies agreed, ¡°Skyler, you have such a nice daughter-in- law. She is filial and has good taste. The bracelet looks really nice on you¡± ¡°My girl¡¯s been married for 5 years, and she hasn¡¯t given me a decent gift. Skyler, you¡¯re really blessed to have such a daughter-inw.¡± Hearing these praises, Sienna was very satisfied, but Skyler¡¯s smile was quite stiff. Celeste knew that her mother-inw hated her to the bone. Yet, she was indifferent to the consequences; her sole focus was to prevent Skyler from purchasing that bracelet. Even if she faced reproachter, it mattered little to her, she had weathered such chastisement before. Krista finally looked at Celeste for a long while, then remained silent. Is there anyone else who wants to bid?¡± The host¡¯s voice rang out again, with no one responding. Just as Celeste was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard Sienna shout, ¡°Wait.¡± Everyone looked over Sienna walked up to Celeste, and softly said, ¡°Celeste, you go try your luck too.¡± After she said that, Celeste felt Skyler¡¯s cold gaze shoot over, as well as the envious gazes of countlessdies. Celeste was frightened. She had just solved the problem, but now Sienna shifted the focus back to her. She couldn¡¯t dare to ept and hurriedly said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not very lucky. I don¡¯t want to affect everyone¡¯s chances.¡± Sienna smiled, ¡°You silly girl, don¡¯t say you¡¯re unlucky Maybe you¡¯re the fated one the fortune teller mentioned. When I asked him to predict your future with Liam, he said you¡¯re special and with you, our family will be free from illness and disaster. Before you came, Liam had headaches and fever every few days, but since you¡¯re here, those problems are gone. The fortune teller was right.¡± Celeste thought that the fortune teller was probably a scammer. Liams headaches and fever were due to staying upte! After they got married, Liam gradually began to go to bed early and get up early with her, so his problems were gone. Sienna trusted the fortune teller, and she couldn¡¯t challenge her faith. After struggling for a long time, she could only say, ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with me Liam is just healthier¡± ¡°You¡¯ve yed a role in that anyway Go on and try your luck¡± Celeste really didn¡¯t want to go, but continued looking for excuses, ¡®Grandma, I really can¡¯t. The bracelet is too expensive, and I¡¯m too clumsy¡± The olddy seemed to suddenly understand her concerns, ¡®Are you afraid that if you win, Liam won¡¯t want to buy it for you? You don¡¯t have to worry about that. If you win, I¡¯ll give it to you. And even if you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll buy anything else you want here for fun¡± Celeste was on the verge of crying She wasn¡¯t afraid of losing she was afraid of winning! The olddy¡¯s doting words made the girls envious, even Kaylee couldn¡¯t help but be jealous Her grandma had never given her anything that expensive Why would she treat an outsider better than her own blood? She spoke up. ¡°Grandma, I like the bracelet too if she doesn¡¯t want to go, let me try?¡± Sienna waved her hand, ¡°You¡¯re still young and studying You don¡¯t need to get involved in this. We¡¯ll talk when you¡¯re older and married¡± Kaylee was discontented and wanted to say something, but Skyler spoke up, ¡°Celeste, just go ahead and give it a try If you really are the fated one, that¡¯s our Reed family¡¯s luck. The bracelet should go to you¡± Celeste¡¯s heart broken. With it getting to this point, it would be impolite if she refused again. Liam nced at her, pondered for a moment, and finally said, ¡°Since mom said so. give it a try By now, she had no choice but to go along Celeste went on stage with a heavy heart. The host handed her a box and gently said, ¡°Please draw your number¡± Looking down at the audience, Angel had a yful smile while Shawn avoided eye contact. Skyler had a gentle expression but cold eyes. Liam and Mason stood together, watching her calmly, not knowing the storm brewing inside her. ¡°Sienna, please draw your number¡± The host reminded her again. Celeste shook off her distraction, responded, and reached into the box. But just as her fingers grazed the card, she abruptly let go, mping a hand over her mouth as she was seized by a wave of nausea, retching though nothing came up. Her face turned pale, losing color instantly as she appeared to vomit bile. Everyone on stage was shocked, and the audience was in chaos as well. Sienna asked worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did this happen all of a sudden?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Mason was about to make a move, but Liam had already beaten him to the punch and went up on the stage to carry Celeste. With Krista¡¯s support, Sienna hurriedly followed. Looking at Celeste¡¯s pale and pitiful little face, she frowned with heartache, ¡°Celeste, what¡¯s wrong? Where do you feel ufortable?¡± Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Celeste leaned weakly on Liam and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m okay, Grandma. Just feeling nauseous, my vision¡¯s going dark, and I want to puke¡­ As she spoke, she turned her head and covered her mouth, pretending to throw up. Sienna was frantic, ¡°Alright, alright, stop talking. Quickly, call the doctor!¡± Krista reassured Sienna, ¡°Already on it, don¡¯t worry¡± and calmly instructed Mason, ¡°Mason, take them to the lounge first. The doctor will check on her when they arrive.¡± Mason responded and turned to Liam, ¡°Follow me.¡± Sienna couldn¡¯t help but worry, ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Krista whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t go for now. She¡¯s vomiting so much so she can¡¯t even speak. The lounge is small and crowded, and you might get even more worked up if the air isn¡¯t good. Everyone won¡¯t be able to catch a break.¡± Sienna calmed down, ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± and then ordered Skyler, ¡°Call Robinson and have the hospital send a car over just in case something happens and we need to take her there¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Liam left, Shawn rushed over, full of worry and concern, ¡°Grandma, what happened to Celeste? Why did she suddenly start vomiting?¡± Sienna was equally concerned, but she offeredforting words nheless, ¡®Don¡¯t fret, we¡¯ve called for a doctor. We¡¯ll soon understand what¡¯s going on Some people in the crowd whispered, ¡°Looking at the way she¡¯s throwing up, it reminds me of when I was pregnant. Could she be pregnant?¡± ¡°Yeah, it does look like it. Celeste¡¯s been married for over three years, it¡¯s about time she got pregnant.¡± ¡°If she really is pregnant, Sienna must be over the moon,¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Sienna just said? She told her to pick whatever she wants. She¡¯s never spoiled her other daughters-inw like this. If Celeste really is pregnant and has a grandson for the Reed family. Sienna might spoil her even more. Maybe she¡¯ll be the next head of the Reed family¡­¡± Skyler clenched her fists, looking sad. Mrs. Garber listened to the gossip and suddenly had an idea. She smiled and stepped forward, ¡°Sienna, it seems everyone should congratte you today¡± Sienna frowned and thought about the possibility of Celeste being pregnant, but it was too sudden and she was not ready to be sure. So she said cautiously, ¡°Let the doctor see what¡¯s going on first. No need to jump to conclusions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the same whether we look or not. We¡¯ve all had children and know what pregnant women¡¯s reactions are like. Besides, she¡¯s throwing up so much it¡¯s probably a boy. You can rest assured.¡± Sienna frowned and said, ¡°The Reed family doesn¡¯t have a preference for boys over girls. If Celeste is pregnant, we¡¯ll treat the child the same, boy or girl.¡± Treat them the same? Which of these big families really do treat boys and girls the same? Mrs. Garber interpreted Sienna¡¯s guarded demeanor as merely an act of discretion in public. So, she merelyughed and agreed, ¡°Indeed, indeed, they¡¯re all members of the Reed family. All of this is good news for the Reed family¡­¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Upon seeing Skyler¡¯s face getting darker, Mrs. Kelley couldn¡¯t help but remind Mrs. Garber, ¡°Mrs. Garber, adding a family member is a big deal. Let¡¯s wait for the hospital¡¯s test results first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same whether you check or not. Looking at the way she¡¯s vomiting, she¡¯s definitely pregnant. Sienna¡¯s always wanted a grandson, and now her wish is finallying true. We should definitely celebrate.¡± Mrs. Kelley¡­ Skyler ignored her and walked over to Sienna, whispering softly, ¡°Mom, Robinson¡¯s already contacted the hospital. Let me take you to rest first. You¡¯ve been standing for too long. Sienna had a joint recement surgery, so she couldn¡¯t stand for long periods. So she didn¡¯t refuse. The group left, leaving Mrs. Garber standing there in a daze. She asked btedly. ¡°Mrs. Kelley, why do I feel like Sienna¡¯s not too happy?¡± Mrs Kelley smiled faintly, ¡°If the Reed family has good news, Sienna will naturally be happy, but we need to see if it¡¯s really good news first.¡± Mrs. Garber was confused, ¡°Isn¡¯t pregnancy good news?¡± Mrs. Kelley smiled softly. ¡°Mrs. Garber, there¡¯s a saying called ¡®less talk, fewer mistakes¡±.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t wait for Mrs. Garber to open her mouth again before turning and walking away from the crowd. In the lounge, Liamid her down on the sofa.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Celesteid weakly on the sofa with a pale face, looking unwell. Mason brought back a cup of warm water just in time to see Liam wiping the sweat off Celeste¡¯s forehead He hesitated for a moment before handing the cup over, ¡°Liam, let her drink some water first.¡± Liam took the cup, looked at Celeste, drank a sip himself and proceeded to feed Celeste mouth-to- mouth. Celeste¡¯s eyes widened as she pped his hand away, sitting up and red at him, ¡°Are you joking?!¡± Was this some kind of romantic drama, mouth-to-mouth water feeding? Her swift and decisive actions made it hard to believe that she was just weak a moment ago. Liam swallowed the water nonchntly and said indifferently, ¡°Done with the act?¡± Celeste was taken aback, nced at the dumbfounded Mason, and coughed, ¡°Yeah, done with the act.¡± Then she asked confusedly. ¡°But my performance was so vivid, how did you see through it?¡± Liam put the water aside, nced at her, and said, ¡°You might be able to fool others.¡± Celeste¡­ Liam disdainfully said, ¡°Why pretend to be pregnant? Don¡¯t you know your lie will be exposed as soon as the doctores?¡± Celeste helplessly said, ¡°You think I wanted to? It was an emergency, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. I couldn¡¯t just pretend to be unconscious and scare grandma even more.¡± Liam red at her, ¡°So pretending to be pregnant is considerate?¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk! Who told you to make a decision for me without asking?¡± Seeing the two about to start arguing, Mason couldn¡¯t help but interrupt them, ¡°Celeste, are you alright?¡± Celeste immediately dropped her angry expression towards Liam and said a bit embarrassed, ¡°Just a special situation earlier.¡± Liam mused internally, had she undergone training on how to rapidly switch expressions? Celeste exined the origin of the bracelet to Mason, which helped him understand what was going on It turned out she went through all the trouble just to stop the Reed family from getting that bracelet She had once sold the bracelet in an illegitimate way, so she had a hunch that tonight was a trap targeting the Reed family, or more precisely, targeting her Someone wanted to use the same method she used to mess with her. ¡°Mr Fletcher, are your aunt and Garfield Reilly really close? Why would she help Garfield sell this bracelet?¡± ¡°Garfield?¡± Mason hesitated for a moment, ¡°I heard from my aunt that it was my uncle¡¯s friend who brought the bracelet to sell, but I¡¯m not sure about the details.¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Cuz my uncle hasn¡¯t gotten my grandpa¡¯s approval yet, we¡¯re not too close with him, so we don¡¯t chat much.¡± Turns out my uncle ain¡¯t a big shot in the family, so it¡¯s not likely to get any info from him. ¡°You¡¯re seriously worried about this right now?¡± Liam red at Celeste chatting with Mason, feeling pretty pissed off. ¡°You¡¯d better think about how to exin your lies when the doctores¡± ¡°What lies? I never said I was pregnant, that¡¯s all their imagination. When the doces, I¡¯ll just say I¡¯ve got a bad stomach. ¡°You really think doctors are dumbasses?¡± ¡°If ites to that, we¡¯ll think about bribing him¡± Liam looked at her helplessly, not knowing where she got such ideas. Masonughed and said, ¡°No need to make things soplicated. The doctor¡¯s my friend. I¡¯ll talk to himter, and he¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Celeste smiled at Mason and said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, you¡¯re such a great person.¡± Liam suddenly felt itchy on his head and couldn¡¯t help but scratch it. Sienna was waiting with a group of people outside the resting room when the doctor came out after a short time. Shawn asked eagerly, ¡°Doctor, how is my daughter?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a mild case of food poisoning.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression became mixed after hearing the news. Sienna was stunned for a moment but didn¡¯t have time to speak, as Shawn hastily asked, ¡°Food poisoning? Not pregnancy?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not pregnant. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can have her checked again at a hospital.¡± As the Fletcher family¡¯s personal doctor, he naturally wouldn¡¯t make mistakes on this matter. Sienna looked disappointed but still asked with concern, ¡°Is the food poisoning serious? Will it have any effect on her health?¡± it¡¯s pretty mild, and I¡¯ve prescribed medicine for her. She should be fine after taking the meds on time and resting for a few days.¡± Kaylee pouted, feeling let down. She had genuinely believed that Celeste was pregnant, only to find out it had been a false rm. Sienna sighed with disappointment in her eyes. Skyler said, ¡°mom, don¡¯t be too sad. This kind of thing can¡¯t be forced¡± Celeste¡¯s health is the most important thing now, so let¡¯s go in and have a look.¡± Sienna nodded and turned to Shawn and said, ¡°Come in and have a look. When Shawn learned that Celeste was not pregnant, that enthusiasm had long since faded. When Sienna talking, he quickly said, ¡°Now she may be ufortable and unable to speak. I¡¯ll find her alone in a few days.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t say much either After they went in, Helen, who had been following, appeared. ¡°It was not simple Your daughter has blocked the Reed family auction several times. Do you dare to say that she didn¡¯t mean it? From the beginning, she didn¡¯t intend to help, and even said that she could return the bracelet. I suspect that she is lying to you.¡± Shawn kept serious and said nothing. ¡°Elder brother, I suspect that she may know something that happened before.¡± Impossible¡± Shawn immediately vetoed it. ¡°Everything was destroyed at that time. How could she know anything?¡± 1 wish she didnt know Shawn, we should take precautions and not trust her too much¡± Shawn looked gloomy and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I know Celeste was pale, lying on the sofa when everyone came in Hearing the noise, she tried to sit up Sienna said quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t move, just he down¡± ¡°grandma ¡ª Sienna asked lovingly, ¡°How do you feel now? is it better?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a little queasy, but it¡¯s much better, which worries you¡¯ Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 ¡°Never mind, I thought¡­¡± Sienna paused and sighed: ¡°Forget it, take good care of yourself.¡± Sienna is whispering to Celeste. Skyler¡¯s cell phone suddenly received a text message. She looked down, her eyebrows slightly wrinkled, and her eyes suddenly became gloomy. Then she put away her mobile phone and came over and said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just send Celeste home first. Anyway, the exhibition is almost over. You have been standing for too long. Go home and have a good rest. Sienna nodded and turned to Liam and said, ¡°You take Celeste to the car. My car has a bed, so she will be morefortable lying down.¡± Krista, as the host,forted and asked Mason to send everyone away for her. Sienna is old and her legs are unhealthy, so her car is designed to be particrlyfortable. But now Celeste can¡¯t enjoy this welfare. Celeste felt moved and guilty that Sienna cared about her. She even wanted to tell Sienna the truth, but as soon as the words came to her lips, she saw Sienna handed a candy. ¡°Celeste, is your mouth bitter? Come on, try a candy and see if it will be better. If you don¡¯t like this taste, there is something else, which one do you want to eat?¡± Mr. Robinson said earlier: ¡°Madam, Celeste is not pregnant. There are mints in the box in front. She might feel better if you peel one for her.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t say anything at once. Sienna is looking forward to her great-grandson, and there is always something that pregnant women like to eat in the car, but she is pretending to be sick and lying to Sienna, and she feels more guilty. Sienna peeled one for her. ¡°After eating the sugar, close your eyes and rest for a while. We will be home soon.¡± Celeste ¡°hmm¡± and closed her eyes. Here we are. Pinecrest Manor, Liam,e and take her out of the car. Sienna didn¡¯t want to go in, but Skyler said, ¡°Mom,e in and sit down. I haven¡¯t been to Liam for a long time.¡± At first, Sienna wanted to say that she had just been here this afternoon, but then she thought that she had just lied, so she swallowed back: ¡°Then go in and sit down for a while.¡± Liam carried Celeste to the bedroom, and Skyler helped Sienna in. Celeste pretended to be really ufortable, quietly pinched Liam¡¯s waist and motioned for him to let everyone leave quickly. A little longer, it¡¯s time to reveal the truth. Liam responded to her that she deserved it. When Liam tucked Celeste in, Sienna still sat by the bed and kept telling her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She even worried about Celeste¡¯s bad appetite and wanted to transfer the cook from home. They talked for a long time. Celeste couldn¡¯t take it anymore and said, ¡°Granny, seriously, it¡¯s not necessary. The chefs at home cook pretty good, you know. It¡¯s gettingte, why don¡¯t you head back and get some rest? You don¡¯t want to wear yourself out.¡± Seeing that Celeste still didn¡¯t look too well, Sienna reluctantly decided not to bother her anymore and said, ¡°Alright then, you take care of yourself, and I¡¯lle by to see you in a few days¡± As Liam prepared to help Sienna leave, just when she was about to step out the door, Kaylee suddenly blurted out, ¡°Mom, Granny, what do you think this is?¡± Celeste¡¯s brows knitted in concentration as her gaze drifted to the item in Kaylee¡¯s grasp. Her countenance promptly stiffened Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Kaylee held an empty pill box in her hand the very contraceptive pill box she had finished and thrown in the trash bin yesterday! The maid had cleaned the room yesterday, so howe this was here? Before she could think about it, Skyler¡¯s face turned serious. She walked over to Kaylee, took the pill box from her, and examined the words on it. Her expression worsened. ¡°Celeste, what is this, and why is it in your room?* Celeste went pale. This time, she wasn¡¯t pretending ¨C she was genuinely scared. Sienna didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so she confusedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is it?¡± Skyler said in an angry tone, ¡°Contraceptive pills! No wonder she hasn¡¯t been getting pregnant! Mom, they¡¯ve been preventing pregnancy all this time!¡± Sienna looked shocked, ¡°Contraceptive?¡± Her eyes shifted from the pill box to Celeste, and finallynded on Liam as she queried, ¡°Liam, did you make her take these?¡± Ufortable, Kaylee said, ¡®Grandma, even at a time like this, you¡¯re still taking her side? If she didn¡¯t want to, could Liam force her to take it?¡± Sienna knocked her cane, ¡°Shut up! I did not ask you to speak!¡± Annoyed, Kaylee closed her mouth. Celeste was obviously ashamed. Even at a time like this, Sienna was reluctant to doubt her. She clenched her fists and before Liam could speak, she whispered, ¡°No, Liam didn¡¯t know. I wanted to take them myself.¡± Sienna was disappointed. She held back her anger and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± Celeste kept her head down, not daring to look into Sienna¡¯s eyes. She was afraid of the disappointment thaty within them. Instead of scolding her, Sienna just gave her a bitter look for a while. Eventually, she didn¡¯t say anything else, just whispered, ¡°Everyone, go home.¡± Skyler gave Celeste a cold look, left a bitingment, ¡°You¡¯re both so disappointing,¡± and then helped Sienna leave. After everyone left, Liam returned to find Celeste was gone from the bedroom. He went downstairs to look for her and found the balcony door on the second floor wasn¡¯t properly closed. Sure enough, Celeste was out on the balcony. The balcony was lush with nts and flowers Celeste had cultivated, and even though it was the end of spring, it still felt fresh. Celeste stood by the railing, watching Sienna leave. By now, she couldn¡¯t even see the car anymore. Liam approached her, asking softly. ¡°When did you take the pills?¡± Celeste replied casually, ¡°Yesterday morning.¡± That was just the day after their intimate moment. Frowning, Liam asked, ¡°Why did you take them?¡± Celeste found the question slightly funny, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood tough. Clearly, he was the one who didn¡¯t want a kid or take precautions. Now that she had taken the pills, it was as if all the me rested on her She said calmly, ¡°What if I got pregnant otherwise?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get pregnant Liam dismissed the idea immediately Startled, Celeste asked, ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Hesitant, Liam avoided her gaze as he mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t I didn¡¯t finish inside¡± Understanding dawned on Celeste, as she realized Liam would never havemitted such an oversight ¡°But even so, there¡¯s still a chance of pregnancy We¡¯re nning on a divorce, I don¡¯t want a new life to show up in the meantime, Otherwise, I need to get a surgery, and I¡¯m really scared of the pain¡± Liam felt ufortable as he swallowed before saying, ¡®No one is asking you to get the procedure. If you really get pregnant, just give birth to the child.¡± Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Celeste paused before turning to him, taking a serious tone. ¡°Liam, I don¡¯t want my child to share their father¡¯s love with someone else. If I ever do get pregnant, I won¡¯t let the kide into this world.¡± She didn¡¯t want her child to face the same fate she had. Liam clenched his jaw, his face darkening dramatically. ¡°That¡¯s for the best. I don¡¯t want another complication during our divorce either¡± With those words, he turned on his heel, his expression frigid. As he moved past, his arm identally jostled a petite pot nt, causing it to topple to the floor and shatter. As Celeste watched him leave the balcony, it took her a while to start picking up the shattered pot. Suddenly, she paused. On the ground, where Liam had just been standing, there were a few drops of blood. His wound hadn¡¯t fully healed yet, and while pretending with her and carrying her all the way back, his arm wound seemed to have reopened. Her heart tightened, and she was about to chase after him when she heard the sound of a car engine starting downstairs. Liam had driven away Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She stopped herself from following and stayed put. That night, Liam didn¡¯te home, and Celeste couldn¡¯t sleep either. The moment she heard noise downstairs the next morning, she got up. Liam had just crossed the threshold. Spotting her, he wore a vacant expression, making a beeline for the refrigerator to retrieve a bottle of water. Celeste noticed his clothes were different from the ones he had worn the night before, which meant he hadn¡¯t returned home at all. Her mouth opened, asking softly, ¡°Have you eaten? What do you want to eat? How¡¯s your wound? Did you get it rewrapped?¡± Liam closed the water bottle, chuckling sarcastically. ¡°There¡¯s no one else around, so why are you still acting?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart ached, but she kept a casual tone. ¡°The sooner you recover and go to work, the sooner you can take control of thepany, and I can get my divorce and the property I¡¯ll receive. So it¡¯s not really acting. A dark glint shed in Liam¡¯s eyes. After a moment, he spat, ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re so selfish. You only care about yourself!¡± With that, he tossed the empty bottle in the trash and went upstairs, his face dark. Celeste¡¯s nose tingled, and she started heating up the food she had prepared. As it cooked, her Facebook notifications went off. She nced over and saw a new update from Sydney. Hesitant, she decided to open it in the end. Sydney had posted a photo. In it was a pile of bloody gauze, with a caption expressing her concern. Celeste snorted. There was a bunny-shaped hairpin on the gauze. It had been used to secure the bandages when she was treating Liam¡¯s wound. It seemed someone was worried about him. Laughing at herself, Celeste turned off the stove, changed her clothes, and went out. When Trisha and her followers arrived at their meeting spot, Celeste was focused on stirring her coffee. Trisha approached, and it was only then that Celeste noticed her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t catch enough sleepst night?¡± Trisha teased, before directing her attention to the kind-faced woman at her side. ¡°This is my dear friend, Celeste, whom I¡¯ve spoken of before. She¡¯s currently in search of an assistant.¡± Celeste snapped back to reality and quickly invited them to sit down. Trisha continued, ¡°Letti, this is Miss Jta, she¡¯s four years older than us. I usually call her Jane. You called me early this morning to meet up, it¡¯s lucky Jane is avable today. Why did you get up so early?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep well, so I got up early¡± Celeste casually answered, and then began to size up Jta. Based on the info Trisha sent before, Jta should be 30 years old. She¡¯s not old, but she looks a bit worn out maybe because taking care of kids.. Jta is not tall, about 5¡¯3, slim and petite. Although her skin isn¡¯t smooth, she¡¯s dressed neatly and is still quite likable. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 So this is the assistant Trisha rmended. Celeste reached out her hand and said, ¡°Hi¡± The other person was also very frank and shook hands with her, ¡°Hi. I heard from Trisha about my situation, did she tell you?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°She said you have a child and need to take care of them on weekends.¡± The other person nodded, looking a bit anxious, ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient, I can find a full-time babysitter on weekends, which is close to my home, and I really need this job.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Before responding, Celeste asked some simple questions. Jta responded with an easy fluidity, and it was clear that she had significant experience as an assistant, even having worked with prominent actors in the past. She entered the industry at the age of 19, quit at 27, and umted eight years of experience, making her a very experienced person in the circle. The reason she quit was to get married and have children. Because of her profession, she was often not at home, and both she and her husband were not local, so there were no one to take care of the kids. They thought about hiring a babysitter, but neither of them feltfortable with that idea. The couple argued a lot about this. Eventually, after careful consideration, she quit her job to take care of their child. She found a stable clerical job near her home. Although the sry was not high, life was rtively easy. She felt that this life was stable and had no problems taking care of her child. A few years down the line, her husband¡¯s career trajectory shot upwards, apanied by a promotion and a sry hike. She anticipated a turn for a better life, but instead, she was blindsided by her husband¡¯s infidelity. Without hesitation, she proposed a divorce, and was decisive. Because of her poor financial situation, custody was eventually given to her ex husband. She could only see her child on weekends and bring them home. Moreover, her family didn¡¯t understand her, and now they were even unwilling to contact her because of the divorce. She was eager to find a job and stabilize her career, so she could have a chance to win back her child¡¯s custody. Celeste had seen many unpleasant situations after divorce. She was puzzled when she heard Jta handled the divorce so decisively. ¡°Since he was at fault, didn¡¯t you think about suing him in court? That way, even if he has a better financial situation, he might not necessarily get custody.¡± Jta shook her head, ¡°I thought so before I got married, but after bing a mother, I have many concerns. I don¡¯t want my child to be involved. Even though he wronged me, he¡¯s good to our child. After all, this is just a problem between us, and there¡¯s no need to involve the child. He has better life, and the child will livefortably with him. Once I can support myself, I¡¯ll fight for custody in court.¡± Perhaps because she deeply understood her feelings, Celeste suddenly felt very sad When you be a mother, you have more concerns, and all the bitterness can only be endured silently. She suddenly remembered what Liam had said. If we¡¯re not certain we can make it to the end, children will only be burdens. Children are autonomous beings, not instruments employed to bind someone. Regardless of the presence of children, a marriage thatcks a foundational bedrock of love is doomed to copse eventually Indeed, children can actually engender a sense of entrapment. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m suitable for the job?¡± Jta asked softly, looking very nervous. Celeste said, ¡°You should know that I¡¯m a neer in this circle, right?¡± Jta nodded, ¡°Trisha told me.¡± Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 ¡°So the sry I offer might not be as high as in your previous jobs. But during the shoot, your food and amodation will be fully covered, and I¡¯ll try my best not to arrange work for you on weekends. If you think it¡¯s OK, let¡¯s sign. But if you think it¡¯s not suitable, you can ask Trisha to help you find other jobs.¡± Jta hesitated for a moment, thinking the sry offered was quite high. When she worked with those top stars before, she indeed made a lot of money. But she¡¯s been out of the industry for two to three years, and the new employer was a neer to the circle, so the sry was still quite good. She¡¯s excited but remained calm, ¡°I can sign the contract now.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°The contract hasn¡¯t been printed yet. When it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll have Trisha contact you to sign it. Today, we have to shoot a short y, so I may need you to start working today¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°A short y?¡± It was on the way that Celeste told her about Micha asking for helpst night. ¡°I n to do this as a charity performance, without payment. Trisha concurred enthusiastically. ¡°This is indeed a positive move. Although the remuneration for a short y might not be substantial, the experience it offers is invaluable. Once your work gains poprity, people seeking information about you will find such experiences highly appealing. While our goal isn¡¯t image construction, adapting to the norms of this industry is critical. We don¡¯t have to instigate conflict, but should others show hostility, we must be particrly cautious.¡± There are many cases where actors be famous and then their dishonorable past is exposed. Some of these past events aren¡¯t even dirt. But if it¡¯s dug up by someone with an agenda, it can have a significant impact on a rising artist. Jta added, ¡°Also, in our previous show, besides the quality and values of the script, the actor¡¯s personal background was also considered. If the actor has a charity performance background, the entertainmentpany will favor them. And in the future, if there are any rted activities, they will prefer those artists without dishonorable past¡± It seems that helping out this time was indeed the right choice. *So, are you still nning on going on that Star Showdown variety show?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Remember I signed a contract with Zach Miller? During the shooting period, I won¡¯t take any commercial performances as Celestial Haze.¡± Besides, that variety show¡¯s script was too ridiculous, and she didn¡¯t want to go along with a bunch of fake drama. Trisha was a little disappointed, but respected her decision. Trisha went to thepany halfway, and Jta apanied her to the set. When they arrived at the filming location, Celeste discovered that the crew¡¯s budget was really tight. The filming location was actually a few rented rooms in a rundown localmunity There were only a dozen crew members in total, besides the actors, with a few of them being detectives who were pulled in to help. But everyone was serious, and they were very enthusiastic when they saw the arriving actors. What Celeste remained unaware of was that during this half-month preparation phase, scores of actors had flooded in for auditions, yet not a single one of them held the charm and beauty she possessed.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Busy days with no time for dating, these single young people became even more enthusiastic when they saw such a beautiful girl. But with just one sentence from Micha, everyone¡¯s enthusiasm disappeared ¡°She¡¯s already married, guys. Let¡¯s focus on work.¡± When everyone left, Micha asked her, ¡°Did you have anything going onst night? Actually, you could havee tomorrow too.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°I was just chilling at home anyway, so I thought I¡¯d come early to get used to it.¡± Micha didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Celeste¡¯s performance was excellent, and she understood precisely what the director wanted. The scene went so smoothly, it was hard to believe. Her lines were lively and immersive, even making her co-actors perform well It was the smoothest day of shooting in the past two weeks By the time they firushed, it was already dark outside The director couldn¡¯t stop praising her, asking when she would be avable toe back and shoot some more scenes. Fearing that Celeste might get annoyed, Micha declined on her behalf. ¡°Come on, she came here to help you out, and you¡¯re treating her like freebor? Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Celeste put on her coat and said with a smile, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have much going on these two weeks, so you can hit me up whenever you need help. To thank her, Micha wants to take her out for dinner after work. Celeste refused. Even though she came to help, in the end, she was doing it for herself. Besides, she wasn¡¯t that close to Micha, so having dinner together would probably be pretty awkward. Celeste dropped Jta off at home and drove to the Reed family mansion. As the car got closer and closer to the mansion, she started to feel terrified again. Being married to the Reeds for so many years, she wouldn¡¯t have had a ce there if it weren¡¯t for the protection of Sienna. But in the end, the person who cared about her the most was the one she hurt, and she didn¡¯t even have the courage to apologize. Skyler¡¯s desire for children was primarily rooted in securing her status within the family, whereas Sienna harbored a genuine affection for children. This made the deception all the more devastating for her. Celeste¡¯s car lingered near the Reed family mansion for a long time, but she ultimately turned around and left.. At the mansion, Mr. Robinson came in and said, ¡°Madam, Celeste has left.¡± Sienna stopped fiddling with her chess pieces and said, ¡°She dares to fake an illness, but doesn¡¯t have the guts to admit her mistake?¡± Mr. Robinson chuckled, ¡°You know everything, Madam. You wanted Celeste to participate in the drawing ceremony, but if she didn¡¯t go, she would be disrespectful to you. If she went, Skyler would probably be resentful. Wanting to avoid offending both sides, there was no choice but to feign illness But you almost got cheated, didn¡¯t she?¡± The old woman snorted in disgust, ¡°I feared she might unknowingly be pregnant. Never did I imagine that girl would resort to deceiving even me, secretly taking contraceptives! I allowed her to make public appearances, intending to assert her position within the Reed family. With my backing, what could she possibly have to fear?¡± The maid came in with some supplements and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Skyler is your daughter-inw, so you¡¯re not afraid. But Celeste sees Skyler as her mother-inw, so she doesn¡¯t dare to offend her. After all, she cares about Liam¡¯s feelings¡± Sienna let out a sigh, ¡°My eldest son¡¯s wife is ambitious but narrow-minded, and impatient. Celeste, on the other hand, is resilient and smart, but just too young. My body deteriorates every year, and the day I¡¯m gone, I¡¯m afraid Liam will be bullied by these people.¡± Mr. Robinson whispered, ¡°Madam, I think you¡¯re overthinking it. They¡¯re all family it won¡¯t turn that bitter.¡± Sheughed and said no more, waving her hand, ¡°It¡¯s time to rest.¡± After leaving the mansion, Celeste went to Mercy Hospital. Caitlyn¡¯s situation hadn¡¯t changed. Ever since she had a reaction to the opera, there had been no other signs of improvement. Carer ine, as per Celeste¡¯s instructions, had yed every opera recording. Caitlyn showed no response, but her heart rate fluctuated when she heard a few cassettes. ine yed those cassettes repeatedly, but s, Caitlyn¡¯s reaction remained the same. Celeste was not disappointed after hearing this, because recovering from a vegetative state was very unlikely anyway. Miracles don¡¯t happen easily. She looked through the cassettes that ine picked out and found nomon thread, neither rted songs nor the sameposer. Just then, ine asked, ¡°Celeste, can you help me download this app? My son needs me to register and send him a screenshot, but it keeps failing¡± Celeste responded, ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Realizing the issue, she informed ine, ¡°Your phone storage is full, so it can¡¯t download. Delete some unused stuff, and it should work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that on these smartphones.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you* As she cleared phone storage, ine identally knocked the cassettes onto the floor. ine moved to gather them up, but Celeste intervened. She had noticed that each marked cassette bore a unique number. Celeste picked them up, checked the rest, and confirmed that only these cassettes had numbers. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence After some thought, she snapped a photo of the cassettes, wiped the numbers off, and put them back away. At Pinecrest Manor, Martha found Liam on the couchte at night. Liam asked if Celeste was back yet. Martha offered to call her, but Liam simply said, ¡°No need ¡°So why don¡¯t you head upstairs and rest? The living room is too chilly at night, don¡¯t catch a cold ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about me. You go get some rest¡± Seeing that her words were having no impact, Martha decided to fetch Liam a cup of hot water. ¡°The madam is truly crossing the line! It was wrong of her to secretly take birth control pills, and now she disregards everyone¡¯s feelings by staying out thiste. You¡¯re injured and waiting for her ¨C it would surely break Skyler¡¯s heart if she knew.¡± Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 The nanny was on leave yesterday, and she came to work at noon today. She couldn¡¯t possibly know about what happenedst night. Martha was startled, realizing she misspoke, and hastily made an excuse, ¡°Well, I heard it from Skyler¡± ¡°My mom told you about this?¡± Martha stammered, ¡°Skyler was in a bad mood today, so, she just talked to me more than usual, mentioned this incident casually, and I remembered it.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t like Celeste, but this was the Campbell family¡¯s private business. How could she possibly discuss this with a nanny? She¡¯s lying! Celeste couldn¡¯t be that stupid, leaving the box of medicine she took days ago on the table. Upon realizing this, Liam¡¯s face instantly darkened. ¡°Martha, you can go to the HR department tomorrow to get your sry, don¡¯t bothering back after that.¡± Martha was dumbfounded, ¡°Sir, are you firing me?¡± Liam cast a frosty nce at her. You can tender your resignation, and I¡¯ll have HRpensate you with half a year¡¯s sry. That should tide you over while you seek new employment Martha panicked, realizing Liam wasn¡¯t joking. Hastily, she said, ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t fire me Skyler arranged for me to take care of you. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You don¡¯t have the right to fire me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have the right? Liam scoffed as if he¡¯d heard a joke, then coldly questioned, ¡°Martha, your file is at thepany. You¡¯re a Quantum employee What¡¯s the problem with me firing my own employee?¡± At this moment, Liam¡¯s expression was strikingly simr to Celeste¡¯s. Celeste had also said the same thing that day Back then, she hadn¡¯t taken Celeste¡¯s threat to heart. Having worked in this household for more than a decade, her position was secured by Skyler. There was no way Celeste could pose a threat to her. But Liam was different. He held power in Quantum, and Skyler only maintained her current luxurious life thanks to her son. If Liam wanted to fire her, nobody could help her. At this moment. Martha finally felt genuine fear. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Unconcerned about dignity, she dropped to her knees in front of Liam. ¡°Sir, sir. I was wrong! Please don¡¯t fire me. I need to support my family I can¡¯t lose this job. I apologize to you and Celeste. Please, for the many years I¡¯ve worked here, let me stay?¡± Liam set down his ss. ¡°Martha, I won¡¯t repeat myself. If you insist, I¡¯ll have someone escort you out¡± Martha trembled, knowing full well Liam wasn¡¯t making an idle threat. He would have someone kick her out. Jobs as housekeepers and nannies for high ranking families were highly sought after, with good pay, benefits, easy work, and luxurious gifts during holidays Likewise, this line of work heavily depended on reputation. The vis in this area housed J City¡¯s high- rankers. If she were kicked out from here, finding simr jobs would be very difficult. Martha said no more, gritted her teeth, and left in tears. When Celeste returned home the next day with breakfast, her phone bombarded her with messages. Upon noticing the sender was Skyler, her brows knitted in consternation Drawing a deep breath, she responded to one of the messages Before she could say anything else, Skyler started questioning Celeste, did you have Liam fire Martha?¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Celeste was puzzled, ¡°What do you mean fire? Mom, what are you talking about?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Liam fired Martha. She came to me crying early in the morning. What did Martha do wrong that made you want to fire her?¡± Liam fired the nanny? Celeste frowned, ¡°Mom, I was at the hospital taking care of my momst night. I don¡¯t know what happened at home. ¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s because of you that Liam vented his anger on Martha! Liam got hurt, and yet you went to the hospital to take care of your mother. Do you even know who¡¯s providing the money you¡¯re spending!¡± Celeste¡¯s face went pale, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that after you get married, you shouldn¡¯t care about your own parents anymore?¡± This was the first time Celeste talked back like this. When Skyler realized, she became furious, ¡°How dare you talk to me like that? You¡¯re so disrespectful!¡± ¡°Mom, if I can¡¯t even take care of my own mother, how would you think I¡¯d treat you when you get old?¡± Before Skyler couldsh out, Celeste continued, ¡°Besides, your son has always been fair. He must have fired Martha because she did something intolerable. You should talk to Liam. Maybe he would reconsider for your sake¡± With that, she hung up. On the other side, Skyler¡¯s face turned white. Martha cried, ¡°Sir must be firing me because of the contraceptive issue. He and his wife had a quarrel about it. Last time when Celeste didn¡¯t take the medicine on time, after I told you, she warned me that if it happens again, I¡¯ll be fired. I thought she was joking, but¡­ She started crying again. She didn¡¯t care whether Liam fired her for Celeste¡¯s sake. As long as Skyler believed it, it was enough. That way, she could prove that she was acting on Skyler¡¯s behalf and got implicated. Naturally, Skyler would help her. Skyler clenched her fists, her face darkening. Martha was working for her. Celeste unexpectedly allowed Liam to fire her worker, clearly disregarding her. Thinking of how Sienna treated Celeste, Skyler¡¯s fists tightened even more. ¡°Skyler, I can¡¯t lose this job. My husband is still looking for work, and the whole family relies on my ie. If I lose my job, what will happen to us? I¡¯ve always followed your instructions and never been negligent. Sir suddenly wants to fire me, it¡¯s like cutting off my livelihood.¡± Skyler¡¯s head ached from herints, and she pursed her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you¡¯ve worked here for many years, and I¡¯m well aware of your situation. I¡¯ll make sure this gets resolved.¡± Celeste hung up the phone and the more she thought about it, the weirder it seemed that Liam would fire Martha. Even though Martha could be somewhat sly and was appointed by Skyler, she was exceptionally competent at her work. Liam was notably selective, making it difficult for him to find a nanny that met his standards. The local gossip held that prior to his marriage, Martha had been the one managing his day-to-day life. Despite her long tenure in the household, Liam dismissed her without a second thought. Celeste couldn¡¯t figure out what was up, and was hesitant about whether or not to call Liam, when Shawn¡¯s call came in. Celeste was a bit taken aback. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Why was Shawn looking for her? Did he regret giving her the bracelet? She thought he was a real cheapskate. Caitlyn said he probably became this way because he grew up in poverty. Although he was rich now, he was still stingy, not only with Caitlyn and their daughter but also with himself. Caitlyn was totally the opposite, good at making money and spending it. Maybe because of their different views, their main arguments always revolved around money Shawn perceived Caitlyn¡¯s spending habits as extravagant and irresponsible, while Caitlyn viewed Shawn as excessively miserly and tight-fisted. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to purchase a respectable suit for meetings with significant clients, or reserve a higher-quality hotel room, out of fear that a business deal gone awry would drain his finances. But although stingy, Shawn wasn¡¯t mean. At least he was generous to some of his rtives. As hispany gradually got on track, the news quickly reached his rtives¡¯ ears. They came, near or far, to cozy up to him. Shawn wasn¡¯t good at refusing. As long as someone asked, he would try to arrange for them. Many of hispany¡¯s employees were his rtives. In her whole life, aside from her wedding gift, the most expensive thing Shawn had given her was a piano at home. Even then, he bought it reluctantly after Cartlyn prodded him Caitlyn always thought Shawn was used to hardship and didn¡¯t like extravagance. Celeste once thought the same. However, after Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn¡¯s actions showed her his heartlessness. He was willing to spend on those who were beneficial to him. Whether it was fame or interest, once they lost their value, he would kick them out mercilessly So, forcing him to give her a bracelet didn¡¯t make Celeste feel guilty at all. She even thought it was too little. Staring at the shing name on her phone screen, Celeste pondered for a moment and then pressed the answer button. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Celeste, Shawn¡¯s voice was gentle, ¡°Are you feeling better today?¡± Celeste was taken aback. Shawn rarely showed her such concern. If he did, it must be because he wanted something from her. She yed it cool and replied, ¡°Yeah, much better ¡°How could you suddenly have food poisoning? How¡¯s your appetite these days? Should I have our housekeeper cook you some food?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t bother. I have a housekeeper at home too, she can make me food too if I want¡± ¡°You always did like the food our housekeeper made¡± Celeste pursed her lips and didn¡¯t refuse any further. ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my daughter, you don¡¯t need to thank me,¡± Shawn paused and continued, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been feeling bad these past few days. I don¡¯t know how ! could be so careless and lose my temper with you. He sighed regretfully, ¡°I regretted it as soon as we left the hospital that day. Giving you the bracelet was my way of apologizing If you still have any grievances, just say it. I won¡¯t me you¡± if it was a few years earlier, she might have been moved by Shawn¡¯s words in the years before Caitlyns ident. Celeste had a good impression of Shawn because of Caitlyn painting a good image of him. However, after Caitlyns ident, his cold and ruthless choices had left her bitterly disappointed At has core he was a selfish unfeeling person His fatherly love for her always had an ulterior motive Internally she scoffed but she kept her tone light. Let¡¯s just let the past be the past. Dad. We all have our unique challenges¡± Im d you think that way Shawn sighed with rebet, ¡°There¡¯s still another thing. Angel started working at Quantum. She just arrived and probably doesnt know a lot of things You should tell Liam to be more amodating¡± Celestes face darkened ¡°Cadrit she have a job already? Why did she go to Quantum ?¡± ¡°Her previous job had no room for promotion Quantum happened to be hiring so I had her give it a try I didn¡¯t expect her to actually pass and start today I originally thought we could all get together to celebrate for her, but considering your recent poor health, let¡¯s just postpone it¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it Quanturris turing requirements were so strict Angel couldn¡¯t possibly pass by her on abilities Liam had never mentioned this before Celeste replied emotionlessly ¡°Liam doesnt like me interfering with thepany¡¯s affairs. I may be powerless to help. If Angel passed on her own, then she shouldn¡¯t have any issues i feel like you¡¯re worrying too much¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem Liam will defrutely take care of her for your sake Shawn paused and said, ¡°With Angel at Quantum, if there¡¯s something going on with Liam, you¡¯ll know right away, right? His insinuation was that he had helped her nt a mole next to Liam, allowing her to learn information more easily and secure her position. It was as if he genuinely cared about her, but what he really cared about was Angel. Quantum was different from their small family business. The Fortune 500pany she was about to join was a leading figure in the industry and a ma for top talents. Once Angel stepped through its doors, she would mingle with apletely different social stratum. With Quantum on her resume, her identity in the future wouldn¡¯t be confined to being the adopted daughter of the Campbell family, but would extend to being recognized as a high-profile talent. This would greatly help her future marriage and career. Shawn had never cared for his own daughter like this before. The whole situation felt ironic to her. She replied sarcastically. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d n everything for me.¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Shawn didn¡¯t catch the sarcasm in the conversation and said gently, ¡°I only have one daughter, and everything in the Campbell family will be yours in the future. If Angel can stand firm in Quantum, she¡¯ll be able to help you in your career even if I¡¯m gone. I¡¯m doing all this for you.¡± After hanging up, Celeste felt more and more that something was off. With Angel¡¯s abilities, how could she get into Quantum? She couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Liam secretly helped her. But Liam has always disliked the Campbell family, so why would he help Angel? This doesn¡¯t fit his style at all. Liam has always been good at separating work and personal matters. Two years ago, when a project needed a partner, his uncle asked Skyler to put in a good word for him, but Liam still refused. He doesn¡¯t even care about his uncle and mom, so what makes Angel so special that he¡¯d break his principles? Celeste thought it over and finally called Owen. At the moment, Owen was reporting to Liam in his office. Liam hade to thepany early this morning. He had originally thought that with Liam on leave for two weeks, he could get some more rest. But he didn¡¯t expect his good days to end so quickly. Suddenly, his phone rang. Liam frowned, obviously unhappy Owen apologized, looked down at the caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s your wife calling. She must be looking for you.¡± Liam paused, nced at his own phone on the side, and his face became even serious. From the time Celeste left yesterday until now, she hadn¡¯t sent him a single message, let alone a phone call. Celeste would only call Owen when she couldn¡¯t reach Liam, but now she called Owen without calling Liam first. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t looking for Liam. Owen realized this too. Seeing Liam¡¯s unhappy face, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bitter. Liam suddenly ended his vacation and came back early, so he knew something must have happened. Now it seemed that the matter was most likely rted to his wife Celeste called him directly instead of Liam, which made him very conflicted should he answer the call or not? The phone kept ringing, and Liam frowned, annoyed, ¡°Are you nning to let it ring forever?¡± Owen coughed lightly, apologized, and answered the call, of course, not forgetting to turn on the speaker. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Celeste said, ¡°Owen, is yourpany hiring new employees recently?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, there is such a thing. What¡¯s up, ma¡¯am?¡± It turned out they were really hiring new employees. Celeste frowned, ¡°Have the hiring requirements for yourpany dropped this year?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the same as in previous years. Why would you ask that?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Celeste pursed her lips. ¡°My dad said Angel was hired by Quantum. Does she meet Quantum¡¯s requirements?¡± ¡°Hmm? Actually, ourpany¡¯s marketing department is short of stafftely, especially those who are good at copy-writing and short video production. Ms. Angel is a very famous influencer, she has a lot of experience in this area, and she also studied marketing, so she was hired. In addition to Ms. Angel, there are three other influencers who are also our newly hired employees.¡± Celeste was taken aback, so it wasn¡¯t a special case? But she had never heard Liam mention it before. However, she thought about it and realized that Liam never really talked about work with her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Reed is right here, would you like to say a few words to him?¡± Celeste hesitated. Liam went to thepany? Wasn¡¯t his wound still not healed? Or was it that his first love helped him bandage his wound, and it healed faster? Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Celeste had many questions in her mind, but before she could ask them, she heard Liam on the other side of the phone say, ¡°Who wants to talk to her? Don¡¯t make decisions for me!¡± Celeste was speechless¡­ Owen let out a dry chuckle, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t take it to heart. Mr. Reed wasn¡¯t shouting at you. He arrived at the office this morning looking quite off-color. I suggested he visit the hospital first, but he was adamant aboutpleting his work. I presume his wound is causing some difort, which might exin his irritability. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you drop by the office? Mr. Reed seems to have forgotten his medication.¡± ¡°Why are you wasting your breath on her?¡± Liam¡¯s words easily shattered any quilt Celeste had. Celeste forced a smile, ¡°I think Mr. Reed¡¯s voice is quite energetic, not like he¡¯s in pain from his wound. Since he can insist on going to work, it means the wound is almost healed. Besides, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of women eager to bring him painkillers. I¡¯d better not join the crowd, so as not to make Mr. Reed even more upset when he sees me.¡± After saying that, Celeste hung up the phone without waiting for Owen to speak. Owen was stunned and looked at Liam, whose face had turned even darker. He coughed and tried to exin for Celeste, ¡°She might have been a little angry just now.¡± Liam gave him a cold nce, and Owen shut his mouth. At this moment, the phone rang again. Owen took a look and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s Skyler¡± Liam was already in a bad mood, and when he heard it was Skyler¡¯s call, his face got even longer, and he said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t answer.¡± Owen turned his phone to silent and put it aside. With an unhappy face, Liam asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Martha Zacke to resign yet? Martha was Martha¡¯s real name. Skyler had been calling Liam all morning about this, and Liam¡¯s refusal to answer the phone had already made his stance clear. *Our HR department has already called her, but as soon as she heard it was from thepany, she hung up and refused tomunicate¡± Liam looked up and said, ¡°Give her one day. If she doesn¡¯te to resign within a day, fire her for unexined absence.¡± This would make her lose thepensation for terminating thebor contract, so it seems that Mr. Reed is determined to make her quit. ¡°I¡¯ll notify the HR department.¡± If Martha were more astute, she would ept thepensation and make her exit. Armed with Skyler¡¯s letter of rmendation and her skills, finding a new job would be no hurdle. Although it might not remunerate as generously as her position in the Reed family did, it wouldn¡¯t be inferior by a considerable margin either However, if she gets fired, she won¡¯t get anypensation. Once word gets out, it¡¯ll be tough to find another high-paying gig. On Celeste¡¯s end, she spent a day attending dance sses and ended up at Mercy Hospital for the night. Lying in bed, she took out her phone to look at the cassette tape photos she had taken earlier and started to ponder their content. Assuming the six numbers were a code, there must be a specific order to them. What could it be? R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Since the numbers were hidden on the tapes, they must be rted to the tapes ¨C maybe the release years? Celeste checked and found that three of the tapes had the same year and month. Could it be the first letters of the song titles, then? She tried that, but the first letters still resulted in duplicate numbers. At this point, she was really at a loss. There were a few numbers, but no clues whatsoever. Just as Celeste was racking her brain, her Facebook received several private message notifications. Frowning, she took a nce and suddenly froze The ount sending her messages was the one she had previously mentioned to Mason as a suspected Sydney alt ount. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 She thought it was gonna be some nasty words, so she wanted to screenshot it and show it to Mason to see if it could help with the case. But when she opened it, she waspletely stunned. The sender imed to be Sydney¡¯s agent, hoping she could join Star Showdown. She had just turned down the invitation to Star Showdown, and this message came in so quickly. As Celeste scrolled down, the sender meant that her previous rification on Facebook about the change of voice actors in Legend had caused misunderstandings about Sydney. Of course, this might not have been her intention, but Sydney didn¡¯t seem to mind. The sess of Mystery Lover was the result of their coboration, which was of great significance to both of them. They hoped she could put aside her previous unpleasantness and participate in this variety show. The sender also promised that during the airing of the show, they would cooperate with the production team to attract poprity for her. The previous disharmony rumors could be eliminated through this variety show, and she could also gain goodwill. It was a win-win situation. Although it was a request, it was full of arrogance with no sincerity at all. Not to mention whether this was Sydney¡¯s agent or not, even if she was, they probably thought she should be grateful for being associated with Sydney and being noticed by others. Celeste originally wanted to scold them, but she thought about it and decided to answer cautiously, ¡°Hello, thank you very much for Ms. Denton¡¯s care. When I received the invitation from the program team earlier, I was very much looking forward to working with Ms. Denton. However, I am unable to participate in the recording of Star Showdown, and I deeply regret this. Ms. Denton¡¯s poprity is obvious to all, and although I envy her, I also know my own abilities. I can¡¯t please too many people, so I have to decline Ms. Denton¡¯s kindness and wish her sess in the recording of the show¡± Not long after she sent the message, the sender replied. ¡°How much money do you need to participate?¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°So direct, huh?¡± She replied, ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. I really can¡¯t participate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush, just name your price. Let¡¯s all record the show together, or else I can make it so you can¡¯t develop in this field, believe it or not?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh. What a big mouth, who are they trying to threaten? As far as she knew, Sydney was still under Nics¡¯s Nics Media Group. Her own background, if any, could only be Liam. Over the years, Liam¡¯s help for her has only been in the form of resource support. Liam was a very principled person. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. With Sydney¡¯s experience, it would be difficult for her to make Celeste unable to develop in the voice acting circle. Either she relied on others, or she was just bluffing. Even if she could do it, Celeste wasn¡¯t afraid, since she didn¡¯t n to do voice acting anymore. But this kind of threat made her feel very disgusted. Despite this, she quickly screenshot the conversation and blocked the sender. At Grandview Vi Sydney¡¯s face turned ugly when she saw the message rejection notification. What an ungrateful person! She originally wanted to use this variety show to rify the previous voice acting change issue in Legend and have Celeste help prove her voice acting skills to improve her recent image. She hadn¡¯t expected Celeste to outright refuse participation in the recording, rendering the funds she¡¯d poured into the program team a total waste. How could she suppress her anger? Now not only wereizens mocking her, but even some actors in the industry were making fun of her. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Her original resources were excellent, which aroused many people¡¯s jealousy, and many eyes were on her. A while ago, she took advantage of the situation to hype up her love life, giving people a handle; then, Celestial Haze hinted that she had taken the Legend voice acting job through connections, which gave these people an opportunity to widely publicize it, portraying her as an ungrateful viin. Even when Liam stepped in, her losses were still huge. She wanted to use this variety show to improve her image, but the other party wasn¡¯t cooperating. As soon as Celeste closed Facebook, Owen called. One after another, were they trying to cause trouble? She frowned and didn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to deal with Owen, but his call was mostly about Liam, and she didn¡¯t want to deal with Liam. Celeste purposely didn¡¯t answer, and Owen kept calling, the phone kept ringing. ine couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said, ¡°Celeste, just answer it, what if it¡¯s an emergency?¡± ¡°What kind of emergency could he have?¡± Celeste pouted but picked up the call anyway. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Reed has a fever of 39 degrees, do we have any fever medicine at home?¡± Celeste was taken aback and sat up abruptly from the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s the use of taking medicine at 39 degrees? Hurry up and take him to the hospital!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Mr. Reed won¡¯t go, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. I can only give him some medicine first to lower his temperature. Mr. Reed fired the nanny, and I don¡¯t know where things are in the house, so I had to call you.¡± Had Liam lost his mind? What logic justified avoiding the hospital when he was running such a high fever? Celeste¡¯s brow furrowed. Liam¡¯s father had been hospitalized due to a fever and his condition had taken a turn for the worse before he passed away. She wasn¡¯t certain if this past incident was to me, but Liam had an extreme reaction every time he fell ill with a fever, showing a distinct aversion towards medication or hospital visits. He was unyieldingly stubborn about this, rendering attempts by others to persuade him futile. So, she believed what Owen said. She pursed her lips and hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s a first aid kit in the drawer of the coffee table in the living room downstairs. There¡¯s fever medicine in it. Give him one pill first, and if his temperature doesn¡¯t drop after half an hour, you must take him to the hospital, whether he wants to or not!¡± Owen quickly agreed and hung up the phone. At this moment, Celeste didn¡¯t have the energy to think about other things. She paced back and forth in the room, feeling uneasy. Liam¡¯sst fever was inst year. It was autumn then, and it might have been due to the sudden change in weather that Liam suddenly had a fever at night. Awakened by the heat in the middle of the night, she found Liam¡¯s lips cracked and his face red. Liam was unhappy when she turned on the light, grumbling and asking her what she was doing turning on the light in the middle of the night. He didn¡¯t know he had a fever. Celeste found a thermometer and measured it, and it was almost 39 degrees. She immediately wanted to take him to the hospital. But Liam refused to go and even argued with her. To be honest, Liam wasn¡¯t intimidating when he was sick, and Celeste wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She even felt pity seeing him so miserable. Unable to persuade Liam, she had no choice but to find some fever reducing medicine for him, coaxing him to take it, changing his cooling patches time and time again, and staying by his side, hoping his temperature would drop quickly. Liarn seemed to be a bit out of it because of the fever, holding her hand and not letting go, which he had never done before. Back then, she was head over heels for Liam Just a smile from him would make her imagine them spending their lives together, let alone him holding her hand all the time At that time, her mind was filled with beautiful fantasies, and she even felt a sense of joy as if the worst was over However, what Liam said next made her heart sink into an abyss He said, ¡°Sydney, don¡¯t leave¡± Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 She started feeling disappointed in Liam, and that¡¯s probably when the problems began. She knew that her marriage to Liam wasn¡¯t what he wanted, and she understood that he always had someone else in his heart. But back then, she was young and full of confidence, thinking that since they were married, she could eventually drive away that person in Liam¡¯s heart and take her ce. But all of this was just her fantasy In Liam¡¯s heart, that person was always there, and no matter how hard she tried or how well she performed, she would never have a ce in his heart. Thest time Liam had been feverish, he¡¯d been delirious. Given the severity of his fever this time, it was likely no less severe and potentially spurred by an infected wound. Even though she was unhappy with Liam, she didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him. So, after a brief thought, she decided to go. Owen hung up the phone, found the fever reducer, and brought a ss of water upstairs. At this moment, Liam was lying in bed, one hand on his forehead, frowning, pale, and looking very ufortable. Owen spoke softly, ¡°Mr. Reed, take your medicine first. Your wife said to check your temperature half an hour after taking the medicine, and if your temperature starts to drop, there¡¯s no need to go to the hospital.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Liam lifted his eyelids, his voice hoarse, ¡°Who told you to call her?¡± Even though he was angry, his words didn¡¯t sound too intimidating because of his fever. Owen replied, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the fever reducer, and your fever is too severe.¡± Liam pursed his lips and finally asked, ¡°Did she say anything else?¡± ¡°She¡­ your wife said she hopes you take your medicine well and that she¡¯s very worried.¡± He didn¡¯t even believe the lie he made up, let alone Liam. Liam was silent for a moment and then said coldly, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, please take your medicine first. Liam frowned and said sternly. ¡°Get out!¡± Owen didn¡¯t dare to say anything more, so he left the fever reducer on the bedside table and left the bedroom. He was wondering if he should call his wife when he heard the sound of a car engine outside. Owen was startled and hurried downstairs, only to see Celesteing in with the newly purchased medicine. As soon as she saw Owen, she asked, ¡°Did he take the medicine?¡± Owen snapped back to reality and shook his head, ¡°Mr. Reed refused to take the medicine and kicked me out.¡± She knew it would be like this! Tll go.¡± Celeste said before going upstairs. ¡°Owen, if you¡¯re tired, there¡¯s a guest room downstairs. You can rest for a while. If his fever doesn¡¯t go down, we might need your help to take him to the hospital.¡± ¡°No problem, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll be downstairs if you need me.¡± After expressing her gratitude, Celeste quickly went upstairs. As soon as she pushed open the bedroom door, Liam threw a ss of water at her. The ss shattered on the floor, and Liam angrily said, ¡°I told you to get out! Celeste looked at the broken ss at her feet with a lingering fear, then walked in with a slight smile on her lips, ¡°We¡¯re not divorced yet, where do you want me to go?¡± Liam¡¯s movements froze, his eyes, now bloodshot, fixed on her. His look was one of resentment and it carried a hint of me. A few seconds passed before he asked coldly. ¡°Why have you returned?¡± ¡°Owen said you had a fever, so I came back to check on you. If you¡¯re delirious, I might be able to trick you and get a couple of billion more out of you.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he gritted his teeth, ¡°In your dreams!¡± He could still curse, so he probably wasn¡¯t too sick Celeste breathed a sigh of relief and went to touch Liam¡¯s forehead. But Liam dodged her with a disgusted look on his face. Celeste was both angry and amused. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 He was just like the stray cat at their doorstep when they were younger. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She had fed it for half a year, but because she identally kicked its head when opening the door, it refused to let her touch it ever again. Every time she reached out, it would dodge her like Liam was doing now. She couldn¡¯t catch a stray cat, but she knew how to deal with Liam. She stared at Liam for a few seconds, then kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, straddled him, and began to unbutton his shirt. Liam was dumbfounded by her sudden move and struggled when he finally realized what was happening. Celeste might not be able to hold him down usually, but a feverish Liam was like a sick cat. She quickly unbuttoned his shirt, exposing arge part of his chest. ¡°Celeste, have you no shame?!¡± Liam¡¯s face was flushed, whether from anger or fever, and even his neck was slightly red. Celeste was sitting on his waist, feeling like she was in control of this man. To be honest, she kind of liked the feeling. She shoved the thermometer under Liam¡¯s arm, covered him with a nket, and said, ¡°Why to be shy, we¡¯ve been couple for so many years? Haven¡¯t I seen every part of you before?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned even redder, and he started coughing. Celeste hugged his chest andforted him, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you being bare-chested in front of me, so why are you shy?¡± Liam¡¯s face was about to explode with anger, but when he opened his mouth to scold her, she quickly stuffed the medicine into his mouth and swiftly lifted his chin, causing the medicine to slide down his throat. Liam was already ufortable and wanted to explode with anger after being tormented by her, but then he saw Celeste¡¯s smiling eyes. ¡°How is it? Not bitter, right?¡± He suddenly couldn¡¯t get angry Liam grumbled, ¡°You try shoving the medicine straight down your throat and see if you can taste what it¡¯s like,¡± ¡°You have to take medicine like this, or it¡¯ll definitely be bitter. If you hadn¡¯t smashed the cup, I wouldn¡¯t have had to feed you like this.¡± With that, she took a pack of dried strawberries from her drawer, ¡®Eat one of these, it¡¯s really tasty.¡± As she spoke, she put it to Liam¡¯s mouth. Liam was about to refuse, but she stuffed it into his mouth again. Just as Celeste said, it tasted both sour and sweet. When a person has a fever, their tongue usually can¡¯t taste food. But the sudden burst of sour and sweet in his mouth was like a ssh of color in a ck and white painting, instantly lifting his spirits. After Liam ate the dried fruit, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Did you wash your hands?¡± Celeste paused and vaguely replied, ¡°Mhm¡± Liam immediately understood that she hadn¡¯t washed her hands, and his face darkened as he tried to spit out the contents of his mouth. Celeste quickly covered his mouth, ¡°My hands aren¡¯t dirty, don¡¯t spit the medicine out.¡± Liam was so smothered by her that he could barely breathe, and he reluctantly swallowed the dried strawberry. He really didn¡¯t have the strength to push her away, so he could only grab her wrist to signal her to let go. Celeste asked, ¡°Did you swallow it?¡± Liarn red at her, and after a while, he reluctantly blinked. Only then did Celeste let go. But the next second, Liam suddenly burst out with strength, tightly hugged her waist, and flipped her under him in one swift move He firmly gripped her neck, panting heavily, and said through grated teeth, ¡°If you dare to mess with me again, guess what I¡¯ll do?¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Liam was still sick, just a turn had him huffing and puffing, the breath he exhaled was scorching hot. Celeste wanted tough a bit, but she knew if she reallyughed, Liam would definitely get pissed off and ignore her. Why bother with a sick person? Celeste sighed and said gently, I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Reed, don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯m just worried about your health since you¡¯re so sick and not taking your medicine or going to the hospital¡± ¡°Quit trying to fool me! If you¡¯re worried about me, why didnt¡¯t youe home for two days? You¡¯re just hoping I get even sicker so you can split our assets, huh? Celeste, there¡¯s no woman better at lying than you!¡± He actually used her of being a har! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was sick, she¡¯d want to kick him off right now! Celeste coaxed him. If you were seriously ill, I¡¯d file for divorce, but then the judge wouldn¡¯t support me, you know. We vowed to stick together through sickness and health¡± Liam¡¯s anger subsided a bit, and then he heard this careless woman say, ¡°At least wait for two or three years, and if you really can¡¯t recover, then I¡¯ll file for divorce¡± Liam almost choked out of anger. He pinched her face and gritted his teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! You just don¡¯t want me to get better!¡± Afterining Liam couldn¡¯t help but cough again. Celeste patted his back gently and whispered, ¡°How could I not want you to get better? Take your medicine and get well. The better you are, the more money you can make. The more money you make, the more I can get when we divorce. So, of course, I want you to get better¡± Liam tired from coughing, leaned on her and muttered, ¡°You only care about money.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to argue with a sick and confused person, so she agreed, ¡°Yeah, I only married you because you have money.¡± Liam red at her and weakly said, ¡°7 knew it!¡± Celeste took the thermometer from under his armpit and checked it in the light. It was 38.6 degrees Celsius. It seemed Owen didn¡¯t measure it properly, but this temperature wasn¡¯t low either. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She grabbed the bag on the table, pulled out an anti-inmmatory medicine, twisted it open, put it to Liam¡¯s mouth, and squeezed it in. Liams face crumpled in bitterness, and before he could get mad, Celeste stuffed a candied fruit into his mouth. ¡°Mr Reed. Owens downstairs. If he finds out you¡¯re scared of taking medicine like a kid, he¡¯llugh at you.¡± Liam red at her, but his gaze had no deterrent power. He finally swallowed the food with difficulty and gritted his teeth, ¡°Tll settle this with you once! recover ¡°Once you¡¯re recovered, it¡¯s up to you¡± Liam was getting sleepy, his eyelids getting heavier. He was half lying on Celeste¡¯s body, not suffocating, but indeed a bit ufortable. After he closed his eyes. Celeste wanted to push him away. But as soon as she moved, Liam opened his eyes. ¡°Where are you going? Celeste didn¡¯t want to say he was too heavy Liami had a fiery temper, and saying the wrong thing could easily make him angry. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 So she said, ¡°I need to go to the bathroom.¡± She thought by saying this, Liam would let her go. Unexpectedly, Liam said, ¡°I need to go too.¡± Celeste helplessly said, ¡°Mr. Reed, I¡¯m just going to use the toilet.¡± She thought Liam was intentionally following her, but he said, ¡°Me too.¡± Celeste said helplessly. Then you go first.¡± Liam let her go and sat up from the bed. As soon as he stood up, his feet weakened, and he almost fell. Thankfully, Celeste reacted quickly, grabbed his clothes, and pulled him back onto the bed. The fever-reducing medicine was potent. She had taken it once before, and after taking it, she felt very sleepy and weak. Liam was like that now, obviously affected by the medicine. ¡°1ll go downstairs to find Owen for help.¡± Just as she was about to leave, Liam stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± 1 can¡¯t handle you alone.¡± Liam was determined, his face red, and he absolutely wouldn¡¯t let Owen help. In that moment, Celeste had an epiphany-Liam was deeply concerned about his image and dreaded the possibility of Owen witnessing him in such a disheveled state Liam weakly said, ¡°Go help me, I can walk.¡± Liam insisted, so Celeste had no choice but to support him to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, Liam chased her out. She initially thought it would be a bit awkward to help him go to the toilet, but this made her feel relieved. She waited outside for a long time, and Liam still hadn¡¯te out. Just as she was about to knock on the door, she heard a crash from inside, as if something had fallen. Celeste instinctively pushed open the bathroom door. Liam was lying on the floor with an embarrassed look on his face, and the shelf next to him had been knocked over, with items scattered everywhere. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He hadn¡¯t put his pants on properly. His hands and pants were stained with some unknown liquid. Seeing here in, Liam hurriedly pulled up his pants, his face pale and frightening, and shouted, ¡°Who told you toe in? Get out!¡± Celeste red at him, went over and pulled up his pants, then silently supported him.. Liam was furious, pushed her away, and told her to get lost. Celeste ignored him, helped him stand up, and then helped him wash his hands and wiped the stains on his pants with a towel. She didn¡¯t say a word, no matter how Liam scolded her. After tidying up, she helped him up and changed him into a new set of clothes. Liam stopped talking, looking at her busy figure, for some reason, feeling a bit choked up. It wasn¡¯t until Celeste had cleaned up the broken ss on the floor that she brought the medicine box over to change the dressing on his arm wound. When she removed the gauze, there was indeed more blood seeping out, and the wound looked like it had been re-sewn. Hadn¡¯t he gone to see Sydney before? Did Sydney know how to sew up wounds too? Celeste had no mood to think about these things and used a cotton swab to help him disinfect the wound. Liam couldn¡¯t help but stare at her Celeste wasn¡¯t wearing makeup, the mole on her nose was very obvious, just like the first time they met, but there were some differences. She dealt with these dirty things with a serious expression, showing no sign of disgust. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 By the time she finished bandaging his wound, Liam had already fallen asleep. She tidied up the first aid kit, thought about it, and decided toy down next to Liam. Every half an hour, Celeste had to rise and monitor Liam¡¯s temperature. It wasn¡¯t until 2 am that his fever finally subsided to 38 degrees Celsius, allowing. her to exhale a long-awaited sigh of relief. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she couldn¡¯t resist drifting off to sleep, her head finding sce on his shoulder. The next day when Liam woke up, he felt much better except for his heavy shoulder, as if there was a rock on it. He frowned, opened his eyes, and was about to push the weight off his shoulder, but before touching it, he saw Celeste¡¯s tired sleeping face. He couldn¡¯t help but remember what happened in the bathroomst night. He stared at Celeste for a long time, slowly retracting his outstretched hand, and then gently moved her head away from his shoulder. A small patch of his shoulder was wet with drool. Liam looked at Celeste with disgust and casually covered her with a nket. When Celeste woke up, it was already noon. Liam and Owen had already left. Indifferent man, taking care of him all night without even a thank you. She picked up her phone and saw that Trisha had called her several times. She hurriedly returned the call. ¡°Why are you just returning my call?¡± Trisha said through gritted teeth, ¡°I thought you were assassinated by Sydney¡¯s fans!¡± ¡°I went to bedtest night and just woke up. What¡¯s up? Why did you call me so many times?¡± ¡°Just check the inte.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Lorinda was promoting her new show, and some journalists asked her a few questions. She actually insinuated that you¡¯re arrogant!¡± She opened her social media and found topics rted to her all filled with opposing opinions. She clicked on the topic and saw the video Trisha mentioned. Lorinda¡¯spany had an uing show which she didn¡¯t direct but was the scriptwriter. The cast was all new signings of herpany. Adapted shows had been very popr in recent years, and Lorinda wanted to replicate others¡¯ sess. To create hype for the new show and promote her artists, she even invited Sydney for a guest appearance. Since Sydney had been in the limelight recently because of her feud with voice actor Celestial Haze, the media attending the press conference weren¡¯t interested in Lorinda¡¯s new show but more curious about the conflict between Sydney and Celestial Haze. So, the whole interview kept bringing up the issue. Lonnda, perhaps for the sake of hype or maybe because she was really close to Sydney, said this when asked by the media, ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on the rtionship between actors and voice actors?¡± She said, ¡°This isn¡¯t about my opinion but the audience¡¯s. In movies and TV shows, visual enjoyment is the most important element. Using voice actors doesn¡¯t mean the actors¡¯ lines are bad, sometimes, a certain role doesn¡¯t match the actor¡¯s voice. For example, some actresses have naturally thin voices, and if they y a mighty female character, their voice might not match. That¡¯s when a professional voice actor is needed to make up for the actor¡¯s shorings and make the character more fitting. This is normal I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s controversy. In my opinion, a character¡¯s expressiveness requires more facial expressions from the actor. Nowadays, fans overpraise some voice actors. I once encountered an arrogant female voice actor. We coborated on a show and invited everyone to participate in a variety show to promote the drama. All the other actors rescheduled their work to cooperate, but she said she couldn¡¯t make it. Even during a break. At first, we thought she had an emergency, butter we found out she thought the appearance fee was too low and wanted to be treated like a lead actor You¡¯re just a voice stand-in, anyone can rece you. I think it¡¯s because of people like this that the industry is deteriorating¡± Although Lorinda didn¡¯t mention any names, savvyizens quickly deduced the protagonist of the story based on her description. If they guessed correctly, the only person who fits the description is Celestial Haze The video had tens of millions of views on the short video tform, and the topic¡¯s poprity remained high Celeste looked at the fanaticalments and sarcastic remarks underneath the video and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. She had been humble enough doing voice-overs, and now they were saying she was ruining the industry? Who was guiding public opinion online? She had made it clear when she declined the show¡¯s invitation, never mentioning that it was because the appearance fee was too low. Where did such rumorse from? Celeste suddenly thought of the ount that messaged herst night That person did mention making her an offer Could it be more than just a coincidence? ¡®Celeste, why don¡¯t you do a live stream to rify? I can¡¯t stand looking at thesements. I want you to exin! Does Sydney¡¯s ugly face deserve your voice?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, we¡¯ve signed a contract, Celeste was very calm, ¡°besides, this is not a big enough deal to expose ¡°So we just let them talk nonsense? I can¡¯t take it! It¡¯s driving me crazy!¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°They¡¯re making such a big fuss, on one hand they want to promote their new show, and on the other hand, they want to smear me. Since they want this effect, why not go with the flow?¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 ¡°What?¡± Trisha didn¡¯t quite understand her meaning. Celeste said, ¡°Actually, Angel¡¯s tactics sometimes work pretty well.¡± Trisha was still pondering the meaning of that when she quickly saw Celeste¡¯s counterattack. Half an hourter, Celestial Haze posted, ¡°People are scary¡± Ten minutester, she announced an indefinite suspension of all work. Ten minutes after that, Celestial Haze deleted her social media ount. Then,izens discovered that Celestial Haze¡¯s ounts on other social media tforms had also been deleted. Within moments, Celestial Haze¡¯s departure from social media became the hottest and most-discussed topic online. She offered no exnation for Lorinda¡¯s interview statements and remained silent, choosing not to address any of the doubts and questions raised byizens. She just used the phrase ¡°People are scary¡± as a farewell andpletely withdrew from the inte. Originally, Lorinda didn¡¯t name names, and there was no substantial evidence pointing to her. She could have continued to make money in the circle after the storm passed. But she didn¡¯t do that. It didn¡¯t make sense for someone who refused to participate in a performance because of low appearance fees to give up her careerpletely because of someone else¡¯s attack. Then, people dug up the fact that Celestial Haze had dubbed for children¡¯s books in the past, which were said to be free of charge for charity. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Not only children¡¯s books, but she also dubbed for many public service ads and provided sound education for blind children. Obviously, one who hates low appearance fees wouldn¡¯t do that. After that, some celebrities in the voice acting industry came forward to defend Celestial Haze. They rified the so-called high sry rumors, saying that voice actors¡¯ pay was much lower than actors, and it was normal to get a few hundred bucks per episode. Some actors with unclear pronunciation had to redo their lines over and over again, often workingte into the night. If they weren¡¯t ¡®smart¡± enough and offended someone, they might not get any work for a year. Half an hourter, a well-known charity association released a public service video, in which the female character¡¯s dubbing was done by Celestial Haze, also for free. Moreover, this video was a public service ad from several years ago, which made it quite interesting to release at this time. With this support, public opinion quickly changed, andizens turned their criticism back on Lorinda. Why did a trashy film queen who relied on hype have to question a talented voice actor? And her arguments were just shifting the focus. Actors¡¯ lines weren¡¯t up to par, so what were they talking about acting skills? The quality of film and television dramas was getting worse and worse because of people like Lorinda, who made the audience only care about poprity and not talent. So theseizens, like those who had criticized Celestial Haze before, began to criticize Lorinda. There were so manyments that Lorinda had to close thement channel. Soizens changed the battlefield, going to a rating website to suppress the ratings of Lorinda¡¯s new show. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 That work was miserable enough. In just one day, more than 100,000 people had rated it the lowest- rated film and television drama on the website, which was also a kind of fame. Seeing this scene, Trisha was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t expect Celeste to take this opportunity to delete the Celestial Haze ount. Admittedly, this was smart, leaving the perfect image she had created forever in the hearts of fans. But it was a pity that she had deleted an ount with millions of fans. If it were her, she would definitely not bear to do it. Trisha suddenly realized thatpared to Celeste, Sydney was far behind, and it was hard to understand why Liam would give up Celeste and fall for Sydney. Just then, Liam sneezed several times in a row. Owen hurriedly handed him a ss of water, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you want to take a break?¡± Liam rubbed his brow and waved his hand, ¡®Make me a cup of coffee¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As soon as Owen departed from the office, Angel swiftly trailed behind him, shadowing his movements. Eventually, in the pantry, she orchestrated a pretense of identally colliding with Owen. ¡°Owen, what a coincidence.¡± Although Owen wasn¡¯t very familiar with Angel, he politely responded. ¡°Are you making coffee for Mr. Reed? Let me help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s okay, Mr. Reed doesn¡¯t like others touching his cup: Angelughed awkwardly. ¡°I see. My sister told me that Mr. Reed has germophobia. Owen paused and reminded her, ¡°Ms. Campbell, this is thepany, and Mr. Reed doesn¡¯t like to mix personal things while working. Please pay attention to the address to avoid unnecessary impact.¡± Angel¡¯s little trick was exposed, and her face turned red with shame She whispered, Thank you for the reminder, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Owen politely smiled and then went to make coffee. Angel looked upset. Outside, there were a few softughs and whispers 1 thought she had a strong background, but she¡¯s nothing special in front of Mr. Reed: ¡°I heard Owen deliberately put her resume in the HR department, saying it was Mr. Reed¡¯s intention.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed¡¯s intention, isn¡¯t it Celeste¡¯s intention? Although they¡¯re not full sisters, Celeste has been good enough to her.¡± Angel clenched her fist, feeling helpless. When Quantum was recruiting, her resume indeed wasn¡¯t epted. The same batch of people who were hired had already entered thepany two weeks ago, but her offer letter was received the day after the jewelry show. Shawn thought it was the dowry he had prepared for Celeste that worked, and Liam approved her employment aspensation. She didn¡¯t think Celeste had enough charm to influence Liam¡¯s choice. Her rtionship with Celeste didn¡¯t seem good on the surface, and if Celeste knew she hade to Quantum, she would probably be the first toe out and stop her How could she enjoy this treatment? She didn¡¯t think she deserved it. When she came out of the pantry, her colleagues who had just been cking off at the door suddenly ran downstairs, shouting as they ran, ¡°Someone¡¯s causing trouble at thepany¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Angel hesitated for a moment, then followed with curiosity. As soon as they came out of the elevator, they heard wailing in the lobby. ¡°Why did you fire me? I¡¯ve been working hard for the Campbell family for almost 20 years! You just fire me without any compensation?! You¡¯re cutting off my livelihood, I¡¯ll sue you!¡± The person in charge of the HR department downstairs exined, ¡°Martha, we called you all day yesterday, repeatedly exining the situation, but you refused to ept it and hung up on us. If you don¡¯te to implement the procedures and you don¡¯te to work, then we have to consider it as unauthorized absence, making a fuss here is useless.¡± ¡°You guys didn¡¯t let mee! How is it considered unauthorized absence? This is clearly bullying! I want to see Mr. Reed, I want to see Liam!¡± ¡°Mr. Reed doesn¡¯t have time now, he told me to handle this for you. If you¡¯re not satisfied with the result, you can file awsuit, we¡¯ll always wee you! But if you continue to make a scene here, excuse me, I might have to ask the security guards to escort you out.¡± As he uttered those words, he discreetly gestured for the security guards to approach. The guards were approaching, but before they could act, Martha burst through the gathering crowd. She raced towards the second floor, scrambled over the railing, and issued a daring ultimatum to the guards. ¡°Stay back! If youe any closer, I¡¯ll jump from here!¡± The height of the lobby on the first floor measured approximately five to six meters. Although the fall wouldn¡¯t prove fatal, it would undoubtedly result in injuries. So when she threatened them, the guards really didn¡¯t dare to proceed. They were all afraid of causing trouble to thepany and no one could bear this responsibility. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Martha took advantage of this and insisted on seeing Liam. I¡¯ve been taking care of the Reed family for so many years, wholeheartedly, never making any mistakes. Why should Mr. Reed fire me? I won¡¯t ept it! If I don¡¯t get an exnation today, I¡¯ll jump down from here!¡± The HR manager frowned, ¡°Martha, it¡¯s pointless, we are acting ording to the contract, legally and compliantly.¡± ¡°Doesplying with the contract push people to a dead end? Don¡¯te any closer, if you do, I¡¯ll jump!¡± As the two sides were at a stalemate, a voice came. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The crowd made way, and Angel looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a tall, handsome young man who somewhat resembled Liam, appeared at the scene His facial features weren¡¯t as exquisite as Liam¡¯s, but they were definitely handsome. However, there was a touch of wickedness in his eyes. This man was Wesley, the only son of Liam¡¯s uncle, who had been sent on a business trip and had only just returned. The HR manager¡¯s face tightened when he saw Wesley, and he politely said, ¡°Ms. Wesley, this is a normal personnel change, I can handle it quickly.¡± Martha, seeing Wesley, immediately began to cry, ¡°Ms. Wesley, you have to stand up for me¡­¡± Wesley nced at the HR manager, ¡°This is your way of handling it?¡± The HP manager¡¯s face turned dark, but he didn¡¯t dare to argue Although Wesley¡¯s corporate position was not as high as his, he was Clyde Reed¡¯s only son, and even the board members had to respect him, let alone a HR manager ¡°Call my brother over Even if she made a mistake, it should be handled with dignity: What does this look like?¡± The HR manager nodded and turned to his assistant to notify Liam Angel pursed her lips, secretly recorded a video with her cell phone, and sent it to Kaylee Kaylee was acting cutely around Skyler, asking her for more pocket money, saying she wanted to invite Mason to dinner Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Skyler had been having headaches these days because of the nanny issue and wasn¡¯t in a good mood upon hearing Kaylee¡¯s request for money. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just transfer you 300,000st month? How did you spend it all?¡± ¡°I went to an art exhibition with Mrs. Fletcher. She liked a painting, so I bought it. It cost several hundred thousand and I had to borrow some from friends.¡± Skyler frowned, ¡°Did she ept it?¡± ¡°No, Mrs. Fletcher said it was too valuable, so I couldn¡¯t return it and stored it in the warehouse.¡± Skyler¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You should stay away from Mason¡± ¡°Why?¡± Kaylee was not satisfied. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in favor of me dating Mason?¡± Skyler replied. ¡°That¡¯s based on the assumption that Mason is interested in you too. Didn¡¯t you see how he avoided you at the jewelry exhibit that day? This is backfiring, do you understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to! There are no other women around Mason, I¡¯m not bad-looking, and Mrs. Fletcher likes me! It¡¯s just a matter of time before he¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°If Mason is not interested in you, marrying him will make you suffer.¡± ¡°Dad didn¡¯t like you that much at first, but you ended up fine, right?¡± Skyler was almost livid at this remark. Before Celeste could utter a word, Kaylee¡¯s sudden exmation interrupted her. ¡°Mom, Martha is at Quantum, and she¡¯s threatening to jump off the building!¡± Kaylee revealed, showing Skyler the video she had received from Angel. Skyler was thrown into a state of panic, immediately rushing out to address the situation at hand. The news of Martha causing a scene in thepany lobby quickly reached Liam. Liam hates being threatened by others in this way and immediately asked Owen to call the police. Owen said, ¡°Ms. Wesley is downstairs. After all, Martha has been working with the Reed farmily for more than a decade. It¡¯s not advantageous for us if we handle this too harshly Clyde has been at Quantum for a much longer time than Liam and is better at winning over employees. Although Liam has achieved some bnce within thepany in recent years due to his own abilities, Clyde¡¯s foundations are deep. Martha¡¯s case seemed like a small matter, but she had been in the family for more than a decade, and mishandling could discourage some older employees. Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°He¡¯s quite proactive.¡± Saying this, he stood up and walked out. Owen stayed silent behind him. Wesley had been sent away on a business trip before, and although it was said to be for a project, everyone in thepany knew he was forced to go. Wesley was quite flirtatious, often having affairs with female employees. Although he never initiated encounters, he always managed to attract women to throw themselves at him. Once he was bored, he would dump them. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! But trouble alwayses knocking. A few months ago, thepany received an anonymous letter using Wesley of having improper rtionships with multiple female employees, even manipting personnel transfers. Besides the anonymous letter, there was plenty of evidence, extremely explicit, and Wesley couldn¡¯t wiggle his way out of it. Thepany¡¯s leadership was furious but didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss about it, as it would affect the Reed family¡¯s reputation. So, they sent Wesley off to some remote city to reflect on what he¡¯d done The incident had significant repercussions for thepany, resulting in a thorough restructuring of personnel that saw several of Wesley¡¯s trusted associates being reced. This reshuffling strained his rtionships with other family members, leading to increased tension among them. Now that Wesley is back, its probably not with good intentions. As for Martha¡¯s situation, the other party will definitely blow it up After thinking twice, Owen decided to secretly give Celeste a call Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Celeste finally got a day off and after dealing with some annoying cases online and having a quick bite, she went downstairs to study her script. Even though her character was an important role in the y, the truth was she didn¡¯t have many scenes, most of which were in the second half. If she followed the conventional acting approach, the result presented can only be considered passable. Viinous roles were prone to being stereotyped, and for her, this drama served as her stepping stone in the entertainment industry, so she must strive to be more than just average. She watched ssic films over and over again, trying to analyze the characters. Just as she was deep in thought, Owen¡¯s call interrupted her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Reed left a document at home and desperately needs it for the meeting, can you help bring it over?¡± Why Liam being so forgetful recently? Isn¡¯t he too young for that? Celeste grumbled in her mind and asked, ¡°Which document, where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on Mr. Reed¡¯s desk, in a brown leather bag.¡± Celeste opened the door and saw the leather bag right on his desk. She took a photo and sent it to Owen, ¡°This one?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Please hurry, the meeting is about to start.¡± Celeste rolled her eyes. ¡°Got it.¡± She quickly got ready, grabbed the bag and left the house. When Liam arrived downstairs, there were already quite a few people gathered. Martha was sitting outside the railing on the second floor, crying andining to the crowd. Some people took photos while others discussed. Angel was the first to notice Liam and shouted, ¡°Mr. Reed!¡± The crowd immediately quieted down and made way for him. Wesley had someone bring a chair for him to watch the scene unfold. He was now sitting there, sipping coffee. Seeing Liam, he paused for a moment and smirked, ¡°Bro, you finally showed up Liam nced at him, took a look around and spoke with a cold yet authoritative voice, ¡°Everyone, back to your positions¡± Just a few words made everyone hesitate to leave. Wesley chimed in, ¡°Bro, Martha is an old employee of ourpany. If you don¡¯t handle this decisively and efficiently, people will think ourpany uses power to pressure employees.¡± Martha immediately added, ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere! I am just the Reed family¡¯s nanny, but I am also a Quantum employee. I¡¯ve been dedicating myself to the Reed family for over a decade, but now they¡¯re firing me. This is how they treat their old employees!¡± There was an uproar downstairs. Quantum had quite a few older employees. Over the years, thepany had grown rapidly and brought in top talent, but there were only limited positions, and some people had to be let go. The older employees were all on edge, fearing they might be the next to be sacked. After all, once you¡¯ve reached middle age, no matter how experienced you are, it was hard to have an advantage in the workforce. As Martha said this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but think of their own situation. They had spent half their lives working hard for thepany, only to face the possibility of being abandoned when they got old. People shew their sympathy, so those who were about to leave paused and stayed put. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Liam¡¯s face was pretty gloomy. But Martha seemed unfazed and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve worked for the Reed family for 16 years, and they fired me without anypensation. I have a family to support and my husband doesn¡¯t have a job. It¡¯s like they¡¯re pushing us to a dead end.¡± Wesley chimed in, ¡°Bro, that¡¯s just way too much, man. She¡¯s been a loyal employee for so many years and now this? How could anyone ept this?¡± Liam said coldly, ¡°I did everything ording to the contract, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with my actions. If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can apply forbor arbitration. Threatening me here won¡¯t change anything. I could even sue you for defamation of thepany¡¯s image!¡± Then he instructed Owen, ¡°Call the police!¡± Martha¡¯s face changed, and she panicked a bit. Skyler told her to take a couple of days off and try pleading with Liam again when he had calmed down. But just a dayter, she received an email from Quantum saying they were going to fire her without compensation. How could she bear this? She made a scene at thepany just to get somepensation, not wanting to be burdened with a lawsuit. As she hesitated, a voice from the lobby yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t call the police!¡± Everyone turned around and saw it was Liam¡¯s mother, Skyler. Next to Skyler was Celeste, who had some documents with her. Celeste didn¡¯t expect to run into Skyler just as she entered thepany. Skyler treated her coldly since she knew about her taking birth control pills. When Skyler found out she was there to deliver documents, she called her over. As they entered thepany, they saw Martha on the second floor, yelling that she was going to jump. Seeing Skyler, Martha saw her as a savior and cried out, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please stand up for me.¡± Skyler looked at her disapprovingly. She¡¯d told her to wait a few days, but Martha just couldn¡¯t hold back and came to make a scene! Now the wholepany knew about it. Wasn¡¯t that giving others something to hold against her? Suppressing her irritation, Skyler said softly, ¡°Martha,e down first. We can sit down and talk things through. Making a scene like this only makes you aughingstock.¡± Martha worked under Skyler, so when she saw hering, she immediately felt more confident. Hearing her words, she really wanted toe down. But if she did that, how would she continue to trick everyone? Wesley said quietly, ¡°Auntie, if this could be settled through a chat, why would Martha threaten us with her life?¡± That reminded Martha. If she didn¡¯t make such a fuss today, Skyler wouldn¡¯t have stepped in. This was the perfect time to negotiate. If she backed down now, how would they continue the negotiation? Skyler would definitely side with her son.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Realizing this, Martha sat back down, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve put my pride aside today. I don¡¯t care if peopleugh at me! I¡¯ve given my all to the Reed family for all these years, right? But Mr. Reed fired me for no reason, just because Celeste said something. They even imed I¡¯ve been skipping work and gave me nopensation Our job depends on reputation. If Mr. Reed fires me so easily, it would ruin my career! If you don¡¯t give me an exnation today, I might as well end my life right here, jumping off Quantum Enterprises¡¯ building to show everyone how thepany treats their long-term employees!¡± Skyler was so mad she could explode, thinking that Martha was so clueless to not see that someone was using her! The people downstairs were also gossiping ¡°More than a decade now, being fired withoutpensation, isn¡¯t Mr. Reed too cold-hearted?¡± That¡¯s a light punishmentpared to Manuel from the finance department, who¡¯s still in prison¡± ¡°Manuel broke thew and deserved it. But what could this poor nanny do? She¡¯s worked for the Reed family for over a decade, and now they fired her just like that. It¡¯s heartbreaking ¡°I heard it was Celestes idea. She didn¡¯t like the nanny, so she whispered in Mr. Reed¡¯s ear and got her fired¡± ¡°How childish could she be?¡± Celeste¡¯s eye twitched, thunking What did she do in her past life to deserve this? Why did they always me her for everything? What did Martha¡¯s termination have to do with her? It made it seem like she told Liarn to fire her! Before Skyler could say anything, Angel suddenly said, Sis, Martha has always taken good care of you. It¡¯s not worth firing her over such a small mistake. Everyone messes up sometimes, right? It¡¯s tough for someone her age to find another job. Why don¡¯t you ask my brother-inw for a favor and let it go?¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 At first, everyone was just whispering, but when Angel spoke up, it unintentionally shifted everyone¡¯s attention onto Celeste. Seeing this, Skyler chimed in, ¡°Celeste,e on, Martha has taken care of you guys for so many years, just let her off the hook this once, and let¡¯s move on.¡± As long as Celeste took the me, Liam¡¯s image in thepany wouldn¡¯t be affected. Finally, Celeste figured out why Owen had called her over. They were afraid that if this got blown out of proportion, it would affect Liam¡¯s image in the employees¡¯ minds, so they wanted her to be the scapegoat! She stared coldly at Liam, who avoided her gaze guiltily. But Liam frowned and said with his lips tightly pressed together, ¡°Mom, this isn¡¯t something we can resolve privately anymore. If I agree to her demands today, in the future anyone who gets fired will make a scene like this. Can I let that happen? Is ourpany a charity?¡± Gotta admit, when ites to acting, she¡¯s no match for Liam.. She had already be the scapegoat, yet Liam could still speak so confidently. Skyler said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a little unpleasantness with Celeste? If Celeste is upset, let Martha apologize. For my sake, can we just let this go?¡± Martha immediately understood, and knelt down in front of Celeste, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I apologize. Please be magnanimous and let me off this once. I really can¡¯t afford to lose this job¡­ The crowd began to murmur. ¡°How can she do this, making someone her age kneel in front of her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not easy to find a job. Who else would go to such lengths to keep one?¡± ¡°Celeste¡¯s living a carefree life at home, how can she understand the hardship of ordinary workers? She kicks people out just by saying a few words.¡± ¡°The Campbell family went from an ordinary family to a rich one step by step. She herself had experienced hardships. How can she be so heartless?¡± Hearing these whispers, Angel smiled and stepped forward, ¡®Sis, Dad always taught us to be tolerant with people. Martha has already apologized to you. If you¡¯re still upset, you can punish her a little. There are so many people here, it¡¯s not nice to keep making a scene.¡± Celeste coldly red at her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. If she really agreed to let this go today, her reputation as someone who oppressed the honest and didn¡¯t care about employees would be set. Biting her lip, she suddenly said, ¡°Martha, you said Liam wants to fire you because of me, so tell everyone exactly what you did, and let¡¯s see if I really went overboard.¡± Martha froze, not knowing how to respond. Should she reveal that she deliberately ced the discarded birth control package Celeste used conspicuously so Skyler and Sienna would discover and learn they were using birth control? The first use of her contract was not to divulge her employer¡¯s privacy. Even if Skyler asked her to do it, she couldn¡¯t reveal it because she had signed the contract with Liam, and leaking privacy was a taboo in the industry. After hesitating for a while, Martha said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because I forgot to take out the trash¡­¡± That was definitely dodging the main issue. Celeste knew she wouldn¡¯t dare tell the truth, so she went along with her excuse, ¡°Liam is a neat freak, and sleeping in an unclean environment triggers his allergies Two years ago, because you didn¡¯t timely remove the mites, Liam ended up covered in rashes and stayed in the hospital for a week. I warned you back then that our bedroom must be disinfected every other day. How did that work out?¡± Two years ago, Liam did indeed suffer from a rash due to mite infestation, and the wholepany knew about it. It was also undoubtedly caused by sleeping in unclean bedding Martha¡¯s face turned red The time Liam had the allergy, her son hade to visit her at home. Liam and Celeste were at the old house, so she let her son stay overnight. Her son saw the luxurious master bedroom and slept there for one night. Whod have thought that when Liam came back the next day and slept on the same bed, he broke out in rashes! Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 The doctor said it was an allergy, so Celeste went home to find the source of the allergy. While checking the surveince, she found out that Martha¡¯s child had spent the night there. Skyler can¡¯t stand it when the help didn¡¯t know their ce. Martha, worried that Skyler might find out she let her child stay at her employer¡¯s house, and that she might lose her job, begged Celeste not to make a scene, crying. Celeste didn¡¯t say anything at the time, just told her to change all the bedding and reminded her to disinfect at least three times a week. Celeste didn¡¯t like to constantlyin about other people¡¯s mistakes, so she forgave her on the spot. As time went on, Martha herself forgot about the incident. Now she was saying she didn¡¯t take out the trash, which meant she didn¡¯t clean the room. Celeste used this to refute her, and she can¡¯t argue back. She can¡¯t tell the real reason Liam fired her, so she had to take the me. Martha clenched her teeth, ¡°I just forgot this once, ma¡¯am, please give me another chance.¡± Wesley squinted his eyes, ¡®Celeste, Martha doesn¡¯t seem to have done it on purpose. We¡¯re only human, we all make mistakes, right? To fire her over such a small matter seems a bit harsh.¡± ¡°A small matter?¡± Celeste looked up, her eyes darkened. ¡°Do you know that because of her one mistake, my husband could lose his life? You haven¡¯t experienced waiting for a doctor¡¯s results outside the ER, so you think it¡¯s a small matter.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t speak very loudly, but her words were clear and sincere. You¡¯d believe that she¡¯s doing all this for her husband¡¯s safety. Liam watched her, even though he knew she was just spouting nonsense, seeing her sincere defense of him made him waver slightly. Seeing everyone affected by Celeste¡¯s words, Angel immediately said, ¡°Sis, even if you¡¯re right, the punishment is way too harsh. If one mistake leads to losing a job, the cost is just too high, who would dare to work their butts off for thepany in the future?¡± Celeste nced at her, ¡°So what do you think is an appropriate punishment?¡± Angel originally wanted to rally everyone, but Celeste unexpectedly threw the question back at her. She had no good idea and blurted out, ¡°At least¡­ don¡¯t make her lose her job, right? Transfer her to another position or something, firing her directly is just too harsh Celeste thought it over seriously, then turned to ask Martha, ¡°Do you really want to stay in the company?¡± Martha, eager to keep her job, said, ¡°As long as I can stay in thepany, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± Celeste said to Liam, ¡°Actually, I was nning to introduce Martha to Mrs. Fang for a job. I¡¯ve already contacted her, and the sry and benefits are the same as at our ce. But since Martha wants to stay at thepany, I¡¯ll listen to Angel¡¯s suggestion and let her do the cleaning duties. It¡¯s like helping her fulfill her wish¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Angel¡¯s mouth twitched. When did she ever say she wanted Martha to do the cleaning in thepany?! Hearing she was to be a cleaner at thepany, Martha¡¯s face turned pale. A cleaning job at thepany¡­ Earning the lowest sry, doing the dirtiest and most tiring work she wasn¡¯t causing trouble for this oue! ¡°Mr. Reed, 1- Before Martha could speak, Liam turned to Skyler and asked, ¡°Mom, what do you think?¡± Skyler felt embarrassed and just wanted this to end quickly. She coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s upon you.¡± And walked away. Lian said, ¡°Well, in that case Owen, ask HR to draft a new contract for her After speaking, Liarn looked at Martha, ¡°Do you want to sign the contract here?¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Martha really wanted to bite that bbermouth Angel right now! She didn¡¯t want to lose her job, but she was also not down for just any work. Liam had alreadypromised, and if she kept pestering about the Campbell family stuff, even if Skyler wanted to help her, others won¡¯t support her anymore. Since she didn¡¯t want to lose her job and she¡¯d got a practical one now, making a fuss would be just making trouble for no reason. Martha had to force herself to swallow her anger and smile, saying, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Reed¡± Angel wanted to show her consideration and took the initiative to help Martha. However, after Martha climbed over the railing, she pushed Angel away. Angel wobbled and fell backward. People around her quickly dodged, afraid she¡¯ll hit them. Angel clumsily fell to the ground. Celeste reached out to help, ¡°Sis, get up, it¡¯s cold on the ground. Angel gritted her teeth and whispered, ¡°Thanks, sis.¡± Just as she was about to put her hand on Celeste¡¯s, Celeste suddenly pulled back and said, ¡°Stand up by yourself. Don¡¯t let othersugh at you.¡± Angel clenched her fists and pushed herself up from the ground. With the problem solved, everyone went back to their posts. Wesley strolled over to Celeste and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sis-inw. You look even more beautiful now than before.¡± Celeste coldly nced at him. His face was simr to Liam¡¯s, but the way he looked at her was like a snake licking her body, making her feel afraid and uneasy. Celeste forced herself to ignore the disgust and politely thanked him before turning to find Liam. Wesley followed her, yfully saying, ¡°I heard people have been dressing down but still looking fabuloustely. Didn¡¯t think it was true.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Celeste¡¯s chest and lowered his voice, ¡°Never thought you¡¯d be so sexy in a white shirt.¡± Celeste felt creeped out by his stare and, suppressing her anger, warned him, ¡°Wesley, your brother is here, you better keep your distance.¡± Wesley chuckled, ¡°You think he cares?¡± His words hit Celeste¡¯s weak spot, and she clenched her fists, keeping silent. Wesley¡¯s smile grew, ¡°I heard bro¡¯s been getting close to a starlettely. Such a pity he doesn¡¯t appreciate his beautiful wife with such a great figure.¡± ¡± As he spoke, he leaned in closer to Celeste. Just as he was about to touch her shoulder, she suddenly said, ¡°Seems like your time away didn¡¯t make you any better¡± Wesley¡¯s face darkened, and he clenched his fists. Thest incident was blown out of proportion, resulting in him losing some of his father¡¯s trust and receiving punishment. During his time away, no one treated him seriously, and all the dirty work fell on him. Having lived a privileged life, he never went through such hardships. After a few days, he¡¯d had enough and wanted to return home for Grandma¡¯s help. However, she was determined to teach him a lesson and took away his cards, car, and ID N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. He felt helpless, unable to get any help, and med Liam for it all. Celeste decided to leave As she walked away Wesley calmly said, ¡®Sis inw, have you ever wondered why you can¡¯t get pregnant?¡± Celeste stopped in her tracks and looked at him, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wesley smiled, ¡°Nothing much Just don¡¯t trust the Reed family too much¡± Wesley walked away without waiting for Celestes questions Liam¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°What were you guys talking about just now?¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Celeste nced at Liam. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said as she handed the files over to him. ¡°Here¡¯s the stuff, I gotta go now¡± She was cold and didn¡¯t want to talk to him any longer. It was quite different from how she took care of him attentively the night before. Owen came over and whispered. ¡°Mr Reed, there¡¯s a meetinging up soon¡± Liam pursed his lips, raised his hand, not to take the file, but to grab her wrist. ¡°Go wait for me in the office¡± Celeste frowned, 7 won¡¯t. I got something to do¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Celeste hesitated. T¡¯m going to the hospital to see my mom.¡± Liam nced at her Tll take you thereter¡± Celeste was pissed off when she thought about this jerk using her as a scapegoat. ¡°Mr. Reed, you should be busy running the show I won¡¯t bother you¡± How could Liam not hear the sarcasm in her voice? He frowned, ¡°Go there by yourself or I¡¯ll carry you. Pick one.¡± Celeste twitched her mouth, thinking he had gone crazy after the fever. She stared at his expression and found he was not kidding at all. If you don¡¯t choose. I¡¯ll assume you want me to carry you. Liam was about to do so when Celeste saw many employees downstairs looking over here. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself in public and pushed him away, gritting her teeth, ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m pissed! If you make me go to your office, I swear I will wreck it!¡± Liam hooked the corner of his lips. ¡°As you wish.¡± Celeste was choked, her face turning red with anger. She quickly got on the elevator, Liam following suit. When the elevator reached the 10th floor, Liam got off, instructing Owen to take her to his office. As soon as Celeste entered the office, she reached for the ashtray on the desk, ready to smash it.. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Owen calmly reminded her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, that¡¯s a crystal ashtray gifted to Mr. Reed during a business trip in Francest year. It¡¯s worth 600,000 dors¡­ Celeste¡¯s hands trembled, nearly dropping the expensive ashtray. She pursed her lips, put the ashtray back in its ce, and picked up a seemingly ordinary vase on the desk. Just as she raised it above her head, Owen said, ¡°This vase is actually an antique that Sienna bought at an auction when she was young. It cost about 300,000 dors back then, but now it¡¯s probably worth around 3 million.¡± Celeste took a deep breath, put down the vase, and grabbed the pen holder on the desk. ¡°Ma¡¯am, that¡¯s¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°It¡¯s just a damn pen holder, isn¡¯t it ? It¡¯s not like its worth millions, is it?¡± Owen smiled and whispered, ¡°No, but this pen holder was personally carved by President Reed himself as a birthday gift for Mr. Liam. It¡¯s priceless.¡± Celeste¡¯s face froze President Reed, Orville Reed, Liam¡¯s father. She had been married to Liam for years but she had never heard him mention his father in front of her. But she knew how much he respected his father. Every year, as Easter approached, Liam would be moody and even take a week off to stay at the Old Reed Mansion for a few days That was where he used to live with his parents After Orville passed away, Skyler moved the family out of there to avoid constant reminders of him. Although the old house wasn¡¯t sold, nobody else had visited since then, except for Liam It was said that Orville passed away from a sudden illness, and Liam was never able to say goodbye, carrying that regret for years. After all that, Celeste¡¯s anger had mostly disappeared. She ced the pen holder back onto the table and asked Owen, ¡°Can you pour me a cup of tea?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not smashing anything anymore?¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°Would I go crazy and smash such expensive stuff?¡± Owen chuckled and went to pour the tea When Owen came back, Mason had also arrived. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Celeste was surprised to see him, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I have something to discuss with Liam about work,¡± Mason was as gentle as always. ¡°Are you¡­ waiting for him to get off work?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s waiting for him?¡± Celeste sniffed, not wanting to discuss their troublesome rtionship, and changed the subject, ¡°So you two still have work dealings?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Since it was about work, Mason didn¡¯t go into detail. Owen looked at a text message on his phone and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, can you look after Mr. Fletcher for a bit? I need to go to the conference room.¡± Celeste waved him off, ¡°You go.¡± Once Owen was gone, Celeste offered Mason tea, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, have some tea, please.¡± Mason thanked her but didn¡¯t take the cup. Celeste asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you like tea? Should I make you some coffee?¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like tea. I used to drink it a lot when I was quitting smoking but drinking too much made me suffer from insomnia, so I¡¯ve been watching out for that.¡± ¡°You were quitting smoking?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°My doctor told me to.¡± Celeste wholeheartedly agreed, ¡°Quitting is good for your health. My husband told me you had been sick abroad for years, and your body is already weak. If you can stop smoking, you should.¡± Mason was surprised, ¡°Liam mentioned this to you?¡± Worried it might make Mason feel ufortable, Celeste quickly exined, ¡°He just mentioned it once, without giving details.¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be nervous. I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s not a secret anyway Curiosity got the better of Celeste, and she asked, ¡°What kind of illness was it?¡± Mason pointed to his head, ¡°Something wrong up here¡± Startled, Celeste blurted out, ¡°Mental illness?¡± Mason was speechless. He pressed his lips together and whispered, ¡°A problem inside my skull.¡± Celeste was instantly embarrassed, awkwardlyughing. You should¡¯ve made it clear.. Mason couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s my fault for not exining it well.¡± Feeling awkward, Celeste scratched her head and asked with concern, ¡°So, is itpletely healed now?¡± ¡°More or less, I still get some symptoms, like headaches, but they don¡¯t really affect my everyday life. Thinking about the other person¡¯s prime years spent on a sickbed, Celeste suddenly felt a deep sense of regret. ¡°Take it slow and steady, you¡¯ll definitely recover. You¡¯re so young and strong you have a bright future ahead of you.¡± Mason found this kind offorting amusing since it was the first time someone had consoled him like this. You could say it was like an elderforting a younger person, even though she was actually a few years younger than him. ¡°What¡¯s so great about me?¡± ¡°While sick, you managed to get so many professional certifications. Isn¡¯t that impressive?¡± Mason was a bit surprised and asked softly, ¡°Did Liam also tell you about this?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t tell me about these things. I found all these myself on the website.¡± Mason now works for his friend¡¯s firm, so she visited thew firm¡¯s website and went over his information. Even the resumes of all the otherwyersbined didn¡¯te close to his He got a full schrship for a Master¡¯s degree in Law from a university abroad, wrote regrly for top domestic and internationalw journals, served as the legal advisor for some famous cases, ranked in the top 10 lecturers forw exam review, taught college students, obtained a pilot¡¯s license, a diver¡¯s work permit, and even became the president of a parachuting sports association His experience in his nearly thirty years was far more exciting than most people¡¯s in their entire lives. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 ¡°You actually looked that up?¡± Mason chuckled softly. ¡°That was just something the colleagues at our firm put together, might be a bit exaggerated.¡± Even so, the parts about academic papers and university degrees were all true. Mason was really outstanding. She said with a smile, ¡°Well, it still means you¡¯ve been qualified. If not, just work hard to learn those skills.¡± Masonughed too, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try¡± He paused, then continued, ¡°I saw that you deactivated the ¡®Celestial Haze¡¯ ount.¡± Celeste thought he was worried about having insufficient evidence during thewsuit and said, ¡°I saved all the screenshots.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Mason said with a tight-lipped smile, ¡°Actually, there are other ways to clear up those rumors without having to quit social media.¡± ¡°Like suing her?¡± Celesteughed, ¡°She didn¡¯t name names, and even if I did sue her, she could just deny it. If I was still online, they¡¯d say I was lying no matter what I posted, and that it¡¯s my bad luck. As awyer, you should know this better than me.¡± Mason didn¡¯t respond. His so-called ¡®solution was really just a matter of letting time pass and allowing the issue to fade. Legally speaking, they could issue awyer¡¯s letter. Theizens were just venting, and it would eventually die down. But that wasn¡¯t a real rification. Once the rumors took root in people¡¯s hearts, they would be hard to eradicate. No one would keep track of this matter forever. Although logging out of the inte would hurt, it was Celeste¡¯s most effective and direct counterattack. Like Trisha, Mason felt a sense of pity for the deactivated ount. Celeste was more optimistic: ¡°Even though the ount is gone, I¡¯ll still continue to sue those who should be sued. So, I¡¯ll still need your help.¡± Mason rxed a bit: ¡°Actually, I was nning to contact you in the next few days. The application I submitted to the tform has been answered. Here is the identity information for the main members, take a look.¡± He opened his phone, scrolling through several screenshots for Celeste to see. Celeste frowned as she nced at them, and her expression worsened as she went through the rest. Even after seeing all the screenshots, her furrowed brow remained tense and unrxed. With a sigh, Mason said, ¡°I figured this might happen when I was doing the investigation.¡± ¡°Underaged?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Among the haters who insulted her in the past, the oldest was 21 years old, and the youngest was just 14. Out of the nine main members, five were underaged. ¡°Does this mean I can¡¯t sue anymore?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, but it¡¯s hard to convict them. Even if thewsuit is sessful, all they¡¯ll have to do is write an apology and have their guardian pay somepensation¡± If the defendant was a minor, the situation would beplicated, as thew was more lenient on them. They attacked strangers with nastyments online, even causing some to have mental breakdowns and develop depression. Yet these same attackers could avoid more severe consequences just because they were underage. That was so unfair! Celeste felt suffocated. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 ¡°Do you think that just by apologizing, they¡¯ll realize their mistakes?¡± Seeing her dilemma, Mason said, ¡°Over the past few days, I¡¯ve privatelymunicated with them using the firm¡¯s official ount, demanding them to delete their offensivements and issue apologies on Twitter. I told them that if they didn¡¯t, we¡¯d take legal action. Guess how they responded?¡± Celeste just looked at him, saying nothing. ¡°They all told me to go ahead and sue, and that they wouldn¡¯t delete theirments. Some even edited my private messages to them and posted them on Twitter, iming they were being threatened and inciting others to criticize me¡± Mason paused, then added calmly. ¡°They don¡¯t think they¡¯ve done anything wrong. How could they truly apologize?¡± How much deterrence could insincere apologies have? ¡°Convicting them might be difficult, but I can fight forpensation. For people like them, the amount ofpensation might be more persuasive. Of course, the focus should be on the adults. And, Mason paused, ¡°do you recognize the name Hanson?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell. Why?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°That online ount was registered by someone named Hanson, residing in J City¡± Celeste thought about it, and the fact that someone from the J City used Sydney¡¯s private photo as their profile picture was a bit too coincidental. ¡°Could it be that someone else bought other¡¯s information to register the ount?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very likely¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that either it¡¯s Hanson himself using the ount, or someone close to him?¡± Mason nodded. Celeste thought for a long time, but still couldn¡¯t recall the name. Mason gently said, ¡°If you can¡¯t remember, it¡¯s okay. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking. The ount could just be an ordinary fan, with the profile picture happening by chance. That won¡¯t affect ourwsuit against him¡± Celeste breathed a sigh of relief but then remembered the matter Mason had mentioned earlier. She whispered, ¡°Sorry for bothering you with this and even getting you attacked by those people.¡± Mason smiled and whispered, ¡®Being verbally attacked is pretty normal forwyers. Learning to cope mentally is also one of the required lessons for us¡± ¡°How do you adjust your mindset?¡± Celeste asked seriously Her problem was that she cared too much about somements online. For a while, reading those curses and abusive remarks nearly drove her into depression. To be honest, she really needed to master these mental adjustment techniques. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Mason looked at her and said very seriously. ¡°The trick is to be shameless.¡± Celeste was speechless. ¡°Is that even considered a trick¡­ Celeste mumbled, but couldn¡¯t helpughing after all, Suddenly, she found Mason to be quite an interesting guy: funny, talented, and with a gentle personality that made him easy to approach. Honestly, he was just perfect. How could such a perfect person be friends with hot-tempered Liam? With that question in mind, she asked, ¡°When you were kids, did Liam threaten you with fights and force you to be friends with him?¡± Mason chuckled awkwardly and said, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so nice, how could you possibly be friends with someone like him?¡± Just then, Liam happened to walk by the office door and heard this. His face instantly turned dark. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Mason had a gentle look in his eyes and a warm voice. ¡°Liam is awesome, not only in the eyes of the older generation but also in the eyes of our peers. When we were studying, no matter how hard I tried in exams, I could never catch up with him. Even in sports, he¡¯s always been better than us. He¡¯s got a great temper, is very patient, incredibly professional, and full of love. Just look at him starting his own company right after graduation, with so many ssmatesing to help. It shows how much everyone trusts him.¡± Liam had a good temper? Liam was patient? Was this the same person she knew? ¡°You must have misunderstood Liam. Is that considered a good temper?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help but say. I¡¯ve never met anyone with a worse personality than him. He gets angry easily, and whenever he¡¯s unhappy, he¡¯ll put on a straight face. If you ask him what¡¯s wrong, he¡¯ll comin for ages. If you pretend not to see and don¡¯t ask him, he can stare at you all day, making you feel ufortable. Like this,¡± she said, imitating him, ¡°just ¡®this¡¯ expression. Doesn¡¯t he look like a grumpy melon?¡± Mason couldn¡¯t help butugh. Celeste was enthusiastically imitating him when she suddenly saw Liam, with a nk expression on his face, standing at the door. Her heart raced, and her face was full of embarrassment. She coughed and said guiltily, ¡°Honey, you finished the meeting so quickly?¡± Liam nced at her coldly, ¡°If I didn¡¯te back earlier, how could I see your amazing imitation show?¡± Celeste was speechless. She pouted, but didn¡¯t retort since Mason was there. Mason said with a smile, ¡°Celeste was afraid I¡¯d be bored, so she chatted with me for a while. We were just joking.¡± Liam knew it was a joke, and he wouldn¡¯t be angry with Celeste for imitating him. He¡¯s no stranger to this woman. However, the way Mason deliberately exined for her made him feel a little ufortable. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He came over and sat down next to Celeste, between her and Mason, and said lightly, ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to meet in the afternoon? Why are you here so early?¡± Mason said gently, ¡°Mrs. Fletcher is going on a trip with some old ssmates this afternoon, and she asked me to be her driver. I was afraid I couldn¡¯t make it in the afternoon, so I came over since I had to help her with some things.¡± Celeste asked, puzzled, ¡®Mrs. Fletcher?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°My mother¡± Celeste nodded, thinking that Mason must have a good rtionship with his mother. After daily conversation, the two got down to business. Liam asked Mason toe over to look at a contract, which might involve some uses that required a professionalwyer to interpret. Quantum¡¯s legal advisory team was also impressive, but Liam didn¡¯t seem to trust them, so he found his own friend. She rarely asked Liam about thepany, but she had learned a bit over the years. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Quantum initially engaged in foreign trade. In Sienna¡¯s time, domestic production levels were not that high, and many items needed to be imported. With the favorable policies and the couple¡¯s diligence and bravery, they umted a lot of wealth through import and export business within a few years. However, with the development of the domestic economy and the convenience of transportation and communication, the old foreign trade channels were no longer suitable, and thepany¡¯s profits began to decline. So they started looking for new business opportunities. In thete 1980s, when radios, TVs, and other household appliances just began to rise, there were very few domesticpanies producing these products, and import prices could not be lowered. Ordinary people found it difficult to buy these appliances. The old man came up with an idea to acquire electrical appliancepanies, invest heavily, and hire many professionals to focus on the independent research and development of household appliances. Soon, Quantum¡¯s household electrical appliance products quickly took over the market. When it was Liam¡¯s father Orville¡¯s turn to take over, it was the turn of the century. Orville had a more long-term vision. He believed that after a certain stage of production development, the era of full intelligent machinery would inevitablye So he chose the automation research and development major when he was in college. After graduation, he transformed and repositioned the company with his wife¡¯s financial support. Today, Quantum has be the leadingpany in the domestic chip industry. Liam continued Orville¡¯s entrepreneurial concept, firmly continuing to develop and improve thepany. He was indeed capable in this area, but apany needed more than just capable people, especially aplexpany like Quantum. Old Mr. Reed and Shawn had some simrities in some respects, such as not forgetting their rtives after making a fortune. Although Sienna was the main shareholder of Quantum, there were many other branches of the Reed family in thepany. Liam was not good at socializing and disliked socializing situations. He was different from those who formted business strategies in the office for years; he was more focused on research and development work. Investing more in research and development meant squeezing the interests of other branches of the Reed family. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As a result, Liam¡¯s image was not popr among the shareholders of thepany. Many projects that required everyone¡¯s vote were often opposed by everyone because they harmed their interests. Clyde was different. He was more like a businessman, putting the interests of thepany and shareholders first. This also led to the fact that although Liam had created excess profits for thepany over the years, he was still less popr than Clyde. Those people didn¡¯t trust Liam, and simrly, Liam didn¡¯t trust them. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked his friend to check the contract. Celeste was not interested in their conversation. She sat in Liam¡¯s office chair, holding a pen and leisurely drawing. Liam looked at her while talking and found her absorbed in drawing. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and wondered what she was drawing. She was very serious about drawing and didn¡¯t even notice that he had finished talking and came over. Liam looked down at the paper under her pert, and his face suddenly changed. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Liam¡¯s desk had a picture of the two of them together. In the picture, Liam was in a suit, sitting on a chair, with Celeste standing next to him in a red dress. He looked serious, while she had a captivating smile. The photo was taken during their wedding photoshoot. The photographer thought the scene was beautiful, so they took a picture in that pose. It was indeed beautiful, and it was Celeste¡¯s favorite photo. A huge version of this photo hung in their living room. She even printed a smaller version, framed it, and sent it to Liam¡¯s office. Owen received it and put it on Liam¡¯s desk Now, Celeste was drawing that picture. But she drew herself looking like a fairy, and where Liam should be, there was a dog on a leash in her hand. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± With a serious tone, Celeste replied, ¡°A self-portrait. Does it look like me?¡± Liam gritted his teeth: ¡°And who is this dog?¡± Celeste shifted her gaze nervously. ¡°Just a random dog, you won¡¯t let me have one, so can¡¯t I at least draw one?¡± Celeste had learned to draw when she was young. Caitlyn had always been very strict about her education, so she learned many things such as drawing, dancing, piano, flute, and so on. Although she wasn¡¯t very persistent, she had a remarkable talent in various fields, but she wasn¡¯t an expert in any of them. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The painting was mediocre in the eyes of a professional but looked very artistic to ordinary people. Especially the dog¡¯s eyes, they were almost identical to Liam¡¯s in the photo! So how could he believe her nonsense! Mason saw the two discussing the painting and walked over. He took one look and said, ¡°Why does this dog look so much like Liam?¡± ¡°Does it? Celeste, of course, wouldn¡¯t admit it. ¡°No way! This dog isn¡¯t nearly as good-looking as Mr. Reed!¡± Liam¡­ Mason sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a pretty good drawing.¡± Celeste squinted and smiled, ¡°You see, even Mr. Fletcher thinks it¡¯s good. Maybe you should frame it. Who knows, maybe one day I will be a famous celebrity, and this painting will be worth a fortune.¡± As she said that, she signed her name elegantly in the bottom right corner of the painting. ¡°One of a kind¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t see that day in my lifetime Celeste cursed in her heart, ¡°This guy just can¡¯t help himself, and then turned to Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, are you guys done talking?¡± Mason nodded. ¡°How about lunch together? My¡­ my husband is treating Liam was speechless Since Celeste said it, Liam had no choice but to treat them. Actually Liam was nning on having lunch together anyway, but hearing it from Celeste¡¯s mouth made him feel ufortable. Celeste didn¡¯t usually like hanging out with his friends, but Mason was an exception. They seemed to have a good impression of each other since their first meeting. As the three left the office, they ran into Angel. She was carrying a fruit tter and smiled when she saw them, ¡°Sis, Mr Reed, Mr. Fletcher, are you leaving?¡± Celeste looked her up and down Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Angel had just been pushed downstairs by Martha and fell on her knees. Her injuries might be severe, but she could still smile and bring them a fruit tter. It seemed Celeste had underestimated her sister. Mason hadn¡¯t met Angel before, so he asked, ¡°Who is this?¡± Before Celeste could speak, Angel introduced herself, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, my name is Angel. We met at the jewelry exhibition a few days ago, but you might not remember. Mr. Reed is my brother-inw, Celeste is my sister, and Kaylee is my ssmate. I often hear her mention you.¡± Mason nodded but didn¡¯t say much since they weren¡¯t familiar with each other. Angel awkwardly turned to Liam and said, ¡°Liam, I just cut these fruits. I¡¯ll pack them for you to eat on the road. Owen said you haven¡¯t eaten anything this morning.¡± Celeste frowned She suddenly asked, ¡°Angel, what¡¯s your position in thepany?¡± Caught off guard, Angel replied, ¡°Operations assistant ¡°If you don¡¯t say, people might think your job is to run errands and serve people, Celeste said coldly. ¡°My dad called me yesterday and asked me to talk to my husband about taking care of you more. If you really like running errands and serving tea, we can have him arrange that for you.¡± Angel¡¯s mouth twitched, and she forced a smile, ¡°Sis, I was just helping out on my way here.¡± Did they not know which floor the operations department was on? At least make your lies believable! Shawn really cared about her and even asked Celeste for help with her job, but Angel was a disappointment. Celeste didn¡¯t bother exposing her and just said, ¡°Dad is worried about your job. Focus on your work and don¡¯t let him down.¡± Angel clenched her fists, her face turning pale, and whispered, ¡°I understand, sister.¡± As they left the office and got into the car, Mason said, ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t look much like you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not blood-rted, Celeste calmly replied. ¡°She¡¯s adopted.¡± Mason didn¡¯t ask any further. Celeste continued. ¡°Do you think I was too harsh on her?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Liam seemed to have finally found an opportunity to tease her and said coldly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been harsh?¡± Celeste remained silent, thinking about how this man always found a way to tease her. Mason chuckled and said, ¡°If someone suddenly appeared in my life, wanting to share my parents love and what¡¯s supposed to be mine, I might not be able to be generous either. However, I probably wouldn¡¯t be as tant as you. That would make it easy for people to criticize.¡± Celeste thought to herself, ¡°Man, he¡¯s got some serious emotional intelligence.¡± She had been at a disadvantage with Angel many times before, only now realizing this fact, while Mason had caught on right away. Angel was the type who was good at ying herself as a victim, painting herself as a fragile little girl. The reason she always seemed to have the upper hand was that she didn¡¯t make her dislike too obvious, and Shawn always felt like Angel was the one being bullied. No matter how satisfying their arguments were, in the end, Angel always came out on top. Sometimes being tough and stubborn wasn¡¯t always the best approach. Strategy is required. Celeste sincerely asked Mason for advice. The two started discussing without any hesitation, while Owen watched his boss¡¯s face getting darker and darker¡­. For the sake of harmony in Mr. Campbell¡¯s family, and to avoid working overtime himself, he coughed, interrupting the two. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, what would you like to eat?¡± Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Mason asked, ¡°What do you guys think of Japanese cuisine?¡± Then he turned to the two people next to him and asked, ¡°What do you guys feel like eating?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Sounds good. There¡¯s a nice Japanese restaurant on Maple Avenue.¡± Mason then asked Liam, ¡°What about you, Liam?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer but said to Celeste. 1 thought you weren¡¯t a big fan of Japanese food?¡± Mason was a bit surprised, ¡°If you don¡¯t like Japanese food, we can go somewhere else. I just mentioned it casually¡± Celeste red at Liam, Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s just talking nonsense. He doesn¡¯t know what i like at all. I actually really enjoy Japanese food¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched downwards, looking a bit unhappy, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Mason really loved Japanese food, which was evident from his extensive knowledge of the cuisine. And he was always very elegant when dining They had eaten together at a small diner near the school gate before, but they hadn¡¯t left any particr impression on each other at that time. Today, having a meal in this elegant Japanese restaurant, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. Mason actually peeled shrimp with a knife and fork! He first used the fork to press down on the shrimp head and remove it, then used the knife to cut open the shrimp¡¯s back, worked with the fork to take out the shrimp meat, and cut it into small pieces before savoring it slowly in his mouth. The peeled shrimp shells were neatly arranged on the table. She used to think that the table manners of the rich in TV dramas were exaggerated, but now she realized they weren¡¯t. She had never thought her eating habits were ugly before, butpared to Mason, she felt like she had just gone through a famine: she bit the shrimp directly with her mouth, scooped out caviar with a spoon, and drank the soup in the bowl in one go¡­ Mason saw her staring nkly at him peeling shrimp and smiled, saying, ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯re losing your appetite eating with me?¡± Celeste realized that her gaze was a bit too direct and coughed, ¡°No, I just think you¡¯re incredibly elegant¡± Mason replied with a smile, ¡°I had strict upbringing when I was young. I got used to following rules for things like eating and sleeping, and it¡¯s hard to change¡± Celeste said, ¡°It¡¯s not that hard. Just find a girlfriend who has a good appetite when eating, and after dozens of meals together, you¡¯ll change your habits in no time Liam used to eat noodles with a fork before he got married, and now he eats steak with chopsticks!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Liam choked and coughed while saying, ¡°It¡¯s because you took my fork to dig soil for your nts.¡± Celeste said with a wronged expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t I buy you a new one afterward? Didn¡¯t you also not use it?¡± How could she have the courage to say that! She bought a fork worth less than a dor, and who could use that? She should know when to save money! Actually, Celeste wasn¡¯t trying to save money. She took Liam¡¯s original fork and searched for the same model online, and she found this cheap one that looked exactly the same She only found outter that Liam¡¯s cutlery set was custom-made, and a single fork was worth a thousand dors. Mason asked curiously. ¡°Do you also grow nts?¡± When it came to this. Celeste proudly said, ¡°I have dozens of them My balcony is full of them¡± She had loved taking care of these nts since she was young, enjoying the fragrance they emitted Have you ever grown Clivia?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have two pots at home right now The flower stems have grown this year, and they should bloom in about a month¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Mason said, ¡°I have a pot of Clive at home but I don¡¯t know what happened this year. The leaves suddenly started to wilt and develop spots i cant seem to nurse it back to health ¡°Could it be anthrose? ¡°I don¡¯t know is that what anthrose looks like?¡± Celeste then seriously exined it to hum Mason was a very humble person When others spoke, he always listened carefully and asked questions from time to time This kind of informative and interactive conversation was veryfortable Celeste talked about the growth habits of Civia, the frequency of watering and fertilizing, and the methods of preventing and treating various diseases in detail But Liam couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise during the whole conversation Why hadn¡¯t she talked so much when they were going through their divorce and she had left home? At that time, Liam was the one watering those nts. Hearing her exnation, Mason said, ¡°So it could be anthrose?¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t seen the nt, so she couldnt be sure, How about this when you have time, bring it over, and 11 take a look, or you can send me a picture¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just don¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bother? Don¡¯t worry about it! You¡¯re Liam¡¯s friend, after all. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Liam was speechless. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Nics was also his friend, but he never saw her treating him so carefully. He carefully looked at Mason and suddenly thought. Mason was actually quite good-looking The more Liam thought about it, the more ufortable he felt, and then he didn¡¯t speak during dinner. Celeste seemed to bepletely unaware of his mood. She was eating and chatting with Mason, she smiled all the time. After Liam paid the bill, Celeste was talking to Mason by the roadside, her voice was gentle, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, where are you going? We can give you a ride.¡± They came in the same car If they left, Mason would have to take a taxi. Mason handed her a few mints he had just taken from the front desk and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have something to do nearby, and it¡¯s just a short walk.¡± He nced at Liam, ¡°You and Liam should hurry back. It¡¯s gettingte¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll catch up some other time¡± Celeste didn¡¯t insist, said goodbye, and got into the car. Mason waved to them through the ss as the car slowly started. Celeste handed Liam a mint, ¡°Want one?¡± Liam¡¯s face was stern, and he ignored her. Celeste didn¡¯t ask any further, she didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. She noticed his stern face during dinner but didn¡¯t know who had upset him. Liam looked at Celeste beside him, chewing on candy without a care, and suddenly felt annoyed. He asked in a deep voice. ¡°How did you meet Mason?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I told you before, I met him when I was consulting awyer for my friend.¡± ¡°He first met you at the hospital, right? You were consulting for your friend at the hospital? When Mason met you, you were even using a fake name. Celeste What¡¯s the truth?¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liam coldly said. ¡°Whether we divorce or not, stay away from Mason. Don¡¯t have any inappropriate thoughts about him, He¡¯s not someone you can mess with¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened. What did this nasty man think of her? Even if she wanted to find another husband after the divorce, she wouldn¡¯t go after his friends. She was not stupid. Especially his attitude when he spoke, warning her with disdain, made Celeste feel both disheartened and ashamed. In his eyes, was she the kind of woman who was already looking for her next partner before the divorce? Even if she were desperate, she wouldn¡¯t date his friends. None of his friends ever took her seriously Masons rtionship with her was only special due to the lawsuit, so she cared more. His friends talked and joked with her only out of courtesy for Liam. They didn¡¯t care about her, and she knew that better than anyone else. She didn¡¯t need Liam to remind her again and again! She held back her anger and grievance, and said softly. ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re over thinking it. The only reason I¡¯m being nice to Mr. Fletcher is to cooperate with you and fight for the billion-dor property division After the divorce, once I get the money, I won¡¯t even nce at you and your friends¡± Liamp face darkened and he didnt like her attitude when she spoke Celeste hadn¡¯t freated speaking so she continued with a straight face, ¡°And you wanted to know why the first time I met Mr. Fletcher was at the hospital right? Actually not only was it at the hospital but it was also the day we agreed to handle the divorce paperwork. The reason I didn¡¯t go wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to get a divorce but because my mom was critically that day¡± Liam¡¯s hand tiembled, and he looked at her in astonutrient Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 ¡°Mr. Fletcher was taking photos on the rooftop, and I thought he was sneakily taking pictures of me, so I snatched his phone away. This happened the first time we met! When you¡¯re using me, how much respect do you have for our marriage? Her anger had been somewhat subsided, but Liam¡¯s words just ignited all her grievances again. ¡°Other people¡¯s husbands respect and love their wives. What about you? Martha caused a scene at yourpany, and you were afraid of offending people and damaging your reputation among your employees, so you put the me on me and made me the bad guy. You appeared to be the good guy who still cared about the old employees. Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°In your heart, am I just a despicable person who pushes the me onto women when things go wrong?¡± Celeste was furious and didn¡¯t mince her words, ¡°Of course! You didn¡¯t want a child, but you didn¡¯t tell your family. Instead, you med me for infertility. I had to drink that disgusting medicine every day, and even contraception was considered a crime by your family. In what way are you a man, a husband?¡± Liam¡¯s face grew darker and angrier, while Owen in the front seat didn¡¯t dare to breathe. What was wrong with Ms. Campbell? How dare she talk to Mr. Reed like that? He hurriedly defended Liam, ¡°Ms. Campbell, today¡¯s incident was my fault. I called you without Mr. Reed¡¯s knowledge.¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°So now you can¡¯t even admit it?¡± Owen nervously said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, I¡¯m telling the truth, Mr. Reed really didn¡¯t know¡­ Liam interrupted him, ¡°Celeste, after more than a decade of education, is having a child the only thing on your mind? You think that once you have a child, you can secure everything you have now? If that¡¯s your purpose, let me tell you, I¡¯ll never have a child with you in my life!¡± Celesteughed mockingly and angrily replied, ¡°Well, let me make it clear to you, I¡¯d rather have a litter of puppies with a dog than have a child with you!¡± Liam¡¯s face turned livid. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely vulgar!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who can¡¯t tell right from wrong!¡± Celeste red at him and then turned to Owen, ¡°Pull over! I want to get off!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down. Mr. Reed really didn¡¯t know about today¡¯s incident. And about the child.. ¡°Stop the car! Let her get out!¡± Liam cut him off angrily. He rarely used such harsh words unless he was extremely upset. Celeste continued in resentment, ¡°Did you hear that? He¡¯s the one asking me to leave. It seems I need to work harder to earn those ten billion you mentioned earlier, right?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Liam wished he could kill Celeste with his eyes! Owen chose to remain silent and quickly pulled over After Celeste got out of the car, she didn¡¯t look back and disappeared into the crowd. Liam was still furious, and Owen was awkward He apologized in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Reed, this was my fault. I contacted Ms. Campbell without your permission. I was worried that she wouldn¡¯te, so I didn¡¯t tell her exactly what had happened over the phone.¡± As a result, Celeste came to help him out of desperation, which was why she was so angry. Liam coldly said, ¡°You really think hiding behind a woman can solve thepany¡¯s problems? What difference does it make if she steps in? If !promise today, will everyone follow suit when I fire an employee in the future and make a scene at thepany? If I dare to do this, I¡¯m not afraid of being used! After all these years with me, don¡¯t you know me yet?¡± Owen¡¯s face turned pale, I¡¯m sorry¡± Liar closed his eyes tiredly and said nothing more. Trisha had been away with the crew these days, and Celeste had nowhere to go. After wandering around the hospital, she returned home. The main reason was that the hospital only had one bed, and she didn¡¯t want to keep making ine sleep on the hard armchair, so she didn¡¯t feelfortable staying there overnight As for her other friends, they all had their own careers, and when she got married, Skyler had cut her guest list. None of her friends were invited to her wedding except Trisha, which caused a huge rift between her and her friends. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to approach anyone The idea of buying a house came up again However, she wasn¡¯t divorced yet and didn¡¯t have the qualifications to buy a house in J City Just as she was helplessly looking at those high quality properties but couldn¡¯t make a move, Zach called and asked, ¡°Did you cancel the Celestial Haze ount?¡± ¡°Uh, didn¡¯t you say I can¡¯t take on other jobs during the shooting?¡± Zach¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you to cancel it ¡± Celesteughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to update that ount anymore. There¡¯s been a lot of messy stuff spreading onlely, so I thought I¡¯d just cancel it.¡± Zach was silent for a moment and said, ¡°There were many actors who rmended themselves for your role. Among them were award-winning actors and some soon-to-be A-listers. Do you know why I chose you?¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Celeste definitely wouldn¡¯t think that Zach chose her for her acting skills. Her acting was indeed good, but there were plenty of talented actors in the industry. They had much more fans and reputation. In many ways, she didn¡¯t have much of an advantage. There was no reason for Zach to choose her specifically After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a neer without aplicated background, my fee is low, and I have some acting skills. It meets your casting requirements and avoids being controlled by big capital, so you don¡¯t have to arrange for actors you don¡¯t like in the crew. Besides, even if something happens to me in the future, you won¡¯t be afraid of offending anypany¡± Zach was a bit surprised, not expecting her to be so clear-headed Celeste¡¯s appearance was misleading, and people easily assumed she was a simple-minded woman. And it wasn¡¯t just her many young, good-looking actors had this problem. They easily gained fans love because of their looks, but since they got it so easily, they didn¡¯t think deeply about many things and eventually became sacrifices in the struggle for capital But Celeste was different. From the beginning, she knew she wasn¡¯t chosen solely because of luck. She was very clear-headed. Zach asked her, ¡°If you know all this, why did you sign the contract?¡± Celeste bluntly replied, ¡°I need this job, and I like the script.¡± Zach looked at her approvingly, then said, ¡°The event about actor Z who was reced before you was done by Lorinda. We had disagreements during casting, and I had the power to veto her choice. The final actor wasn¡¯t who Lorinda wanted. She was unhappy, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time Surprisingly, not long after, actor Z had some negative news exposed¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying Lorinda caused actor Z¡¯s problems?¡± Zach sneered, ¡°Who else could it be? She¡¯s done this kind of thing before. To suppress apetitor¡¯s drama, she would pay off the media to expose the dirt on their actors, if she couldn¡¯t buy the copyrights, she would giarize one and air it before thepetitor. As long as it could stop her from making money and go against her wishes, she would resort to any means without any bottom line¡± But Celeste didn¡¯t think the problem was with Lorinda. Lorinda¡¯s purpose was to make money. Even if she wanted to push Sydney in, it was to profit from the traffic star Actor Z didn¡¯t have as much poprity as a traffic star, but her acting skills were outstanding. Before she had problems, she had a good reputation among the audience. Moreover, actors in that position usually had some background, so Lorinda didn¡¯t need to offend anyone just to change the role. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. In short, Lorinda was narrow-minded and vengeful She wouldn¡¯t let you go easily after such a big blow. If she finds out Celestial Haze is you, she will probably do everything she can to target you if she finds any dirt on you, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to stay¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Does being married count as dirt?¡± Zach wanted to roll his eyes, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in a teen drama? Who cares if you¡¯re married or not?¡± Celeste muttered, ¡°My agent said my face is pretty suitable for being an idol¡± Hearing this, Zach knew Celeste wasn¡¯t afraid and didn¡¯t care at all. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 ¡°How much money can you make as an idol? If you want to have a long-term career in this industry, don¡¯t think about going down the traffic route from the start. Acting depends on skills, while traffic relies on image. The more perfect the image is, the more devastating the damage is when it copses.¡± From the audition to now, Zach¡¯s words today were heartfelt. He gave Celeste a chance, but he also knew his intentions weren¡¯t pure. So when he found out Lorinda was investigating her, he contacted Celeste immediately. Putting aside his impure intentions, he actually had high hopes for Celeste because there was a light in her eyes when she acted. He hadn¡¯t seen that fiery light, born from passion, in the eyes of young actors for a long time. Zach earnestly advised Celeste, like a ss teacher from her childhood, making her feel both warm and amused. ¡°I didn¡¯t n on going down the idol route anyway. I don¡¯t want fans to control whom I can date¡± Zach thought, didn¡¯t she say she was married? Who would she date then? Zach didn¡¯t ask further, only reminding her, ¡°Just be careful, and contact me if anything happens. We start filming next week, so don¡¯t mess up.¡± Celeste smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Miller.¡± These days, Lorinda was almost fed up withizens¡¯ insults. Every time she heard her phone notification, she thought someone was sending her a hateful message. The online drama she invested in took so much effort, even inviting Sydney for a cameo, but it didn¡¯t attract much attention. She sought help to promote her new drama everywhere, but because of the previous incident causing a well-known voice actor to exit from public, everyone was reluctant to get involved in the controversy Seeing the declining daily views, she tried to use Sydney to promote the new drama, hoping to recover some losses. Sydney knew that promoting the new drama now would undoubtedly cause her trouble. But she might still need Lorinda¡¯s help, so she agreed to her request. Then Sydney indirectly asked, ¡°Ms. Rodinda, I saw on your Moments that you¡¯re about to start filming soon. Are you making a new drama?¡± Lorinda replied, ¡°Yes, I have to finish it before the end of the year, so I¡¯m speeding up the process.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the drama that you¡¯re in such a hurry for?¡± ¡°Phoenix Fire, the one I told you about before.¡± Sydney¡¯s face darkened. It was Zach¡¯s ¡°Phoenix Fire¡±? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. This drama had been highly anticipated since the script was polished. As soon as it was approved this year, it began recruiting actors. Sydney had worked hard to gain poprity, but she wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. She hoped to star in a high-quality drama, break free from the shackles of being an actor only has great fans, and be a powerhouse actor ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± was the show she¡¯d been dying to be a part of But Zach, the director, was super picky when it came to casting. She tried putting herself forward before, but his response was a total letdown. He didn¡¯t give a damn about her acting skills or her fame, if he didn¡¯t dig her, then it was a no-go. Later, she heard that Lorinda got the gig as the assistant director, so she pinned her hopes on her. The two had worked together before and they were on pretty good terms. Plus, Lorinda was a sucker for ttery as long as she could keep her happy. Sydney figured she should be a shoo-in for a role, especially since Lorinda was one of the investors too. She spent a ton of cash and effort to get in Lorinda¡¯s good graces, only to find out that she had no right in the production. After the roles were set, Sydney was livid. She paid someone to dig up dirt on one of the actors, finally managing to get them kicked off the project. She thought it was her time to shine, so she went ahead and bought loads of trending topics to promote herself, even before the production team announced anything Turned out, she spread the news about her involvement only to find out that the show was about to start filming and she didn¡¯t have a clue! Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Sydney tried to control her emotions, asking softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was a role that hadn¡¯t been decided? How did it get settled so quickly?¡± Lorinda exined, ¡°During the auditions, I rmended you to Zach. If nothing went wrong, he should¡¯ve picked you since you¡¯re pretty popr and have good qualifications. But out of nowhere, Zach found this girl to audition and was instantly smitten with her, completely ignoring my opinion. He ended up signing a rookie with no acting experience. I have no clue what he was thinking!¡± ¡°A rookie?¡± Sydney¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­uh¡­¡± Lorinda thought for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t remember. I¡¯d never seen her before, and she had no acting experience on her resume. She did a couple of scenes, and Zach was satisfied. I didn¡¯t think she was better than you. Who knows, maybe she¡¯s Zach¡¯s mistress?¡± Sydney remained expressionless. Lorinda knew she was partly responsible for this since she¡¯d boasted that Sydney getting the role was a sure thing. But who could¡¯ve guessed that Zach would be such a pain? Although she was the assistant director, she couldn¡¯t have any say in the casting. She tried tofort Sydney, ¡°Zach is such a cheapskate. He pays peanuts for the actors. I heard the one he picked is only getting thirty grand per episode. With how tight he is on the budget, how could he find any good actors? You could easily make a hundred times more doing any other dramas.¡± Sydney scoffed. She never cared about the pay from Zach. If it wasn¡¯t for her eagerness to transition and Zach¡¯s good reputation, why would she even want to be in his drama? Lorinda was pretty useless too! If it wasn¡¯t for her overconfidence, Sydney wouldn¡¯t have pinned her hopes on her She put so much effort and money into pleasing Lorinda, and now she was told the role¡¯s been taken? Casting decisions didn¡¯t happen overnight. If Sydney hadn¡¯t probed today, she probably wouldn¡¯t have found out until the show aired. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Lorinda, it¡¯s not about the pay. I really like Director Zach, and working with him is a dream of mine. Can you please ask him again? I¡¯d be happy with just an opportunity to audition. Pay isn¡¯t an issue, I¡¯ll do it no matter how low.¡± Lorinda hesitated, ¡°It¡¯s tough for me to do anything with this. The major investor really likes Zach, and he has a significant say in the project. I can¡¯t interfere. But you could try asking Mr. Reed, Phoenix Fire¡¯s investor is Skyline Media Group and I heard their boss has a good rtionship with the Reed family if the investor speaks up. Zach won¡¯t dare go against them¡± Sydney perked up, asking urgently, ¡°Lorinda, is your information reliable?¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t met Skyline Media Group¡¯s boss. But in J City, almost every one has to respect the Reed family. Since you have the Reed family backing you, it could be your advantage.¡± Sydney still looked puzzled. ¡°Think it over. I have to go, can¡¯t chat with you any longer.¡± After hanging up, Sydney thought for a while before calling Liam. But the call was busy. Liam didn¡¯t always answer her calls; he mostly contacted her, and apparently didn¡¯t like her calling his personal number. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Since the Grandview Vi incident made the news, Liam hadn¡¯t said much, but he¡¯d rarely seen her alone after that. Their work connection had since been maintained through Palmer and Liam¡¯s team, with Liam no longer managing her directly. Moreover, her resources had dwindled significantly after the previous tailgating incident. Although plenty of scripts kepting her way, most were from subpar production teams. Liam didn¡¯t seem to fight for resources for her anymore. Sydney wasn¡¯t a professional actress and didn¡¯t have a powerful background. Despite being a popr actress now, her position was still unstablepared to mainstream stars. To be an A-list star, she needed a hit drama as a stepping stone. Yet, the resources Liam provided couldn¡¯t cater to her needs, which left her very agitated. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She looked up at Palmer, ¡°Contact Mr. Reed and see if we can arrange dinner tonight. I have something to discuss with him.¡± Palmer nodded, about to make the call, but Sydney stopped him, ¡°No, tell him I got injured on set and ask him toe to see me.¡± Palmer was surprised, ¡°Won¡¯t that expose the lie?¡± He¡¯d met Liam a few times and felt he wasn¡¯t easy to deceive. The rtionship between Liam and Sydney wasn¡¯t one of a typical sugar daddy-celebrity arrangement. Liam seldom visited Sydney, but whenever she found herself in trouble, he always appeared. Like the tailgating incident or the charity g. Although Sydney didn¡¯t suffer serious injuries, Liam still seemed very concerned. Palmer couldn¡¯t read someone like Liam. As Sydney¡¯s agent, he didn¡¯t want her to get too close to Liam. Sydney was very popr, and promotion to an A-list star would be just a matter of time if she focused on her career. She had a bright future ahead. However, Liam was married, and exposure of their dangerous rtionship would be devastating to her career. But that was just Palmer¡¯s view. He could only help Sydney solve risks but couldn¡¯t make decisions for her. ¡°Just do it my way, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Palmer reluctantly tried to contact Liam¡¯s team. Liam had been in a terrible moodtely. Company employees had noticed. Although Liam often appeared cold, at least he¡¯d previously nod in response when someone greeted him. Lately, he¡¯s been frowning at everyone, looking all grumpy and miserable. So, everyone was super cautious when reporting their work, afraid that Mr. Reed might take it out on them if they said something wrong Even though Mr. Reed didn¡¯t seem to vent his personal emotions at work, his expression was just way too scary. After seeing the guests off, Owen poured Liam a cup of tea and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, Savor Symphony hase out with some new desserts. Wanna grab some for Ms. Campbell? She¡¯s really into their stuff, right?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. Owen went on, ¡°Ms. Campbell is quite fond of their cakes. Liam frowned, ¡°What¡¯s it to me what she likes to eat?¡± Owen remarked, ¡°Last year¡¯s birthday cake for Ms. Campbell got snatched by Ms. Kaylee.¡± Liam paused, pressed his lips together, and said, ¡°Do you have nothing better to do than yappy away here?¡± Owen shut up, ¡°Okay, I will go get busy¡± Just as he was about to step out, he heard Liam say, ¡°Get a few. At least it¡¯ll shut her up.¡± As soon as Owen stepped out, Nics sent him a video. To his surprise, the cover showed Celeste, her eyes were gloomy and her face was covered in bright red blood Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 In the video, Celeste was wearing a red strapless dress, expressionlessly ¡°dissecting¡± a body. Of course, a legal publicity drama won¡¯t be too bloody, so you can¡¯t actually see the body she¡¯s dissecting. But her horrifyingplexion, emotionless expression, and indifferent gazebined with the blood sshing onto her face create a cruel and enchanting beauty. Just as she was dissecting the body, the doorbell rang Celeste stood up, washed her face, wrapped a shawl around herself, and casually used perfume to mask the bloody smell. She even put on lipstick before opening the door. She was very conscious of her image. Facing the delivery guy, she instantly became friendly and approachable. She smiled as she took the parcel and quietly thanked him. There was a noise from inside the house, and the delivery guy tried to peek in curiously. She sighed, saying, ¡°I just got a puppy that pees everywhere, so I had to lock it in a cage. It seems pretty pissed off¡± Her voice was quite rough, kind of like a man imitating a woman, and her tone waspletely different from her usual speech. She seemed to have deliberately changed her pronunciation. But her behavior was very feminine. The delivery driver suggested, ¡°You need to train the puppy. If it pees everywhere, you need to catch it in the act, scold it and make it realize it was wrong. After a few times, it¡¯ll understand. Kids need to be punished to learn a lesson, so why not dogs?¡± Celeste noded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Behind her in the living room, a tied-up man¡¯s eyes widen in shock. The pool of blood in front of him seemed to hint at a horrifying event that urred not long before. The man struggled desperately, but the loud TV drowns his noise, making it impossible for the delivery guy to notice. Before closing the door, Celeste handed the delivery guy some homemade treats. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After the delivery guy left, she took off her wig to reveal short hair and sharp features. With a smirk, she squatted down to y with the bound man¡¯s chin, saying, ¡°I told you to be quiet, why can¡¯t you just listen?¡± Her voice had nowpletely changed to a male one. Liam stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face on the video, his heartbeat suddenly racing. Nics called, Liam snapped back to reality to answer, and he said with a chuckle, ¡°Your wife seems to be skilled at dissecting bodies. You¡¯d better watch out at night.¡± Liam angrily hung up. Nics barged in the door, having actually been downstairs since he sent the video. He walked in, sat down by the coffee table, and smiled, ¡°Mastermind of Law has started, and your wife¡¯s performance in the first case is fantastic. She ys a serial killer cross-dressing as a woman, and theizen is now searching for her information, with everyone guessing whether she¡¯s male or female¡± The Mastermind of Law production was quite unique. To make a show aboutw popr online wasn¡¯t easy, so the first case was set with an intriguing mystery Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 The case was based on an infamous cross-dressing serial killer from J City a few years back. The suspect had suffered sexual abuse and domestic violence from his stepfather as a kid. He disliked men, longed to be a woman, and always imitated women in his mannerisms. As he had an attractive appearance and was skilled, he quickly found a job in a decentpany after graduating. But just as his life began to get on track, his stepfather tried to extort money from him, caused a scene at his company, and spread pictures of him cross-dressing. Thepany, worried about its reputation, fired him. A colleague he had been attracted to also ended up leaving him. Steeped in gambling debts, the stepfather had already ruined the family. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After suffering yet another instance of domestic violence, the suspect decided to kill his stepfather while he was drunk, smothering him with a pillow. Due to the stepfather¡¯s poor reputation and heavy drinking, his death didn¡¯t arise any suspicions. After the first crime, the suspect got excited, and his offenses escted. He became a beautiful female anchor, hunting victims online, meeting them offline, and killing them to take their belongings to sustain his living. He went from targeting victims with simr character ws as his stepfather to indiscriminate crimes. The brutal dismemberment and incineration methods made everyone believe the suspect is a wicked criminal. Not until the suspect¡¯s court trial video was exposed did public opinion change. That was because the suspect appeared gentle and refined. His mannerisms were feminine, his speech was soft, and it was hard to believe he was a murderer. Celeste¡¯s performance was outstanding, sessfully portraying the suspect¡¯s insane state. Combined with her gorgeous appearance, especially the scene where her short-haired character holding a knife to the victim¡¯s chin, it was impossible to tell if she was male or female. The author of the show knew today¡¯s audience tastes very well. Just a few hours after it aired, the show went viral, with crazy fans searching for the ¡°killer¡¯s¡± information. No one expected a legal show to be this popr. The official short video reached tens of millions of views within half an hour. In thements section, in addition to demands for updates, someizens tried to find the actress¡¯s information. The film and television chat group that Nics was in had already be a hotbed of discussion. The low-budget legal drama¡¯s sess after just one episode made industry professionals envious. As they grew envious, people also wondered whichpany the actress belonged to. When they found out she didn¡¯t belong to anypany, they began to discuss how to tap into her talent and even offered higher prices for her in the group chat. Nics was almost frantic, thinking to himself that her identity wasn¡¯t something they can just dig up. He approached the office desk and jokingly sayid, ¡°Hand your wife over to me, and I promise to make her a superstar within three years, no, two years.¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Alright.¡± Nics froze, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liam said indifferently. The signing fee is one billion.¡± Nics¡¯ mouth twitched, ¡°Isn¡¯t this robbery?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s robbery, wouldn¡¯t it be illegal?¡± Nics knew Liam wouldn¡¯t give in, so he didn¡¯t ask further. The Reed family¡¯s status wouldn¡¯t easily allow Celeste to be an actress. As they spoke, a notification on the phone rang. Nics looked down and was surprised, ¡°My sister-in- law changed her Twitter certification.¡± Besides the ¡°Celestial Haze¡± ount, Celeste also had a personal ount for documenting her life. This ount¡¯s nickname was ¡°SerenadeDreamer¡± She used this ount to share her cooking experiences and pictures, some goof-ups, and the asional selfies. Speaking of which, he couldn¡¯t help butin that Celeste¡¯s selfies probably only showed three- tenths of her beauty. Her face was already exquisite, but she had to learn from inte celebrities to use filters, making her beautiful face look terrible. If he hadn¡¯t seen Liam browsing her Twitter, just from her selfies, he wouldn¡¯t have recognized her as Celeste. This ount used to update frequently, but not so oftentely, only asionally helping others share missing person announcements or donations. It was half a year since thest update. Just now, she certified herself as an actress on Twitter and changed the nickname to her name. After that, she reposted thetest promotional tweet of Mastermind of Law. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The official ount quickly pinned her repost on top. During Nics¡¯ page refresh, thousands ofments appeared below the tweet. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a beautiful girl!¡± ¡°So pretty!!!¡± ¡°Whyyy is my male god in my heart a beautiful girl? Why do I still love her so much even though she¡¯s a girl?!¡± ¡°Gender doesn¡¯t matter, I can!¡± ¡°The officials didn¡¯t say they used dubbing How can a woman make a man¡¯s voice? Fake, right? I don¡¯t care; it must be a man!¡± In just a few minutes, Celeste¡¯s follower count increased by tens of thousands. How was that possible? They didn¡¯t even gain so many fans so quickly when they promoted actors! The follower count kept rising like cash in a counting machine. In Nics¡¯ eyes, Celeste was a money- making machine. In the entertainment hot search list¡¯s top 10, nine topics were about the show Mastermind of Law. Ironically, the remaining one was about Sydney. The topic was intriguing. Sydney looked handsome in men¡¯s clothing Sydney yed a girl disguised as a man in Lorinda¡¯s new show. This hot search tag was purchased by her for promotion Sydney and Celeste were different. Celeste was morous, even without makeup, her facial features were perfect. A slightly modified eyebrow and eye makeup could create a sharp feeling But she dared to try different styles, like this crew cut, which most female stars wouldn¡¯t try The crew cut exposed the facial features, easily revealing any ws. But Celeste had no such problem. Her short hair with curved eyebrows gave a gender-neutral vibe While Sydney had a more innocent look, her acting roles matched her image. But just based on appearance, she wasn¡¯t considered a stunning beauty in showbiz Her in features relied on makeup and hairstyles. She knew her shorings, so she never strayed from herfort zone Even her male disguise wasn¡¯t too different from her regr makeup. Though the foreground hair was hidden, her eyebrows and eye makeup barely changed. It was hard to see any masculine traits in her. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Especially when her topic followed Celeste¡¯s hot search, the gap between them was huge. Even the fans found it difficult to support her, and the hot search quickly dropped. Nics looked up at Liam, who was frowning and typing. Out of curiosity, Nics leaned closer, but Liam put away his phone and coldly asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± That meant he was asking him to leave. Nics had no shame about being caught snooping. He moved closer and yed with the Newton¡¯s cradle on the desk, ¡°Simon texted me today, said we should gatherter on. He specifically asked me to invite Celeste, saying she helped Micha a lot and wants to thank her.¡± Liam pursed his lips and reluctantly picked up his phone under Nics¡¯ stare. Celeste was now at the old house ying with Sugar. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She had beening to the old house for several days in a row. Every time, she would bring some of Sienna¡¯s favorite food for Mr. Robinson to pass along. She stayed in the stable with Sugar while memorizing her lines. Afraid of angering Sienna, she never initiated contact but had lunch at the old mansion. Today was no different. When Jta called to tell her about the huge sess of Mastermind of Law, she was lying in the grass, sunbathing with Sugar. She didn¡¯t expect the show¡¯s poprity, thinking it was just another experiment in her career. But the result was fantastic. Regardless, it was a happy asion. After posting on Twitter, she started braiding Sugar¡¯s hair. When Liam called, she was helping Sugar choose hairpins, arguing whether to use the green or red one. Sugar was smart, not letting anyone force it to do things it didn¡¯t like. Celeste eventually surrendered, putting in the green hairpin. With the hairpin in ce, Sugar ran around the fence twice, its head held high, feeling triumphant. Celeste found it funny and speechless. The sense of beauty was too weird. The green hairpin on top of its head looked bad, right? She nced down at the caller ID, hit the answer button, and then hung up before the other person even had a chance to speak. Liam, listening to the busy tone on his phone, was dumbfounded, seemingly unable to believe it. This ain¡¯t even a fight? She was not even answering her calls, and Nics felt too awkward to me Liam. ¡°Maybe she identally pressed the hang-up button? Call again.¡± So Liam made the second call, and then the same thing happened, hang up after answering. After trying four or five times, Liam¡¯s face had turned really bad. Nics coughed lightly. ¡°Let me call¡± A few seconds after Nics called, the call was connected. Celeste¡¯s soft voice came through, ¡°Hello?¡± Nics nced at Liam, who was frowning, coughed and said, ¡°Sis-inw, we¡¯re treating you to dinner tonight, are youing?¡± Celeste joked, ¡°Why would you be so willing to invite someone?¡± Nics was known for being stingy and usually freeloading on other people¡¯s dinners. If he said he was inviting someone, it must not be so simple. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s Simon With Mastermind of Law being so popr, he had to invite you for dinner, right?¡± Micha wanted to invite her to dinner before, but she refused. Micha probably knew they weren¡¯t familiar, so she didn¡¯t bother inviting her. So she asked Simon to go through Nics and find her. Celeste thought for a while and asked, ¡°Where and when?¡± ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle pick you upter.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯m driving¡± ¡°Then pick me up on the way, save some gas, I¡¯m at Harmony Lane¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste was speechless. Did he really care about saving those few bucks? After hanging up, Celeste said goodbye to Mr. Robinson and drove away from the old house While Mr. Robinson was reporting, Sienna was eating Celeste¡¯s homemade pie Celeste was truly apologetic, so she sent the pies she made herself Her cooking wasn¡¯t good, but the pies were well made, and she sent several boxes, which Sienna had been eating for a few days. Mr. Robinson whispered, ¡°Mrs Reed just left¡± ¡°She should have left long ago, staying here every day without eating with us, making it seem like I¡¯m mistreating her Mr. Robinson calmly said, ¡°Mrs. Reed is afraid you¡¯ll be angry ¡°If she¡¯s really afraid of me being angry, she should have a child for me right away!¡± ¡°Younger people have their own ideas, Mrs. Reed is still young, a few yearster won¡¯t matter¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to see the child in a few years¡± ¡°You¡¯re in good health, you¡¯ll live a long life¡± Sienna nced at him, ¡°One massager from that girl, and you¡¯re sold?¡± Mr. Robinsonughed, ¡°You¡¯re not really mad, or you wouldn¡¯t have let me open the door for her. And if she really gets pregnant, Mr. Reed should be the one scared, he doesn¡¯t even know about the surgery¡± Sienna didn¡¯t say anything, she just red at Mr. Robinson, who immediately shut up. Sienna wiped her mouth and asked softly. ¡°How¡¯s Wesleytely?¡± ¡°Just returned to thepany, heard he¡¯s changed a lot, doing a good job and being much more moderate. He even sent some local products this morning. It seems these months of training have made him understand your intentions.¡± ¡°If he really understood, he wouldn¡¯t have left me for so long without visiting me. He must still me me¡± Mr. Robinson had nothing to say. Wesley¡¯s incident had a huge impact on thepany, and Sienna was very disappointed, so she decided to send him to the toughest part of thepany. In fact, Liam had also been there, even willingly during his college internship. But very few people knew about it, and Liam kept a low profile by insisting on going as an intern. The employees at the western branch didn¡¯t even know Liam¡¯s identity and treated him as a regr intern, even making him stay in a dormitory. The water supply there wasn¡¯t very well developed at the time, and the conditions were even worse. Liam stayed there for almost six months, and when he came back, he was like a different person. His time there was not wasted. Because of his on-site investigation and targeted adjustments to the development n, the western branch was able to grow rapidly. Sienna sent Wesley to the west, hoping not only for him to reflect but also to learn from Liam, to study hard, and to develop his problem-solving skills in a harsh environment But now, it seemed that Sienna¡¯s efforts were about to end in vain. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Celeste drove to Harmony Lane and saw Nics and the tall and burly guy next to him from afar. She almost wanted to leave right away, but Nics kept yelling her name, wearing a pink suit, like a lively butterfly. He followed her car and yelled all the way, so she felt embarrassed and had to stop. Rolling down the car window, Nics panted and said, ¡°Sis, didn¡¯t you see our long legs?¡± Celeste replied expressionlessly. ¡°Oh, with those fancy clothes you¡¯re wearing, looking like a celebrity, I must¡¯ve been mistaken.¡± Liam nced at her, he bet she didn¡¯t think that way. As soon as she lowered the car window, he clearly saw the aversion in her eyes. Now she fibbed so easily. And yet, Nics enjoyed it so much. Nics narcissistically fixed his hair and winked at Celeste, ¡°If I got into showbiz, I would definitely be a big superstar, right?¡± ¡°Only a superstar? I think you could be people¡¯s ideal partner, bringing a new aesthetic trend.¡± Nics was delighted to hear this, ¡°Great minds think alike!¡± Nics started to like Celeste more and more, she was beautiful, a great actress, and had a sweet mouth. With such a gorgeous wife, Liam often argued with her, which was unbelievable. Of course, Liam didn¡¯t know that Celeste¡¯s ttery had swayed his best friend. Nics opened the car door, and Liam naturally sat in the passenger seat. Celeste nced at him and said, ¡°Mr. Reed is saving on gas too?¡± Liam countered. ¡°Is the Bugatti enjoyable to drive?¡± Celeste immediately became speechless. She had been driving the Bugatti recently, but today Liam had taken it to be serviced, so she hadn¡¯t driven it. But he apparently knew her routine. Celeste didn¡¯t drive the Bugatti often, partly because it was too expensive and eye-catching. Once she went out, people would recognize it as Liam¡¯s car and say to Kaylee. If Kaylee knew she was driving it, she¡¯d probably give Skyler another earful. So, she rarely touched Liam¡¯s car to avoid trouble. However,tely, she suddenly became indifferent. After all, they would eventually divorce. Why not enjoy Liam¡¯s possessions? She had slept with Liam for three years, and her youth was worth more than a mere car. Not only did she drive it, but she purposely cruise around the city center, being very high-profile. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. But now Liam had exposed her, otherwise, Celeste would have be even wilder However, she didn¡¯t care, saying indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s just okay. I¡¯m afraid if it stays in the garage too long, the engine will break.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to her Recently, he realized how strong her debating skills were, even if she didn¡¯t make sense sometimes. Where were her gentle and considerate qualities? While this discussion was about to end, Nics added, ¡°Supercars should be driven more often, so the enginests longer¡± Celeste gave him a thumbs up, ¡°Expert¡± Liams mouth twitched and he red at Nics, wondering whose side he was on. Nics didn¡¯t take sides. He was only on the side of money, and if he could enjoy some gossip while making money, all the better. When Celestes affection for tum reached its peak, he leaned on the front seat and stretched his head over, Sis, if you want to sign with an agency, you can consider Gxy Games first I promise you resources as long as you join, you¡¯ll be the A ss one directly¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Gxy Games Talent Agency had four types of contracts: SABC. A-level contracts were usually for the company¡¯s main resources ¨C the actors they thought would be worth a lot in themercial market and had a higher revenue share. B-level and C-level contracts were a bit lower-tier, usually for newbies, but asionally someone would break out of the pack and got promoted to an A-level contract. S-level contracts were super rare, mostly for superstars who had won a ton of awards, super well- known nationally, and some even own shares in thepany ¨C they were really deep with the company Since Gxy Games was founded, they¡¯ve only had one S-level contract, with a super awesome actress. Unfortunately, she passed away from illness two years ago, otherwise Sydney wouldn¡¯t have a chance to be the top actress at the agency. Celeste had thought about signing with an agency too. Getting the role in ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± was a total fluke, andnding good roles on your own was super tough. Agency backing is needed. Gxy Games had been killing it recently and Nics was a pro atworking ¨C he can pull in all sorts of resources. If she signed with him, she¡¯d be guaranteed good roles. But she didn¡¯t want to sign with Gxy Games because of one thing: Sydney. Putting aside personal grudges, she could tell Sydney wanted to transition and was expericing different fields this year. As a fellow A-level contract actress, Sydney already had a lot of hits; any time a good script showed up, she¡¯d probably snatch it. Even if Nics really liked Celeste, he might not be able to help her get good roles. She¡¯d rather sign with another agency as a newbie and at least have fairpetition. She joked, ¡°If I sign with your agency, I¡¯d have to be the face of it. Would you dare to touch your agency¡¯s current face?¡± Nics caught on quickly ¡°You mean Sydney? Don¡¯t worry about that. Her contract is almost up and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll renew.¡± Celeste was a bit surprised. ¡°Ms. Denton has such highmercial value, would you really let her go?¡± 1 tried to keep her, but her renewal terms were to upgrade to an S-level contract. I can give her a better cut, but she doesn¡¯t qualify for S-level. If we can¡¯t agree, forget it. Her roles can make anyone who looks decent enough famous. Creating another star like her is just a matter of time.¡± Like Liam, Nics hated being controlled. Sure, Sydney was hot stuff now, but shecked self-awareness and got more and more arrogant. She was not a professional actress and wasn¡¯t naturally talented. Nics thought about turning her into a superstar after she became famous. He hired some badass acting coaches to train her, but she was toozy to care about improving her skills. To make more money, she took on some small brand endorsements on the side and said she had events to attend so she couldn¡¯t attend lessons. She only attended twice out of the lessons worth tens of thousands each with a dismissive attitude. The teacher wasn¡¯t in it for the money but for helping a friend. When he saw Sydney¡¯s attitude, he quit instantly. She had no ambition to improve, only cared about the fleeting fame from fans, and she wanted an S- level contract? For an actress who could be easily reced like this, just let her go if she wanted to leave. Celeste nced at Liam. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Why was he not reacting at all to his ex-lover being criticized like this? Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 ¡°Anyway, if you wanna sign a contract, be sure to think of me first. If you can perform like you did before, I¡¯d even let you be the boss!¡± Celeste chuckled and teased, ¡°Then I gotta y hard to get, so you guys will be willing to pay more.¡± Her answer was deliberately vague, but Nics didn¡¯t seem to mind; there was still plenty of time. Besides Gxy Games, there weren¡¯t many domesticpanies that couldpete. He didn¡¯t believe that with his and Liam¡¯s rtionship, Celeste could slip through their fingers. While talking, a sudden phone call interrupted their conversation. Simon and the others were already at the restaurant, urging them to hurry over. The conversation came to a halt. Simon had booked a private room at Cuisine Cascade, the best restaurant in J City, with top-notch dishes and ambiance. Food lovers from all over would flock here for a taste, which was a testament to its poprity. Under the guidance of the waiter, the group smoothly arrived at the private room door. Upon entering, Celeste noticed that in addition to Simon and his wife, Steven Garcia was also present. Beside Steven sat a girl who looked about her age, tanned with a healthy bronzeplexion. She was smiling and chatting with Steven. As Celeste wondered who this girl was, Nics said, ¡°Molly? When did you get back?¡± Molly? That name sounded familiar! The girlughed, ¡°I just got back a couple of days ago. I had ns with some friends today but ran into Steven, so I ditched them toe here.¡± After a nce at Celeste, she greeted Liam, ¡°Liam, long time no see. She didn¡¯t even bother to ask about Celeste. Just as Nics was about to speak, Liam introduced her first, ¡°This is my wife, Celeste.¡± Then he whispered to Celeste, This is Mason¡¯s cousin Molly Fletcher.¡± So she was the highly-favored youngster of the Fletcher family, as rumored. Molly¡¯s facial features had some resemnce to Mason¡¯s, but he was still the more refined one. Molly had unique features with her eyes closer together, giving her a sharp look. Celeste politely greeted, ¡°Hello. Mollyzily looked at Celeste and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t quite match Kaylee¡¯s description of you; your stic surgery is really well done.¡± Herment making people feel quite ufortable, whether it was blunt honesty or something more malicious. Celeste frowned, debating whether to refute immediately or ignore the remark. Just as she was considering how to respond, Micha calmly interjected, ¡°A perfectly symmetrical face, golden ratio of features, and normal muscle contractions¡­ current technology isn¡¯t capable of such perfection.¡± The implication being that Celeste¡¯s beauty was natural, not the result of stic surgery. Molly nced at her and said, ¡°It was just a joke, Mrs. Rowley. No need to be so serious.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Micha¡¯s expression remained calm as she replied, ¡°Being honest and pragmatic is just a professional habit.¡± Molly scoffed, ¡°Isn¡¯t your job as a coroner? Can you really analyze living people too?¡± Celeste could now confirm that Molly was genuinely rude! If someone spoke about her profession like that, she would definitely not be pleasant. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 But Micha didn¡¯t get mad. She just nced at her indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s not much difference between the living and the dead, really.¡± Molly frowned at her. Among the young people in the Fletcher family, Molly was the most arrogant and domineering, always speaking without considering the feelings of others. Nics was worried that she would blurt out something upsetting, so he quickly changed the subject, ¡°Aren¡¯t you in the forensic department? Do you also deal with dead bodies there?¡± Micha replied, ¡°We do when necessary, but usually, there are medical examiners for the job. When they¡¯re busy, we go over to help with autopsies.¡± ¡°Autopsies?¡± Nics twitched his mouth, ¡°How can you still eat after that?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be able to eat? It¡¯s just work.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Nics turned to Simon, ¡°If Micha¡¯s hands have touched dead bodies, would you mind if she still served you food?¡± Now everyone was looking at Simon. Even Micha was waiting for his answer. Celeste thought Micha¡¯s job was cool, but in their circle, it was a bit of an oddity, dealing with the dead all day long. It was considered unlucky for business people. Simon looked at everyone slowly and said, ¡°Chefs go to the bathroom and wipe their butts with the same hands they cook with, Don¡¯t you all still eat their food?¡± Nics gritted his teeth, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before cooking?¡± ¡°Since you understand the logic, why are you asking such a ridiculous question?¡± Simon put his hand on Micha¡¯s, ¡°The dead can¡¯t talk, but somehow she canmunicate with the corpses.¡± He thought of something and turned to Micha, ¡°If one day I die, would you personally do my autopsy? I think it¡¯d be romantic.¡± This remark gave everyone the creeps. Nics couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What on earth do you find romantic?¡± Micha withdrew her hand, red at him, and coldly said, ¡°No way!¡± Realizing he had angered her, Simon softened his voice, ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡± Saying so, he started coughing. Seeing this, Micha immediately became anxious. Simon wasn¡¯t as healthy as Gavin. Although he was the older brother, he was born very weak. He had been sick since birth, and for more than 20 years, he had always needed medication. Micha was worried. But Simon only coughed a few times and stopped. Micha asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your medicine?¡± ¡°In the car.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go get it. Be right back.¡± Simon nodded. Steven asked after Micha had left, ¡°She really cares about you. Why did you pretend to cough and scare her?¡± Simon chuckled softly, his eyes gentle, ¡°When she¡¯s worried about me, she forgets to be mad.¡± Nics clicked his tongue, ¡°So.cunning.¡± He winked at Liam, ¡°See? Learn from it.¡± Liam still didn¡¯t bother to deal with him, and turned to Simon, ¡°Do you still have the red wine you sent mest time?¡± Simon was slightly taken aback. Nics chimed in, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t into drinking? Last year, when Simon gave it to you, you didn¡¯t even want it.¡± Liam nced at Celeste, ¡°My wife likes it. She can drink half a bottle by herself.¡± Celeste almost choked on the water in her mouth. The red wine Simon had given her was the same bottle she had opened before she bathed Liam on the night of his discharge from the hospital. She did like red wine, but why did Liam have to mention that particr bottle? She felt like he was teasing her. ¡°Simon, I¡¯d like a few more bottles if you still have any left.¡± Simon smiled faintly, ¡°It¡¯s homemade wine from a friend¡¯s vineyard. I don¡¯t know if they have any this year, but I¡¯ll check with them for you.¡± ¡°Is it really that good? I¡¯m kind of curious.¡± Steven asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your friend¡¯s winery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really a winery, just a private vineyard. They make wine for fun. If you¡¯re interested, I can take you there next time we visit.¡± Steven hadn¡¯t responded yet when Molly chimed in, ¡°You should visit French wineries. The small domestic workshops are nothing to those. When I was studying abroad, I met a friend whose family is in the wine business in France. They own dozens ofrge vineyards there, equipped with advanced technology. If Steven is interested, I can arrange a visit.¡± Simon chuckled, ¡°Ms. Fletcher has been abroad too long; her impression of our country is still from a decade ago. Our own wine industry is developing rapidly, and there are many mature wine regions everywhere. If you have the time, go see for yourself and broaden your horizons.¡± Molly stiffened. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Simon really embarrassed her in public like that. Nics looked at Simon with surprise. He remembered Simon as a real gentleman. He had known him for years and had rarely seen him in such direct conflict with others. He and Molly were friends. Was it just because of Molly¡¯s attitude towards Micha earlier? The atmosphere was a bit awkward for a moment, Steven chuckled and said, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t visit those wineries much in all the years I was abroad either. Maybe we can check them out sometime.¡± Molly finally rxed a little. Afterwards, she kept chatting with Steven. Celeste was a bit bored, but soon, a peeled shrimp appeared on her te. Celeste was stunned and looked at Liam suspiciously. Was this guy trying to mess with her? Liam nced at her, ¡°This shrimp is really delicious.¡± Celeste deliberately argued, ¡°I love chewing on shrimp shells the most. What¡¯s the point when you peel it off?¡± Liam paused, took away the shrimp, and handed her the shrimp shells on the te, ¡°Please enjoy.¡± Celeste rolled her eyes. What a jerk! Steven watched Celeste for a while and suddenly asked, ¡°Did you study acting?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°No wonder,¡± he smiled. ¡°I saw a clip of your performance today, and the scene where you held a knife really scared me. It was amazing.¡± Celeste was a bit embarrassed, ¡°That performance wasn¡¯t so formal, so I could just let loose and be myself.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°How did you make that male voice?¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°How did you know it was my voice?¡± Steven smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I was just guessing. But now I know for sure.¡± Celeste had nothing to say. Now everyone at the table looked at Celeste. Nics was also very surprised to know she was Celestial Haze. He was a hardcore fan of her, and had heard many of her voiceovers and watched almost all her works. Celestial Haze was famous for her mature woman voice. Although she could do quite a few different voice, it was still the most popr. He had never heard Celestial Haze do a male voice. If it was really her own voice, Celeste¡¯s vocal skills were quite strong. ¡°Have you ever thought about acting?¡± Nics immediately became alert, ¡°Even if she debuts, she¡¯d be signing with me, so don¡¯t bother.¡± Steven calmly said, ¡°Ms. Denton from yourpany has taken up most of the high¨Cquality resources. There won¡¯t be enough resources for her if she signs with you. We¡¯re different. We are a newpany, and the first batch of signed artists can get the best resources.¡± Nics perched his lips, ¡°Do you know what firste first served means? Get in line!¡± Steven handed Celeste a business card, hoping to have a chance to work with her first. Celeste was a bit doubtful, not knowing if he was joking or serious. She took a look at the card ¨C Skyline Media Group. Nics nervously said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, don¡¯t be fooled by his sweet talk. He¡¯s a cunning businessman, even worse than Liam. He¡¯s ruthless.¡± Liam red at Nics, ¡°Shut up!¡± Celeste pushed the card back, ¡°Mr. Garcia, thank you for the invitation, but I have no ns for acting currently.¡± ¡°No problem. Keep the card and call me when you want to join ourpany. Of course, you can also contact me for personal matters. After all, I still owe you a big favor.¡± Celeste had to ept the card. It¡¯s been a long time since everyone had gathered since Steven returned, and today was a good opportunity. A few bottles of wine were on the table, and everyone drank, except for Celeste who couldn¡¯t drink because she had to drive. Steven kept toasting Liam, who wasn¡¯t a good drinker and got red¨Cfaced after a few drinks. Celeste wanted to tell him to drink less, but swallowed the words. When could she quit this bad habit of worrying? Halfway through, the smell of alcohol filled the private room, and Celeste felt a bit stuffy, so she excused herself to the restroom. Walking out onto the terrace, she felt refreshed in the open air. Celeste checked her phone. Trisha had sent her a screenshot and several messages about the new ount¡¯s followers reaching a million. ¡°Celeste, post something to celebrate. You haven¡¯t been online much today.¡± ¡°Keep the ount active, so people can remember you.¡± Celeste sent a photo to Trisha, ¡°How about I post this one?¡± Trisha replied, ¡°No! Lose the filter. Just take a picture and directly send it to me.¡± Celesteplied, took several photos, and sent them to Trisha. At that moment, Micha came over and called her, ¡°Ms. Campbell.¡± Celeste turned around, and Micha handed her a bottle of yogurt. ¡°I originally just wanted to invite you. I didn¡¯t expect so many people toe. Thank you so much for helping me with the shoot.¡± Celeste waved her hand, ¡°Mrs. Rowley, please. Gavin helped me first. I¡¯m just returning the favor.¡± Micha was silent for a moment and asked quietly, ¡°Are you close to Gavin?¡± ¡°Not really, I¡¯ve just heard some rumors about him.¡± Micha asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have a good impression of him, do you?¡± Celeste shook her head and smiled, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him much, so I can¡¯t judge a person based on rumors.¡± Micha didn¡¯t say anything, and it¡¯s unclear what she was thinking. After a while, she said, ¡°Mastermind of Law¡® is doing well, and the director wants you to film a few more episodes. The pay will definitely be higher.¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± turned out to be more popr than anyone had expected. Besides the fantastic storyline, Celeste¡¯s interpretation of the character also greatly boosted the show¡¯s poprity. The production team knew this well and naturally thought of filming a sequel, saying that the pay would be negotiable. Celeste thought for a moment and said, ¡°I can help you guys shoot a few episodes. There¡¯s no need to pay me, but you¡¯ll have to do me a favor.¡± Micha was somewhat surprised, ¡°Me?¡± Celeste nodded, leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear. ¡°Deal?¡± Micha hesitated for a while before agreeing, ¡°Deal.¡± A breeze blew by, carrying with it a faint scent of flowers. Micha frowned, ¡°This floral scent is a bit weird.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the scent of the mandrake,¡± Celeste nced at the flowers on the balcony and whispered, ¡°Too much of the scent isn¡¯t good for your health.¡± What¡¯s up with this ce, putting out mandrake flowers like that? Aren¡¯t they afraid someone might identally be poisoned? Micha was surprised, ¡°You really know your flowers, recognizing them at a nce.¡± ¡°My family grows them too. Mandrakes may look pretty, but they¡¯re poisonous and need to be handled with care.¡± As she spoke, Celeste took out her phone and showed Micha a photo of the mandrakes she grew at home. Micha sighed, ¡°They really are beautiful.¡± ¡°If you like them, I¡¯ll send you some seeds when I go back.¡± As they chatted and walked back, they heard a voiceing from the hallway. ¡°Simon, are you crazy? What was that just now?¡± Molly¡¯s voice, angry and somewhat stifled. Simon shrugged her hand off, straightened his clothes, and saidzily, ¡°Ms. Fletcher, watch it, I¡¯m a married man now.¡± Molly scoffed, ¡°What¡¯s with the act in front of me? Didn¡¯t you marry that forensic girl just to get back at me? Why are you still pretending to be all lovey¨Cdovey now? Did you make me look bad on purpose just for her?¡± Celeste thought: This is pretty hot gossip. She sneaked a nce at Micha, who seemed calm but was gripping her yogurt a bit harder. She felt awkward and wondered whether to leave or stay put. Simon still looked carefree, smiling and saying, ¡°Ms. Fletcher, you¡¯re overthinking it. We¡¯re all adults here. We get together with people we like, and leave them if we don¡¯t. Why would I want to get back at you?¡± Molly didn¡¯t seem to buy his exnation, ¡°That ring she¡¯s wearing, it¡¯s the same one you proposed to me with, isn¡¯t it? Didn¡¯t you deliberately show it to me?¡± Simon shook his head, unruffled, ¡°It¡¯s just a ring too good to be thrown away. Ms. Fletcher, you¡¯re too sensitive.¡± Molly was furious, ¡°Forget it! You better never mention our past again. If my reputation gets damaged, you won¡¯t get off easy either!¡± After saying those words, Molly stormed off angrily. Celeste licked her lips, about to say something to lighten the mood, only to find that Micha had walked straight out. Simon was straightening his clothes when he suddenly saw Micha. He paused for a moment, then walked over to her with a natural expression and held her hand. ¡°Your hand is so cold,¡± he gently rubbed her fingertips, warming them in his palm, ¡°Why did you go to the balcony?¡± Micha didn¡¯t resist. She replied softly, ¡°I talked to Celeste about some things.¡± Simon nced over, and Celeste had sneaked back into the room. As Simon held Micha¡¯s hand, they walked and he asked, ¡°What did you talk about?¡± ¡°Celeste showed me the flowers she¡¯s growing. They¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°Do you like them?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll grow them too.¡± ¡°No need. Your parents might not like it.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if they like it or not, as long as you do.¡± Micha thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just grow one pot and put it on the balcony of the study.¡± Simon leaned in and kissed her cheek, whispering, ¡°As you wish. Celeste¡¯s feelings wereplicated. If it weren¡¯t for the scene she just saw, she would think the two of them were a perfect match. But now she felt their affection was all an act. She stayed outside for a while before returning to the private room. As soon as she came back, she found that Liam had actually gotten himself drunk. Nics was almost there too, but at least he was still sober and could talk normally. It was understandable for people to get drunk, but Molly, hadn¡¯t she just argued with Simon? Why was she now leaning on Steven? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste and Nics struggled to get Liam into the car, and the three of them left first. Molly got into Steven¡¯s car, thinking the two of them could take things to the next level, but not long after the car drove off, Steven switched to a Ferrari and had the driver take Molly home. As soon as Steven got into the car, a file was handed to him, and a male voice said, ¡°This is all the information on Celeste, from her birth till now.¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Steven took the file and flipped through a few pages. Celeste¡¯s background was pretty straightforward, from her birth to school, and thenter marrying Liam. The content was clear and detailed. It even had information such as in which hospital she was born, which school she attended, where she went for treatment when she was sick as a child, and on even that car ident from over six years ago. Attached were photos of her at every stage of her life. Steven¡¯s finger rested on his lip, his brow furrowed. His assistant curiously asked, ¡°Mr. Garcia, why¡¯d you suddenly want to check up on Celeste?¡± Steven casually replied while flipping through the pages, ¡°I want to sign her, so I¡¯m just investigating her background.¡± Did signing actors really require such a thorough background check? Thepany¡¯s newly signed people didn¡¯t seem to have gone through such detailed investigations. Could Mr. Garcia be extra cautious because she¡¯s Liam¡¯s wife? Steven looked back and forth a few pages several times before looking up and saying, ¡°Later, help me check on Shawn and Caitlyn¡¯s backgrounds too. The more detailed, the better.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Steven¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the caller ID, his eyes rxed a bit, and he answered the phone. ¡°Bro, why haven¡¯t youe back yet?¡± Steven smiled, ¡°I¡¯m on my way home now. What¡¯s up, bored at home by yourself?¡± ¡°Bored? If Dad wasn¡¯t worried about you drinking too much, I wouldn¡¯t bother with you.¡± ¡°Well, will you cover for me?¡± ¡°No way! Dad¡¯s so strict, if he finds out I helped you lie to him, I¡¯ll get punished too.¡± The girl coughed after saying these words. Steven¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Why are you coughing? Did you catch a cold?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°No. The air in J city is too dry for me. My throat¡¯s been ufortable these past few days.¡± ¡°Turn on the humidifier, drink more water, and I¡¯ll be home soon. Do you want anything to eat?¡± ¡°The housemaid cooked dinner. I¡¯m not hungry. Just hurry back, or Dad will ask about you when he video calls meter.¡± ¡°Got it, almost home.¡± After hanging up, Steven asked his assistant, ¡°Nathan, can you arrange for some artificial rainfall?¡± Nathan¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°Young Master, artificial rainfall requires approval from multiple departments.¡± Just because his sister thought the air was too dry, he wanted to create artificial rain. He was really spoiling her. ¡°I see¡± Steven stroked his chin, ¡°Then starting tomorrow, arrange for a few people to spray water mist around the house for a few days.¡± Nathan muttered in his heart that this was indeedmuch simpler. Nics helped Celeste get Liam to the bed, panting heavily after the effort. Drinking with Liam was always like this: he ended up drunk everytime. That big guy couldn¡¯t hold his liquor at all. Celeste unbuttoned a few buttons on Liam¡¯s shirt, and seeing Nics about to leave, quickly walked up to him, ¡°Mr. Francis, let me give you a ride back.¡± Nics shook his hand, ¡°I called a taxi on the way, it should be here soon.¡± After Nics left, Trisha sent a slightly adjusted photo to Celeste. ¡°Beautiful, post it on Twitter now!¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Just as Celeste finished posting on Twitter, she heard a noise from upstairs, like something falling to the floor. She hurried upstairs and pushed open the door to see Liam sitting on the floor, his head bumped and swollen. He sat there with a confused expression.j Celeste couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Serves you right.¡± She squatted down and waved her hand in front of Liam, ¡°Liam, can you hear me?¡± Liam frowned at her, his eyes squinting and his mouth tightly shut. He was always like this when he was drunk. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Some people, when drunk, either sleep or talk nonsense. Liam was different: his brain seemed to stop working when he was drunk, but on the outside, he looked fine. In reality, his mind was a mess. Liam¡¯s drinking capacity was well¨Cknown among his friends. He always tried to avoid drinking when doing business or attending parties, but if he couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d conspire with friends for help. Otherwise, with this kind of alcohol tolerance, he could get drunk and be swindled out of hispany without even knowing. ¡°Who are you?¡± Liam rubbed on his temples. Celeste raised an eyebrow: was he drunk to the point of memory loss? She squinted her eyes, going along with it, ¡°Sweetie, how can you not recognize your own mom?¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Might as well take advantage of this situation! She took out her phone, about to record a video to humiliate Liamter, but before she could start, Liam suddenly grabbed her wrist, ¡°Celeste?¡± Darn! He sobered up so quickly? Celeste looked up and saw that Liam still had that bewildered expression. He hadn¡¯t sobered up at all. ¡°My head hurts so much.¡± He frowned, suddenly lowering his head and cing her hand on his forehead, gently rubbing it. Celeste felt a bit dumbfounded. Why had drunk Liam be so¡­ obedient? ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Of course your head hurts.¡± Celeste tried to pull her hand back, but Liam held on tight. ¡°No, it¡¯s you who made my head hurt.¡± Liam said seriously. Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Do I really have that much power?¡± Liam closed his eyes, hoarsely saying, ¡°You always¡­ make me so annoyed. You want to divorce me, argue with me, and ignoring me annoys me the most.¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, ¡°Why would you be annoyed if I ignored you?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything with his eyes closed. Celeste looked down and saw that Liam had already fallen asleep. She sighed, hoping he wouldn¡¯t say such things that made her care anymore. Grandview Vi. Sydney anxiously asked, ¡°How is it? Still no one answering?¡± Palmer shook his head, ¡°Owen said Mr. Reed has an important dinner tonight and told us to handle it ourselves.¡± Sydney frowned, ¡°Did you say exactly what I told you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sydney gritted her teeth, ¡°It must be Owen taking matters into his own hands!¡± Last time at Grandview Vi, Liam got drunk and she almost seeded. But at the critical moment, Owen suddenly appeared and took Liam away. Ever since then, Liam started avoiding her on purpose. She was so pissed off. This must be Owen¡¯s doing again. The guy is such a pain in the ass! Always ruining her ns one after another! She was super anxious, and just at that moment, Lorinda called and asked her to help retweet something again. Sydney frowned and said, ¡°Lorinda, let¡¯s do it another day. You saw what happened today. Even if I retweet it now, it¡¯s not gonna get any attention.¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Today¡¯s top headlines are all about Celeste and ¡°Mastermind of Law.¡± Inparison, Sydney¡¯s hashtags was like aughing stock. But how could Sydney care about whether her TV show was popr right now? She still had a ton of other unresolved stuff. ¡°Just help me repost it and boost exposure. Oh, and that actress ying in ¡°Mastermind of Law¡°? She¡¯s the one Zach just signed.¡± Sydney¡¯s face suddenly darkened, ¡°What? Celeste is the actress Zach just signed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s her. Why, do you know her?¡± Know her? More like too familiar! Sydney was very upset. Celeste actually took the role in ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°! It would have been easy for her to defeat any other actress, but Celeste would be a bit tricky. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Before, Liam gave her the voiceover role for Legend on the condition that she withdraw thewyer¡¯s letter. At that time, she was being attacked online due to a series of car idents. Palmer found awyer to handle it, but Liam interfered before any results came out. Not only did she get the voiceover role for ¡°Legend,¡± but she also got regional endorsements for two major brands. Most of the dirt was probably dug up by Celeste. Otherwise, Liam wouldn¡¯t have given her so many resources and let her drop thewsuit. Now that Celeste is acting in ¡°Phoenix Fire,¡± how could Liam possibly take resources from his wife to give to her? Seeing that Sydney didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, Lorinda didn¡¯t ask any further questions. She mentioned the reposting thing again and hung up. Sydney pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of someone who might be able to help her. She asked Palmer to leave and took out a notebook from the drawer, dialing the number written on it. The call connected after a long time, and she said in a low voice, ¡°This is Sydney¡­¡± Steven came out from a shower, poured a ss of water, sat on the sofa, and looked through the information again. Soon, his cell phone rang, and he answered it, saying casually, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Keith called, saying he wants to change an actor in ¡®Phoenix Fire.¡± Steven took a sip and asked, ¡°Who does he want to rece?¡± ¡°The actress ying the queen, he wants to rece her with Sydney.¡± Steven paused, ¡°Whose idea is that?¡± ¡°From what Keith said, it seems to be Mr. Reed¡¯s.¡± ¡°Liam?¡± Steven frowned, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Keith said.¡± Steven pursed his lips and said after a while, ¡°Then you tell him, if he wants to change the role, let him come to me in person.¡± On April 19th, ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± started filming low¨Ckey. Media wasn¡¯t notified, and there were no announcements about the start of the shooting on any tform. All members of the crew signed confidentiality agreements, and no one was allowed to upload photos, videos, or audio from the filming site. The start¨Cup ceremony went smoothly. Celeste finally met the main actors of the y on the day of the start¨Cup. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The male lead was the award¨Cwinning Maloney, and the female lead was Verena, a young actress who looked sexy and mature even though she was young. It was hard for her to describe the feeling. Rumors in the industry said that the filming speed had been elerating since the start. A crew member said that Zach wanted to air the show around Thanksgiving, and if the filming took too long, it might affect the progress of the series. Celeste didn¡¯t have many scenes, but they were scattered. Sometimes after filming other scenes, Zach would call her over to shoot something on the side. So, other than the headdress being a bit ufortable, everything else was fine. The actors Zach chose, whether for leading or supporting roles, were in great shape. Celeste¡¯s lines were good, but some of her expressions still needed improvement. Zach was willing to teach, and Celeste was ready to learn, so her progress in the crew was evident. While Celeste was thus upied, Liam seemed rather depressedtely. Celeste had been leaving early and returningte, and they hardly had a chance to talk. Sometimes she woulde back a bit earlier, but she¡¯d be yawning and go straight to bed. One night, Celeste came home after 9 pm, took a bath, andy down with half¨Cdried hair. She used to check her phone before bed, but now she didn¡¯t even look at it.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Liam was flipping through a book noisily. Celeste frowned, put on earplugs and a sleeping mask, blocking her sight and hearing. Liam couldn¡¯t help butugh at her annoyance. He was about to turn off the light when Celeste¡¯s phone rang. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Liam pulled out one of her earplugs, put the phone to her ear, until the shrill ringing woke Celeste up. She took off her mask and was about to get angry when Liam said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s your dad.¡± Celeste pursed her lips and answered the phone. ¡°Celeste, are you asleep?¡± Celeste thought, yes, before you woke me up. ¡°Not yet. What¡¯s up, Dad?¡± ¡°Your Grandpa David was recently discharged from the hospital. He really wants to stay at your ce for a few days and meet your husband. Will you be home tomorrow? Can I bring him over?¡± Celeste immediately woke up. Her Grandpa David, Shawn¡¯s grandfather, was 87 years old this year. Before she joined the crew, Shawn called to tell her that Grandpa David was in town for medical treatment. It seemed to be enteritis, and he had been in the hospital for a few days. At that time, she made time to visit him once. Many people from the Campbell family were there, and everyone was busy, so she left without staying long. She didn¡¯t really get along with those rtives, and she barely went back to her hometown when she was a kid. She never had many chances to see Grandpa David. When she got married, he couldn¡¯t even make it because it was such a long journey. So why the heck is he suddenly asking to stay at her ce now? Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Celeste frowned and said, ¡°If Grandpa David wants to see Liam, I can just bring him over some day, right? If you send him here, with Liam and I both working during the day, no one will be at home to take care of him. Grandpa David is so old. What if something happens? Isn¡¯t that asking for trouble?¡± Then she muttered under her breath, ¡°Liam¡¯s just an ordinary person. There¡¯s nothing special to look at.¡± Liam remained silent by her side. Shawn scolded her, ¡°How can you talk like that? When you used to visit your hometown, your grandpa was the one who spoiled you the most, preparing all the best food and fun for you. He¡¯s not getting any younger, and he just wants to fulfill a wish in his lifetime, to see how well you guys are doing. Is that too much to ask? Besides, when Liam¡¯s at work, aren¡¯t you at home? I already agreed to it, and now you¡¯re going back on your word? Isn¡¯t that causing me trouble? Give the phone to Liam. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± He agreed without even asking for her opinion, and now he med her? Talking to Liam would be no different than talking to her directly. Liam was very particr and wouldn¡¯t like strangers staying at their house, disrupting his life. Celeste thought for a moment and decided to let Liam take the call. Maybe after hearing some of his sharp words, Shawn would change his mind. So she handed the phone to Liam, ¡°My dad wants to talk to you!¡± Liam nced at her and took the phone. Celeste¡¯s sleepiness vanished. She prepared to watch how Liam would sharply respond to Shawn. After Shawn finished speaking, Liam calmly replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone clean up the guest room tomorrow.¡± Celeste was speechless. After Liam hung up the phone, Celeste said in disbelief, ¡°You agreed?¡± Liam handed her the phone, ¡°Your dad already said so much. How could I refuse?¡± Bullshit! He couldn¡¯t refuse? He¡¯d had no problem refusing before! What¡¯s gotten into him? Celeste reluctantly said, ¡°Since you agreed to let him stay, he¡¯ll be your responsibility. I didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± Liam smiled, ¡°Why are you so ungrateful? Who am I doing this for?¡± Celeste turned her face away and mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to do it. What¡¯s the big deal if my dad scolds me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never been scolded before.¡± Liam suddenly remembered thest time at the hospital when Celeste came back with a swollen cheek on her face from Shawn. Just because he found out Skyler didn¡¯t receive the two boxes of white truffles. Shawn only seemed nice to her when he was around. Her days in the Campbell family weren¡¯t as easy as she thought. He tossed and turned, eventually annoying Celeste enough that she got up and left the room with her nket. Liam was speechless. He took out his phone and hesitated for a long time before sending Trisha a message, ¡°How does Shawn treat Celeste?¡± Chapter 273 Celeste frowned and said, ¡°If Grandpa David wants to see Liam, I can just bring him over some day, right? If you send him here, with Liam and I both working during the day, no one will be at home to take care of him. Grandpa David is so old. What if something happens? Isn¡¯t that asking for trouble?¡± Then she muttered under her breath, ¡°Liam¡¯s just an ordinary person. There¡¯s nothing special to look at.¡± Liam remained silent by her side. Shawn scolded her, ¡°How can you talk like that? When you used to visit your hometown, your grandpa was the one who spoiled you the most, preparing all the best food and fun for you. He¡¯s not getting any younger, and he just wants to fulfill a wish in his lifetime, to see how well you guys are doing. Is that too much to ask? Besides, when Liam¡¯s at work, aren¡¯t you at home? I already agreed to it, and now you¡¯re going back on your word? Isn¡¯t that causing me trouble? Give the phone to Liam. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± He agreed without even asking for her opinion, and now he med her? Talking to Liam would be no different than talking to her directly. Liam was very particr and wouldn¡¯t like strangers staying at their house, disrupting his life. Celeste thought for a moment and decided to let Liam take the call. Maybe after hearing some of his sharp words, Shawn would change his mind. So she handed the phone to Liam, ¡°My dad wants to talk to you!¡± Liam nced at her and took the phone. Celeste¡¯s sleepiness vanished. She prepared to watch how Liam would sharply respond to Shawn. After Shawn finished speaking, Liam calmly replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone clean up the guest room tomorrow.¡± Celeste was speechless. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After Liam hung up the phone, Celeste said in disbelief, ¡°You agreed?¡± Liam handed her the phone, ¡°Your dad already said so much. How could I refuse?¡± Bullshit! He couldn¡¯t refuse? He¡¯d had no problem refusing before! What¡¯s gotten into him? Celeste reluctantly said, ¡°Since you agreed to let him stay, he¡¯ll be your responsibility. I didn¡¯t agree to it.¡± Liam smiled, ¡°Why are you so ungrateful? Who am I doing this for?¡± Celeste turned her face away and mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to do it. What¡¯s the big deal if my dad scolds me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never been scolded before.¡± Liam suddenly remembered thest time at the hospital when Celeste came back with a swollen cheek on her face from Shawn. Just because he found out Skyler didn¡¯t receive the two boxes of white truffles. Shawn only seemed nice to her when he was around. Her days in the Campbell family weren¡¯t as easy as she thought. He tossed and turned, eventually annoying Celeste enough that she got up and left the room with her nket. Liam was speechless. He took out his phone and hesitated for a long time before sending Trisha a message, ¡°How does Shawn treat Celeste?¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 hapter 274 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Trisha was ying a game when she saw the message, and her hand shook, causing her to lose the game. She sighed and replied to Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, why don¡¯t you just ask your wife directly?¡± She was both respectful and afraid of Liam, wanting to interact with him but not daring to, so she tried to avoid him as much as possible. Liam pursed his lips, ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡± Couldn¡¯t he just ask her tomorrow? Trisha grumbled in her heart. It was strange for Liam to ask her about Celeste¡¯s situation. ¡°Letti¡¯s dad always wanted to have a son, but Letti¡¯s mom had health issues and couldn¡¯t have another child, so he was always unhappy about it and didn¡¯t care much for Letti. It was somewhat bearable before her mom passed away, but after her mom¡¯s death, their family business had problems, and her dad¡¯s first thought was to send her away for a marriage alliance.¡± ¡°Letti is so beautiful. What man wouldn¡¯t drool over her? Her dad didn¡¯t care about the age difference or how many times the man had been divorced. As long as they could help him through the business crisis, he¡¯d even push his daughter into a fire pit. Fortunately, she met youter, although you¡¯re just so¨Cso¡­¡± Realizing the slip of her tongue, Trisha paused and started to feel nervous. Seeing that Liam didn¡¯t say anything, she continued, ¡°Now that she¡¯s married to you, she¡¯s actually been doing a bit better, because her dad is afraid of you. For your sake, he treats Celeste a bit better.¡± At this point, Trisha¡¯s courage grew, ¡°Mr. Reed, were you really going to give Letti ten billion dors when you divorced?¡± Liam was silent. Damn it, how many people did she tell about their divorce n? Liam expressionlessly said, ¡°No.¡± Trisha was immediately anxious, ¡°You¡¯ve already signed the contract! Isn¡¯t this a scam?¡± Liam coldly said, ¡°Did I say I wanted a divorce?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let Celeste know about me reaching out to you, or else,¡± Liam paused, ¡°I can take away the copyright deal just as easily as I gave it to you.¡± So Liam helped with selling the copyright! Why did he help her, though? Trisha thought about the whole situation. She was framed by him, used of stealing a ring, and sent to the police station. As soon as she returned, her boss immediately contacted her saying someone wanted to buy her copyright. At the time, she was too excited to think about it carefully. Who would have thought that bad luck would be followed by good luck? Did Liam do this topensate her? But what did Liam get from all of this? Trisha suddenly had a strange idea. Did Liam do all this for Celeste? To think about it carefully, he didn¡¯t gain anything from her being locked up in the police station. On the contrary, he signed a contract for her script and made her some money. The only actual result was that Celeste moved back to their house. Could it be that he went through all this trouble just to get Celeste back home? My God, that would be incredible¡­ Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Shawn sure knew how to pick the perfect timing. He filled the only few days on which Celeste didn¡¯t have work to do. In the morning, as she walked down the stairs, she was startled by a chorus of ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am¡± and almost slipped. There were several housekeepers cleaning the house, and she had no idea when they started. The living room ss was cleaned spotless, and the huge wedding photo was wiped clean and looked as good as new. The house looking all fresh and new reminded her of when they just got married. This time, Liam was really a bit baffling. Not only did he agree to let guests stay, but he also made a big fuss about tidying up the house. However, with him taking care of it, she was happy to be carefree. By the time she poured herself a ss of water, Liam hade down from upstairs. He was dressed in a well¨Cfitted suit, and his hair was specially styled. He adjusted his sleeves while walking. Liam had excellent proportions. He was tall and handsome. His long legs were particrly eye¨C catching. Celeste nced at him silently, couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips, and asked, ¡°Are you going to workte?¡± Liam red at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to work.¡± What¡¯s he doing dressed so formally if he¡¯s not going to work? Before she could ask, Liam had already said, ¡°Go change into something decent. I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Your dad wants us to go pick up your Grandpa David.¡± Didn¡¯t he say that they would send him over? Why did they ask him to pick him up? * ¡± ¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She really didn¡¯t want to meet that bunch of people. Thest time they met was during the New Year, when Shawn insisted that she go for dinner. Liam didn¡¯t like dealing with the Campbell family, so she went alone. She still remembered the expressions of those rtives at the dinner table. After Shawn made his fortune, he donated a lot of money to his hometown, so the Campbell family had a high status in the local area. Shawn became a role model for almost all the younger generations of the Campbell family. When Celeste and her cousins were young and would celebrate holidays together, everyone¡¯s favorite thing to do was topare their children. Celeste was the smartest one since she was a kid. With a flexible mind and a passion for learning, she was always the top of her ss. Caitlyn loved to show her off, disying her good grades and making her y the flute and piano for everyone. The rtives would always be offended by this. Which child wasn¡¯t a treasure to their parents? Why was it always Caitlyn¡¯s child who gets the limelight? Over time, the conflict between them only intensified. The year she was admitted to a top university, avish banquet was held in her hometown, and celebrities were invited to perform there, much to the rtives¡® displeasure. Later, Caitlyn had the ident, and Celeste married Liam after graduating. That she became a housewife after all the education she received gave the rtives a chance to vent. This year, one of her cousins also got admitted to a top university. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 When people talked about this at the gathering, someone sarcastically mentioned the things from their childhood, using her as an example to tell the children there that even though she had read so many books, her vision wasn¡¯t broad. That experience was really infuriating. Just thinking about those people made her angry. After Celeste changed her clothes and came out, Liam was already waiting for her in the car. Today, Liam was driving a Lincoln, which was not his usual choice. Owen noticed her doubts and exined, ¡°There¡¯s a bed in this car, so your Grandpa David can be morefortableter.¡± Quite considerate. Celeste nced at Liam. Such a considerate idea definitely wasn¡¯t Liam¡¯s own. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Liam urged her, and then Celeste got in the car. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After the car left the vi area, Liam asked her, ¡°What have you been busy with these days, leaving early and returningte?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been filming. Haven¡¯t you seen how popr ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± is? The director thinks highly of me and has signed me for several more episodes.¡± Speaking of ¡°Mastermind of Law,¡± Owen was also interested. ¡°My mom has been following this show recently. The first story really scared her, especially your part. She told me that the male actor was so handsome, and when I told her you were a girl, she didn¡¯t believe it. When a new story was broadcasted, she was a bit disappointed, saying it wasn¡¯t as good as the first one, mainly because the new actor wasn¡¯t as good as you. She even learned to go online recently and kept leaving messages under the official blog of ¡°Mastermind of Law,¡± saying she wanted to see you perform again. Recently, she has even been thinking about calling the TV station.¡± ¡°Your mom is so funny,¡± Celesteughed, ¡°This is not a TV series. You can¡¯t always have the same actor.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t understand. She treats it as a TV series. Not only people her age, but even my colleagues at work watch this during their lunch break. Mr. Reed has also watched it.¡± Celeste nced at Liam and suddenly leaned in and asked, ¡°How did I do? Didn¡¯t embarrass you, did I?¡± Her breath was so close that Liam somehow thought of her holding a knife to someone¡¯s chin. Crazy and cool, an indescribable wildness. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, and he looked away, saying lightly, ¡°It was average.¡± Celeste pouted, ¡°It¡¯s impossible to hear youpliment me ever Liam seemed a bit annoyed, and struggled to say, ¡°Actually¡­it wasn¡¯t bad.¡± After saying all that, Liam realized Celeste didn¡¯t respond. He turned around and saw that she had already put on her headphones and was pretending to sleep with her eyes closed. He had been brewing for so long for the ¡°praise,¡± and she didn¡¯t hear a single word. Liam was super burmed. Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh, and turned on the car stereo to cover up Liam¡¯s bruised ego. At the Campbell¡¯s. The news of Angel getting hired by Quantum had already spread among the rtives. Everyone gathered together and started discussing the matter. Quantum was a household name in the country. Not only did Angel join this well¨Cknownpany, but she also recently became the spokesperson for a project. It was a big deal. One of the rtives¡® sons had just passed an interview and originally nned to show off his own sess at this gathering, but Angel totally stole his thunder. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Quantum had super high standards for their candidates, so this year they teamed up with a few top schools in the country to cultivate these talents and inject some fresh energy into thepany. Angel was chosen as one of the spokespeople for this project and had to go spread the word at these universities. There were two reasons: one, the school she graduated from was one of Quantum¡¯s main targets; two, she was kinda well¨Cknown among college students and had an inspiring backstory, going from being an orphan to working for Quantum. So her performance on this project was highly anticipated. Celeste graduated in the same year, but her school¡¯s wasn¡¯t as distinguished as Angel¡¯s. But there Angel was, joining Quantum and getting this cool project. This got their rtives a bit jelly. When the folks were chatting about it, they couldn¡¯t help but gush, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought Angel would be the pride of the Campbell family? Shended such a sweet gig right after graduating!¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s got her dad to thank for raising her right.¡± ¡°I mean, education alone doesn¡¯t cut it. Look at her sister. She went to a great school too, married into a rich family, and even does TV shows now.¡± ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s using her inws¡® money to make those shows.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Remember when Celeste got into a top university? Her mom almost couldn¡¯t stop bragging about it! Such a shame though, that she got married and her career¡¯s a hot mess now.¡± Angel listened with a satisfied grin. She knew that they were just trying to kiss up to Shawn, but all the praise felt pretty good, especially since most attention used to be on Celeste. She dly epted the Then Aunt Latonia, jumping in, asked, ¡°Angel, didn¡¯t you already get your sry within a month of joining?¡± Angel nced at Latonia and gave a slight smile, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ve only been there for two weeks. I haven¡¯t even got paid yet. The money for Grandpa David¡¯s clothing came from some leftover schrship I got from college and some of what I earned from parttime jobs. Your son did pretty well in school too. I bet he also got some schrships and bought you some nice things, huh?¡± Latonia went silent. She¡¯d never seen her son¡¯s schrships and cursed Angel in her heart. She then forced herself to say, ¡°Well, of course, my son is very considerate.¡± Celeste had been standing at the door the whole time. These rtives really didn¡¯t ¡°disappoint¡± her. Even from outside the yard, passersby could hear their gossip. She had turned around to leave, but Liam grabbed her wrist and rang the doorbell. Shortly, a teen girl came to the door and, when she saw the handsome man and gorgeous woman outside, she was caught off guard and asked, ¡°Who¡¯re you looking for?¡± Celeste recognized her as Latonia¡¯s daughter, Eileen Campbell, probably still in middle school. She was skinny and extremely shy, nothing like her sassy and bold mother. Celeste had even tutored her before. Celeste smiled at her, ¡°Eileen, we¡¯re here to pick up Grandpa David.¡± Little girl snapped into realization and asked, ¡°You¡¯re Letti?¡± After that, her excitement skyrocketed and she dashed inside, shouting ¡°Letti¡¯s back! Letti¡¯s back!¡± Latonia saw her so excited and snapped at her, ¡°What are you shouting for? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± Just as she said that, Liam walked in holding Celeste¡¯s hand. Everyone instantly went silent. Didn¡¯t they say they were bringing Old Mr. Campbell to themter? Howe Celeste¡¯s here with her husband? Liam had never attended a Campbell family gathering before. When they got married, Skyler thought the Campbell family had too many rtives and their behavior might be inappropriate for a wedding and would embarrass the Reeds, so they didn¡¯t invite them. So a lot of them were meeting Liam for the first time. They bad¨Cmouthed Celeste for not being ¡°ambitious¡± and marrying right after graduation, but deep down, weren¡¯t they all a bit envious? Of course, Angel looked the most frustrated out of all of them. But she quickly regained herposure and asked, ¡°Celeste, Liam, what brings you here?¡± Before Celeste could respond, Liam chimed in, ¡°My wife cares a lot about family. Since Old Mr. Campbell had just recovered, she asked me to drive over and pick him up.¡± Celeste was surprised to see Liam defending her. This guy¡­was standing up for her? Angel¡¯s face dropped a bit. Liam¡¯s tone was indifferent, but every word was dripping with sarcasm. Plus, emphasizing ¡°caring about family¡± seemed like a jab at Angel¡¯s earlier remark. ¡°Still, Celeste is very thoughtful,¡± Shawn happily greeted Liam. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Come in.¡± ¡°Mr. Campbell,¡± Liam stopped Shawn and calmly said, ¡°We brought quite a lot of stuff in the car. We¡¯ll need a few people to help bring it in.¡± A few minutester, everyone looked on in shock as a group unloaded a ton of gifts from the car. There were all sorts of high¨Cend supplements, luxury brands, and even some rare and expensive stuff they¡¯d never seen before. Everyone was dumbfounded, including Shawn. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡± ¡°Celeste said Old Mr. Campbell rarely visits, so she didn¡¯t want him to feel neglected. It doesn¡¯t cost much anyway, just about what she makes from one episode of her TV show.¡± Celeste was totally speechless. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Everyone else was stunned too. These things were worth at least a few million. Yet ording to Liam, it¡¯s still no big deal and not enough. He even made sure to emphasize that they were bought with Celeste¡¯s sry, as a response to Angel¡¯s previous sarcasm. Angel knew for sure that Liam had heard what she and her rtives were saying earlier, which was why he aimed at her as soon as he entered. Regardless of whether or not Celeste actually spent the money on these things, the fact that Liam apanied her on this trip was proof enough of the Reed family¡¯s appreciation for her. Those rtives who had just badmouthed her couldn¡¯t utter a single word now. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Some of them secretly rejoiced at Angel¡¯s embarrassment, and said to Shawn: ¡°Shawn, you¡¯re really lucky, man! Look at how thoughtful Celeste and her husband are, bringing so many gifts!¡± Liam¡¯s appearance today really made Shawn proud. With a beaming face, he modestly said, ¡°What¡¯s most important is that the children are happy and doing well.¡± Latonia¡¯s eyes darted around, and suddenly she changed the topic towards Angel, ¡°Angel, how much do you make a month working at Quantum?¡± Angel was annoyed and shot an angry re at Latonia, ¡°There¡¯s a confidentiality agreement at work, Latonia. I can¡¯t just go around telling people about the job.¡± Latonia didn¡¯t care, ¡°You¡¯re talking to family, not strangers. We wouldn¡¯t spill your secrets, would we?¡± Angel¡¯s face turned green with anger. She knew Latonia was purposely asking the question at this moment to embarrass her. Even if she made a lot of money, she wouldn¡¯t be able to win against all these high¨Cend items Celeste brought home. ¡°A good marriage is better than a good education for a girl, am I right? It doesn¡¯t matter if you have no money yourself, as long as your husband is loaded.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t like Latonia and didn¡¯t agree with her words, but seeing Angel unable to answer, she found it quite amusing She just didn¡¯t know if Liam were under a wizard¡¯s charm or what. Shawn helped Angel out in a timely manner, ¡°Angel, go upstairs and see if Grandpa David is ready. Tell him Celeste is here to pick him up.¡± Angel grunted and went upstairs with a sulky face. Feeling smug, Latonia announced to everyone, ¡°Actually, I also have some good news to share today. My son has sessfully passed the graduate interview at C University.¡± Everyoneughed a bit, but no one continued the conversation. The reason everyone disliked Caitlyn was because she unted her child too much; but disliking Latonia was more than just that. It¡¯s true that Caitlyn was annoying, but at least her daughter was really aplished. When Latonia bragged, not only did she elevate her own child, but she also looked down on other people¡¯s children. And that was not even the worst of it. It was their custom to hold a grand celebration whenever something good happened at home, such as when a child got into college. Of course, friends and family would also bring gifts to bless the child¡¯s future development. Celeste was totally speechless. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 So when Celeste got admitted to T University, Caitlyn threw a huge feast at home, inviting professional actors to perform and treating everyone to a banquet. Even though some people gossiped, it did not take away the grandeur of the asion. As for Latonia, she started spreading the news as soon as her son¡¯s admission letter arrived, preparing to celebrate him getting into a good school. She made it a big deal, yet when everyone arrived with gifts, they discovered she had only set up a few shabby tables outside her house, serving just a few simple dishes. epting all those gifts and offering just a little food in return, it was so disrespectful! And the key point was, Latonia¡¯s family was not poor at all. Next to Shawn, they were among the better¨Coff families. So with such a stingy disy towards their guests, who would like her? That¡¯s why when she announced her son¡¯s admission to C University, no one wanted to engage with her. She was obviously trying to take advantage of everyone again. Seeing no one following up on her remarks, Latonia didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. In her mind, these rtives were all jealous of her. Her gaze wandered around and finallynded on the wife of the Campbell family¡¯s fourth son, ¡°How did your child do in the exams this year?¡± The woman didn¡¯t want to deal with Latonia and replied inly, ¡°It¡¯s the his own business, so I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Latonia said, ¡°How can it be just the child¡¯s own business? Your son didn¡¯t do wellst year, but shouldn¡¯t he have made some progress? Or did he do worse thanst year and not dare to tell you?¡± Her sharp and sarcastic words made everyone even more annoyed with her. It¡¯s fine to praise your own child, but not looking down on others¡® children. The woman was angered by Latonia and, seeing Celeste, suddenly had an idea. ¡°My child has his own ns.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°Latonia, when Celeste took the college entrance exam, her mom threw a big celebration at home and even hired professional actors to perform. This time, your son got into such a good school, you¡¯d better make it even grander than that, right? You can¡¯t just give us that food nobody wants to eat again, can you?¡± This made Latonia feel a bit embarrassed, but she said with a straight face, ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean by giving you food you don¡¯t like? I call it being low¨Ckey. Look at how grand Celeste¡¯s mom made it. What happened in the end? Her daughter got married as soon as she graduated, and now they¡¯re theughingstock back home.¡± Celeste immediately tensed up. Liam casually stroked the back of her hand and said leisurely, ¡°Why are we theughingstock? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, Latonia. Is my wife marrying me that funny?¡± Latonia froze. She was so focused on getting back at others, she didn¡¯t watch her own back, and ended up spilling her true thoughts. She appeared to be looking down on Celeste, but deep down inside, she was dying of jealousy. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. If Celeste were here alone, her sarcasm wouldn¡¯t matter. With Shawn around, she wouldn¡¯t do anything even if she¡¯s mad. But Liam was a different story. He wasn¡¯t part of the Campbell family, and people used to look down on them when they got married. So why would they give them any respect this time? Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Latonia stammered, ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Liam lifted his eyes, ¡°Then what did you mean? Exin yourself. My wife, young as she is, married me, cooks and cleans for me day in and day out, works her ass off, saves money and takes care of the Reed family, so that I don¡¯t have any worries at work. How did she be a joke?¡± Celeste,didn¡¯t know what to say. Liam¡¯s lies were so convincing that even she, as the person involved, was blushing. She overslept till noon, her cooking was just so¨Cso, and she liked to go shopping using Liam¡¯s credit card. From Liam¡¯s perspective, her divorce request would¡¯ve been ungrateful. Latonia blushed, and she couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. The other rtives looked on with amusement. Serves you right! In the end, Shawn spoke up, ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, but you still can¡¯t control your words in front of the kids?¡± Latonia looked embarrassed and finally quieted down. Soon, Angel helped Old Mr. Campbelle downstairs. Old Mr. Campbell was nearly ny but fairly healthy. He was a bit hunched over with age, his face full of wrinkles, and his clothes were clean and fresh. He looked sharp. Old Mr. Campbell looked around and fixed his gaze on Liam, sizing him up. Shawn wanted to help Old Mr. Campbelle closer, but he waved him off. ¡°Grandpa, this is my son¨Cinw, Liam. I¡¯ve shown you his picture before.¡± He spoke louder than usual since Old Mr. Campbell was hard of hearing. ¡°How old are you now?¡± Old Mr. Campbell asked. Liam pursed his lips, ¡°Thirty.¡± Old Mr. Campbell furrowed his brows, muttering, ¡°Why did you just get married? Is there something wrong with you?¡± Liam was speechless. Everyone else broke out a cold sweat at his words. Celeste almostughed, while Liam¡¯s face darkened. Shawn hurried to exin, fearing that Liam would get angry, ¡°They didn¡¯t just get married this year. They¡¯ve been married for several years.¡± Then, he whispered to Liam, ¡°He¡¯s old and a bit confused.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s confused!¡± Old Mr. Campbell snapped, ¡°Celeste is still so young, and you were in a hurry to marry her off. As her father, how could you do such a thing?¡± Liam was speechless again. He was kind of regretting agreeing to take Old Mr. Campbell in.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Of course, his words were mainly meant for Shawn. Celeste suddenly thought that Old Mr. Campbell didn¡¯t seem all that confused. Shawn smiled apologetically, ¡°Liam treats Celeste very well. Marrying him is a blessing for her. How could I be harming her?¡± Old Mr. Campbell just snorted and didn¡¯t say anything else. Liam¡¯s visit to the Reed family was a rare opportunity, so Shawn insisted on having him stay for a meal. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Celeste found this somewhat amusing but respected Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s wishes. For his entire life, Old Mr. Campbell had lived in his hometown, and J City was the farthest from home he had ever been. Owen deliberately slowed down, and Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s cloudy eyes were glued to the scenery moving outside the window ¨C J City¡¯s dense buildings and endless prosperity. After a while, he sighed, ¡°This ce has developed so well; it¡¯s very prosperous.¡± Celeste felt a sudden pang of sadness and whispered, ¡°Grandpa David, if you like it here, you can stay for a few more days.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Old Mr. Campbell smiled and jokingly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to have such good fortune at my age.¡± Then, he suddenly reached into his pocket and took out a Ferrero Rocher chocte, handed it to Celeste, and whispered to her like a child, ¡°I found this in your sister¡¯s room. She said it¡¯s chocte and tastes really good. But my teeth are broken, so I can¡¯t chew it. You tell me if it¡¯s delicious.¡± Celeste was stunned. She didn¡¯t know much about Old Mr. Campbell. She didn¡¯t often visit her hometown, and when she did, she wouldn¡¯t stay long. Her deepest memory was when Old Mr. Campbell took a candy from a brown paper bag and gave it to her. The candy wasn¡¯t the best she¡¯d had, but Old Mr. Campbell handed it to her like a treasure. She kind of wanted to spit it out, but when she saw Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s kind face asking if it was sweet, she swallowed it down and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Old Mr. Campbell couldn¡¯t help but smile. Now, meeting again, Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s hair had turned entirely white. But when he took out the chocte, treasuring it and giving it to her, Celeste was suddenly brought back to her childhood, and her heart ached with a bitter sweetness. Seeing Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s expectant look, Celeste took the chocte and unwrapped it. The chocte had been in Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s pocket for too long and had melted a bit. She didn¡¯t say anything, took a bite, and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s yummy.¡± Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s eyes crinkled as heughed. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a few more next time, just in case your dad is ying favorites.¡± Liam cocked his head, watching the two of them, deep in thought. Old Mr. Campbell noticed his gaze, immediately covered the chocte in Celeste¡¯s hand, and red at him. ¡°No chocte for you!¡± Liam was speechless. Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh, but quickly noticed Liam¡¯s warning look. He immediately stifled his laughter and focused on driving. Since Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s arrival, Liam had arranged for two housekeepers to take care of him. Whenever Celeste had free time, she would take Old Mr. Campbell to visit the sights in J City, and Liam would asionally join, but because of his busy work schedule, he had trouble making time for it. Even when he did find the time, Old Mr. Campbell wasn¡¯t very fond of him. During the outings, Liam would be either carrying bags or running errands for Old Mr. Campbell, never letting Celeste lift a finger. If Liam did something that didn¡¯t satisfy Old Mr. Campbell, he wouldn¡¯t show it directly, but instead, he¡¯d casually say, ¡°Young people nowadays are just too delicate. Can¡¯t get anything done right. When I was young, I was very capable.¡± If Liam showed any signs of being unhappy, Old Mr. Campbell would say, ¡°Kids these days have such tempers. Back then, no girl would marry a guy with such a bad temper. Even if they did get married, the wife would end up running off with someone else.¡± Liam finally realized that, by sticking up for Celeste, he had actually brought back a troublesome enemy. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 282 After Owen finished his report that day, he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Francis called while you were in a meeting today. He said that this year¡¯s Chamber of Commerce event will be held on a cruise ship. He had asked someone to send an invite. He wanted me to call him back regardless of whether you will attend. So, Mr. Reed, are you going?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Liam didn¡¯t even lift his head. Owen nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll respond to Mr. Francis right away.¡± The nature of the Chamber of Commerce has changed. It¡¯s form over substance now. A cruise ship? Liam paused and called out to Owen, who was about to leave. ¡°Wait! Leave the invitation, please.¡± Owen was surprised. ¡°Are you going?¡± Liam said indifferently, ¡°Hasn¡¯t she always wanted to go on a cruise? I¡¯ll take her to experience it for herself.¡± Owen raised an eyebrow. Celeste had gone on a cruise when she went on vacation two years ago and had a st for almost half a month. At that time, she kept sending Liam photos, dozens at a time. Liam never replied. They had been married for only six months at the time, and Owen hadn¡¯t seen any of the ¡°newlywed intimacy¡± one would expect. So, Owen subconsciously thought that Liam didn¡¯t really care about his new wife. But one day, Liam suddenly seemed a bit off. Whenever his phone rang during a meeting, he would instantly check it. Owen initially thought Liam was waiting for a client¡¯s message, but he only looked more troubled when that was the case. It wasn¡¯t until the third day when Liam received a video of Celeste feeding dolphins during the meeting that Liam¡¯s frown finally disappeared. Owen faintly realized that Liam¡¯s abnormal behavior throughout the day might have been because Celeste hadn¡¯t sent any photos back for two days. With Liam¡¯s excellent memory, how could he forget that Celeste had been on a cruise? Owen pretended to know nothing and agreed before retreating. The cruise for the Chamber of Commerce event would begin in J City, traveling through two other cities before returning through another route,sting for two days and one night. When Owen told Celeste, she didn¡¯t seem very interested. ¡°What¡¯s the point of me going to this business event? Doesn¡¯t yourpany have many beautiful secretaries? Can¡¯t you just ask one of them to apany Liam?¡± It wasb¡¯t the right season for cruises, and it wouldn¡¯t be fun. ¡°That would be inappropriate. Single people might bring their secretaries or assistants, but everyone else brings their partners. Liam is not single; if he brought a secretary, people would gossip and spread weird rumors, which might cause misunderstandings.¡± Celeste thought to herself, ¡°You¡¯re really overthinking it.¡± If Liam hugged ten secretaries in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t care at all. As Celeste continued to decline, Old Mr. Campbell suddenly emerged from the room. Owen seized the opportunity and spoke loudly, ¡°Old Mr. Campbell, do you want to go on a cruise?¡± The idea of going on a cruise immediately energized Old Mr. Campbell. ¡°You mean those huge cruise ships on TV with several floors?¡± Owen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll also visit two cities. Do you want to go?¡± Old Mr. Campbell¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°When do we leave?¡± Owen smiled and looked at Celeste. ¡°See, Old Mr. Campbell wants to go.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t refuse any longer. What a smart man Liam was! The cruise set sail the following afternoon. After finishing work at noon, Owen drove Liam back home to pick up Celeste and Old Mr. Campbell. Celeste looked exhausted. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 On the other hand, Old Mr. Campbell was excited. He insisted on buying swimming trunks when they passed a shopping mall but was finally persuaded otherwise. Liam nced at Celeste, who kept yawning. ¡°Did you really need to stay up all night to film that ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± episode?¡± Celeste had told Liam that she was filmingst night. He thought she would only be gone for a short while, but she didn¡¯te back until it was past 5 AM. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Yawning again, Celeste said, ¡°Night scenes have to be filmed at night. How can we capture the same effect during the day?¡± Before Liam could say anything, Celeste put on earplugs. ¡°Wake me up when we arrive.¡± With that, she closed her eyes. Liam frowned in dissatisfaction. He had pushed aside much work to apany her, and all she wanted to do was sleep? When Celeste woke up, they were already at the ferry dock. The ship was particrly magnificent. With a height of six to seven floors, it was more impressive than the one she had taken during her vacation. Once Old Mr. Campbell stepped out of the car, a crew member promptly provided a wheelchair for the elderly gentleman. Old Mr. Campbell initially rejected, but one look at the height made his knees go weak from a fear of heights. He sat in the wheelchair without further protest. Many people were already gathered on the deck. As soon as Liam arrived, people greeted him. Exhausted, Celeste got her room key and instructed Owen to take care of Old Mr. Campbell before returning to her room to sleep. She slept soundly, waking up to find the daylight fading. She opened the curtains and saw the sun setting outside. Orange hues reflected on the shimmering water. The sky and sea were stunning, with fish asionally leaping out of the water, looking delicious. Yes, she was hungry. Last night, she had only eaten ate¨Cnight snack during the filming. She went home and slept, not having eaten anything since. It was already six o¡¯clock. Hadn¡¯t dinner been served aboard the ship? Liam hadn¡¯te to get her either. Celeste freshened up and left her cabin. The deck was brightly lit and bustling with people dancing and ying board games. She looked for Liam and Old Mr. Campbell, but couldn¡¯t find them. Just as she was about to call Liam, she spotted Mason. ¡°Mr. Fletcher?¡± Mason was chatting with friends and was a bit surprised to see her. He quickly scanned her surroundings and asked, ¡°Why are you alone here?¡± ¡°I just took a nap in the cabin and when I woke up, I couldn¡¯t find Liam. Have you seen him?¡± ¡°He was just here with Nics. I¡¯ll help you look for him.¡± Celeste waved her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it right now. Do you know where I can grab a bite? I¡¯m starving.¡± Mason paused for a moment, chuckled softly, and said gently, ¡°Follow me.¡± Since there was a party on the deck tonight, dinner time was quitete. There was actually a snack session in the afternoon, but Celeste missed it because she was sleeping. Mason took her straight to the kitchen, where they were preparing food for the evening. When the staff saw someone entering, they tried to shoo them away. The head chef was Spanish, so Mason startedmunicating with him. Mason¡¯s Spanish must have been pretty good. Even though Celeste couldn¡¯t understand, seeing the chef nodding continuously made her believe that the conversation went smoothly. After they finished talking, the chef took them in, gave them a pot and some ingredients. Celeste was a bit puzzled. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 What¡¯s this all about? Mason scratched his head and awkwardly said, ¡°I tried my best tomunicate, but they said it¡¯s not mealtime yet so there¡¯s no food avable. However, they can give us some ingredients and let us cook ourselves.¡± Celeste¡­ Really? We have to cook on a cruise? ¡°I¡¯ll just eat when it¡¯s mealtime.¡± As soon as her words fell, her stomach growled. She awkwardly straightened her clothes, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Mason said, taking off his jacket. ¡°Can you hold this for me?¡± Celeste, not understanding why, took it. Mason rolled up his shirt sleeves, grabbed the skillet the chef tossed to him, and skillfully lit the stove and added water. Celeste paused, ¡°Are you cooking?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Is pasta okay?¡± Celeste was about to nod but quickly shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t cook. How can I let you cook? It¡¯s almost mealtime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still two hours from now.¡± As Mason spoke, he put the pasta in the pot. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go back hungry.¡± Celeste regretted asking Mason for food. They were on vacation, and letting someone else cook was too embarrassing. Mason noticed her unease and tried to chat to distract her. ¡°How did you meet Liam?¡± Sure enough, Celeste¡¯s attention was diverted. ¡°We met on a blind date.¡± Although Liam had met her on a blind date, it was not the first time Celeste had seen him. The first time she saw Liam was when she and her mother had a car ident. After the ident that day, the car flipped, her mother was thrown out, and she was trapped inside, unable to move. Before the rescue team arrived, she had already lost consciousness due to blood loss. In her daze, she saw someone kick through the ss, unbuckle her seatbelt, and drag her out. She caught a glimpse of his face, and that single look deeply etched Liam¡¯s face into her memory. So when she saw him on the blind date, she was smitten almost instantly. How could she not be moved by a handsome man who had saved her life? He had reached out to help a stranger, which meant he was a good person. When Liam proposed, she thought for only three seconds before making her decisi Her friends all advised her not to rush into a decision since she was still young, a recent college graduate with little social experience. Getting married so early would definitely be a disadvantageter. And she hadn¡¯t known Liam for long. How could she hand herself over to him so hastily just because he had saved her? But sometimes, people are stubborn. When others don¡¯t support you, you be even more determined to prove your choice is the right one. She secretly scored Liam in her heart, and once she had umted enough points, she would show off to her friends to prove her judgment was correct. Liam¡¯s good looks +10 Liam¡¯s bad temper -1 Liam¡¯s beautiful voice +100 Liam¡¯ste returns home without calling her -10 Liam¡¯s birthday gift to her +10000 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Liam¡¯s first love wasn¡¯t her -100 Liam called another woman¡¯s name when he¡¯s sick -10000 Liam didn¡¯t like her -100000 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 In the end, adding and subtracting, all that remained was disappointment. Casually stirring the pot, Mason asked, ¡°You were only twenty years old back then. Why did you think of getting married so early?¡± Celeste, not wanting to mention the Campbell family¡¯splicated matters, joked, ¡°I hadn¡¯t been married before, so I wanted to see what marriage was like.¡± Masonughed, ¡°How is it?¡± Calmly, Celeste said, ¡°It¡¯s not great. Single life was better.¡± Not wanting to continue the topic, Celeste asked him, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, do you have a girlfriend?¡± Mason calmly replied, ¡°With my body, It¡¯s not a good idea for me to find a girlfriend.¡± Celeste thought he meant his previous illness and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling better now?¡± Mason didn¡¯t answer but slightly pulled up his sleeves, and Celeste suddenly went quiet. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. His forearm had arge burn scar. The skin looked horrifying as if there was a tumor spreading along his arm. Celeste paused for a moment, then looked away. Mason calmly pulled his sleeve back down, and smiling, said, ¡°It scared you, right?¡± Realizing her rude response, Celeste quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mason said nonchntly, ¡°I would be scared seeing it myself.¡± After a while, Celeste whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not scary, but rather unsettling¡­¡± She hesitated, speaking softly, ¡°It must have been painful¡­¡± Mason¡¯s movement paused. He took the pasta out of the pot, drained the water, and ced the pasta back on the stove, gently swirling a piece of butter. After a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s been too long. I can¡¯t remember clearly.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°It¡¯s for the best. The less you remember, the less pain there is.¡± She suddenly realized that every time they met, Mason¡¯s shirt was always carefully buttoned at the top, and his sleeves were always covering his wrists. Although the weather in J City wasn¡¯t hot, the temperature still wasn¡¯t low around noon when the sun was shining upon them directly. During theirst meal at the school entrance, she was sweating from the heat, but Mason¡¯s whole body was still tightly wrapped up. She thought it was because he was awyer. She didn¡¯t realize that he was covering up the scars on his body. She shouldn¡¯t have mentioned girlfriends, or Mr. Fletcher wouldn¡¯t have brought up his painful past. By this time, Mason had already cooked the pasta. He put some on a te, and gave it to Celeste. ¡°Try it.¡± Celeste tasted it and immediately gave him thumbs up, ¡°Super delicious.¡± Mason smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dining room.¡± Celeste was sincerely praising Mason¡¯s cooking skills, which were indeed excellent. His pasta was much better than her own cream pasta. Celeste gobbled up all the pasta on her te, showing her mad respect for Mason¡¯s cooking skills. Once Celeste finished eating, Mason got ready to clean up, but being all embarrassed, she didn¡¯t wanna trouble him, so she went and washed the dishes herself in the kitchen. Stepping back outside, it was already pitch¨Cck. Mason said, ¡°I guess the show¡¯s over; everyone¡¯s probably at the deck now. Let¡¯s join ¡®em!¡± Celeste nodded in agreement. Just as they left the room, Celeste spotted a surprise visitor and frowned, saying, ¡°What on earth is she doing here?¡± Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Mason followed her gaze and saw Sydney chatting with someone. A breeze blew over the deck every now and then, making it a bit chilly, but Sydney¡¯s dress was quite thin. A light gray, sleeveless long gown, made of sheer fabric. The deck lights, bright as daylight, shone on her dress, creating a soft glow that made her look absolutely stunning. Her makeup was also exquisite, with her long hair loosely braided behind her head and her bangs casually falling on her forehead, giving her an elegant look. Add to that her professional smile as an actress, and even Celeste, who really disliked her, had to admit Sydney looked absolutely beautiful tonight. Mason guessed, ¡°Maybe she was invited by the organizers to perform in a y.¡± The cruise ship had arge theater with three performances a day, and Sydney might have been one of the performers. *Can the organizers afford her?¡® Celeste asked. Usually, cruise ship theaters invite professional theater or music groups to perform. Having someone like Sydney performing in a y would decrease the theater¡¯s profits. As they were chatting, they heard Nics teasing them from behind. ¡°I told you she was on the deck! There¡¯s only so much space on the ship; it¡¯s not like she could have swum home!¡± Celeste turned around to see Liam approaching her with a serious expression on his face. He walked up to her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to him. ¡°What are you doing running around like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll fall overboard?¡± This man never has anything nice to say! She red at him after pulling her hand back. ¡°Even if I did fall, I wouldn¡¯t need you to save me!¡± Liam nced at her and said casually, ¡°Regardless of who saves you, I¡¯d still have to pay the rescue fees since I spent so much money marrying you.¡± Celeste was stumped. That sentence sounded strange. It wasn¡¯t a taunt, but rather showed a hint of helplessness. ¡°Mason, where did you go just now?¡± Nics suddenly asked. Celeste thought Mason would be honest, but he said, ¡°I went back to the room for a bit, and I ran into Celeste on my way out.¡± Celeste looked at Mason, puzzled. Why didn¡¯t he tell the truth? Was he afraid that Liam might misunderstand? Liam¡¯s gaze shifted between the two of them before he grabbed Celeste¡¯s hand again. ¡°Come on.¡°Mir ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Instead of answering, he walked her directly back to their room. Owen had just finished setting out the food when they returned. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve been asleep all day and didn¡¯t have lunch. Mr. Reed was worried you¡¯d be hungry, so he saved some food for you. I had it warmed up just now, so see if it suits your taste.¡± Liam nced at Owen. ¡°You¡¯re exining too much.¡± Owen chuckled. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t be disturbing you two during your meal.¡± He tactfully exited the room after speaking. There were more than a dozen dishes. Celeste drooled at the sight, but she had already eaten too much, so she could only watch longingly. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Liam handed her a fork. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, right?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. How was she supposed to tell Liam that she had already eaten? Why did Mr. Fletcher lie? They hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, and his words made it difficult for her to exin to Liam now. Seeing she wasn¡¯t eating Liam frowned. ¡°Do you want me to feed you?¡± Celeste quickly picked up the fork. ¡°No, thank you¡± Liam looked at her but didn¡¯t say anything else. Celeste held the fork but barely ate anything. Liam noticed this and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it taste good?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s delicious,¡± Celeste replied, not wanting to be rude since Liam was showing rare concern for her. But she honestly wasn¡¯t hungry, so she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m just not very hungry Liam clearly didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Are you too hungry that you¡¯re afraid of looking unattractive while eating in front of me?¡± Celeste felt frustrated. She didn¡¯t respond, so Liam continued, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you drunk and insisting I help you take off your pants in the bathroom. Do you really think I care about your table manners?¡± ¡°Can you not mention something so disgusting while I¡¯m eating?¡± Liam paused. ¡°Is this topic really that disgusting?¡± Celeste: ¡­ She couldn¡¯t eat, and now that Liam had mentioned this, she had even less of an appetite. She forced herself to eat half a bowl of soup before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± ¡°He went gambling.¡± ¡°What?¡± Celeste almost jumped up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± Liam said calmly, ¡°He seemed to be having fun.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t just let him do whatever he wants! What if he loses?¡± The people on this ship were all rich and famous. Although the casino was just for entertainment, and the stakes might not be too high for these people, for ordinary folks, they were already quite hefty. Grandpa had lived his whole life in the countryside, and the biggest gambling he¡¯d ever done was probably ying cards with the vige elders ¨C at the cost of a few bucks at most. He¡¯d never been to a big casino like this, and if he lost, he¡¯d be very upset. Liam didn¡¯t seem worried at all. ¡°He seems to be on a winning streak, but if he loses¡­¡± he paused and looked at Celeste, ¡®we can deduct it from your ten billion.¡± Celeste: ¡­ Losing money wasn¡¯t the main issue. She was more worried about Grandpa being upset about losing money, which could stress him out even more. With that thought, she told Liam that she was full and wanted to see her grandpa. Liam nced at the remaining food and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The fifth floor of the cruise ship was a recreational area with a chess room and various board games. When Liam and Celeste found Grandpa, he was enthusiastically gambling with a group of people. They were rolling dice, betting on numbers, and cing chips. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. There were chips piled up in front of everyone but Grandpa. When everyone started betting, Celeste hurried over. ¡°Grandpa!¡± The old man smiled when he saw his great¨Cgranddaughter. ¡°Letti, you¡¯re awake!¡± Celeste pulled him toward the exit. ¡°Let¡¯s go up to the deck, okay?¡± ¡°Just one more game.¡± He must have lost money and wanted to win it back. Worried he¡¯d gamble even more, Celeste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go swimming? There¡¯s a pool on the deck, and Owen has prepared swim trunks for you.¡± As soon as he heard swimming, the old man got excited: ¡°Sounds good! Let¡¯s go.¡± But he suddenly stopped and said: ¡°I gotta cash out these things first.¡± ¡°What?¡± =The old man pulled out a whole bunch of chips from his pocket and put them on the table. Celeste: ? Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Mason followed her gaze and saw Sydney chatting with someone. A breeze blew over the deck every now and then, making it a bit chilly, but Sydney¡¯s dress was quite thin. A light gray, sleeveless long gown, made of sheer fabric. The deck lights, bright as daylight, shone on her dress, creating a soft glow that made her look absolutely stunning. Her makeup was also exquisite, with her long hair loosely braided behind her head and her bangs casually falling on her forehead, giving her an elegant look. Add to that her professional smile as an actress, and even Celeste, who really disliked her, had to admit Sydney looked absolutely beautiful tonight. Mason guessed, ¡°Maybe she was invited by the organizers to perform in a y.¡± The cruise ship had arge theater with three performances a day, and Sydney might have been one of the performers. *Can the organizers afford her?¡® Celeste asked. Usually, cruise ship theaters invite professional theater or music groups to perform. Having someone like Sydney performing in a y would decrease the theater¡¯s profits. As they were chatting, they heard Nics teasing them from behind. ¡°I told you she was on the deck! There¡¯s only so much space on the ship; it¡¯s not like she could have swum home!¡± Celeste turned around to see Liam approaching her with a serious expression on his face. He walked up to her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to him. ¡°What are you doing running around like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll fall overboard?¡± This man never has anything nice to say! She red at him after pulling her hand back. ¡°Even if I did fall, I wouldn¡¯t need you to save me!¡± Liam nced at her and said casually, ¡°Regardless of who saves you, I¡¯d still have to pay the rescue fees since I spent so much money marrying you.¡± Celeste was stumped. That sentence sounded strange. It wasn¡¯t a taunt, but rather showed a hint of helplessness. ¡°Mason, where did you go just now?¡± Nics suddenly asked. Celeste thought Mason would be honest, but he said, ¡°I went back to the room for a bit, and I ran into Celeste on my way out.¡± Celeste looked at Mason, puzzled. Why didn¡¯t he tell the truth? Was he afraid that Liam might misunderstand? Liam¡¯s gaze shifted between the two of them before he grabbed Celeste¡¯s hand again. ¡°Come on.¡°Mir ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Instead of answering, he walked her directly back to their room. Owen had just finished setting out the food when they returned. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve been asleep all day and didn¡¯t have lunch. Mr. Reed was worried you¡¯d be hungry, so he saved some food for you. I had it warmed up just now, so see if it suits your taste.¡± Liam nced at Owen. ¡°You¡¯re exining too much.¡± Owen chuckled. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t be disturbing you two during your meal.¡± He tactfully exited the room after speaking. There were more than a dozen dishes. Celeste drooled at the sight, but she had already eaten too much, so she could only watch longingly. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Liam handed her a fork. ¡°You¡¯re hungry, right?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. How was she supposed to tell Liam that she had already eaten? Why did Mr. Fletcher lie? They hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, and his words made it difficult for her to exin to Liam now. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Seeing she wasn¡¯t eating Liam frowned. ¡°Do you want me to feed you?¡± Celeste quickly picked up the fork. ¡°No, thank you¡± Liam looked at her but didn¡¯t say anything else. Celeste held the fork but barely ate anything. Liam noticed this and asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it taste good?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s delicious,¡± Celeste replied, not wanting to be rude since Liam was showing rare concern for her. But she honestly wasn¡¯t hungry, so she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m just not very hungry Liam clearly didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Are you too hungry that you¡¯re afraid of looking unattractive while eating in front of me?¡± Celeste felt frustrated. She didn¡¯t respond, so Liam continued, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you drunk and insisting I help you take off your pants in the bathroom. Do you really think I care about your table manners?¡± ¡°Can you not mention something so disgusting while I¡¯m eating?¡± Liam paused. ¡°Is this topic really that disgusting?¡± Celeste: ¡­ She couldn¡¯t eat, and now that Liam had mentioned this, she had even less of an appetite. She forced herself to eat half a bowl of soup before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± ¡°He went gambling.¡± ¡°What?¡± Celeste almost jumped up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± Liam said calmly, ¡°He seemed to be having fun.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t just let him do whatever he wants! What if he loses?¡± The people on this ship were all rich and famous. Although the casino was just for entertainment, and the stakes might not be too high for these people, for ordinary folks, they were already quite hefty. Grandpa had lived his whole life in the countryside, and the biggest gambling he¡¯d ever done was probably ying cards with the vige elders ¨C at the cost of a few bucks at most. He¡¯d never been to a big casino like this, and if he lost, he¡¯d be very upset. Liam didn¡¯t seem worried at all. ¡°He seems to be on a winning streak, but if he loses¡­¡± he paused and looked at Celeste, ¡®we can deduct it from your ten billion.¡± Celeste: ¡­ Losing money wasn¡¯t the main issue. She was more worried about Grandpa being upset about losing money, which could stress him out even more. With that thought, she told Liam that she was full and wanted to see her grandpa. Liam nced at the remaining food and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The fifth floor of the cruise ship was a recreational area with a chess room and various board games. When Liam and Celeste found Grandpa, he was enthusiastically gambling with a group of people. They were rolling dice, betting on numbers, and cing chips. There were chips piled up in front of everyone but Grandpa. When everyone started betting, Celeste hurried over. ¡°Grandpa!¡± The old man smiled when he saw his great¨Cgranddaughter. ¡°Letti, you¡¯re awake!¡± Celeste pulled him toward the exit. ¡°Let¡¯s go up to the deck, okay?¡± ¡°Just one more game.¡± He must have lost money and wanted to win it back. Worried he¡¯d gamble even more, Celeste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go swimming? There¡¯s a pool on the deck, and Owen has prepared swim trunks for you.¡± As soon as he heard swimming, the old man got excited: ¡°Sounds good! Let¡¯s go.¡± But he suddenly stopped and said: ¡°I gotta cash out these things first.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± The old man pulled out a whole bunch of chips from his pocket and put them on the table. Celeste: ? After that, she saw him take out another stack of chips from another pocket, and even more from his pants pocket, even from beneath his shirt. Celeste watched the old man keep pulling out chips from his pockets until they piled up into a small mountain. Celeste: ??? She stared at Liam in disbelief, while thetter seemed very calm, ¡°I told you, he¡¯s got good luck.¡± This was more than just good luck; her grandpa must have won every single game in the entire afternoon! With so many chips, after paying his table fees and tips, he ended up winning over a million dors. Celestemented that this was way more than what she made from acting, and wondered how great it would¡¯ve been if she knew she could¡¯ve simply gambled with the old man! Celeste was very interested in the old man¡¯s gambling skills and kept asking him why he could guess right every time. The old man said leisurely, ¡°Don¡¯t think about making money from these side hustles.¡± ¡°Why do you still gamble then?¡± The old man said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just an old man. Losing is not a big deal for me. But for you guys, if you get addicted to gambling, you¡¯ll be ruined. You lose more than you win, and the casino isn¡¯t gonna let you walk away with their money just like that.¡± Although he made a lot of sense, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel like the old man was lying to her. She secretly whispered to Liam, ¡°Do you think the old man could be cheating?¡± Liam nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°You could let the casino manager know and have them check the surveince. If he¡¯s really cheating, you could turn him in. He¡¯s old, they probably won¡¯t keep him for long.¡± Celeste immediately replied, ¡°I would never do that.¡± The gambling on the ship wasn¡¯t exactly legal anyway, and even if he was cheating, it would be settled privately. Turning him in would only get everyone else in trouble too. When they came out, most of the people had gathered on the deck, and it was already fairly packed. Owen took the old man to the pool area. Liam went to chat with some acquaintances in the business circle, and Celeste was surrounded by the wives. Last time at the jewelry exhibition, Sienna¡¯s attention for Celeste had already spread among the wives, so today, when Celeste appeared, they were all much warmer to her, regardless of their real feelings. This kind of enthusiasm waspletely differentpared to how they treated Sydney earlier. The former was to please and be cautious, while thetter was more like curiosity, as if observing a monkey that had wandered into the crowd. Sydney had a ss of wine in her hand, looking displeased. Someone asked, ¡°Ms. Campbell, your acting in that show you did recently was amazing! How did you come up with the idea to take on that role?¡± ¡°It was that ¡°Mastermind of Law,¡± right? My kids sit down in front of the TV every day after school to watch it, and I¡¯ve watched a few episodes too. I didn¡¯t recognize it was Celeste until you mentioned it.¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 After that, she saw him take out another stack of chips from another pocket, and even more from his pants pocket, even from beneath his shirt. Celeste watched the old man keep pulling out chips from his pockets until they piled up into a small mountain. Celeste: ??? She stared at Liam in disbelief, while thetter seemed very calm, ¡°I told you, he¡¯s got good luck.¡± This was more than just good luck; her grandpa must have won every single game in the entire afternoon! With so many chips, after paying his table fees and tips, he ended up winning over a million dors. Celestemented that this was way more than what she made from acting, and wondered how great it would¡¯ve been if she knew she could¡¯ve simply gambled with the old man! Celeste was very interested in the old man¡¯s gambling skills and kept asking him why he could guess right every time. The old man said leisurely, ¡°Don¡¯t think about making money from these side hustles.¡± ¡°Why do you still gamble then?¡± The old man said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just an old man. Losing is not a big deal for me. But for you guys, if you get addicted to gambling, you¡¯ll be ruined. You lose more than you win, and the casino isn¡¯t gonna let you walk away with their money just like that.¡± Although he made a lot of sense, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel like the old man was lying to her. She secretly whispered to Liam, ¡°Do you think the old man could be cheating?¡± Liam nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°You could let the casino manager know and have them check the surveince. If he¡¯s really cheating, you could turn him in. He¡¯s old, they probably won¡¯t keep him for long.¡± Celeste immediately replied, ¡°I would never do that.¡± The gambling on the ship wasn¡¯t exactly legal anyway, and even if he was cheating, it would be settled privately. Turning him in would only get everyone else in trouble too. When they came out, most of the people had gathered on the deck, and it was already fairly packed. Owen took the old man to the pool area. Liam went to chat with some acquaintances in the business circle, and Celeste was surrounded by the wives. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Last time at the jewelry exhibition, Sienna¡¯s attention for Celeste had already spread among the wives, so today, when Celeste appeared, they were all much warmer to her, regardless of their real feelings. This kind of enthusiasm waspletely differentpared to how they treated Sydney earlier. The former was to please and be cautious, while thetter was more like curiosity, as if observing a monkey that had wandered into the crowd. Sydney had a ss of wine in her hand, looking displeased. Someone asked, ¡°Ms. Campbell, your acting in that show you did recently was amazing! How did you come up with the idea to take on that role?¡± ¡°It was that ¡°Mastermind of Law,¡± right? My kids sit down in front of the TV every day after school to watch it, and I¡¯ve watched a few episodes too. I didn¡¯t recognize it was Celeste until you mentioned it.¡± Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Whether thesepliments were genuine or not, there was no doubt that the show had truly be popr. Celeste smiled and said, ¡°I was just helping Mrs. Rowley out. ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± was theirpany¡¯s project. She couldn¡¯t find an actress and thought I looked okay, so she asked me to act in it. I was just trying it out.¡± Just okay?¡­ The wives had nothing to say. Celeste was far from just okay. Her beauty was absolutely captivating. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Thankfully Liam married her, or every otherdy would¡¯ve felt threatened, her face would make any man fall in love at first sight. Mrs. Kelley nced at Sydney and suddenly chuckled, ¡°Actually, we outsiders don¡¯t understand acting. We¡¯re not professionals who can tell good from bad at a nce, right, Ms. Denton?¡± Celeste frowned at Mrs. Kelley. Why was it her again? Liam had won money from herst time, and apparently she still held a grudge. Sydney said gently, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary actor. I can¡¯t im to be a professional.¡± ¡°Ms. Denton is too modest. If you¡¯re not professional, then there¡¯s no one in the entertainment industry who can im to be. Celeste said she was just trying it out, so maybe you could just casually review her performance, and we¡¯ll just casually listen to it.¡± Mrs. Kelley finished speaking and smiled at Celeste, ¡°Ms. Campbell, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Cursing her inwardly, Celeste hid her thoughts well, gave a faint smile, and said naturally, ¡°Not at all. I¡¯d also like to hear the ¡®professional¡® evaluation.¡± Sydney then said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll speak frankly. If there¡¯s anything I say that¡¯s offensive, Ms. Campbell, please bear in mind that I¡¯m critiquing the work and not the person.¡± Celeste smiled and said, ¡°Feel free.¡± Sydney looked at Celeste from head to toe and began, ¡°Ms. Campbell¡¯s figure is quite average. From the scene where she picks up the package, you can see that Ms. Campbell¡¯s back isn¡¯t very straight, which is normal since she¡¯s not a professional actor and hasn¡¯t received any posture training; her facial expressions also tend to be overstated; she shows her emotions inly on her face when she cries or laughs, which is too much for the role she yed; and finally, the scene with the wig is too deliberate. It didn¡¯t really need to be shown that way. It looked fake.¡± As Sydney talked, the wives all got nervous. When she finished with ¡°looked fake¡°, they nced at Celeste, trying to see how she was reacting. Regardless of whether Sydney¡¯s review was fair or not, openly criticizing Celeste¡¯s acting in front of her was a very bold move. Sydney seemed slightly regretful after her criticism, and said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, I can be a bit blunt with my words. I¡¯m only referring to your acting in that scene. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Celeste grinned, ¡°Ms. Denton, yourments on me was spot on, and I¡¯ve also noticed that your understanding of acting is really deep.¡± Sydney looked at Celeste with confusion. What Celeste said just now was pretty sharp, yet she didn¡¯t get mad? Biting her lip, Sydney replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s deep, you know. I¡¯ve just acted a lot, so I¡¯ve gotten the hang of it over time.¡± Celeste put on an ¡°oh, I see¡± expression, and asked humbly, ¡°So, Ms. Denton must have won lots of awards for acting, right?¡± Sydney¡¯s face changed slightly, her fingers involuntarily clenched. Despite the high view count of Sydney¡¯s works and her annual appearances in the top rankings, she had never received any awards, not even a nomination. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 She hadat won any acting awants, but if people asked her privately, Sydney wouldn¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. Her shows¡® streaming numbers were way higher than her peers, and she was pretty confident about hermercial value. But Celeste just hit her weak spot in front of everyone. Seeing her remain silent for a while, Celeste slightly smiled. Why is Ms Denton not saying anything? Too many awards to remember?¡± Sydney forced a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t really care about awards. If the audience likes my work, then it¡¯s good. The judges have different opinions on acting, and we cant just measure a person¡¯s acting skills by the number of awards.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh Celeste nodded, ¡°I actually think that the judges¡® eyes are quite urate, because they have all reached a high level in their own fields and have the qualifications to sit in the judges¡® seats and grade others. If even the judges don¡¯t approve of an actor¡¯s acting skills, then they probably. really can¡¯t act. And someone who can¡¯t act has no right to judge others.¡± If herments earlier were blunt, then Celeste¡¯s words piercing, almost like cursing her directly. But she had no words to defend herself. After seeing Sydney¡¯s response, Celeste let out an ¡°ah¡± and said apologetically, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Ms. Denton. I didn¡¯t mean to target you. We were all just chatting here and only mentioned it casually. You¡¯re not angry, are you?¡± She remembered Sydney¡¯s words clearly and used it against her. Didn¡¯t Sydney say she wasn¡¯t targeting her? Two could y that game. Sydney¡¯s face was stiff and she didn¡¯t speak for a while. Finally, Mrs. Kelley broke the silence, ¡°We said we¡¯re just chatting casually, Ms. Campbell. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± She paused, ¡°Ms. Denton, have you prepared anything for us?¡± Celeste nced at Mrs. Kelley but didn¡¯t say a word. Mrs. Kelley got along well with Skyler, and Celeste didn¡¯t want to talk back to her and cause trouble. So she didn¡¯t say anything. She just found it strange that Mrs. Kelley would hold a grudge for such a long time for just a few hundred thousand, and even for that reason take the side of an actress she didn¡¯t like. Celeste thought the matter would end here. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person who loved to get into trouble. If it wasn¡¯t because Sydney came to provoke her first, she wouldn¡¯t even bother with her. If Sydney were truly better than her in every way, herpetitive spirit would¡¯ve be triggered, and she would have topete with her. But this person wasn¡¯t outstanding in any way, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her because it wasn¡¯t worth it. She nced at the high heels that Sydney was wearing and began pondering again. She wasn¡¯t sure how Sydney got on the cruise. She did have a performance tonight, but it wasn¡¯t theater but a piano recital. The piano on the deck was already prepared, with an apanying orchestra, looking very professional. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Sydney first gave a thank you speech, mainly thanking the people who invited her. She was a famous actress and very beautiful. She looked like a real princess as she sat at the piano. Sydney nodded slightly to the apaniment ensemble, and her fingers danced lively on the piano keys. The melodious sounds gradually spread out. The sea, the night, the piano¡­ The music was exceptionally enjoyable. As the piece came to an end, there was continuous apuse for Sydney. She stood up and gracefully bowed to the audience. Some men shouted, ¡°Encore, please! That wasn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t had enough. y another one!¡± Celeste held back the urge to curse. Feeling a bit thirsty, she turned and saw Liam holding a bottle of water. She went up to him and asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you want some water?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it.¡± After taking the bottle from his hand, she unscrewed the cap and drank from it. Liam:¡­ Sydney was enjoying the apuse and after a while, she smiled and said, ¡°Today is the J City business gathering. You gentlemen anddies are the stars here, I can¡¯t steal the spotlight all for myself. Let me find a representative among thedies so that we can y together. Whichdy would like to perform with me?¡± None of thedies answered. Not that they couldn¡¯t. Many of thedies came from prominent families and knew how to y the piano, but most of them hadn¡¯t touched one in years. Moreover, ying the piano with Sydney, who was not only young but also beautiful, thedies, no matter how well¨Cmaintained they were, couldn¡¯tpete with this young star. ¡°Ms. Campbell, you should go up,¡± Mrs. Kelley spoke up again, ¡°You are the youngest among us and it¡¯s most appropriate for you to be the representative.¡± Upon Mrs. Kelley¡¯s initiation, the otherdies chimed in, ¡°Yes, Ms. Campbell is young and talented.¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell, be our representative.¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell seems to be someone who can do anything.¡± None of thedies wanted to be on stage and be outshined by Sydney, so they gave Celeste their full support. As for whether Celeste could y or not, or whether she would embarrass herself, what did that have to do with them? The atmosphere reached its climax, and Sydney said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, may I have the honor to invite you to perform with me?¡± Everyone turned to Celeste, awaiting her response. Celeste held the bottle with a long face. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She finally spoke, ¡°Ms. Denton, your performance alone is already great. If two people y together, it requires cooperation and will be actually a drag on your talent. I¡¯d better not participate.¡± After hearing this, Sydney assumed that Celeste didn¡¯t know how to y the piano, which was why she tried to find an excuse to refuse. Sydney immediately said, ¡°No worries. This isn¡¯t apetition or anything. It¡¯s all about havin¡® fun and boostin¡® the vibe. If you feel like it¡¯s hard to coordinate with me, just pick a tune you¡¯re familiar with and I¡¯ll back you up. Feel free to jam out!¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Celeste hesitated and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this taking advantage of you? What if I choose a piece you¡¯re not familiar with, then won¡¯t you be at a disadvantage? Forget it.¡± Sydney¡¯s face dropped. What a ridiculous excuse! She was now sure that Celeste wasn¡¯t good at ying the piano, or otherwise she wouldn¡¯t keep refusing Just now Celeste had tried to embarrass her. Now she couldn¡¯t just let her off the hook. The more Celeste refused to go on stage, the more Sydney insisted on inviting her. Sydney smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, don¡¯t worry and just choose any piece. Til definitely keep up with your pace, and Mr. Reed is surely looking forward to your performance.¡± Celeste looked at Liam and whispered, ¡°Should I go?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Celeste felt a bit disappointed, and then said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll perform.¡± When she and Sydney left, Nics finally said, ¡°Sydney ys the piano really excellently. Can Celeste handle it?¡± Liam uncapped the water bottle Celeste had just drunk from, took a sip, and said, ¡°She will be fine.¡± Nics didn¡¯t say anything more. When they sat down at the piano, Sydney handed her sheet music folder to Celeste. ¡°Ms. Campbell, please choose a piece.¡± After flipping through the pages, Celeste finally chose one and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one.¡± Sydney took a look, and it turned out to be Croatian Rhapsody. This piece wasn¡¯t easy to y. Sydney had practiced this piece herself, but the climax part always seemed weak andcked the majestic effect it should produce. But she should be more than enough to humiliate Celeste, since they were both amateurs, and Celeste had chosen the piece herself. If Celeste couldn¡¯t y it well, it would be her own embarrassment. ¡°Ms. Campbell, are you sure you want to y this?¡± She could hardly conceal the excitement in her voice. Celeste nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all pretty much the same.¡± Pretty much the same? Could it be that she couldn¡¯t even read sheet music and had chosen randomly? ¡°Alright, since Ms. Campbell is sure she wants to y this, let¡¯s do it,¡± Sydney gestured, ¡°Ms. Campbell, please.¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°You go first. Let me find the rhythm.¡± Sydney smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll start.¡± She began to y. After hearing a few notes, Celeste could tell that Sydney wasn¡¯t familiar with this piece. But she appeared very confident, keeping the speed within her own limits. Although she didn¡¯t y any wrong notes, the overall momentum of her ying was clearly unsatisfactory. Despite this, the audience still apuded and praised her. When Sydney finished the first section, Celeste quickly followed. Her speed was obviously faster than Sydney¡¯s, her fingering very smooth. Each note she yed was perfectly controlled. She wasn¡¯t smashing the keys like Sydney did to show her strength. Sydney began to sweat. Her eyes were asionally distracted by Celeste¡¯s dancing fingers, and then she identally yed a wrong note, losing her rhythm and making her fingering chaotic. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Celeste, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t affected by Sydney at all. Her ying was smooth like a rushing river, and it only got faster and faster. In the end, Sydney couldn¡¯t keep up with her rhythm at all. Her face turned pale, while Celeste calmly continued to y. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 The audience quieted down. Only the sound of water and piano was echoing in the air. Celeste wasn¡¯t dressed as formally as Sydney. She was afraid of the cold, so she had put on a white coat over her dress. Her hair was also simply tied in a low ponytail. When she lowered her head to y the piano, her messy bangs fell gently on her cheeks, exuding a cold beauty. Mason watched her quietly, his grip on the wine ss unconsciously tightened. Nics was dumbfounded. How many more surprises did this girl have? Only Liam remained calm throughout. Celeste chose this piece. Indeed, as she said, she took advantage. At home, in the piano room, she practiced this piece frequently. At first, her ying wasn¡¯t much better than Sydney¡¯s. But every time she went to the piano room, she practiced this piece. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to listen to at first, but gradually she improved, and eventually she could y it almost perfectly. However, she still practiced only this piece every time she went to the piano room.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Liam couldn¡¯t help asking her why she didn¡¯t move on to another piece. She said that this piece was the most suitable for public performance, in case she ever needed to outshine others. She said that she didn¡¯t need to know all the piano pieces. Just one outstanding piece to amaze everyone was enough. Liam remembered the conversation andughed. When thest note fell, the audience erupted into thunderous apuse. As she wished, this piece indeed amazed everyone. Even those who had been learning piano for more than a decade couldn¡¯t help but praise her. In contrast, Sydney had lost all her previous confidence. Celeste asked, ¡°Ms. Denton, why did you stop ying towards the end?¡± Sydney was very angry. Stopped ying? Because she couldn¡¯t keep up! Sydney took a deep breath and forced a smile, ¡°Ms. Campbell yed so well. I was no match to you.¡± Celeste said, ¡°You¡¯re the first one to ever praise my ying. Back when I took piano lessons, my ying was always the worst. But today I did take advantage of your offer. After all, I chose the piece, and I have to thank Ms. Denton for deliberately ying a few wrong notes for me.¡± Sydney almost choked with anger. How dare she say that? Even someone who didn¡¯t know anything about piano could see that it was her who couldn¡¯t keep up with Celeste¡¯s speed. But she couldn¡¯t defend herself. Sydney took a deep breath and reluctantly said, ¡°You¡¯re too humble.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Wanna y another song? I picked thest one, so you can choose this time.¡± Sydney didn¡¯t dare to y with her again. She would just embarrass herself even more. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 ¡®Maybe next time,¡± Sydney forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling great today.¡± Celeste said with faux regret, ¡°That¡¯s a bummer.¡± Although she said it was a bummer, her face didn¡¯t show it at all. Sydney knew that if she stayed, she¡¯d embarrass herself, so she found an excuse to change clothes and left. Celeste shook her head, thinking that Sydney missed her chance. If she had yed one more song, she would¡¯ve embarrassed herself. When she happily returned to Liam¡¯s side, Nics came over to praise her, ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re amazing! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at piano.¡± Celeste pretended to be modest, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I haven¡¯t practiced in a long time, so I felt a bit rusty.¡± ¡°Rusty? But you still yed so well. Your fundamentals on piano must be really solid.¡± ¡°Celeste, can you y ¡°Por una Cabeza?¡± ¡°Por una Cabeza¡® is way easier than ¡®Croatian Rhapsody¡°.¡± Liam coughed lightly, ncing at Celeste. Celeste didn¡¯t realize Liam was hinting at her and continued, ¡°This is like a beginners¡® piece, anyone who can y the piano can y it.¡± Nics¡® eyes sparkled, ¡°Can you y ¡®Por una Cabeza¡® for me? I just saw a girl I like, and I want to ask her to dance.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Celeste coughed, ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone ying the violin here? This piece would sound better with violin.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not as cool as you, Celeste. My chances of getting a girlfriend depend on you!¡± Celeste could barely y ¡®Por una Cabeza¡® by following the sheet music. She looked to Liam for help, but he just stared at her without talking. Celeste stopped talking and yfully hooked Liam¡¯s hand. Seeing her act like a cute little puppy, Liam finally softened, ¡°If you want to hook up with someone, don¡¯t involve us. We can¡¯t handle it.¡± Nics argued, ¡°How do you know I¡¯m looking for someone to hook up but not an actual girlfriend?¡± ¡°Have any of your rtionshipssted more than three months?¡± Liam coldly nced at him, ¡°After we help you get the girl, you will break up and disappear, then what if shees looking for us?¡± Nics was speechless and struggled to say, ¡°I also want to find someone to settle down. I just haven¡¯t met the right person yet.¡± After sighing, he asked Celeste, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any single friends? I¡¯m not picky.¡± Before Liam could speak, Celeste bluntly said, ¡°Mr. Francis, with your track record of ex¨Cgirlfriends, you could form a ser team. Even if I had a lot of friends, I wouldn¡¯t dare introduce them to you.¡± Liam was kind of satisfied that Celeste was just as blunt as he was. They were a perfect match! Liam pinched her waist, signaling her to stop with his eyes. Celeste finally quieted down. After Nics left, Liam spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t brag too much, aren¡¯t you afraid of being exposed and embarrassed?¡± Celeste responded with a smile, ¡°So what! As long as I¡¯m with you, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡± Liam had nothing to say. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 As other business men came to chat with Liam, Celeste went to find Grandpa David by the pool. This old man had just won some money at the casino and was nowpeting in a breath¨Cholding contest with a group of young people! When Celeste arrived, David had just won a round and was flicking the young guys¡® foreheads. Celeste was surprised and asked Owen, ¡°How long did he hold his breath?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Owen answered, ¡°About thirty seconds.¡± Celeste skeptically asked, ¡°He won with just thirty seconds? These guys are really weak, huh?¡± Owen coughed and said, ¡°Before the contest, the old man introduced himself as Mr. Reed¡¯s Grandpa David.¡± Celeste finally understood. It was because of Liam¡¯s reputation that they let him win. She couldn¡¯t help butugh, seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to mind winning in such a way and was actually quite happy. This old man was bing more like a child as he aged. David had been ying all over the cruise ship and finally got tired after teasing the young people for a while. Celeste said she¡¯d take him back to his room to rest, but he didn¡¯t want to go, ¡°There¡¯s still a buffet dinner tonight.¡± At this point, he was still thinking about eating. Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to save some food for you.¡± David asked, ¡°Will they listen to you?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°They¡¯ll listen to Liam.¡± It seemed that David finally saw some merit in Liam and reluctantly agreed. Celeste realized that her shamelessness might be inherited from Grandpa David. David was really tired, having been too excited to sleep the night before. As Celeste tucked him in, he was asking about the food one second, and snoring the next. When she came out of the cabin, fireworks had started outside. It had been years since she¡¯d seen fireworks up close in the city, so she couldn¡¯t help but stay and watch. She even took a short video on her phone and sent it to Trisha with the caption, ¡°Life of a rich wife.¡± Trisha responded with a middle finger emoji, ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Celeste happily replied, ¡°When I¡¯m done filming, I¡¯ll take you here.¡± As she was waiting for Trisha¡¯s reply, she heard Sydney¡¯s voice behind her, ¡°Celeste, you must feel pretty smug, huh?¡± Celeste looked back at her and said, ¡°You¡¯re too full of yourself. Did you think you yed better than me? Don¡¯t try to provoke me, Ms. Denton.¡± Sydney¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. You probably think Liam didn¡¯t divorce you because he likes you.¡± Celeste seemed to have heard something amusing andughed, saying, ¡°What? You¡¯ve been pregnant for so long, and Liam hasn¡¯t proposed to you, is that why you¡¯reing to me all desperate and bothered?¡± ¡°If you want us to get a divorce, I¡¯ll be even less likely to do it. You can have this baby. As for whether or not I¡¯ll raise the kid you give birth to, well, that depends on my mood.¡± Sydney was so furious she couldn¡¯t speak: ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with her and turned to leave. Sydney felt her n was falling apart, so she grabbed Celeste¡¯s wrist tightly: ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t care. Let¡¯s make a bet to see who Liam would save first if both of us fell into the water.¡± With that, she pulled Celeste¡¯s arm and jumped into the water. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Celeste didn¡¯t expect Sydney to be so crazy, but luckily her quick reflexes saved her by grabbing the railing just in time. However, Sydney pulled so hard it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t stop until Celeste fell off the boat. Having no other choice, Celeste kicked Sydney directly. As a result, Sydney was kicked into the water in terror. Mrs. Kelley¡¯s scream came from behind, ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s fallen into the water!¡± Suddenly, everyone on the deck was startled. ¡°Who fell into the water?¡± ¡°It looks like Ms, Denton.¡± ¡°Oh my god, how did she fall in?¡± ¡°Mrs. Kelley said she saw Ms. Denton arguing with Ms. Campbell, and then she heard a ssh.¡± ¡°You mean Ms. Campbell pushed her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Everyone on the boat was discussing intensely. When they saw Liam, everyone shut up. Liam walked through the crowd, and Celeste stood by the railing expressionlessly, watching the rescue team pull Sydney onto the lifeboat. Liam approached Celeste and took her hand, she was a bit stunned and didn¡¯t speak. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The seawater was freezing, and Sydney was obviously trying to draw attention. After being rescued, her clothes were all stered to her body, revealing her figure. The men at the scene were embarrassed, but they couldn¡¯t help but sneak nces at her. Mason took off his jacket and put it on Sydney. Sydney whispered her thanks. The boat¡¯s doctor came over and checked her out, finding that she was just shocked, with no other injuries. After the doctor left, Sydney was about to make more trouble when Celeste suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her hand, saying guiltily, ¡°I told you to hold on tighter, why did you let go? Luckily you¡¯re okay, otherwise I really couldn¡¯t exin this.¡± Sydney¡¯s face twisted in anger. Liam looked at her coldly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Denton had too much to drink and stumbled to the railing when the boat rocked. I caught her, but she suddenly let go and fell in. My wrist hurts from her pulling on it.¡± Celeste rolled up her sleeve to show Liam the finger marks left from the pulling. Liam¡¯s face darkened as he looked at the marks. Sydney wanted to deny it, but Liam red at her, and she immediately didn¡¯t dare to speak. Sydney knew she couldn¡¯t use Celeste of pushing her now, as Liam would definitely not side with her, and might even think she was framing Celeste. The finger marks on her wrist were proof. Sydney was furious and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t let go on purpose, I was worried about pulling Ms. Campbell into the water too, so I let go. If that had happened, it would have been a huge mistake.¡± If Sydney¡¯s acting was this good all the time, she wouldn¡¯t have been criticized so much. If she hadn¡¯t spoken first, Sydney would have definitely cried and pushed the me onto her. By then, everyone would be using her, and she wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to defend herself. Although she did kick Sydney into the water, it was what she deserved. Sydney thought Liam would save her, but Liam couldn¡¯t even swim! Celeste suddenly paused. How could Sydney, who had known Liam for so many years, not know that he couldn¡¯t swim? She looked at Sydney suspiciously, her gaze falling on her abdomen. Pregnancy was Sydney¡¯s biggest bargaining chip, so why would she y this trick knowing she was pregnant? 15.15 Chapter 296 The same thing happened at the charity gst time, Kaylee pushed her, and she fell hard, butter she acted as if nothing had happened. Her ssmates were very careful during the first three months of their pregnancies, but Sydney didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Was there a problem? The drama ended just like that. People on the boat were still gossiping, and Celeste didn¡¯t want to stay there, so she went back to her room. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Celeste thought it was Liam, and she reluctantly went to open it. To her surprise, it was Mason standing there. ¡°Mr. Fletcher?¡± Mason held a bag, ¡°I got some ointment from the doctor.¡± He pointed to Celeste¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°If you apply this to your wrist, it¡¯ll help with the recovery.¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 ¡°My wrist wound will be fine even without applying medicine, you didn¡¯t have to go out of your way to bring me ointment.¡± Even so, Celeste still let Mason in. She moved the clothes on the sofa aside and asked Mason to sit down. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, would you like some water? Or lemonade?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Celeste then poured a ss of lemonade for him. Mason opened the bag, took out the ointment, and handed it to her. ¡°Put some on your wound first.¡± Celeste took it, thanked him with a smile, and then opened the ointment to gently apply it to her wrist. Mason looked around the room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± Celeste paused for a moment and chuckled, ¡°No idea.¡± Liam had gone out for some unknown reason, and she guessed he might have gone to find Sydney. She pulled up her sleeve, revealing a patch of skin on her arm that was a different color than the rest, somewhat darker and not as smooth. Mason stared at it for a while and asked, ¡°Is that a birthmark on your arm?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not a birthmark. It¡¯s a burn scar from before. My birthmark isn¡¯t on my arm.¡± After saying that, she suddenly remembered the burn scars on Mason¡¯s body and felt it was inappropriate to continue discussing this topic. Mason didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong, and continued to ask, ¡°How did you get burned?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°A few years ago, my mom and I were in a car ident. My mom was seriously injured and still hasn¡¯t regained consciousness in the hospital. I was only slightly injured, and this scar is from that time.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She spoke calmly, but even now, thinking back to the ident still gave her the chills. It was the start of the university semester, and thepany had arranged a driver to take her, but the driver couldn¡¯t make it at thest minute. Caitlyn happened to be going out, so she offered to drop her off at school. It was September, and there was a lot of rain, especially during the peak time for the start of school. The roads were crowded with cars. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the elevated highway and the ring road that the traffic began to improve. Caitlyn was on the phone the whole time she was driving. Celeste was wearing headphones, listening to music. When the car turned, a truck suddenly changednes. Caitlyn instinctively turned the steering wheel to the left, causing the car to veer into anotherne and collide head¨Con with a taxi. The car flipped over. Celeste was trapped in the seat, unable to move, while Caitlyn was thrown out of the car. After being taken to the hospital, Celeste was in aa for many days. Not long after she woke up, the police came to question her. The ident investigation showed that the brakes on their car had failed. This may have been caused by the heavy traffic that day, with Caitlyn frequently using the brakes. Additionally, investigators found anti¨Cdepressant medication in the car, leading them to believe that her mother may have been experiencing a bout of depression at the time. As a result, they suspected that she may have intentionally caused the ident. No matter how much Celeste tried to exin that her mother was fine at the time, everyone remained skeptical. Celeste wanted Shawn to help her find awyer to clear her mother¡¯s name. But Shawn thought that if they proved her mother wasn¡¯t experiencing an episode during the trial, then she would be considered fully capable, which would make the consequences much more severe. If it was a depressive episode, her ability to act would be limited. In that case, they could negotiate a civil settlement with the taxi driver, and the amount ofpensation wouldn¡¯t be as high. Only children care about justice, while adults care more about what is most beneficial for them. The ident resulted in two deaths and one injury, and they ultimately paid just over a million US dors inpensation. It was the first time Celeste felt that Shawn was cold¨Chearted and ruthless. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Mason asked after she finished talking, ¡°Our first meeting was at the hospital, right? Were you there to visit your mom?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°How¡¯s your mom now?¡± Celeste shook her head, her eyes dimmed, ¡°She¡¯s still the same as before, barely clinging to life, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll ever wake up.¡± Masonforted her gently, ¡°Your mom has hung on for so many years, miracle will happen sooner or later.¡± Celeste cracked a small smile, ¡°I think so too. Lately, she¡¯s been showing some signs of improvement, and the doctors say it¡¯s a good sign.¡± Mason¡¯s eyes softened, ¡°When I was abroad for treatment, I met some prestigious doctors. If you need help, I can put you in touch with them.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll contact you if necessary.¡± Celeste paused and then asked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, any updates on thewsuit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve drafted thewyer¡¯s letter. Would you like to take a look?¡± Celeste nodded.. Mason sent the letter to Celeste¡¯s phone. The content of the letter was quite formic, not much different from what Celeste had seen online before. The main point was to warn those rumor¨Cmongering ounts to delete the false information and stop the infringement. ¡°By the way,¡± Mason suddenly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention before that you¡¯ve seen a psychologist?¡± Celeste nodded, having mentioned it briefly when she and Mason were looking for evidence, but she didn¡¯t go into detail. ¡°Last year, there was a period these people somehow got hold of my email and sent me a lot of disturbing stuff. I wasn¡¯t in a good mental state at the time, but my friend noticed and took me to see a psychologist.¡± The doctor said she had moderate depression, and she was indeed in poor mental state, often waking up from nightmares. The curses she had seen haunted her dreams, tormenting her over and over again. Sometimes, when she went out during the day and someone stared at her, she would be paranoid, thinking they were gossiping about her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. If it weren¡¯t for Trisha noticing something was off and intervening, she might have developed full¨Cblown depression, as the doctor had suggested. Mason frowned and asked, ¡°Does Liam not know about this?¡± Celeste paused and scoffed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have time to bother with my problems.¡± During that time, Shawn leveraged the Reed family¡¯s background to take on a big business deal. The order was toorge for his production line to handle, so he outsourced some of it to a subcontractor. The subcontractor¡¯s prices were lower because they used different materials and had a different production line quality. Shawn knew this but took a gamble, thinking the products looked simr on the surface and that the low¨Cquality items only made up a third of the total order, so they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. However, the reality was much worse than he imagined. After the order was delivered, problems quickly arose. Many users were injured while using the products, leading towsuits against the partneringpany. When they discovered it was a product quality issue, they immediately demanded a refund and compensation from Shawn. Of course, Shawn didn¡¯t want to refund orpensate, as he had made quite a bit of money from the order. Not only would he have to pay, but the news of the product¨Ccaused injuries would also severely damage the Campbell family¡¯s reputation. So, he stubbornly denied any wrongdoing and even hired expensivewyers to fight the case. Thepany involved had a close rtionship with the Reed family, and they had chosen to work with Shawn because of the close ties between the Campbell and Reed families. The Reed family had always prioritized quality, so they didn¡¯t expect such a disastrous oue. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 This incident brought shame to the family, and thepany reported it to Quantum Enterprises. At the time, Liam was in the midst of a fierce battle with Clyde at Quantum, and this scandal broke out. Clyde immediately seized the opportunity to use Liam of using his power for personal gain, crushing Liam¡¯s momentum. Liam was furious and investigated the matter. When the truth came out, he found out that she was involved, leading to a huge argument between them. Liam med her unfairly! She had no idea Shawn was using her name to negotiate with others. That day, Shawn called her and invited her to dinner, after which they would visit Caitlyn in the hospital. Shawn hadn¡¯t been to the hospital for a while. The doctor said having familiar people chat with her would help her recovery. So, Shawn quickly persuaded her with that excuse. However, when she arrived, she found that it wasn¡¯t just the two of them. There were other people at the dinner table, and Shawn kept bringing up the Reed family when introducing himself. She felt ufortable, so she left after a short while. She had no idea that her brief appearance had facilitated Shawn¡¯s business deal. It was because of that incident that Liam missed a great opportunity to suppress Clyde. He was extremely annoyed and didn¡¯t even want to hear her exnation. In any case, the problem was rted to her. He was too busy with thepany to care about her. And since they had previously fought over their child, Liam simply moved out of the master bedroom and slept in the study. During her most painful times, she couldn¡¯t sleep all night and took eight sleeping pills to fall asleep. She slept for two whole days, and when she woke up and saw Liam, his words made her swallow all her grievances. He said, ¡°how do you still have the mood to sleep?¡± She had wanted to tell Liam about her ordeal, but his words stifled her desire to confide. Even if Liam knew, he wouldn¡¯t sympathize with her. After all, in his eyes, she had always been a delicate person, afraid of pain, darkness, and loneliness. Mason sighed and said, ¡°You should have told him. Liam can be very careless when ites to emotions.¡± Celeste smirked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, have you ever been in love? There¡¯s a big difference between him caring about me on his own and me asking for This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. his attention.¡± Mason fell silent for a moment, not continuing the topic, ¡°Do you still have the medical records from when you saw the psychologist before?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve kept it all along.¡± ¡°Remember to send it to me. I¡¯ll need itter. I¡¯ll release thewyer¡¯s letter at the right time. For now, I¡¯m guiding public opinion online. Once I gather more evidence, I¡¯ll take it to court. Then, they¡¯ll be served with a subpoena.¡± Mason probably wants to use the depression issue to guide public opinion. Of course, Celeste wouldn¡¯t object. These people deserve the punishment, and it¡¯s about time they taste the consequences. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°You should get some rest. I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 When Liam got back, Celeste was already in bed, with only a warm yellow light left on in the room. He took off his coat and threw it on the couch, then sat down on the bed. Even with her back to him, Celeste could feel Liam¡¯s gaze. She frowned, feeling quite annoyed. The faint scent of perfume on Liam was exactly the same one Sydney wore. Having just chatted with Mason and been reminded of some unpleasant past, she was already irritated. Smelling the scent on Liam made her even more so. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been when Liam lifted the covers, grabbed her wrist, and just as she was about to struggle, she felt that he applied a cool liquid to her wrist. Celeste paused for a moment, then pulled her hand back. It seemed Liam already knew she wasn¡¯t asleep. Seeing her pull back her hand, he said casually, ¡®I thought you will keep pretending to sleep.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°I wasn¡¯t pretending to sleep! How could I sleep well with you touching me like that?¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I was applying medicine!¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°By the time your medicine arrives, my wounds would have already healed.¡± Liam¡­ Liam then noticed the medicine oil on the bedside table, identical to the one in his hands. He frowned, ¡°Did you go see a doctor?¡± ¡°No,¡± Celeste wrapped herself tighter in the nket, ¡°Mr. Fletcher brought it over.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Why did hee over to give you medicine?¡± Thatment made Celesteugh in anger, ¡°Weren¡¯t you visiting Ms. Denton? So, you can care about others, but I can¡¯t have people caring for me?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You¡¯re the one who pushed her into the water, and you¡¯re arguing with me?¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°Did Sydney tell you I pushed her?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer. Sydney didn¡¯t say it herself, but at the time, not only did Mrs. Kelley see it, but several other people on the ship saw Celeste kick Sydney. Seeing him not answering, Celeste said coldly, ¡°I see, Mr. Reed came back to avenge Ms. Denton. Yes, I pushed her into the water. No, to be more precise, I kicked her.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°No reason, I just hate her. Is that enough?¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that?¡± Liam was annoyed, ¡°If someone had exposed you on the ship just now, you¡¯d be facing legal trouble!¡± Celeste scoffed, ¡°Are you trying to say you went to see Sydney to make her not press charges? Should I be grateful and thank you?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Celeste!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me, I don¡¯t need you to take care of my business, and I don¡¯t need you to take care of me. If she¡¯s got what it takes, let her sue me, I¡¯m not afraid of her!¡± Liam was so angry, he gritted his teeth, ¡°I really should just leave you alone!¡± Why did he even bother getting someone to hack the surveince? He was still concerned about her injuries and even got her medicine. Yet, she didn¡¯t appreciate it at all and only knew how to provoke him. Celeste wrapped herself in the nket, ¡°Who asked you to care about me? If you want to help Sydney, just throw me into the water. If you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t disturb my sleep.¡± After saying that, she put on her eye mask and ignored Liam. Liam mmed the door and left. Celeste didn¡¯t care where he went to sleep, she wouldn¡¯t care even if he went to sleep with Sydney. Celeste thought that since she had been sleeping all day, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night. But not long after Liam left, she fell asleep. Liam really was bad luck. With him around, even the quality of her sleep got worse. However, this peace onlysted for two hours. A storm suddenly struck in the middle of the night. 15:16 Chapter 300 Thunder rumbled outside, and the waves rocked the cruise ship. Celeste was shaken awake. The items in the room were scattered all over the ce as the ship rocked. Everything on the table had fallen to the floor. An announcement came over the speakers, reminding everyone to close their doors and windows, put on life jackets, and fasten their seat belts on the safety chairs. Worried about Grandpa David, Celeste put on a coat and prepared to go out. But before she reached the door, there was a sudden power outage, and the room was plunged into darkness. She could only use her phone for light. Suddenly, the ship lurched violently, and she slipped, her knee hitting the table. The pain made her let go of her phone, which fell to the floor and turned off. The room was instantly plunged into darkness again. Unable to find the safety chair, Celeste was tossed about like a floating weed with the rocking of the ship. She didn¡¯t know how many times she had been hit, and when she finally fell, she managed to grab the leg of the safety chair. She knelt down, holding onto the chair leg for dear life. Rainwater on the ss was constantly pped by the wind, making a loud noise, and asionally, there was a sound like some creature¡¯s roar. In the dark room, these sounds were incredibly terrifying. Celeste¡¯s palms began to sweat, and her face turned pale. Just then, the cabin door was pushed open, and a sh of lightning streaked across the night sky. Celeste looked up and saw the silhouette of someone at the door. Her tears flowed, and she whispered, ¡°Liam¡­¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Lashone the Pashlight into the room, and immediately saw Celeste sitting awkwardly on the floor, her face red and calling out to him. He felt nervous closed the cabin door, strode over to Celeste, grabbed her hand, and tried to pull her to the safety seat. Put Celeste font sat there, not moving He got a imle angry and said ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you¡± Celeste said pitifully. ¡°My leg hurts, can¡¯t move Liam shone the shlight on Celeste¡¯s leg, which was covered with bruises from the impact. No wonder she didn¡¯t simply get on the safety seat. She was in too much pain to stand ¡°Here¡± Liam handed her the shlight Celeste lost her fight and obediently took the shlight Liam wanted to tease her, but seeing her miserable look, he swallowed his words. He squatted down and picked her up. Celeste had just clung to his neck when she suddenly froze. Liam¡¯s back waspletely soaked. In her daze, Liam had put her in the safety seat and fastened the seatbelt for her. Right after he had finished, the boat shook violently again, throwing Liam out. Celeste only heard a muffled thump followed by Liam¡¯s grunt. Worned, she called out, ¡°Liam!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Liam gasped, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just be good and stay put. Don¡¯t cause me any trouble.¡± Celeste shone the shlight and saw Liam thrown against the foot of the bed. His position was a bit awkward, but he seemed fine. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Get to a chair quickly,¡± she said anxiously. Liam was just about to get up when the boat started shaking again. He hurriedly grabbed the bed¡¯s handrail to avoid being thrown again. With the boat shaking non¨Cstop, they both felt dizzy. Celeste, sitting in a safety seat, was disoriented, let alone Liam. He couldn¡¯t even stand up to cover the short distance. In the end, he grabbed a bed sheet and tied himself to the handrail to keep from flying around the boat. The rain outside became heavier, the wind stronger, and the rain pelted the window diagonally, creating a constant rattling noise. But Celeste felt less scared with someone else in the room. She couldn¡¯t help but feel touched when she thought of Liaming back under those circumstances. She asked quietly, ¡°Why did youe back?¡± ¡°This is my room. Do I need your permission toe back?¡± Liam red at her impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t shine the shlight on my face.¡± He didn¡¯t say a single nice thing. Annoyed, she pointed the shlight in another direction and stopped talking. She was too quiet, so Liam couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Seizing her opportunity, Celeste retorted, ¡°Do I dare speak without your permission in your room?¡± He felt both annoyed and amused, and finally said, ¡°You never let yourself be at a loss. You asked me why I¡¯m back now? If I hadn¡¯te back, you would¡¯ve been knocked on the head and turn stupid. I don¡¯t want to take a fool home after spending so much money.¡± After a thought, he added, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re dumb enough without being hit. Any normal person would¡¯ve stayed in the safety seat.¡± She clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I just wanted to see how Grandpa David was doing. Who knew the boat would shake so violently all of a sudden?* ¡°Grandpa David is much more aware than you. The moment it happened, he put on his life jacket and sat in the safety seat.¡± 1/1 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 ¡°How do you know?¡± Liam said casually, ¡°I just came from there.¡± Celeste looked surprised, ¡°You went to Grandpa David¡¯s?¡± Judging by her tone, it seemed odd to her. Liam frowned, ¡°Where else could I go?¡± Celeste pouted, thinking that with his personality, he should¡¯ve gone to check on his sweetheart first, right? Speaking of which, she nced at Liam and said, ¡°It¡¯s pouring rain. I wonder how Ms. Denton is doing?¡± Liam looked at her strangely and said lightly, ¡°I doubt anyone is as dumb as you,¡± It turned out Liam didn¡¯t go see Sydney. She was getting more and more confused. Liam¡¯s attitude towards Sydney was increasingly baffling. Just kicking her into the water today might¡¯ve been worse than Sydney getting hurt at the charity event. Yet,st time he carried her away, and this time seemedpletely indifferent. Shouldn¡¯t people spoil their loved ones even more? Then why does Sydney always look so cautious around Liam? Sydney wouldn¡¯t even dare to point at his nose and scold him like Celeste did. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Liam¡¯s phone rang. He pulled out one hand and answered the call. On the other end was Nics, apanied by the sound of the storm, ¡°Liam, are you and Celeste alright?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m with Mason. He came to give me a life jacket. Do you two have enough life jackets? When Mason came to deliver the medicine, he didn¡¯t notice if there were life jackets in the room. If you don¡¯t have any, I have extras here. I can bring them to you.¡± Liam frowned and said, ¡°No need. We have it.¡± ¡°Alright, contact me if anything happens.¡± After hanging up, Celeste asked, ¡°How are Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Francis doing?¡± Liam paused and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned about your own husband? Was my $1 billion easy to get?¡± Celeste nced at him, mumbling, ¡°You look like you¡¯re just fine.¡± Liam red at her again. Celeste closed her mouth, then, after a while, said, ¡°Hubby, can I talk to you about something?¡± As soon as Liam heard her call him hubby, he knew nothing good wasing. But he was still curious about what Celeste wanted to say, so he said, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Actually, after we divorce, can the house we¡¯re living in now be mine?¡± Liam¡¯s face changed instantly. However, since the shlight¡¯s light was dim, Celeste didn¡¯t notice. She went on, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve gotten really used to this house. Plus, I¡¯ve nted so many nts in the yard and upstairs. It¡¯d be such a pain to move. I¡¯ve thought about it, and I guess I might as well not move. After we get a divorce, you can move out, and the value of this house can be deducted from my 1 billion, okay? Anyway, you¡¯re always on business trips, and you don¡¯t stay there much when you come back. And it¡¯d be so boring to live in such a huge vi all by yourself. Your grandma always asks you to stay with her, right? Once we get a divorce, you can move back to the mansion, and this way you can spend more time with her. It¡¯d be great.¡± ¨C Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 1 checked the house contract before, you bought it for over 40 million, and it should be worth like 60 million now after these years, right? Plus the renovation and stuff, that¡¯s like another 3 million, right? So, when the timees, you can just transfer this house to me. You can take out 70 million from the 1 billion I receive, and the extra is for our marriage all these years, I definitely won¡¯t take advantage of you.¡± Liam could hardly hold back hisughter. This women, she always gave him unexpected ¡°surprises¡°. They weren¡¯t even divorced yet, she¡¯s already nning to kick him out! 70 million, she really dares to ask for it! The house did cost him over 40 million when he bought it, but that was eight years ago. The property market around this area has skyrocketed over the years. The value of this house alone is now 130 million. She just directly cut the price in half and still acted like she¡¯s at a disadvantage. Celeste did some mental calctions. On one hand, she is used to living here and loves theyout. After they got married, she had the house renovated ording to her preferences. Liam was too busy with work to care, so he let her handle the renovations. So, the whole house now has the style she likes. She had been looking at houses for a while, and nothing caught her eyes so far. Either there¡¯s a bad layout, bad natural light, or terrible location. Nothing beats their current home. The key thing is, it¡¯s not too far from Mercy Hospital, a 20¨Cminute drive, which is her second reason. The first floor has a sunroom, and the second floor has a gym, which is perfect for elderly living. Once Caitlyn¡¯s health improves, she¡¯ll turn the gym into a rehab room. It would be perfect for her recovery training. Liam had many properties, and one more or less won¡¯t matter. So, she had been thinking about how to bring this up with Liarn all this time. Finally, seeing Liam not responding, she tentatively asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Not much!¡± Liam grinded his teeth and said, ¡°Celeste, at what point did I give you the impression I¡¯m easy to fool like some idiot? 70 million? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Celeste got choked up and said, ¡°We can negotiate on the price.¡± ¡°The answer is no!¡± Liam snaped, ¡°This house is for living after our marriage. You want it, either be Sienna for life or inherit it after I die. There¡¯s no third option.¡± She was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Have you made a will? ¡®Cause if you haven¡¯t, it¡¯s not guaranteed to be mine¡­ Liam was beyond mad, saying, ¡°You really want me dead, huh?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the boat shook violently again. Liam didn¡¯t catch the handrails, fell backward, and hit his head on the floor, scaring Celeste. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Liamis face twisted in pain, and her words made him even angrier. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t get your hopes up!¡± Celeste also felt her previous words were a bit exaggerating, and said softly, ¡°It was just a casual question, no need to be angry.¡± ¡®Til pull you over, I don¡¯t know how long the boat¡¯s gonna shake like that, and you¡¯re in danger there.¡± Still angry, Liam coldly replied, ¡°Leave me alone!¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Celeste couldn¡¯t help but chuckle because Liam¡¯s tone was just like an angry little kid. Of course, she dared not say it out loud, cuz if she did, Liam would probably get even angrier. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She whispered soothingly, ¡°Mr. Reed, my bad. Don¡¯t be mad at me, I still need you to make money and support me, ya know? How could I bear to let you die? I¡¯d feel terrible just seeing you get a bruise. How ¡®bout I pull you over here? You can be mad at me once you¡¯re safe in the chair, deal?¡± Her apology had no sincerity, and Liam knew it, but he was still confused by her sweet talk. ¡°Mr. Reed, hand me the bedsheet, and I¡¯ll pull you over.¡± Liam nced at her skinny body, ¡°You sure you can handle that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, I¡¯m strong!¡± Liam stared at her slender and pale legs, thinking, yeah, you do have some strength in those legs. He untied the bedsheet from the bedpost and threw it to Celeste, ¡°Tie this end to the safety chair.¡± Celeste did as she was told. Liam tugged to make sure it was strong enough, then started pulling himself towards Celeste with the bedsheet. At first, progress was smooth, but just as Liam was about to reach the safety chair, the boat rocked violently again. He half¨Cknelt on the floor, tightly holding onto the bedsheet to stabilize himself. Celeste quickly reached out, ¡°Hold onto me.¡± Liam reached out his hand but couldn¡¯t quite reach Celeste. No matter how hard they tried, there was always a little distance, and the boat kept rocking, Liam couldn¡¯t steady himself. In desperation, Celeste unbuckled her seat belt,shed out and grabbed Liam¡¯s hand. But before she could feel too pleased, the waves seemed to deliberately oppose them, once again sending them off¨Cbnce. Celeste stumbled from the safety chair and fell straight into Liam¡¯s arms. Liam was knocked down, instinctively hugging her waist. They rolled a few times and were once again thrown to the foot of the bed. Liam¡¯s painful groan came from behind her, and Celeste guiltily asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, are you okay?¡± Gritting his teeth, Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you unbuckle your seat belt?¡± ¡°I was trying to help you, who knew the waves woulde so fast?¡± The scolding that had reached Liam¡¯s lips suddenly couldn¡¯te out. Celeste thought he was still angry, so she whispered, ¡°The more mass we have together, the greater the friction, so we won¡¯t be flung off so easily.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°How did you get into college?¡± What does it have to do with friction? ¡°I was admitted because of my good looks.¡± ¡°Do you think since your face is pretty, it¡¯s okay for your brain to grow anything?¡± ¡°Well, one thing¡¯s enough. If everything were perfect, how could others live?¡± She was pretty good at making excuses for herself. After being messed around by Celeste, he didn¡¯t feel like arguing anymore. Celeste nestled in Liam¡¯s arms, listening to his steady heartbeat. They had been married for so many years, and it seemed like this was the first time they had been this close. Odd, yet not so odd. ¡°Mr. Reed¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The man¡¯s voice was still cold, but he didn¡¯t seem impatient. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Celeste whispered, ¡°If the boat rocks again, you can use me to protect you. I¡¯m not just here to cause you trouble.¡± Liam paused for a moment and hugged her tightly, ¡°Others¡® husbands respect and take care of their wives. But I always me my wife when something goes wrong, and now she even has to protect me. What the hell kind of husband am I?¡± Liam, this man, he still remembers all their arguments from the past. ¡°Mr. Reed¡­¡± ¡°Enough, if you¡¯re tired, just sleep.¡± Celeste closed her mouth. The boat was still rocking, and Liam¡¯s hot body temperature wasforting. In the midst of the turmoil, she quietly closed her eyes. The storm didn¡¯t stop untilte into the night. When Celeste woke up, she was already lying in bed. She stirred, and found Liam¡¯s hand still on her waist, both of them wrapped up in the bedsheet. Presumably, Liam tied them up while she was asleep, so they wouldn¡¯t be thrown off and hit something while sleeping. She didn¡¯t wake Liam, but untied the bedsheet, got washed up, and left the room. The deck was a total mess, with lots of fish, shrimp, and crabs washed aboard by the waves. The crew was busy cleaning up. Celeste knocked on Grandpa David¡¯s door, but only Owen was inside packing. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa David?¡± Owen replied, ¡°he went to the deck to collect fish and shrimp. He wants to make seafood soup when we get back.¡± Is Grandpa David really almost 90 years old? He is more spirited than her. She looked around the deck, and finally found Grandpa David in a corner, with Mason standing next to him. Both were hunched over, discussing something. Celeste came closer to find a sea turtleying between them. Grandpa David stroked his chin, ¡°ording to my many years of experience, this is most likely a female.¡± Mason flipped through his phone, replying, ¡°Its shell is longer, and there¡¯s a V¨Cshaped notch in the carapace at the rear. Scientifically speaking, it should be male.¡± ¡°No way! How could a male be so small?¡± Mason suggested, ¡°Could it be that it¡¯s not yet an adult?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big and still not an adult?¡± ¡°Green turtles don¡¯t reach adulthood until they¡¯re 20 years old, at which point they grow to about 80-150 centimeters long. This one is only about 40 centimeters long, it¡¯s still a child.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Celeste couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°Grandpa David, how¡¯d you get over here?¡± The old man¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Celeste, ¡°Letti,e take a look. There¡¯s a huge sea turtle here. Can we take it home for soup?¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Grandpa David, we can¡¯t eat this turtle. We have to obey thew.¡± Grandpa David frowned, ¡°But we found it, can¡¯t we just keep it?¡± ¡°Not even if it¡¯s dead.¡± Celeste called a crew member to quickly release the turtle, lest Grandpa David remained stubborn. ¡°Celeste, is this your Grandpa David?¡± Mason asked after observing them for some time. Celeste immediately introduced the two to each other. Mason is quite the chatterbox. He just spent ages discussing the gender of a turtle with Grandpa David, and they really hit it off. After chatting for a while, Grandpa suddenly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Young Reed?¡± ¡°Still in bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thiste and he¡¯s still not up?¡± ¡°He went to bed prettytest night.¡± Celeste was too embarrassed to mention what happened between them, mainly because she felt it was a bit shameful. ¡°Go get cleaned up, and call him for breakfast.¡± After saying goodbye to Mason, Celeste helped David walk back. ¡°Mason is more polite than Young Reed.¡± David suddenly said. Celeste didn¡¯t respond. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 ¡°He¡¯s definitely better looking than Young Reed.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you choose Mason in the first ce?¡± What the hell is this old man thinking? ¡°Mr. Fletcher is Liam¡¯s friend. Don¡¯t talk nonsense here, it¡¯ll cause misunderstandings.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡± David said leisurely, ¡°Young Reed is not bad either. He yed chess with me till midnight yesterday. When he heard the storm outside, he immediately went back. Pretty reliable.¡± Reliable¡­ what kind ofment is that? By the time they returned, Liam had already packed up ande out. There were still a few hours before the ship reached the shore, everyone began to enjoy the remaining time of this journey. Sydney performed enthusiastically in the restaurant. To be honest, although Sydney¡¯s acting skills are average, her singing is quite good, after all, she had released an album before. But every now and then while she sang, she¡¯d nce at Liam, which was super annoying. Liam was busy dealing with emails and had no time to pay attention to her flirty nces. Celeste peeled an orange and put it to Liam¡¯s mouth. Liam nced at her. Celeste¡¯s eyes curved in a smile, ¡°Magic medicine.¡± With that, she shoved the orange into Liam¡¯s mouth, ¡°it¡¯s sweet, right?¡± Liam frowned. It wasn¡¯t sweet at all, very sour. But in the end, he didn¡¯t spit it out. Seeing the ¡°intimate¡± behavior between them, Sydney¡¯s expression darkened and she clenched her fingers. While Celeste looked happy, a server came and brought a dessert. ¡°Did we order these?¡± Celeste asked, puzzled. The man said something in foreignnguage, which Celeste didn¡¯t understand at all. But Liam did, and his face turned very ugly. The man finished speaking and finally said with a stiff English, ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± After he left, Celeste asked, ¡°What did he say?¡± Liam looked at her coldly and said after a while, ¡°Did you enjoy the pasta Mason made?¡± Celeste almost said ¡°yes,¡± but quickly changed her answer, ¡°What pasta?¡± Liam¡¯s expression became even colder. Realizing her mistake, Celeste hurriedly exined: ¡°It was okay, but not particrly good. It wasn¡¯t as good as the food you saved for me.¡± Liam put away the tablet, his face cold, and walked straight out. Celeste couldn¡¯t stay there anymore, she quickly went after him and said, ¡°I¡¯m serious, it really wasn¡¯t that good. I was just too hungry at that time.¡± ¡°I wanted to tell you. But since you saved so much delicious food for me, I didn¡¯t have the heart to say I had already eaten.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, I didn¡¯t lie to you, I-¡± Before she could finish, Liam suddenly turned around and hugged her waist, kissing her lips. She looked up at him in shock. Liam¡¯s eyes were half¨Cclosed, and he sucked her lips intensely. Even during their intimate moments, kisses had never been this direct. Celeste¡¯s face turned red in an instant and she pushed him away. As she was about to speak, she saw Mason not far away. Her face froze, and she felt extremely embarrassed. Liam gently stroked her lips with his thumb and said in a low voice, ¡°Next time you won¡¯t get off this easy.¡± Feeling extremely awkward, Celeste muttered an excuse and left. Back in the cabin, Celeste received a message from Trisha. ¡°That Sydney is really no good.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t understand, so she asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It turns out yesterday a media outlet reported that they didn¡¯t see Sydney in the ¡®Phoenix Fire¡® crew, suggesting she might not be in the show. Today her studio released a disgusting statement. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 The main point of that statement is basically telling everyone to just go by official info. Don¡¯t go making wild guesses based on unofficial stuff to avoid being taken advantage of by people with ulterior motives. ¡°To avoid being taken advantage of by people with ulterior motives¡± is pretty loaded, right? As for Sydney being in the uing ¡°Phoenix Fire,¡± that rumor was already swirling around a few months ago. Even though the show hasn¡¯t started filming yet, Sydney has already made it onto the trending list several times, just based on her association with ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°. Thanks to Zach¡¯s reputation and Sydney¡¯s poprity, every time they make the trending list, it¡¯s always a hot topic for discussion. But at the time, Sydney didn¡¯t give a damn. Then, when the show started shooting, she wasn¡¯t a part of it and suddenly put out this statement. Her fans naturally felt that they¡¯d been yed by the show¡¯s producers, who just wanted to ride on their idol¡¯s poprity. So when this statement was released, Sydney¡¯s fans were all up in arms, flooding the ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± official ount with angryments. Luckily, Zach had the foresight not to publicly reveal the cast, or else nobody¡¯s ount would be safe from the onught. Sydney¡¯s all about poprity, so she¡¯s really great at ying this game. Her fans are being used without even realizing it and keepforting and encouraging her on her ount.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Trisha spoke up in the group chat, ¡°The show started shooting and made the trending list before. Why didn¡¯t she say she wasn¡¯t involved then, and why mention it just now?¡± Celeste also thought it was pretty weird. Why would she release such a statement out of nowhere? Wasn¡¯t she just asking for trouble? Zach hates it when celebrities try to create buzz like this. Sydney is stirring up a storm ¨C does she still want to be in any of Zach¡¯s shows in the future? Jta chimed in, ¡°Maybe she has a new drama to announce? She¡¯s trying to create hype, right?¡± At first, everyone thought Jta might be overthinking it, but by the afternoon, the media was already saying that Sydney was going to be in a show called ¡°Peaceful Land.¡± ¡°Peaceful Land¡± is a mystery crime drama adapted from a popr novel with a huge readership. Of course, the buzz around it isn¡¯t only from the gripping plot, but due to the author being used of giarism, which drew widespread attention. Celeste doesn¡¯t really read novels much, but got in touch with this one when working on a radio drama. She talked to Kendrick a lot during that time and asked him to help her to check out the script. But as soon as he saw it was this one, he told her to turn it down straight away. She learned about the controversy from Kendrick. Curious, she looked through a couple of the other books that were said to be giarized. She found some simrities in the cases and especially the main characters, which were nearly identical to another book. One or two simrities can be written off as coincidence. But when it keeps happening, you can¡¯t call it a coincidence anymore. The definition of giarism wasplicated, and it was difficult to legally define this book as giarism. This was why it¡¯s still popr. The author was even more arrogant, denying giarism and even suing some readers for damaging his reputation. Up until now, this author was still active in the field. The affair hadn¡¯t had any negative impact but actually helped skyrocket their fame, selling their novel rights like hot cakes. Rumor had it that the copyrights are now worth more than 20 million. Adapted dramas with huge controversies like ¡°Peaceful Land¡± popped up in the entertainment industry all the time. Somepanies even specialized in buying copyrights of these controversial books. From the start of production, they used giarism as a hot topic to stay in the news. Throughout the broadcast of these shows, some viewers would use them of giarism, while loyal fans would defend them. Unsurprisingly, the viewership numbers for these shows were amazing. Some actors even won awards, which was just mind¨Cblowing. Sydney must knew about the controversy around ¡°Peaceful Land.¡± Maybe she wanted to take a gamble and try her luck with drama too? ¡°Letti, Sydney¡¯s new show might air at the same time as ¡®Phoenix Fire¡® you¡¯re in. I bet she¡¯s doing this on purpose,¡± Trisha spected, clearly knowing some insider info. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll just have to tough it out. I believe in Zach¡¯s directing abilities.¡± ¡°I believe in him too, but airing against such a popr show, our ratings might take a hit. Why is Sydney so hell¨Cbent on clinging to you?¡± Celeste paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you know when ¡®Peaceful Land¡® starts shooting?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s next week, but I¡¯ll try to get more details,¡± Trisha hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ Maybe I should send her a gift for the start of filming.¡± Trisha frowned and said, ¡°Are you just itching to waste your money or what?¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Agent Palmer was really worried about Sydney signing up for the drama ¡°Peaceful Land¡°. Last night, after Sydney fell into the water, Liam swung by and gave her a script on the way. The script wasn¡¯t for ¡°Peaceful Land¡°, but a drama called ¡°Tea Tycoon¡°. The script was just as good as Zach¡¯s ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°. The female lead¡¯s role was even more appealing than in ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°. A growing female character that resonates more easily with the audience. But Sydney turned it down. She thought the production team of ¡°Tea Tycoon¡± came from a small company. The director used to shoot art films, with many awards but not ideal box office numbers. Sydney wanted to shoot ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± because Zach¡¯s drama has both public attention and quality assurances. ¡°Tea Tycoon¡± didn¡¯t have much of a background and focused on winning awards. It¡¯s not her top choice for her transformational n as an This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. actress. Additionally, ¡°Tea Tycoon¡± started filming at the end of the year. Her contract with Gxy Games was about to expire, and she currently had no works waiting to be aired. If she decided to shoot ¡°Tea Tycoon¡°, it¡¯ll create a gap in her screen work. Not being able to maintain a certain exposure was really bad news for an actor who relied heavily on poprity. She couldn¡¯t risk having such a long gap. However, ¡°Peaceful Land¡± was different. Its team lineup isparable to ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°, and the work itself is guaranteed to get attention. They start filming this month, wrap up in three months, and it¡¯ll premiere by the end of the year. The pay is more than three times that of ¡°Tea Tycoon¡°. Most importantly, ¡°Tea Tycoon¡± had the same schedule as ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°. It¡¯s the perfect time for a showdown, and she¡¯s very confident in her primetime ratings. Since Zach dared to reject her, she won¡¯t let ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± air too smoothly. So she didn¡¯t hesitate in turning down ¡°Tea Tycoon¡± and chose ¡°Peaceful Land¡± instead. Palmer was so mad when he found out. Sydney knew ¡°Peaceful Land¡± was very controversial, yet she still chose to participate, totally disregarding her own image. But now he¡¯s also helpless. The only thing he can do is to point the giarism issue to the author himself, trying to get Sydney off the hook. Soon after the cast of ¡°Peaceful Land¡± was announced, it quickly climbed up the trending. As Sydney¡¯s fans were celebrating, awyer¡¯s letter suddenly appeared. The client behind the letter was Celestial Haze, the voice actor who had disappeared recently. The letter stated that the client had suffered from inte violence for a long time, leading to depression. Attached to the letter were medical records, and it demanded an apology from several alleged perpetrators. Soon after, some media discovered that the used ounts all belonged to Sydney¡¯s fans. However, these ount holders quickly denied being Sydney¡¯s fans, deleted their previousments, and closed their ounts. Nevertheless, Sydney¡¯s ount was still bombarded with criticisms. Contrary to Sydney¡¯s desperate situation, Celeste seemed to be quite rxed. Originally, thewyer¡¯s letter was just a warning shot. The ounts they released had nothing to do with the actual nner, but their organized behavior indicated that they were indeed coordinated. Whether or not Sydney was involved, encouraging fans was her fault, so she wasn¡¯t innocent. This unexpected gift should be enough to keep her in check for a while. Quantum Enterprises. After everyone in the R&D department left Liam¡¯s office, Owen entered. ¡°Mr. Reed, there¡¯s something I think you should see.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Liam didn¡¯t look up, thinking it was work¨Crted. Owen said, ¡°You asked me to retrieve the surveince footage from the cruise ship the other day. I was going to delete it, but I just took a curious look.¡± Owen paused and whispered, ¡°That day, Ms. Denton seemed to be trying to drag your wife into the water with her. Your wife couldn¡¯t break free, so she kicked her off.¡± Liam¡¯s movements halted, and he took the phone from Owen. Although the video was a bit blurry, their actions at the time were clearly visible. It¡¯s more urate to say that Celeste kicked Sydney off out of self¨Cdefence than intentionally. She had no choice but to kick Sydney away; otherwise, it might not have been just Sydney who fell that day. There¡¯s one more thing¡± Owen hesitated, but decided he had to report it, ¡°On the night you and your wife attended Mr. Rowley¡¯s party, Ms. Denton¡¯s assistant contacted me saying she was injured and asked that youe to see her. But you were arguing with your wife, so I didn¡¯t bring it up. I was worried in case Ms. Denton really needed help, so I sent someone to check on her secretly. It turned out that Ms. Denton wasn¡¯t injured after all¡® In other words, Sydney had lied more than once, and every time she could get resources from Liam through her fake injuries. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Liam pursed his lips and after a long time, he finally said, ¡°I misunderstood her.¡± Owen said, ¡°Mrs. doesn¡¯t hold grudges. Just apologize nicely, sweet¨Ctalk her a bit, and she¡¯ll definitely forgive you.¡± No grudge? The teeth marks she left on his arm from biting him when he took her nketst night haven¡¯t faded yet. There¡¯s no woman more vindictive than her in the world. Liam handed his phone back to Owen. ¡°Have someone keep an eye on Sydney. Don¡¯t let her get hurt or cause trouble before the agreed time. If she breaks the agreement again, I¡¯ll take back everything I¡¯ve given her the way I gave it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Just as Owen left, Celeste sent a message, ¡°Grandpa David is asking if you¡¯reing back for dinner tonight.¡± Liam nced at the unfinished work next to him, closed the file and replied, ¡°OK.¡± When Liam returned, Old Mr. David was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. ¡°Young Reed, you¡¯re back?¡± He squinted and grinned; his facial wrinkles squeezed together, looking kind and funny. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Liam gave an affirmative response, nced at the untouched food on the table, and exined, ¡°There was some traffic.¡± ¡°Getting stuck in traffic is normal. We¡¯ve been waiting all day for you toe back for dinner. You better go wash your hands now.¡± Not only was Liam puzzled, but so was Celeste. When she got back from work today, she found David busy in the kitchen. She offered to help but was driven out. David insisted on calling Liam back for dinner, and wouldn¡¯t let her touch the food till he arrived. She witnessed how much the old man looked down on Liam during his stay. Tonight he was so weird. After Liam washed his hands, David immediately told him to take a seat and personallydled a bowl of soup for him. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± As Celeste casually reached for her bowl to scoop some soup, David pped her hand away. ¡°This is not for you.¡± Sheined, ¡°I helped, but I¡¯m not worthy of trying the soup?¡± David said, ¡°There¡¯s other soup. You can have that. This one is specially made for Young Reed.¡± Liam was a bit surprised, but seeing the jealous look on Celeste¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Hurry and eat it while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t taste as good when it¡¯s cold,¡± David urged. Liam wasn¡¯t fond of soup, but since the old man had prepared it himself, he couldn¡¯t let his elder feel disappointed, so he took a sip. David watched Liam closely, ¡°How is it? Tasty?¡± After just one sip, Liam frowned. ¡°The taste is a bit strange.¡± ¡°Drink it all in one go, and it won¡¯t taste strange. Drink up.¡± Unable to bear David¡¯s constant urging, Liam forced himself to finish the bowl of soup despite his difort. David immediately took the empty bowl and filled it again. ¡°Come, have another bowl.¡± Liam frowned, his heart resisting. ¡°Let me eat something first, then I¡¯ll have more soup.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be as effective when it¡¯s cold. Hurry, drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Liam hesitated, ¡°What effect?¡± ¡°Tonic for virility.¡± With a dark face, Liam gritted his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Celeste smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t waste Grandpa David¡¯s kind intentions. Honey, you need to pay more attention. You¡¯re only thirty, and you need to go to the bathroom so many times a night. How will you cope when you¡¯re older?¡± David¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? You have to go to bathroom many times a night?¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched as he red at Celeste, grinding his teeth. ¡°That was when I had diarrhea a few days ago. I¡¯m fine now!¡± Liam had a sensitive stomach, and he had diarrhea the night David cooked the seafood soup, probably because it wasn¡¯t fully cooked. Of course, Celeste knew what happened and deliberately mentioned it. She had been wrongly used of infertility for so long¨Cnow it was Liam¡¯s turn to taste that bitterness. ¡°Honey, Grandpa David means well. What¡¯s there to be shy about? Hurry, drink it while it¡¯s hot~¡± Liam¡¯s face turned livid. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. 15:19 Chapter 309 To avoid Liam¡¯s anger, Celeste went upstairs after dinner. After eating, Liam was dragged out for a walk by David. By the time he came back upstairs, it was already nine o¡¯clock. She was expecting Liam toe in and settle the score, but he did nothing, grabbed his clothes, and went straight to wash up. When she finished reading the new script Micha sent, Liam came out of the bathroom. She nced up and almost threw her phone. Liam wrapped a towel around himself and just came out like that. He usually dressed tightly after a shower. What¡¯s up with him today? She watched the droplets of water fall from his hair to his corbone, to his well¨Cdefined abs, and finally slide down the edge of the towel. Just as the waterdrop was about to disappear into the towel, Liam suddenly reached out and pulled down the towel, revealing that he was actually wearing boxers. Boring. She plugged in her phone, closed her eyes, and went to sleep. Liam dried his hair and got into bed. Celeste was very tired and almost fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, the person beside her moved. Annoyed, she tightened the nket around herself. After a while, the person beside her moved again. He turned one way and then the other, making it impossible for Celeste to sleep. Losing patience, she opened her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liam¡¯s face appeared a bit flushed. With gritted teeth, he finally blurted out, ¡°What on earth was in that soup!¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Celeste paused for a moment, then realized what was going on as she saw Liam¡¯s red neck and face. Trying not tough, she teased, ¡°Nice stuff, huh?¡± Liam¡¯s forehead was covered with a thinyer of sweat. He just tightened the nket around himself and ignored her. Celeste wasn¡¯t about to let this rare opportunity to see Liam in such a funny state go to waste. She narrowed her eyes and moved closer, asking, ¡°Mr. Reed, how¡¯s that soup working out for ya? Feeling all hot and bothered like they show in those TV dramas, huh? Look at you sweating like crazy! You must be burning up!?¡± She purposely leaned in close to Liam, waving her hand back and forth to cause some cold air for him. The sweet scent of her showered body wafted over with her movements. It was somehow irresistibly enticing, even though it smelled just like her own. His gaze wandered from her face to her lips, then down to her delicate corbone. Her skin was so delicate that even the slightest pressure would leave visible markssting all night long. They were like marks that belonged only to him. Barely looking away, Liam gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Stay away from me!¡± ¡°But how could I?¡± she protested. ¡°You¡¯re in such a terrible state. I have to take good care of you, otherwise, I just wouldn¡¯t feel right about taking that billion.¡± Liam¡¯s speechless. Celeste¡¯s expression was so fake. He was certain she must¡¯ve been having the time of her life in her head! Pretending to be concerned, she continued, ¡°That¡¯s just weird. You¡¯ve been fine for the past few months, but now suddenly it¡¯s this bad after just one bowl of soup? You sure you¡¯re not faking it?¡± Liam nearly choked on his own spit. He quickly rolled over, pinning the yful woman beneath him. Holding her chin, he growled, ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m faking now?¡± Celeste stiffened, wearing nothing but her thin nightgown. When Liam pressed down on her, she quickly felt exactly what was hard and what was soft on his body. Perhaps¡­. this was going a little too far. She gave a nervousugh. ¡°Looks like Grandpa David¡¯s soup really was something special after all. Maybe you should go deal with this in the restroom?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Liam lowered his gaze to look at the woman beneath him. She tried her best to lookposed, but her eyes were avoiding his. Her ears were blushed red, the color spreading from her neck to her corbone. She wasn¡¯t asposed as she seemed. Liam brushed his fingers gently over her cheek and rasped, ¡°No need for anything so bothersome. It¡¯d be a shame to let Grandpa David¡¯s special soup go to waste. Why don¡¯t we give it a try?¡± With that, he went to kiss her. Celeste¡¯s eyes widened in panic, and she quickly covered his lips with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m at my most fertile right now!¡± Liam softly kissed the palm of her hand and slowly looked up. ¡°Perfect.¡± As he leaned in once more, Celeste hesitated. If she pushed him away, would he deduct it from her money? Just then, her phone rang. She quickly escaped from Liam to answer the call. Liam frowned, visibly annoyed, as he tried to get closer to her once more. Just before their lips could meet, Skyler¡¯s voice came through the phone, ¡°Celeste, are you asleep?¡± Liam stopped. Celeste took the opportunity to push him away and answer the phone, ¡°Not yet, mother, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Tomorrow there¡¯s a family gathering at the old house to discuss Grandma¡¯s birthday ns. You and Liam better not bete.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Grandma¡¯s birthday still a month away? Are we preparing for it now?¡± ¡°The Reed family¡¯s birthdays don¡¯t involve merely eating a meal and calling it a day. If it wasn¡¯t for you causing trouble and upsetting the olddy, preparations would¡¯ve begun long ago. This is already consideredte.¡± Celeste stayed silent. ¡°Her 70th birthday party was organized by Clyde. Normally, it¡¯s our turn to host the 80th. However, it ultimately depends on what Grandma wants. Be careful with your words tomorrow, and be smart.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After saying a few more words, Skyler hung up. 312 15.19 Chapter 310 Celeste put the phone down and asked Liam, ¡°What does Mom mean by ¡®be smart¡®? Is she trying to organize Grandma¡¯s birthday party this year?¡± Liam nced at her. It would be more urate to ask who doesn¡¯t want to organize Grandma¡¯s birthday party.¡± ¡°I definitely don¡¯t,¡± Celeste burrowed into the nket, staring at the ceiling. ¡°Birthday parties are so much work; you have to be so detailed and consider both the birthday person¡¯s feelings and the guests¡®. Doesn¡¯t sound like an easy thing at all.¡± Liam alsoy down. ¡°Do you know how much money and gifts Grandmother received on her 70th birthday?¡± The next day, the crew added an extra scene at thest minute, so Celeste finished work half an hour later than expected. They were thest ones to arrive at the old house. As soon as they met, Skyler frowned and asked, ¡°What took you guys so long?¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Liam casually said, ¡°There was somest¨Cminute stuff at thepany, so I got held up for a bit.¡± Skyler nced at him, ¡°Wesley said you left thepany a while ago.¡± ¡°He and I are not in the same office area, how would he know when I left?¡± Skyler was left speechless and looked at them both with annoyance, ¡°Come on in, we¡¯re just waiting for you two.¡± When they came in, the living room was already full of people. The Reed family took Grandma¡¯s birthday very seriously. Except for the aunt¡¯s family who couldn¡¯t make it back from abroad, all the younger generation were present. Sienna sat in the main seat, with Skyler, Kaylee and her daughter on her left, and Clyde and Valeria on her right. Wesley sat on the sofa opposite the olddy, telling her amusing stories about his trip to the westernpany. ¡°You¡¯re too mischievous. Putting pepper in the water, how did youe up with that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take it lying down. He had no right to boss me around, so I wanted to teach him a lesson. In the end, he didn¡¯t have the heart to pour out the water, although he made me clean the toilets for an extra week.¡± Wesley sighed, ¡°Then I finally epted it. Other people can endure it, why can¡¯t I? I can¡¯t embarrass the Reed family.¡± The olddy said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you think like that.¡± Valeriaughed, ¡°Wesley has really grown up this time. When he went there, he called me every day saying he wanted toe back. But then he got used to it. He no longer cried toe home on the phone, and instead told me what he had learned and seen. When he came back, his colleagues didn¡¯t want to let him go. These few months, he got tanned and stronger, and most importantly, more sensible.¡± Clyde waited for Valeria to finish before saying, ¡°Alright, he¡¯s in his twenties, it¡¯s about time he grew up.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The olddy said, ¡°Clyde, let Wesley be involved in that university coboration project, so he can learn more.¡± With this statement, Wesley¡¯s position in thepany was temporarily confirmed. Valeria¡¯s expression immediately rxed, ¡°Did you hear what grandma said? Work harder. Don¡¯t let her down.¡± Wesley smiled, ¡°I know.¡± Valeria nced at Skyler, her eyes falling on the two who just arrived, and suddenly said, ¡°Celeste, I heard you threw up at the exhibition a while ago. I was too busy to ask you about it, is there any good news?¡± Valeria was really weird. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at the olddy¡¯s expression. Liam held her hand tightly and calmly said, ¡°It was just food poisoning, if there was good news, how could we not tell everyone?¡± Valeria¡¯s gaze stayed on the couple, then suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Sister, I think their rtionship is pretty good. They¡¯ll have kids sooner orter, you don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± Skyler smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not that worried. They¡¯re still young, it¡¯s okay to get pregnant a few yearster. You should focus more on Wesley¡¯s situation. I heard he failed a recent blind date. The girl was very attractive and highly educated, Wesley¡¯s standards can¡¯t always be that high, he should weigh his own worth. You should advise him properly.¡± Valeria¡¯s eyes widened. Both Liam and Wesley were children of the Reed family, but Liam was more aplished in both his education and career. Wesley could only get into college by spending money. He even went abroad for a year to study at an unknown university, obtaining a master¡¯s degree. Valeria had always boasted about her son, but now Skyler¡¯s words poked at her pride, making her feel humiliated. Just as Valeria was about to get angry, she suddenly saw Celeste, her anger disappeared, and a smile appeared on her lips. Celeste had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Valeria continued, ¡°Although our Wesley isn¡¯t as outstanding as Liam, his standards can¡¯t be too low, right? There has to be a threshold, or else if we just pick someone randomly, I¡¯d have a headache. Right, sister?¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Skyler¡¯s face turned a bit sour, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Clearly, that remark hit a nerve. No matter how great Liam was, he didn¡¯t end up marrying the rich businessman¡¯s daughter, did he? Valeria chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, just an example. Although Celeste¡¯s overall evaluation isn¡¯t that great, she¡¯s still a knowledgeable and virtuous person. Not only does the olddy like her, but I also find her quite likable.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Poor Celeste, just arrived and already got dragged into their conflict. Skyler and Valeria didn¡¯t get along, and she knew that since she got married into the reed¡¯s family. The main reason for this conflict was the issue of their children inheriting thepany. Quantum¡¯s growth was credited to Orville, and if he hadn¡¯t died so young, there¡¯s no doubt that he would have inherited Quanturn. But Orville died young. At the time of his death, his children were still young. For a long time, Clyde managed Quantum. Skyler, although carefree in the Reed family, had no say in thepany. Before Liam came of age, Clyde had control over Quantum, and Valeria¡¯s status also rose. Add in her family background, Valeria was in the spotlight back then, who even remembered Skyler from the Reed family? Skyler, a widow with no fame in J City, only got people¡¯s sympathy when mentioned. How could the proud Skyler notin about being suffocated by Valeria? It wasn¡¯t until Liam rose to power in Quantum, with enough strength to challenge Clyde, that she could finally hold her head high. Skyler and Valeria fought openly and secretly on various asions, and their fallout in J City¡¯s high society was no secret. Six months ago, because of Wesley¡¯s issue, the olddy scolded Valeria. Since then, she¡¯s restrained herself quite a bit, and her presence in her usual parties and banquets has be rare. After such a long time, the two still fight when they meet. And they just had to drag her into it. Celeste cursed in her heart but tried to be polite, ¡°I¡¯m quite outgoing, and you might not understand me well. If I know any virtuous girls, I can introduce them to Wesley.¡± As soon as she finished, Kaylee couldn¡¯t help butugh. Skyler nced at her, and she reluctantly held back herughter. Celeste¡¯s words were so arrogant, her second aunt didn¡¯t genuinelypliment her. There was a hint of sarcasm, but this silly girl insisted on the positive side, even offering to introduce girlfriends to Wesley? What kind of people could Celeste, with her status, know? Even Valeria didn¡¯t care for her, so how could the people she introduced be valued? Sure enough, after Celeste finished, Valeria paused, nced at her, and said lightly, ¡°Wesley just got back, learning more skills is the key, there¡¯s no rush for this.¡± The point was, she didn¡¯t think highly of the people Celeste could introduce. ¡°Young people should make more friends, there¡¯s no harm in that,¡± Celeste seemed not to hear the rejection in Valeria¡¯s words, and turned to Wesley, ¡°Wesley, let me know when you want to get a serious girlfriend, I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Wesley looked at her deeply, smiled slightly, and said slowly, ¡°Thank you.¡° Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Valeria red at her unhappily. What was meant to be a tteringment, she took it seriously. No wonder Skyler looked down on her ¨C no status and not smart. Celeste wasn¡¯t really stupid, she just didn¡¯t want to offend Valeria. How Skylerpeted with Valeria was her business, as long as it didn¡¯t involve her. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Since we¡¯re all gathered here, let¡¯s stop the chitchat. Let¡¯s all find a ce to sit.¡± As soon as the olddy spoke, everyone quieted down and found a ce to sit. After Liam sat down, the olddy noticed the mark on his forehead and asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°What happened to your forehead?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart raced. Liam¡¯s injury was from a stormy night on the cruise ship when she bumped into him. The bruise was darker when they first returned, but it had faded a lot now. But the olddy loved her grandson and noticed this issue right away. Liam nced at the culprit and answered lightly, ¡°Bumped into something while sleeping.¡± ¡°You really should be more careful. I have some medicine in my room; I¡¯ll have Celeste help you apply itter.¡± Celeste felt helpless. The wound was on his forehead, and he could reach it himself. Did she really need to help? Liam wasn¡¯t handless. Of course, she only dared toin in her heart. She had hurt the olddy¡¯s feelings with the birth control pills incident earlier, and now she wouldn¡¯t dare to defy her. So she obediently agreed. Afterward, the olddy began to inquire about the younger generation¡¯s recent situation one by one. Despite her age, the olddy¡¯s mind was still clear. She knew Kaylee was about to graduate, understood her major, knew Skyler was in business with friends, and even knew about Celeste helping her friend shoot a movie. The olddy was a very tolerant elder. She provided guidance for the younger generation¡¯s lives and work, with very little criticism. Wesley was eloquent and well¨Cliked by the olddy among the grandchildren. Of course, her love for Wesley wasn¡¯t quite the same as her doting love for Liam. Liam lost his father when he was young, and the olddy personally raised him. Besides the grandmotherly love, she was also strict with him as an elder. Liam¡¯s sess wasrgely due to the olddy¡¯s careful nurturing. If Skyler had been the one to educate him, the result might have been another Wesley. Kaylee was the best negative example. After the olddy finished asking questions, Valeria spoke, ¡°Time flies, and the kids have grown up so fast. Mom, you¡¯re almost 80 years old, do you have any thoughts for your birthday this year?¡± The olddy said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any special thoughts, just want to keep it simple.¡± ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t just throw a simple party for your 80th birthday. Otherwise, people might think we don¡¯t care. We gotta make it grand!¡± Valeria continued, ¡°I remember you mentioned during your 70th birthday that you¡¯d love to have Mr. Hilliard sing for you on your 80th. I have a friend who¡¯s tight with Hilliard¡¯s apprentice, maybe she can help us ask if Mr. Hilliard would be down toe.¡± The olddy seemed quite interested, but still hesitated, ¡°Didn¡¯t Hilliard quit singing already? Can we really get him? Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Mr. Hilliard is a master of modern opera, and his masterpiece is Dancing with Daisies. Celeste is quite familiar with Mr. Hilliard¡¯s works because Caitlyn is a die¨Chard fan of Hilliard and has lots of his recordings at home. When she was little, she even went to several of his performances with Caitlyn. His graceful moves and ethereal voice on stage were absolutely stunning. Mr. Hilliard can even be considered as a mentor who inspired her interest in acting. The main reason she wanted to learn acting was that Mr. Hilliard¡¯s ancient costume was so beautiful, and she wanted to wear such gorgeous clothes to perform for everyone. At the age of 50, Mr. Hilliard announced that he would no longer perform in operas and would focus on education instead. It¡¯s been eight years since hest performed on stage. During this time, many people have invited him to perform, but all have ended in failure. Valeria thought knowing his apprentice was no big deal. Back then, some people even knew Mr. Hilliard¡¯s family, but they still couldn¡¯t persuade him. Valeria probably hadn¡¯t tried, so she was quite confident, ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t perform publicly, he wouldn¡¯t refuse a friend¡¯s invitation, right? I wanted to ask a friend to invite him directly, but I haven¡¯t discussed it with Skyler yet. I don¡¯t know what she thinks about the birthday banquet, so I didn¡¯t want to make decisions on my own.¡± Valeria paused and said, ¡°I heard that Skyler recently invested in a beauty salon, just opened, so she must be quite busy, right? Why don¡¯t you let me handle the birthday banquet, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it?¡± Skyler nced at her, ¡°No way, what could be more important than celebrating Mom¡¯s birthday? I only invested a little money in the beauty salon, I¡¯m not a major shareholder, I just get some dividends at the end of the year, and I don¡¯t need to manage it daily. As the older daughter¨Cinw, it¡¯s my responsibility to organize the birthday celebration. When Mom turned 70, I was a widow with two kids to take care of, and I was so busy with my own stuff that I couldn¡¯t handle the banquet, so you helped me back then. Now that Mom is turning 80, and Kaylee and Liam have grown up, I can¡¯t keep shirking my responsibility, can I?¡± Valeria smiled, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite. It¡¯s Mom¡¯s birthday, and it doesn¡¯t matter who organizes it. You¡¯ve been through a lot as a widow raising two kids. Now that your kids have grown up and are sessful, don¡¯t you deserve some rest? It¡¯s not easy for you as a woman to handle so many things, I have two men in my family, so if there¡¯s anything that needs running around, they can help, which should be easier.¡± Skyler said without changing her expression, ¡°It¡¯s not the old days anymore. What can men do that women can¡¯t? Although there¡¯s only one man, Liam, in my family, I have a daughter and a daughter¨Cin¨C law, two smart and capable kids who can help me.¡± It was a battle between two skilled opponents, each move lethal. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The two of them were unwilling to give in, both determined to win the birthday banquet. Seeing that there was no way to resolve the argument, Valeria threw the question to the olddy. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s your birthday banquet, and we should follow your wishes. Do you prefer Skyler¡¯s style or my style for your 80th birthday celebration?¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 The olddy seemed to be in a dilemma, ¡°Skyler is meticulous and thoughtful, while Valeria pays more attention to the big picture and makes things grand. I like both. This 80th birthday might be thest big celebration in my life. You¡¯re both not young anymore and have been worrying about your kids all your life. It¡¯s time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet, and you shouldn¡¯t be so busy anymore.¡± The old lady looked at Liam and his wife, ¡°Celeste, why don¡¯t you take charge of this year¡¯s banquet?¡± Celeste?!?! Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Valeria was the first to object, ¡°Mom, there will be so many people at the banquet. Young people don¡¯t have enough experience, and they might mess it up and make a fool of themselves.¡± Skyler, for once, agreed with Valeria, ¡°Valeria is right. Although Celeste is my daughter¨Cinw, she is indeed too young. Young peopleck experience and may overlook things. If it were a family celebration, it wouldn¡¯t matter how it was organized, but there will be so many people on the day of the banquet. What if something goes wrong, how can she take responsibility?¡± Kaylee also said, ¡°Grandma, she can¡¯t even organize my brother¡¯s birthday properly. How can you entrust her with such a big event like the birthday banquet? Aren¡¯t you just asking for trouble?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°It¡¯s the elders¡® discussion, is it your turn to speak? Don¡¯t you know the rules?¡± Kaylee red at Celeste and closed her mouth in anger. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Celeste didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She was innocent but suddenly got involved in this matter. This wasn¡¯t a good thing for her. The olddy was very shrewd. Both were daughters¨Cinw, and no matter who she chose, the other would be unhappy. Whoever she chose would be used of favoritism. How could the olddy choose between them? She couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side. So, this hot potato was thrown to Celeste. ¡°You were young once too, weren¡¯t you? You should give young people more opportunities to practice. Nobody is born knowing everything. Celeste, would you like to give it a try?¡± The olddy looked at Celeste. Although she asked this, her eyes seemed to say, ¡°don¡¯t you dare reject this.¡± Celeste had no choice but to bite the bullet. After a while, she said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t do a good job.¡± ¡°Young people shouldn¡¯t be afraid of making mistakes. You need to keep trying, and then you¡¯ll know what¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t understand something, you can ask Skyler and Valeria for help. They¡¯d be happy to teach you.¡± Valeria could see the olddy¡¯s attitude and knew there was no hope for her to organize the banquet this year. She nced at Skyler and found her looking even more upset than herself. This made her feel a little better. Although she was disappointed, at least Skyler didn¡¯t benefit from it. The fact that the olddy would rather entrust the banquet to Celeste than to her showed that her position in the olddy¡¯s heart was not much higher than hers. Moreover, with this task given to Celeste, Skyler wouldn¡¯t let her aplish it smoothly without having to lift a finger herself. Thinking of this, Valeria said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve said that, how can we not support you? The kids are all grown up, and there are some things that we really need to let go. Celeste, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, juste and ask me. If you need help, you can ask Wesley too. The ultimate goal is to sessfully hold the birthday feast.¡± Wesley smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m at your service anytime.¡± Now that Valeria¡¯s family had made their stance clear, if Skyler objected again, her intentions would be too obvious. She never expected that after trying so hard to guard against Valeria, the good fortune right in front of her would be snatched away by Celeste. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 When Valeria saw Skyler not speaking for a long time, she smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet for quite a while. Are you unhappy with mom¡¯s arrangement? Celeste is part of our family too, and if she does a good job, it¡¯s a good look for us all.¡± Simrly, if things didn¡¯t go well, it would be Skyler¡¯s family that would endure the embarrassment. Skyler suppressed her dissatisfaction and nced at Valeria, saying tly, ¡°Since mom has arranged everything, I won¡¯t have any objections. But I¡¯m still a bit worried.¡± She looked at Celeste and said gently, ¡°Celeste, when youe to my houseter, I¡¯ll exin the whole process to you. If you don¡¯t understand anything, just ask. Don¡¯t skimp on the money that needs to be spent, and make sure everything goes perfectly.¡± Celeste lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Got it, mom.¡± Although some family members were doubtful about this arrangement, the olddy seemed to be very satisfied with it. After discussing the matter, she said she was hungry and suggested having a meal earlier. The Reed family didn¡¯t have many rules, but they had clear divisions ofbor. For example, when the olddy talked about business, the daughters¨Cinw of the Reed family would not interrupt. When discussing family matters, the Reed family¡¯s men rarely spoke. Just like the discussion about the birthday banquet, Liam and his uncle didn¡¯t express any opinions from beginning to end. After dinner, everyone sat in the living room drinking tea, and Celeste quietly went to help with cleaning up the dishes.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Ramona tactfully whispered to Celeste, ¡°Mrs. Reed, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things. Just sit in the living room and have tea with us.¡± Celeste said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just finished eating and wanted to move around a bit to help digest.¡± She took over Skyler¡¯s responsibility, and thetter frowned every time she saw her. If she sat in the living room, the people around her might not feelfortable either. Doing some housework actually made her feel more at ease. Seeing this, Ramona didn¡¯t say anything more. She didn¡¯t let Celeste do the washing, but just let her cut some fruit and arrange tes in the kitchen. As Celeste was cutting the fruit, she suddenly let out a long sigh. Ramona noticed her unhappiness and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mrs. Reed?¡± Celeste said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, is grandma still mad at me?¡± Ramonaughed, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Celeste mumbled, ¡°Otherwise, why would she give me this job?¡± Ramonaforted her, ¡°The olddy gave you such an important task because she values you. If she were mad at you, she wouldn¡¯t even let you in the door when you brought those food.¡± Celeste pouted, thinking that the olddy only gave her the job because she didn¡¯t want to offend her daughters¨Cinw. However, since it had already happened, she could only try her best to make the birthday banquet go well.. ¡°Ramona, tell me how grandma¡¯s birthday banquets were held in the past.¡± Ramona looked at her in surprise. In fact, before this happened, the olddy had already talked to them privately about it. At that time, the olddy even bet with them on how Celeste would handle the birthday banquet: whether she would take charge herself, or, in order to please her mother¨Cinw Skyler, secretly hand it over to her. The olddy bet that Celeste would take charge herself, while Ramona and her husband thought Celeste would give it to Skyler. Celeste always appeared very humble, devout, and cautious in front of the elders, fearing that a mistake might bring trouble upon herself. Skyler had never liked this daughter¨Cinw, and now that the olddy had given her the task of the birthday banquet, she couldpletely hand this opportunity over to Skyler to improve their rtionship. It was a very good choice and the safest approach. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 But the olddy believed that this birthday banquet was an opportunity for Celeste to make a name for herself in the circle. If she had any ambition to be the head of the Reed family, she would definitely seize this opportunity. The olddy guessed the oue, but not the process. The reason Celeste made this choice was not that she had great ambitions, but that she already had no chance of getting along with Skyler. Celeste had stolen Skyler¡¯s thunder at the jewelry exhibition, fired her people afterward, and then quarreled with her on the phone. The two of them were only maintaining a superficial peace now. Even if Celeste really let Skyler take charge of the birthday banquet, Skyler might not appreciate it. Since she had already offended people, she might as well seize the opportunities she could, such as the money from this birthday banquet. Ten years ago, the cash gift had already reached nine figures. Surely, the amount of money ten years later wouldn¡¯t be less than that of ten years ago, right? As Celeste came out of the kitchen with the fruit, she bumped into Wesley. Wesley leaned against the wall, an unlit cigarette in his mouth, andzily squinted his eyes. As soon as Celeste saw him, her attitude turned cold, and then she turned to walk towards the living room. Wesley put the cigarette behind his ear, rushed in front of her, took a strawberry from the te, and said, ¡°Celeste, long time no see. Why are you so cold to me?¡± Celeste looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Wesley nced at the te in her hand, suddenly reached out to hold one side, his fingers brushing against Celeste¡¯s, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll help you with these fruits.¡± Celeste avoided his touch and said solemnly, ¡°Wesley, you really can¡¯t change your trouble¨Cmaking nature, can you? You¡¯re not satisfied with messing around outside, and now you¡¯re trying to mess with me. Have you gone crazy?¡± Wesleyughed, ¡°Celeste, you got it wrong. Weren¡¯t you the one who started it? I spent the night of your wedding with you. Aren¡¯t you being a little too ruthless to me?¡± Celeste red at him darkly, ¡°Wesley, if you have the guts, say that to Liam. Guess how he¡¯ll treat you?¡± Wesley didn¡¯t care, ¡°Even if I told him, so what? I¡¯m still the victim in this matter.¡± Celeste suddenly said, ¡°honey, you heard everything, didn¡¯t you?¡± Liam turned around abruptly, his back breaking out in a cold sweat. But there was no one behind him. He had been tricked by Celeste. Wesley grinned, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in half a year, and you¡¯ve be even more interesting!¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Celeste didn¡¯t bother with this yboy, coldly saying, ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Why the rush? We rarely see each other, and I just wanted to catch up with you¡­¡± Before he could finish, he heard Celeste exim, looking behind him, ¡°honey?¡± Wesley chuckled, ¡°Celeste, you think I¡¯d fall for the same trick again?¡± ¡°What trick? Liam¡¯s cold voice came from behind. Wesley stiffened for a moment, then turned around with a natural smile, ¡°Nothing, just having a casual chat with Celeste.¡± Liam¡¯s gaze swept over him, then turned to Celeste, ¡°Grandma asked you to help me apply the medicine.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Let me take this fruit te to the living room first.¡± Liam directly took it and threw it to Wesley, ¡°You take it there while you¡¯re at it.¡± Wesley had no choice but to do as he was told. Only when Celeste saw Wesley leave with the fruit te did she curl her lips, silently cursing what a fool he was! ¡°What did he say to you just now?¡± Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 When they were going upstairs, Wesley asked Celeste about it. He didn¡¯t hear what Wesley and Celeste were talking about. The olddy and one of his uncles went to the study to discuss things, while Valeria was arguing with Skyler about the birthday banquet. Liam didn¡¯t want to listen, so he made an excuse and came here. As soon as Liam entered, he saw Wesley blocking Celeste, not knowing what he was saying. Celeste looked very upset. It was the samest time at thepany. Celeste didn¡¯t like Wesley and didn¡¯t even bother to hide it. ¡°It was just a couple of jokes,¡± Celeste replied briefly, not wanting to borate. Actually, she really didn¡¯t know where to start because this involved the rtionship between Kaylee and Skyler. When they got married, Liam left her at the wedding and she was forced to drink a lot of alcohol. Although Gavin helped her out in the end, she still drank a lot. When they went back, Celeste was a little dizzy. Kaylee and the nanny sent her back to the room. At that time, she was only in her twenties. On her wedding night, her husband left her and went with another woman. No matter how well she pretended on the surface, how could her heart bear such a grievance? After returning to the room, Celeste didn¡¯t even change her clothes and started crying on the bed. Later, Celeste was tired and fell asleep in a daze. In her sleep, someone pressed her down and touched her all over. She woke up in pain. The room was dim, and she had had some drinks, so she couldn¡¯t see clearly and thought it was Liam. All the grievances from the whole night came up, and she hugged the other person¡¯s shoulders, whispering herints. The man pinched her chin and panted, ¡°I thought you only had a pretty face, but your body is not bad either. No wonder my brother insisted on marrying you.¡± The unfamiliar voice gave Celeste goosebumps. It wasn¡¯t Liam. Her face turned pale and she struggled desperately. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Wesley covered her mouth, squinting and saying, ¡°You¡¯re pretty sexy,ing to my room on your wedding night. What are you pretending to be now? Since my brother¡¯s not here, as his younger brother, of course I have to ¡®entertain¡® my sister¨Cinw.¡± With that, he climbed onto Celeste again. Celeste¡¯s face turned pale, and as Wesley was about to tear her clothes off, she grabbed something in a panic and smashed it against Wesley¡¯s head. Wesley yelled in pain, holding his head and letting her go. She took the opportunity to run out of the room, shouting for help as she went. Skyler heard the shouting and rushed over. Seeing the situation, she pulled Celeste and Wesley into the room and asked what happened. Wesley¡¯s head was bleeding, and he insisted that Celeste had run into his room by herself. He thought she was one of the women he had found to drink with at the wedding banquet. Due to being drunk, dim lighting, and not recognizing Celeste, he made a mistake. Celeste¡¯s face was pale, and she said she had drunk too much and was taken to the room by Kaylee, not knowing it was Wesley¡¯s room. Kaylee strongly denied this, insisting that she had indeed sent Celeste to Liam¡¯s room, with the nanny as a witness. She even used Celeste of going to the wrong room and being afraid of being med, so she pinned the me on her. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Celeste could hold her liquor well, and although she drank a lot on her wedding night, she didn¡¯t get completely drunk. She wouldn¡¯t be unaware of what she had done. After Kaylee sent her back to the room, she never came out again. It was impossible for her to go to the wrong room by herself unless Kaylee had taken her to Wesley¡¯s room in the first ce. It was her first time at the Reed family¡¯s old house, and she didn¡¯t know where Liam¡¯s room was. She relied entirely on Kaylee to lead the way. But no matter how she exined it, Skyler believed that she had drunk too much and her memory was distorted. Celeste was young and eager to argue right and wrong. She wanted to find the olddy and ask her to investigate the matter. When Skyler heard this, her face changed. She said it was already absurd and shameful enough, and they still wanted to take it to the olddy. What could the olddy do if she knew? It was a fact that she had an affair with Wesley on her wedding night. No matter what the truth was, it would be humiliating for Liam and embarrassing for everyone if it became a big issue. She was too young, and when Skyler mentioned Liam, she backed down. She was afraid that Liam would look at her the same way as these people. She could not care about other people¡¯s opinions, but she couldn¡¯t help but care about Liam¡¯s. Skyler suppressed Celeste with the excuse of ¡°family disgrace.¡± As for Wesley, of course, he wouldn¡¯t mention it voluntarily. Later, when she thought about it, Celeste suddenly realized that Skyler didn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it just to protect Kaylee. As long as someone investigated it, the truth would be exposed. She thought about telling Liam about itter, but Liam¡¯s feelings for Kaylee were so deep, what could he do if he knew? Kaylee was his sister. He would protect her, maybe punish himself with three cups of wine, or simply push all the me on Celeste like Skyler did. Either way, the result would be the same. The longer it took, the less she wanted to mention it. So when Liam asked, she just briefly mentioned it. Liam frowned. He could clearly feel that when Wesley was mentioned, Celeste became somewhat gloomy, but she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. This made him feel a little unhappy. He didn¡¯t like Celeste having something on her mind but not wanting to talk to him about it. The olddy¡¯s room was veryrge, and this was Celeste¡¯s first timeing in. Like Liam, the old lady¡¯s bedroom also had a wall of bookshelves dedicated to books. Liam found the medicine the olddy mentioned, and then took Celeste to the sunroom on the second floor. As Celeste was getting the medicine, she said, ¡°Grandma really spoils you. She wants to put medicine on you for a small injury. You¡¯re so much more pampered than Wesley. Lift your head up.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Liam slowly lifted his head, speaking indifferently, ¡°Aren¡¯t most old people like this? When you had a stiff neck from sleeping wrong before, Grandpa David had someone massage you for several days, right?¡± Mentioning Grandpa David, Celeste¡¯s eyes suddenly softened a lot, ¡°Grandpa David just called, said he made some chicken soup again, and asked when we can go back.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes twitched a bit, ¡°I have to work overtimeter.¡± Celeste sighed, ¡°This is gonna disappoint Grandpa David.¡± After applying the medicine, Celeste was about to close the lid when Liam stopped her and pulled her arm, ¡°Come here a sec.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam pinched her elbow, ¡°Does this hurt?¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Pffft!¡± Celeste frowned and pped the back of his hand. ¡°No shit, Sherlock! Does it hurt when I press on your wound?¡± Both her elbow wound and Liam¡¯s head wound were from bumping into things on the cruise ship. Not only were her elbows injured, but her knees as well. Liam nced at her. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t feel any pain.¡± As he spoke, he took a cotton swab, dipped it in medicine, and slowly applied it to her elbow. ¡°This medicine was specially made by a doctor for my grandma. It¡¯s very effective in treating bruises and injuries. One¨Ctime use and you¡¯ll see results.¡± ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s take it with us when we leave,¡± Violette suggested. Getting injured during filming was amon urrence, and bruises were not only unsightly but also painful. If this medicine proved to be as effective as imed, it was only natural for them to want to keep it for themselves. Liam squinted. ¡°My grandma only has this one bottle, and the doctor is traveling the world and won¡¯t be back for at least a year. She treasures this medicine so much that when Kaylee hurt her foot from falling off a horse, she didn¡¯t even let her use it. And you want to take it away?¡± In other words, fat chance. Celeste pouted, thinking: She dumped such a big mess on me, what¡¯s wrong with asking for a bottle of medicine? ¡°Honey, can we talk about something?¡± Liam tensed up immediately. Last time she started like this, she asked for their wedding room. He pursed his lips, put down Celeste¡¯s leg, which was clenched in pain, and said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± Celeste pouted. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said what I want to talk about yet!¡± Liam nced at her. ¡°Would you ever discuss something good with me?¡± Celeste rolled her eyes. ¡°Why did you say that? Of course, I¡¯d discuss good things with you.¡± Liam remained unmoved, threw away the cotton swab, and began to clean up. Celeste followed him, nagging, ¡°Look, Grandma¡¯s 80th birthday celebration must be a big deal, right? Booking a venue, decorating the scene, stage performances, security measures, and so on, everything costs money. You know I don¡¯t have much, and it¡¯s definitely not enough. So can you advance me some money? Not much, just 5 million. After the birthday party, I¡¯ll pay you back with 10% interest. You won¡¯t make that much by keeping the money in the bank for a year. Invest in me, and you¡¯ll see a return of 500 thousand in a month. Where else can you find such a good investment project?¡± She passionately promised him, like a loan shark in a documentary, constantly urging him to invest. However, Liam was not an easy target. He raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°I put in the money, and you put in the effort, but you only give me 500 thousand? Doesn¡¯t seem fair, does it?¡± Celeste was somewhat reluctant but, thinking about how her own money wasn¡¯t enough to cover the birthday party, she had topromise. ¡°How much do you want then?¡± ¡°If I put in the money and you put in the effort, we should each get half the credit, so the profits should be at least half and half.¡± Celeste¡¯s speechless, and she didn¡¯t respond, turning to leave. Liam immediately grabbed her wrist. ¡°We haven¡¯t finished discussing. Where are you going?¡± Celeste red at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow from someone else!¡± Men always try to profit from others, not even letting go of a little bit of money! Liam calmly said, ¡°Do you have a friend who can lend you 5 million?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes widened. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Indeed, Violette didn¡¯t have any affluent friends. Besides Trisha, she only maintained contact with two college roommates, both from modest backgrounds. They wouldn¡¯t be capable of lending her 50,000, let alone 5 million. She looked at Liam¡¯s expression, which read ¡°Who else could you borrow from?¡°, and felt very annoyed. Angrily, she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to Mr. Francis or Mr. Fletcher, give them more interest. It¡¯s better than being sucked dry by you, you vampire!¡± Liam suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening dangerously. ¡°You dare!* ¡°Just watch me!¡± She pretended to take out her phone and dial a number. Liam, with a gloomy face, tried to grab her phone. In the struggle, Celeste hit the side of the bed, her body swaying. Instinctively, she grabbed Liam¡¯s cor, and he lost his bnce. Both of them fell onto the bed. At that moment, Grandma returned to her room with Skyler and saw this scene: Celeste, blushing, lying on the bed, with Liam, wide¨Ceyed, on top of her. Before Grandma could speak, Skyler scolded them: ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Celeste was startled and hurriedly pushed Liam away, standing up and adjusting her clothes, embarrassed. ¡°Grandma, Mom.¡± Liam showed no emotion, slowly stood up, adjusted his tie, and didn¡¯t say a word. With her birthday party preparations snatched away, Skyler was in a bad mood. Seeing Celeste still messing around with Liam, she was even more furious. ¡°Celeste, you¡¯ve been married for a few years now, and you still don¡¯t know how to behave? What kind of ce is this for you to fool around? Is this how your parents raised you?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, her face looking a bit ugly. Liam frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Liam, what do you mean by that? Can¡¯t I criticize her now?¡± Before Liam could answer, Grandma said, ¡°Liam is right. There¡¯s only the few of us here. So it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± She then scolded the two, ¡°But you two really went too far. Liam¡¯s room is just next door. What¡¯s the big deal with walking a few more steps?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Liam and Celeste had nothing to say. Was Grandma not angry and even seemed a little excited? As the two were trying to figure it out, Grandma collected herself and calmly said, ¡°Celeste, nning a birthday party is indeed hard work. You¡¯ll have to work hard in theing days.¡± Celeste bowed her head and said, ¡°I will, Grandma.¡± ¡°Alright, you two go ahead¡± As they left, they passed by Skyler, who red at Celeste with resentment. Celeste sighed inwardly, recognizing that their rtionship would never regain its peace and harmony. Liam had to meet a client that night, so he and Celeste left early. Not long after Liam left, their uncle¡¯s family also left. Kaylee waited for nearly an hour before Skyler finally came downstairs. Once they got in the car, Kaylee said, ¡®Mom, is grandma getting a bit senile? Why did she let that woman handle the birthday banquet? Does she even know how much it costs? Leaving it to a stranger, has grandma gone crazy?¡± Skyler kept a straight face and took a while to reply, ¡°it¡¯s better than letting Valeria handle it.¡± ¡°At least Valeria is part of our family, even though she doesn¡¯t get along well with you. But my uncle is pretty nice to me, and at least it¡¯d be someone from the Reed family organizing it. What¡¯s the deal with letting Celeste do it?¡± Skyler suddenly stopped and looked stem, ¡°How many times have I told you to stay away from your uncle¡¯s family? Do you take my words as just empty talk?¡± Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Kaylee jumped in fright. She¡¯d never seen Skyler so mad before. She stuttered for a moment before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I just think Uncle Clyde has been pretty good to us.¡± Skyler realized her reaction was a bit too much and took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t blindly trust people who do good things without a reason. Think more.¡± Kaylee thought to herself: what could Uncle Clyde get from treating her well? Mom always considered Uncle Clyde¡¯s family as enemies. Of course, she didn¡¯t dare to say that out loud. Skyler had a strong animosity towards Valeria and Clyde. However, deep down in her heart, Celeste acknowledged that Uncle Clyde had actually been quite kind to their family. When she was younger, he would always bring gifts for her and her siblings whenever he returned from a business trip. Even the New Year¡¯s money he gave her exceeded what her brothers received. Losing her father at a young age, Clyde filled the role of a father figure in her heart. She instinctively wanted to get closer to him, but Skyler was strongly against it. She didn¡¯t dare to argue and just obediently replied, ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Once the atmosphere in the car eased a bit, Skyler said, ¡°Later, go visit Liam and bring those medicines to Celeste.¡± Kaylee frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I hope she can¡¯t get pregnant. Grandma already loves her so much. If she has Liam¡¯s baby, Grandma will like her more. It¡¯s better if she can¡¯t get pregnant in her whole life!¡± ¡°You go where I tell you to go. Are you still expecting me to propose your marriage to Mason in front of Grandma?¡± Kaylee¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Have you talked to Grandma about it?¡± ¡°I mentioned it briefly. As long as the Fletcher family agrees, Grandma has no objections.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Mrs. Fletcher likes me. She¡¯s been fond of me since I was a child.¡± Kaylee was pretty confident about this. She had been showing her affection for Mason for years and no one was more suitable for him than her due to the two families¡® rtionships. ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself. Mason¡¯s opinion still holds significant weight. After his illness, his family became incredibly doting towards him, so if he doesn¡¯t want to marry, no one can force him,¡± Valeria cautioned, emphasizing the importance of Mason¡¯s decision. Kaylee wasn¡¯t worried. Mason was a dutiful son, well known in the upper¨Css circle. As long as the Fletcher family¡¯s elders agreed, her marriage to Mason was a done deal, right? Being her mother, Skyler could easily read Kaylee¡¯s thoughts. She said, ¡°Pay more attention to Mason. You need to make him take the initiative so you won¡¯t be wronged after marrying into his family.¡± Kaylee teased, ¡°Mom, you have some experience in this field, huh? Is that how you pursued my dad back then?¡± Skyler paused, lips pursed, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Just get the medicine to Celeste.¡± Kaylee pouted, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± On the other hand, after getting in the car, Valeria started talking to Clyde about today¡¯s events. From Celeste to Skyler, she couldn¡¯t help butugh at the memory of Skyler¡¯s face when grandma chose Celeste.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 ¡®She must have never thought she¡¯d lose to her daughter¨Cinw. Last time at the jewelry exhibition, she liked a bracelet, but grandma let Celeste try it. It¡¯s a pity I wasn¡¯t there at the time. I¡¯d have loved to see her face.¡± Clyde frowned, nced at her, and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t talk about these things in front of the kids.¡± Valeria snorted and told the driver, ¡°Please stop at the next intersection. I need to get off.¡± Wesley asked, ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you going home?¡± Valeria patted Wesley¡¯s head, ¡°I made an appointment to do skincare with Mrs. Kelley. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± Isn¡¯t Mrs. Kelley close to my aunt? Howe you¡¯re friends with her?¡± If she wasn¡¯t on good terms with everyone, I wouldn¡¯t bother interacting with her.¡± After Valeria got off, the atmosphere in the car became much calmer. Clyde sat straight with his eyes half¨Cclosed, lost in thought. After a while, he asked, ¡°How has it been with you and the deputy mayor¡¯s daughtertely?¡± His voice was loud and authoritative. Although his face showed signs of aging, his eyes still sparkled, revealing his youthful handsomeness. Wesley straightened up unconsciously. Chasing that girl was too easy; she was hooked with just a little effort. However, I don¡¯t want to continue pursuing her. Her dad is getting involved n an old case this year, and he¡¯s about to retire.¡± No chance of promotion meant no value of use. Naturally, the marriage wouldn¡¯t happen either. Clyde frowned, ¡°Is the news reliable?¡± ¡°I heard it from the girl herself. It can¡¯t be wrong. It¡¯s a pity I wasted half a year.¡± Clyde frowned but remained silent. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Liam¡¯s power within Quantum was not to be underestimated, and Clyde found it difficult to confront him. So he had no choice but to focus on Wesley¡¯s potential marriage alliance. A powerful inw¡¯s family could increase his chances of sess. If the deputy mayor was about to retire, then this marriage alliance indeed wouldn¡¯t make sense. But finding another suitable family was also not easy. Although J City had many socialites, there were not many families with real power. ¡°Dad, I heard Hiram Garcia is back and his younger daughter got sick during a charity event and is recovering at home. Mom is rted to Hiram. Should we pay a visit?¡± Clyde raised his eyes, ¡°ir Garcia is not Hiram¡¯s biological daughter.¡± Wesley chuckled, ¡°He moved most of his fortune to another country to treat ir, and whether she¡¯s his real daughter or not, does it really matter?¡± Clyde fell silent for an extended period before finally stating, ¡°We¡¯ll address it once this ordeal concludes. Stay focused on your work and make sure not to let grandma down again.¡± Wesley got serious and whispered, ¡°I got it.¡± The next day, Kaylee brought the medicine Skyler got for her and went to Liam¡¯s house. She deliberately chose a time when Liam wasn¡¯t home to visit. As soon as she walked through the door, she noticed an old man in the yard. He was wearing a loose white tank top, a hat, and was digging in the garden with a small hoe Kaylee got startled, then quickly snapped, ¡°Where did youe from, and what are you doing here?¡± David lifted the brim of his hat, nced at Kaylee, and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re such an impolite guy, who are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the rude one, old man! What¡¯s that in your hand, and what are you digging in my yard?¡± Kaylee bombarded him with questions, which annoyed Grandpa David. ¡°This is my great granddaughter¡¯s house, I¡¯m nting something in the garden. Who are you toe here and cause a scene?¡® ¡°Great¨Cgranddaughter¡­¡± Kaylee realized, ¡°You¡¯re from the Campbell family?¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. David looked at Kaylee and was reminded of the photo album he flipped through a few days ago. ¡°I knew you looked familiar! You¡¯re the little girl from the Reed family, right? We¡¯re all family here, what a coincidence to meet today!¡± Country folks are mostly simple and straightforward, and David is no exception. Given his age, he wasn¡¯t going to squabble with a young girl. Knowing she was Liam¡¯s sister, he was even more friendly. Kaylee sneered, ¡°Who¡¯s family with you guys? Celeste really treats our home like a charity, huh? Helping the Campbell family secretly isn¡¯t enough, now she brings people home! You Campbells really have no shame, do you?¡± David¡¯s face immediately changed, looking unhappy. He put down his hoe and pointed at Kaylee, ¡°Youngdy, why are you being so rude?¡± ¡°Are you afraid of talking about your dirty deeds, Campbells? Trying to be thieves in your old age, huh? How¡¯s living in a fancy housepared to the countryside? All of you are like leeches!¡± David turned pale with anger, his voice trembling, ¡°You better exin yourself, what¡¯s wrong with country folks? How are we not good enough? We work hard and grow our own food. Everything you wear and eat is produced by working¨Css people! Why are you being so sharp¨Ctongued and cutting at such a young age?¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Just look at you Campbells. I don¡¯t know what my mom was thinking, still wanting me to bring medicine to Celeste. Good thing she can¡¯t get pregnant. If she did, it would be disgusting if the child turned out to be like the Campbells.¡± With that, Kaylee took her suitcase and headed for the house. David was livid, his face turned pale. He stepped forward and grabbed Kaylee¡¯s wrist, ¡°Get out! Take your things and leave here!¡± He yanked her back, and Kaylee stumbled. The suitcase slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. The bottles inside shattered, and the medicine spilled all over the floor. Almost instantly, Kaylee¡¯s face grew dark. She pushed David away, ¡°You old man! Don¡¯t you dare touch me with your disgusting hands!¡± David, weakened by age, couldn¡¯t withstand the force of the push from Kaylee, causing him to copse onto the ground. Gasping in pain, his face contorted with agony as hey there trembling, desperately attempting to rise to his feet. Kaylee was taken aback, ¡°Get up, old man! Stop pretending! I didn¡¯t even use any strength.¡± As David¡¯s trembling grew worse and his face turned blue, Kaylee began to panic. Their housemaid heard themotion and came running. Seeing David in this state, she hurriedly called for an ambnce. Celeste received the call on the film set. She was told David had an ident, and she immediately rushed to the hospital after asking for leave. At the hospital, David was still in surgery, with only the housemaid waiting outside. Thinking his previous illness had rpsed, Celeste anxiously asked, ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t Grandpa David fine this morning? He even took his medicine on time. Why did he suddenly have to be hospitalized?¡± ¡°The old man had a fall. I don¡¯t know where he hit himself, but he couldn¡¯t get up.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°How did he fall?¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 The housemaid hesitated before whispering, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure. I was tidying up the room this morning, and he was digging up seedlings in the yard. Ms. Reed suddenly showed up, and they got into a conflict. By the time I heard the noise and came out, the old man had passed out.¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Where¡¯s Kaylee?¡± ¡°Ms. Reed didn¡¯te to the hospital.¡± Celeste clenched her hands nervously. Liam arrived 10 minutester. He got the call from the housemaid and saw Celeste sitting on a bench, looking pale. He approached her and called her name. Celeste looked up, her eyes bloodshot. His heart skipped a beat, and he clenched his lips nervously before whispering, ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± Celeste stared at him and blurted out, ¡°It was Kaylee who pushed Grandpa David down.¡± Liam was stunned, his gaze growing more serious. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡± ¡°How?¡± Celeste asked, her voice calm. ¡°If Grandpa David doesn¡¯t make it out of the operating room today, will you send her to jail?¡± Liam frowned and didn¡¯t answer. Trying to force a smile, Celeste continued, ¡°I thought so. Who are you trying to impress with your ¡®handling?¡± Liam wanted to say something, but at that moment, the surgery room¡¯s lights went off. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The doctor emerged, ¡°The patient is temporarily out of danger, but you need to be more careful. He has a history of epilepsy and he¡¯s old. How could he be left alone? It¡¯s lucky we got him here in time, or it would¡¯ve been too risky.¡± Celeste sighed in relief and waited for the doctor to finish scolding before expressing her gratitude. The doctor waved her off, ¡°Just wait until he¡¯s moved to the general ward before you go in.¡± After the doctor left, Celeste didn¡¯t talk to Liam. Instead, she took out her phone to inform Shawn. Liam watched her frail figure, his heart racing nervously. He picked up his phone and called Kaylee. As anticipated, there was no response. Frustrated, he dialed the number for his home and the housemaid answered. ¡°Young Master, the madam has gone out,¡± she informed him. Liam replied coldly, ¡°I want to talk to Kaylee Reed.¡± Liam would only use Kaylee¡¯s full name when he was furious. The housemaid stole a nce at Kaylee, who was gesturing for her not to say anything. ¡°Uh, Ms. Kaylee is not here, she went out with her friends early this morning.¡± Liam looked up, ¡°Put her on the phone.¡± The housemaid stuttered, ¡°Ms. Kaylee is really not¡­¡± Liam¡¯s expression grew more serious, ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time, put her on the phone!¡± There was a harsh noise from the other side, and then the phone was hung up. Liam clenched his cellphone, nced at Celeste, who was not far away, and turned to leave the hospital. The image of the old man convulsing on the ground kept reying in Kaylee¡¯s mind. She was freaking out, not because she cared about the old man, but for fear of getting herself into trouble. Liam¡¯s phone call made her more worried. She was afraid Liam would hold her responsible. After hanging up, she hastily called Skyler. Skyler was doing her nails with some friends and rushed home when she heard the news. As soon as she got home, she saw Liam and a few people carrying Kaylee out of her room. While struggling, Kaylee screamed, ¡°I didn¡¯t purposely start the fight! He hit me first. Shouldn¡¯t I fight back? Let me go! Let me go!¡± ¡°Everyone, stop!¡± Skyler stepped in to intervene, but Liam remained silent, and no one let go of Kaylee. Sobbing, Kaylee cried, ¡°Mom, mom, save me! My brother¡¯s gone crazy. He doesn¡¯t care about his sister anymore because of that woman. He¡¯s lost his mind!¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Skyler¡¯s face changed, ¡°Call the police? Is it really necessary to involve them in such a small family matter? Don¡¯t you know your sister?! She¡¯s just too stubborn to admit her mistakes. She cried a lot when she called me earlier. She already knows she messed up. Being her brother, talking to her like that, of course she¡¯s gonna argue.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t argue with him!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Skyler scolded her, and Kaylee reluctantly closed her mouth. ¡°Her appearance is a mess. If you bring her there, it might frighten the old man. Let her change and tidy up. I¡¯ll have someone prepare a gift, and we¡¯ll all go to the hospital together to apologize.¡± Liam, in reality, had no intention of taking Kaylee to the police station. Knowing that Grandpa David had epilepsy and considering the circumstances, it was more of a civil dispute rather than reaching the threshold of intentional assault. He had merely made that statement to frighten Kaylee. With Skyler¡¯s help, Kaylee finally calmed down. She went upstairs to change, tidy up, and then Liam took her to the hospital. Grandpa David was transferred to a regr ward and woke up half an hourter. The Campbell family received a call, and they all rushed over. Everyone gathered around the bed, concerned, and Latonia curiously asked, ¡°The old man had always been in good health. How could he have fallen so badly just after staying there for a few days?¡± ¡°at this age, a fall like that is really dangerous.¡± ¡°Not one person from the Reed family has shown up. Since it happened in their house, shouldn¡¯t they come and give an exnation?¡± Everyone spected, ming Celeste for not taking good care of him. Celeste lowered her head, silent. ¡°Enough!¡± David frowned at the concerned people around him, ¡°Get out of here!¡± Everyone immediately quieted down and reluctantly left the ward. Celeste also wanted to leave, but David stopped her, ¡°Letti, get me a ss of water.¡± Celeste came back with a ss of water. After taking a few sips, he patted the bed and said, ¡°Come sit.¡± Celeste sat down. ¡®Where¡¯s Young Reed?¡± Celeste replied softly, ¡°He was here just now, but he might have something to deal with and has left temporarily.¡± David moved his lips but stayed quiet. Celeste clenched her hands, whispering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Grandpa David smiled, ¡°Why are you apologizing? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Celeste said in a soft voice, ¡°If I had been at home, I wouldn¡¯t have let her get close to you.¡± ¡°Hmph, I only got angry and lowered myself to arguing with a kid. Whatever she says can¡¯t change anything.¡± Grandpa sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to formally meet my inws and see what kind of people they are, but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen like this.¡± He gently patted Celeste¡¯s hand. ¡°I should¡¯ve seen it coming.¡± Celeste was confused as Grandpa David pulled a bank book from his clothes and handed it to her. ¡°This is thepensation money from when our old house was demolished a few years ago. The password is six ones. With this, the Reed family won¡¯t look down on you. If you¡¯re not happy in your marriage, use this money to buy a small house. It¡¯s enough for you to live on. Remember, marriage isn¡¯t that important ¨C being happy is what matters most.¡± Tears welled up in Celeste¡¯s eyes, and she pushed the bank book back, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You silly girl!¡± Grandpa tapped her on the head with the bankbook. ¡°Everybody is eyeing this bit of money I have, and yet when I give it to you, you don¡¯t want it. No wonder that girl bullies you!¡± Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 David knew what was up he¡¯s been around the block and learned how to read people. He¡¯s almost ny, quite old, and most of his children have passed away, leaving only one disabled child. As his children departed, the bond with his grandchildren also weakened over time. Having resided in his hometown for many years, he rarely received visits. However, as soon as his relocation compensation arrived, a swarm of ¡°devoted sons and grandkids¡± suddenly appeared at his bedside. How could he not know what these people were thinking? Weren¡¯t they just eyeing thepensation money he got from the relocation? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. At his age, he no longer cared about money. He knew that once he gave away the money, if he got sick¨Chardly anyone would visit him. When you¡¯re old and unable to help your offspring, you gradually be a burden. As long as he had money, every time he wanted to go to J City, his grandchildren would help him. Everyone followed his wishes, all for his money. David watched TV in his sickbed with other patients. Everyone was discussing the case, and when he saw Celeste¡¯s face on the screen, he suddenly wanted to see his long¨Clost great¨Cgranddaughter. She was different from the others. She wouldn¡¯t let him eat sweets, controlled his smoking and drinking, and worried about him catching a cold at night and would turn on the air conditioning for him. She was still the thoughtful little girl who would exaggerate how good the sweets tasted, even if she didn¡¯t like them, just to avoid upsetting others. Celeste held back tears, her voice hoarse, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the Reed family gives you an exnation.¡± David waved his hand, ¡°What¡¯s the point in arguing with an ill¨Cmannered girl?¡± Saying this, he grabbed her hand, stuffed the passbook back in, and said, ¡°Quickly hide this so your uncle and aunt don¡¯t see it.¡± Outside the door, Latonia tiptoed to peek inside. The bed curtains blocked the view, and she couldn¡¯t see what was happening inside, pacing back and forth like ants on a hot pan. Another rtive was also anxious but didn¡¯t want to peek through the door, so she turned to Shawn instead. ¡°Shawn, what did the doctor say, can grandpa¡¯s body handle it?¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°He had a bad fall, and he probably needs to rest in bed for a while.¡± ¡°How long will he need to stay in the hospital?¡± ¡°It depends on his recovery.¡± Upon hearing this, Latonia immediately turned around, ¡°See? I said we shouldn¡¯te to this hospital. Look at the doctors, their answers are unclear. What does it depends on his recovery¡® mean? So grandpa has to stay here as long as he¡¯s notfortable? Who¡¯s paying for the hospital bills?¡± Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke. With the generation gap, there wasn¡¯t much closeness. Everyone knew why they were here. While performing small favors to appease David was one thing, when it came to parting with their money, everyone tightly clutched their wallets, hesitant to spend. Being hospitalized costs a lot of money, possibly hundreds per day, and even more for nutritional supplements. It could easily cost thousands or even tens of thousands. Even if they spent the money, there was no guarantee the old man would like them. Who knows who he¡¯d give hispensation money to? Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Seeing no one speak, Latonia said, ¡°Shawn, if grandpa is hospitalized because of an illness, we siblings should bear the cost and take care of him. But since this happened at Celeste¡¯s house, shouldn¡¯t she be responsible?¡± Another rtive also chimed in, ¡°If not for Celeste¡¯s negligence, grandpa wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt like this. Who knows what lingering effects. he¡¯ll have.¡± Uncle tried to quiet her down, not wanting to argue in front of Shawn. Everyone had their own interests in mind, arguing over custody and not yielding. Celeste stood at the door, watching this farce unfold by the so¨Ccalled ¡°devoted children,¡± and suddenly understood why her great¨Cgrandfather never wanted to give away his savings. She listened at the door for a long time, waiting until everyone¡¯s faces turned red before walking out. Upon seeing her, everyone stopped arguing. Latonia stared at her and asked, ¡°Celeste, what did grandpa say?¡± Celeste coldly replied, ¡°Nothing, he just drank some water and rested.¡± Latonia didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Drinking water took that long? Didn¡¯t he say anything else?¡± Celeste looked at her, ¡°What else do you mean?¡± Latonia was left speechless, barely managing to say, ¡°Nothing.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Out of greed for grandpa¡¯s money, even if she was shameless, she couldn¡¯t ask in front of the younger generation. Just then, amotion arose in the distance. Celeste turned around to see Liam walking towards them. On his right was Skyler, and behind them, two burly men in suits escorted Kaylee. Shawn was momentarily stunned before quickly stepping forward to greet them, ¡°Skyler, Liam, this is just a small matter, why did you alle?¡± Celeste¡¯s expression darkened as she stared at the impatient Kaylee, clenching her fists and heading straight for her. Liam attentively observed her actions, and at the critical moment when she lunged forward, he swiftly advanced, seizing her raised wrist and deftly diverting her off to the side. Celeste¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Liam whispered, ¡°I¡¯m bringing her over to apologize to Grandpa David.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s her way to apologize? Throught the gifts?¡± Liam pursed his lips, ¡°Just let her say sorry. Whatever it takes for Grandpa David to chill out, we¡¯ll go with it. But you can¡¯ty a finger on her.¡± Once Celeste made a move, things would get even messier, and he didn¡¯t want her involved in this. But Celeste thought he was just protecting Kaylee, and her heart sank halfway. ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re really dote on your sister. You even want Grandpa David toe up with a solution? What can he do? He¡¯s old, and he can¡¯t fight a child, can he? Let go of me!¡± Liam frowned and held her tightly, speaking lowly, ¡°Let you go so you can make a scene? Celeste, calm down and think about it. Once you p her, have you thought about how to deal with the aftermath?¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers curled up, her lips tightly clenched, and she said nothing. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Seeing her change in expression, Liam continued, ¡°Grandpa David is still lying in bed. If he knew that you were fighting with the Reeds because of this, do you think he¡¯d be able to rest and recover?¡± Celeste coldly looked at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Kaylee, Grandpa David wouldn¡¯t even be lying here!¡± ¡°So I brought her here, and I¡¯ll make her apologize to Grandpa David in person. Whatever compensation he wants, I¡¯ll do my best to meet.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart chilledpletely, ¡°Liam, not everything in this world can be solved with money, I won¡¯t let this go easily.¡± Saying this, she broke free from Liam¡¯s hand and stepped forward. She didn¡¯t impulsively raise her hand again, but just stood there coldly. Liam brought his family to visit Grandpa David, leaving Shawn feeling pleasantly surprised and touched. With great enthusiasm, Shawn inquired about their well¨Cbeing, disregarding any concerns of disturbing Grandpa David¡¯s rest, and led everyone into the room. David wasn¡¯t asleep, and when he saw Liam, his expression eased slightly, calling out, ¡°Young Reed.¡± Liam pursed his lips. This voice sounded much weaker than when he usually called him. Unhappy, he turned to Kaylee and said, ¡°Come forward.¡± Escorted by two bodyguards, Kaylee reluctantly stepped forward and perfunctorily bowed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Liam frowned and said seriously, ¡°You can¡¯t even bend your waist, huh?¡± As soon as he spoke, Kaylee felt a force on her shoulder. She frowned and struggled, but the hand on her shoulder just increased its strength. Her shoulder hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t stand it, her eyes red. Finally, under Liam¡¯s cold gaze, she bent down, tearfully saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!! didn¡¯t mean it! Please forgive me!¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Though she said this, the expression on her face was not one of apology, but of humiliation and disdain. Liam was irritated and was about to speak when Skyler quickly stepped forward, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m Liam¡¯s mom. I¡¯ve heard about what happened today. Kaylee didn¡¯t know you were living with Liam, and she didn¡¯t recognize you the first time she saw you. She¡¯s young and doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right and wrong. Please don¡¯t take it to heart; I¡¯ve already scolded her at home. Don¡¯t worry about the hospital fees; we, the Reeds, will take care of it.¡± After that, she took out a card from her bag, ¡°This is just a token of my appreciation; please don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little.¡± When Latonia saw the card, her eyes lit up. Skyler handed the card to Shawn, ¡°Alesson, take care of the old man. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know.¡± Celeste¡¯s face immediately turned serious. Liam¡¯s brow furrowed as well. It was only then that Shawn and the others found out the reason for the drama and why Skyler personally came over¨Cthe old man¡¯s injury was rted to Kaylee. He said right away, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Kaylee must¡¯ve done it unintentionally. The doctor just came to see him, and there¡¯s no big problem. We¡¯re all family, and there¡¯s no need to make a big deal out of it. Look, you scared the child-¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 ¡°Dad,¡± Liam interrupted with a straight face, ¡°Let Grandpa David decide whether to forgive her or not.¡± Shawn paused and then said awkwardly, ¡°Of course.¡± Everyone looked at David, whose expression remained calm. He said to Shawn, ¡°Return the card to Skyler.¡± Skyler hurriedly said, ¡°This is ourpensation.¡± Observing the situation, Latonia swiftly interjected, ¡°Dad, if it weren¡¯t for her daughter, you wouldn¡¯t have sustained any injuries. The hospital expenses and costs for your recovery should be their responsibility.¡± David nced at his daughter¨Cinw and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt. There¡¯s no reason to take their compensation. Isn¡¯t this just extortion?¡± He then looked at Shawn, ¡°Return their card.¡± Having spoken, and the people around witnessing it, Shawn couldn¡¯t say much and had to return the card to Skyler. Skyler frowned, ¡°You can also make other requests.¡± David waved his hand, ¡°I heard the apology, now you can leave here.¡± Shawn, fearing offending Skyler, whispered to David, ¡°Grandpa, they just arrived.¡± The old man didn¡¯t care, frowning and saying, ¡°There¡¯s no room in the hospital ward, and they¡¯re all crowded around me. I can¡¯t breathe. I might not die from a fall, but I¡¯ll suffocate.¡± Shawn was at a loss for words. Skyler¡¯s face darkened as her visit ended with a cold farewell. This old fellow really didn¡¯t give her any face. She sternly said, ¡°In that case, we won¡¯t bother any longer. Kaylee, let¡¯s go.¡± Kaylee quickly broke free from the bodyguards¡® restraints and followed Skyler out. Shawn hastily went after them, ¡°I¡¯ll see you out.¡± Latonia also took the opportunity to secretly follow. One by one, people left the sick room, until finally, only Liam and Celeste remained. David beckoned Celeste, ¡°Letti, I¡¯m hungry. Could you go out and get me some meat sauce noodles?¡± Celeste looked at Liam, understanding that Grandpa David had something to say to him. After Celeste left, David turned pale and leaned against the hospital bed, whispering, ¡°Young Reed, help me turn over.¡± Liam hurried forward, holding David and turning him over. At this point, the nket was lifted, and a large bloodstain made Liam¡¯s hand tremble. When Celeste returned to the hospital with the meat sauce noodles she had bought, she bumped into Kaylee in the lobby. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She was looking down at her phone, smiling, with no sense of guilt or regret for her wrongdoings. Thinking of her weak grandfather lying on the bed, Celeste clenched her fists and walked over. Her gaze was so intense that Kaylee finally noticed her. Kaylee put away her phone and nced at Celeste. Seeing the meat sauce noodles in her hand, she laughed, ¡°Is he still able to eat after that fall? Is the hospital stay just for show?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond and went straight to the elevator. Kaylee let out a chuckle, her voice tinged with sarcasm. ¡°I thought you were all so superior and proud, but here you are, running after a card. Even that old man has better manners than you, knowing when to step back. My brother even suggested that I apologize. But let me ask you, the esteemed Campbell family, is an apology truly what you seek? Or is it money? Quite amusing, I must say.¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Celeste¡¯s eyes went wide, and she quickly turned to ask in shock, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Kaylee smirked. ¡°I¡¯m saying the Campbell family¡¯s talent for ckmailing is definitely a family tradition. Your auntie is way more decent than you guys.¡± Celeste, taking a call while walking out, said. ¡°Where are we meeting tonight? Twilight Bar again? Alright, see you tonight¡­ Watching her leave, Celeste¡¯s eyes gradually turned dull Liam arranged for a specialist, ine, to take care of Grandpa David in the hospital After spending some time in the hospital room, Celeste said she had to go back to work and left. Liam sat in the room, peeling some fruits for the old man David had no appetite and said quietly. You go back too Letti seems to be in a bad mood today, you should go keep herpany.¡± Liam thought of the look on Celeste¡¯s face at that moment and felt uneasy He whispered, ¡°Have some more fruits, and I¡¯ll go.¡± David stuffed some fruits into his mouth, and waved him away. ¡°Go on. I want to sleep.¡± After leaving his contact info with ine, Liam left the hospital. Owen was waiting for him downstairs. As soon as he got in the cat Owen asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, where are we going?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. To the set of Mastermind of Law.¡± Owen immediately turned the car around. On the way, Liam took a bank card out of his pocket, given to him by Grandpa David. Grandpa David said it was an additional gift for Letti A bigger sum of money would make Letti more respected in her inw¡¯s family. Just a few days in town, and Grandpa David already had these thoughts. Liam thought about what Kaylee said in the surveince footage, clenched the card, and said, ¡°Cancel Kaylee¡¯s bank and credit cards, and tell thepany¡¯s finance department to refuse any of their requests for money, except for the quarterly dividends!¡± Owen was really surprised. Here, ¡°their¡± obviously meant not only Kaylee but also Skyler. Initially, the mother¨Cdaughter pair relied on thepany¡¯s quarterly dividends to cover their living expenses. However, given the low percentage. they received less than one million per month, which proved inadequate to sustain their extravagant spending habits. After Liam started working, Skyler began taking money from thepany, a fixed five million a month. Liam didn¡¯t like the hassle. Skyler once made a fuss about money, and he tolerated her actions since then, drawing five million from his ount every month to ensure their expenses. Over the years, this five million has maintained Skyler¡¯s extravagant lifestyle. Now, due to Grandpa David¡¯s situation, Liam decided to cut off their lifeline. It would undoubtedly stir up a storm. Seems like Liam was genuinely angry this time. When their car arrived at the destination, only a few crew members were cleaning up the set. Celeste was nowhere to be seen. Owen asked the crew, who mistook him for a fan, and they told him that Celeste didn¡¯t have a shooting schedule today. Owen rushed back to tell Liam the news, ¡°You said she didn¡¯t show up for shooting today?¡± The crew member said so, and they already packed up the equipment.¡± Liam frowned, took out his phone, and called Celeste. At the moment, Celeste was in a car on the side of the street, staring at the bar across the road. Seeing the iing call, she expressionlessly turned her phone to silent mode. Liam looked at the unanswered call, furrowing his brow. Twilight Bar. ¡°I thought it would be a big deal, is that it?¡± The guysughed after hearing Kaylee¡¯s words. ¡°That old man¡¯s pretty tough. Wasn¡¯t even hurt?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Kaylee? He had a seizure! It had nothing to do with her!¡± ¡°They¡¯re such wimps, and the Campbells don¡¯t dare talk back even after collecting the money!¡± Chapter 332 ¡°Why did your bro marry Celeste when he¡¯s so amazing?¡± Kaylee took a sip of beer and snorted, ¡°She has a pretty face, what else? Aren¡¯t all men the same? If you had her good looks, I¡¯d tell my brother to marry you immediately!¡± ¡°Ugh, am I worse¨Clooking than Celeste?¡± Another one spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t like Celeste either, but I¡¯m not blind¨Cshe¡¯s way prettier. Keep getting stic surgery, though.¡± Everyoneughed, and the atmosphere was lively. In the middle of the drinks, Kaylee stood up and said, ¡°You guys have fun, I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± A guy followed her, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°To the women¡¯s room?¡± Kaylee kicked his leg and said, ¡°Get lost.¡± Then she staggered to the bathroom. ¡°Just give up¨CKaylee has someone she likes.¡± That guy nced around, ¡°Anything is possible if they¡¯re not married.¡± Kaylee came out of the stall, washed her hands, and felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, and a towel covered her face. Immediately sobering up, Kaylee¡¯s eyes widened in terror. She struggled hard. But the fumes were too much, and she lost her strength in no time, falling unconscious. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink. I took a client home.¡± Steven was exining his itinerary to his sister in his car. ¡°Do you not trust me? Does your brother have no credibility with you?¡± Heughed at whatever she said, ¡°Fine, you can checkter.¡± During the conversation, he nced out the window and froze. He witnessed two individuals forcibly cing an unconscious girl into a ck SUV. Celeste was present in the vehicle, her hood pulled up to conceal her identity. His eyes met hers, and Steven was stunned. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 After a few people got in the car, the door closed and the car started moving. Steven frowned and said to the person on the phone, ¡°I have something going on, I¡¯ll call you back later, gotta go.¡± After hanging up, he told Nathan, ¡°Follow that car ahead, but keep your distance, don¡¯t let them notice.¡± Nathan immediately started the car and followed. The off¨Croad vehicle was very cautious, avoiding surveince and driving a certain distance before turning into a small road. Nathan was familiar with the area and didn¡¯t dare to follow the small road directly, so he decided to take a detour and intercept at the other end. They waited at another intersection for a while, but only saw a white van pass by, not the ck off¨Croad vehicle. Nathan frowned and said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right. This road is less than a mile long, there are no other roads. They shouldn¡¯t take so long.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Steven paused and thenughed, interest shing in his eyes, ¡°They got away from us.¡± ¡°How could it be?¡± Nathan hesitated. ¡°You mean the van just now?¡± Due to the narrowness of the road, only one car could pass at a time. Therefore, the most usible exnation was that they had switched vehicles. Nathan was quite surprised. ¡°How did she find out? I followed so far away.¡± Steven pondered, ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t find anything particr, she¡¯s just cautious and quite smart.¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, what should we do now?¡± The van had already left a few minutes ago, and it would be useless to chase after it now. Steven tapped the leather seat and looked up, ¡°Which area has poor surveince coverage?¡± ¡°West side.¡± ¡°Head west.¡± Kaylee woke up from hera, opening her eyes to find everything pitch ck. Her eyes were covered with a cloth, her mouth sealed with tape, and her hands and legs tightly bound. She couldn¡¯t move at all. The fear in her heart was magnified infinitely, and she struggled in panic. But with her mouth covered, she could only make a muffled hum from her nose. Celeste stood emotionlessly in front of her, watching her panicked expression before tearing off the tape on her mouth violently. The pain made Kaylee can¡¯t help but moan. Ignoring the pain, Kaylee yelled in fear, ¡°Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Do you know who I am? My family will not let you go, you better let me go now! Uh¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was stuffed with a piece of rag, choking her almost to the point of vomiting. Before she could react, her face was pped hard. The force was so strong that Kaylee felt her ears buzzing. There were hard stones inside the rag, and her mouth started bleeding when she had pped. Kaylee had never experienced anything like this before, and she started crying. However, her eyes were covered, her mouth stuffed, and she couldn¡¯t even cry out. In a sudden moment, her previous bravado faded away, and she frantically shook her head, attempting to dislodge the object in her mouth. She yearned to convey to these individuals that she had ample financial resources, as long as they refrained from inflicting harm upon her. However, no one gave her the opportunity, and she was pped again, then a third and a fourth time. Unable to contact Celeste, Liam called Trisha. As it turned out, Trisha also didn¡¯t know where Celeste had gone, and she was nowhere to be found at Mercy Hospital. As they searched everywhere, Celeste seemed to have evaporated into thin air. Liam¡¯s unease continued to grow. Meanwhile, Nathan looked at the van emerging from the small road and whispered, ¡°Mr. Garcia, it¡¯s coming.¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Skyler¡¯s anxious voice came through the phone, ¡°Liam, get to the hospital ASAP Something happened to Kaylee!¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. This morning, Kaylee was discovered by a cleaner lying unconscious at the side of the road, her mouth stained with blood. Someone called the police, and a group of people helped take her to the hospital. They found her phone and ID in her belongings and contacted Skyler. Skyler rushed to the hospital and immediately went pale and weak at the knees when she saw her. Kaylee¡¯s cheeks were swollen to at least twice their normal size, and her mouth was stuffed with stones wrapped in cloth. Her mouth couldn¡¯t open as wide as before because of the swelling, and she couldn¡¯t even remove the stones herself. So when they found her, her mouth was still packed. The doctor used surgical scissors to cut the cloth in her mouth and slowly removed the stones, one by one. That¡¯s when they could see the extent of her injuries. Her mouth was adorned with numerous small wounds, which, while not posing a life¨Cthreatening situation or causing damage to her teeth, were nheless distressing to behold. The mouth, unlike the skin, is a mucous membrane that constantly secretes saliva, making its wounds heal slower than other parts of the body. With a mouthful of injuries like this, it would be at least ten days to two weeks before she could talk again, and even eating would be extremely difficult. After all, food can¡¯t enter the esophagus without passing through the mouth, and anything that touched those wounds would cause extreme pain. The doctor had seen many injuries in his career, from broken arms to broken legs, and nothing surprised him. But this kind of attack, aimed specifically at someone¡¯s mouth, was a first for him. It was an injury that managed to be both humiliating and torturous. Skyler, watching Kaylee in so much pain that she could only make whimpering noises, couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. ¡°Who did this?!¡± Liam stood silently at her side, pursed his lips tightly. The police knocked and entered, ¡°Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed, how¡¯s the victim? Can we take her statement?¡± Skyler saw Kaylee nod her head. She wiped away her tears and, with red eyes, said, ¡°Come in.¡± Kaylee couldn¡¯t speak, so she could only respond to the police¡¯s questions by typing answers on her phone. The police asked her in detail about everything that happenedst night. Kaylee only remembered going to the bathroom, only to have someone cover her mouth and nose. When she woke up, both her eyes and mouth were sealed, and she was beaten mercilessly. As she recalledst night¡¯s ordeal, Kaylee trembled with fear, desperately trying to speak through her whimpers. The police wanted to ask more details about what happened. But whenever they brought upst night¡¯s events, Kaylee would turn pale with terror and start shaking uncontrobly. With her swollen face, it was difficult to look at. So they changed the topic, ¡°Aside from beating you, did they do anything else?¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened immediately, ¡°What kind of question are you asking? We asked you to catch the criminals, and you¡¯re wasting time here? If we wait any longer, they¡¯ll get away!¡± The police frowned, ¡°Mrs. Reed, this is just a routine inquiry. We need to know the details of the case to know the direction of the investigation.¡± ¡°Do you have any leads after all this questioning?¡± The policeman pursed his lips. His colleagues investigating the surveince at the bar hadn¡¯t provided any useful information yet. So far, they had nothing. Plus, there were no signs of theft or assault here, just a beating¡­ ¡®Ms. Reed, have you recently had any conflicts with anyone or made any enemies?¡± As soon as the officer finished his question, Skyler immediately thought of yesterday¡¯s incident. She gritted her teeth angrily and said, ¡°Celeste! It must have been her!¡± ¡°No way,¡± Liam quickly rejected the idea. ¡°She was with mest night Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 ¡°Couldn¡¯t she ask someone else for help?¡± Skyler said angrily. ¡°Yesterday, she gave Kaylee that look. Do you think I didn¡¯t see it?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned solemn, ¡°After all Kaylee did to grandpa, what did you expect? Celeste to just let it go?¡± ¡°Even at this point, you still speak up for her. Look at your sister¡¯s battered state!¡± Skyler said angrily. Liam pursed his lips, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t spoiled her and allowed her to go to the bar after she¡¯d done wrong, would this have happened?¡± Skyler¡¯s lips trembled with anger, ¡°Liam! Don¡¯t forget who raised you!¡± The police looked bewildered as the two argued and interjected, ¡°Who is Celeste?¡± Enraged, Skyler directed her attention to the police officer and recounted the events of the previous day. She then expressed her belief, saying, ¡°It¡¯s clear that she harbored a grudge from yesterday¡¯s incident and took matters into her own hands.¡± Kaylee never had any enemies before, but she happened to have an issue yesterday. And then, she was beaten up like thisst night. If it¡¯s not Celeste, who else could it be?¡± The police thought about it, and Celeste seemed like a suspect. They inquired, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to her.¡± Liam blocked everyone¡¯s way and said with pursed lips, ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll bring Celeste here. She¡¯s taking care of a patient right now.¡± The police observed Liam¡¯s reaction and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, we¡¯re just asking questions as part of our duty. As long as there¡¯s no suspicion, it won¡¯t take long. Asking a question shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± Skyler couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stormed off with the police officers towards Grandpa David¡¯s hospital room, determined to confront Celeste. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Liam¡¯s face was serious, and he left the room to answer a call from Owen. ¡°Mr. Reed, the surveince cameras didn¡¯t capture the faces of the people who kidnapped Ms. Kaylee. Plus, the surveince in the bar area has been tampered with. The police are currently questioning witnesses, but there¡¯s no other news for now.¡± ¡°Any idea who tampered with the surveince?¡± ¡°Not sure. The person on duty in the monitor roomst night went on leave to visit their hometown, and we can¡¯t contact them.¡± Liam paused for a moment and then said, ¡°Find out who did this before the police do.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Have a few more sips.¡± Celeste quietly encouraged David. ¡°Let me rest for a while, then I¡¯ll drink more,¡± David sighed. ¡°I have someone to take care of me here. You should rest at home. What¡¯s the point ofing here so early?¡± Celeste put down her bowl. ¡°Ever since I started working for you, I¡¯ve been unable to sleep past 7 AM.¡± David chuckled. ¡°Heh heh,¡± Then he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t have an argument with Young Reedst night, did you?¡± Celeste lowered her eyes, ¡°Why would I argue with him? I don¡¯t want to bother.¡± ¡°Truth is, Young Reed isn¡¯t that bad. The girl he found, ine, is very attentive.¡± ¡°Money can buy anybody, can¡¯t it?¡± Celeste said dismissively. ¡°The key isn¡¯t money. It¡¯s care. Your dad and uncle don¡¯t care about the money; they have no such mind. Do you understand?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Get your butt home early today, and don¡¯t get mad at Young Reed anymore. If you do, I won¡¯t be able to rx in the hospital, and if I can¡¯t rx, I can¡¯t eat, then my wounds won¡¯t heal, and if they don¡¯t heal, I can¡¯t leave the hospital. So for me to get out of this ce sooner, you can¡¯t be angry with him anymore.¡± Celeste was left speechless by his persuasive words and reluctantly said, ¡°Fine, got it.¡± Immediately after her statement, the ward door swung open with force. Skyler stormed into the room, apanied by two uniformed officers. Fuming with anger, she pointed towards the individual inside and dered, ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± Celeste was momentarily stunned, her expression turning solemn. The police officers eyed Celeste, feeling that her face looked incredibly familiar. One of them then asked, ¡°Excuse me, are you Celeste?¡± Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Before Celeste could even speak, Skyler angrily grabbed her arm and shouted, ¡°Did you do it? Did you have Kaylee beaten up like that? Was it you?!¡± Celeste frowned, looking clueless. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? What happened to Kaylee?¡± ¡°Stop ying dumb!¡± Just looking at Celeste made Skyler think of Kaylee¡¯s bloody face, and she raised her hand to p her. David, furious, shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Celeste braced herself for the hit, but then her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled aside. The p landed hard on Liam¡¯s jaw instead. Skyler¡¯s sharp nails left a few shallow red marks on Liam¡¯s chin. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Celeste looked at Liam in surprise, her hand unconsciously tightening. Liam clenched his teeth, ring at Skyler. ¡°Had enough? If you want to talk, let¡¯s do it outside!¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned even uglier, not expecting Liam to take the p for Celeste. He usually wouldn¡¯t get so angry. The police quickly stepped in. ¡°Mrs. Reed, please calm down. Let¡¯s investigate before jumping to conclusions.¡± Turning to Celeste, they said, ¡°Miss Celeste, there was a violent assaultst night. We¡¯d like to ask you about it. Can we talk outside?¡± Upon hearing ¡®violent assault,¡± David tried to sit up. ¡°What violent assault? You must have the wrong person.¡± The police thought David might be the catalyst for this incident, so they told him about Kaylee being beaten up. David swiftly interjected, refuting the usation. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Celeste to be involved. She was with me at the hospitalst night. There¡¯s no way she could have had the time tomit such an act.¡± The police raised an eyebrow, another alibi for Celeste. ¡°We didn¡¯t say she did it. We just want to ask some questions.¡± ¡°Then ask here! If she dares to hit her in front of me, who knows what you¡¯ll do when I¡¯m not around?¡± The police were at a loss for words. They didn¡¯t expect the fancy¨Cdressed Skyler to actually attack Celeste. Skyler coldly said, ¡°In front of you, so you can make up excuses for her?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t question her,¡± David snapped. ¡°If you have evidence, arrest her. If not, get out!¡± As both sides were at a stalemate, a man¡¯s voice came from the doorway. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Everyone turned to see Steven, holding a bouquet of flowers and looking surprised. Liam frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I heard Celeste¡¯s family member was in the hospital, so I thought I¡¯de visit,¡± he paused, looking around at the two police officers. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The police caught on to Steven¡¯s words and asked, ¡°You said Celeste was with youst night?¡± Steven nodded. ¡°We talked about work for a while, and I apanied her to the hospital.¡± The two police officers exchanged nces. One asked, ¡°What time did you leave?¡± ¡°Maybe around 8 or 9. We talked for a long time, and then I took her back to the hospital.¡± Celeste looked up at Steven, who casually asked the police, ¡°What are you investigating?¡± Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Just then, the police received a message on their phone, confirming that Celeste returned to the hospital at 1 AM and went home at 2 AM. The owner of the Bentley that took her to the hospital was the man standing in front of them. The timeline matched up perfectly, and there was no evidence showing Celeste¡¯s direct involvement in the violent incident. ¡°No big deal, just a routine inquiry.¡± Without any new leads, the questioning was pointless. The police said, ¡°We won¡¯t bother you any further.¡± Skyler, seeing the police leaving without investigating, became anxious. ¡°You¡¯re just leaving without finding anything out?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reed, we understand your desire to catch the culprit quickly. We¡¯ll continue to follow up on this case and contact you with any updates.¡± Skyler couldn¡¯t ept this oue and angrily said, ¡°You bunch of useless idiots!¡± The police officer¡¯s face changed. ¡°Mrs. Reed, watch yournguage!¡± Skyler red at Celeste and stormed out of the room. Celeste pressed her lips together and took a step forward. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience, officers. My mother can be quite hot¨Cheaded, but she means no harm. Allow me to apany you out.¡± Her tone was gentle, not at all like what Skyler described. And who would think of putting a stone in their mouth and then pping someone? In the elevator, one of the police suddenly asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the lead actress in the first story of ¡®Mastermind of Law?¡± The other officer checked his phone and realized it was true. ¡°Is she just a really good actress?¡± ¡°I think that Skyler is even better at acting. Everyone says she¡¯s virtuous and gentle, but she¡¯s nothing like that. Even if it was her daughter¨Cinw who did it, I think it¡¯s understandable. Her family member was beaten so badly, not fighting back would be too unfair.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Even you think it¡¯s unfair.¡± For the first time, David received flowers and was delighted. When Celeste returned, he was holding the flowers, asking Steven the names of each type. Steven patiently told him one by one. Liam wasn¡¯t in the room, probably visiting Kaylee. Celeste didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Steven, are you a friend of the Reed family too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also friends with Celeste. She once saved my sister, and we get along very well.¡± David smiled, ¡°Since we¡¯re friends, don¡¯t always bring up saving people. I can tell you¡¯re a good person, and I¡¯m sure Letti thinks so too.¡± Real pals don¡¯t keep pressuring you with favors, the old man sees things really clearly. They didn¡¯t chat for long before Liam showed up. Steven hung around for a bit, then said he had stuff to do and had to bounce. So David asked Liam to walk him out. After leaving the ward, Liam asked, ¡°Did you swap the surveince video?¡± ¡°Surveince? What surveince?¡± Steven asked, puzzled. Liam stared at his face, not letting any tiny expressions slip by. But Steven¡¯s face was super chill¨Ccouldn¡¯t spot any cracks. After a moment, Liam said, ¡°Never mind.¡± After leaving the hospital and getting in the car, Steven asked Nathan, ¡°Is everything sorted?¡± ¡°Just finished, Mr. Reed went to check it out.¡± Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Steven cooperated with the authorities and was taken away without resistance. The Garcia family paidpensation to the families, and since Steven was a minor at the time, he was only detained for three days before being released. But the troublemakers weren¡¯t so lucky. Steven¡¯s actions left them with a huge psychological scar. Plus, everyone found out they stole ire medicine, nearly killing her. They were subsequently isted at school. Within a year, all six kids transferred schools. Having witnessed Steven pushing the kids off the roof, Nathan had a profound impression of him. Later, when applying for a job, Nathan realized his boss was Steven and wanted to leave with his resume immediately. Steven wasn¡¯t as gentle and friendly as he seemed, especially when it came to ir. He was extremely protective of his little sister. Over the years, Steven had grown up and mellowed out a bit. If it were the old him, Kaylee¡¯s hands and feet wouldn¡¯t have been safe after messing with ir. Yesterday¡¯s incident was more about helping Celeste, or rather, seizing the opportunity to use her to get rid of Kaylee, Celeste, who appeared to be so gentle, came up with such a scheme. Thinking about it, Nathan felt she and Steven were quite simr, especially in their ruthlessness. ¡°Oh, right, the background info on Caitlyn and Shawn you asked me to check.¡± Nathan handed him the file folder, ¡°It¡¯s all here.¡± Steven nced at it and was taken aback by a line, ¡°Shawn and Caitlyn got divorced?¡± Nathan nodded, ¡°They finalized the paperwork half a year ago. Shawn kept the divorce a secret, even Celeste doesn¡¯t know about it.¡± Caitlyn had been in aa for years, making it quite easy to arrange a divorce, Shawn¡¯s brilliancey in the fact that although he divorced her, he applied to be Caitlyn¡¯s legal guardian through the court, promising to take care of her subsequent treatment. As long as Caitlyn didn¡¯t wake up, and as long as Shawn kept the secret well, nobody would know about the divorce until Caitlyn died. Shawn could even monopolize all of Caitlyn¡¯s assets. Steven opened Caitlyn¡¯s file. This was a ssic story of a rich girl and a poor boy. As he observed, he suddenly noticed that Caitlyn and Shawn both had type A blood, while Celeste had type AB blood. Steven clenched the papers and said in a deep voice, ¡°You tell me, can two type A blood parents have a type AB child?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Steven closed his eyes, picturing Celeste in his mind. Gradually, the image in his head started to merge with the memory of her. Old memories kept popping up in Steven¡¯s mind. The cold, damp body, the baby with a bluish face, the butterfly¨Cshaped birthmark on the shoulder de¡­ Is this reality or just a dream? Did he remember it wrong, or did others? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. What a coincidence! At that moment, his phone rang. Steven snapped out of it and answered the phone. ¡°Bro, Mom and Dad said they¡¯ll be here next week. You need to get someone to remove the roses in the yard ASAP, Mom¡¯s allergic.¡± Steven frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared the house for Dad and Mrs. Janis, they won¡¯t be living here.¡± ir sounded surprised, ¡°Aren¡¯t we all living together?¡± ¡°The new house is ready, this old one needs too many repairs, it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for them. When Dad and Mrs. Janis arrive, you guys move in there, and I¡¯ll finish cleaning up here before joining you.¡± ir was silent for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Bro, is it because you don¡¯t want to get rid of the roses?¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Initially thought to be just a regr assault case, the police encountered obstacles during their investigation. First, the surveince footage was reced, and then they discovered that the car used by the kidnappers was actually a scrapped car with fake license tes. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When they found the car, it had already been scrapped, and no clues were found. Skyler went to the police station a few times and almost got detained by the police, but in the end, the olddy managed to settle the matter and even scolded Skyler. Celeste didn¡¯t expect the case to end up unresolved. Old Mr. Campbell was discharged from the hospital a weekter, his health recovering quite well, and he resumed his daily morning walks. Three dayster, when Celeste returned home, instead of seeing Grandpa David telling her to wash her hands for dinner as usual, she saw a note on his usual chair. The note read: ¡°The pig at home is about to give birth to piglets, I¡¯m going back to help deliver them. I¡¯ll roast you a suckling pig.¡± And just like that, Old Mr. Campbell quietly left J City. After making sure Old Mr. Campbell safely returned to his hometown, Celeste got busy with filming and preparing for the olddy¡¯s birthday banquet. Soon she encountered her first problem. The venue originally booked for the banquet was reserved by someone else. Although there were many beautiful venues avable for rent in J City, the one by Ruby Lake was obviously the most suitable in terms ofndscape and size. The olddy only held a birthday banquet once every ten years, so it couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. Celeste contacted the person in charge of Ruby Lake, hoping to inquire about the other client¡¯s phone number to see if they could negotiate a deal. However, the person in charge refused, so Celeste had to find a way to contact the owner of the venue. After searching for a long time, she found Mrs. Kelley. It turned out that the venue was owned by Mrs. Kelley¡¯s family. When Celeste proposed to coordinate the rental time, Mrs. Kelley said with a difficult expression: ¡°Ms. Campbell, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but the other party has already booked a wedding and set a date. How am I supposed to tell them?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, please talk to them for me. If they are willing to change the date, I can pay three times their deposit.¡± Mrs. Kelley smiled, her expressionced with a hint of contempt, as she addressed Skyler. ¡°Ms. Campbell, it seems your family is not ustomed to hosting extravagant banquets, so perhaps you fail. Celeste pulled herself together, ¡°I get what Mrs. Kelley is saying, but it¡¯s the olddy¡¯s birthday celebration, and it only happens once every ten years. I¡¯ve got to give it my all. Mrs. Kelley is a businesswoman, and she surely doesn¡¯t want to upset her clients. So, could you please give me the contact info of the clients who booked the ce? I¡¯ll figure out a way tomunicate with them. I¡¯ll cover any penalties or other fees, is that cool?¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell, you said I¡¯m in business, and the basic principle of doing business is to protect the privacy of clients. If I give you their info today, and tomorrow the clients spread the word, my reputation built over the years would be affected. Who¡¯d dare to do business with me then?¡± Celeste went silent. ¡°Alright,¡± Mrs. Kelley stood up, ¡°I have to receive other guestster. You can go check out other ces. There are plenty of venues in J City. Look around a bit more, and you¡¯ll find the right ce.¡± After Celeste left, Mrs. Kelley picked up her phone and called Skyler. ¡°Skyler, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of the things you asked me to.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯llpensate you for the venue loss.¡± ¡°No need for that. Just keep an eye on the issue I mentioned to you before. I¡¯ve already notified the other big venues. It won¡¯t be that easy for Celeste to rent a ce.¡± After hanging up, Skyler suddenly heard the sound of shattered ss behind her. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Kaylee¡¯s mouth hurt so bad that she couldn¡¯t eat, and she angrily knocked over her bowl and chopsticks. The nanny carefully cleaned up the mess, but Kaylee grabbed a ss and smashed it near the nanny¡¯s foot. The sshed ss cut the nanny¡¯s hand, and blood gushed out immediately. ¡°Get out! Get out of here!¡± After shouting, Kaylee covered her cheek in pain. ¡°Why are you taking your anger out on her?¡± Skyler scolded her and turned to the nanny, ¡°Don¡¯t clean up now, go take care of your wound first.¡± The nanny left as instructed. Skyler handed Kaylee another bowl of porridge, ¡°This one is cooler, eat slowly.¡± Kaylee had been having difficulty eating due to her mouth injury, and she had lost weight in just a few days, looking pale and weak. Her already bad temper became even worse due to the constant pain. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat, Mom, it hurts so much¡­¡± Kaylee sobbed softly. Looking at her frail daughter, Skyler clenched her lips and said after a while, ¡°Good girl, we¡¯ll take care of your injury first. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let this go.¡± Trisha was waiting outside when Celeste came out from Mrs. Kelley¡¯s office. She anxiously asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you work things out?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°The owner of Ruby Lake is Mrs. Kelley.¡± Trisha was startled, ¡°The same Mrs. Kelley who lost tens of thousands to you and keeps trying to trip you up?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°What a small world! Is she holding a grudge and refusing to rent to you on purpose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± The probability was quite high. Mrs. Kelley probably knew that the Reed family was nning a birthday celebration, and Skyler had been working hard on it. She must have wanted to reserve the venue for Skyler, but since Skyler didn¡¯t get the hosting rights this year, Mrs. Kelley immediately rented the venue to someone else. What a coincidence! ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± Trisha suggested, ¡°Ask Liam for help? Mrs. Kelley has to give him some face, right?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. To be honest, since the incidents with Grandpa David and Kaylee, she hadn¡¯t talked to Liam much. Now, to ask for his help would be a blow to her pride. Trisha sighed, she had tried her best, but Liam had messed up and angered Letti. ¡°Right, Mr. Garcia can help, didn¡¯t he say he owes you a favor? Perfect, let him repay this favor.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t trust Steven. He had helped her clear her suspicions for no apparent reason, and she didn¡¯t feel at ease with him. Helping someone without reason, if she asked for his help this time, who knows what other motives he might haveter, making it even harder to deal with. She had to deal with the venue issue herself. Trisha started the car, ¡°Let¡¯s go, apany me to the hospital first, and we can think about it on the way.¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°Have you been feeling unwelltely?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been having chest paintely, and I feel like there¡¯s a lump inside. I want to go to the hospital for a checkup, I¡¯m a little scared to go alone.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something earlier? How long have you been in pain?¡± ¡°For several months now, sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s been pretty bad these past few days.¡± Celeste was a little angry, ¡°How could you not think about getting it checked out after being in pain for months? That¡¯s so irresponsible! If you dy it, you¡¯re the one who suffers!¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Trisha¡¯s voice quivered with fear as she voiced her concerns. ¡°It won¡¯t be anything serious, right? You¡¯re not trying to scare me, are you? My aunt had breast cancer, is it hereditary? I don¡¯t have breast cancer, do I? I¡¯m not even married yet, and if I have to have surgery on my chest, how am I going to find a husband?¡± Her words tumbled out, filled with worry and uncertainty. Celeste said irritably, ¡°If ites to that, we¡¯ll find another way.¡± Trisha was instantly unhappy, ¡°I haven¡¯t even experienced the joys of being a woman yet! At least wait until I¡¯ve had a rtionship before we talk about that.¡± Celeste suddenly wondered why she was arguing with Trisha about this topic. They thought registering at the hospital would be quick, but when they arrived at the breast surgery department, they found it was packed with women around their age. They wondered if it was because women nowadays are under more pressure, leading to a lower age of onset for breast diseases. Celeste wanted tofort Trisha, but she found her ying games on her phone. Celeste twitched the corner of her mouth, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting breast cancer?¡± Without looking up, Trisha replied, ¡°Worst case, I¡¯ll just find another way.¡± Well, that was a waste of worry; she had already epted it. ¡°You wait here in line, and I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡± *Just hurry back, I¡¯ll be scared going in alone. You have toe with me.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± When Owen came out to get some water, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the restroom area. He hesitated for a moment, wondering why Mrs. Reed was at the hospital. He followed her and saw Celesteing out of the restroom and walking upstairs. He trailed her to the breast surgery department and saw her enter the clinic. Surprised, Owen quickly called Liam. ¡°Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed went to the breast surgery department.¡± In the hospital room. Liam was sitting in a chair, browsing his phone. The nurse straightened her uniform and walked in quietly. ¡°Mr. Reed, here to see Coco again?¡± His thoughts interrupted, Liam smiled and put down his phone. ¡°How has she beentely?¡± ¡°Coco¡¯s doing well, but she gets bored being in the room alone. You cane and visit her more often.¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. The nurse looked at Liam, who was so handsome that he seemed to radiate. His eyes were sharp when he looked up, and soft when he looked down at his phone. There were so many peopleing and going in the hospital every day, even the celebrities who came for treatment didn¡¯tpare to Liam. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The little nurse nervously clenched her hands, handed the lunchbox to Liam, blushed, and said shyly, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s almost noon. I saw you haven¡¯t had lunch yet. I made this lunchbox myself. If you don¡¯t mind, you can give it a try.¡± Liam stared at the lunchbox, taken aback. He had one of these lunchboxes at home too. It was blue with a rabbit on it, bought by Celeste. The first time she made a lunchbox for him, she used this one. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this is my first time cooking, so you have to eat it even if it doesn¡¯t taste good, otherwise my hard work will be wasted.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already lucky someone¡¯s cooking for you, and you¡¯re still picky?¡± ¡°Liam, am I the first woman to cook for you?¡± ¡°From now on, you can only eat what I make, not what other women make.¡± ¡°Maybe my cooking isn¡¯t that great, but I¡¯m good¨Clooking. When you eat, I¡¯ll sit next to you, and it¡¯ll be a great appetizer.¡± Turns out she was already so thick¨Cskinned back then. Thinking of those long¨Cago memories, Liam suddenly smiled. The little nurse was flustered by his smile, and her face turned even redder. ¡°Mr. Reed, I¡­ Before the little nurse could finish speaking, a voice came from the doorway, ¡°Daddy.¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Liam Reed looked back, and a little girl with a red hat, who was about five or six years old, squinted her eyes and called him. She was skinny and petite, with short hair and big eyes. Liam asked, ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Coco replied, ¡°Uncle Liam.¡± Liam finally waved, ¡°Come here.¡± Coco walked over and sat on hisp, ¡°Can you change the color next time? The hat in this color is so ugly.¡± Liam examined it carefully andmented, ¡°Indeed. But there are only two colors, the other one is ck.¡± ¡°I want the ck one.¡± ¡°Are you still not on good terms with Aunt Celeste Campbell?¡± Coco asked him while hugging his neck. Liam paused, ¡°Who told you we had a fight?¡± ¡°Uncle Owen said,¡± Coco snorted, ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t say, I could tell. The clothes you¡¯ve been wearing lately smell different from before, they don¡¯t have the fragrant smell of Aunt Celeste.¡± She sniffed and said, ¡°Not today either.¡± Liam pinched her nose, ¡°You can even smell that?¡± Cocoughed and said, ¡°Aunt Celeste must have had a fight with you and didn¡¯t let you into the bedroom.¡± She sighed, ¡°You¡¯re not working hard, so when are you going to have a baby?¡± Liam thought, not working hard, me? Who has Coco been hanging out withtely, and why was she bing so mature? As the two were talking, Liam¡¯s phone suddenly rang. ¡°Mr. Reed, Celeste has made an appointment with the breast clinic.¡± Liam¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She just went in, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on yet.¡± Liam hung up the phone and took Coco off hisp, ¡°I need to go out for a bit.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed¡­¡± The nurse didn¡¯t finish her sentence, and Liam had already left the ward. Coco squinted and asked, ¡°Nurse, is my Uncle Liam handsome?¡± The nurse had a crush on Liam and naturally wanted to get along with Coco, so she said, ¡°Mr. Reed is the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°You might have seen too few people then.¡± Coco showed the nurse a photo Celeste posted on her social media, ¡°My Uncle Liam¡¯s wife is even more beautiful.¡± The nurse, ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Owen was anxiously pacing back and forth outside the clinic. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. An elderly woman waiting in line couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Young man, stop pacing, you¡¯re making me dizzy.¡± Owen apologized, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m worried.¡± The elderly womanughed, ¡°Afraid your wife is sick? Don¡¯t worry, young people usually don¡¯t have serious problems. The chances of breast nodules or mastitis are high. Just take the medicine on time and adjust your mood, and your wife will recover quickly.¡± Owen coughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s my boss¡¯s wife.¡± The elderly woman, probably encountering this situation for the first time, was surprised and said, ¡°Your boss¡¯s wife asked you to apany her? What¡¯s your rtionship like?¡± Owen, ¡°¡­ ¡± What are you thinking? Just then, Liam arrived, and Owen didn¡¯t want to say anymore, so he hurriedly went to meet him. ¡°Hasn¡¯t shee out yet?¡± Owen nodded, ¡°She¡¯s been in there for a while.¡± As they spoke, a woman¡¯s painful scream emanated from inside. Liam¡¯s heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to push the door open, but the elderly woman stopped him, ¡°Dr. Ledford is examining her. It¡¯s normal for her to scream if there¡¯s a lump that hurts when touched. You going in will affect Dr. Ledford¡¯s examination.¡± Liam withdrew his hand from the door, looking unhappy. The elderly woman saw his worried look andforted him, ¡°Dr. Ledford is very skilled, handsome, and gentle. With him here, there will be no problem.¡± Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 The corner of Liam¡¯s eye twitched, and Owen asked the question he wanted to ask, ¡°is he a male doctor *Ah, isn¡¯t a male doctor quite normal now? There are also many male doctors in chintetrics and gynecology. As long as they can cure the dresse it doesn¡¯t matter if they are male or female doctors. You young people, why are you so conservativeT Liam, ¡°¡­¡± Owen secretly nced at his boss, whose face didn¡¯t look good, and he worried for him. So he asked agan, ¡°So, how the examation ¡°How can a breast examination be done? By touching. After touching, a more detailed examination is done Owen said, ¡°You¡­ you said¡­ touching?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The elderly woman looked puzzled, ¡°How else do you examine if not by touching? isn¡¯t a male examination done by touching toor Owen, ¡°¡­* He didn¡¯t know how to bring this up. Finally, he coughed and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s just a normal examination.¡± Liam gave him a cold look and remained silent with a tense expression. Inside the clinic. Trisha Colton blushed, staring at the gentle¨Clooking doctor in front of her without any hesitation, Celeste wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch. ¡°Does it hurt when I press like this?¡± Dr. Ledford asked softly. His voice was clear and cold, making Trisha¡¯s heart flutter, and her voice unconsciously became coquettish, ¡°A leta? The doctor touched the other side, ¡°Is it the same ce on this side as well?¡± ¡°Yes, but the left side hurts a bit more. ¡°Have you had your period?¡± ¡°Not yet, but it should be soon, in a few days. ¡°During your period, is the pain worse?¡± Trisha nodded, ¡°Yes, especially a few days before my period, it swells and hurts. It gets a little better after my period? The doctor nodded, released his hand, and stood up, ¡°You can get dressed now.¡± He took off his gloves and went to his desk to schedule the next examination. Trisha got dressed, and Celeste asked the doctor first, ¡°Doctor, is her condition serious?¡± The doctor looked up and nced at her, ¡°You¡¯re here to apany her for the examination?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, she probably just has breast nodules due to hypersia of the breast, which is likely benign. After the ultrasoundter,e back to see me.¡± Now Trisha was also dressed, ¡°Doctor, I don¡¯t have breast cancer, do I?¡± Dr. Ledford smiled, ¡°Breast cancer doesn¡¯t manifest itself in the way your pain does.¡± Trisha breathed a sigh of relief and asked quietly, ¡°Dr. Ledford, is this nodule serious?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, breast lumps are actually prettymon, and they¡¯re usually rted to hormone levels. For example, mood swings and work stress in women can easily cause this issue, but it¡¯s not considered serious. Usually, you don¡¯t even need any medication, just stay happy ande back for regr checkups.¡± Trisha finally felt relieved and looked at Dr. Ledford with admiration in her eyes, ¡°Dr. Ledford, you¡¯re so amazing, just by feeling it, you knew what the problem was.¡± As soon as Celeste heard it, she knew Trisha was flirting with the doctor. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 After seeing a handsome guy, she couldn¡¯t even walk straight. Dr. Ledford handed her a form with a smile, ¡°A touch examination is the mostmon method for breast examination, all doctors in our department can do it.¡± ¡°You must be the best in your department, otherwise why are there so many people waiting in line to see you outside?¡± Dr. Ledford smiled and lowered his head without answering. ¡°Dr. Ledford, can I add you on WhatsApp? This is my first time getting this disease, and I¡¯m quite scared. In case of any situation, can I ask you directly on WhatsApp?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Dr. Ledford thought for a moment and said, ¡°Okay.¡± The two added each other on WhatsApp before Trisha was dragged out of the consulting room by Celeste. ¡°Dr. Ledford is so handsome, wearing a uniform and frameless sses, he¡¯s just too good¨Clooking¡­¡± Trisha stopped talking when she saw Liam standing at the door, instinctively saying, ¡°Bastard.¡± She regretted it immediately. She had forgotten how vindictive Liam could be, so she quickly changed her expression, ¡°Mr. Reed, what a coincidence, you¡¯re also here to see Dr. Ledford?¡± Liam stood in silence for a while. Seeing Liam¡¯s face getting worse and worse, Celeste hurriedly told Trisha to leave, ¡°You go for the examination first, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Trisha was more than happy to run off with the appointment form. After Trisha left, Liam said, ¡°You came with her to see the doctor?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one having the examination?¡± ¡°Why would I have an examination when I¡¯m perfectly fine?¡± Celeste looked at him strangely. Upon hearing this, Liam finally breathed a sigh of relief but still gave Owen an unhappy nce. Owen shrugged; didn¡¯t he see that Trisha was there too? Celeste looked at Liam, ¡°Why are you in the hospital?¡± Liam answered softly, ¡°Visiting a patient.¡± She thought Liam didn¡¯t even know basic manners, but he actually took the initiative to visit a sick friend. ¡°Then you go and visit your friend.¡± ¡°I already did.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Celeste said, ¡± you can go back first. I still have to apany Trisha for her examination.¡± Liam, ¡°¡­¡± As soon as they met, she told him to leave. Was she so fed up with him that she didn¡¯t want to see him anymore? Liam nced at her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait together, I didn¡¯t drive.¡± Owen thought to himself, am I not the driver? Mr. Reed¡¯s lying skills have really improved dramatically. Celeste rolled her eyes, ¡°You brought Owen, and you didn¡¯t drive?¡± Liam said tly, ¡°This month is promoting environmental protection and zero¨Ccarbon travel.¡± Celeste, ¡°¡­¡± Recently, zero¨Ccarbon travel has been promoted on the streets. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell whether Liam was telling the truth or not. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°Then you wait here, I¡¯ll go see how Trisha is doing.¡± As soon as Celeste left, Liam turned to look at Owen with a somewhat unfriendly gaze, ¡°She looks pale?¡± Owen forced augh, ¡°Mrs. Reed¡¯s skin is delicate, perhaps it just looked that way from a distance. Mr. Reed, I¡¯ll go buy some water. Mrs. Reed has been running around all morning and must be thirsty.¡± Liam looked away, ¡°Hmm.¡± Owen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately went to buy water. Liam waited outside the consulting room,pletely unaware that he had be a spectacle in the eyes of others. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s so good¨Clooking, and he¡¯s apanying his wife to see a doctor, so the women in line couldn¡¯t help but be curious about him. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Only the elderly woman who had just talked to him looked at Liam strangely. Liam naturally noticed it too. And thinking that he might be blocking her view, he moved his feet slightly to the side. But then the enthusiastic elderly woman couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°Young man, you seem like a good person, why did you find such an assistant?¡± Liam was confused and felt strange. Seeing his puzzled face, the elderly woman said mysteriously, ¡°You weren¡¯t here just now. Your assistant was anxiously walking around outside. Who would be that anxious waiting for someone else¡¯s wife to see a doctor, as if he were an ant on a hot pot? Your wife is so beautiful, why would you find such a young assistant to take care of her? Isn¡¯t that like inviting a wolf into your home?¡± Liam reluctantly said, ¡°He¡¯s been with me for many years.¡± The elderly woman pped her hands and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that even scarier? After so many years, even a pet would develop feelings!¡± The elderly woman went on and on about her observations of the ¡°suspicious points,¡± talking with great enthusiasm until it was her turn to see the doctor. She didn¡¯t forget to remind Liam before leaving. ¡°Young man, you have to be more careful. Don¡¯t end up losing both your wife and your wealth in the end.¡± When Owen returned with the water, he saw Liam staring at him with a frown. Feeling nervous, he quickly put on a smile, ¡°Mr. Reed, has Mrs. Reed not returned yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liam¡¯s voice seemed a bit cold. Owen cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, would you like some water? Cold, hot, and even drinks are avable. Which one do you want?¡± ¡°Why did you buy so many for just a few people?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reed is a girl, she¡¯s a bit picky, so I bought a few more.¡± Liam stared at him for a second, then suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re quite attentive.¡± Owen, ¡°¡­¡± This was definitely not apliment, because Liam¡¯s tone was too strange, and his eyes were weird, even a bit angry. Owen was good at introspection, but at this moment, he racked his brains and couldn¡¯t figure out where he had messed up to make Mr. Reed so aggressive. So, when Celeste and Trisha came back, they saw Owen holding a bottle of water and standing awkwardly in front of Liam. ¡°What are you two doing blocking the door of the consulting room?¡± Celeste pulled Liam aside, ¡°You¡¯re blocking people¡¯s way.¡± Seeing Celeste, Owen felt like he had seen a savior. He quickly grabbed two bottles of water, ¡°Celeste, Ms. Colton, would you like some water?¡± Celeste took one and said to Trisha, ¡°You go in, I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Trisha walked a few steps, then turned back to take a bottle of water from Owen, squinting her eyes and shaking it at him, ¡°Thanks!¡± Celeste opened the water and asked Liam symbolically, ¡°Want some water?¡± Liam just hummed in response. Celeste hesitated for a moment, then handed over the bottle she had opened to him and opened another one for herself. These days, Celeste was alwaysing and going, and the two of them hardly had any time together. When he got up, she was resting; when he was resting, she was filming. On the rare asions when he wasn¡¯t busy, he would wait for her toe home at night, but she would go straight to bed after washing up. She didn¡¯tmunicate with him at all. He really didn¡¯t like the way their rtionship was going. Liam had been preparing for a long time before saying, ¡°In a bit¡­¡± But before he could finish, Trisha came out of the doctor¡¯s office. Celeste immediately went up to her, and Liam swallowed his words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did Dr. Ledford say?¡± Trisha¡¯s expression was terrible when she came out, and Celeste was a bit puzzled. Just now, when they were having the ultrasound, the doctor said that there was no big issue. Why did Trisha look like this after going around the clinic? Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Trisha said weakly, ¡°It¡¯s benign¡± Celeste was speechless, ¡°If it¡¯s benign, why do you look like that?¡± ¡°Dr. Ledford said I should have a checkup every six months, so I can only see him once in half a year, right?¡± She sighed, ¡°Why does it have to be benign?¡± Celeste rolled her eyes, ¡°Did you hit your head or something? You¡¯re crazy!¡± Trisha red at her, ¡°What do you know? If I don¡¯t go for the checkup, how can I create an opportunity for myself? Do you really want me to be single forever, do you?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste red back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you add him on WhatsApp?¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± Trisha smacked her forehead, ¡°I totally forgot about that!¡± She quickly checked her phone, and Dr. Ledford had already epted her friend request. His profile picture was also a picture of himself in casual clothes. The photo seemed to have been taken at the gym. Dr. Ledford was wearing a tank top, lifting the hem of his shirt, and taking a picture of his abs in the mirror. Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°He¡¯s so hot!¡± Celeste heard this and immediately leaned over, ¡°Yeah, not bad. You can¡¯t tell when he¡¯s wearing his uniform.¡± ¡°Wow, look at that waist! Even better than that fitness guru you sent mest time.¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°That one¡¯s still better.¡± ¡°Dr. Ledford is obviously better!¡± Liam was speechless. Owen just asked on behalf of his boss, ¡°What fitness guru?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyelids twitched, and before she could stop Trisha, she blurted out, ¡°A super fit fitness guru who dances the ¡®Happy Dance of Rich Ladies¡® during his livestream!¡± ¡°The Happy Dance of Rich Ladies?¡± Owen¡¯s knowledge seemed insufficient in the face of these new terms. Trisha yed the video, ¡°This one.¡± Owen leaned in to take a look, ¡°This is the Happy Dance of Rich Ladies?¡± The man in the video had an amazing body, but it wasn¡¯t a fitness video. It was a shirtless man dancing, sort of like a pole dance, with lots of hip twisting and sexy movements. Liam only nced at it, and his face got even worse. He looked at Celeste. Celeste guiltily avoided his gaze. Trisha was excited, ¡°During his livestream, his fan list is full of richdies. They tip him tens of thousands in just one night. Can you imagine how happy those richdies are?¡± Owen, ¡°¡­¡± He tentatively asked, ¡°Did you tip him too?¡± Celeste desperately tried to signal Trisha, but Trisha was too caught up in the excitement to notice. She blurted out everything. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of money. I¡¯ve always watched for free. Letti tipped him, and she rmended it to me.¡± Celeste, ¡°¡­¡± Liam nced at Celeste, ¡°Number one richdy, huh?¡± Celeste, ¡°¡­¡± She said sheepishly, ¡°Not quite number one.¡± Liam snorted, ¡°You seem disappointed.¡± Celeste, ¡± Trisha has such a big mouth! She just couldn¡¯t keep anything to herself. After getting in the car, Celeste asked, ¡°Are we taking you back to the office?¡± Owen said, ¡°There¡¯s a team¨Cbuilding event at thepany today. Let¡¯s go to the Azure Club.¡± Trisha perked up, ¡°The Azure Club? Your tearn¨Cbuilding event is at such a fancy ce?¡± Owen continued, ¡°We did well in the first quarter, so Mr. Reed wanted to treat everyone. If Ms. Colton is interested, you can join us for some fun.¡± Chapter 349 Trisha definitely wanted to go. The Azure Club was a very famous high¨Cend club in J City. She had heard it was extremely luxurious, and the staff was very beautiful and handsome. She wanted to see it for herself and brag about it to her friendster. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 . However, she couldn¡¯t ept the invitation directly since she wasn¡¯t close to Liam. So she turned to Celeste and said, ¡°Letti, you don¡¯t have anything going on this afternoon. Why don¡¯t we go and check it out?¡± Since Trisha asked, Celeste couldn¡¯t refuse. Trisha had been apanying her to scout locations, so she wanted to fulfill her wish. Although she agreed, once they arrived, Celeste regretted it. Because Angel Campbell was also there. She was even the star of today¡¯s team¨Cbuilding event. Angel was the spokesperson for Quantum¡¯s talent program in coboration with several universities. The first event was at Angel¡¯s alma mater, and the atmosphere was very lively. Many media outlets came to film it, and it even made the local news headlines. It also went viral on social media. Angel¡¯s image as an ¡°inspirational goddess¡± made her very popr among college students. Celeste had watched the speech but couldn¡¯t finish it. Because it was too hard to watch. Angel had many fans, so she knew how to attract attention. She portrayed herself as a wless person. She talked about her humble beginnings, how she never gave up despite being abandoned by fate, and how she fought to ovee her lowly background. To make her image even more perfect, she even made up a story about being bullied at the orphanage and called for people to care about the children there. Angel was free to shape her image, but Celeste couldn¡¯t stand watching her lie like that. After being adopted by the Campbell family, Angel never returned to the orphanage. That orphanage had always been supported by her mother, who held several events there every year. Caitlyn would always ask Angel if she wanted to go, but Angel would disappear when the time came. Eventually, Caitlyn realized that Angel didn¡¯t want to go and stopped asking. Angel was abandoned at the orphanage¡¯s doorstep when she was five years old. When the old director found her, she was clean. The orphanage tried to find her family, but they were unsessful, so they took her in. However, Angel only stayed at the orphanage for three months. After a fire, she was adopted by the Campbell family. With such a short stay at the orphanage, how could she possibly have been bullied? She was full of lies and totally infuriating. ¡°Miss, would you like a drink?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. A young man¡¯s voice came from the side. Celeste found it familiar, so she turned to look. There was a young man in a waiter¡¯s uniform next to her. He was tall and skinny, with delicate features, and he seemed somewhat familiar.. Upon seeing Celeste¡¯s face, the young man¡¯s expression changed slightly. He quickly turned and walked away with the drinks. ¡°Hey, stop right there!¡± Celeste yelled. As soon as the young man heard her shout, he dropped the drinks and bolted. What an annoying guy! Celeste gritted her teeth and chased after him. Liam had just finished toasting someone when he saw Celeste running after a waiter. Frowning, he followed them. As a young man, he was naturally athletic and fast. The Azure Club was spacious, with long corridors and many rooms. At the moment, everyone was busy in their own private rooms, so there weren¡¯t many people in the corridors. Even if there were, no one would stop him since he was dressed as a waiter. Celeste, wearing high heels, couldn¡¯t keep up for long. She watched as the distance between them grewrger, and then suddenly, she fell to the ground. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 The young boy¡¯s steps gradually slowed down, and as he looked back, he saw Celeste kneeling on the ground, covering her knee, with her face pale. The boy hesitated for a moment, but after a few seconds, he ran back toward her But he was still some distance from Celeste and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste just had a pale face, holding her knee, and her shoulders were trembling in pain. The boy was simple-minded, seeing that Celeste was not faking it, he stopped, and while contacting his colleagues, he bent down to check on her. As soon as he bent down, Celeste suddenly pushed him to the ground. Before the boy could react, she grabbed his cor. ¡°Why did you run when you saw me?¡± The boy suddenly realized he had been tricked, and his face flushed red. He scolded her, ¡°You liar! I should have never trusted your He obviously forgot how this woman dressed up as a girl to deceive him when he was a child, pretending she was about to die. This woman was too good at acting and too cunning. Celeste stared at him, ¡°It¡¯s your guilty conscience that made you run when you saw me!¡± The boy stiffened his neck and said, ¡°Would I run if you didn¡¯t chase me?¡± ¡°Would I chase you if you didn¡¯t run?¡± Celeste patted the boy¡¯s chest, ¡°You¡¯re as skinny as a stick, and you¡¯re trying to wear a uniform. Are you sure this is where you belong?¡± As soon as Liam came out, he saw Celeste acting like a female gangster, pinning a waiter to the ground, with her hand still fumbling on the person¡¯s chest. ¡°What kind of money are you trying to make? If you¡¯re short on cash, just say so. Do you know what kind of peoplee here?¡± Although Azure Club ims to be a high-end club, isn¡¯t it still a ce for rich people to drink and flirt? The waiters here are paid very well, but the requirements are strict. Being pretty is the most basic, and sometimes even a high education is needed. The reason for selecting waiters so strictly is to satisfy the needs of the rich, right? As long as the rich are willing to spend money, how can young men and women resist such a temptation? The easier it is to make money, the lower the bottom line, and the harder it is to leave when you get in too deep. The boy was unwilling to show weakness and gritted his teeth, ¡°Definitely not like you, a female gangster!¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Since you said that, I might as well be a gangster all the way. Take off your clothes for me!¡± Just as Celeste was about to strip the boy¡¯s uniform, Liam¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celeste turned her head and saw Liam standing next to her, with his face tense and his eyes staring at her with a bad look. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. To be precise, he was staring at the hand she used to undress the boy. Several Azure Club managers had already arrived in the hallway, all staring in amazement at the scene. Although they had seen people teasing waiters before, it was the first time they had seen such a tant act in the hallway. Celeste¡¯s lips moved, but it took her a while to try to exin, ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± The boy looked at Liam and immediately felt some dislike, ¡°I don¡¯t know her, she just pounced on me.¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡± ¡°She was still threatening me!¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam¡¯s face remained tense, and he said irritably, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get up?¡± In the end, they were all taken to the manager¡¯s office. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Celeste and Liam sat on one side, the boy sat on another sofa with a tense face, and the manager looked at them, coughing and saying, ¡°Mr Reed, Mrs. Reed, this really is a misunderstanding. I just found out about this Recently, the club has been short on staff, and the lower level staff have recruited some new employees. This young man is tall, and it¡¯s really hard to tell how old he is at first nce. You can imagine how this matter has gotten out of hand.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you check his ID? Celeste said angrily, ¡°He¡¯s not even an adult yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult.¡± The boy nced at her, ¡°I just turned 18st week¡± Celeste choked. ¡°So you can work here now? Don¡¯t you have to go to school?¡± The boy said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Celeste had a headache. ¡°Not my business, huh? Then I¡¯ll call the old dean toe and take care of you!¡± She took out her phone and pretended to make a call. The boy¡¯s face changed, and he immediately came over to grab the phone, but before he could touch Celeste, Liam grabbed his wrist and twisted it back, causing him to kneel on the sofa in pain. ¡°Let go of me! The boy struggled, but Liam¡¯s strength was great, and he couldn¡¯t move at all. Sean Knott was very tall. He was an abandoned child who had been ced in a welfare home after failing to find his family. It was unclear whether he had gotten lost or been abducted, but a gang that exploited children for begging had made him beg around train stations for a long time. His childhood experiences had given Sean a nimble body, and he had always been strong in fighting and other aspects. However, this was the first time he had been caught off guard without even fighting back. For a moment, he was both unwilling and annoyed. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Celeste patted Sean¡¯s face, ¡°What are you so cocky about? Want to fight me? My husband is great at Kung Fu, you know!* Sean was speechless. Liam was also speechless. He didn¡¯t even know he was that amazing. The manager immediately came over to mediate, ¡°Young people are always impulsive, it¡¯s normal for them to talk like this. Why don¡¯t you both have a drink and calm down? I¡¯ve already asked someone to find the person in charge, and when hees, I¡¯ll make sure to give you both an exnation¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t trying to dig any deeper into the matter. She pinched Sean¡¯s face, ¡°Remember this face, and if hees again next time, kick him out immediately. Don¡¯t let him work here.¡± Sean broke free of her pinch and said discontentedly. ¡°I haven¡¯t settled my sry yet!¡± The manager immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle it for you right now.¡± Ten minutester, Sean was standing in the hallway, counting a stack of money. The manager had given him an extra thousand dors. As they walked out of the manager¡¯s office, Liam asked, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the kid from the welfare home my mom sponsors, named Sean, Celeste frowned, ¡°He should be preparing for exams at school right now.¡± Sean was a very smart kid with good grades and a good chance of getting into a good university this year. With less than two months before the exam, instead of studying hard at school, he is working as a waiter, which seemed strange to Celeste. As Sean said, he seemed to be in need of money. He had counted the three thousand dors twice and was about to count it a third time when Celeste snatched the money from his hand. Sean wanted to fight back, but seeing Liam standing next to Celeste, he swallowed his pride and pulled back his hand, his eyes widened, and said, ¡°Give it back!¡± Celeste looked at Sean¡¯s face, which had patches of white and yellow makeup and, suddenly frowned. ¡°What the hell did you put on your face?¡± she said, reaching out to wipe it off. After removing the foundation, a bruise on the corner of his mouth appeared, Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Sean winced, covering the bruise on his face, and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s just a bad makeup reaction, I¡¯m allergic.¡± He regretted buying that cheap foundation; it woulde off as soon as he¡¯d sweat. Celeste frowned; she wasn¡¯t blind, that was obviously a punch mark! She asked seriously. ¡°Was it someone here who hit you?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then who did?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not from being hit, it¡¯s an allergic reaction!¡± Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t admit it, Celeste threatened to call the head of the orphanage, a dirty trick but effective. Sure enough, as soon as Sean heard she¡¯d call the headmaster, he confessed ¡°It was just a fight with a ssmate,¡± he said anxiously, ¡°Now give me back my money!¡± ¡°I but I¡¯m taking you back to school now¡± Hearing this, Sean¡¯s face immediately turned cold, ¡°I¡¯m not going¡± From his expression, Celeste knew there was more to the story. ¡°How many days have you skipped school?¡± Sean replied, ¡°I dropped out.¡± Upon hearing this, Celeste¡¯s anger red up, ¡°How old are you? What can you do if you don¡¯t go to school?¡± Sean seemed very irritated and resistant to this topic, gritting his teeth, ¡°It¡¯s my life, my path, and I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do!¡± Celeste was furious, ¡°So I should just let you ruin your life? Look at yourself, your face is painted like a ghost. Is this the path you chose?¡± Sean stubbornly replied, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Just as Celeste was about to blow up, Liam stepped in. ¡°It¡¯s toote today, and I doubt there¡¯d be anyone at school even if you took him there ¡°What do you suggest?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is Monday, right? Teachers should be there, and you can take him to find out more about the situation.¡± Celeste thought about it and agreed It was unclear what was going on with Sean, and without solving the root problem, he¡¯d find a way to run away even if she took him back to school ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go tomorrow. You¡¯ll stay at my ce tonight, and if you dare to run away, you can forget about getting your money back. I¡¯ll also tell the headmaster about your situation!¡± Sean was afraid, annoyed, and helpless. Most of the children in the orphanage had disabilities, and the healthy ones were usually adopted. Sean was one of the few physically healthy children there. He was introverted and stubborn, not as energetic as other kids at his age, and had trouble fitting in when he first arrived. It was the headmaster¡¯s tireless guidance and influence that helped him. Though he had a bad temper, he would immediately behave well when the headmaster was mentioned. Celeste called Trisha and asked her toe home with Owenter. She then left with Sean and Liam. What a coincidence! They ran into Angel as soon as they left the elevator. She was followed by two employees pushing a cart loaded with drinks. Seeing Liam, she said in surprise, ¡°Liam, Celeste, there¡¯s still a second round of performances, are you leaving so soon? We¡¯ve prepared many more shows.¡± Celeste nced at Angel, thinking she probably had her eyes on Liam too. But Celeste didn¡¯t like how Angel always seemed to want to take things from her So, she casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, almost nine. Our family is urging us to have a baby, so we need to go home and work on that. Liam has work tomorrow, too.¡± Angel were left speechless. Angel¡¯s face turned red, cursing Celeste in her mind but smiling. ¡°If you two have urgent matters, then go ahead. Be careful on your way.¡± Celeste ignored her and walked out of the elevator.¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Sean nced at the cart nearby and discreetly hooked it with his foot. With a crash, the drinks fell to the ground. The broken cups sshed liquid on Angel¡¯s leg Angel screamed in anger,pletely losing herposure When Liam looked over, Angel realized her mistake and forced a smile, quietly scolding the employees, ¡°How could you be so careless?¡± Celeste nced at Sean, who seemed indifferent. Of course, she knew he did it on purpose, thinking that he wasn¡¯t afraid of being caught on camera. He had no issues with Angel, but he just randomly sshed her with drinks. Afraid of raising suspicions, Celeste quickly left the scene with Sean. Although Sean was back at Celeste¡¯s house, he kept his mouth shut and refused to say anything. With no other options, Celeste secretly contacted the headmaster to find out about Sean¡¯s recent situation. As expected, the headmaster didn¡¯t know Sean had been skipping school and said that Sean had done well on hisst test. As long as he performed well this year, there would be no problems. So Celeste didn¡¯t bring it up again. Back in the guest room, Seany on thefortable bed but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, wondering how to face going back to school tomorrow. Finally, he couldn¡¯t stand it and got up to use the bathroom. He opened the door, peeked out, and was surprised to see Liam still sitting in the living room. He hesitated and closed the door again. After a while, unable to hold it in any longer, he peeked out through the crack again. To his surprise, Liam was still working. This went on a few times until Liam finally said, ¡°If you need to use the bathroom, just go. Don¡¯t make a mess in the room.¡± Sean¡¯s face reddened, and he finally gathered the courage to go to the bathroom. When he returned, Liam was still working His desk was covered in documents, and Liam seemed to read them effortlessly. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, just watch TV here.¡± Liam¡¯s voice was cold but not unpleasant, ¡°There are drinks in the fridge if you want any.¡± Sean shook his head and sat down on the nearby couch. Liam tossed him the remote. Sean didn¡¯t turn on the TV since he didn¡¯t like watching it. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. He thought Liam might ask him some questions, but Liam didn¡¯t seem to care about his presence and continued working without being disturbed Sean had known Celeste for many years and knew she was married, but he had never met her husband before. Today was the first time they met Sean¡¯s grown quite a bit this year, but standing next to Liam, you can tell he¡¯s still just a kid. Liam¡¯s got broad shoulders and a narrow waist, looking like what the grown-up Sean wishes he could be. He hesitated for a moment before asking. ¡°Are you really, super strong or something?¡± Liam, ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Liam didn¡¯t directly answer the question, but instead asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Sean said, ¡°It seems like it¡± Liam seemed to smile but didn¡¯t continue talking Sean looked at hisputer screen, and after a while, he said, ¡°Bro, can you help me persuade Celeste? I don¡¯t wanna go to school.¡± The title ¡°bro¡± made Liam happy, but he just nced at Sean and calmly said. ¡°Do I look like someone who can control Sean was speechless. Liam got up to grab a beer, opened it, and asked Sean, ¡°Want one?¡± Sean was about to reach for it, but Liam pulled his band back, ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re not of age yet.¡± Sean was speechless again. He was obviously of age. Liam took a small sip of beer and then asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go to school?¡± Sean clenched his lips and didn¡¯t speak for a while. Liam wasn¡¯t in a hurry. After a while, Sean finally said, ¡°I hurt someone, and they want me to pay for their medical expenses, hundreds of thousands of dors.¡± After saying that, he secretly looked at Liam¡¯s expression and unexpectedly found that there was no disgust or displeasure in his eyes. He even calmly asked, ¡°Did you kill the person?¡± ¡°Of course not! I just¡­ just cracked their head open, but I got hit too! Their parents went to the school, made a long list of demands, said they¡¯d go to the principal, and they want us to pay them over a million dors. I don¡¯t have that kind of money¡± Liam said, ¡°You don¡¯t want to pay, so you refuse to go to school but have you ever thought that even if you don¡¯t go to school, they can still find the principal?¡± Sean turned pale and whispered, ¡°I can avoid it for one day, I¡¯ll go out and make money to hire a lawyer, and I definitely wont have to pay that much for medical expenses. I just don¡¯t want the principal to worry about me¡± ¡°Simply avoiding it won¡¯t solve the problem,¡± Liam said, closing theputer, ¡°Andpensation isn¡¯t up to them to decide. Go get some rest.¡± When Liam went upstairs, he saw Celeste sitting on the second-floor stairs with a coat draped over her shoulders and hugging her knees. Seeing Liam, Celeste looked up and said sullenly, ¡°Why does he tell you everything?¡± Liam replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m charismatic.¡± Celeste was speechless, thinking how thick-skinned he was. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Liam looked back at her, ¡°Come and fulfill your promise.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we do it another day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. So Celeste had no choice but to help Liam with his massage. That¡¯s right, Liam¡¯s condition for helping her gather Sean¡¯s information was to get a massage from her The next morning, after breakfast, Sean put on new clothes, and Celeste began urging him to leave. Sean was in no hurry, and he waited until Liam came downstairs before rushing up to ask, ¡°Bro, can youe with me?¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Liam nced at Celeste and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have someone to apany you?¡± Sean said. ¡°Celeste is too direct. The moment she opens her mouth, we¡¯re bound to get beaten up. You¡¯re a ck belt in Taekwondo, right? If you go, at least they won¡¯t dare to do anything¡± Lum was speechless Celeste thought: She¡¯s direct? He hasn¡¯t heard Liam speak yet! If she would get beaten up for speaking up, Liam would definitely get killed. ¡°Would they dare to do anything in your school? Stop dawdling, hurry up and go, you¡¯ll bete.¡± Sean obviously felt that Celeste was not reliable enough to handle this matter and insisted that Liam apany him, ¡°I don¡¯t care, if my bro doesnt go. I won¡¯t go either She tentatively asked Liam, ¡°Can you go?¡± Before Liam could answer, Celeste said. ¡°If it¡¯s not convenient, you can call Mr. Fletcher and ask if he cane with us. After all, he¡¯s a professional in the legal field¡± Liam nced at Celeste. ¡°You can¡¯t afford Mason¡¯s legal fees¡± Then he said indifferently. ¡°Lets go. I have an hour¡± Celeste smirked menspetitive nature was so strong. When they arrived at the school, it was just past seven o¡¯clock, and the morning session had just ended. There were quite a few students on campus Sean was pretty famous at his school, and there were a lot of onlookers along the way, many of whom were girls. He was handsome and studious, a popr figure in the school. Of course, the girls would pay more attention to him. Celeste only thought of this andpletely ignored the impact of her and Liam¡¯s presence Sean was indeed very popr in school, but when he appeared on campus with a well dressed and good looking man and woman, it was like a runway show of wealthy individuals in the eyes of their ssmates. A boy upstairs saw this scene and immediately ran into his ss. ¡°Hunter Kelley, Seans at school! And he¡¯s with some people!¡± At first. Sean was a bit restrained but seeing the two of them looking calm, he gradually rxed. He led them all the way to the office building and turned around to say, ¡°Our teacher is in there¡± Celeste touched her chin, ¡°Knock on the door¡±. Sean looked at Liam and then went to knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± A voice came from inside, and Sean opened the door. Maybe it was because ss was about to start and there were still quite a few teachers in the office. Some were busy chatting some were preparing for ss, and others were answering students questions.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Sean¡¯s homeroom teacher¡¯s desk was in the back. He walked in front, with Celeste and Liam following. As they passed, the voices gradually quieted down until Sean finally said to his teacher, ¡°Ms. Lewis, my guardian is here.¡± For a moment, the office was silent. Sean was an orphanage kid, and everyone in the entire grade knew about it. Before, the orphanage director hade to the school for a parent teacher conference, but due to her old age and communication difficulties, Sean didn¡¯t want her toe anymore. Were these two newly hired staff members from the orphanage? But they didn¡¯t look like it, this couple had a very noble demeanor. Everyone was guessing in their hearts while secretly sizing up the couple. Celeste reached out her hand and said politely. ¡°Hello, Ms. Lewis. Im Sean¡¯s guardian, Celeste. This is my husband, Mr. Reed¡± Ms. Lewis finally stood up, and shook their hands, ¡°Nice to meet you¡± Celeste went on, ¡°Sean told us he got into a fight with a ssmate at school and hurt the kid. So we¡¯re here to work things out.¡± As soon as Ms. Lewis heard they wanted to settle the issue, she immediately stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go next door to talk then. The injured kid is already back in ss today. I get in touch with his parents¡± Celeste agreed, ¡°Sounds good¡± After they left, someone asked Professor Morton, ¡°So, do you know that couple who just came in?¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Professor Morton shook his head, stroking his chin, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them before, but they do look familiar.¡± Someone joked, ¡°Professor Morton, is there anyone you don¡¯t know in this school?¡± ¡°They seem very familiar, I just can¡¯t remember where I¡¯ve seen them before.¡± ¡°Who do you think is more powerful, this couple or Hunter¡¯s parents?¡± ¡°Definitely Hunter. His dad is a senior official, and his mom is a real piece of work. Thest time Hunter got into a fight with a kid from another ss, his mom went at it with the other kid¡¯s parents in the office. She¡¯s pretty fierce.¡± ¡°Why did a senior official marry such a wife?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just into that kind of woman.¡± ¡°This couple looks clean and well-mannered; they don¡¯t look like the fighting type. Sean is just too stubborn. Can¡¯t he just put up with being teased a few times?¡± ¡°Just a few times? Teacher Fang, you weren¡¯t there. Hunter has a bad character, and everyone knows Sean is from the orphanage. He ridicules Sean daily for wearing old clothes and having no mom. Who could bear that kind of talk? He lives a life of luxury with people taking care of him, but his grades are terrible, and no one respects him. He has no manners and no good qualities. If my kid was like this, I¡¯d rather not have one!¡± ¡°Hunter has bothered Sean before, but Sean never fought back. Why couldn¡¯t he hold back this time?¡± ¡°Apparently, a girl wrote a love letter to Sean and hid it in his book. When the letter fell out, Hunter picked it up. He read it aloud in front of the whole ss, humiliating both Sean and the girl That¡¯s when Sean fought back.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then Hunter is pretty unlucky in this fight.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think Ms. Lewis could have just talked it out here, but she had to take them to the office next door. If a fight breaks out, we won¡¯t be able to break it up.¡± ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s just sit here and watch. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d go break it up if it happened.¡± Everyoneughed, but they couldn¡¯t help worrying for Sean and his guardians. Hunter¡¯s family does have some influence, and after thest fight, Hunter got hurt. His parents were furious and probably want the other party to pay them some sort ofpensation. The Student Affairs Office. Ms. Lewis poured two cups of tea and pushed them in front of the couple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Campbell, you said you are Sean¡¯s guardian, are you from the orphanage?¡± Ms Lewis looked young, maybe in her early 30s. Her voice was pleasant. Celeste took the cup and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not a staff member at the orphanage. However, my mother sponsors it. The director is a friend of mine. We¡¯re here to help with this matter on behalf of the director¡± Ms. Lewis nodded, ¡°I was actually nning to go see the director today to discuss this issue, but you guys beat me to it.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the kid who fought with Sean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the office door opened, revealing a tall and burly teenager with rough features and a bandage on his forehead. Hunter asked loudly. ¡°Ms. Lewis, you wanted me?¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 ¡°How many times do I have to say it? Knock before entering the office,¡± Ms Lewis looked annoyed, furrowing her brow ¡°Come in, and close the door¡± Hunter swaggered in and kicked Sean¡¯s chair sharply, causing Sean to neatly His elbow hit the table harshly, turning his face white from pain Sean grabbed Hunter¡¯s cor Hunter, are you freaking insane?¡± Hunter spread his hands. ¡°Ms. Lewis, look at this. He¡¯s just as violent now as he was in the ssroom Can you believe how these orphanage kids have no manners?¡± Sean clenched his fists, with his eyes red and his lips quivering from anger as if he was about to punch Hunter Celeste frowned and whispered, ¡°Let go of him, don¡¯t you remember why we¡¯re here today?¡± Sean¡¯s lips trembled, his neck veins tightening, but he didn¡¯t let go of him. Ms. Lewis tried to pacify the situation, but Sean was stubborn. Liam tapped his teacup and said casually, ¡°My tea is cold, get me some hot water¡± Sean finally let go of Hunter, took Liam¡¯s cup, filled it with hot water, and ced it back in front of Liam before sitting back down obediently Celeste couldn¡¯t help but think how easily Liam had been able to control Sean Seeing Sean sit back down, Hunter looked disappointed and eyed Celeste and Liam ¡°Are you two new employees at the orphanage?¡± He then nced at the new clothes on Sean ¡°Did the orphanage find another rich donor to give them money?¡±. Ms. Lewis¡¯s eyebrows knitted. ¡°Hunter, watch your mouth! These two are Stan¡¯s temporary guardians, and they are here to mediate between you Content held by N?velDrama.Org. and Sean.¡± ¡°Hunter, strictly speaking, what¡¯s been happening between us is deliberate harm. It could be handled by the police¡± Ms. Lewis felt a fire burning in her head. Hunter¡¯s family was influential, and the school heads often reminded her to be ¡®cautious¡¯ with him. She knew what being ¡®cautious¡¯ meant Regarding Sean, there were many good students in the school, but none were indispensable However, Hunter was different. The school¡¯s new sports field was built thanks to his father, and they needed Hunter¡¯s family¡¯s help to build a new library So, in reality, they wanted Ms. Lewis to make Sean back down in favor of Hunter. But Ms Lewis didn¡¯t want to do that. She taught Sean for three years, so she knows firsthand how tough his life is if the school kicks him out because of this, it¡¯ll be a massive blow to him. So, she took the initiative to suggest to the school that this be settled peacefully if possible. However, Hunter obviously wasn¡¯t gonna let it slide that easily. Celeste nodded in agreement, ¡°Calling the cops would be easy, and honestly, I think it¡¯s the best option. Since they feel the same way. Ms. Lewis, let¡¯s just get the police involved. Our little Sean here is supposed to be an actor someday, but now his face has been beaten to a pulp. Isn¡¯t that pretty much ruining his future? We should at least get somepensation in return¡± Hunter frowned and just then, a shrill woman¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°Compensation? You people from the orphanage must be money-hungry, huh?¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 The door was pushed open with a bang, and a woman strode in, with her slim high heels clicking loudly Celeste turned her head and first saw her ck stockings, then lifted gaze to notice the woman¡¯s heavily made up face Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She was dressed fashionably, in a leather skirt and short jacket. She had a great figure and looked beautiful and young, probably not over forty And for some reason, Celeste felt like she recognized her As Celeste looked the woman up and down, the woman was examining her as well Upon seeing Celeste¡¯s youth, her eyes revealed a hint of disdain But when she turned to Liam, she stopped in her tracks. After giving Liam a nce, she walked in Behind her was a thin middle aged man with sses, wearingbed back shiny hair and a neat suit. Just as Celeste was wondering who the man was, Ms. Lewis stood up and said, ¡°Mr. Milman¡± Ignoring Ms. Lewis, Mr. Milman ran up to pull a chair out for the woman. Then he turned to Ms. Lewis and said, ¡°Ms. Lewis, make Mrs. Kelley a cup of tea with the best tea leaves¡± Celeste frowned Mrs. Kelley waved impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m not here for tea, Mr. Milman, I want an exnation. You dragged me all the way here, and I thought you had settled the matter. But they¡¯re actually here to demand compensation. Is this how you handle things?¡± Mr. Milman bent over, apologizing profusely, ¡°Please forgive us, we¡¯ll definitely give you a satisfactory answer¡± Then he turned around and sternly questioned Ms. Lewis, ¡°Ms. Lewis, what happened? Didn¡¯t you say you could handle it? Are you even taking your job seriously?¡± Ms. Lewis looked embarrassed, ¡°Mr. Milman, these two are Sean¡¯s guardians. They came to the school today to discuss how to handle the matter.¡± Mr. Milman said grimly. ¡°Our school has never experienced such a vicious incident since its establishment! ssrooms are where students learn! Sean actually resorted to violence against a ssmate in ss. This totally vites our school¡¯s motto. If we indulge him, what will other students do? Learn to fight?¡± Mr. Milman kept going, pushing the me onto Sean with every word. Ms. Lewis tried to stick up for Sean in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Milman, both sides are to me, and Sean wasn¡¯t the first to get physical. Plus, we¡¯ve been unable to contact Sean¡¯s guardians until now. Since they¡¯re here today, I think we can all sit down and discuss the matter calmly¡± Mrs. Kelley frowned, ¡°What exactly do you mean? Both sides are to me?¡± As she spoke, she pulled Hunter close to her. Pointing to the wound on his head, she said, ¡°My son¡¯s injury is caused by that punk who smashed him with a chair, and he required stitches at the hospital! This could impact my son¡¯s future for all we know, and you¡¯re talking to me about whos responsible?¡± Mrs. Kelley¡¯s rebuttal left the young and inexperienced Ms. Lewis speechless. Mr. Milman nced at Celeste and Liam, ¡°You all see the severity of Hunter¡¯s injury. Plus, the impact of this incident is awful. The school board initially decided to expel Sean, but Ms. Lewis has been pleading for him. Since this is his first offense, you can pack up his stuff and process his withdrawal.¡± Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 What was the difference between this oue and expulsion? Sean¡¯s face was ashen, and his hands clenched into fists on his knees. Liam casually pushed the cup of tea he had just poured in Sean¡¯s direction, and Sean looked up to meet Liam¡¯s calm eyes, suddenly feelingposed. He seemed to understand the message in Liam¡¯s gaze: Why lose your cool when the main point hasn¡¯t even been discussed yet? Celeste waited for Mr. Milman to finish speaking before lifting her eyelids, ¡°Mr. Milman, which garbage university did you graduate from?¡± Caught off guard, Mr. Milman¡¯s face was filled with disgust, ¡°What¡­ what did you say?¡± Celeste continued, ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong. In the matter of fighting, is the injured party automatically right? The first sentence of your school¡¯s motto is fairness and justice. Have you remained impartial in this matter?¡± ¡°From the moment you stepped in, all you cared about was what Mrs. Kelley wanted to do. Are we just actors you invited to perform a show with you? Are you serving your students or acting as Mrs. Kelley¡¯s personal servant? If you¡¯re her pet, you might as well quit your job and be her dog.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Celeste left no room for Mr. Milman¡¯s dignity. No one had ever dared to criticize Mr. Milman as directly as Celeste just did. Sean watched, dumbfounded. Mr. Milman was notoriously snobbish in school. He would pamper well-off students but ignore average ones. Not only was he a bully, but he was also a bootlicker. Although his reputation among students was poor, he was favored by the school board and his colleagues had to step aside for him. Celeste¡¯s words were equivalent to aplete loss of face for Mr. Milman, doing what everyone else wanted to but was too afraid to do. Mr. Milman¡¯s face turned pale and green, pointing at Celeste before finally saying, ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ so ill-mannered!¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°My manners depend on your own integrity. If you practice favoritism and have such thick skin, why should I respect you?¡± Mrs. Kelley looked at her with contempt as she talked aggressively, figuring that she must be a newly hired staff member from the welfare agency who didn¡¯t have many skills and could only show off with her mouth. She sneered, ¡°No wonder this unwanted kid has no manners, it¡¯s because his guardian has no manners as well. Mr. Milman, are you not expelling this morally corrupt student because you want to bring him home for Christmas?¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Who are you calling ¡®unwanted?¡± Mrs. Kelley chuckled, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not quite urate. Maybe I should call him a ¡®stray dog¡¯ instead!¡± As soon as her words fell, Celeste suddenly grabbed the cup in front of Sean and sshed the tea on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Did you forget to brush your teeth before you left the house? Let me help you clean up!¡± Celeste¡¯s move was so fast that Sean didn¡¯t even have time to react. It was hot water he had just gotten from the water dispenser a few minutes ago. As expected, the woman screamed in pain, her face covered by her hands. Her arrogant attitude vanished instantly, leaving her looking quite miserable Everyone in the office was shocked, except for Liam, who calmly pushed another cup toward Celeste. Sean was speechless. He thought Liam was worried about Celeste acting impulsively, but it turned out that he was actually her armory. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 hapter 361 Hunter saw his mom get sshed with hot water and immediately stood up to start arguing with Celeste. Sean instinctively stood in front of Celeste to protect her. Then, Celeste threw the empty cup at Hunter¡¯s feet, smashing it to pieces with a ¡°crash¡±. She yelled, ¡°You dare to get close to us?! Sean may be soft, but my hubby is no pushover. Touch me today, and he¡¯ll chop off your hands and feet, trust me!¡± Liam and Sean didn¡¯t say a word. Hunter was actually scared but he couldn¡¯t be med for being a coward. If it was just Sean, he wouldn¡¯t have been afraid. He may be vicious, but he doesn¡¯t have much physical strength. He was injured earlier because Sean used a chair to hit him. But Liam was a different story. Hunter noticed the tall man as soon as he walked in. He didn¡¯t say much throughout the whole thing, but the aura he gave off was incredibly intense. Especially when he nced at Hunter, making him break out in a cold sweat. Mr. Milman flinched from the shattered porcin. He quickly went over with tissue to help clean up Mrs. Kelley. ¡°Get the hell away from me!¡± Mrs. Kelley violently pushed away Mr. Milman; her eyes locked on the three of them in front of her. She had always been respected at school when did she ever go through something like this? Not only was she scolded in public, but now she had hot water sshed all over her. She was shaking with rage. She stared at Celeste, gritting her teeth, ¡°You just wait! None of you will leave this school unscathed!¡± With that, she pulled out her phone and made a call: ¡°Your son and I got attacked at school, get over here now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what meeting you¡¯re in! Get over here now! If you don¡¯te, your son and I will die in this school!¡± Mr. Milman¡¯s heart sank when he heard this. Crap. Mrs. Kelley¡¯s powerful husband wasing. The favor he had asked of Mrs. Kelley might be long gone. Thinking of this, he hurriedly said, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, there¡¯s no need to bother Mr. Kelley. can expel Sean and make sure he never sets foot in this school again Content held by N?velDrama.Org. No sooner had his words left his mouth than Celeste said, ¡°Ms. Lewis, do you have the principal¡¯s number? Call him over, I want to know the school¡¯s basis for expelling students. Can a department head really just expel a student so casually?¡± Mr. Milman fumed, ¡°I was put in charge of handling this by the school, so of course I have the power to decide what to do! Leave school right now!¡± Mrs. Kelley, however, hadn¡¯t appreciated his efforts. ¡°Why should they leave? Nobody¡¯s going anywhere until this matter is settled!¡± Celeste raised the corner of her mouth, slightly mocking. ¡®See? She doesn¡¯t want me to leave either.¡± Mr. Milman was so angry that he felt like he might faint. He thought to himself. I should have expelled Sean from the very beginning! All of this is Ms. Lewis¡¯s fault, who always pushed for a ¡®peaceful resolution. Now the unlucky one is him. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 He red at Ms. Lewis, who pretended not to notice. Quietly, she sent a text to her colleagues to get someone from the principal¡¯s office quickly. because things were getting out of control. As everyone continued specting about the oue of Sean and Hunter¡¯s fight, a teacher suddenly said, ¡®Ms. Lewis says it¡¯s out of control, and we need to call the principal¡¯s office.¡± The office atmosphere was instantly filled with gossip: ¡°What does out of control¡¯ mean? Mrs. Kelley¡¯s¡¯ yelling again?¡± ¡°No, Ms. Lewis said that Sean¡¯s guardian sshed hot water on Hunter¡¯s mom, and Hunter¡¯s mom called people over to deal with it.¡± The office went dead quiet. After a while, someone cautiously voiced everyone¡¯s question, ¡°Hold on, did you say Hunter¡¯s mom got sshed with hot water by Sean¡¯s guardian? Are you joking?¡± ¡°Nope, that¡¯s what Ms. Lewis told me.¡± Talking resumed in the office. Hunter¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t just favored by the school administration but also had a high status among the parents. She treated parents who ttered her very well, but when it came to those who ignored or outright opposed her, she would iste them from other parents. No one had ever challenged her like this before. The teachers were shocked.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°And, Ms. Lewis said that the female guardian had told Milman to quit and be Mrs. Kelley¡¯sp dog.¡± Everyone was speechless. ¡°Damn, she¡¯s that badass?¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty; I thought she would be gentle and soft-spoken, can¡¯t believe she¡¯s so aggressive! Even daring to yell at Mr. Milman!¡± ¡°He deserved it, didn¡¯t he? He¡¯s done plenty of shady things over the years.¡± ¡°Sean¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t even that serious, originally. The school just wanted to mediate but then he tried to get in Mrs. Kelley¡¯s good graces, suggesting that Sean should be expelled. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the library thing?¡± ¡°What library? You guys don¡¯t know, right? This year, the school¡¯s representative team won first prize in the sciencepetition, so Quantum Enterprises signed a deal called ¡®The Elites¡¯ with the school, sponsoring a science library worth 100 million dors. The school¡¯s nning to announce it next month during the anniversary celebration, and construction is set to start in July and finish the next October.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not about the library, huh?¡± ¡°What is it, then?¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Milman¡¯s wife and Mrs. Kelley¡¯s husband work for the samepany. They¡¯re about to change leadership positions, and his wife is one of the candidates. Mrs. Kelley¡¯s husband has a say in the matter, so, of course, Mr. Milman would try to suck up to her, right?¡± ¡°He sure knows how to y politics!¡± In the Board of Education¡¯s office. Mrs. Kelley sat across from them, and her eyes piercing into Celeste as if she could drill holes through her with nothing but her gaze. Mr. Milman¡¯s tea was already ced by Celeste, who waspletely unprepared. If the scalding tea were tossed onto her pretty face, it might not burn a blister, but it¡¯d definitely leave her with a big red mark Mrs. Kelley¡¯s hand was itching to act, but right when she touched the cup, a familiar knocking sound came from her side. She stopped in her tracks, looking up into Liam¡¯s eyes. That look was cold and ruthless, and her cup-touching hand quickly retracted, as if she¡¯d been electrocuted. Mrs. Kelley cursed inwardly: This meddling man! But she didn¡¯t dare make a move. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Celeste remained oblivious and even grew a bit bored. Noticing something white and shiny on Liam¡¯s sleeve, she reached out and tried to scratch it off Liam didn¡¯t mind and let her do what she wanted. After some struggle, Celeste managed to take off the object, only to find there was glue on the backside. It seemed like it was a built-in decoration on his sleeve She subconsciously looked at his other sleeve, and sure enough, there was an identical decoration in the same spot. Celeste was puzzled. She stealthily nced at Liam, saw that he didn¡¯t pay attention to her, and tried to stick the decoration back on sneakily But after several failed attempts, the office door was opened, and without seeing who it was, she saw Mrs. Kelley rush over, crying and cursing. ¡°You finally showed up! If you were anyter, your son and I would have been killed today!¡± Mr. Milman was also very attentive, quickly greeting the man, ¡°Mr. Kelley, such a small matter, why are you bothering here personally?¡± But the man ignored him. ¡°What trouble did you cause again in school?¡± The man frowned, clearly a bit fed up with the mother-son pair. ¡°You heartless man! What do you mean I caused trouble? Your son got hit in the head, and I came here to straighten things out, only to have hot water thrown on me. Look at my face, look!¡± Although the water didn¡¯t burn her, it left a red mark on her face and soaked her entire outfit-a truly sorry sight. The man¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Who threw the water?¡± ¡°It was me.¡± Celeste stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Kelley, so this is Mrs. Kelley? She looks quite different from when I saw herst.¡± The man froze as he realized he was facing Liam and his wife. Celeste strolled over, scrutinizing the woman. No wonder she thought Mrs. Kelley looked familiar. She was the actress who had been paid 10 million dors by the real Mrs. Kelley to leave a few years ago. Mrs. Kelley borrowed money from Skyler Reed a few years ago, before she got married. Celeste had heard about this incident from Kaylee Reed during a family dinner. She had looked up information about the actress out of cunosity but found nothing, as her filmography was very limited. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The woman had a sweet appearance, but her features were not particrly outstanding. It was only the mole near her mouth that left a faint impression on Celeste. Having almost forgotten the face, Celeste suddenly remembered everything after seeing Mr. Kelley. The fairly unremarkable actress not only managed to stay in J City but also built a life under the alias ¡°Mrs. Kelley¡± and raised Mr. Kelley¡¯s children Even their illegitimate son was almost an adult now. This whole situation was way too interesting! Considering the timeline, the kid must have been born around the time the real Mrs. Kelley paid the actress. If that¡¯s the case, Celeste thought, Mrs. Kelley was probably scammed out of her 10 million dors, and even Mr. Kelley himself might have known all along. Mrs. Kelley was focused on guarding against threats when her illegitimate son was right under her nose. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as she was trying to figure out how to cancel Mrs. Kelley¡¯s reservation at Ruby Lake, the perfect opportunity presented itself. Mr. Kelley¡¯s expression right now was like someone struggling with constipation. He never imagined that his encounter with the Reed family¡¯s young couple would happen this way. Mrs. Kelley, without noticing Mr. Kelley¡¯s abnormality or Celeste¡¯s words, tried to get her husband to help her save face. Grabbing his arm, she said, ¡°This shameless woman is the one who threw water on me! And the injury on our son¡¯s head was caused by that wild dog next to her! Fire him right now, make them leave the welfare institute, and kick them out of J City!¡± She took the opportunity to unt Mr. Kelley¡¯s power, expecting that she could easily ruin a welfare institute right in front of everybody without breaking a sweat. Mr. Kelley¡¯s face was frozen in shock, his fingers were trembling and he was unable to look directly at Liam. Seeing that his wife wouldn¡¯t stop talking, he snapped, ¡°Shut up! Do you think I own the school? It¡¯s normal for students to fight. You¡¯re acting like a shrew arguing with them, and even dragged me here! Do you know how busy I am?¡± The woman was taken aback, unable to grasp what was happening. She only heard him calling her a ¡°shrew.¡± Bryce Kelley had always been subservient to her. Today, however, he chose to scold her in public, which upset her deeply. ¡°Bryce Kelley, who are you cursing? I can¡¯t believe you would curse your own wife, who was attacked along with your son! If you¡¯re not going to help, at least don¡¯t shout at me! Are you insane?¡± Mr. Kelley, desperate to leave, didn¡¯t want to console her. Grinding his teeth, he said, ¡°You really have thick skin! Our son is spoiled because of you, he¡¯s always causing trouble at school. You better take him home right now and stop making a scene!¡± His wife was furious. ¡°Bryce Kelley! Are you crazy? Who are you talking to? Why should we go home?¡± Her man didn¡¯t support her at all, instead, he kept telling her to let it go and ept it. How could she stomach this? She had been tough in school multiple times, making teachers, school leaders, and students¡¯ parents give her face. If she left here in a weak manner today, wouldn¡¯t people make fun of her in the future? ¡°Yeah,¡± Celeste chimed in, trying to stir things up. ¡°You guys also have topensate us for the medical expenses and the mental distress. How can you just leave? At least settle this bill first.¡± The woman¡¯s face turned blue with anger, and she cursed, ¡°Shut up!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Say that again, I dare you.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s ten times, I¡¯d still say it! Damn-¡± ¡°Smack=¡± Bryce Kelley immediately pped her across her face.. ¡°Do you really want to embarrass us that much?¡± The woman¡¯s head was spinning, and she covered her face, with her eyes full of confusion. Hunter also panicked, rushing forward to protect the woman. ¡°Dad, are you out of your mind? How could you hit Mom?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Bryce Kelley heard him say ¡®Mom¡¯, and veins bulged on his forehead. He angrily said, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t stirred up trouble at school, would we have made this scene today?¡± Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 His real wife, Mrs. Kelley, is super close with the Reed family, so he¡¯s obviously a regr at their ce. They¡¯re even talking about the Quantum project together. Mrs. Kelley and Skyler are like BFFs, and after the fight with her bro, Skyler took extra care of her. So they¡¯ve been helping each other out. If this blows up in his wife¡¯s face,it¡¯s gonna be a hot mess He¡¯s about to be promoted, but if the word gets out that he¡¯s messed up, he can kiss this year¡¯s election chances goodbye. These two old fools can¡¯t take a hint, and now they¡¯re throwing tantrums like a bunch of pigs! He never should¡¯ve picked a woman who¡¯s all about looks; even the kids have no manners. Bryce Kelley told his assistant, ¡°Send those two home, and have them think about what they¡¯ve done!¡± But Celeste wouldn¡¯t let them off that easily. She said, ¡°Mr. Kelley, we haven¡¯t sorted things out yet. If you all leave, who¡¯s gonna stop Mr. Milman from firing my brother? Gotta settle this first, right?¡± Bryce Kelley¡¯s eyes twitched. His wife always said that the Reed family¡¯s daughter-inw is a dummy, but dummies don¡¯t talk like that. Mr. Milman was dumbfounded when Bryce Kelley hit Mrs. Kelley thinkingthat is it because of his identity that he doesn¡¯t wanna meddle directly in this matter? Are they just putting on a show? Trying to look like a bringer of justice? After all, if Mr. Kelley didn¡¯t care, he wouldn¡¯t havee running to the school. The more Mr. Milman thought about it, the more he thought he¡¯d figured out Mr. Kelley¡¯s motive. So he quickly said, ¡°Sean¡¯s expulsion is a deliberate decision made by the school. It has nothing to do with Mr. Kelley. You guys should focus on resolving the withdrawal procedures.¡± Bryce Kelley was pissed Trying to keep his cool, he said to Mr. Milman, ¡°Expulsion is a serious matter, let¡¯s not take it lightly.¡± The hint was pretty obvious. But Mr. Milman thought he¡¯d hit the jackpot in guessing Mr. Kelley¡¯s intentions, and he thought they were ying good cop-bad cop. ¡°Regarding the expulsion, it¡¯s something that the school leaders have unanimously agreed on. It¡¯s better to get rid of students with poor character. The school will handle this fairly and resolutely with no tolerance for bad behavior!¡± Celeste said nothing and just grinned at Bryce Kelley. His eyes twitched harder, not believing Mr. Milman¡¯s stupidity for not understanding his hint. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. As Mr. Milman was speaking, a thin man in a gray suit entered the room. Mr. Milman was taken aback, ¡°Mr. Shovan? What brings you here?¡± Ms. Lewis sighed in relief. Mr. Shovan is an honest man, with him around, things won¡¯t be brushed under the rug, so Sean might stand a chance. Mr. Milman worried about losing his credit, so he quickly went to Mr. Shovan, ¡°Why are you bothering with this petty issue? I can handle it.¡± But to his surprise, Mr. Shovan looked at Sean¡¯s guardian in shock, ¡°Mr. Reed?¡± The others were puzzled. Mr. Shovan knew Mr. Reed? He hurriedly greeted him, ¡°What brings you to school, Mr. Reed? Is it about the library.¡± A library? Mr. Reed? Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Seeing Mr. Shovan¡¯s respectful attitude, Mr. Milman froze, realizing he¡¯s talking to the Quantum Enterprises¡¯ Mr. Reed, the guy donating the library? He broke into a cold sweat, ¡°Mr. Kelley, is this¡­?¡± Bryce Kelley couldn¡¯t care less about this dimwit. ¡°No.¡± Liam said calmly, ¡°My kid was attacked at school, and the school leaders want to expel him without getting to the bottom of it. So I came with my wife to see what¡¯s going on.¡± Mr. Shovan¡¯s face changed, and he asked Mr. Milman, ¡°What¡¯s the story here? What happened that led to expulsion?¡± Sean pursed his lips. They¡¯d somehow twisted the story to make themselves the victims. Mr. Milman stuttered, ¡°This is¡­ just a small conflict between students.¡± Celeste raised her eyebrows, ¡°Small conflict? Mr. Milman, that¡¯s not what you said earlier. You said Sean vited school rules, tarnished the school¡¯s reputation, and was to be expelled. How do you exin that?¡± Mr. Shovan frowned. ¡°When did the school board discuss this? I didn¡¯t hear anything about it.¡± Expelling students is a serious decision that requires multiple levels of approval. Not just Mr. Milman, but even Mr. Shovan can¡¯t make this call by himself. He knew how much some school leaders admired Mr. Milman and tolerated his working style. But he never expected him to mess up this much, not only kicking out a student on his own but also targeting the Reed family¡¯s kid. If it weren¡¯t for the teacher bringing him to the office today, how could they even think about cooperating with Quantum Enterprises after all this drama? Mr. Shovan said, ¡°Mr. Milman, is this your first day at work? You¡¯ve got some nerve for making up decisions from the school board!¡± Mr. Milman trembled at the scolding, with his previous haughty attitude vanishing in an instant. His face turned pale, his lips quivered, and he couldn¡¯t utter a word. Mr. Shovan red at him, then turned to look at the equally stunned Ms. Lewis, ¡°Are you the homeroom teacher for these two students?¡± Ms. Lewis snapped back to reality and nodded repeatedly. Mr. Shovan then began to inquire about the cause of the incident. Bryce Kelley felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and as if a sword was hanging over his head. Fights between students aren¡¯t really a big deal in schools. Young people are always full of energy and passion, so how could there be no conflicts? Having previously served as a department head, Mr. Shovan was very skilled at handling such problems. Thus, after understanding the situation, he proposed a solution. Both students would receive warnings and write a 3,000-word essay. As for medical expenses, they could be negotiated between the parents. Mr. Shovan suggested that both parties pay for the other child¡¯s medical expenses. Celeste was rtively satisfied with this oue. They weren¡¯t seeking special privileges, just a fair resolution was enough. It¡¯s just that the other party¡¯s attitude was so bad initially, which led to the earlier farce. She turned to Bryce Kelley, ¡°Mr. Kelley, how much are the medical expenses for your son?¡± Bryce Kelley was eager to leave and didn¡¯t care much about the medical expenses. He said quietly, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, and it didn¡¯t cost much. Besides, it was indeed Hunter¡¯s fault. You don¡¯t need to worry about the medical expenses.¡± Celeste said calmly. ¡°Then settle the medical expenses for Sean. Medical expenses, meal costs, tuition fees, mental damages¡­. just pay us 5,000 dors directly.¡± Everyone was left speechless. Original from N?velDrama.Org. What do you call pushing your luck? This is the perfect example. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Sean made the first move, and he didn¡¯t even have the nerve to ask for medical expenses, while Celeste took the opportunity to ask for a big chunk of money. Only Liam looked unfazed. Five grand, for Celeste, was already pretty conservative. She didn¡¯t really wantpensation, she just wanted to dete the other party¡¯s momentum. Bryce Kelley¡¯s face turned ugly. He was a man of status, and he couldn¡¯t stand being threatened by a young girl. But with Liam¡¯s presence, he could only swallow his anger. He signaled his assistant to transfer the money immediately. He couldn¡¯t wait to get out of there. Celeste looked at the iing payment on her phone, her lips curling up slightly. ¡°Mr. Kelley, you¡¯re much more polite than Mrs. Kelley¡± Bryce Kelley didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Mr. Kelley, I have another request. I wonder if you could help.¡± Bryce Kelley gave her a cold look and said in a deep voice, ¡°Celeste, go ahead.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Our family¡¯s elderlydy is turning eighty next week, and I want to rent the Ruby Lake venue for her birthday party. But Mrs. Kelley said the ce is already rented out. Would Mr. Kelley please talk to Mrs. Kelley and help us coordinate the schedule?¡± Bryce Kelley, of course, knew about this. His business needed the Reed family¡¯s support, and that couldn¡¯t be done without Mrs. Kelley and Skyler¡¯s munication.¡± Mrs. Kelley always obeyed Skyler. This time the venue wasn¡¯t rented to the Reed family, which must have been a private arrangement by Skyler Bryce Kelley didn¡¯t want to offend Skyler, so he said, ¡°Ruby Lake is my wife¡¯s property, and I have no say in it.¡± ¡°How interesting,¡± Celeste deliberately dragged the word. ¡°I wonder if Mrs. Trent could help? Mrs. Kelley hasn¡¯t seen her in years, right?¡± Mrs. Trent was the fake Mrs. Kelley from earlier. Bryce Kelley¡¯s face was extremely ugly. ¡°Celeste, are you threatening me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just business,¡± Celeste grinned and lowered her voice. ¡°I wonder how Mrs. Kelley would react if she knew the ten million dors made her swap a son? After all, it¡¯s a dreame true.¡± Then she added casually. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it alle down to business? Right, Mr. Kelley?¡± Bryce Kelley¡¯s face went worse and then downright terrified. She knew about the ten-million-dor deal. If word got out, it wouldn¡¯t just be a moral issue for him. Suppressing his panic, he said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kelley.¡± Ms. Lewis watched as the situation changed rapidly, and was a bit stunned. The onlookers in the office couldn¡¯t sit still, and they eagerly checked their WhatsApp for updates on the negotiation¡¯s oue. Original from N?velDrama.Org. When Ms. Lewis posted the results, everyone was stupefied. A settlement? And they got money from the Hunters and got Mr. Milman¡¯s sry suspended? Everyone was satisfied but also dumbfounded by the oue. ¡°How did they get the money from Hunter¡¯s mom? She¡¯s always such a shrew.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s so powerful?¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 ¡°Wha-¡°Professor Morton suddenly pped the table. Everyone was startled, ¡°Professor Morton, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Professor Morton pped his thigh. ¡°I remembered¡¯ That man is Mr. Reed from Quantum Corporation! I was there when the library signed the agreement. I saw him from afar, and he signed the contract.¡± No wonder Mr. Milman messed up this time He tried to kiss up to someone else but ended up getting schooled. With the couple¡¯s powerful aura, everything suddenly made sense. Finally, someone could take down Mrs. Kelley. After aplishing this big task, Celeste was so happy that she hummed all the way home. Sean felt a bit unreal, the matter was resolved so easily. They didn¡¯t have to pay up, and even got the medical expenses covered. He nced at Celeste and then at Liam, hesitatingly asked, ¡°Celeste, why are Hunter¡¯s parents so scared of you guys?¡± Celeste took a look at him, ¡°You forgot?¡± Sheughed, ¡°My husband practiced Taekwondo, and even Kung Fu. How could they not be scared of us?¡± Sean¡¯s mouth twitched, knowing she was just making things up. Celeste grabbed Sean¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Come on, we just took half a day off; let¡¯s go buy gifts for the Dean and Hugo and visit themter¡± There¡¯s no need to let the kid know about the devious side of the adult world. Turning to Liam, she said, ¡°You go back on your own, I¡¯m going to the welfare home.¡± Liam touched his forehead, looking exasperated. Celeste had already pulled Sean away. Liam got a call, ¡°Mr. Reed, the tickets are booked. We might have to go a few days early, the local inspection has to be done again to ensure no mistakes.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liam said coldly, watching Celeste¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°You handle it, just make sure we get back before the birthday party.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± At the shopping mall. Celeste picked up a pair of sneakers and asked, ¡°What about these?¡± Sean felt a little out of ce in the store. The clean ceiling reflected his shabby shoes, constantly reminding him that he didn¡¯t belong in this luxury shop. The salesperson immediately approached, ¡°Miss, you have great taste! These sneakers are ourtest style, perfect for sports, and very lightweight. What size do you need?¡± Sean pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not trying it on.¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s for you.¡± Celeste told the salesperson, ¡°Bring me a pair of size 42.* Sean awkwardly took off his shoes, revealing his left sock that was torn with his toes peeking out. ¡°That¡¯s a unique pair of socks,¡± Celeste joked, then turned to the salesperson and asked for a new pair of socks. The sneakers were indeed as the salesperson described, extremelyfortable to wear. Sean experienced for the first time what it felt like to walk on clouds with sneakers. His eyes showed a mix of surprise and joy. Celeste asked the salesperson, ¡°How much are these shoes?¡± ¡°The new product is 5% off, let me calcte the price for you,¡± the salesperson said as they punched some numbers into a calctor and then announced, ¡°The discounted price is $845.¡± Before Celeste could speak, Sean blurted out, ¡°That expensive?¡± He immediately regretted his words. Thinking about the store¡¯s decorations, the prices would obviously not be cheap. He felt like a country bumpkin who had stumbled into a world that didn¡¯t belong to him, where everything seemed out of ce. .Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 The salesperson smiled and said, ¡°Although the shoes in our store are a bit more expensive, the quality is definitely top-notch. Most of our customers are repeat buyers. Once you wear our shoes, you¡¯ll understand. We also offer a lifetime warranty and free cleaning. If there¡¯s a quality issue within two months, you can even exchange for a new pair.¡± Celeste took out a card, ¡°I¡¯ll take this pair. Sean frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want them.¡± After saying this, he took off the shoes, put on his old ones, and headed for the exit. Celeste said something to the salesperson and then got up and followed him. She found Sean was leaning against the railing, looking down at the floor below. She walked over and stood next to him, ¡°Not happy with the gift?¡± Sean pursed his lips and said after a while, ¡°It¡¯s not something I can afford. If I wear them, I will just stand out and be ridiculed.¡± Celeste was taken aback, havingpletely forgotten to consider this point. Although Sean wasn¡¯t talkative, he was sensitive and mature. She gave him such an expensive gift, but unlike other kids, he wasn¡¯t happy to ept it. Instead, he felt scared and uneasy, as if it didn¡¯t belong to him, and that he wasn¡¯t worthy of such a gift. Celeste gently said, ¡°It¡¯s your 18th birthday, and I just wanted to give you an extra present. Who would ridicule someone for receiving a gift? They should be envious and jealous. Just because you can¡¯t afford it now doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be able to afford it in the future. People shouldn¡¯t only look at the road they¡¯ve walked, but also the road ahead and the sky above.¡± Sean was stunned and touched. He held back the sour feeling in his nose and whispered, ¡°You do make a lot of sense.¡± Celeste twitched the corner of her mouth and smacked him on the head, ¡°I¡¯m a brilliant student who got into the University of T! Don¡¯tugh at me until you get into that school too!¡± Sean smiled, ¡°Where did your husband graduate from?¡± ¡°The University of T.¡± ¡°You guys are alumni?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that he seems more cultured than you.¡± Celeste was speechless. In the end, Celeste exchanged the shoes for a pair of $90 sneakers for Sean. He told her to exchange the original $800 shoes for this pair and keep the change in cash for him. This was the first time Celeste had met someone who loved money more than herself. However, it wasn¡¯t long before she discovered that Sean wasn¡¯t greedy but rather frugal. When selecting gifts for the orphanage director and the kids, Sean always chose cost-effective items. He refused anything too pricey, and it wasn¡¯t until he picked up two cheap cans of milk powder that Celeste couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This is adult milk powder. Hugo and the others can¡¯t drink this. Let¡¯s go back to the previous milk powder.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Children¡¯s milk powder is too expensive. It costs hundreds of dors per can. That money could cover the orphanage¡¯s food expenses for three days. And Hugo is almost six years old, and he¡¯ll be starting school soon, so the expenses will be even higher. Save where we can, so the director can have an easier time.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°What do you mean¡¯so the director can have an easier time?¡± Sean¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he avoided her gaze, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just think if we spend less, the director can provide for more kids.¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t easily fooled, ¡°What happened to the director? Why is she always stressed about saving money? Is there not enough funding? Or is there some sort of problem?¡± Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Seeing that he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore, Sean hesitated before saying, ¡°The director has run out of money. She can¡¯t even pay the cook¡¯s sry, so the cook had to quit. A few days ago, I heard the director discussing with Professor Torres about selling her house.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°The bank sends money every month on time, how could there be no money?¡± Caitlyn had set up a dedicated ount to connect with the orphanage and had been transferring money in on time every month for many years. The orphanage wasn¡¯t big and hadn¡¯t taken in any new children in recent years. With the director and the others included, there were fewer than twenty people in total. With $50,000 transferred each month by Caitlyn, it should have been enough to support the small orphanage¡¯s operations. Sean closed his mouth and said, ¡°Aunt Caitlyn¡¯s donations stoppedst October.¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed, ¡°Stopped? What do you mean?¡± Sean didn¡¯t know much either. He overheard the director and Professor Torres talking by chance, and it was only then that he found out that the Campbell family¡¯s donations had stopped sincest October. The funding that the orphanage could receive from society was limited, and it mainly relied on the Campbell family¡¯s donations. So when the donations stopped, the orphanage soon fell into financial trouble. At first, the old director thought there was a problem with the Campbell family and that they had forgotten about us. But after waiting for three months and with still no moneying in, she vaguely sensed something was wrong. She then consulted with Professor Torres and nned to go to the Campbell family to ask about the situation. It happened to be summer vacation, and Sean secretly followed them. It was a hot August day. The old director and Professor Torres waited outside the house for more than three hours, but Shawn Campbell never showed up. It wasn¡¯t until the sun was setting that Angel came out, but she was there to send them away. She said thepany was facing difficulties and couldn¡¯t continue to support the orphanage. She also mentioned Caitlyn¡¯s illness, saying that they had spent a lot of money on it over the years and had done their utmost. Sean¡¯s ount was quite gentle, but the actual situation was even worse than he described. Angel had said that taking care of a useless person like Caitlyn was enough, and they didn¡¯t need to take care of a bunch of worthless people. It was Caitlyn¡¯s promise, so let her fulfill it. Why should it involve the Campbell family? The old director was furious when she heard this. Ovee with heatstroke, she returned to the orphanage andy in bed for three days before recovering. So this is why Sean can¡¯t stand Angel. He went to work as a waiter at the Azure Club, not only to escape from that school thing but also to make some extra cash to help out the headmaster with the financial burden. Still, Celeste was pretty shocked after hearing this. The charity funds for the orphanage were deducted from Caitlyn¡¯spany shares. What right did Shawn have to cut off this financial aid? Sean reminded her, ¡°The headmaster didn¡¯t want me to tell you about this. She¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll get dragged into it and feel bad. You mustn¡¯t tell her i told you.¡± Celeste pressed her lips together and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± When they got to the orphanage, the old headmaster was very pleased to see Celeste. Sean took the kids to distribute gifts while the headmaster chatted with Celeste. The headmaster and Caitlyn had always been close, and she watched Celeste grow up from a young age. Whenever she saw Celeste, it would remind her of Caitlyn, and they¡¯d talk about the past with nostalgia. The headmaster also asked about Caitlyn¡¯s well-being. ¡°My mom¡¯s doing well,. But the doctor says she¡¯s shown some improvementtely.¡± After hearing this, the headmaster joyfully said, ¡°Good people get good karma. Your mother has helped so many people, and the heavens will surely notice.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Celeste nodded and suddenly remembered something, ¡°Headmaster, did my mom ever ask you to keep something safe for her?* The headmaster thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°What was it?¡± asked Celeste. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 The safe was covered with a light gray waterproof cloth, and bowls and forks were ced on it. The dean uses it entirely as a dining table. The old dean said, ¡°Your mother gave me this a month before the incident. She said some important company documents and ount books were inside and asked me to keep them safe and not tell anyone. The things inside were essential important to her. She said she woulde to pick it up when she had time, but she didn¡¯t make it before the incident happened.¡± After the old dean finished speaking, he sighed, ¡°After your mother¡¯s incident. I wanted to give the safe to your father, but every time I called and mentioned your mother, he was very impatient and hung up after saying a few words. I didn¡¯t mention it again, and if you hadn¡¯t asked today. I wouldn¡¯t have remembered it.¡± Not long after his mother¡¯s incident, Shawn began reorganizing thepany and even thought about giving up a few times. Celeste was not surprised by his impatient attitude. She looked at the safe and thought for a while, then asked, ¡°When my mother gave you this to keep safe, did she say anything else? He didn¡¯t say anything special at the time. She seemed anxious, and her face didn¡¯t look good, so it must¡¯ve been been essential.¡± There wouldn¡¯t be any more information obtained from the dean. ¡°Can I take it away?¡± ¡°Of course, this originally belonged to your mother. I¡¯ll have Professor Torres help you move it to your car.¡± After leaving, Celeste went to the bank and transferred 500,000 US dors to the orphanage ount. When Liam returned from work, he found Celeste sitting in the living room with a safe in front of her. She was holding an electric drill, trying to break the lock. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Liam asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celeste was startled, turned off the drill, and frowned, ¡°Opening the safe.¡± Liam threw his suit jacket on the sofa, picked up a cup on the table, took a sip of water, and said, ¡°This kind of password box has two locks. If the first lock is forcibly broken, the second lock will be activated. To open the second lock, you need to open the first lock first.¡± So, if the first lock was destroyed, the safe could never be opened. Celeste frowned, ¡°What if I use explosives to blow it up?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Where did you steal this safe from?¡± Celeste twitched the corner of her mouth, ¡°This is my safe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know your own safe password?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, she tried using Caitlyn¡¯s birthday, Shawn¡¯s birthday, her own birthday, and the date of their wedding anniversary as the password. But the safe still wouldn¡¯t open. She suspected that the password for the safe was the numbers on Caitlyn¡¯s tape. However, with 720 possiblebinations, she would be locked out every five wrong attempts and need to wait 24 hours before re-entering. If she yet to try luck trying every variety one by one, she might not even be able to open the lock in half a year. She couldn¡¯t wait. ¡°Can¡¯t I forget?¡± ¡°Then find a locksmith.¡± ¡°I found one, but they said it¡¯s extremely hard to open.¡± Liam raised his eyebrows, ¡°If they said it¡¯s hard, why did they charge you more?¡± Celeste. It made sense. She¡¯d call the locksmith tomorrow. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 When Celeste came out after washing up, Liam had alreadyid down. She dried her hair and sat in front of the mirror, applying a face mask. Although Celeste didn¡¯t like to wear makeup, she loved skincare. She consistently applied a face mask and did skincare before going to bed, no matter howte it was. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Her skin was already good, and it was very soft with her exceptional attention to skincare. Liam watched her fussing in front of the dressing table for half an hour before finally lying on the bed. Her skincare products had almost no scent, only a faint shampoo fragrance lingered. The faint sandalwood scent somehow made him restless. Celeste closed her eyes, thinking about how to open the safe tomorrow and what Caitlyn could¡¯ve put inside the safe. Everything was so secretive. If it weren¡¯t for identally discovering the numbers on the tape, she wouldn¡¯t have asked the dean and wouldn¡¯t have found the safe. Was it vital importantpany documents and ount books that needed to be hidden? Just as she was thinking about it, suddenly, she felt something pressing on her, and opening her eyes, Liam was already above her, looking at her tenderly. She was stunned and was about to speak when Liam suddenly kissed her lips. This was beyond Celeste¡¯s expectations. Liam¡¯s kiss was so domineering, aggressive, and impatient when tearing off her pajamas. His hand pinched her waist with much more force than usual, causing pain yet strangely arousing her desire. Celeste was very open in this aspect. She didn¡¯t mind being intimate with Liam. Their years of closeness had made him very familiar with her body, knowing where touching would hurt, where it would be ticklish, and where it would make her moan like a kitten. Without any other experiences topare, she didn¡¯t know if Liam could be considered mature, but his loving expression permanently moved her. His lips slid down her chin,nding on her delicate neck. Celeste, panting, grabbed Liam¡¯s hair, ¡°Don¡¯t bite my neck. My skin marks easily. if you do, I¡¯ll have to cover it up when filming.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes deepened, and he tightly held her wrists, using more force. He thought it would end tonight, as it always did. He ws not obsessed with lust, and when he first started dating, he only had sex three to four times a month, and except for the first time, it basically ended once. Besides the first time, it was always a one- time thing. Then he, a clean freak, had to go to the bathroom to clean for half a day. But in the past six months, it¡¯s been even more restrained, with no intimacy for three months. But tonight, he was like a cat in heat, only stopping at 1 am. Celeste was exhausted andy on the bed, not wanting to move a finger. Liar, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He even took a shower but took much less than usual, only taking a few minutes. After getting into bed, he suggested Celeste getting up and showering. Celeste weakly kicked him and could onlyy there, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t shower. If you think I smell, you can sleep outside. Bastard, do you realize how much effort you put into it? My abdomen is a little sore and swollen now. I don¡¯t even have the energy to take a shower.¡± Liam seemed to be in a good mood and didn¡¯t argue. He knelt beside her and whispered, ¡°I gotta go on a business trip to City A next week, probably for about a week. Do you need anything?¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Celeste didn¡¯t feel like saying much, and even found Liam¡¯s talking annoying. She replied half-heartedly, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you think I served you well, so are you gonna give me some pocket money?¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Who¡¯s serving who? Did you even lift a finger?¡± Celeste always wanted to one-up Liam in this aspect, so she shamelessly said, ¡°Well, I think you quite enjoy hearing me call out to you.¡± She even deliberately imitated the way actresses in movies called out. Sure, she was teasing Liam, but her voice was still a hoarse from their intimate moment just now. Even though she was faking it, it had a different charm to Liam. His eyes deepened, and he wrapped his arms around Celeste¡¯s soft waist, his voice low, ¡°If you keep calling out like that, nobody¡¯s gonna get any sleep tonight.¡± Celeste immediately got scared and didn¡¯t dare to say anymore. At the same time, she was wondering why Liam was acting like a pure virgin today, so easily tempted. Before, when she tried her best to seduce him, he wouldn¡¯t even nce at her. Even if she did provoke him, he had never gone as crazy as today. She closed her eyes, toozy to think about it. Liam calmly said, ¡°Think about what gift you want. If I leave, and you haven¡¯t decided, it¡¯ll be toote.¡± Celeste, uninterested, said, ¡°You pick.¡± Liam replied, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t buy anything.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Celeste was so tired. After that she mumbled and started dozing off. Her indifferent attitude annoyed Liam, so he pinched her waist. Celeste was annoyed by the pinch and looked up and said impatiently. ¡°Are you ever going to let me sleep?¡± Liam was upset, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®whatever¡¯? I¡¯m buying you a gift, and this is your attitude?¡± Celeste frowned. He used to find it annoying when she asked for gifts while he was on a business trip. Now she didn¡¯t want one, and he still wasn¡¯t satisfied. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my attitude? You said you weren¡¯t going to buy anything. I said it¡¯s fine, and you¡¯re still not happy. Aren¡¯t you saving yourself the trouble?¡± Liam was speechless and said unhappily, ¡°You didn¡¯t want it yourself, so don¡¯tin when I don¡¯t buy you a gift. and then act up!¡± ¡°When did I act up?¡± Celeste had barely finished speaking when she remembered Liam went abroad on a business tripst year. She asked him to bring her a watch because it wasn¡¯t avable in their country, and the online sellers couldn¡¯t be trusted. Liam agreed but then forgot aftering back from his business trip. She had picked him up from the airport, excited about her gift, and served him the whole way back. After a sweaty night in bed, she eagerly awaited Liam¡¯s surprise gift, but he just went to sleep after taking a shower. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Celeste was unhappy, so she woke him up and asked where her gift was. Then Liam remembered his promise and said he had forgotten. Celeste was immediately displeased, but she didn¡¯t say anything and kept hinting in the days that followed. Every morning when Liam wore his wristwatch, Celeste would say, ¡°Mr. Reed, your watch looks nice.¡± At first, Liam thought it was a casualpliment, so he said, ¡°It was a birthday gift from my grandmother.¡± But the next day, when he wore the watch, she said, ¡°Mr. Reed, your watch looks nice.¡± Liam frowned, wondering if her memory was terrible, since she had said the same thing yesterday. By the third day, Liam was wearing his watch again, and Celeste repeated, ¡°Mr. Reed, your watch looks nice.¡± It took a whole week for Liam to realize Celeste wasn¡¯t forgetful, but she was hinting at and ming him for not bringing her a gift. After half a month of hinting. Liam got fed up and arranged for someone to go abroad and buy the watch for her. Finally, Celeste stopped. The watch wasn¡¯t essential; she just wanted Liam¡¯s attention. She didn¡¯t mind him forgetting to buy the watch, but she would have been thrilled if he had bought her a bunch of flowers. She wasn¡¯t selfish and didn¡¯t want all the attention on herself, but she hoped the person she loved would love her too. Liam could love whoever he wanted before, but after marrying her, she had to be the only one in his heart. All her willful behavior was to deepen her imprint on his heart. But now, she wasn¡¯t as persistent as she was before. The two were lying in bed, and Liam turned to her, propping himself up, his hand on his head, admiring Sienna¡¯s face. After he had enough, he slowly said, ¡°A City is the diamond capital, and the highest quality diamonds are found there. Ny percent of theme from there, and their diamonds have the best rity, craftsmanship and many rare colors.¡± Celeste said nothing. Liam leaned in closer, his low voice tempting. ¡°Are you not interested?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Celeste¡¯s heart pounded, and when she turned to look at him, she realized Liam was teasing her. She red at him and said, ¡°If you¡¯re generous, you can get me a diamond ne. I don¡¯t ask for much, just a ne with 108 red diamonds, each at least one carat, and the chain should be made of tinum, the thicker, the better.¡± Liam¡¯s helpless, ¡°108 carats, aren¡¯t you scared your neck will break?¡± ¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Celeste snorted. ¡°Even if I were hurt, I wouldn¡¯t let you take responsibility. Just tell me, are you gonna buy it or not?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Go to sleep; you can have whatever you want in your dreams.¡± Celeste was speechless. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Annoying man! The next day, when Liam woke up, Celeste had already left. She was so exhaustedst night but she still had the energy to leave early. When he arrived at the office, Owen came to inform that the contract for buying Shawn¡¯s shares in Smart Chips had been signed, and eighty million dors had been transferred into thepany¡¯s ount. Shawn must have been waited for this day for too long, desperately transferring the money into the company¡¯s ount. Smart Chips would be listed on the North Stock Exchange on May 29th, and judging from the previous valuation, they could make tens of millions on the first day of listing. Owen thought that Liam was letting Shawn share the profits for Celeste¡¯s sake, as Liam was never lenient in business matters. Someone like Shawn, who is only interested in making money and leaving once he gets it, is unsuitable for thepany or the stock market. Liam couldn¡¯t be unaware of this, and Owen thought the most likely reason was still Celeste. Shawn is a fair-weather friend, and the more benefits he gets from the Reed family, the more he will value Celeste. That¡¯s what Owen thought, but Liam would never admit it. After reporting to work, Owen handed Liam a gift box, ¡°The birthday gift you ordered for Mr. Francis arrivedst night.¡± Liam took it and casually put it aside. He looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s thergest red diamond ever found in the A City?¡± ¡°Three carats, if I remember correctly,¡± Owen paused, ¡°Mr. Reed, are you buying a diamond for your wife?¡± Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking casually.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± As Owen was about to leave, Liam asked, ¡°Can they customize a ne with 108 diamonds? And what about the shape?¡± ¡°Each one should be one carat,¡± Liam paused, ¡°With a red diamond pendant in the middle; the bigger, the better. The chain should be tinum, with a moderate thickness.¡± Owen was speechless. He imagined what the diamond ne would look like when finished, expensive and unsightly. Would Mrs. Reed really not dislike Mr. Reed¡¯s taste? She made her own decision. He coughed and suggested, ¡°Mr. Reed, why don¡¯t you make a phone call and ask your wife what kind of ne she likes? What will you do if you repurchase it and she doesn¡¯t like it?¡± She made her own decision. ¡°Liam said halfway before suddenly pausing ¡°Did I say that this ne was for her?* Owen was speechless again. He had never seen such a stubborn person. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask.¡± As soon as Owen left, Nics Francis called. ¡°Is the gift ready?¡± Nics birthday was very close to Sienna Reed¡¯s, and this year he turned 30. Since Mason Fletcher was back, he originally nned to celebrate it properly, but since Liam was going on a business trip next week, he decided to celebrate his birthday early. They were all in J City, and it would be hard to say when they could get together again if they didn¡¯t have a party this time. After asking Liam, he didn¡¯t wait for an answer and said, ¡°Just prepare the gift and get your sister-inw toe. It doesn¡¯t matter if youe or not.¡± Liam hung up directly. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Nics quickly called back from thendline, ¡°Tell your sister-inw that I invited DuckAttack. There will be a big show tonight.¡± Liam was a little angry, ¡°How do you know about DuckAttack?¡± ¡°Ah? Your sister-inw follows him on her short video ount and likes his daily videos.¡± Liam: ¡°How do you know her short video ount?¡± Nics hesitated for a moment and guessed, ¡°You don¡¯t even know your wife¡¯s short video ount, do you?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Liam had yet to download the short video app since Nics had helped him register when the app first became popr. After changing phones, he never downloaded the app again, let alone used it. Liam replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t download it.¡± Nics was shocked, with his mouth wide open. He thought Celeste had always watched handsome guys online, and Liam didn¡¯t care. He even thought Liam was very open-minded, not caring about his wife¡¯s mental infidelity, but he didn¡¯t know anything about it. Nics thought about the content that Celeste had liked and coughed, ¡°If I didn¡¯t use the app much, I¡¯d better not download it.¡± Liam was angry for several days when Celeste gave Mason a pair of socks. If he saw the content Celeste liked, would he be so angry that he would die on the spot? People are like this; the more they are told not to do something, the more they want to do it. After hanging up, Liam quickly downloaded the short video app and found Celeste¡¯s ount through his contacts. He opened hertest activity, and the title of her recently liked video was: Do you like cute puppies? He thought: Doesn¡¯t Celeste like cats? When did she be interested in dogs? After watching the video, Liam was dumbfounded. A man watching another man in the video calling ¡°darling¡± in a pretentious voice, and another shirtless man with a cor around his neck, calling out, ¡°Baby, I want to sleep with you¡± in a deep voice, was uneptable to him. What made him even angrier was that Celestemented on the video, ¡°I want both of you! Sit on my lap now!¡± Liam was so angry that his mouth twitched and he angrily closed the video. Later, Liam couldn¡¯t help but open the video again, report it, andin. He then immediately sent a text message to Celeste saying, ¡°Don¡¯te back if you ever talk nonsense in front of other men again!¡± After sending the message, Liam felt that it was a bit too harsh and wanted to withdraw it, but the design department suddenly knocked on the door and sent over the n. It was only after Liam finished his work that he remembered the text message. He picked up his phone and found that Celeste had already replied. She replied with a gif of a middle finger. Liam was speechless. After finishing her acting gig, Celeste went looking for a locksmith. After asking around, she found that no one was willing to take on the job of unlocking the safe. She still didn¡¯t know what was inside the safe and didn¡¯t want to alert Shawn, Guess she¡¯d have to try those numbers in the end? Just as Celeste was at her wits end, Trisha called her. ¡°Lettil Dr. Ledford asked me out on a date!¡± Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Celeste held her phone away, waiting for the dude to finish screaming before saying. ¡°Did they actually ask you out for a date.?¡± Trisha mumbled, ¡°Almost.¡± Well. It couldn¡¯t really be considered Dr. Ledford being proactive. Dr. Ledford¡¯s name was Jace Ledford, a 28-year-old breast surgeon at the hospital. Since adding Dr. Ledford¡¯s contact, Trisha had been chatting with him a lot, asking him about his favorite food, books, movies, and stuff like that. She just wanted to get to know his interests and hobbles. Dr. Ledford would reply when free, but he didn¡¯t say much. When Trisha tried to invite him to a movie, Dr. Ledford said he had a friend¡¯s birthday party to attend that evening and might not make it. Once Trisha made up her mind, her shamelessness surpassed Celeste¡¯s. In her words, there were too few chances to meet someone you like in the sea of people, so when you meet them, you have to try your best to keep them by your side. So she asked him questions like who the friend was and where the party was. The birthday person was Nics, the boss of Gxy Games, and a familiar face to Celeste. She lied without blushing, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Francis is also my friend. I was nning to go to his birthday party tonight as well.¡± Dr. Ledford was surprised, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to the movies?¡± Trisha lied without changing her expression, ¡°Mr. Francis has been asking me for a while now. I don¡¯t really like noisy ces, so I was nning to drop off a gift and leave. But if Dr. Ledford is going, I could stay more longer.¡± Dr. Ledford chuckled softly and said gently, ¡°See you tonight then.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°You call that him asking you out?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s close enough! Anyway, you must take me to Nics¡¯ party tonight!¡± Trisha worked at Shining Entertainment, and Gxy Games was theirpetitor. She and Nics were not close friends, only having met a few times and not exchanging greetings. The closest they got was when Nics hooked up with a model from Shining Entertainment, who thought she had a backer and demanded to break the contract with her boss. At the time, the boss had invested a lot of money in training the model and was furious when things went south. He demanded a high penalty for breaking the contract. The model threatened that Nics would pay for her, but before she could break the contract, Nics dumped her. The model went to Nicspany to make a scene. Nics called their boss to deal with it or, he would call the police.. The boss was livid but eventually sent someone from thepany to pick up the model. Trisha was one of the employees sent to pick her up. The model cried about her love for Nics, who didn¡¯t even spare her a nce and just drove off. The model lost her golden goose, fell out with herpany, and ended up being put on ice while also paying a hefty penalty, and it was a pitiful sight. There was a reason for the boss to curse Nics. It wasn¡¯t just that he had a bad personality, but he never messed with people from his ownpany, always going after others. Nics was young, rich, and handsome. With just a little money, those inexperienced young artists would fall for him Chapter 377 Celeste held her phone away, waiting for the dude to finish screaming before saying. ¡°Did they actually ask you out for a date.?¡± Trisha mumbled, ¡°Almost.¡± Well. It couldn¡¯t really be considered Dr. Ledford being proactive. Dr. Ledford¡¯s name was Jace Ledford, a 28-year-old breast surgeon at the hospital. Since adding Dr. Ledford¡¯s contact, Trisha had been chatting with him a lot, asking him about his favorite food, books, movies, and stuff like that. She just wanted to get to know his interests and hobbles. Dr. Ledford would reply when free, but he didn¡¯t say much. When Trisha tried to invite him to a movie, Dr. Ledford said he had a friend¡¯s birthday party to attend that evening and might not make it. Once Trisha made up her mind, her shamelessness surpassed Celeste¡¯s. In her words, there were too few chances to meet someone you like in the sea of people, so when you meet them, you have to try your best to keep them by your side. So she asked him questions like who the friend was and where the party was. The birthday person was Nics, the boss of Gxy Games, and a familiar face to Celeste. She lied without blushing, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Francis is also my friend. I was nning to go to his birthday party tonight as well.¡± Dr. Ledford was surprised, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to the movies?¡± Trisha lied without changing her expression, ¡°Mr. Francis has been asking me for a while now. I don¡¯t really like noisy ces, so I was nning to drop off a gift and leave. But if Dr. Ledford is going, I could stay more longer.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Dr. Ledford chuckled softly and said gently, ¡°See you tonight then.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°You call that him asking you out?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s close enough! Anyway, you must take me to Nics¡¯ party tonight!¡± Trisha worked at Shining Entertainment, and Gxy Games was theirpetitor. She and Nics were not close friends, only having met a few times and not exchanging greetings. The closest they got was when Nics hooked up with a model from Shining Entertainment, who thought she had a backer and demanded to break the contract with her boss. At the time, the boss had invested a lot of money in training the model and was furious when things went south. He demanded a high penalty for breaking the contract. The model threatened that Nics would pay for her, but before she could break the contract, Nics dumped her. The model went to Nicspany to make a scene. Nics called their boss to deal with it or, he would call the police.. The boss was livid but eventually sent someone from thepany to pick up the model. Trisha was one of the employees sent to pick her up. The model cried about her love for Nics, who didn¡¯t even spare her a nce and just drove off. Chapter 377 Celeste held her phone away, waiting for the dude to finish screaming before saying. ¡°Did they actually ask you out for a date.?¡± Trisha mumbled, ¡°Almost.¡± Well. It couldn¡¯t really be considered Dr. Ledford being proactive. Dr. Ledford¡¯s name was Jace Ledford, a 28-year-old breast surgeon at the hospital. Since adding Dr. Ledford¡¯s contact, Trisha had been chatting with him a lot, asking him about his favorite food, books, movies, and stuff like that. She just wanted to get to know his interests and hobbles. Dr. Ledford would reply when free, but he didn¡¯t say much. When Trisha tried to invite him to a movie, Dr. Ledford said he had a friend¡¯s birthday party to attend that evening and might not make it. Once Trisha made up her mind, her shamelessness surpassed Celeste¡¯s. In her words, there were too few chances to meet someone you like in the sea of people, so when you meet them, you have to try your best to keep them by your side. So she asked him questions like who the friend was and where the party was. The birthday person was Nics, the boss of Gxy Games, and a familiar face to Celeste. She lied without blushing, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Francis is also my friend. I was nning to go to his birthday party tonight as well.¡± Dr. Ledford was surprised, ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to the movies?¡± Trisha lied without changing her expression, ¡°Mr. Francis has been asking me for a while now. I don¡¯t really like noisy ces, so I was nning to drop off a gift and leave. But if Dr. Ledford is going, I could stay more longer.¡± Dr. Ledford chuckled softly and said gently, ¡°See you tonight then.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°You call that him asking you out?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s close enough! Anyway, you must take me to Nics¡¯ party tonight!¡± Trisha worked at Shining Entertainment, and Gxy Games was theirpetitor. She and Nics were not close friends, only having met a few times and not exchanging greetings. The closest they got was when Nics hooked up with a model from Shining Entertainment, who thought she had a backer and demanded to break the contract with her boss. At the time, the boss had invested a lot of money in training the model and was furious when things went south. He demanded a high penalty for breaking the contract. The model threatened that Nics would pay for her, but before she could break the contract, Nics dumped her. The model went to Nicspany to make a scene. Nics called their boss to deal with it or, he would call the police.. The boss was livid but eventually sent someone from thepany to pick up the model. Trisha was one of the employees sent to pick her up. The model cried about her love for Nics, who didn¡¯t even spare her a nce and just drove off. The model lost her golden goose, fell out with herpany, and ended up being put on ice while also paying a hefty penalty, and it was a pitiful sight. There was a reason for the boss to curse Nics. It wasn¡¯t just that he had a bad personality, but he never messed with people from his ownpany, always going after others. Nics was young, rich, and handsome. With just a little money, those inexperienced young artists would fall for him The model lost her golden goose, fell out with herpany, and ended up being put on ice while also paying a hefty penalty, and it was a pitiful sight. There was a reason for the boss to curse Nics. It wasn¡¯t just that he had a bad personality, but he never messed with people from his ownpany, always going after others. Nics was young, rich, and handsome. With just a little money, those inexperienced young artists would fall for him Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Trisha didn¡¯t have many encounters with Nics, but the women around him were always different every time she did, Naturally, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of him. If it were any other time, she wouldn¡¯t even give Nics a second nce on the street. But now, to chase after Dr. Ledford, she was all in. Whether they knew each other or not, Mr. Francis was now her good friend. ¡°Aren¡¯t yqu my best friend? Don¡¯t you want to see your best friend find her happily ever after?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t take me tonight, I¡¯ll curse you to have no sex life for five years!¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched. That was one vicious curse! She nced at Trisha, ¡°Nics is a cheapskate. you¡¯d better bring a gift. I can¡¯t guarantee he won¡¯t kick you out otherwise.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I have one more request. If you disagree.¡± ¡°If you dare to curse me with no sex life, I¡¯ll curse you never to catch Dr. Ledford!¡± Trisha said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say that. I just wanted to ask if you could do my makeup and help me dress up.¡± Trisha paused, ¡°You didn¡¯t get this mad when I cursed Liam. But when I mention your sex life, you freak out? Is Liam that good in bed?¡± Celeste was speechless. After work, Owen drove to pick up Celeste and Liam as nned. As soon as the car stopped, Owen got out and opened the door for Celeste. Celeste said, ¡°Owen, open the front passenger door too. I¡¯m bringing a friend.¡± Owen nodded and opened the door for Trisha. Trisha smiled, ¡°Thanks, Owen.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Owen was stunned, ¡°Ms. Colton?¡± Trisha smiled, ¡°Do I look pretty today?¡± Owen was somewhat familiar with Trisha since he often dealt with Ms. Campbell, so he inevitably had contact with her. In his impression, she always wore hoodies, shirts, and jeans, with shoulder-length hair neatly trimmed. Her round eyes and sharp little canine teeth showed when she smiled, revealing her dimples. When she wasn¡¯t talking, she seemed like a college student,pletely free from worldly concerns. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she was like a tough big sister, spewing foulnguage. Today she wore a white mid-sleeve knee-length dress, her hair tied up in a low ponytail, and her face lightly made up. Owen suddenly realized that Ms. Colton¡¯s features were actually quite attractive. When she stood there without speaking, she looked like a well-educated, rich girl. However, the moment she spoke, his imagination was shattered. Her clothes didn¡¯t seem to match her at all. But Owen had a high EQ, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t say it out loud. He just smiled and responded, ¡°You look great.¡± Trisha was very satisfied, ¡°Letti helped me get dressed.¡± No wonder the style looked so familiar. Wasn¡¯t this how his wife usually dressed for banquets? Owen didn¡¯t say much, closed the car door, got in, and drove everyone to their destination. Nics was very good at socializing in the circle, able to say different things to different people, so his social circle was very extensive. By the time Celeste and the others arrived at the scene, there were already many people. There was even a registration area to keep track of the gifts or money everyone brought Celeste looked at the scene and thought to herself. Is Nics celebrating his 30th birthday or something? Setting up a registration area, is he afraid of peopleing eat and drink for free? Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 There were a lot of people in line, and Trisha stood on tiptoe to watch. People were bringing watches, shoes, bags, jewelry, and someone¡¯s even giving a carl She nced down at the gift box in her hands and sneakily stuffed it in her bag Better let Letti¡¯s gift take center stage. When it¡¯s Liam Reed¡¯s turn to register, he¡¯s got a pair of wine sses. Trisha¡¯s kinda bummed out and whispered to Celeste, Come on, Liam¡¯s being such a cheapskate! This is his buddy we¡¯re talking about, and all he¡¯s bringing are two lousy wine sses?¡± Celeste thought helplessly. ¡°No wonder Liam said Trisha and I are like two bitter besties,¡± Since they both had the same thoughts about the wine sses She¡¯s also got a pair like that at home, gifted by a client of Liam¡¯spany When Liam brought them home, she had said the same thing. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. She¡¯ll never forget the look on Liam¡¯s face, surprise, disbelief, and speechless expression after listening to her words. In the end, Owen spilled the beans that these sses were made by some fancy foreignpany known for wine sses and decanters. Not only does the wine taste super smooth from them, the bottom of the cup holder is also iid with gemstones, and each one¡¯s worth close to one million Once they got inside, Trisha immediately saw Dr. Ledford. She was like a cat smelling fishy and immediately chased after her, but Celeste couldn¡¯t stop barking. ¡°Liam, Celeste.¡± They heard Mason Fletcher¡¯s voice from behind. Celeste turned around, and her eyes lit up,¡±Mr. Fletcher?¡± Liams frowning and holding her hand tight. Mason¡¯s decked out in a white suit today. His shirt was buttoned all the way up with a Windsor knot, hair was all gelled up, looking like a total model. His eyes were deep, and when he¡¯s not smiling, he lookd like the whole person looks noble, while when he smiled, the whole person revealed warmth Maybe because she knew about Mr. Fletcher had scars and insecurities, Celeste¡¯s always walking on eggshells around him. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, you look killer in that getup!¡± Celeste sincerelyplimented. Seriously, Mason rockd that white suit. Let¡¯s put it this way, in that suit, he¡¯s even outshining Liam. Hearing Celeste¡¯spliment, Liam suddenly remembered what she liked on her social media ount. Then he nced at Mason, the Windsor knot on his neck looked like a cor no matter how it looks. Celeste still gave that cor! Mason smiled and sayid, Thanks. How¡¯s Grandpa David beentely?¡± Celeste paused, her thoughts drifting to Kaylee Reed. She said tly,¡± Grandpa David went back to his hometown.¡± Mason¡¯s a bit bummed and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a bummer. I was nning to drop by and learn some cooking tricks from him. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d leave so soon¡± Celeste¡¯s vague, ¡°Something came up back home. We¡¯ll visit him during the holidays.¡± Mason nodded, Give him my regards then.¡± Then he turned to Liam, How¡¯s Kaylee? Has her injury not healed yet?¡± Mentioning Kaylee made Celeste¡¯s face even grimmer. Her wounds could stay unhealed for all she cared, with that non-stop motor mouth of hers! Liam coolly said, ¡°If you really care, you could go see for yourself¡± Mason said, ¡°You know how Kaylee feels about me. I don¡¯t want her to get the wrong idea, and I don¡¯t want our families to get their hopes up.¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°If you really think so, why don¡¯t you find a girlfriend earlier and cut off her thoughts?¡± Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Mason cracked a smile, ¡°Easier said than done, man. These things take time. But hey, if you know someone who¡¯s good for me, feel free to y matchmaker. I¡¯m not asking for the moon here. As long as she¡¯s easy on the eyes, and has a personality kinda like Celeste, we¡¯re golden.¡± Liam stared deep into Mason¡¯s eyes, not sure if he was just messing around or dead serious Meanwhile, Celeste was way more chill about the whole thing, kinda stoked, actually. She leaned in and whispered to Liam,¡±See? I¡¯m hot property on the dating market.¡± With Nics in the picture, and now Mason, Celeste was on cloud nine and couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy. Liam nced at her, ¡°Yeah, being a looker with zero brain power sure makes you a hotmodity.¡± Celeste was like, ¡°Jerk! Can¡¯t you say anything nice?!¡± It turned out Mason was just joshing around. He put on a straight face and said in a gentle tone,¡±Let¡¯s bounce and check out what Nics is up to.¡± As Trisha caught up, Dr. Ledford was having a chinwag with Nics. He¡¯d slipped off his white coat and looked dapper in a suit, jawing with some mates, all smiles. Trisha was so starstruck she barely noticed anyone else. Dr. Ledford could do no wrong in her eyes. She primped a bit, then tip-toed over and called softly,¡± Dr. Ledford?¡± Jace Ledford froze for a moment and turned to look at her. His eyes scanned her from bottom to top, lingering on Trisha¡¯s fair, slim legs, then up past her curves to her blushing face. He hesitated, then finally asked, ¡°You are¡­?¡± Trisha¡¯s heart sank a little when her crush didn¡¯t recognize her. Trisha was a bit disappointed, but she still introduced herself, ¡°I¡¯m Trisha, the one who came to see you for a check-up. We even chatted on WhatsApp today.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡±Jace seemed genuinely shocked. He got up and said warmly. ¡°My bad, I didn¡¯t recognize you. You look totally different.¡± As Trisha listened to his smooth, maic voice, her heart was doing somersaults. She spoke softly,¡±Well, we¡¯re here for Mr. Francis¡¯ birthday. Couldn¡¯t show up looking like a scrub, so I cleaned up a bit.¡± Over yonder, Nics, who was boozing with friends, did a spit-take and gave Trisha a sideways nce. Not very tall, but well-proportioned, decent figure, toned arms and legs definitely not a pampered princess. More like a high schooler trying to wear grown-up clothes. Probably an athlete. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. He rummaged through his memory bank but couldn¡¯t ce her face. Who the heck is she? He downed his drink and sauntered over to Jace, grinning like a Cheshire cat,¡±Whore you chatting with?¡± Jace answered, Ms. Colton here. You guys must know each other.¡± ¡°Ms Colton?¡± Nics furrowed his brow. Trisha was wound tighter than a drum. Damn it, why did Nics have to show up now?! She hadn¡¯t even made it halfway through her master n. She couldn¡¯t let the cat out of the bag just yet! ¡°Um¡­¡± Before Nics could finish, Trisha pounced and gave him a bear hug.¡±Nics! Long time no see! You¡¯ve changed so much, I hardly recognize you!¡± Nics¡­ He put his hands on Trisha¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Who the hell are¡± As soon as he pushed her back, Trisha went in for another bear hug,¡±Nics, do you think I¡¯ve changed since we were kids?* Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Nics pushed Trisha away again. Trisha¡¯s muscr body wasn¡¯t just for show. She tightly hugged Nics¡¯ waist, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t shake her off. If Trisha treated Liam this way, he would definitely push her away without any hesitation. But Nics was different. He really thought Trisha was some rich girl he had forgotten and didn¡¯t dare offend her or use too much force He patted Trisha¡¯s shoulder, smiling. ¡°Let me see your face, then I know if you¡¯ve changed or not¡± See her face? If he saw it wouldn¡¯t her real identity be exposed? Trisha buried her head in Nics chest, ¡°Nics, stop teasing me, I¡¯m shy.¡± Nics wondered. Is this a special show someone arranged? So short¡± Short legs? And so strong¡± Jace looked at the intimacy between the two and was a bit surprised, ¡°Ms, Colton and Mr. Francis are childhood ymates?¡± ¡°Not exactly, we just yed together for a while when we were kids.¡± Nics replied. Trisha was worried that continuing to entangle would arouse Nics¡¯ suspicion, so she quickly found an excuse to leave: ¡°Nics, happy birthday please apany your friends first, I¡¯ll go to the restroom.¡± Without waiting for Nics to respond, she let go of him and disappeared into the crowd. Nics never saw Trisha¡¯s real face clearly, only remembering her sparkling eyes when she talked to Jace. Jace asked. ¡°Mr. Francis, which family¡¯s daughter is she?¡± Nics didn¡¯t know either, so he casually replied, ¡°A distant rtive.¡± Jaceughed, ¡°Interesting.¡± Trisha didn¡¯t look back until she was far away, seeing Dr. Ledford looking calm and relieved. That was close, but luckily she reacted in time. Looking down at her hand, thinking of hugging Nics just now, her face filled with disgust. She found a corner to hide in, waiting for the opportunity to act when Dr. Ledford was alone. Nics chatted with Jace for a bit, then saw Celeste and her group and immediately walked over with a smile. ¡°Liam, Celeste, Mason, why are you guys sote?¡± Mason replied, ¡°Traffic was bad on the way, got stuck for a while.¡± Liam was not so polite and said directly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the registration booth set up at your doorstep, could we have waited so long?¡± They had been here for a while, and it took them more than ten minutes just to queue up and register their gifts. Liam had only seen this kind of procedure at elder¡¯s birthday parties before, and Nics really wasn¡¯t afraid of losing face. Nics didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it. He was throwing a birthday party, and although he wanted it to be lively, he didn¡¯t want just anyone to be able to get in. His friends were all socialites, and of course, some people would try to blend in and climb the social ladder. By setting up a registration booth at the entrance and where gifts are registered in person, it made it harder for those people to sneak in. If the gift. was too cheap, it would be embarrassing to bring out, if it was too expensive, well, it wouldn¡¯t hurt him anyway. In fact, it would be best if more expensive gifts were brought, who wouldin about having too much money? ¡°Hey, you guys are here, no need to be so formal. Just give me a call, and I¡¯de to pick you up.¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to respond to him. Jace looked at the Reed family couple, his eyes lingering on Celeste, and walked over with a ss, ¡°Mr. Reed, long time no see.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Celeste was surprised Actually Dr. Ledford knew Liam. Thinking about it, it made sense. Since Nics¡¯ birthday party was attended by Dr. Ledford, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know Liam. Liam nodded slightly with a calm expression in response. At this time, Trisha cent Celeste a text message. ¡°Does Liam know Dr. Ledford?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Seems so.¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 ¡°You let Liam help me find out more about Dr. Ledford¡¯s character and reputation. If we end up together, you and Liam will be our witnesses.¡± Even if Trisha hadn¡¯t asked, Celeste would have wanted to help investigate. Regardless of his family background, his character had to be decent. So, after the group exchanged pleasantries, Celeste lowered her voice and asked Liam. ¡°Do you know Dr. Ledford very well?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Not well,¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Why would a stranger talk to you?¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°There are many people who talk to me. Do I have to be close to each one of them?¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam wasn¡¯t intentionally withholding information, he genuinely didn¡¯t know Dr. Ledford well. They had only asionally met at Nics¡¯ parties, and just acquaintances. Liam didn¡¯t even know his background. Celeste thought he was deliberately not telling her and became upset. Liam was always popr at such events, and soon a group of people gathered around him. Unable to join the conversation, Celeste stood aside, pondering how to gather information about Dr. Ledford. At that moment, she suddenly saw Mason talking to Dr. Ledford. The two seemed quite familiar, and Celeste immediately grabbed a ss of wine and walked over, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, would you like to try this wine?¡± Mason turned around, saw Celeste, and his eyes softened. He took the ss and said gently. ¡°Thank you.¡± Celeste also took the opportunity to approach, ¡°Hello, Dr. Ledford.¡± Jace replied politely, ¡°Hello, Sienna.¡± Mason asked, ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± ¡°Not really, I went with a friend for a check-up at Dr. Ledford¡¯s clinic before. Didn¡¯t expect to see him here today.¡± Jace also said, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s quite a coincidence.¡± He didn¡¯t expect Celeste to be Liam¡¯s wife. Mason then introduced Jace to Celeste. Jace came from a wealthy family and was the only son. He knew the others, but they weren¡¯t very familiar. Mason met Jace, who was studying abroad, while seeking medical treatment overseas. Since they were in the same hospital and they became friends. After introducing, Mason added, ¡°Jace is Mr. Hilliard¡¯s nephew.¡± Celeste Shocked Jaceughed, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d still need my uncle¡¯s name to get people to remember me even after I started working.¡± Celeste politely said, ¡°Dr. Ledford is also very impressive, bing an associate director doctor at such a young age.¡± Jace asked, ¡°Does Sienna also like opera?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m okay with it. It¡¯s mainly my mom who loves it. She especially likes Mr. Hilliard¡¯s operas, but unfortunately, Mr. Hilliard hasn¡¯t performed for a long time.¡± ¡°My uncle worked too hard when he was young, so he got sick when he got older. He had to stop performing for the sake of his health.¡± Mason said, ¡°I remember when Mr. Hilliard was at his busiest, he had to perform more than a dozen shows daily. Every show was packed, and tickets were hard toe by. He must have performed over 10,000 shows, right?¡± Jace smiled, ¡°No, a total of 9,743 shows.¡± Celeste was taken aback, 9,743. She pursed her lips, and her expression suddenly turned serious N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Then she put down her wine ss and said, ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± After saying that, she walked to one side with her phone, flipping through the digital numbers stored on the inside tape.¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She held her breath, checking each one. Sure enough, all four digits, 9743 were there. Could Caitlyn set the password as Mr. Hilliard¡¯s concert dates? That does sound like something a die-hard fan would do. What about the other two numbers? If 9743 is rted to Mr. Hilliard, then the other two numbers should also be rted to him. Celeste thought for a moment, opened Google, and searched. And found out that Mr. Hilliard¡¯s birthday was on June 5th. Is this the password? Celeste¡¯s heart began to race. Mason saw her standing there with a strange expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste snapped back to reality, putting away her phone. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, please tell Liamter that I must leave for an emergency. Remind him to take Trisha home when hees back.¡± Seeing her serious expression, Mason asked in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Celeste forced a smile. ¡°There might be rain tonight, and my flowers need a rain cover. The new maid at home doesn¡¯t know how to do it, and I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll damage the flowers, so I have to go back.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell Liamter.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, Celeste hurriedly left. Mason stared at her retreating figure, thinking carefully about their conversation, and couldn¡¯t help but frown. Taking a cab back to Pinecrest Manor, Celeste went straight to the safe and entered 659743. It was wrong. She pursed her lips and entered 974365. After entering the numbers, the safe beeped a few times, and she heard the sound of gears sliding inside. Then, with a ¡°ng,¡± the door of the safe cracked open. Celeste opened the safe and found a thick stack of documents inside. She reached in and took them out, and the first thing she saw was a divorce agreement. Her hand trembled as she picked up the documents and began to look through them. The agreement was from seven years ago, signed by Caitlyn and Shawn. She pursed her lips and continued flipping through the agreement. ording to the agreement, Shawn would leave with nothing after the divorce, the custody of their daughter would go to Caitlyn, and Shawn would only hold a small portion of thepany. Below were somepany shares contracts and some bills she couldn¡¯t quite understand. Such a division of property was unreasonable. With Shawn¡¯s temperament, how could he agree to sign it? But soon, Celeste found the answer. A thick stack of photos was in a brown paper bag below. The photos were all secretly taken of Shawn and a woman. Holding hands, embracing, and even pictures of the two getting intimate in a car. Various explicit images made her stomach cramp. The woman with Shawn, even though she was much younger, Celeste recognized immediately as Helen, his secretary. She forced herself to ignore the difort and continued flipping through the photos. Gradually, a third person appeared in the photos, a teenage girl, Angel. She held Shawn with one hand and Helen with the other, while Helen had a big belly. The three of them were walking in amunity park. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Shawn¡¯s face was filled with a doting smile, an expression she rarely saw on his face. This photo was heavily folded, and the smiling faces of the three looked somewhat distorted in the wrinkles. She seemed to see Caitlyn¡¯s reaction when she saw this photo. Looking at the photo, Celeste¡¯s back began to feel sad. Looking at Shawn¡¯s attitude towards Angel over the years, she had a bad feeling. As if to confirm her guess, thest photo was a paternity test report of Angel and Shawn. Angel had a 99% chance of being Shawn¡¯s biological daughter. This news made Celeste feel cold from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. For the truth of the moment and for Shawn¡¯s cruelty. He brought his illegitimate daughter into the family as an adopted daughter, making his wife raise her for more than ten years. How heartless must he be to do such a thing? She couldn¡¯t imagine how devastated Caitlyn must have been when she found out the truth. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Caitlyn had never told her any of this, not even once. Caitlyn¡¯s depression and erratic emotions had worn her out. How could she know that her mother was suffering so much? Just thinking about it made her heart ache like it was being torn apart. No, maybe Caitlyn didn¡¯t keep it a secret, but she did tell her, and didn¡¯t pay attention. She remembered that during her college entrance exam period, Caitlyn had asked her a few times if she would follow her or Shawn if they divorced. She didn¡¯t take it seriously at the time because Caitlyn and Shawn had fought many times before, and she would ask this question every time they fought. She didn¡¯t want to divorce Shawn; she just wanted to find an excuse not to divorce him from her child. So every time Caitlyn asked, she said she would follow her father, so her mother would be reluctant to divorce. Caitlyn would then happily hug her. So, was that car ident really rted to Shawn or not? Why did Caitlyn turn out like that and still try to send messages? Was she hinting at something about herself? Celeste felt a chill in her heart, and just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Mason. She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and answered softly, ¡°Hello?¡± Mason heard her voice and paused for a moment, ¡°Celeste, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Celeste cleared her throat and let her voice return to normal, ¡°What¡¯s up, Mr. Fletcher?* ¡°Can youe and pick up Liam? He¡¯s had too much to drink, and I¡¯ve had quite a bit, too, so it¡¯s not really convenient for me to take him.¡± Celeste nced at the time; it had been almost three hours. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there soon. Please take care of him for now.¡± After hanging up, Celesteposed herself, put the things back into the safe and, locked it, then drove off to pick up Liam. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Caitlyn would then happily hug her. Original from N?velDrama.Org. So, was that car ident really rted to Shawn or not? Why did Caitlyn turn out like that and still try to send messages? Was she hinting at something about herself? Celeste felt a chill in her heart, and just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Mason. She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and answered softly, ¡°Hello?¡± Mason heard her voice and paused for a moment, ¡°Celeste, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Celeste cleared her throat and let her voice return to normal, ¡°What¡¯s up, Mr. Fletcher?* ¡°Can youe and pick up Liam? He¡¯s had too much to drink, and I¡¯ve had quite a bit, too, so it¡¯s not really convenient for me to take him.¡± Celeste nced at the time; it had been almost three hours. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there soon. Please take care of him for now.¡± After hanging up, Celesteposed herself, put the things back into the safe and, locked it, then drove off to pick up Liam. After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn tookplete control of thepany. Caitlyn could threaten Shawn with his criminal record back then and made him sign that agreement, but time has passed, and Shawn probably has already covered up those loopholes. She¡¯s always been reluctant to break with Shawn, because he controlled Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses. When Caitlyn had her ident, Celeste was still in school, so Shawn handled all of Caitlyn¡¯s assets. She had thought of transferring Caitlyn¡¯s shares to her name and taking responsibility for Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses herself. But every time she brought it up, Shawn would get very angry, saying she was in a hurry to split the property when he was still alive. After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn had absolute control over the Campbell family. As long as he didn¡¯t let go, Celeste couldn¡¯t get a penny of assets from him. After marrying Liam, Shawn had even more excuses not to give her the rights. He had said that once a daughter was married, she belonged to another family, and Celeste was meddling too much in the Campbell family¡¯s affairs, which the Reed family wouldn¡¯t like. Shawn was the one who didn¡¯t like it. Shawn¡¯s daughter got married and received millions in gifts, but he was only willing to give a car worth less than a million as a dowry. How could you expect such a person to hand over shares voluntarily? Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn tookplete control of thepany. Caitlyn could threaten Shawn with his criminal record back then and made him sign that agreement, but time has passed, and Shawn probably has already covered up those loopholes. She¡¯s always been reluctant to break with Shawn, because he controlled Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses. When Caitlyn had her ident, Celeste was still in school, so Shawn handled all of Caitlyn¡¯s assets. She had thought of transferring Caitlyn¡¯s shares to her name and taking responsibility for Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses herself. But every time she brought it up, Shawn would get very angry, saying she was in a hurry to split the property when he was still alive. After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn had absolute control over the Campbell family. As long as he didn¡¯t let go, Celeste couldn¡¯t get a penny of assets from him. After marrying Liam, Shawn had even more excuses not to give her the rights. He had said that once a daughter was married, she belonged to another family, and Celeste was meddling too much in the Campbell family¡¯s affairs, which the Reed family wouldn¡¯t like. Shawn was the one who didn¡¯t like it. Shawn¡¯s daughter got married and received millions in gifts, but he was only willing to give a car worth less than a million as a dowry. How could you expect such a person to hand over shares voluntarily? Infidelity, illegitimate children, these scandals weremon in their circle, Even if she exposed them, Shawn would most likely not be afraid. Celeste couldn¡¯t figure out how to use and these things to make Shawn voluntarily hand over Caitlyn¡¯s shares. As she was thinking, the elevator arrived upstairs. Mason led her through the hallway to a suite door. He took out a room key, swiped it to open the door, and Celeste entered. After only a few steps, she noticed two high heels scattered on the floor. A woman¡¯s soft voice could be heard from inside, and Celeste¡¯s fingers trembled as her heart suddenly tightened. Mason also noticed something was, off and his face changed slightly. He had guessed what was happening inside, and he whispered to Celeste, ¡°I¡¯ll go in and check.¡± Her expression was indescribable as she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°No need.¡± With that, she clenched her fists and strode inside. Worried about her impulsiveness, Mason quickly followed. As they walked further in, they saw more items on the floor: a woman¡¯s coat, a man¡¯s lie, a belt, and leather shoes. With each item they saw, Celeste¡¯s expression darkened. Finally, they rounded the hotel screen and saw the situation inside. Liam was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, the top three buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a large part of his chest. Beside him sat Angel, wearing a tight skirt. She was leaning over, helping him unbutton his shirt, and her other hand had already slipped to Liam¡¯s waist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celeste¡¯s low voice came from behind. Angel suddenly stiffened and turned to see Celeste, immediately panicking and standing up from the bed. She stuttered, Celeste, he¡¯s drunk, don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed the hem of her skirt, revealing noticeable pin What a tant hint. Celeste stared coldly at her, her eyes almost piercing through Angel. marks on her thigh. This girl, who had taken away her father¡¯s love since childhood, shared her mother¡¯s love, and upied resources that belonged to her, now dared toy a finger on Celeste¡¯s belongings! How dare she! Angel felt satisfied with Celeste¡¯s reaction right now. She and Liam¡¯s rtionship was already unstable, and with this incident, she believed that Celeste¡¯s impulsive nature would cause conflicts with Liam. As she was secretly pleased with her n, Celeste suddenContent held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 When ites to pping people, Celeste is quite experienced. After all, she once used Kaylee to practice her skills. So with one p, Angel¡¯s ears rang. ¡°He¡¯s drunk. Are you drunk too?¡± Celeste¡¯s face was icy cold, ¡°How can you have no sense of propriety?¡± ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± Angel covered her face, and raised her hand to retaliate, but Mason, next to Celeste, grabded her wrist before she can. Seizing the opportunity, Celestended another p. ¡°Why can¡¯t I hit you? As an older sister, is there a problem scolding a younger sister who doesn¡¯t know her limits? You knew he was drunk. Why didn¡¯t you avoid him?¡± After saying this, she pped Angel again, striking her hard. Angel¡¯s head was spinning, her face bruised. Protected by Shawn all her life, when has Celeste ever dared toy a finger on her? Did she go crazy today? She wanted to fight back, but she can¡¯t break free from Mason¡¯s hold. Frustrated, she said, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Mason casually replied, ¡°Ms. Angel, let¡¯s talk it out. Fighting is not ssy.¡± Angel¡¯s mouth twitched in anger. Hitting people is not ssy, but why didn¡¯t he stop Celeste? Only stopping her, letting Celeste hit her? Is it not ssy when she does it, but alright when Celeste does? What a way to break up a fight! Celeste hit her with five ps, and Mason finally stopped her after her palm begins to tingle. ¡°Let¡¯s check on Liam first.¡± Celeste clenched her fists. She looked sternly at Angel and bent down to pick up the belt and tie from the ground. Angel¡¯s face was already swelling up, and as soon as Mason let go, she tried to pounce on Celeste to settle the score. Mason calmly reminded her, ¡°Ms. Angel, making a scene will do you no good either.¡± Angel stopped in her tracks. Mason continued, ¡°Liam hates being schemed against. Think about it, making a scene will only end badly for you, like those who have done something simr.¡± Angel retracted her hand, tightly clenching her fist, shooting Mason a re before picking up the jacket from the ground and quickly leaving the scene. Celeste took a deep breath and roughly buttoned up Liam¡¯s shirt. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The lipstick mark on Liam¡¯s chest was distressing, reminding Celeste of what Angel had done there. She grabbed Liam¡¯s tie and vigorously rubbed it on his chest. His skin turned red from her rubbing. He seemed in some pain, frowning and slightly opening his eyes. ¡°Celeste?¡± What a useless guy! Why is he calling her name now? Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, threw the tie in the trash after wiping the lipstick mark, and turned to Mason. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, can you please go outside and call some people to help me get Liam into the car?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Just a moment.¡± Several people helped ce Liam in the car. Celeste opened the window to Mason and said: ¡°Mr. Fletcher, get in. I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Mason looked at her calm expression, gratefully said thanks, and got in the car. Celeste drove the Maserati at a fast speed from the start. Already drunk, Liam found the fast pace ufortable, frowning asionally¡­ Original from N?velDrama.Org. The atmosphere in the car was a bit oppressive, as Celeste didn¡¯t seem as calm as she appeared. She¡¯s kind of mad. ¡°Slow down,¡± Mason gently remindd her, ¡°I¡¯m in no hurry. Safety first.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Celeste took a deep breath and slowly decelerated. ¡°I should be apologizing.¡± Mason said softly, ¡°I should have waited for you in the room.¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°If someone is determined to set you up, no matter how careful you are, they will find an opportunity.¡± She couldn¡¯t possibly miss the way Angel looked at Liam. After seeing what Caitlyn left behind tonight and Angel purposely stirring up trouble, she snapped and attacked Angel in front of Mason. This guy Liam, knowing his low alcohol tolerance, still got wasted,pletely letting his guard down! If she had been anyter, Angel might have taken advantage of him by now! Mason suddenly smiled, ¡°I was worried you would misunderstand Liam, and didn¡¯t expect you to have so much faith in him. I was overthinking.¡± Under the circumstances, not many women could tolerate it. When Celeste entered the room, her face changed immediately. He thought she would leave Liam alone. Unexpectedly, she scolded Angel and took Liam home with her. Celeste purses her lipd, speechless. Her trust in Liam didn¡¯te from faith in him but from the fact that he couldn¡¯t get aroused when drunk. Alcohol was like a keypoint to Liam. He got drunk after one drink, bing unconscious and unable to remember what happened. Years ago, during a family dinner at their old house, they were newlyweds, and the olddy was thrilled to have a new addition to the family. The Christmas dinner was grand, and she even brought her cherished wine to celebrate. Liam only had two sses, and Celeste, a careful new wife, drank cautiously despite her high tolerance. After dinner, it waste, so everyone stayed the night at the old house. Back in their room, Liam seemed normal. After showering, she found Liam sitting on the bed, dazed. She called him to take a shower. Liam looked up at her nkly, then suddenly stood up, picked her up, and threw her on the bed. Newlywed couples are naturally shy about such matters, especially in the old house, where she was even more nervous. She whispered to Liam, ¡°Let¡¯s do it at home. It would be bad if someone heard.¡± Liam didn¡¯t care, starting to tear at her clothes. Celeste had no choice but to bury her head in his chest, panting softly to amodate him. The forey was over, but Liam didn¡¯t make a move. Aroused and impatient, Celeste hooked her leg around his waist and gently urged him on But Liam justy on her, motionless. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She whispered. Liam looked down. Celeste followed his gaze. And then, she saw his penis looking all sad and lifeless. Liam seemed to be embarrassed, and he got up and went to the bathroom. Celestey in bed with only one thought in her mind. My husband is really impotent! Of course, Liam wasn¡¯t really impotent. Later, she tried a few more times and discovered out that Liam couldn¡¯t get it up after drinking alcohol Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Liam just straight-up couldn¡¯t have done anything with Angel, no way! It¡¯s precise because Celeste knew what Liam¡¯s like, and she¡¯s sure this whole thing was cooked up by Angel alone. Even though she knew nothing happened, she still can¡¯t help but get pissed off. The anger wasn¡¯t just because Liam left himself open to be taken advantage of the bigger factor here is the rage she feels after learning about Angels true background. Of course, Celeste wouldn¡¯t tell Mason all of this. She casually said, ¡°If there¡¯s not even this much trust between a husband and wife, how can they live together? I¡¯ve been married to him for so many years, I won¡¯t be blinded by something small like this. I believe in his character.¡± Is there a better wife out there? She found her husband being ¡°intimate¡± with another woman and still spoke up for him. Liam didn¡¯t lose a dime on that money he spent! Mason¡¯s expression softened, and he said indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After dropping Mason at his ce, Celeste took Liam home. As soon as Mason left, she floored it. Liam felt like his stomach was being flipped inside out, like he was on a roller coaster, dipping high and low, left and right. This went on for over ten minutes before the car finally stopped. As soon as the car door opened, Liam couldn¡¯t help throwing up. Celeste didn¡¯t even look at him, just mmed the car door and went inside. Amelia couldn¡¯t handle Liam, so she eventually called and got two security guards to help him inside. Celeste was soaking in the bath when, with a ¡°bang,¡± the door suddenly swung open, startling her. Liam staggered in, frowning as he turned on the shower and started washing. Yep, he didn¡¯t even bother undressing first. Celeste couldn¡¯t help but want tough. This guy can¡¯t handle his drink, and look what happens makes a mess for everyone! She ignored Liam, finished her bath, and put on a bathrobe before leaving. As for Liam, let him soak! Maybe it¡¯ll clear his head! When she finished her skincare routine, Liam still hadn¡¯te out. Celeste tossed and turned in bed, the sound of running water in the bathroom going non-stop. It had already been an hour. How long was Liam going to shower? After five more minutes, Celeste couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she went to the bathroom. Liam was still in the same position as when she left, sitting against the wall, letting the shower run all over him. The hot water in the water heater was used up, and cold water was flowing out now. Celeste quickly turned off the shower and kicked Liam. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Can you get up?¡± Liam looked at her without saying anything. He was soaked from head to toe, his hair wet and sticking to his scalp. His eyes were slightly drooping, and water droplets hung from his eyshes. His whole aura was stripped of its sharpness, suddenly looking like a drenched puppy, utterly pitiful. Celeste crouched down and asked him, ¡°Liam, do you recognize who I am?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes showed confusion. After a moment. He whispered, ¡°Letti ¡°Good You better remember, if you ever get drunk again, don¡¯te back! Am I your servant? Always clean up your messes?¡± Liam¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved, and he said softly. ¡°You¡¯re my wife.¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°So just because I¡¯m your wife, I have to do all this?¡± She managed to help him take off his shirt after much effort and handed him a bathrobe. ¡°Put it on ande out.¡± Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Liam held the bathrobe with a thoughtful expression. Celeste was exhausted but couldn¡¯t sleep. She picked up her phone and saw several news headlines about Quantum in the trending section Celeste opened them and discovered they were about a press release from Angel. She was still using the welfare house issue to generate buzz, spreading rumors, lying, and tricking people into donating. What¡¯s more disgusting is that Shawn shared this post, moring for Angel¡¯s poprity in the family group chat. What will happen to someone who relies on their image to gain fame if that image copses? An idea sprouted in Celeste¡¯s mind. As she was thinking, she suddenly felt a weight on her body. Liam had put on the bathrobe and came out. He leaned on her, adjusting her chin. Celeste frowned, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam leaned down to kiss the corner of her lips and whispered, ¡°I want you.¡± Why was drunk Liam so skeevy? She patted his head indulgently, ¡°Sweetie, you can¡¯t right now.¡± After saying that, she tried to push him away. But Liam argued with her, insisting, ¡°I want you!¡± What kind of new drunk state is this? Celeste was just too tired and persuaded him, ¡°Stop messing around and go to sleep.¡± Liam seemed very dissatisfied with her response and began to protest, tugging at her clothes with a face full of suffering. Celeste was wore a thin silk nightgown, and Liam quickly pulled it open. Then he began kissing all over her body. Celeste really didn¡¯t have the energy to care, so she just let him do it. In his current state, Liam somehow managed to make Celeste feel a bit intoxicated for a minute. Seeing Celeste¡¯s reaction, Liam seemed very satisfied and eagerly wanted to take it further. However, of course, no miracle happened. He stared at his unresponsive body. His eyes were full of shock and disbelief. Celeste, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t surprised. Thankfully, Liam loses his memory when he gets too drunk; otherwise, he¡¯d probably be embarrassed if he remembered acting like this. Just as Celeste was about to tell Liam to sleep, she heard him hoarsely say, ¡°I¡¯m sick.¡± Celeste opened her mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. Although Liam looked pretty pitiful, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but want tough at him. ¡°You¡¯re not sick. You¡¯ll be fine after a sleep.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She tried to hide herughter and soothe him softly. Under Celeste¡¯sforting words, Liam finallyy down. It seemed like the whole ¡°passing out drunk¡± situation really bothered him, as he kept his eyes open and refused to sleep. Celeste dimmed the bedsidemp and closed her eyes Just as she was about to drift off, she heard Liam whisper, ¡°Will you divorce me because of this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste groaned and took a while before saying. ¡°Nah, there are so many toys nowadays, way more useful than men.¡± She slept like a baby, leaving Liam tossing and turning all night. Meanwhile, at the Campbell family¡¯s home, Annel was immediately noticed by Helen as soon as she got home. Angel obviously wouldn¡¯t tell the real deal. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 If Helen knew it all happened because she was trying to hook up with Liam, she would probably give her a lesson first. So, Angel skipped over what she did and said, ¡°Tonight was Mr. Francis¡¯s birthday party. Everyone was there to celebrate, Liam got drunk, and! tried to help him, and Celeste just couldn¡¯t stand it, stormed over and pped me in the face.¡± Helen was pissed, asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Angel replied, ¡°I was being held back. I couldn¡¯t move!¡± Angel, wiping her tears, said, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re already married to Dad. Why do I still have to put up with this humiliation? How long do I have to endure?¡± Actually, Helen was pretty fed up too. People typically get married openly, but her marriage had been hush-hush from the start. To this day, every time she attended banquets with Shawn, she had to be a secretary. She had been enduring this for over two decades, and it was only after Caitlyn had her scandal that Shawn thought about divorce, but then Celeste got noticed by the Reed family. With Shawn¡¯s business stagnating, marrying into the Reed family was like a gift from heaven. Of course, he would cherish Celeste like a treasure. If Celeste didn¡¯t let him divorce Caitlyn, he would back off the idea immediately. All the years of waiting and patience she and her kids had gone through were worth nothingpared to a single word from Celeste. Last year, when her youngest son needed to be enrolled and required some paperwork done, Shawn was still not willing to divorce Caitlyn despite her begging for years. Although they eventually got a divorce, and she got married, nothing has really changed from before. She¡¯s still Shawn¡¯s secret lover, kept in the dark All of this makes her feel suffocated, having hatred for Caitlyn and Celeste also being extremely dissatisfied with Shawn¡¯s indecisiveness If it¡¯s not for Celeste leaving, would she and her children live like underground rats forever? Now that not only is she not treated as a wife, but she is also being bullied, she¡¯s had enough of this life! The noise downstairs alerted Shawn, who was in the study. He came out to see Angel and Helen crying. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Helen wiped away her tears and said coldly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Then she patted Angel on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Go put an ice pack on it. Tomorrow you still have to give your speech, right?¡± Angel nodded and got up to go upstairs. Only then did Shawn see the slight swelling and clear finger marks on her face, immediately asking. ¡°Angel, what happened to your face?¡± With red eyes, Angel said, ¡°Nothing, I just fell identally.¡± Shawn doubted, ¡°Did you fall on a handprint?¡± He raised an eyebrow, but then Helen interrupted, ¡°Of course not. Celeste pped her.¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°What really happened?¡± Helen exined the situation with a little exaggeration. Seeing how his daughter was affected, Shawn couldn¡¯t help but feelheartbroken and promised he would make Celeste apologize to Angel. Shawn called Celeste three timesst night, and she didn¡¯t pick up any of them. The next day when she woke up, Celeste smirked at the thought of Shawn calling her to exin about what happenedst night. The phone rang for ages without anyone picking up. By now, Trisha should¡¯ve been up, right? Celeste pursed her lips and dialed again. This time, just when the ringing was about to end, someone finally answered. ¡°Hello?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. A deep, husky male voice came through from the other side, and Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Who are you?¡± As soon as she finished speaking. Trisha¡¯s panicked voice came through, ¡°Letti?¡± Celeste found it strange and asked, ¡°Who was that dude who just picked up the phone?¡± Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 ¡°Who is it? No biggie, just a hotel clerk. I left my phone in the room.¡± Trisha quickly exined, her voice sounding a bit hoarse. Celeste looked puzzled, ¡°A hotel? You stayed at a hotelst night?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± she coughed, ¡°I drank too muchst night, it got prettyte for me, so I had to crash at a hotel.¡± ¡°Oh, as long as you were at a hotel, that¡¯s good. Liam got drunkst night, and some stuff happened. I forgot to call and check on you. I was worried about how you got home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Trisha¡¯s voice sounded strange as if she was trying to suppress something. Just as Celeste was about to ask, Trisha said, ¡°My cab has arrived, gotta go. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up. Trisha red at the guy she was straddling, whose mouth was covered tightly, and couldn¡¯t help but growl,¡±You bastard! Scumbag! What did you do to me?!¡± Nics, with his mouth and nose covered, he had his eyes rolling back from the pressure. How is this chick so strong?! He finally managed to remove her hand from his mouth, catching his breath and looking at the woman before him. She looked innocent yet had a fiery figure. And now, she was sitting on his waist wearing just a tiny tank top, her shoulders and chest covered in light red marks. Her angry expression was a mix of adorable and feisty. But her face was familiar, and he couldn¡¯t remember when exactly he met her. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What did I do to you?¡± ¡°You still have to ask?!¡± Trisha enraged, swung a pillow at his head, ¡°You freak, you y with others, and now you think you can y with me?! I¡¯m not a girl you can mess with!¡± Nics got a bit pissed, grabbed the pillow, and gritted his teeth, ¡°First, find out the situation! This is my room. I haven¡¯t even asked how you crawled into my bed!¡± ¡°How would I know how I got here? Surely you took advantage of the situation and brought me in!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Nics¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Taking advantage? You think too highly of yourself.¡± This remark made Trisha even more furious, ¡°Then how did you leave all these bite marks all over me? You pervert!¡± Throughout his entire life, Nics had never been insulted so severely! What kind of person did she think he was?! ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t solve this issue. Just wait, I¡¯ll call the police and use you of rape!¡± ¡°I beg you to call the cops!¡± Nics was almost in tears, ¡°You female bandit, who knows which of us took advantage of the other?!¡± Trisha was just standing up when she heard this, immediately turned around, and kicked him in the waist, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see if the police can serve me justice!¡± Nics, face reddened by the pain, clutched his waist, wishing he could throw this female bandit out the window! Just as Trisha dialed the number, there was a knock at the door. As she was about to open it, Dr. Ledford¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Nics, are you awake?¡± Trisha looked surprised. Nics was about to speak when the girl, who had left moments before, returned, twisted her face, and pounced on him, covering his mouth with her hand. Trisha gnashed her teeth, ¡°I can let go of you, but if you dare open the door and gossip, ruining my reputation, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t be a father for the second half of your life!¡± She was powerful, and Nics, a tali man, couldn¡¯t break free from her. It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t use force, but since she was so short, he was afraid that she would be thrown away if he applied too much force. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 So he pointed to his mouth, shook his index finger, indicating that he wouldn¡¯t talk, and asked her to let go. Trisha stared at him, confirmed his sincerity multiple times, and finally let go of his mouth. ¡°Nics?¡± Jace raised his voice, ¡°Are you not awake yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± Nics cleared his throat and thundered, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jace said, ¡°You left your phone at the barst night. Someone brought it over. Come get it.¡± With threatening eyes, Trisha stared at Nics. ¡°Let Dr. Ledford leave the phone at the door!¡± Nics put on his coat and nced at her, ¡°If I ask him to put the phone outside the door, don¡¯t you think he would get suspicious?¡± Trisha also realized that this made them look like they had something to hide. Unable to pick up the phone without opening the door, wouldn¡¯t that mean we have something to hide? Suddenly, Trisha reminded herself that opening the door would reveal the whole room¡¯s situation at a nce. If she hid in the bathroom, what if Nics gossiped in front of Dr. Ledford? She wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him in time. Seeing her hesitant, Nics suggested, ¡°How about this, when I open the door, you hide by the door. He won¡¯t see you, but you can hear what I say Deal?¡± ¡°What if you¡¯re up to something?¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Do you think I want my reputation damaged? For others to know I sleep with anyone? Is that something to be proud of?¡± Trisha twitched the corners of her mouth and viciously kicked Nics¡¯s leg. Nics, already prepared, easily dodged the kick. ¡°Nics?¡± Dr. Ledford shouted again. Nics said, ¡°Hold on, let me put on some clothes.¡± Turning to Trisha, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Trisha followed him cautiously to the door. Nics opened the door. Outside, Jace was texting, looked up, saw the marks on Nics¡¯s chest, andughed, ¡°You had a fun night, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Nics took the phone, ¡°I was attacked by a cat all night.¡± Trisha¡¯s speechless andining secretly, why didn¡¯t the cat just kill you?! ¡°What kind of cat?!¡± Jace whispered, still chuckling, ¡°So fierce?¡± Nics looked up. ¡°A very wild cat.¡± Trisha rolled her eyes. Jace covered his mouth,ughed for while and asked, ¡°Did the cat run away?¡± ¡°Cat¡±, Nics nced at the doorway where Trisha was hiding, noticing her look of fear and anxiety, and smiled, ¡°The cat is hiding now.¡± Jace said, ¡°From the way you¡¯re talking about it, I actually want to meet this cat.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever¡­¡± Nics had just started speaking when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned and saw the female bandit holding onto him, her eyes red as if she was about to cry any second. Nics looked into her eyes and suddenly remembered. Wasn¡¯t it the woman who hugged him tightly while talking to Jacest night? Yep, that¡¯s her, the female bandit right in front of him. After thinking for a moment, Nics realized that she must be trying to keep her rtionship with him a secret from Jace. Usually, Nics was the type of guy who would do the opposite of what he was told not to do. But what happened to him today? Seeing her red eyes tightly gripping his sleeve, he suddenly felt like he couldn¡¯t go against her wishes Nics hesitated and said with a pursed mouth, ¡°Forget it, the cat is too timid. What if it gets scared, right?¡± Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Trisha¡¯s speechless andining secretly, why didn¡¯t the cat just kill you?! ¡°What kind of cat?!¡± Jace whispered, still chuckling, ¡°So fierce?¡± Nics looked up. ¡°A very wild cat.¡± Trisha rolled her eyes. Jace covered his mouth,ughed for while and asked, ¡°Did the cat run away?¡± ¡°Cat¡±, Nics nced at the doorway where Trisha was hiding, noticing her look of fear and anxiety, and smiled, ¡°The cat is hiding now.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Jace said, ¡°From the way you¡¯re talking about it, I actually want to meet this cat.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever¡­¡± Nics had just started speaking when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned and saw the female bandit holding onto him, her eyes red as if she was about to cry any second. Nics looked into her eyes and suddenly remembered. Wasn¡¯t it the woman who hugged him tightly while talking to Jacest night? Yep, that¡¯s her, the female bandit right in front of him. After thinking for a moment, Nics realized that she must be trying to keep her rtionship with him a secret from Jace. Usually, Nics was the type of guy who would do the opposite of what he was told not to do. But what happened to him today? Seeing her red eyes tightly gripping his sleeve, he suddenly felt like he couldn¡¯t go against her wishes Nics hesitated and said with a pursed mouth, ¡°Forget it, the cat is too timid. What if it gets scared, right?¡± Seeing the scene of them both drunkenly entering the room, Nics fell silent. Indeed, he was the one who brought her in. Thinking of the blood on Trisha¡¯s leg, he felt an unusual sense of quilt. At the same time, in the upstairs room, under the floor, a fake blood bag that had just been used for filmingy alone. When Liam woke up, he saw Celeste sitting in the living room, using aptop His head ached terribly, and the hangover symptoms had not yet subsided. Amelia, the housekeeper, saw Liaming downstairs and greeted him enthusiastically, ¡°Sir, have some hangover soup. Thedy told me to make it just for you¡± Liam nced at Celeste on the sofa and nodded. Amelia immediately brought the hangover soup from the kitchen. He took a sip and walked behind the sofa. Celeste had her legs crossed with theptop on herp. As Liam approached, she closed theptop. Liam was silent for a moment and looked at Celeste, ¡°Did you¡­ pick me upst night?¡± Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Seeing the scene of them both drunkenly entering the room, Nics fell silent. Indeed, he was the one who brought her in. Thinking of the blood on Trisha¡¯s leg, he felt an unusual sense of quilt. At the same time, in the upstairs room, under the floor, a fake blood bag that had just been used for filmingy alone. When Liam woke up, he saw Celeste sitting in the living room, using aptop His head ached terribly, and the hangover symptoms had not yet subsided. Amelia, the housekeeper, saw Liaming downstairs and greeted him enthusiastically, ¡°Sir, have some hangover soup. Thedy told me to make it just for you¡± Liam nced at Celeste on the sofa and nodded. Amelia immediately brought the hangover soup from the kitchen. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He took a sip and walked behind the sofa. Celeste had her legs crossed with theptop on herp. As Liam approached, she closed theptop. Liam was silent for a moment and looked at Celeste, ¡°Did you¡­ pick me upst night?¡± Celeste nced at him and responded with a hum. Liam patted his chest, ¡°What did you do to me? Why is this area so red?¡± Celeste twitched the corners of her eyes, thinking Liam really didn¡¯t remember anything after getting drunk. ¡°Did you really forget everything?¡± Liam frowned. ¡°What should I remember?¡± She should have recorded Liam¡¯s drunk state on her phonest night. ¡°After getting drunk, you really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Liam rubbed his eyebrows and thought. He remembered that after getting drunk, Nics handed him a cocktail, and then things got fuzzy. In his memory, he vaguely saw Celeste¡¯s face. She was saying something and helping him undress. Thinking about this, Liam¡¯s eyes deepened, looking at Celeste with a slightly different meaning. ¡°Actually, I do remember a few things.¡± Celeste was surprised. Had he evolved after getting drunk? Was his memory recovering? ¡°So you¡± ¡°You like it when I get drunk?¡± Liam suddenly asked. Celeste¡¯s face was full of confusion. Pretending to be serious, Liam said, ¡°When I¡¯m drunk, you can do things that you wouldn¡¯t dare do otherwise.¡± He nced at his chest and said lightly, ¡°You¡¯re quite strong.¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched. So he thought the red patch on his chest was her doing? What exactly did his mind remember? Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Liam became more convinced and recalled some other blurry images Celeste opened her mouth but didn¡¯t speak until, ¡°I like how you look when you¡¯re drunk.¡± Liam¡¯s face said, ¡°I knew it.¡± Listening to Celeste¡¯s continuation, ¡°After you get drunk, besides a soft penis, you¡¯re much cuter than you are now.¡± Liam¡¯s body suddenly stiffened up Holding her notebook, Celeste, stood up with a cheeky smile and said, ¡°Handsome face, great body, but dumb as a rock ¨C Mr. Reed is a real knockout when he¡¯s wasted.¡± As soon as she went upstairs, Shawn called. Seeing his name on the caller ID, Celeste¡¯s face instantly darkened Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Celeste walked upstairs to the rooftop while holding her phone, then answered the call. ¡°Celeste, why are you answering my call now? Didn¡¯t you see the message I¡¯ve sent youst night?¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± Celeste said in a faint voice Shawn frowned. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you call me back?¡± ¡°Dad, you called me in the middle of the night because I hit Angel, right?¡± Shawn was choked and didn¡¯t expect Celeste to be so direct. He said. ¡°You guys never fought when you were kids. What happened to make you hit Angel like that?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Angel tell you?¡± ¡°She said Liam was drunk, and she helped him up. You got upset about that. Do you think it¡¯s worth it? Liam is her brother-inw. How could she have any improper thoughts about him?¡± Celesteughed, ¡°Just helping him up? Is that what Angel told you?¡± Shawn felt ufortable when he heard her sneer because it was too simr to her mother Caitlyn¡¯s tone. ¡°Then you tell me what happened¡± Celeste put away her smile, ¡°Do you still remember the rabbit I raised when I was young?¡± Shawn frowned, not able to recall it clearly. ¡°On my birthday, a ssmate gave me a rabbit. Angel liked and wanted it, but I didn¡¯t want to give it to her. When I was not at home, you let the rabbit out for her to y with, and in the end, it was hit and killed on the road,¡± Shawn vaguely remembered that it seemed to have happened. He couldn¡¯t remember the details, but he only remembered that Celeste picking up the dead rabbit with swollen eyes from crying ¡°Throughout my whole life, as long as Angel wanted something, you gave it to her, even if it was mine.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Shawn¡¯s face changed, and his tone softened, ¡°It was indeed my mistake, but it wasn¡¯t intentional. The rabbit was running around, how could a child keep an eye on it?¡± ¡°Yeah, she was young then, so I let her have her way. But now she¡¯s 23. Is she still young? Liam was drunk, so she stripped and climbed into his bed. What is Angel thinking? Does she think I don¡¯t know? And you¡¯re questioning me why I hit her? What kind of person is she? An adopted wild child! Who is she to covet my things?¡± Shawn¡¯s face changed, ¡°Who are you calling a wild child?¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°If she¡¯s not a wild child, then what is she? What kind of child from a normal family would be abandoned in an orphanage? We took her in, do we owe her something? Or do you think she¡¯s more important than your biological daughter in your heart?¡± Shawn¡¯s face was full of embarrassment, and Celeste kept implying Angel had a bad background. But he couldn¡¯t deny the fact. He grew angry and said indignantly, ¡°You two grew up together. Don¡¯t you think your words a bit harsh? And how could Angel possibly do something improper? Even if you saw it, how could you determine that it wasn¡¯t Liam who started it? There¡¯s such a big difference in strength between men and women. If Liam forced her, could she resist?¡± Celeste was almost amused by his words. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 He was really trying to protect Angel. In his heart, Angel was probably as innocent as an angel and as pure as snow. If she did something inappropriate, it must be because someone else made the first move. The partiality of parents could be so shocking. ¡°Seeing you believe Liam¡¯s wrong, why don¡¯t you bring Angel to our house to confront Liam, and see if I¡¯m lying or framing her?¡± Shawn was speechless. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He nced at Angel, who looked upset, and suddenly had doubts about her words. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll find out the truth.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Celeste called out him and went straight to the point, ¡°Dad, when are you nning to donate to the orphanage?¡± Shawn hesitated and spoke softly. ¡°Thepany¡¯s revenue has declined this year, and we can no longer support the orphanage. I¡¯ve already contacted the city government to see if they can provide subsidies.¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Dad, the money for the drphanage came from the assets under mom¡¯s name. Even if thepany¡¯s revenue declines, it shouldn¡¯t affect that. If you¡¯re not good at managing, why not hire awyer to transfer mom¡¯s shares to me, and let me handle the expenses?¡± Hearing this, Shawn¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Your mother¡¯s medical expenses cost tens of thousands a month, nearly a million a year. Do you think our family has a gold mine like the Reed family? I¡¯m doing everything I can now to pay for her medical expenses. Where would I have the extra money to support the orphanage?¡± Celeste sneered, but he didn¡¯t mention the share transfer. If he really couldn¡¯t afford it, he should have thrown this difficult matter to her right away! The only reason he didn¡¯t give it was because he saw profit. Caitlyn went through a lot of trouble to get Shawn¡¯s evidence, making him sign that agreement that left him with almost nothing: How could she watch the Campbell family¡¯s belongings be taken away by a private child? He was not willing to give it to her, right? Then she would take it herself! Seeing Celeste not speaking, Shawn said, ¡°Celeste, your mother¡¯s health is the most important thing. We¡¯re barely managing ourselves. How can we have the energy to worry about the orphanage¡¯s survival? That¡¯s something for the government, not us. I know you and your mom used to volunteer there often and have deep feelings for the ce, but we need to consider our own abilities.¡± But why didn¡¯t he mention this as a government responsibility when donating to the orphanage to get corporate tax exemptions? He was enthusiastic about using others for help, and when they were no longer useful, he ruthlessly discarded them. How could such a person be her father? Leaving from the rooftop, Liam has already packed up at the entrance and is ready to leave. ¡°Are you going out? Celeste asked him. It was already past ten o¡¯clock. Liam usually doesn¡¯t go to work thiste. If it waster than this time, he wouldn¡¯t go to the office and would stay in his study to deal with things. ¡°Yeah,¡± Liam said, ¡°There¡¯s a presentation at the University of T this afternoon, and I need to attend.¡± A presentation¡­ Celeste¡¯s eyes flickered several times. Suddenly, she stepped forward, snatched the tie from Liam¡¯s hand, tiptoed, and wrapped the tie around his neck while tying it and asked, ¡°Can! join you?¡± Liam looked down at her and said, ¡°You wanna go?¡± ¡°That university is my alma mater too, and I haven¡¯t been back there for so many years. I¡¯ve got nothing to do today, so I¡¯d like to have a look.¡± She helped him straighten his tie, her lowered eyshes casting a gentle shadow on her cheeks, and her voice softened, ¡°Take me with you, okay?¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Liam has always been a sucker for gentleness. if Celeste had argued with him like usual, he might not have agreed so quickly, but when her voice became soft, Liam just couldn¡¯t resist her. After Liam agreed, Celeste went upstairs to get ready. Liam waited downstairs for half an hour, and just when he was getting impatient and wanted to ask the housemaid to remind her, Celeste came down. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She wore a ck V-neck long dress, her hair curled into big waves, with a bit of hair wax applied, it fell softly on her shoulders, looking particrly shiny. As she walked down the stairs, she raised her head slightly, revealing a delicate face that looked precious without any jewelry. Wearing high heels, she walked slowly to Liam, hooked his arm, and smiled slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Though Celeste wasn¡¯t dressed extravagantly, her face was so elegant and noble that she would catch people¡¯s attention no matter what she wore Her beauty was always unique, just like her personality. When Owen came to pick them up, he saw the couple walking out hand-in-hand and looking very harmonious. He thought he was seeing things. Has Mr. Reed changed his heart? Before he had time to think, he quickly got out of the car and opened the door. They got into the car, and Owen asked, ¡°Mrs. Reed, where would you like to go? I¡¯ll take you first.¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m returning to my alma mater with Mr. Reed.¡± Owen suddenly remembered that Mrs. Reed was also a graduate of the University of T Celeste¡¯s face was always so misleading, and her bold personality made people find it hard to associate her with the University of T. The University of T had pretty high threshold, even for art students, the requirements for the academic level was very high. He remembered that her grades were excellent in J City, and she could pick any university other than the University of T. Moreover, her overall professional performance was far ahead of the second ce. In her field, she was a top-notch presence. There were many outstanding socialites in J City, but few were as low-key as Mrs. Reed. She was so low key that everyone other than her acquaintances thought she was an ordinary university graduate. The seminar was at 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, so Liam had to go to thepany first to deal with some urgent work. Celeste was brought to thepany by him. At Quantum, the employees were gradually getting familiar with Celeste. Now, everyone in thepany, even the cleaners, knew that Liam had a trophy wife. Celeste went from resisting to getting used to the term. Even as a trophy, she wanted to be the most expensive one. While Liam was busy working, Celeste sat on the sofa with her hand supporting her forehead, reading a book. In front of her was a book on ¡°World History¡± When she wasn¡¯t talking, looked like a beautiful painting. Liam asionally nced at her while working, and found her to be quite pleasing to the eye. She should read more and cultivate her taste instead of indulging in those short videos all day. Liam was very efficient at work and managed toplete all the piled up work in just over an hour. He stretched his neck back, stretched his muscles, and nced at Celeste. She was very focused on her reading. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 She smiled from time to time, seemingly very engrossed Liam approached her, although his footsteps were soft, his aura was strong But until he got right in front of her, she didn¡¯t notice him. How could ¡°World History¡± be so fascinating? Which chapter was she reading? Liam curiously leaned over, and then the corners of his mouth twitched. She had a phone hidden in the book, ying a live stream of a male inte celebrity. The guy was wearing a sports vest, apparently just finished exercising, and was sweating. The audience in the live room was sending crazyments, and Celeste¡¯s index finger like them like crazy. Then the guy took off the vest. Liam¡¯s face darkened. He thought she was cultivating her mind by reading a book, but she was watching this? He took away the book, and the phone fell on Celeste¡¯sp. She finally returned to her senses, removed her headphones, and asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± Liam said nothing, but took her phone, unfollowed, and blocked the live streamer. Celeste was annoyed, ¡°Liam, you¡¯re too controlling, even caring about who I follow?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Look less at this kind of stuff, it affects your intelligence.¡± ¡°Watching people dance is worthless? What nutritious ounts do you follow? Share them with me.¡± Saying that, Celeste grabbed Liam¡¯s phone, unlocked it, and opened his short video app. Liam didn¡¯t stop her but just watched her actions and said lightly. ¡°Mine is way more nutritious than yours.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Celeste opened his following list and found that he only followed one ount, which was her ount. Celeste was stunned, and Liam calmly said, ¡°At least the ones I follow have some useless stuff in their brains, not just appearances like the ones you follow.¡± Celeste¡¯s momentary feeling was crushed by Liam¡¯s words. ¡°How about that?¡± Liam said with a smile, ¡°Better than the ones you follow, right?¡± Celeste angrily threw his phone back at him. She was about to retort when there was a knock on the door. Liam¡¯s serious face returned, and he stood up, ¡°Come in.¡± Angel came in with some files, saw Celeste, paused momentarily, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and her expression almost copsed. She suppressed the anger in her heart, lowered her voice, and asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, is my sister here too?¡± Celeste smiled, feeling admiration for Angel in her heart. As an adopted daughter who had been dormant in the Reed family for so many years and managed to keep the identity of her illegitimate daughter so well hidden, she had to admit that Angel had some endurance. She was much smarter than Kaylee. Even though she had been ppedst night, she could still greet her usually in front of Liam Liam asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°The speech for this afternoon is ready; could you help me take a look and see if anything needs to be changed?¡± She handed over the file in her hand. Liam didn¡¯t take it, ¡°Reviewing the draft is Wesley Reed¡¯s job. Go find him.¡± ¡°Mr. Wesley has already checked it out, and he said that this time the University of T¡¯s presentation is super important, so you gotta take a look at it yourself to avoid any issues.¡± Liam frowned and then took the document Angel¡¯s speech this time was not that different from the previous ones. If there was any problem, it would be that the script was too focused on her own situation. Leaduscript, almost half of it was all about her own growth story Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Liam didn¡¯t fancy those speeches that were loaded with personal stuff. Angel seemed to care more about her publicity than thepany or the project. She was popr and good at using her advantages. After the first two speeches, Angel¡¯s ount gained tens of thousands of fans, and the focus of every news piece was leaning toward her. Actually, this was not good, as it was like tying herself tightly with thepany. After some time, when it came to Angel, the first thing that came to mind is Quantum. Over time, Angel¡¯s personal image gradually equated with thepany¡¯s image. But it¡¯d be okay if she could maintain this ¡°perfect¡± image all along. People aren¡¯t saints, how can anyone be so perfect? Once she messed up and her image copsed, there were bound to be people taking advantage of it. Liam picked up a pen and crossed outrge chunks of her personal story, including those provocative parts, leaving only the parts rted to the main theme. He handed the modified script over to Angel, and he said, ¡°Just like this.¡± Angel nced at it, her face changing slightly, ¡°Mr. Reed, you think you overdid it with the cuts?¡± Liam just stared at her without speaking. Angel exined, ¡°My first two speeches were pretty much the same and were very effective. Mr. Wesley was very pleased, he even had me add quite a bit. If you cut all those out, it might not be long enough for the speech.¡± Liam calmly said, ¡°If you are so sure about your script, why bother asking me?¡± was somewhat lost for words. She came partly to test if Liam remembered anything aboutst night and partly because she was confident in her script after the previous two sessful speeches, seeking recognition from Liam. Who would we thought that Liam would find her speechpletely wed? Moreover, Celeste was present, and Liam seemed to have no memory ofst night. ¡°Anything else?¡± Liam coldly asked. Angel snapped back, ¡°No, nothing else.¡± Liam nced at her, expressionless, ¡°The speech this afternoon is crucial. Angel nodded, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You know, you should watch your image. At the speech, you represent thepany. Look at your face, it¡¯s much biggerpared to thest speech.¡± ¡°Pfft¨C Celeste sprayed out a mouthful of juice. Angel¡¯s face turned from blue to white to red, looking absolutely awful. Did her face gain weight? It was all thanks to the horrendous Celeste who had beaten her! Celeste put down her ss and walked over, carefully examining Angel¡¯s face. It was betterpared to yesterday, but Angel originally had a round face, and Celeste¡¯s few ps turned her round face into a swollen face Even if it had deted a bit, it still looked much bigger than usual. She boasted, ¡°Hubby, the food at yourpany is fantastic. Angel hasn¡¯t been here long, and she¡¯s already looking rounder¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°No matter how good the food, you can¡¯t overindulge Embarrassed, Angel couldn¡¯t stay a second longer. After muttering, ¡®Understood,¡± she quickly left with her script, even stumbling in anger. Celeste indifferently turned her gaze away, hoping Angel wouldn¡¯t disappoint her After saying hi to the vice-principal, they suddenly remembered Liam and the presenter, so they turned around to greet them. However,pared to their enthusiasm for Liam, their attitude towards them became more formal and polite. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The presentation was held at the Cultural za, and students wereing over as their lunch break just ended. The scene was full of media setting up their shooting equipment. Judging by the number of cameras and the live streaming media on their phones, there must be at least 20 of them. boot bad changed a lot, with the most noticeable difference being the massive screen at the Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Not at the ASEAge The di chec tamed giammes, isoking at ww Veleste was a Bt surprise sses (revealing a pair of genti bod Celeste anonedhately saw Mason sitting on the sofa. He was viventa e hua banda. help with awsuit, he mentioned he was from the University of T However Be VO (exined the inhason. Mason gave baco oper was personal invited by Mason ak farmal setting Sut Mason w e point. maur wasw a humantes subw Bein Angel enjoying he Whos your head at Each question by th attend the Thistle asked Liam, ¡°Where does your assed famr with Atason, and they also knew about Mason and Liam¡¯s rtionship So said they would all have dinner together after it have much to say he was phone at ease in such situations From N?velDrama.Org. with interpersonal rtionships than othe? s a bit awkward * Liam is so outstanding, you must be not bad either, right? wherter¡± ut how to answer she heard Liam say. ¡°She¡¯s not working right He told Liam to let him know the good news and that he couldn¡¯t miss the baby¡¯s baptism since he couldn¡¯t Just then, a staff Angel assed, and Angel didnt s ember called her to copy the matenals from the USB drive to theputer and test the content to be yedter. liged and left Celeste nced up and then lowered her eyes again. The media room was a ce fi bugging outdoorrge screens. To disy content on the big screen, they had to project it from here The staff was exining to Angel how to use the equip About twenty inutester, Angel finished copy necessary content with the help of the staff. an hour It was almost 2:30 PM, and the presentation She thanked the staff and went out to famihanze herself with the script After she left, the staff checked the equipment again. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Soon, there was a knock on the media room door The staff said, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± ¡°Hello,¡± a crisp female voice said. The staff tumed around The wongan gently said. It seems like the outdoor disy isn¡¯t working properly. Can youe out and check what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°How could it not work?¡± The staff said as they went to check ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯ll see when you check.¡± Their voices faded away The media room door was ajar, and the screen inside flickered slightly. The staff went outside and saw that the disy wasnt even on They humedly asked their colleague to check what was wrong, and the colleague confirmed that the disy was indeed off The staff breathed a sigh of relief but was also puzzled. They remembered turning on the screen when Quantum¡¯s people were copying the matenals How could it be off? Celeste came out of the restroom and bumped into Angel, who was going in. Celeste ignored her and walked past Angel. As they passed each other, Angel stopped her, ¡°Celeste, how does it feel to watch me give a presentation at your alma mater?¡± Celeste paused, and nced at her, ¡°This is the only way you could ever be at the University of T, after all, even if you took the entrance exam for -ten years, you might not get in.¡± Angels eyes darkened, ¡°I couldn¡¯t get in, but you did. So what? You still have to rely on others. What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± These words were the same as what Adriana Reilly said before, and Angel didn¡¯t even bother hiding it anymore. Celeste was a bit puzzled. Angel had always dared to only do bad things behind her back. Yesterday, she was already surprised when Angel directly targeted Liam. Today, she dared to confront her face to face. What gave her such confidence? She looked at Angel. After a few seconds, she suddenlyughed lightly, ¡°Seems like the p I gave you yesterday wasn¡¯t hard enough for you to still have the guts to talk big in front of me.¡± Angel¡¯s face changed slightly, and the wound on her face tingled. She clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, ¡°In a situation like this, do you dare to hit me?¡± Today¡¯s presentation was crucial, otherwise Liam wouldn¡¯t havee personally. She didn¡¯t believe that Celeste would dare to hit her in such a situation Celeste looked at her calmly, ¡°Angel, Quantum only needs one presenter, and it doesn¡¯t have to be you. Compared to you, Liam might prefer to invite his alumni wife. Want to give it a try?¡± Angel¡¯s expression fluctuated. In the end, she clenched her teeth and left with a cold face. It was 2:50 PM Liam nced at his watch, noticing that Celeste had been in the restroom for 20 minutes already. What on earth could be keeping her? Just as he was about to ask Owen to check on her in the hallway, he saw Celeste strutting towards the stage. She was wearing sunsses, her lips tightly shut, her hair in big, wavy curls, and her tall, curvy figure looked stunning. Years of body training had given her an extraordinary presence. As she climbed the steps, it was as if she was walking down a runway, with her aura shining brightly and turning heads. The ssmates in the audience thought that Quantum had invited a celebrity to make an appearance, and they all whipped out their phones to snap photos of Celeste. ¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. As she walked up, Liam reached out and took off her sunsses Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 She frowned and said unhappily. ¡°Why did you take off my sunsses?¡± ¡°If you wear sunsses on stage, who¡¯s gonna pay attention to the presentation?¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°Who are you to decide what the audience likes?¡± ¡°Haha-¡°Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh, Celeste was a drama student, she had a bit of aedian in her Liam red at Owen, who coughed and put on a regr expression. He folded the sunsses and put them in his pocket, ¡°Just sit quietly next to me for a while, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°Got it¡± This time Celeste didn¡¯t provoke him. At three in the afternoon, the presentation officially began. The principal gave a brief exnation of Quantum¡¯s coboration, followed by individual introductions of the Quantum team members, and soon the atmosphere at the event became lively. Wesley and Liam each gave brief speeches about the coboration and handed the stage to Angel. She adjusted the microphone and said warmly. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, hello, I¡¯m Angel, the presenter for Quantum Enterprises The Elites project, I¡¯m 22 and currently working in the operations department of Quantum Enterprises. Are there any students who are the same age as me? Please raise your hands to let me see¡­¡± Angel¡¯s voice was lovely, and her tone was calm, just like chatting with a good friend, which made her interactive presentation easy to listen to Celeste tapped on the water ss in front of her as if timing something, or just a bored gesture. ¡°Oh? Am I awesome? I¡¯m not,¡± Angelughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m just pretty lucky. When I was a little girl, I was abandoned at the door of an orphanage. I think it was winter, and it was cold and snowing; they rode their bikes with me; the wind whistling in my ears, I keptining about the cold, they said they¡¯d buy me new clothes, gave me a sausage, and told me to wait there, but I waited from day to night, and they never came back for me¡­¡± Liam¡¯s face turned heavy. Celeste nced at Liam and looked away. Angel couldn¡¯t bear to leave out the content deleted by Liam. She talked about being abandoned, being adopted by the orphanage, and being bullied there, and finally concluded, ¡°I like the saying, what doesn¡¯t kill me makes me stronger. It doesn¡¯t matter how you start in life, what matters is how you use the cards you have in hand to change your fate. I¡¯m grateful to my adoptive parents, they gave me the opportunity to be educated, allowing me to win with a bad hand. The higher you stand, the more those unpleasant experiences seem like a dream, and now I asionally talk to my friends about my time at the orphanage, but I¡¯ve already let go of my feelings¡­¡± After a 20-minute ¡°miserable experience¡± story, Angel finally started talking about the project. As the presentation went on, the atmosphere waspletely lively.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Angel became more and more confident, ¡°Please wait a moment, I will project the relevant subjects and n content of this project onto the big screen for your reference. If any students have a rted major and are interested in this n, you can fill out the information with our staff. If you have any questions, our staff will also answer them one by one for you¡± As she spoke, therge screen behind her switched to another page, instead of the ¡°The Elites n¡± Angel mentioned, it was a paternity test, followed by Angel¡¯s birth certificate and her parents¡¯ information. This information detailed Angel¡¯s parents¡¯ extramarital affair, when Angel was born, when she was sent to the orphanage, and then arranged for Shawn¡¯s ex-wife to adopt her. The audience was confused by the sudden news, and the media quickly sensed something was wrong and began filming. ¡°Wow, Angel is Shawn¡¯s illegitimate daughter!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who¡¯s Shawn?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the husband of the couple who adopted Angel, isn¡¯t he supposed to be her adoptive father? How could he be her biological father?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it written there? Shawn had an affair with his secretary and had Angel. To cover it up, they sent her to the orphanage. Shawn¡¯s ex wife has always been devoted to charity, so he took advantage of this opportunity to have her adopt Angel¡­¡± *Putting his illegitimate daughter next to his ex-wife to help raise her? That¡¯s too crazy! Did his ex-wife offend the Campbell family?¡± ¡°Oh my god, how disgusting! I¡¯ve been following Angel for years, and she used to talk online about being bullied by her adoptive sister. Many people spoke up for her online, but it turns out she was a cunning thief crying thief? As an illegitimate daughter, she upied someone else¡¯s family and attacked their biological daughter online, is she even human?¡± ¡°How can she stand up at the presentation and shamelessly say she got everything she has now through her efforts? How dare she?¡± ¡°Were the bullying stories at the orphanage also made up by her? Her biological parents sent her to the orphanage, how could they let her suffer? I don¡¯t believe it anyway.¡± ¡°This person is full of lies, it¡¯s really disgusting! How could Quantum invite such a person with bad character to be the presenter?¡± ¡°I suddenly lost all interest in this The Elites¡¯ n. Don¡¯t they do background checks on their speakers? This incident makes me doubt Quantum¡¯s recruitment standards.¡± As the audience buzzed, Angel thought the presentation was a huge sess, barely suppressing a smile, and looked at Celeste with arrogant and triumphant eyes. Celeste looked at her expression and also raised the corner of her mouth slightly. The staff handing out materials below finally realized something was wrong, one ran to the multimedia room to turn off the screen, and the other quickly went up the stage. Owen immediately sensed something was off, turned around to look back, and seeing the screen, his mood instantly dropped. ¡°Mr. Reed, we have a problem.¡± Liam saw what was happening and said with a serious face, ¡°First, let¡¯s get the situation under control.¡± Before he could even finish, a water bottle was thrown onto the stage, sshing Angel in the face. Then someone from the audience shouted, ¡°Get out of the University of TI¡± The atmosphere became tense instantly, and everyone started throwing stuff at Angel, chanting. ¡°Get out of the University of T!¡± Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Angel looked clueless when she turned around and saw the content on the big screen, her face instantly went pale The stuff shown on the screen was ridiculous and messed up, ruining everyone¡¯s moralpass. But unfortunately, all these things had indeed happened to Angel She had built up her image for so long, deceiving everyone and gaining much sympathy How could Angel¡¯s fans forgive her for this kind of deception when they saw her image go bankrupt right before their eyes? In a ce like Ivory Tower, students have rtively simple experiences and straightforward emotions, and many of them demand that Angel leave the school. People threw water bottles, fruits, and even shoes at her. One shoe, in particr, was thrown super urately and hit Angel right in the face, causing her nose to bleed profusely. The school leaders quickly asked the teachers and staff to maintain the scene, and Quantum¡¯s team also hurriedly pulled the now hated Angel offstage N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Wesley quickly contacted the PR team to handle the incident, as it was his project, and he would be responsible for any issues. All parties acted quickly, and within two minutes, the big screen went dark, though the students below were still very excited and refused to leave, even protesting more intensely. Celeste stood on the side, watching this farce with a cold eye. Liam turned to look at her. Celeste calmly nced back at him. ¡°Liam,¡± Mason whispered after running up to the stage at some point, ¡°take Celeste and leave first in my car. The students are gehing too aggressive, and some of them are already blocking vehicles. If we wait any longer, it¡¯ll be hard to leave.¡± Liam pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said. ¡°Owen, you take her with Mason first¡± Owen said, ¡°I¡¯lle back with another car to pick you upter.¡± Liam didn¡¯t speak, just handed Celeste the sunsses from his pocket and turned to take the microphone. ¡°Everyone, please calm down and listen to me¡­¡± As soon as he started speaking, a bottle of paint was thrown at him, sshing bright red paint all over his expensive suit and even some on his face. He pursed his lips and continued, ¡°Please listen to me.¡± Celeste¡¯s nervous when she saw Liam¡¯s embarrassment, and she wanted to go over to him, but Mason stopped her. ¡°Liam can handle this. If you stay here, he¡¯ll be distracted and worried about you.¡± Mason was right. The people throwing things at the scene weren¡¯t even sure if they were students anymore, and the media was frantically snapping pictures. The anger that had been directed at Angel was now turning into a rage at Quantum¡¯s credibility copse. Her staying wouldn¡¯t help him, and might even be a burden. Celeste took a deep breath and whispered, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Fletcher.¡± Owen and Celeste left in Liam¡¯s car, and as they passed the entrance, they saw many people surrounding the cars from Quantum. There were students, but even more media. She looked away and finally said, ¡°Owen, bring a change of clothes when you pick him upter¡± Owen responded The ride was silent Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 After Mason dropped Celeste off at Pinecrest Manor, he drove away Owen changed car in the garage, bringing the clothes Celeste had given him, and hurriedly returned to the scene. Celeste stood in the yard for a while before going back inside. In just half an hour, topics like Angel being an illegitimate daughter and Quantum University¡¯s presentation encountering an ident quickly climbed the hot search list. Angel¡¯s previous image was just too perfect. Orphan, inspirational, rags to riches-thesebels, once her image copsed, immediately became weapons to attack her As a famous ¡°inspirational inte celebrity,¡± she had been using her orphan status to attract attention since middle school. Most of her fans paid attention to her because of her ¡°tragic¡± background and ¡°never give-up¡± attitude. So when her image copsed, her supporters instantly turned into haters. Her ount lost hundreds to thousands of followers every time it was refreshed, and in just ten minutes, she lost tens of thousands of followers. What¡¯s worse, Angel always said things like ¡°I¡¯ve been through the rain, so want to hold an umbre for others¡± online. Whenever there was a disaster somewhere, she would immediately call on her fans to donate and even open a reward feature on her website, iming to donate all the rewards to charity. However, someizens found that some of her donation numbers couldn¡¯t be found in the corresponding charity organizations. Suspected of deceiving donations. As soon as this news came out, Angel immediately became the target of public criticism. Deceiving donations is a very despicable behavior, especially when it involves tricking the sympathy of netizens. She¡¯s not ¡°going through the rain and holding an umbre for others¡± at all, she¡¯s clearly ¡°going through the rain and pouring cold water on Shawn¡¯s side was also in chaos. Once Angel¡¯s identity as an illegitimate child was exposed, the media rushed in like flies smelling rotten meat, surrounding Shawn¡¯s company in no time. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. others¡±! Shawn was trapped in thepany, unable to leave. Helen anxiously walked around thepany with her phone. ¡°Angel still isn¡¯t answering her calls. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing now.¡± Helen was worried and almost sick. When she saw the news of Angel being beaten and bleeding from her nose, she couldn¡¯t sit still. Shawn¡¯s phone was already turned off because as soon as he turned it on, countless calls from the media andizens woulde in, asking about his rtionship with Angel. His forehead was covered in sweat, clearly caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Who the hell put this up there?!¡± ¡°Who else could it be but Celeste?¡± Helen said angrily. ¡°I told you to be on guard with her. She must have known something a long time ago. That¡¯s why she dared to defy you over and over again. Why didn¡¯t you believe me? She¡¯s bringing this out into the open to ruin Angel!¡± Shawn was also filled with regret. He should have guessed what was going to happen after Celeste¡¯s phone call this morning. At the time, he was too focused on being angry and didn¡¯t think about it, let alone imagine that Celeste¡¯s actions would be so swift and ruthless. She had learned Caitlyn¡¯s cruelty to the extreme! Shawn¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°What else does she have in her hands?¡± Helen¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Shawn, do you think she knows¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Shawn cut her off, nced at the door, and said thoughtfully, ¡°Don¡¯t bber, let¡¯s figure out how to get out of here first.¡± Liam didn¡¯te back all night, and his phone was off. Owen¡¯s phone could be reached, but he only picked up twice, and each time the answer was, ¡°Mr. Reed is busy.¡± Trisha also saw the news online and called her to gossip, ¡°I told you there must be something fishy about your dad being so nice to her, and I was right!¡± ¡°Looking back now didn¡¯t we realize that Angel¡¯s round face the same mold¡± The more Trisha spoke, the more she realized 1 ¡°Shawn that shameless bastard, not only did he Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 sherted from Shawn? That high note and it¡¯s ike they signs of this ae stong but also made Catyh nar After saying this the noticed Celeste wasn¡¯t talking and said quietly. ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re not mad N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Celeste snapped out of her thoughts and said indifferently. ¡°Whateve After Shawn had done all these disgraceful things, he no longer deserved to be called a ¡°father¡± ¡°Trisha, do you know what¡¯s going on with Quantum now¡¯ hormant for badmouthing Shawn, are you? ¡°They¡¯re all over the headlines, and there are tons of reporters waiting outside their office for interviews Quantum¡¯s previous news was all connected to Angel¡¯s scandal, so it¡¯s definitely affecting the company¡¯s image Angels ount has been closedments, so people are venting their anger on Quantum¡¯s official ount¡± Not only that, but a fewizens who im to be former Quantum employees have exposed that the company¡¯s recruitment process was rigged Their public recruitment was a cover for internal recruitment. Even if you were recruited, you could still be reced by an internal candidate during the probation period. They imed that Quantum was no longer the fair andpetitive environment it used to be, and there were many unspoken rules. With Angel¡¯s qualifications and background, she had no business working at Quantum. However, she was able to join and take on important positions because the Campbell family and the Reed family were rted, and Quantum gave her special ess. Someone brought up awsuit between Quantum and an internst year to question thepany¡¯s hiring standards. Obviously, this information was deliberately tarnishing Quantum¡¯s reputation It¡¯s true that Quantum had internal recruitment quotas, but they were minimal, and even shareholders had only the right to dividends and couldn¡¯t hold important positions in thepany if theycked ability. At least Liam¡¯s recruitment process was based on merit. Recruitment season was always the busiest time for Liam. With so many people applying, screening them was a mentally exhausting task. In addition to education, one¡¯s professional skills were also critical, so Quantum¡¯s interview threshold was particrly high, with four rounds in total. Even after passing all the interviews and entering the probation period, there was still an assessment, and failing it meant not being officially hired. However, this rarely happened, as those who managed tond safely through four rounds of interviews wouldn¡¯t be too temble Celeste was too familiar with thewsuit brought up byizens. At the time, Liam¡¯s car was sshed with paint by that intern The fired intern wasn¡¯t let go because of poor professional skills but because he was detained for illegal activities. Thepany terminated his internship and paid him off after settling his wages. The guy was unhappy, thinking that his moral character had nothing to do with his work, and that Quantum was firing him without reason. He sued thepany. Liam initially wanted to handle the situation discreetly since it wasn¡¯t a glorious matter, and the reason for the termination wasn¡¯t publicized outside thepany. Although he despised such behavior, he didn¡¯t have the habit of being ruthless. However, the guy tried to ckmail Quantum forpensation, which immediately made Liam angry, who then exposed the real reason for the termination Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 As expected, the guy not only lost thewsuit but also ruined his reputation in the industry. No leading companies like Quanturn would consider hiring him again He couldn¡¯t ept it and ended up pouring paint on Liam¡¯s car, only to be detained again for viting public security regtions These people were so desperate to tarnish Quantum¡¯s reputation that they would use a case with a predetermined oue to do so. Others started making up stories based on a single screenshot, iming that they had been discriminated against by Quantum¡¯s HR for their education, region, or even harassed verbally. In short, after Angel¡¯s image copsed, Quantum fell into a crisis of corporate reputation. After all, there was Wesley¡¯s incident six months ago, and now Angel¡¯s scandal, which made people question Quantum¡¯s corporate image Behind all this, it seemed that someone was fanning the mes. Compared to the discussions about Angel¡¯s image copse, the talks about Quantum¡¯s corporate image and employee quality were even more heated This direction was already deviating from Celeste¡¯s original expectations. Meanwhile, on Liam¡¯s side, After the incident, with the help of the school leaders and the police who arrivedter, the scene was finally stabilized. Liam and the others didn¡¯t leave the University of T till that evening. Owen drove an extended Lincoln, which was big enough for all the colleagues to fit in. Angel cried all the way, annoying everyone in the car. Everyone was somewhat embarrassed due to the sudden ident, but Angel was the one who got hit the hardest. Half of her face was and she didn¡¯t wipe the blood off her face properly. She looked utterly miserable. swollen, However, no one at the scene felt any sympathy for her. She had caused all this trouble with her own scandal, and she still had the nerve to cry? Wesley said coldly, ¡°Shut up! If you cry again, I¡¯ll throw you out!¡± Out of everyone in the car, Wesley was the angriest. His grandmother had entrusted him with his first project, which ended up like this. He wanted to kill Angel! Angel was frightened and bit her lip, not daring to cry out loud. Wesley red and said, ¡°I swear, whoever¡¯s behind this, I¡¯m going to make them pay!¡± Liam nced at him. ¡°You chose the wrong person without doing a proper background check, and now you¡¯reining?¡± Wesley wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°Bro, Angel was the one you recruited. Why didn¡¯t you do a proper background check? She¡¯s your father-inw¡¯s niece. You mean to tell me you had no idea about their family issues?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Are you saying that I deliberately recruited her and set a trap for you to fall into?¡± Wesley seemed pretty bummed out. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know, your wife Celeste should¡¯ve known, right? Why is it that this thing wasn¡¯t exposed earlier orter, but just so happened to be exposed today during the presentation? Isn¡¯t the timing a little too perfect?¡± After hearing this, Angel suddenly remembered the meaningful smile on Celeste¡¯s face before the presentation when they were arguing. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t surprised about the exposure at all today. From N?velDrama.Org. Thinking about Celeste¡¯s behavior in the past few days, Angel suddenly shrieked, ¡°I know who did it! Celeste! It must be her! Mr. Reed, she must have switched the files on my USB!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes suddenly became stern, and his tone turned cold. ¡°Angel, think twice before you speak.¡± Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Angel was super excited, ¡°Mr. Reed, it must be her! She had the strongest motive. She was out for a long time when we discussed the presentation process. That¡¯s when she must¡¯ve switched things! We can check the surveince, Mr. Peed ¡°Shut up¡± Liam¡¯s voice was cold and stern. ¡°Do you think anyone cares who switched it now? Can it undo the damage this did to thepany?¡± Angel¡¯s face turned pale, her lips quivering, imable to say another word Wesley nced at Liam, Tinding out who¡¯s responsible and saving thepany¡¯s reputation aren¡¯t mutually exclusive, are they? if it weren¡¯t for someone deliberately messing up the presentation, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess today, right?¡± Liam looked at him, ¡°I told you from the start that we should focus on the project, not mix in too many personal stories. How did you handle 47 You should¡¯ve seen thising when you tried to use her story for publicity. As for what I want to do, you can question my decisions when you sit in my position¡± Wesley¡¯s face turned awful, and after a while, he finally said, ¡°I take responsibility for my part, but I won¡¯t let whoever started this off the hook either.¡± Liam¡¯s expression turned even colder. The tension between the two was palpable Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Reed,¡± Owen interrupted the two softly. ¡°Your grandmother¡¯s on the phone.¡± Liam¡¯s face softened slightly as he took the phone ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re on our way, I understand, okay, got it.¡± The olddy gave a brief instruction and hung up. Wesley frowned, ¡°What did she say?¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°She¡¯s at thepany.¡± Then he told Owen, ¡°Drive faster.¡± Thepany¡¯s stock had been doing well recently thanks to ¡°The Elites¡± project. But the stock plummeted in the afternoon due to the incident, leaving shareholders very dissatisfied. They had now gathered at thepany, demanding not only crisis management but also ountability Quantum Enterprises, shareholder meeting room. The shareholders had already gathered. Everyone was talking. ¡°How ridiculous! How could they let this happen during a live presentation? Who was responsible for choosing the presenter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Wesley¡¯s project, so he naturally chose the person.¡± ¡°Did he properly screen the candidates before selecting them? What did he learn during his previous overseas studies?¡± Clyde Reed¡¯s guy raised an eyebrow, ¡°Angel was personally recruited by Liam. Mr. Wesley chose her out of trust in him. How did it be Mr. Wesley¡¯s fault in your mouth? If the initial screening had been done right, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess today¡± Liam¡¯s supporters weren¡¯t backing down either, ¡°Mr. Reed hired her to work in the operations department, not for a presentation role. It was Mr. Wesley who wanted to enjoy the benefits of having an inte celebrity and chose her. We¡¯re here to promote the project, not incubate inte celebrities. As someone who studied new media, shouldn¡¯t she have considered the risks?¡± ¡°Angel is Celeste¡¯s sister. Liam has been married for years and I don¡¯t believe he knows nothing about the C sneered. ¡°Liam always ims that recruitment should be fair and impartial. Why the double standard?¡± Someone joked, ¡°Are you still holding a grudge about Mr. Reed rejecting your son¡¯s resume?¡± ¡°Do I really care about that? But if he¡¯s going to talk the talk, he should walk the walk. Otherwise, it¡¯s hard to take ¡°Better keep that kind of talk to a minimum. The chairman¡¯s olddy doesn¡¯t like to hear it, and Liam is her most bel someone Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Sienna listened to the discussions outside the door and pursed her lips for a while before saying. ¡°Liam¡¯s people skills aren¡¯t great, huh? Not many of these old folks are on his side¡± Mr. Robinson went silent. He thought the olddy was worried about handling the situation, but she wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all and was concerned about her grandson¡¯s people skills. She was actually biased ¡°Liam is focused on R&D and isn¡¯t good at dealing with these things.¡± ¡°When he was young, we only thought about making him outstanding. We forgot to teach him how to talk. He should learn from Celeste She knows when to be strong, when to be soft, and never gives up an inch. She¡¯s quick and ruthless.¡± Mr. Robinson said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say she was being ridiculous on the way here?¡± The olddy nced at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t say being ridiculous was bad. She has to deal with the Campbell family herself. As long as they have a hold on her, she¡¯ll never be free, and she¡¯ll always be controlled. I just didn¡¯t expect her to make such a big fuss. But it doesn¡¯t matter. At worst, well lose some money, and I¡¯ll get it back from Liam.¡± Mr. Robinson thought: You¡¯re pretty optimistic. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the olddy said. ¡°I have to y the viin now, or some people won¡¯t be happy.¡± When Liam and his party arrived at thepany, the shareholder meeting room was already full. The olddy sat in the main seat, with Clyde on her left. Everyone¡¯s faces were serious, and the room was silent. As soon as Angel entered, her legs were so weak that she could barely stand. She had never seen such a big scene before. Thinking about the impact of today¡¯s incident on Quantum, her face turned pale, not knowing what kind of judgment awaited her. Her illegitimate daughter¡¯s identity had been exposed, and her carefully built inspirational persona had instantly copsed. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to open her social media app anymore. Her career and her identity were all ruined. ¡°Please, take your seats.¡± . The olddy spoke calmly, and someone at the door helped Angel find a chair. When everyone was seated, Clyde began, ¡°Wesley, this project is your responsibility. Regardless of the reasons behind this incident, you are ountable for the damage caused thepany and the shareholders. You should start by apologizing to everyone.¡± The damage was already done, and to quell the shareholders¡¯ anger, at least a clear stance had to be taken. On this point, Clyde had always known how to handle things well. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Wesley was well-behaved too, standing up and bowing sincerely to apologize to everyone, totally different from his unruly and defiant attitude six months ago. Someone said, ¡°You can¡¯t me Wesley for everything. It¡¯s his first time handling a project like this, so it¡¯s inevitable that there¡¯d be some oversights. Plus, he didn¡¯t even recruit the speaker, so it¡¯s not fair to make him shoulder all the me.¡± ¡°Now, pointing fingers isn¡¯t going to help. The main thing is to figure out how to deal with this situation.¡± ¡°With the evidence right before of us, what else can we do? No matter how you look at it, it all boils down to ourpany, Quantum, not being strict enough with our hires¡± ¡°Actually, there might be a way to deal with it,¡± the PR manager suddenly chimed in. ¡°Angel is Celeste¡¯s sister. If we announce that she was brought in by Celeste, it could lessen the impact on thepany.¡± Liam¡¯s face suddenly became gloomy Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 The PR manager didn¡¯t notice Liam¡¯s unhappy face and continued, ¡°After this came out, there were many people sympathizing with Celeste online. If everyone knew that Celeste brought Angel into the company, the focus would shift to Celeste being deceived, thereby reducing everyone¡¯s attention to Quantum¡± Angels face turned pale They were going to abandon herpletely! Everyone was looking at Liam The quickest way to settle this was to divert the public¡¯s attention. If this incident happened at any other time, it wouldn¡¯t be too serious. Quantum¡¯s PR tearn is strong and could easily handle things They didn¡¯t care about Angel¡¯s image because thepany¡¯s image couldn¡¯t be ruined by her But this incident happened to be live streamed online with so many reporters around. It spread like a virus, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be controlled by ordinary means. The method proposed by the PR manager was ruthless, but it was the most suitable solution for now Celeste and Caitlyn were the biggest victims of this. If people thought that Angel was brought in by Celeste, they would feel that the mother-daughter duo was really tragic. The focus would be on the Campbell family¡¯s issues, and people would naturally forget about Quantur. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. At that time, Quantum could issue an ambiguous statement and easily remove itself from the incident. Obviously, everyone agreed with this solution, Clyde looked at Liam, ¡°Liam, what do you think?¡± Liam looked around and said lightly, ¡°Quantum is such a bigpany, when there¡¯s a problem, you push the responsibility onto a woman. Is that appropriate?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Clyde said, ¡°This affects the interests of all shareholders. Do you have a better solution?¡± Liam pursed his lips, ¡°Quantum has been around for decades, and we¡¯ve faced countless crises. What kind of storms have weathered? We¡¯ve always let our products speak for us. We¡¯ve never heard of sacrificing a woman in a crisis to save ourselves.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, you can¡¯t see it that way. Nowadays, information spreads too fast. Quantum took decades to establish its brand reputation, but this incident will damage that image.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about this. The losses could be even worse if it¡¯s not handled promptly.¡± ¡°Back when the old chairman was alive, thepany had faced simr situations. His wife resigned from thepany because of one such incident and returned to work yearster. If his wife could sacrifice for thepany, Celeste should follow her example.¡± The shareholders expressed their agreement with the PR manager¡¯s proposal, Angel felt that these people didn¡¯t care about her feelings anymore. As Liam said, the situation had already escted, and the damage to Quantum had been done. Everyone didn¡¯t care who did it now, and she would be the abandoned pawn. With that thought, her eyes changed. Even if she had to be smashed into pieces, she wanted Celeste to go down with her! As Liam and the major shareholders were at a stalemate, Angel suddenly shouted, ¡°Everybody, I know who did this today! I know who wants to tarnish Quantum¡¯s image!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes sank and said, ¡°Owen, take her away first.¡± Angel had already made up her mind to go all out. She struggled and said, ¡°It¡¯s Celeste! It¡¯s Celeste who did it! She was at the scene today, and she nted those things!¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes changed. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Owen had already pulled her to the door, but Clyde said. ¡°Owen, let her go Everyone has the right to know the ins and outs of this matter.¡± Angel immediately broke free from Owen and ran up. ¡°Celeste and Mr. Reed have been divorced for a long time. She knew my identity all along. so she used me to create this scandal, damaging Quantum¡¯s reputation and making it hard for Mr. Reed to get away. She did it to get back at Mr. Reed!¡± The more she said, the uglier Liam¡¯s face became. When she finished, he angrily said, ¡°Nonsense!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Wouldn¡¯t it be clear if we just check the surveince?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s Celeste¡¯s doing,¡± the man paused, looking at the olddy. ¡°Chairman, you must give everyone a satisfactory exnation.¡± The olddy said, ¡°If it¡¯s someone from the Reed family, I won¡¯t tolerate it.¡± Liam clenched his lips and tightened his grip on his fingers. Someone had already checked the school¡¯s surveince and was copying the video. Soon, the video was sent over. Mr. Robinson yed it on the meeting room¡¯s big screen. Everyone quickly saw the situation before the presentation, with the multimedia room staff going in and out. After Angel left, a woman in a school uniform appeared at the door and called the staff out of the office. No one entered or left the multimedia room until the staff returned. When the staff member returned, it was already 2:30 pm. Many people passed by in the video until a man in a suit knocked on the door of the multimedia room. He went in for less than a minute and then left. That man in the suit was Mason. Angel couldn¡¯t believe the surveince footage and shook her head, ¡°Impossible, she must have gone there. It must have been that man in the suit who helped her. He was the one who kept pulling me at the hotel that night!¡± Liam asked calmly, ¡°Which night?¡± Angel was startled and immediately stopped talking. Sienna said, ¡°When Mason went in, there were still people in the room. Would he switch the materials in front of the staff? That¡¯s nonsense.¡± She straightened up, her tone light but authoritative, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who did it now. The impact on thepany has been caused. In any case, those involved in this project today are responsible. Why didn¡¯t you pay more attention to the control room at that time? That¡¯s negligence in your work.¡± ¡°Wesley, I get that you¡¯re the project manager and all, but you¡¯re young and inexperienced, so it¡¯s understandable. But Liam, you¡¯re the most experienced one here; how could you let this slip? You¡¯ve gotta take the main me for this mess.¡± Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Liam lowered his head, responding softly *Forget about your project for now, leave it to your subordinates Apologize if you need to, And make statements if necessary. Lets clean up thes mess thoroughly¡± ¡®Got it.¡± Someone raised a question, ¡°Mydy, isn¡¯t this handling a bit unfair?¡± This punishment sounded severe, but it didn¡¯t affect Liam that much. Everyone knew that Liam¡¯s ace in the hole was Smart Chips Thepany he defended to the end, poured a ton of research funding into, had made significant advancements this year However, due to opposition back then, Quantum only had a 10% stake, with the remaining 50% being Liam¡¯s personal investment Who would¡¯ve thought that this small, seemingly inconsequentialpany would rise from the ashes in a few years, bing the most promising chippany in the industry. When thepany wasn¡¯t making money, everyone shied away. But now that it started profiting, they¡¯re all getting jealous. Many shareholders thought Quantum¡¯s investment was too little, tried to buy more shares of Smart Chips on multiple asions but had been rejected by Liam Once thispany goes public, its momentum will be unstoppable. With Liam holding more than 50% of the shares, that and that amount of money is like a snowball, doubling more than once, making everyone green with envy. The olddy nced at the questioner, ¡°And how do you think we should handle it?¡± ¡°Mydy, this incident has caused us shareholders, a great deal of loss. Since Mr. Reed is willing to compensate, why not sell 20% of Smart Chips shares to Quantum?¡± The olddy chuckled at the suggestion, ¡°If I remember correctly, when Liam first invested in Smart Chips, you were the most opposed. You said that the Smart Chips team was immature, the investment was hefty, and the chance of sess was slim, resulting in the original 40% stake getting shed down to 10%. Liam funded the R&D out of his pocket, and now some progress has been made, all of you are itching to buy those shares. Smart Chips was a private investment made by Liam, I don¡¯t have the authority to decide for him.¡± The shareholder blushed, not expecting the olddy to be so blunt. ¡°Since Quantum¡¯s inception, we¡¯ve weathered countless challenges. We used to pull together to survive crises, but now we¡¯re debating who to me and how to minimize personal loss. If we can only share the good times and not weather the storms together, there¡¯s no point in having these meetings. If you¡¯re unhappy, feel free to cash out.¡± The room fell silent at these words. No one expected the olddy to bring up cashing out. Quantum wasn¡¯t going to fall because of this. Everyone knew it was a temporary setback. The fierce debate was mainly to recover personal Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. losses. But cashing out was something they hadn¡¯t even considered. They had made a lot of money through Quantum over the years, they wouldn¡¯t just cash out easily ¡°If there are no objections, we will end today¡¯s discussion here. If you have any disagreement, voice it out. And don¡¯t make any underhand moves behind my back, I won¡¯t tolerate it.¡± The issue eventually came to a temporary close with Liam handing over his project, and there were still online queries to handle. No matter what, a response had to be given to the public. As he was leaving the venue, Wesley paused to look at Liam, suddenly making a sarcasticment, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so sentimental, what a waste.¡± Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Liam furrowed his brow, but Wesley only said that one line before leaving The olddy had been in the meeting until midnight, feeling a bit under the weather, so she didn¡¯t stick around much longer after it ended In the car, Liam kept reying that video, his brow furrowed as he asked, ¡°Owen, has this video been tampered with by you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t switch it. The footage was just like this when I retrieved it from school, without any trace of her Liam pursed his lips. At 2 30 that afternoon, she said she was going to the restroom. He watched from the end of the hall as she walked past the multimedia room to the restroomt, but even that scene wasn¡¯t on the tape. Clearly, someone had tampered with the video. To be able to alter it in such a short time, could she have had aplices? Liam shut his eyes, thinking of the coincidental encounter with Mason at the press conference and Mason¡¯s appearance in the video. There couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence, could there? West Orchid Road Steven was lounging with his tablet, scrolling through news online, and he said lightly, ¡°The whole Campbell family drama could make a hit TV show.¡± Nathan responded, ¡°It¡¯s quite a surprise. Who would¡¯ve thought Angel Campbell was Shawn Campbell¡¯s biological daughter?¡± ¡°Why did Celeste Campbell choose to reveal this now? Doesn¡¯t she know the impact this could have on Liam?¡± Nathan said, ¡°There are whispers going around that Liam is getting close with a female celebrity, and he and Celeste are on the verge of a divorce.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Steven tossed his tablet aside, ¡°Liam hates all that showbiz nonsense. There¡¯s no way he would have a fling with a celebrity. You must¡¯ve got your wires crossed.¡± Nathan said, ¡°I doubt it. Liam left the wedding with that celebrity. There were plenty of witnesses on site. Besides, Celeste is sort of a showbiz figure herself, isn¡¯t she? I think it¡¯s your intel that¡¯s off.¡± After a long pause, Steven said, ¡°There are many reasons for a divorce, there¡¯s no need to choose a method that¡¯s bad for everyone. Looking at the current situation, more people are ming Quantum than Angel. I suspect someone is pulling strings behind the scenes, pushing things forward ¡°But there¡¯s hardly anypany that canpete with Quantum. No one has the capacity to cut a slice from Quantum¡¯s cake. Quantum¡¯s damaged reputation doesn¡¯t do any good for otherpanies.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Steven rubbed his chin, ¡°Perhaps, that person isn¡¯t interested in Quantum¡¯s cake?¡± ¡°What are they after then?¡± Steven fell silent. If things continued this way, Liam would definitely be implicated. Knowing it was Celeste¡¯s doing, he might divorce her. Who was looking forward to their divorce? And why were they moving so fast? After a while, Steven said, ¡°Nathan, could you do me a favor and suppress those false rumors about Quantum online?¡± Nathan was taken aback, ¡°You want to help Quantum?¡± ¡°I want to help Mrs. Reed I have a few things to discuss with her.¡± Steven said calmly, ¡°Get on it immediately, and keep it hush-hush. We don¡¯t want anyone finding out.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Angel didn¡¯t get home until 1 in the morning. The house was aze with lights. Shawn was busy getting people to handle the situation. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 But senously, who would wanna get involved in this mess? Since Shawn got all chummy with the big shots, he¡¯s ditched all his real friends and never really made any new ones. Most of his new buddies are just fair weather friends Pfft, he can¡¯t count on those guys Some of them don¡¯t even pick up his calls anymore. Even when he changes his number, and they don¡¯t recognize it, they hang up as soon as they hear his voice. And for the few who pick up, they re just trying to snoop and fish for information they don¡¯t really want to help him He¡¯s super anxious and can¡¯t find peace at all. After treating Angels wounds, Helen said, ¡°Shawn, stop making calls already It¡¯s pointless now. Let¡¯s figure out what to do next¡± ¡°What should I do? You tell me!¡± Shawn¡¯s face looked terrible. Ever since Angels background got exposed online, it¡¯s been blowin¡¯ up-people all over the inte are boycotting their products This afternoon, thepany received a crapload of returns. He¡¯s recently invested in Smart Chips and wired them 20 million bucks. He didn¡¯t have enough money to refund these returns. If this situation kept going on, thepany wouldn¡¯t survive for long. He¡¯s really at his wits end. Just then, his phone rang. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Surprisingly, it was Celeste calling. After Shawn called her bunch of times earlier, she had yet to picked up. And now, she finally called back in this mess. Trying his best to hold back the anger, he took a deep breath and picked up the call. Before picking up, he was thinking about how to solve the problem with Celeste. But as soon as Celeste opened her mouth, his n fell apart at the seams. She said, ¡°Shawn, how¡¯d you enjoy the show today?¡± Her words were about what Caitlyn said when she took evidence against the ountant who manipted thepany¡¯s loopholes and sent him to jail. That fear hit him like a ton of bricks again. He felt like he could see Caitlyn smiling at him with a chilling gaze. Grinding his teeth, Shawn said in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing this for you? Even Quantum is implicated-You think you can get away with it?¡± ¡°I never thought I could get out of this unscathed, Celeste replied coldly. ¡°As soon as I knew you were nning to give up on my mom¡¯s treatment when I saw you cut the donations to the orphanage, when I saw all the disgusting things you¡¯ve done, I was ready to take you down with me.¡± Shaking angerily, Shawn asked, ¡°What do you want then?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you two options. Either you walk away with nothing, and I won¡¯t release the evidence I have, so your daughter will be safe or admit publicly that you were seduced and drunkenly slept with Angel¡¯s mother, and I¡¯ll keep the evidence of yourpany¡¯s tax evasion hidden. You can divorce my mom, and I¡¯ll be your witness in court. Your choice: save yourself or your daughter?¡± Celeste¡¯s words were clear as day light. ¡°Faking donations and tax evasion can get you locked up, you know.¡± Shawn¡¯s heart tightened. Her words reminded him of seven years ago. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Caitlyn strode into his office, armed with a ton of evidence, and threw them in his face, told him ¡°Two choices: divorce, and I leave you some shares so you don¡¯t starve, but stay away from my company and my daughter, or I submit this evidence to the court and you can rot in jail for the rest of your life¡± Caitlyn gave him two choices: save himself or his property Celeste also gave him two choices save himself or Angel. I Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. When Celeste finished talking, he subconsciously nced at Angel and Helen Helen gasped, but before she could say anything. Shawn yelled, ¡°You¡¯re lying! You don¡¯t have any evidence!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Celeste replied calmly. The next second, Shawn received a message on his phone-solid evidence of Angel faking donations. ¡°Do you want more?¡± Celeste continued casually, ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty.¡± His face changed dramatically. It took a while for him to speak up, ¡°Celeste, I know you can never forgive me for what I¡¯ve done, but lots of men make the same mistake. I¡¯m your father. My love for you has never changed. If something happens to me, you¡¯ll be left with no one to lean on You have to think it through.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± She called him softly. Thinking she¡¯d softened up, he continued, ¡°Celeste, if you¡¯re upset because I cut off the donations to the orphanage, we can talk about it. Maybe we can work something out. After all, it was a project your mom supported, and I genuinely regret it.¡± ¡°So, did you intentionally cheat on my mom or not?¡± ¡°I chose to marry your mom out of love. If someone didn¡¯t purposely seduce me, I¡¯d never make that mistake.¡± Helen¡¯s face turned pale, and Angel was speechless. They couldn¡¯t believe that Shawn chose to save himself. ¡°Heh-¡± Celeste¡¯s mockingugh came over the phone, ¡°Shawn, you¡¯ve outdone yourself. You¡¯d sacrifice anything to save your own skin.¡± Surprised, his face soured, ¡°You tricked me?¡± Cold as ice, Celeste said, ¡°Shawn, do you still remember the divorce agreement you signed with my mom seven years ago?¡± His face turned even more gloomy. ¡°Either follow the divorce agreement, or wait for the court summons.¡± With those words, she hung up the call. Shawn¡¯s face could not have been more embarrassed. Helen¡¯s didn¡¯t look too great either. She never thought the man she¡¯s been with for over 20 years would say such things in front of her. She was one of the students Caitlyn supported back then, and it was Shawn who approached her. He would buy her clothes and take her out. An inexperienced girl like her couldn¡¯t resist the affection of a mature man, and she soon fell into his trap. When she got into college, she identally got pregnant with Angel. Knowing that Shawn was married, she wanted to abort the baby. So Shawn stopped her and told her that he only married Caitlyn for the benefits, and there was no love involved. He also said they¡¯d get divorced eventually; it just wasn¡¯t the right time yet. He asked her to wait a bit longer and persuaded her to keep the baby. -At that time, she was moved by Shawn¡¯s sweet talk, so she listened to him and took a leave of absence from school to have his baby. During her pregnancy, Shawn treated her really well, catering to her every need. But after she gave birth, and Shawn saw it was a girl, he just turned around and left the hospital.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 After Shawn left, he left his assistant to take care of her. She stayed in the hospital for almost half a month after her C-section, and Shawn never visited her once. At that time, she called him a few times, but Shawn always said that he was busy with work and told her to take care of herself and that he woulde and see her when he was free. From N?velDrama.Org. She believed him at the time. After she discharged from the hospital, Shawn had someone pick her up and take her back to the apartment, hiring a nanny to take care of her. Shawn finally came to see her when she finished her month-long rest, and her body had mostly recovered. But his purpose foring was to sleep with her. Her body was already weak, and as a result, she ended up back in the hospital. The doctor criticized them for being too impulsive, as having intercourse before her body had fully recovered and not taking any precautions could be very dangerous if she were to be pregnant again. Shawn was very displeased with this and asked the doctor, ¡°So when can she get pregnant again?¡± The doctor said it would be best for both the mother and child if she were to wait at least two years before trying to conceive again. Upon hearing this, Shawn¡¯s face darkened, and he didn¡¯t speak for a long time. At that time, she didn¡¯t realize that it was because she had given birth to a daughter that Shawn was acting this way. It wasn¡¯t until he became more and more indifferent toward her that she realized something was wrong. Helen was a very smart woman. She quickly found out from those around Shawn that he and Caitlyn often argued. Apart from Caitlyn¡¯s strong personality, the other reason was the issue with their children. Shawn desperately wanted a son, but Caitlyn was very weak after giving birth, and she didn¡¯t want to have a second child. Shawn saw potential in her, not because she was so outstanding, but rather to have her bear his children. This inexperienced, somewhat attractive, and unconnected female college student seemed like the perfect candidate. When she found out the truth, she felt like the sky was falling. She was not even 20 years old, and had not yet finished her studies when she had a child for Shawn. If Shawn were to abandon her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to raise the child on her own. Shawn had pushed her onto this path with no way back. After a brief period of pain, Helen quickly pulled herself together. She still had to live and raise her daughter. Even if Shawn was a scumbag, she could tolerate anything as long as it met her needs. She began to cater to Shawn, being obedient and submissive to him. Shawn could exert the masculinity that he couldn¡¯t with Caitlyn onto her, and so he began taking her more seriously, but he never mentioned divorce. It wasn¡¯t until she became pregnant again. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Shawn desperately wanted a son, but Caitlyn was very weak after giving birth, and she didn¡¯t want to have a second child. Shawn saw potential in her, not because she was so outstanding, but rather to have her bear his children. This inexperienced, somewhat attractive, and unconnected female college student seemed like the perfect candidate. When she found out the truth, she felt like the sky was falling. She was not even 20 years old, and had not yet finished her studies when she had a child for Shawn. If Shawn were to abandon her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to raise the child on her own. Shawn had pushed her onto this path with no way back. After a brief period of pain, Helen quickly pulled herself together. She still had to live and raise her daughter. Even if Shawn was a scumbag, she could tolerate anything as long as it met her needs. She began to cater to Shawn, being obedient and submissive to him. Shawn could exert the masculinity that he couldn¡¯t with Caitlyn onto her, and so he began taking her more seriously, but he never mentioned divorce. It wasn¡¯t until she became pregnant again. No matter how sincere the apology letter is, there¡¯s always someone who¡¯ll find fault with it Anyway, this apology statement couldn¡¯t calm public opinion. It was close to noon when Leap Tech also released a new recruitment policy smar to Quantum¡¯s, giving more opportunities to outstanding talents N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. At 1 PM, CloudTop Inc followed the same recruitment policy Public opinion seemed to change slightly Leap Tech is the Rowley family¡¯s business, a market leader in the inte industry, while CloudTop Inc is the Garcia family business representing high end manufacturing These twopanies, like Quantum, have high selection criteria, and the release of their new rules shows their support for Quantum This was good news for job seekers, so they quickly supported by them Steven was not happy that someone took the initiative before him. Frowning, he said, ¡°I was hoping to have Liam owe me a favor, but I didn¡¯t expect someone else to take the credit. Why is that Rowley family crazy always like this?¡± Nathan said, ¡°Leap Tech is now controlled by Simon Rowley. Gavin Rowley has passed away.¡± Steven thought for a while before saying, ¡°They look too much alike.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t get through to Liam. Seeing the public opinion temporarily subsided, she felt a little relieved. Mason called He had also noticed the change in online public opinion, so he contacted Celeste to inquire about Liam¡¯s situation. Celeste spoke softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, he won¡¯t answer my calls either.¡± Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 No matter how sincere the apology letter is, there¡¯s always someone who¡¯ll find fault with it Anyway, this apology statement couldn¡¯t calm public opinion. It was close to noon when Leap Tech also released a new recruitment policy smar to Quantum¡¯s, giving more opportunities to outstanding talents At 1 PM, CloudTop Inc followed the same recruitment policy Public opinion seemed to change slightly Leap Tech is the Rowley family¡¯s business, a market leader in the inte industry, while CloudTop Inc is the Garcia family business representing high end manufacturing These twopanies, like Quantum, have high selection criteria, and the release of their new rules shows their support for Quantum This was good news for job seekers, so they quickly supported by them Steven was not happy that someone took the initiative before him. Frowning, he said, ¡°I was hoping to have Liam owe me a favor, but I didn¡¯t expect someone else to take the credit. Why is that Rowley family crazy always like this?¡± Nathan said, ¡°Leap Tech is now controlled by Simon Rowley. Gavin Rowley has passed away.¡± Steven thought for a while before saying, ¡°They look too much alike.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t get through to Liam. Seeing the public opinion temporarily subsided, she felt a little relieved. Mason called He had also noticed the change in online public opinion, so he contacted Celeste to inquire about Liam¡¯s situation. Celeste spoke softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, he won¡¯t answer my calls either.¡± Things had temporarily settled down, and Liam not taking her calls meant he was mad. She was too obvious with her actions, Liam could tell she was behind everything without even thinking She got him in so much trouble, there was no way Liam wouldn¡¯t be mad. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Mason paused for a moment,forting her, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just busy.¡± Celeste remained silent. Mason asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Celeste realized Mason was asking about the impact of the incident on her. She wasn¡¯t worried about being implicated in her own exposure. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Celeste thought momentarily, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, can you help me with a divorce case?¡± Mason was surprised, ¡°Are you divorcing Liam?¡± Celeste thought to herself, even if I were to divorce Liam, I wouldn¡¯t ask you for help. ¡°Not me, it¡¯s my mother.¡± Celeste briefly exined the situation between Caitlyn and Shawn before and mentioned the divorce agreement from seven years ago. She asked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, in my mother¡¯s situation, could they still divide the property ording to the agreement they signed seven years ago if she divorces?¡± Mason replied, ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± Celeste¡¯s mood suddenly became much heavier. ¡°Although they signed a divorce agreement, the relevant procedures were not processed. As you said, most of the Campbell family¡¯s business¡¯ shares are now in your father¡¯s hands, and he has been covering your mother¡¯s medical expenses since her ident. From a legal perspective, he fulfills his husband duties to provide for his wife. So it¡¯s very difficult to make him leave empty-handed.¡± ¡°What about evidence of infidelity?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Infidelity can be a basis for marital breakdown, and the judge can lean towards the innocent party in terms of property distribution, but but it cannot prevent the other party from getting nothing. Moreover, as I said earlier, he has been paying your mother¡¯s medical expenses; hiswyer only needs to insist on this point, and it would be difficult for you to win thiswsuit.¡± Celeste frowned, and somewhat angrily said, ¡°Why does thew protect the interests of the guilty party?¡± Mason was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Even thew can¡¯t be absolutely fair.¡± Celeste closed her eyes, pressed the corners of her eyes, and whispered after a while, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Fletcher, I wasn¡¯t angry at you¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve dealt with many divorce cases worse than yours.¡± Mason said, ¡°If you want Shawn to leave empty-handed, you can only make him Chapter ¡°How could someone like him voluntarily give up the property?¡± ¡°So your mother¡¯s approach back then was very powerful and worth learning¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°My mother collected these materials and forced him to sign the divorce agreement. Then she had an ident, and how could Shawn not take advantage of it and destroy the evidence? He might have patched things up by now¡± ¡°It may not necessarily be this way¡± Mason said, ¡°If, ording to you, Shawn is selfish and always prioritizes his interests, even if he was afraid and mended his mistakes back then, it doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t make anyter. It¡¯s difficult for people to change their nature¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve thought about it too. But I can¡¯t see thepany ounts¡± Caitlyn used to manage the entirepany, so she was very familiar with thepany¡¯s ounts. She could easily find Shawn¡¯s criminal evidence. But now, she can¡¯t do it. She doesn¡¯t even know who thepany¡¯s financial officer is, let alone find the evidence of his crimes Mason thought for a while and said, ¡°Do you have contact information for former employees of thepany?¡± Celeste remembered the notebook Caitlyn stored in the safe, and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You send me their contact information, and I¡¯ll try to get some information. If they are your mother¡¯s friends, they may know something you don¡¯t.¡± Celeste suddenly realized, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this?¡± After Caitlyn¡¯s ident, Shawn made significantyoffs, forcing many old employees to resign. There must be one or two people who knew some inside information, right? ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get their contact information and send it to you.¡± Mason said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to send it now, let¡¯s meetter. You said you have the evidence your mother collected seven years ago, bring it and show it to me, I want to see if there¡¯s any useful information in it.¡± Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 ¡°Alright,¡± Celeste asked as she opened the safe, where are we meeting ¡°How about the cafe where we first met when you were looking for tawyer?¡± Ma suggested gents Dive care, as) Da bitte¡± ¡°Okay, see you in a bit.¡± After hanging up. Celeste took out the stuff Caitlyn left in the safe, put it in her bag and headed out wearing The traffic was really awful What would usually take twenty minutes took over thirty By the time she got to the cafe, Mason had been waiting for quite some time. He sat by the window, overlooking the busy street outside. Celeste pulled out a chair and whispered, ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just got off work,¡± Mason replied warmly ¡°What do you want to drink? ¡°Just milk, please.¡± He nodded and ordered, ¡°A hot milk and a half-sugartte¡± ¡°Make it two hot milks. You can¡¯t sleep if you drink coffee at night* Celeste blurted it out, and then regretted it. She and Mason were not that close yet to decide for one another Liam used to have a habit of drinking coffee in the evening. Although it helped him get through long work hours, he had trouble sleedingter She was used to controlling Liam¡¯s diet, so when she saw Mason ordering coffee, she habitually stopped it. Mason looked at he surprised Thinking fast, Celeste said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mentionst time that drinking too much coffee keeps you awake at night it quitting smoking difficult, you could try chewing gum.¡± She took a stick of gum from her bag and handed it to Mason It was something she got from a makeup artist during a shooting a few days back. Mason smiled, ¡°You remembered.¡± Taking the gum, he told the waiter, ¡°Alright, two hot milks then¡± Across the street, in a Maserati, Liam watched the two of them with a gloomy expression. Celeste took out the documents from her bag and handed them to Mason, ¡°This notebook has the contact info of the former emplover wanted. The files below are evidence my mom found of Shawn and his rtives embezzling funds from thepany. Here¡¯s the divorce agreement they signed seven years ago.¡± Mason took everything and looked it over carefully. As he did so, he asked, ¡°Did you make copies of all this?¡± ¡°I took photos of everything¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to make photocopies too,¡± Mason advised without looking up ¡°Always good to have an extra set¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it when I get home.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Mason pushed the notebook back towards her. ¡°I can¡¯t quite read it¡¯ Leaning in, Celeste tried to see before admitting. I can¡¯t either It seemed some customers entered into the caf¨¦, with the waiter weing them. Just take a picture for now. We can call and ask about itter if needed.¡± As Celeste spoke, she suddenly felt a piercing gaze. She looked up, only to see Liam approaching them with a gloomy face. Not having seen him all day, Liam¡¯s face looked terrible, like he hadn¡¯t slept. He had changed, but not into the clothes she stubble on his face hadn¡¯t been shaved yet. ¡°Liam¡­¡± Just as she called his name, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up from her chair. Owen. The ne det almost broke it. But he ignored her dragging her out of the caf¨¦. Starting to get angry, Celeste struggled against him. Liam was infuriated by her struggling, yanking her out from between the tables and chairs. Her knee hit the edge of a chair, causing an intense pain that made her cry out Mason furrowed his brow, stepping between the two Liam, talk calmly and stop being rough.¡± With a cold face, Liam reyed, ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Instead, Mason stepped closer to him ¡°If you want to discuss things, do it calmly. If you¡¯re going to get rough, as a friend or a professional, I won¡¯t let you take Celeste away¡± Liam clenched his fist I say it onest time, get out of my way!¡± Mason stared back at him, unwavering. On the verge of losing it, Celeste spoke. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, that¡¯s enough for today. You should go.¡± Mason frowned. ¡°He¡¯s not in the right state of mind. I can¡¯t let him take you¡± ¡°He won¡¯t hit me.¡± Celeste reassured, biting her lip. TI talk to youter¡± ¡°Celeste, violence isn¡¯t limited to just hitting,¡± Mason said firmly, ncing at her wrist. ¡°Liam, you hurt her.¡± Liam¡¯s anger surged, and he grabbed Mason¡¯s cor, shoving him aside. With a crash, Mason stumbled and fell over some chairs,nding heavily on the floor. The cafe was in chaos as frightened customers fled while staff stayed back, too afraid to intervene. ¡°Mr. Fletcher!¡± Not expecting Liam to actually attack, Celeste was furious. ¡°Let go of me! Liam! Have you gone mad?!¡± Without even looking at Mason, Liam dragged Celeste out and shoved her into the car. As Celeste tried to peek outside, Liam grabbed her hands and shoved her down in the seat, kissing her fiercely. She struggled to dodge him but only made him angrier. He pinned her hands above her head and grabbed her chin, biting her lip again. ¡°Let go of me¡­mmph¡­¡± Despite her efforts, Liam didn¡¯t loosen his grip, his actions bing even more aggressive due to her resistance. Celeste was not to be outdone either. If he dared to probe her mouth, she¡¯d bite back for sure! But Liam just went ahead and pinched both her cheeks, so she couldn¡¯t clench her teeth, and then continued his wild assault. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 This was less of a kiss and more like a one-sided emotional meltdown Celeste just gave up the fight. She couldn¡¯t push Liam at all, and fighting blindly would only tick him off more Owen was driving like a boss, not even ncing sideways, totally ignoring the movement in the backseat, and just driving as fast as possible God knows how long it was before the car stopped and Liam finally chilled out with his emotional dumping He got out of the car, trying to drag Celeste out Celeste was gripping the handle like her life depended on it, not letting go of anything Liam couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath and just hoisted her out of the car. ¡°Liam, let me go!¡± Celeste was fighting like a wildcat, punching his shoulders. But Liam didn¡¯t give a hoot, didn¡¯t even say a word, just strutted toward the house. The housekeeper, Amelia, was on the phone. Hearing noises outside, she said, ¡°Hold on a sec, sounds like the boss is back, I¡¯ll get the door¡± She dropped the phone on the table and scurried to the door. The door flies open and there¡¯s Liam, carrying Celeste in like a sack of potatoes. Both looked like they¡¯d been through the wringer. Amelia started to ask what was up, but Liam cut her off with a cold ¡°Get back to your room.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t dare to breathe a word, justid out some slippers and booked them back to her room. ¡°Liam, you bastard, let me go!¡± Celeste was swearing like a sailor. The second, she¡¯s dumped on the couch. She barely sat up when Liam was on her like a ton of bricks. Same position as in the car, but on the couch he had room to spread out. One leg pinning her down, one hand holding both of hers over her head, and the other hand gripping her chin as he swooped down on her lips. This time it was way more intense, Celeste was like a ragdoll. As they¡¯re making out, Liam loosened his grip on her hands and started to pull down her pants. Celeste¡¯s hands were free and she shoved Liam away and pped him across the face. Her eyes were watery, but she looked like she could take on the world. Liam¡¯s just propped over her, staring at her like he has seen a ghost. Celeste didn¡¯t p him that hard, but the audacity of it, that¡¯s what got to him. He clenched his fists, his face darkening. ¡°You hit me because of him?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste pushed him off and sat up, her eyes were zing, ¡°Liam, if you use your physical advantage to push me around again, I swear you¡¯ll regret it!¡± The trauma from their wedding night made her sick with the feeling of being forced to get intimate. It reminded her of how helpless she felt when Wesley Reed was on top of her. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 421 This was less of a kiss and more like a one-sided emotional meltdown Celeste just gave up the fight. She couldn¡¯t push Liam at all, and fighting blindly would only tick him off more Owen was driving like a boss, not even ncing sideways, totally ignoring the movement in the backseat, and just driving as fast as possible God knows how long it was before the car stopped and Liam finally chilled out with his emotional dumping He got out of the car, trying to drag Celeste out Celeste was gripping the handle like her life depended on it, not letting go of anything Liam couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath and just hoisted her out of the car. ¡°Liam, let me go!¡± Celeste was fighting like a wildcat, punching his shoulders. But Liam didn¡¯t give a hoot, didn¡¯t even say a word, just strutted toward the house. The housekeeper, Amelia, was on the phone. Hearing noises outside, she said, ¡°Hold on a sec, sounds like the boss is back, I¡¯ll get the door¡± She dropped the phone on the table and scurried to the door. The door flies open and there¡¯s Liam, carrying Celeste in like a sack of potatoes. Both looked like they¡¯d been through the wringer. Amelia started to ask what was up, but Liam cut her off with a cold ¡°Get back to your room.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t dare to breathe a word, justid out some slippers and booked them back to her room. ¡°Liam, you bastard, let me go!¡± Celeste was swearing like a sailor. The second, she¡¯s dumped on the couch. She barely sat up when Liam was on her like a ton of bricks. Same position as in the car, but on the couch he had room to spread out. One leg pinning her down, one hand holding both of hers over her head, and the other hand gripping her chin as he swooped down on her lips. This time it was way more intense, Celeste was like a ragdoll. From N?velDrama.Org. As they¡¯re making out, Liam loosened his grip on her hands and started to pull down her pants. Celeste¡¯s hands were free and she shoved Liam away and pped him across the face. Her eyes were watery, but she looked like she could take on the world. Liam¡¯s just propped over her, staring at her like he has seen a ghost. Celeste didn¡¯t p him that hard, but the audacity of it, that¡¯s what got to him. He clenched his fists, his face darkening. ¡°You hit me because of him?¡± Celeste pushed him off and sat up, her eyes were zing, ¡°Liam, if you use your physical advantage to push me around again, I swear you¡¯ll regret it!¡± The trauma from their wedding night made her sick with the feeling of being forced to get intimate. It reminded her of how helpless she felt when Wesley Reed was on top of her. Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Liam had a gloomy expression, and it seemed like there was a shadow over his face. Although you couldn¡¯t see his real emotions, you wouldn¡¯t underestimate him. ¡°Celeste, if you want this divorce, be sure you won¡¯t regret it,¡± he said, draping his jacket over his arm. ¡°After my business trip, we¡¯ll get it done.¡± After he said that, he ignored Celeste, turned around, and went upstairs. Celeste sat on the sofa, stiffening her back with nerves. She finally rxed after hearing the sound of the bedroom door closing upstairs She knew she had pissed Liam off this time. There was room for negotiation when he lost his temper, but when he was calm, it was toote Divorcing? Celeste sat on the sofa, tears welling up in her eyes. The decision to divorce had been weighing on her for so long, and now, atst, there was an answer. But she wasn¡¯t as happy as she had expected. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She hugged her knees and buried her face in them. Not far away on the table, the phone was still in use. Skyler was listening to the voice on the other end with an equally gloomy expression. Finally, the line was silent, and she hung up the phone. She didn¡¯t go back to her room that night but stayed in Grandpa David¡¯s old guest room. The room had been cleaned by the maid, and the bedding, fresh from airing, smelled like sunshine. The room was cozy andfortable. But she couldn¡¯t sleep. As she tossed and turned, she thought about the look Liam had given her as he went upstairs and the words he said to her. She barely slept that night. In the morning light, the house began to stir. It sounded like Liam was already up, and she heard Amelia helping him pack She knew Liam was going to the City of A and would be away for about a week. Amelia hadn¡¯t been with them long and wasn¡¯t familiar with Liam¡¯s preferences and habits. She had to ask him his opinion about each item she packed. After answering a few times, Liam got impatient and told her to figure it out herself. About an hourter, the living room finally quieted down, and soon after, she heard the sound of a car starting outside. Liam had left. Celestey back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Finally, she picked up the phone and called Zach Miller. ¡°Mr. Miller, can you shoot my scenes first today?¡± The driver today was a trustworthy friend chosen by Owen. He was going on a business trip with Liam to the City of A as well. When Liam returned to the car yesterday, he didn¡¯t look good. He hadn¡¯t rested well and might even have argued with Celeste. In Owen¡¯s opinion, as Liam¡¯s assistant, Liam had tried his best to protect Celeste in this matter. After the news broke, Liam immediately realized who the perpetrator was. He never thought about involving Celeste in it. He worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control his emotions when he saw her, which is why he stayed in the apartment near the office that night. Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 The issue was finally resolved, and his temper had gradually calmed down. Just as he was about to go home, he ran into Celeste and Mr. Fletcher having a ¡°meeting¡± at a coffee shop. He saw Celeste hand Mr. Fletcher a piece of gum through a window. Mr. Reed found it hard to bear that Celeste didn¡¯t ask him for help but got it from his friends. And then he saw how intimate she was with them. As a man, it was tough to endure Celeste didn¡¯t handle this well. But¡­ Owen hesitated, ¡°Mr. Reed, are you still mad at Ms. Campbell?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t mention her in front of me!¡± ¡°Okay¡± Owen closed his mouth and soon said, ¡°Shawn was unexpected. Hiding his illegitimate daughter so well, no one would have thought about that. Ms. Caitlyn and her daughter really miserable.¡± Liam red at him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mention her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Owen said innocently. ¡°I just felt sorry for their mother and daughter. Anyone would find it hard to bear.¡± Liam¡­ ¡°How many love potions did Celeste give you to make you speak for her?¡± Owenughed, ¡°Ms. Campbell didn¡¯t tell me much. The most I know about her is your preferences. Liam thought about her words as he scoffed, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know my preferences, how can she make me like her?¡± Soon, the car arrived at the hospital parking lot. After Owen got out of the car, he took the elevator directly upstairs. About twenty minutester, he came out of the elevator carrying a little girl. The girl hadn¡¯t fully woken up yet. She was leaning on Owen¡¯s shoulder, and her eyes were barely open. As they got back in the car, she rubbed her eyes and asked, ¡°Uncle Liam, where are we going?¡± Liam helped her fasten her seat belt, ¡°We¡¯re going to have fun.¡± Coco frowned and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I would have dressed up.¡± ¡°You look nice the way you are,¡± Liam said. Coco pouted, ¡°You¡¯re lying. You said I looked like a burned matchstick.¡± Liam had bought her a ck hat, which she was wearing today. ¡°Beingpared to a matchstick is unique,¡± Liam said nonchntly. ¡°Others can¡¯t have it even if they want it.¡± Coco muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want it anyway.¡± The car left the hospital and headed straight to the airport. ¡°Cut!¡± Zach called cut after the final scene. ¡°Come take a look,¡± he said to Celeste. Celeste walked over immediately. Her acting was very steady, and her performance today was even better than before. Zach liked her interpretation of the role more and more. From N?velDrama.Org. After watching. Celeste seemed down, and Zach asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Oh, nothing. I¡¯m just a little overwhelmed that you praised me.¡± Zach said a bit helplessly, ¡°Do you think your acting is good enough to deceive me?¡± Celeste absentmindedly replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s something going on at home.¡± As she spoke, her phone rang. It was the nurse looking after Caitlyn Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Celeste¡¯s face changed suddenly, ¡°ine, you stop them first and don¡¯t let them hurt my mom. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up the phone, she said to Zach, ¡°Mr. Miller, I need to take a leave.¡± Zach had already heard the content on the phone. Having worked together for a while, he had some understanding of Celeste¡¯s family situation, knowing that her mom was in aa in the hospital and needed long term medication. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Despite her family¡¯s problems, she never dyed their shooting and was one of the most receptive actors to their guidance Zach quite liked her So he said, ¡°Go ahead. We¡¯re almost done for today anyway. We need to change scenes for the rest of the shoot, so it can wart Celeste left after saying goodbye. She changed out of her costume but didn¡¯t remove her makeup before rushing to Mercy Hospital At Mercy Hospital, several oddly dressed thugs were gathered at Caitlyn¡¯s ward. The leader, a tall and burly man, had a scar running from theer of his left eye to his scalp that revealed his ruthlessness. Three other men stood behind him, dressed like street thugs, wearing earrings and eyebrow piercings. They looked so intimidating that bystanders dared not pass by. ine feared that they would tamper with Caitlyn¡¯s medical equipment, so she stood in front of the hospital bed to protect it. The medical staff stayed far away, except for the nurse responsible for the ward who tried to negotiate with the thugs, as their presence was causing a negative impact on the hospital and other patients. The man in the lead coldlyughed, ¡°We didn¡¯t want this either, but someone owes us money. It¡¯s been years, and they haven¡¯t paid us back. All we want is some justice.¡± The nurse nervously said, ¡°But you can¡¯t just remove someone¡¯s venttor! That could be life- threatening!¡± ¡°They have money for medical treatment but not to pay us back, so I have to do something.¡± the man nced at the medical equipment in the room. ¡°Her heartbeat seems just fine.¡± ¡°You should go after the person who owes you money! If you keep causing trouble here, we¡¯ll call the police!¡± The man¡¯s eyes sank, and he chuckled coldly, ¡°Go ahead. We have nothing to hide.¡± The nurse tried to call the police, but her phone was snatched away and smashed against a wall by one of the thugs. Feeling victorious, the thug imed, ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares call the cops today!¡± ¡°I do!¡± A cold female voice came from the crowd. Celeste marched through the people to face the leader with a serious face. ¡°Who are you and who allowed you to cause trouble here?¡± The leader eyed her, ¡°Who are you?¡± Celeste replied solemnly, ¡°Caitlyn is my mother.¡± The man looked at Celeste¡¯s outfit and designer bags before smirking, ¡°Then we¡¯ve found the right person,¡± He took out a stack of IOUS from his ck leather bag. ¡°These are the debts your mother owes us. As her daughter, you have to pay them.¡± Celeste frowned, took the IOUS, and noticed that each had varying amounts, some as little as tens of thousands, and others in millions, all featuring Caitlyn¡¯s personal signature and fingerprints. She abruptly tore up the IOUS and said, ¡°These were not signed by my mom.¡± She then demanded, ¡°Move out of my way!¡± The man¡¯s face changed, ¡°You think it¡¯s that easy to deny responsibility?¡± ¡°If you pay off the debt today, we¡¯ll leave right away. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have a problem here. It looks like you have afortable life, so we may as well stick around until the money is paid off. Just remember, my guys here are not as patient as me. Who knows if your mom will make it out of here in one piece?¡± Clearly, these thugs were not something Celeste could dismiss easily. He continued, ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re broke. Your mom¡¯s hospital room alone costs tens of thousands per day. Any ordinary person would be bankrupt within a month or two, but she has been here for seven years. If you still im to have no money, that¡¯s just not believable.¡± Celeste furrowed her brow, ¡°If you knew she¡¯s been in the hospital all this time, why didn¡¯t youe for the money earlier?¡± The man nced at her, ¡°I didn¡¯te earlier because someone was paying the interest. As long as someone does, we don¡¯t worry. Now, no one¡¯s paying, so what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Who paid the interest before?¡± she asked. ¡°Shawn.¡± ¡°Then go find him!¡± ¡°He has already divorced from your mom now. Why would he pay the interest for her?¡± Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Celeste was dumbstruck. ¡°What did you say?¡± The man looked at her expression, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet?¡± Celeste had a bad feeling. ¡°Know what?¡± *Shawn and Caitlyn divorced a long time ago. We tried to get the money from Shawn but couldn¡¯t, so we came to the hospital. We¡¯re just trying to make a living Do you think we¡¯d go out of our way to make things difficult for a young girl like you?¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed drastically ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said your parents divorced a long time ago, so your dad has no reason to pay off your mom¡¯s debt.¡± The man frowned, impatient. ¡°Why am wasting my time talking to you? Just pay the money, or no one¡¯s leaving this hospital room today!¡± Celeste was a bit dazed. They hadn¡¯t gone through the divorce process when her mother had the ident. Why would this man say they were divorced? If they really were divorced, when did it happen and how were the assets divided? Celeste¡¯s mind was in chaos. She said solemnly, ¡°Let me make a call.¡± With that, she dialed Shawn¡¯s number, but no one answered. She lowered her eyes, thinking of calling Mason, but suddenly remembered Liam¡¯s words. She clenched her fingers and called Nics instead. Nics received Celeste¡¯s call during a meeting He had also been paying attention the news about Quantum and the Campbell family scandal these days. If it weren¡¯t for Liam being super angry recently, he would have alreadye to dig for gossip. So when he saw Celeste¡¯s call, his eyes lit up. Without waiting for the meeting to end, he went out with his phone. His assistant thought he had a new girlfriend. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Hey, Celeste, what made you think of calling me?¡± ¡°Mr. Francis, are you avable right now?¡± Nics immediately handed his work to his assistant, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Can youe to the hospital? I need your help.¡± ¡°Which hospital? Send me the address.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll text it to you in a bit.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Celeste nced at the people behind her and whispered, ¡°Bring a few people with you. I¡¯m afraid the situation might get out of control.¡± Bring a few people? Are they going to fight? Nics agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± He hung up, thought about it, and called Mason. ¡°Mason, are you avable?¡± Mason was making calls to the people on the list at hisw firm. When he received Nics¡¯s call, he took off his sses, pinched his brow, and said, ¡°Just say what you want¡± ¡°Liam¡¯s wife is in some trouble, and he¡¯s on a business trip. Let¡¯s go and give her some support.¡± Mason hesitated, ¡°How did you know she¡¯s in trouble?¡± ¡°She called me,¡± Nics boasted, ¡°I¡¯m just too good, everyone loves asking me for help.¡± Mason pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Are you going?¡± Nics asked. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at yourw firm.¡± Mason agreed, ¡°Alright, see youter¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Seeing that Celeste was still on the phone, the scarred man grew impatient ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Yes¡± Celeste put her arm down and said. Please wat a moment My friend will be here soon. Once he arrives, we can tak your people step aside and let the nurse help with the breathing machine The man was skeptical but didn¡¯t budge. As soon as the money is paid well step aside out the debt Please have Celeste¡¯s face turned ugly. Tim here, where can I run? If something happens to her today, forget about the money, none of you will get away¡± The man sneered and grabbed her chin. ¡°Are you threatening me, little gei?¡± Celeste felt a chill down her spine and reflexively pped his hand away ¡°p¡± The sound was crisp and clear His subordinates grabbed Celeste¡¯s hair and pped her, ¡°You bitch! My bro is talking to you! What¡¯s with your attitude? Apologize to my bro Celeste didn¡¯t hear what the man had said The strength of a woman is no match for a man. When the p hit, her head was filled with buzzing, and half of her face was numb in pain, so she couldn¡¯t hear anything Seeing her not responding, he grew angner, ¡°Are you deaf? I told you to apologize to my bro!¡± He raised his hand again, but before it couldnd, someone kicked him from behind with such force that he flew out and crashed into the machines, knocking everything to the ground. Everyone present was stunned and turned to look over. Nics stood there, coldly saying, ¡°You should be grateful I haven¡¯t been practicing at the boxing gym lately Otherwise, you¡¯d be carried out of here today.¡± Mason stepped forward to help Celeste up. Her hair was disheveled from the p. Mason brushed her hair aside to reveal the clear handprint on her pale left cheek. Her skin was slightly swollen, and there was blood at the corner of her lips, probably from biting her mouth. Mason¡¯s eyes instantly turned icy cold. Celeste gently pushed his hand away. She didn¡¯t dwell on why Mason was there, as the important thing now was to deal with the people in front of her. She whispered to Mason, ¡°I¡¯m fine. They have a stack of IOUS saying my mother owes them money, but the signatures on them aren¡¯t my mom¡¯s handwriting¡± ¡°I got it,¡± Mason pulled her behind him and whispered, ¡°Leave it to me.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing the well-dressed couple, the man said, ¡°You two just got here and started attacking my bro. That¡¯s not very appropriate, is it?¡± Nics replied. ¡°Is it appropriate for you guys to attack a frail woman?¡± ¡°My bro got a bit impulsive, and I couldn¡¯t stop him,¡± the man paused, ¡°Are you two here to help her pay the debt?¡± As soon as Nics heard about the debt, he immediately stepped back and said to Mason, ¡°You handle this.¡± Celeste¡­ Why did she feel like Nics only stepped back because he was afraid of want to pay? Mason nced around the room and said calmly, ¡°Where are the IOUS?¡± Scarface thought he looked gentle and reasonable, like someone who could reason well, so he took out a stack of photocopies of IOUS from his bag and handed them to Mason ¡°Bro, we don¡¯t wanna cause trouble, we¡¯re all just trying to make a living, you know? If you can pay up, just do it, man. But if you can¡¯t, don¡¯t stand in our way here.¡± Mason reviewed the IOU Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 keup asking ¡°When Als Caitlyn borrowed money from you guys, did she have a guarantor or coterary ¡°Na, but there¡¯s her signature and fingerprints, & can¡¯t be wrong and no coteral registration, how could you lend the money just based on this IOU? Arent you afraid you wont get it back?¡± steered. ¡°Axlong as we know their address and family situation they can¡¯t run away¡± ¡°They cat run awan, but what about the money? Without coteral if their assets copse and they can¡¯t repay the loan, what will you do? How could you be sure they wont sell their assets and run away?¡± Mason paused, then changed the subject. ¡°Are you guys a loanpany?¡± changed slightly due to Mason¡¯s series of questions. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Mason said, rubbing the 10Us in his hand and raising his eyebrows, ¡°Since you say these were all signed by Ms Caitlyn, let¡¯s do a handwriting verification¡± The scarfaced san frowned, his tone getting more impatient, ¡°She¡¯s been lying in bed for years, what¡¯s the point of doing a handwriting verification? The fingerprints on it are hers, how could it be fake?¡± Who says Ms. Caitlyn has to be awake for a handwriting verification?¡± Mason looked at the other person¡¯s expression, ¡°As long as we have her previous handwriting¡± The scarfaced mans expression became awkward. Wasnt it said that everything was burned clean? How could there be handwriting topare? ¡°Lets go¡± Mason said calmy. ¡°I happen to know a handwriting expert. We¡¯ll see if it¡¯s true or not.¡± You guys go ahead, I don¡¯t ha the time. Just pay up!¡± Mason was pretty it these guys knew the IOUS were fake, and their purpose was probably not just to get the money Mason nced at his watch, and at this moment, police sirens sounded downstairs. The thugs faces changed, and a young man shouted. ¡°Bro, the cops are here! Someone called the police!¡± ¡°Damn! The scarfaced mans face changed, ¡°Who called the cops?¡± ¡°Me.¡± Mason waved his phone. ¡°Disturbing public order, endangering public security, intentional injury, using fake IDUS to defraud, multiple crimes, enough for you to stay in jail for a while, huh?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He red at Mason angrily and gritted his teeth, ¡°You¡¯re ruthless¡±¡± and with a few people as cursed. ¡°Useless guys! Only dare to mess with women!¡± Celeste turned to leave, but Nics called her back, ¡°where are you going?¡± Celeste said, Tm going downstairs to meet the police¡± ¡°No need¡± Nics waved his hand. ¡°Mason tricked those guys, he didn¡¯t really call the police.¡± Celeste was stunned. ¡°Then the sound downstairs¡­¡± Nics exined to her He received Mason¡¯s call and rushed to the hospital. On the way, he told Mason about the conversation he had with Celeste on the phone, mentioning that Celeste asked him to bring more people. Of course, when he told Mason, they were already close to the hospital. Mason scolded him for not saying it earlier This was critical information, indicating that there were many people on the other side. But at that time, it was urgent, and even if they called the police, it would take at least ten minutes. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 After Mason got out of the car, he negotiated with a per who had a stall at the hospital gate, asking her to y the sound of a police siren The per took Mason¡¯s two hundred dors and agreed without hesitation ¡°Mason is smart. I didn¡¯t expect those guys to be so cowardly. Hearing the siren, they just ran away. If I knew that, I would have called the police directly.¡± As soon as those people left, the medical staff hurriedly reconnected Caitlyn¡¯s venttor, and ine helped clean up the mess on the floor. Finally, everything returned to normal. Celeste stayed in the ward, watching the doctor¡¯s examination results, while Mason and Nics waited in the hallway ¡°We should have taken a picture of those guys!¡± Nics suddenly pped his head, ¡®In case Liam comes back and your wound hasn¡¯t healed, we won¡¯t be able to find anyone to vent on.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he said he¡¯s on a business trip. I don¡¯t know where he has gone, and his phone¡¯s off so we couldn¡¯t contact him.¡± ¡°Phone¡¯s off?¡± Mason lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, ¡°Is he still on the ne?¡± ¡°He should havended by now, right? Maybe the olddy asked him to do something secretly, and didn¡¯t want outsiders to know, so she hid his whereabouts.¡± This had happened before, so Nics didn¡¯t find it strange. Mason didn¡¯t say anything else. Caitlyn¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t very good. The doctor had said before that her physical condition was poor, and some of her organs had begun to fail The venttor had been disconnected for so long, which actually had some impact on her. Her lungs had deteriorated, and she couldn¡¯t maintain autonomous breathing for as long as before, so she needed the help of a venttor. The doctor changed his previous statement that she could survive a year. With her current condition, it might only be a few months. Celeste pressed her lips together, not speaking for a long time. ¡°By the way,¡± the doctor remembered something and said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, your mother¡¯s medical expenses need to be paid.¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°Haven¡¯t the money been transferred yet?¡± The doctor said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The director reminded me about it this morning. You can go downstairs and checkter.¡± The doctor wasn¡¯t responsible for billing, so he didn¡¯t know much about it. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± When she came out of the ward, Nics approached her, ¡°How is she? Is she okay?¡± Celeste shook her head, looking tired. ¡°You guys wait for me, I have to go downstairs and take care of something.¡± Mason followed her, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± He whispered, ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± Nics was about to follow, but his phone rang, so he went to the side to answer it. They walked slowly, and the stairwell was dim. Celeste was silent all the way down, until they reached the second floor, when she said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I¡¯m really sorry aboutst night.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, it¡¯s not like you were the one who did it.¡± Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°But, it did involve you yesterday.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mason said casually, ¡°Stuff like that happens, Liam must be pissed too, it¡¯s normal We grew up together, don¡¯t you think I know his temper?¡± He paused and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to you, did he?¡± ¡°No,¡± Celeste said, ¡°Liam would nevery a hand on me.¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°Liam¡¯s pretty good to you.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond. Well, they¡¯ll get divorced when hees back. She didn¡¯t want to continue this tople and asked instead, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, those people said that Shawn¡¯s already divorced my mom. I felt like they¡¯re not lying¡± Celeste was very worried about this. If Shawn had secretly divorced Caitlyn, then property division with Shawn wouldn¡¯t matter to him now ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have a friend check it out and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Scar-faced man and a few thugs got in the car, and one of the followers said, ¡°Big bro, this trip was not worth it. Our bro even got kicked You should ask that woman for more money.¡± ¡°I know, shut up,¡± Scar-faced man said, dialing a number on his phone. Soon, a woman¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°Is it done?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s totally convinced about Shawn¡¯s divorce now and will definitely make a scene with Shawn. So, about the final payment¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll transfer it to you in a bit.¡± ¡°Going there today, one of my bros is got injured, lying down.¡± Helen frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll give you an extra 20,000. Do the job well, and I won¡¯t be stingy with what you deserve.¡± Scar-faced manughed, ¡°You¡¯re so straightforward. Just let me know if you need anything in the future, and I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Helen asked, ¡°How¡¯s the woman?¡± *Not very good, doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯llst much longer. If it wasn¡¯t for the constant life support, she¡¯d be gone by now. But, ording to the female nurse, she seems to be showing some responsetely. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll wake up.¡± Helen¡¯s face changed, ¡°What did you say?¡± Scar-faced was startled, ¡°Nothing, just what I heard from others. When we went in, there was music ying in the room, and one of my bros unplugged the radio and wanted to smash it. She came running over, yelling that it was helping Caitlyn recover and that she was showing a reaction¡­ That¡¯s about it, I didn¡¯t really listen closely.¡± Helen¡¯s face turned pale. How could Caitlyn possibly wake up? She absolutely can¡¯t! And she absolutely must not! She shouldn¡¯t have revealed Shawn¡¯s divorce to Celeste, forcing her to confront Shawn¡¯s illusion. Caitlyn was the key to the problem between their father and daughter. Hanging up, Helen knocked on Shawn¡¯s study door. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 With Angel¡¯s issue unresolved. Shawn wi ow frantically dealing He didn¡¯t even dare to turn on his phone because the heat of Angels nodent hadit passed yet. Once he did counties, media cats would food as Even near the residence, the nanny at home said she saw some She brought a cup of tea, stood at the door of the study, and panty knocked twice. Upon hearing Shav ¡°Shawn, have some wi she waked in whispered. ¡°You didn¡¯t slept muchst night and had been busy all day Rest early don¡¯t run your bealth.¡± Shawn sadby. 7 still have so many deposits to make up for How can sleep¡± ¡°Shawn, don¡¯t worn the storm will pass. The important thing now is not this, but ¡°Helen paused and said softly. ¡± just heard news from the hospital Cathy seems to be consoous¡± Shawn¡¯s face changed. ¡°What did you say?¡± Helen exaggerated Catyns condition to make Shawn make a decision soone Shawn looked incredulous. ¡°Are you sure? The doctor clearly noes of waking up were extremely low¡± ¡°Extremely low doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t wake up Helen lowered t Dice Shawn learned about what happened back then, it was not just about losing some money ¡± Shawn was temfied and at a loss for words. What should we do st ce. akes up some things can¡¯t be hidden if Celeste Helen looked at his embarrassment and wondered how she fell for such a man int Suppressing her disgust she whispered ¡°Shawn, Celeste has already broken with you. She¡¯s not considering your identity axher father anyte The loopholes Caitlyn found back then have been filled by us. She might not have any key evidence in her hands, so she cant threaten you. But Celeste doesn¡¯t care alsout family on the contrary, we can fight back against her We¡¯ve been paying for Catyn¡¯s medical expenses, and anymore, we don¡¯t have to show any mercy. She pau sowy said its time to stop Catyn¡¯s medical expenses.¡± Shawn got mam Cattyns medical expenses had be in her han She wished that woman would never wake up so she dyed the medical expenses as much as possible, only paying when absolutely necessary Now she was incredibly grateful for her ording to the timeline, Caitlyns ount sho expenses, others would naturally take car dbe out of money. If Celeste used The Reed family¡¯s money to pay for Caitlyn¡¯s medical t them having to do anything Shawn hesitated, licking his lips and finally saying ¡°The doctor f she wont much longer. Do we really have to go this far? Helens voice turned cold. ¡°If she wakes up we¡¯ll all del Shawn, think about what she had done to you! And Celeste! Can you bear that?¡± Shawn thought for a moment and finally made up his mind, ¡°Alright, then you handle it¡¯ Helen left the study and immediately made a phone call. In the City of A Coco looked at the white walls around her and frowned, ¡°I thought we were going to have fun? Why are we at the hospital again?¡± Medical staff were helping her change into a patient gown, and Liam casually said. ¡°After this surgery, you¡¯ll be able to go out and have fun.¡± Coco pouted, ¡°You said the same thingst time, but when I woke up. I was still in the hospital¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Liam replied. ¡°This is thest surgery. I promise.¡± Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Coco¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°For real?¡± Owen chimed in, ¡°Mr. Reed never lies.¡± Coco shot him a scornful look. ¡°Every time hees to see me, Aunty Campbell calls him, and he always says he¡¯s at thepany. Isn¡¯t that lying?¡± Owen was speechless. He thought: ¡°This little girl is not easy to fool.¡± ¡°Always hiding me as a secret, am I your illegitimate daughter?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have given birth something this ugly.¡± Coco¡­ The medical staff couldn¡¯t help butugh at the conversation between these two. They¡¯ve done so many surgeries, but this was the first time they¡¯ve seen such a humorous father- daughter duo. ¡°Mr. Reed, take this wristband. The hospital has limited the ess recently. With this, you won¡¯t be stopped when youe to see your daughter.¡± Liam took the wristband and emphasized, ¡°We are not father and daughter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Coco chimed in, ¡°My dad would never have such a foul mouth like him.¡± The nurse didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ Even though they were not father and daughter, Liam¡¯s name was clearly written as Coco Gomez¡¯s guardian when she was admitted She looked at the two of them as if they didn¡¯t look alike. alike. However, their tempers were quite simr, and both were quite eloquent. The medical staff didn¡¯t ask any more questions and instructed them on what tests to doter. Then they left after registering the information. Coco was bored, rolling on the bed. At the same time, Liam was in ¡°Have you been bitten by a mosquito?¡± Coco nced at him, ¡°Can you be gentler when talking to kids?* Liam said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not a kid?¡± Coco didn¡¯t want to talk anymore¡­ looking at his emails on his tablet, but he couldn¡¯t focus anymore. Coco rolled around on the bed again and suddenly asked, ¡°After this surgery, will I finally be able to meet Aunty Campbell?¡± Liam said, ¡°Depends on your performance.¡± Coco immediately sat up, ¡°Uncle Liam, after I recover, can you take me to meet Aunty Campbell? Granny Sisco from the previous ward said that her daughter-inw didn¡¯t have a baby for several years, so she¡¯d take her to amusement parks to see children from time to time. After that, she had a baby. I¡¯m a child too, let Aunty Campbell see me more, and she¡¯ll surely have a baby soon.¡± Liam paused, as if he was really pondering the issue. After a while, he said, ¡°Fine.¡± Owen¡¯s eyes almost popped out. What¡¯s so good about it? It would be strange if his wife could get pregnant. He¡¯s really good at coaxing children. The door to the ward was knocked, and a woman¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Mr. Reed, I¡¯m Hanson. My sister has low blood sugar. Can youe and take a look?¡± Liam frowned. Owen immediately opened the door, and a short girl who looked a bit like Sydney Denton stood at the door. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was dressed youthfully, with braids, and looked to be in her early twenties. Liam asked, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 ¡°The doctor said to do another test after a meal and see how her fasting blood sugar would be in the morning, the girl paused, then continued, ¡®She seems to be very weak right now.¡± Liam wanted to find an excuse for her to leave, but considering the surgery in two days, he frowned and stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go, take me to see her As soon as Liam left, Coco pouted, ¡°This woman is up to no good again, alwaysing with either a headache or fever.¡± Owen chuckled, ¡°Who taught you to talk like this?¡± Coco snorted, ¡°I can surf the inte too. I don¡¯t know what her fans like about her; she¡¯s so hypocritic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like her? She¡¯s the one who can save your life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Uncle Liam is a fool with money, giving her money. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t save me.¡± They thought she was a child who didn¡¯t understand anything, so they didn¡¯t avoid discussing certain things in front of Coco. Every time that woman was called to the hospital by Uncle Liam to donate blood for her, she ask for something in return. Sometimes it was a role in a script, sometimes an endorsement, or a car, a handbag, and so on. Anyway, she always left with something, and she was very caring towards Uncle Liam when he was around, but when he wasn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t pay attention to him. Children may not know the word ¡°greed,¡± but Coco was already a bit aware of Sydney¡¯s displeasing behavior. Owen just smiled and didn¡¯t continue the conversation. Children are very sensitive to adults¡¯ feelings. Coco could see right through whether Sydney¡¯s concern was genuine or not. She just hoped that everything would go smoothly this time. When Celeste went to the payment area downstairs, she found out Caitlyn¡¯s ount was overdue, and some medical expenses fromst month hadn¡¯t been settled yet. She frowned, ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone paid this month?¡± The staff shook their heads and told her that the payment had been dyed for several months. It was only after they called that someone came to pay, but this time it was the longest dy, almost two weeks. They also printed out the bills for the past few months, clearly showing thest payment date and the expenses for the past month. Because of the dyed payment, the ount still owed the hospital $20,000. Caitlyn was a long-term patient at the hospital, having been there for nearly seven years. So a fewte payments weren¡¯t a big deal, and most of the time, the payments were made as soon as they were requested. However, this time it took quite long, and no one answered the bill payer¡¯s phone calls. They had no choice but to inform the doctor, who then told. Celeste. Celeste¡¯s face darkened. She took out a bank card and handed it to the staff, ¡°Please help me deposit one million dors in advance.¡± As soon as she finished paying. Celeste¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Shawn. Celeste pursed her lips and pressed the answer button and bluntly said, ¡°When do you n to pay my mom¡¯s medical bills?¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from the other end, ¡°They¡¯re already divorced. My husband is not responsible for paying his ex-wife¡¯s medical bills, right?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°Your husband?¡± Helen chuckled, ¡°Forgot to tell you, your dad and I already got hitched. Legally speaking, you should be calling me ¡®mom¡¯ now.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Celeste was furious, ¡°You ain¡¯t worthy of that title!¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m worthy or not, our rtionship is legal. Celeste, since you know what¡¯s going on, let¡¯s cut to the chase,¡± Helen said casually, ¡°Regardless of your parents¡¯ past, your dad has been bearing for your mom¡¯s medical bills all these years. If you¡¯re gonna ignore their feelings, don¡¯t me us for being heartless. From now on, we ain¡¯t paying a dime for Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses. Since you¡¯re so capable, you can take care of your mom all by yourself.¡± Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Celeste¡¯s face became unhappy, and she said in a deep voice, ¡°Is this what Shawn said?¡± Helen chuckled, ¡°What I say is what he says. Why else would he give me his phone?¡± ¡°Of course, your dad is still kind hearted. He was willing to reconcile with you and continue to pay for Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses. But you have to hand over all the evidence you have and never mention this matter again! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Don¡¯t say that the stuff you have is useless. Even if it is useful, do you think the Reed family wouldn¡¯t mind if you put your dad in jail? Would they still acknowledge you?¡± ¡°Wake up, it¡¯s been so many years since the divorce, and your parents are already divorced. What¡¯s the point of pursuing these things? If you ask me, just let it go. Let everyone live their lives peacefully, you be the rich man¡¯s wife, and your mom can keep on living. What do you say?¡± Her tone was like the most annoying rtive talking to you, full of arrogance. Not only was her tone annoying, but the words she said were even more disgusting. Celeste angrily retorted, ¡°In your dreams!¡± Helen helplessly said, ¡± Then there¡¯s no way, you¡¯ll have to bear the medical expenses yourself. As Mrs. Reed, you probably don¡¯tck of that money.¡± She hung up after saying that. Mason was waiting in the hospital lobby with a bag in hand, and when he saw Celesteing over with a bad expression, he stepped forward and asked, ¡°Did you handle the matter?¡± Celeste nodded and then said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, Shawn stopped paying for my mom¡¯s medical expenses. The divorce is real, he already has a family with someone else, I can¡¯t sue him for divorce anymore, I have to go to court for my mom and apply for a division of property.¡± Mason frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ll ask someone about this first. Even if you¡¯re dividing the property again, you need to maximize the benefits.¡± He handed the bag in his hand to Celeste, ¡°I just asked an ice pack from the hospital nurse, remember to treat the wound on your faceter. I¡¯ll go back to thew firm first and check this matter thoroughly. You take care of your aunt in the hospital and wait for my call in the next few days Celeste breathed a sigh of relief, tears in her eyes, and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Mason looked at her tears, wanting to wipe them away for her, raised his hand, and at that moment Nics¡¯ voice came from behind, ¡°Mason, Celeste, is everything taken care of?¡± Mason withdrew his finger and naturally lowered his arm. Celeste nodded, ¡°Mr. Francis, thank you for today. I¡¯ll remember this favor. Just let me know if there¡¯s anything I can help with in the future.¡± Nics smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just treat it as Liam¡¯s business.¡± Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°I need to make things clear with him.¡± Nics knew immediately that the two had quarreled. Everyone knew about Angel Campbell¡¯s situation, and he had heard a little about the handling of Quantum. It was not surprising that they had argued, It would be abnormal for a couple not to quarrel. He joked, ¡°We¡¯re all family now,¡± and then changed the subject, ¡°We have some things to deal with at thepany, so I¡¯ll go there first. Mason, what about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Mason said before leaving. ¡°If there¡¯s anything wrong in the hospital, just contact Nics or me, either way.¡± Celeste nodded and escorted the two out of the hospital. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 The events of the day might have affected Caitlyn, and by night, she had a fever. Normal people might recover after a night¡¯s sleep, but for Caitlyn, this temperature could be fatal at any time. Caitlyn couldn¡¯t take any strong medicine now, so the doctor¡¯s advice was to physically cool her down. Every hour, if they wiped Caitlyn¡¯s body, she would feel morefortable. Celeste and the caregiver took turns wiping her body throughout the night, and it wasn¡¯t until 2 or 3 in the morning that her temperature began to drop. The caregiver saw that she was very tired and told her to lie down and sleep. Celeste leaned back in her chair, not wanting to sleep. She took out her phone, opened Liam¡¯s Whatsapp, thought for a long time, and dialed his phone number, The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered. She hung up. pursed her lips, and dialed Liam¡¯s number again. On the other end of the phone was a cold, mechanical voice, ¡°Sorry, the number you are calling is busy. Please try againter¡­¡± Celeste hung up, threw her phone to the side, leaned back in her chair, and covered her eyes with her hand. Liam, why is it that every time I need you the most, you¡¯re never by my side? The City of A. Liam suddenly woke up from a dream, opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling, and heard Owen¡¯s breathing on the couch next to him. He was stunned for a moment before remembering where he was. Just now, he suddenly had a dream about the multi-car rear-end collision on J City North Road Overpass two months ago. He saw Celeste driving on the bridge, with many cars around her. She was sitting in the middle, waiting for the traffic light to change. Suddenly a cargo truck came rushing over, heading straight for the line of cars waiting at the red light. Some cars were hit out of the guardrail and fell off the bridge; more cars were squeezed together and caught fire in an instant, with cries everywhere. He saw Celeste lying in pain on a flipped-over car, shouting his name through the shattered ss, covered in blood. He panicked and wanted to run over, but the car suddenly exploded, and Celeste was swallowed by the fire. He woke up from the dream in an instant. It was just a dream. Liam rubbed his temples. He wasn¡¯t at the scene of the rear-end collision on the overpass, but he didn¡¯t know why the dream was so clear. The moment the car exploded, he was covered in cold sweat. Liam took out his phone. His original SIM card had been reced when he boarded the ne. Because he had returned the SIM card, Whatsapp had been prompting him to log in again. His finger hesitated over the login option. Owen rolled over and saw a faint light in the ward, turning his head to see Liam staring at his phone. Owen yawned and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re having surgery tomorrow, you should get some rest. If all goes well, you can go home sooner.¡± Liam suddenly realized and pulled his finger back. What was he doing? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Just because of a weird dream, he wanted to call and check on her. She¡¯s sharp-tongued, who could hurt her? If he called her, he¡¯d probably just piss her off and keep her from sleeping. Thinking about what she said the night he left, Liam got angry. Since she brought up divorce, she should be the first one to regret it. As long as she says she regrets it, he no longer cares. Thinking about this, he asked, ¡°Owen, how¡¯s the neing along?¡± Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 ¡°I already reminded them once today, and they¡¯re speeding up the process. They said they¡¯ll be done soon, definitely before we leave City A Is Mr Reed still thinking about this in the middle of the night? Owen has a feeling that his boss is in lovetely It seems like ever since he found out about his wife¡¯s car ident on the overpass, he has been more and more concerned about her. He had been working with Liam for many years and knew that Liam was a person who was not enthusiastic or even cold at first. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. He didn¡¯t really care much about his birth mother, Skyler Reed. But when ites to his wife, even just a casualment, he¡¯ll keep it in mind. Like the $400,000 bag. the earrings lost at the dance, and now this expensive ne Mr. Reed didn¡¯t mind his wife spending money. Mr. Reed is a man of action rather than words, while his wife loves sweet talk. In short, a sweet-talker meets a somewhat cold workaholic. It¡¯s kinda interesting when you think about it. The next morning, ine went downstairs to buy breakfast, and Celeste ate a bit. At eight o¡¯clock, the doctor came to inspect the room. Caitlyn¡¯s temperature had risen a bit, her temperature had dropped at night, but now it had risen again. The doctor said to check her temperature every half hour, continue to use physical methods to cool her down, and if her temperature hasn¡¯t dropped by noon, take some medication. Celeste thanked the doctor and got busy again. This time, it was harder to bring her temperature down than at night. By noon, her temperature had risen again. Celeste quickly called the doctor, who checked Caitlyn, gave her medication, and asked her to keep an eye on her. Celeste looked nervously at Caitlyn in bed, her face was very serious. Caitlyn had became very weak. Over the years, even though she had been taking the best medicines and had the most responsible caregivers, she couldn¡¯t resist the gradual weakening of her body. Shey there, covered in nkets, looking so frail as if she was just a skeleton, ready to shatter at any moment. An hourter, Caitlyn¡¯s temperature finally dropped a little. Seeing how anxious Celeste was, the caregiver suggested her going out for a walk ¡°I¡¯m fine, ine. Thank you for your help these days.¡± ¡°No need to thank me, this is my job. I¡¯ll take good care of Aunt Caitlyn.¡± At that moment, a nurse suddenly ran in and said, ¡°Ms. Caitlyn¡¯s family, please go downstairs to pay.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°I just paid yesterday.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that. The reception downstairs said the ount is out of money, so you need to go pay. There¡¯s still therapy this afternoon, so hurry up.¡± The nurse left after saying that. Celeste couldn¡¯t understand. She had clearly deposited a million in the ountst night, how could it be out of money? Celeste ran downstairs with a puzzled look on her face. When she asked at the payment counter, they said, ¡°The money you transferredst night was frozen by the bank. They said there¡¯s an issue with your money, so it cannot be used for now.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that money?¡± It was her acting fee that had just been transferred last week, what could be wrong with it? ¡°How do I know? I¡¯m just in charge of collecting payments. You¡¯d better call the bank and ask, and by the way, you also need to pay for the medical expenses.¡± Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 People behind her kept urging her to hurry up, so Celeste didn¡¯t have time to think, she just took out another bank card and said, ¡°Try this one.¡± As soon as she swiped the card, the machine beeped, and the staff said, ¡°This card has also been frozen.¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned pale and she took out another bank card. ¡°This card is also frozen¡± The third, the fourth¡­ until all the cards had been tried, Celeste¡¯s face finally darkenedpletely. All her ounts had been frozen by the bank. Was it Liam¡¯s doing? No, if Liam did this, why would he lock her own bank cards, even if he locked his supplementary cards? Then who could it be? Who has the ability to do that? Celeste searched her mind for all possibilities and eventually believed it was Skyler who did this. ¡°Are you going to pay or not? Hurry up.¡± The family members of the patients in line behind her urged her once again. Celeste hurriedly said, ¡°Sorry,¡± picked up the bank cards on the table, and walked aside. She first called the banks that had issued her cards. The banks didn¡¯t say much, just that someone had applied for a freeze through proper procedures, but they couldn¡¯t disclose who it was. The person they couldn¡¯t disclose was probably Skyler. She clenched her fists and called Skyler. The phone was answered shortly after. ¡°Hello.¡± Skyler¡¯s cold voice came through the phone. Suppressing her emotions, Celeste spoke softly, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me.¡± Skyler said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°I was just at the hospital paying and they said my bank cards are frozen.¡± Skyler answered tly. ¡°I froze them.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Celeste was a little sad, ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Skyler chuckled coldly, ¡°Celeste, when Liames back from his business trip, you two are getting divorced. Now that he¡¯s gone, I need to prevent you from transferring assets. Seems I was right to be extra cautious. As soon as he leaves, you¡¯re in a hurry to transfer the money in the ounts to your mom. Do you think the Reed family is a charity?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t even have time to think about how Skyler knew about their divorce after Liam¡¯s business trip, but when she heard ¡°prevent you from transferring assets,¡± she became extremely angry. ¡°You can freeze Liam¡¯s supplementary bank cards, but who gives you the right to freeze mine? The money on my cards is what I earned myself, it has nothing to do with the Reed family!¡± ¡°Celeste, watch your tone! You¡¯re so rude!¡± Skyler snapped, ¡°Your money? What money do you have? The clothes you wear, the things you use, which one isn¡¯t from Liam¡¯s money? Which one isn¡¯t from the Reed family?¡± When Kaylee¡¯s face hurtby her, when the right to n the uing birthday party was taken away by her, and when Liam had to limit his spending because of her, Skyler was so pissed off that she couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°Who knows if the money in your card isn¡¯t transferred from Liam¡¯s ount? You¡¯ve done stuff like this before. You guys are getting a divorce, and as Liam¡¯s mom, what are the issues applying for property protection?¡± Celeste¡¯s lips trembled with anger, ¡°Skyler, do you have any idea that the money you have frozen was my mom¡¯s life-saving money?¡± Skyler scoffed, ¡°I froze the Reed family¡¯s money. If anything happens to your mom, it¡¯s just her bad luck for having a daughter like you.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. Celeste¡¯s face turned pale, and then she received a call from ine, ¡°Celeste, your mom¡¯s not doing well, you better get up here!¡± Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 In a sh, Celeste¡¯s face turned pale, and her hand holding the phone trembled slightly. Her voice also shook as she pretended to be calm, saying, ¡®I¡¯ll be right up there, call the doctor over first.¡± Caitlyn¡¯s blood pressure dropped rapidly, her heart rate slowed down, and her pupils dted, which was a very bad sign. After checking her condition, the doctor immediately started giving her intravenous fluids. Caitlyn¡¯s arm veins were very obvious, and the nurse struggled to insert the needle after several attempts. Celeste looked the needle marks on Caitlyn¡¯s arm, and felt very sad. Soon, Caitlyn was wheeled into the operating room. The head nurse handed Celeste a risk disclosure form to sign. Celeste picked up the pen, her hand still trembling. It took her great effort to sign her name. After taking the signed form, the nurse said, ¡°Hurry up and go downstairs to pay the bills. They¡¯ve been urging us. Don¡¯t make it difficult for us.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Celeste said hoarsely, ¡°Please take care of my mom. Stepping out of the waiting room, Celeste quickly dialed Trisha¡¯s number. Trisha had been filming with the crew all night and didn¡¯t return home until seven in the morning. When she received Celeste¡¯s call, she was still asleep. She slowly picked up the phone and heard Celeste sobbing on the other end, ¡°Trisha, how much money do you have right now? Can you lend me forty thousand dors first?¡± Trisha instantly woke up, knowing that Celeste wouldn¡¯t be asking for money without a good reason, especially with such a strange tone in her voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What do you need the money for?¡± After asking, Trisha quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m just asking, not refusing to lend you the money. I got some copyright fees before and put them in a fixed deposit. I can give you ten thousand dors at most right now. What happened?¡± ¡°My mom might be dying, and my bank card can¡¯t be used¡­¡± Celeste started crying as she spoke. Trisha had never seen Celeste cry so sadly before. She quickly tried tofort her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you first, then go pay the fees. I¡¯ll also ask some other friends for money.¡± As she spoke, she jumped out of bed and started getting dressed, ¡°I¡¯ming to the hospital right away. Your mom is still being treated, don¡¯t think too much about negative things.¡± Celeste¡¯s sobs made it difficult for her to speak clearly, and her voice filled with fear made Trisha feel very sad. After hanging up, Trisha immediately transferred all the money to Celeste, while running downstairs and calling her friends to borrow more money. Trisha had only graduated three years ago, and her close friends were mostly in the same financial situation. Wealthier friends no longer associated with their ss. So, after four or five calls, she only managed to borrow another ten thousand dors. How could that be enough? After thinking for a while, Trisha finally called her own mother. ¡°Hello.¡± On the other end of the phone, a cold and elegant female voice answered. Trisha coughed lightly, ¡°Mom, can you help me transfer some money? It¡¯s not much, just thirty thousand dors will do.¡± The line suddenly went dead. Trisha didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ She remembered the decisive words she had said when she left home and now felt a bit embarrassed. But now, her friend¡¯s mother was more important, even if it meant getting scolded. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! With determination, she called again. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, I know you¡¯re mad at me, but now is not the time to be angry. I¡¯m in the hospital, and life is more important. After the surgery, you can scold me however you want.¡± The person on the other end of the line became nervous, ¡°Did something happen to you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my friend. If I hadn¡¯t met her, I would¡¯ve starved to death in the J City. You have to help her.¡± ¡°Stop talking and send me your bank ount number,¡± Trisha quickly thanked her and sent her bank ount number. Soon after, she received a text message saying she thousand dors. over a hundred Trisha didn¡¯t have time to marvel at when her mother became so generous, she went to the hospital with the money to find Celeste. Celeste was waiting for her at the hospital entrance. As soon as Trisha got out of the car, she saw Celeste¡¯s frail figure. Her eyes were filled with red bloodshot veins, her lips slightly pale, and her usually energetic face now seemed almost translucent. Without wasting time, Trisha quickly pulled Celeste along, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve brought the money, let¡¯s go pay the fees first.¡± After transferring the money to the patient¡¯s ount, Celeste took Trisha upstairs. All the way up, she didn¡¯t say a word. After her helpless cries on the phone, she seemed very strong now. In the waiting room. Trisha handed her a bottle of water, ¡°How long has your mother been in the operating room?¡± Celeste took the water and hoarsely replied, ¡°About forty to fifty minutes, I guess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she will be fine.¡± Trisha looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes dimmed, ¡°He¡¯s on a business trip.¡± Trisha angrily said, ¡°What kind of damn job is that?! Every time he¡¯s needed, he¡¯s not around. What¡¯s the point of having him as a husband?!¡± Celeste remained silent, not saying anything. Trisha suddenly remembered, ¡°You said on the phone that your bank card couldn¡¯t be used. What happened?¡± Celeste frowned, struggling to say, ¡°Liam¡¯s mom froze all my cards, so I can¡¯t use any of them for payment.¡± ¡°What the hell?! Does his mom have a problem? Why would she do that?!¡± ¡°She knows Liam and I are getting a divorce, so she wants to prevent me from transferring assets.¡± Trisha was speechless with anger for a moment. After a while, she angrily said, ¡± Is her purpose to prevent you and Liam from getting divorced?!¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to discuss the issue anymore. A little whileter, a nurse came to call for Caitlyn¡¯s family to sign some documents, and Celeste got up to do so. Trisha wanted to call Liam and ask what he was doing, but his phone was unreachable, which made her curse a few more times. She thought he could help, but he turned out to be as useless as ever! Suddenly the chair next to her vibrated, and Trisha turned to see that it was Celeste¡¯s phone. The iing call disyed the name ¡°7 million dors.¡± She pressed the answer button. ¡°Celeste, I got my friend to help find that property division agreement.¡± ¡®Is that the handsome guy who drives the Bentley?¡± Trisha knew it was Mason right away, after all, his voice was both maic and distinctive, so she blurted it out. Mason was taken aback, ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Letti¡¯s good friend, Trisha. The nurse just called her to sign something in the operating room, so she¡¯s not here right now.¡± Mason¡¯s tone suddenly became serious, ¡°What operating room?¡± ll, very ¡°Her mother Caitlyn¡¯s not doing too well, they¡¯re trying to save her in the operating room.¡± Trisha was equally anxious, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, can you contact Liam? Tell him to hurry back!¡± ¡°Liam¡¯s phone is off, I can¡¯t reach him either,¡± Mason paused, ¡°You take care of Celeste first, I¡¯ll be right over.¡± A few minutester, Celeste came back. Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Trisha didn¡¯t dare ask what the nurse had said, just hoping Caitlyn would be okay. If anything happened to Caitlyn now, Trisha worried that Celeste would fall apart. After all these years, they knew the chances of Caitlyn waking up were small, but she always wanted persevere. As long as Caitlyn was alive, she felt there was hope. There¡¯s a saying, when your parents are alive, you have a home; when they¡¯re died you¡¯re on your own. No one could me Celeste for her love for her mother. About ten minutes after Trisha hung up the phone, Mason rushed over. He hurried into the waiting area. In that moment, Trisha felt like Mason was way more useful than Liam ¨C he would be there if something really happened. ¡°Celeste, how¡¯s your mother?¡± Mason panted, probably having run straight from his car. Celeste looked at him, puzzled. Trisha quickly exined, ¡°When you were signing the papers earlier, Bentley ¨C Mr. Fletcher called you. He said he had something to tell you. When he heard Caitlyn was in surgery, he came right over.¡± Celeste rxed a bit and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s still in critical condition, no news yet.¡± Caitlyn had a lung infection, and the nurse had her sign the surgery consent form just now. Though it was a minimally invasive surgery, it was risky for Caitlyn. The nurse told her that, there was no need for Caitlyn to have the surgery at this point. Even if she were saved, she wouldn¡¯t live much longer, and insisting on the surgery might be a waste of time and money. But Celeste couldn¡¯t bring herself to give up on treatment. She couldn¡¯t just let Caitlyn die. Masonforted her, saying, ¡°No news is good news.¡± Celeste hoped so, but things didn¡¯t always go as well as imagined. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, what did you want to talk to me about?¡± Mason said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until your mother¡¯s surgery is over. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Celeste wanted to send Mason away, but then she thought that he must have rushed over only because he heard something had happened to her. Sending him away would seem too cold. So, she kept quiet. The three of them sat together, waiting for the doctor¡¯s notification from the operating room. After about ten more minutes, the light in the operating room finally turned off. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste immediately stood up. Trisha and Mason also got up closely. The operating room door opened, and the medical staff came out one by one. Celeste was very nervous, wanting to go forward but not daring to. The doctor took off his mask, his expression heavy, and said, ¡°Go in and see your mother for thest time. Say your goodbyes.¡± Celeste¡¯s hand trembled, and she felt like she was falling into an abyss. The sounds around her became distant, with only the doctor¡¯s words ringing clearly in her ears. Trisha, with tears in her eyes, supported Celeste and whispered, ¡°Letti, you have to be strong.¡± Mason¡¯s lips moved, and after a while, he said, ¡°You should go in and see her.¡± Celeste clenched her hands and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± With that, she walked towards the operating room. Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Caitlyny there quietly, wearing an oxygen mask. There was no visible misting from the mask, and the numbers on the monitor beside her had dropped to an extreme low. She was so thin that she seemed to blend into the operating table. All of this told her that the person on this bed was nearing the end of her life. Celeste held Caitlyn¡¯s hand. Caitlyn had beautiful handwriting, so she often had calluses on her middle finger from gripping a pen. When Caitlyn was healthy, she wasn¡¯t particrly thin, so her hands had some flesh. But now, her hand was so thin that it seemed to be just bones, with needle marks and protruding veins on the back of her hand, looking very different from how she remembered. It had been six years and eight months since the car ident, and Caitlyn¡¯s white hair had grown a lot. She used to care a lot about her appearance, so maybe she didn¡¯t want to wake up and see herself like this. Celeste bent down to help Caitlyn arrange her hair. Trisha watched this scene, unable to hold back her tears. She whispered, ¡°Celeste, let Aunt Trisha do it.¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers trembled, and she softly agreed. Then, she removed Caitlyn¡¯s oxygen mask. The numbers on the machine slowly dropped to zero, and the machine let out a sharp sound. The nurse came over and said, ¡°Take care,¡± then slowly covered Caitlyn¡¯s face with a white cloth. She then told Celeste to get the paperwork done in the next couple of days and remove the body, as there wasn¡¯t much space in the hospital morgue. She immediately pushed the body away. Celeste didn¡¯t cry or lose control. After softly thanking the nurse, she settled ounts with the medical staff. Then, she went to Caitlyn¡¯s room to start packing up her things. She appeared calm andposed. Caitlyn had either been lying in bed or wearing a hospital gown. There were even no clothes in the ward, just some towels and a washbasin for washing, as well as some cassette tapes and an old tape recorder on the table. Although her mother had been in this hospital room for so many years, there much to pack up. Celeste put the tapes into her bag as if nothing had happened. The calmer she was, the more worried Trisha became. She wished Celeste would just cry because she was too calm, and it made her uneasy. ¡°Celeste, you don¡¯t have to pack up in a hurry,¡± Mason came forward and gently pressed her hand holding the bag. ¡°Sit down and rest for a while. We¡¯ll help you pack.¡± Trisha agreed, ¡°Mr. Fletcher is right, Letti. Take a break.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste pushed his hand away, lowered her head, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mr. Fletcher. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to talk to you today.¡± Mason said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can talk when you¡¯re done.¡± Celeste nodded her thanks and continued, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go home. Trisha¡¯spany is enough for me.¡± Mason suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. After all, Celeste had just lost her mother, and at this moment, Liam should have been by her side, not a stranger like him. Mason whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with Liam as soon as possible, and if you need any help, just hit me up.¡± He paused for a moment, then added, ¡°I hope your mom can rest in peace up in heaven.¡± Celeste softly replied to him and then stayed quiet. However, Mason was still a bit worried, so he told Trisha a few things, gave her his cell number, and asked her to arrange the funeral stuff quickly. If anything came up, she should contact him right away. Trisha agreed to him, and as she walked Mason to the door, she heard a noiseing from the ward. She turned her head and her face changed instantly, ¡°Letti!¡± Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Celeste suddenly copsed on the ground, unconscious. Trisha freaked out right away, her voice trembled, ¡°Letti! Letti! What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t scare me like this!¡± Mason¡¯s face turned tense, and he quickly walked over and bent down to help Celeste up. Her face was pale, her eyes had dark circles, and her lips were almost devoid of blood.. Mason told Trisha, ¡°Stop yelling, go get a doctor now.¡± ¡°Right, the doctor,¡± Trisha hurriedly stood up and ran out, shouting as she went, ¡°Doctor! Doctor! Help!¡± Mason frowned, having performed first aid but Celeste still didn¡¯t respond, he had no choice but to carry her. Soon, under Trisha¡¯s guidance, the nurses came with a bed, Mason put Celeste on it, and followed them to the emergency room with Trisha, Trisha was very anxious. After about ten minutes, the doctor walked out of the emergency room. The doctor said Celeste might have fainted due to poor rest,bined with nervous tension and anemia. However, he rmended a full body check¨Cup because it¡¯s unusual for someone her age to suddenly faint, and it¡¯s safer to have a check¨Cup. Meanwhile, in the City of A. The operating room light finally went off, and Liam stood up. Not long after, the doctor came out pushing a bed. Sydney was lying on it, still unconscious. Liam went straight past her to the bed behind. Coco was asleep, her little face pale, still holding the candy Liam had taken from his car when she went in. The doctor said that when she entered, she kept babbling about wanting to see ¡°Aunty Campbell.¡± After being anesthetized, she lost consciousness within seconds, but her hand kept gripping the candy, refused to let it go. Liam gently pried her hand open and took out the candy. It was a mint candy that Celeste had given him in the car when they were eating with Mason before. He¡¯d kept it in his car, and Coco found it this time when they came to the City of A. When she heard it was from Celeste, she put it in her pocket, not expecting to bring it all the way to the operating room. Liam looked at the mint candy in his hand and stuffed it back into Coco¡¯s hand. When the doctor came out, Liam asked, ¡°Dr. Denton, how was it?¡± ¡°The surgery was sessful, but we¡¯ll have to see how she recovers in the next few days. As long as the patient doesn¡¯t have a rejection reaction, she¡¯ll be mostly stable, and as long as she keeps taking her medication, she can recover to the same level as a normal person.¡± Coco was born prematurely and had been living on the brink of life and death since birth due to severe regenerative anemia and a rare blood type. She¡¯s almost seven but looks only five years old. The surgery should have been done when she was older. But now Coco¡¯s growth has slowed down compared to her peers, so the surgery couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Dr. Denton suddenly asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, what¡¯s your rtionship with this child?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Liam paused, nced at him, and didn¡¯t answer. Dr. Denton was the most experienced expert in bone marrow transntation, and Liam had invited him all the way to City A for this surgery. His mysterious movements made him very curious. Realizing he had asked a question he shouldn¡¯t have, Dr. Denton changed the subject, saying, ¡°As long as there¡¯s no rejection reaction three days, you can leave. She needs to stay in the hospital for at least a month.¡± What he meant was, the longer you stay, the easier it is for people to find out. Liam didn¡¯t respond and turned to leave. After settling Coco in the ward, Liam suddenly said to Owen, ¡°Book a flight for the day after tomorrow.¡± Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Owen was surprised, ¡°Mr. Reed, at least wait for the first three days.¡± Liam said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back alone, and you¡¯ll stay here to take care of Coco. Once she¡¯s past the critical period, arrange for someone to take over, and you can leave.¡± He hadn¡¯t been sleeping well these past two nights, always thinking about the situation in J City and feeling a bit uneasy. He wanted to get back as soon as possible. In J City. Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s suggestion for a full body check¨Cup, Trisha got busy. With Mason¡¯s help, the two worked well together, and the check¨Cup went smoothly. Besides the blood test, basically everything that could be done was done. After Celeste was admitted to the general ward, she didn¡¯t wake up, but herplexion was better than before. By the time everything was done, it waste at night. Celeste was a married woman, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Mason to stay here. Trisha told him, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, you should go back first. I¡¯ll take care of Letti.¡± Mason agreed to leave but reminded her to notify him immediately if anything happened to Celeste. Trisha stayed by Celeste¡¯s bedside for most of the night and finally fell asleep around 3 am. Early the next morning, the nurse came to draw blood for the test. Celeste didn¡¯t wake up until after 9 am. She turned her head and saw Trisha¡¯s coat on the bedside chair, probably gone to wash up or buy breakfast. Celeste sat up, hesitated for a moment, and then went to the bathroom. When she came out, the nurse came to the ward to inform her that the test results were out and there was a problem. She asked her to see the doctor. Celeste went to see the doctor. The doctor was a woman in her fifties, very kind in her speech. She looked at the report in her hand and asked Celeste, ¡°Are you married?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Do you have children?¡± Celeste shook her head. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The doctor frowned, remained silent for a while, and then asked, ¡°Have you ever had a severe blow to your abdomen before that injured your uterus?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I had a car ident a few years ago. The doctor said my uterus was slightly damaged, didn¡¯t prescribe any medicine, and suggested to rest more and have regr check¨Cups. When I went for a check¨Cup the next year, it was already normal.¡± The doctor asked again, ¡°Have you been taking any medication for a long time?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°No, I have a good physical constitution and rarely get sick.¡± Seeing the doctor¡¯s serious expression, Celeste¡¯s voice unconsciously lowered, ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s the problem with me?¡± The doctor looked up, with a hint of pity in her eyes. After a while, she said, ¡°I suspect you may have signs of premature ovarian failure.¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed, ¡°Premature ovarian failure¡­ what will happen?¡± ¡°Premature ovarian failure has many symptoms, including hormonal imbnces and irregr periods. The most severe case may lead to infertility.¡± Celeste turned pale, unable to ept the doctor¡¯s words, ¡°But I¡¯ve always had a regr schedule, exercised frequently, and had regr check¨Cups. How could I have a premature ovarian failure Have you made a mistake?¡± ¡°The data won¡¯t be wrong,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Maybe after your period ends this time, you cane to the hospital for a hormone test and an ultrasound, but I don¡¯t think the results will be much different.¡± Celeste became at a loss for what to do, not knowing how to react. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 The doctorforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Although you have some symptoms of premature aging, it¡¯s been detected in time. Just take good care of your body and take your meds on time. It won¡¯t necessarily affect your fertility. I¡¯ve had many patients with premature ovarian failure before, who sessfully got pregnant after treatment. You¡¯re younger than them, so you still have a chance.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t catch what the doctor said. All she could think about was ¡°infertility.¡± The doctor asked her, ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t been taking any medication long¨Cterm? I found some drugponents in your blood test.¡± Celeste was about to shake her head when she suddenly remembered the medicine she had been taking. Her expression changed slightly, and she whispered, ¡°I have been taking some medicine, which was said to help with getting pregnant, but I stopped it in the past half month. Could the drugponents found in my blood have anything to do with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. Do you still have those meds? Bring them to me, and I¡¯ll see what¡¯s in them,¡± the doctor printed out the prescription and signed his name. ¡°I think your premature ovarian failure might be rted to the medication you¡¯re taking. After all, drugs have side effects, and you didn¡¯t have any problems in the first ce. Taking them for such a long time might cause issues.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart became heavy. A guess emerged in her mind. Skyler was very dissatisfied with her. Why would he be eager for her to get pregnant? She said it was because Sienna Reed really wanted a grandson, so she wanted Celeste to get pregnant as soon as possible. If that was the case, why didn¡¯t Wesley Reed get married? Did she want her to get pregnant? After leaving the doctor¡¯s office, Celeste immediately called the housekeeper and asked her to bring the medicine Kaylee had given her to the hospital. Although many of the bottles were broken, a few were still intact. Amelia thought it was a gift from Skyler, so she kept it. Amelia responded quickly and brought the medicine to the hospital in about 20 minutes. Celeste waited downstairs at the hospital, and after getting the medicine, she went straight upstairs to ask the doctor to examine it. The doctor who examined Celeste took the medicine and asked two other doctors to help identify the ingredients. Trisha returned to the ward without seeing Celeste and called her. Celeste said she was with the doctor and would be back soon. Trisha thought her tone sounded normal, so she was slightly relieved. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! to arran ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the funeral home staff. You can choose a time to arrange for the farewell and cremation. I¡¯ll let everyone know to take care of Auntie¡¯s funeral as soon as possible.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s discuss it after I leave the doctor¡¯s office.¡± After hanging up, the three doctors were still discussing the medicine. Celeste was impatient and asked, ¡°Doctors, is there a problem with this medicine?¡± An older doctor asked, ¡°Which doctor prescribed this for you?¡± Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mother¨Cinw got someone to prescribe this for me. She said it would increase the chances of getting pregnant after intercourse.¡± The doctor adjusted his sses, ¡°Youngdy, this prescription is not for promoting conception.¡± Celeste asked nervously, ¡°Then what is this?¡± ¡°Although there are many restoratives in this prescription, some ingredients are very dangerous. Pregnant women should not take them, and even contact should be avoided. You¡¯ve been taking them for a long time, no wonder you have premature ovarian failure at such a young age.¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned paler and paler as if she was surrounded by cold blood. She had been taking this medicine without any suspicion! Suddenly, she remembered what Wesley had said to her at thepany. He asked her, ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever wondered why you can¡¯t get pregnant?¡± At that time, she thought Wesley was just joking, but now it seemed that he must have known something. Since Wesley knew, what about Liam? She recalled her time with Liam. When they were intimate, Liam never took any precautions. Although he would avoid the dangerous period, there was still a risk. Liam couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of this, so why was he so sure that she won¡¯t get pregnant? Liam¡­ did he know about this too? Or did he always ept it? He didn¡¯t want children in the first ce, right? Celeste¡¯s hands began to tremble uncontrobly, and she felt trapped in a huge conspiracy. Everyone around her was calcting her, even the person beside her pillow was her enemy. The doctors didn¡¯t notice Celeste¡¯s changing expression, and continued, ¡°These tonics can make you look very healthy. But the reason you fainted might be not only due to overwork but also because you stopped taking the medicine. The previous drug lost its effect, and your body¡¯s deficiency was revealed.¡± The doctor sighed, ¡°You must never take this medicine again. It¡¯s too harmful for you.¡± Celeste clenched her hands to attempt to calm herself down. ¡°Doctor, with my condition, is there any chance of recovery?¡± ¡°Premature ovarian failure is irreversible, but luckily you discovered it early enough. As long as you cooperate with the treatment, you can at least prevent the condition from getting worse.¡± ¡°What about¡­ getting pregnant?¡± Celeste¡¯s voice was very soft. The doctor remained silent for a moment, ¡°First, prevent the condition from getting worse. Everything else can be tried slowly.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Celeste was silent again. At Skyler¡¯s residence. Kaylee¡¯s wound had finally healed. When he was going downstairs for a ss of water, he identally overheard Skyler¡¯s phone call with Celeste and was shocked. After Skyler hung up, Kaylee asked, ¡°Mom, if we do this, will my brother me us when hees back?¡± Skyler replied coldly, ¡°Your brother knows I¡¯m his mother. What can he do to me? Have you forgotten who hurt your face?¡± How could Kaylee forget? Every time she thought about that night, her body shivered uncontrobly. However, unlike Skyler, Kaylee was more afraid of Liam. Last time, she just locked Celeste in the bathroom, and Liam locked her in the bathroom for the whole night. Now, the Campbell family is in chaos. If they interfere again, and if something happens to Celeste, her brother might mind. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t we let it go for now? There are still plenty of chances in the future, so why do we have to take revenge on Celeste now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a scaredy¨Ccat!¡± Skyler red at her. ¡°You¡¯re usually so arrogant. Would Celeste really beat you that easily?¡± ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡± Kaylee said unhappily. ¡°Whatever, you go ahead. Just don¡¯t me me for not warning you when my brotheres back and gets mad.¡± Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Chapter 446 After finishing his work in the morning, Mason headed to the hospital. He went with Nics, who had already been informed about Caitlyn¡¯s passing. Nics was also trying to contact Liam and had already notified the Reed family. Caitlyn was fine when Nics visited her a couple of days ago, but now she was gone. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Nicsmented Caitlyn¡¯s death. Upon arriving at the hospital and not seeing Celeste, he instead saw the female robber from that night. He was taken aback, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Trisha red at him and then turned to Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, you¡¯re here so early?¡± Nics was speechless. Mason nodded, ¡°I just finished my work and came over to see if I could help with anything. Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the doctor¡¯s office. Her test results came out, and the doctor probably has something to say to her,¡± Trisha said while checking the time. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, why hasn¡¯t shee out yet? I¡¯ll go ask.¡± As she spoke, the door to the doctor¡¯s office opened, and Celeste emerged, looking somewhat gloomy. Trisha hurried over, ¡°Celeste, what¡¯s the matter? Did the doctor say there was something wrong?¡± Celeste seemed to snap back to reality when she heard Trisha¡¯s voice and her expression softened slightly. She whispered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, the doctor said I¡¯ve just been staying up tootetely. I just need to rest.¡± Trisha breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. You really scared me yesterday.¡± Celeste patted Trisha¡¯s back and looked at Nics and Mason. ¡°Mr. Francis, Mr. Fletcher, my mother¡¯s body will beid out at Serenity Avenue Funeral Home tomorrow. If you¡¯re free, you cane and pay your respects. My mother doesn¡¯t have many friends, and I hope her funeral will be lively.¡± Nics hesitated and frowned. ¡°Celeste, isn¡¯t tomorrow a bit too soon? Liam hasn¡¯te back yet, and you¡¯re rushing the funeral. What will people think?¡± Celeste looked at Nics sarcastically, ¡°I can¡¯t bury my mother if he doesn¡¯te back?¡± Nics was caught off guard. Celeste seemed to be in a bad mood today. He exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, I¡­¡± Celeste interrupted him, ¡°If you don¡¯t want toe because of Liam, then forget it.¡± Nics was speechless. He hadn¡¯t said anything. So why was she still angry? Mason broke the awkward silence, ¡°What time does it start tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ten in the morning.¡± Celeste whispered. ¡°After the body isid out, we¡¯ll cremate her and bury her at two in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be there on time.¡± Nics was upset after leaving the hospital, ¡°Mason, why did you keep pulling me back just now? Liam hasn¡¯t evene back yet, how can we have the funeral? What will people think?¡± Mason nced at him, ¡°Can you contact Liam?¡± Nics felt choked up, ¡°I really can¡¯t get a hold of him. I don¡¯t know what shady business he¡¯s up to, but all hismunication channels are shut down. Owen too; there¡¯s no news at all.¡± He sighed, ¡°Judging by Celeste¡¯s demeanor, she¡¯s probably furious. If he doesn¡¯te back for the funeral, I think there¡¯s going to be trouble.¡± Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Even in the past, when Celeste argued with Liam, she was still polite to them. The fierce and aggressive attitude she showed just now was unprecedented. He had a gut feeling that something was going to happen. Mason said, ¡°No matter what, he can¡¯t just disappear like this. Celeste has already made up her mind, and us speaking up for Liam will only backfire.¡± Nics sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right. I hope that guyes back soon; otherwise, no one can help him.¡± Shawn finally learned of her death the night before Caitlyn¡¯s funeral. He and Caitlyn were college ssmates, and many of their old ssmates were mutual friends. Their old ssmates saw the death notice Celeste posted on Facebook, which they quickly shared and began talking about it in their group chat. ¡°Shawn, why didn¡¯t you tell us about Caitlyn¡¯s death first? It¡¯s such a big deal, and we only found out through other friends. You really don¡¯t treat us like friends.¡± A female ssmate spoke up for Caitlyn, ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best that Caitlyn¡¯s gone. She couldn¡¯t have taken much more of this injustice in her life.¡± ¡°You were married, after all. You¡¯re really rushing this funeral. She just passed away, and you¡¯re already eager to cremate her. And you chose such a small funeral home?¡± Shawn¡¯s illegitimate daughter had been causing quite a stir online recently, and their old ssmates had naturally heard about it. Although these ssmates were friends with both Shawn and Caitlyn, Caitlyn had a better rtionship with them. She was good at socializing and valued friendships. While she might not have been the best wife and mother, she was very loyal to her friends. As long as her friends asked for help, she would do whatever she could. She was indeed ruthless in her business dealings and sometimes calcting, but she also helped many of her ssmates in times of need. So when news of her death came out, her friends were all grieving and mourning, and their conversations were inevitably tinged with some dissatisfaction and mockery toward Shawn. Caitlyn had been a popr beauty in college, with a well¨Coff family and promising prospects. Many male students pursued her back then, but she ended up with Shawn, who at best was just average. She spent her whole life helping Shawn with his career, only to be treated like this in the end. It was truly a waste. Shawn was furious when he looked at the messages in the group chat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. He was not only angry at being attacked by his former ssmates but also at Celeste for not informing him of Caitlyn¡¯s death. The more he thought about it, the more he believed Celeste had done it on purpose to make him the target of ridicule from his former ssmates. He tried to call Celeste, but the call didn¡¯t go through. It seemed that Celeste had blocked him, and this made Shawn feel even worse. But thinking about Caitlyn being gone, he couldn¡¯t help but feel upset. When Helen came in with tea, she saw Shawn sulking with a tense face. ¡°Shawn, what¡¯s wrong?¡± It took Shawn a while to say, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± Helen was taken aback, and then a subtle smile appeared on her face. She lowered her head and said, ¡°After all these years, she¡¯s suffered enough. Dying is easier than living.¡± Shawn didn¡¯t say anything for a while, then said, ¡°Celeste sent out the obituary, there¡¯s a memorial service tomorrow. Should I go?¡± Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Helen nced at Shawn. After all, Caitlyn was his ex¨Cwife, and even if their rtionship had been unpleasant, at least their love had been real at some point. And he dared ask such a question. Should he go or not? Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Suppressing her emotions, she said softly, ¡°Of course you have to go. Celeste is still your daughter, and with Caitlyn¡¯s passing, the Reed family will definitely send someone. Once the Reed family arrives, many big shots in J City will attend. As Celeste¡¯s father, if you don¡¯t show up, people willugh at our family.¡± Shawn worriedly said, ¡°With our rtionship being so tense, if Celeste makes a scene at the funeral, it will be hard to handle.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t.¡± Caitlyn said indifferently, ¡°Celeste respects Caitlyn very much, she would never make a scene with you at her mother¡¯s funeral and disturb her mother¡¯s peace in death.¡± Shawn didn¡¯t say anything. Helen looked at the man in front of her, knowing full well what he was thinking. He was just worried about being ostracized at the funeral after the exposure of his illegitimate daughter. But this time he had to go, only by going could her and her daughter¡¯s identities be made public. ¡°Shawn, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go with you and wait for you outside. I¡¯ll take responsibility for anything that happens.¡± Shawn was stunned. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! This reminded him of Caitlyn in the past. Every time thepany faced a crisis that made him anxious, she wouldfort him, saying that it¡¯s okay, at worst they would go bankrupt, and they could make aeback once or even twice, the sky wouldn¡¯t fall down, and even if it did, she would still be there. ¡°Shawn, get some rest and we¡¯ll go early tomorrow to see Caitlyn off.¡± Shawn softly agreed. With a flight at eight in the morning, Liam headed to the airport at six¨Cthirty. While waiting for the ne, he couldn¡¯t help but turn on his phone. Once the phone was connected, many messages popped up on his WhatsApp. After reading them, he found that Celeste hadn¡¯t sent him any messages and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Just as he was about to turn off his phone, a message from Nics popped up, ¡°Liam, if you don¡¯t come back soon, you¡¯ll lose your wife!¡± Liam¡¯s face changed, and he immediately called Celeste, but no one answered. He then quickly called Nics. Nics had just arrived at the funeral home and almost cursed out loud when he saw Liam¡¯s call. He picked it up right away. Liam asked bluntly, ¡°What do you mean by your message?¡± Nics said angrily, ¡°Your mother¨Cinw passed away, and today¡¯s the burial. If you don¡¯te back soon, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll lose your wife!¡± Liam¡¯s heart shook, and his tone became heavy, ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°Two days ago, Caitlyn suddenly passed away, and your wife has been in a bad mood. You should come back as soon as possible. The funeral is at two o¡¯clock.¡± There was me in his voice, ¡°Where have you been these days? At least tell us how to contact you. If you keep messing around like this, Celeste will definitely think you¡¯re deliberately disappearing.¡± Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Liam said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you where I¡¯ve beenter. Let me talk to Celeste.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare go look for her right now. You¡¯d bettere back as soon as possible. Yesterday, I passed on your message, and she said sarcastically that she can¡¯t bury her mother if you don¡¯te back? I didn¡¯t dare say anything more. She might not answer, even if you call to exin. The most important thing is toe back as soon as possible. If you miss your mother¨Cinw¡¯s funeral, I can tell you that from my understanding of women, she will hate you.¡± Liam took a deep breath, ¡°You help her arrange everything on site, I¡¯ll be there at 10:10,¡± ¡°Okay, juste back as soon as possible.¡± After hanging up the phone, Mason handed Nics a bottle of water. ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡± Nics took a sip from the water bottle, ¡°It was Liam, I finally got in touch with him, he should be back around 10:30.¡± Mason paused and said softly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Nics nced inside the funeral home, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± ¡°She should be busy.¡± As per Celeste¡¯s request, the funeral home did Caitlyn¡¯s makeup. The makeup artist was quite skilled, and when Celeste went to see her, she felt like she was looking at Caitlyn from years ago. Her hair was still ck, her face was plump, and her smile was gentle. Caitlyny there, quiet as if asleep. Before nine o¡¯clock, people started arriving at the funeral home. With Nics and Mason on site, everything seemed very orderly. Outside the funeral home, Steven Garcia got out of the car and opened the door for a girl in in clothes. She was very slim with very white skin, a small face, slightly elongated eyes, and delicate features. The girl whispered, ¡°Bro, this funeral home is so small.¡± Steven got out of the car and tapped her on the forehead, ¡°Don¡¯t speak such nonsense in front of otherster, Caitlyn is the one who saved your Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! life.¡± ir Garcia rubbed her forehead and said softly, ¡°I know, just stop hitting my head, I¡¯m already very old.¡± Stevenughed, ¡°No matter how old you are, you¡¯re still my sister.¡± He then took ir¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Shawn didn¡¯t expect so many people toe today. There were nearly dozens of luxury cars at the entrance, and so many people hade to such a small funeral home. When he arrived at the scene and saw the situation, he was reluctant to get out of the car. In the end, it took Helen a lot of effort to persuade him to get out. He walked cautiously into the funeral home, and several people looked back at him, but no one paid him any attention. Shawn walked into the hall with his head down. Nics was shocked to see him. Usually, Nics was such a talkative person, but now he didn¡¯t even want to deal with him. Shawn walked over to Celeste and, like before, used her, ¡°Your mother passed away, why didn¡¯t you inform me?¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed. How could he have the nerve to ask that? Just as Celeste was at a loss for words, Steven¡¯s voice came from behind her, ¡°Mr. Campbell, your wife kicked the bucket, shouldn¡¯t you be asking yourself that?¡± Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 The Campbell family¡¯s drama had been the talk of the town these past few days, but since today was Caitlyn¡¯s funeral, everyone was keeping their opinions to themselves out of respect. After all, it was important to respect the dead and not cause any more trouble at their funeral. But Steven clearly didn¡¯tt give a damn about that drama. As soon as he entered, he overheard Shawn scolding Celeste and couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ording to the information he found, Caitlyn was a strong and aplished woman. Why would she have chosen someone like Shawn as her husband? Annoyed, Shawn turned around to face Steven, a stranger to him, and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to butt in when I¡¯m talking to my daughter!¡± Just as Steven was about to speak up, Celeste interrupted, ¡°Shawn, today is my mom¡¯s funeral. If you¡¯re here to mourn her, then behave yourself. If you¡¯re here to cause trouble, please leave!¡± Shawn replied, ¡°How dare you talk to me like that? I¡¯m your father!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. In a low voice, Celeste said, ¡°Don¡¯t insult that title. I don¡¯t want to argue with you here today. But if you mess up my mom¡¯s funeral, I¡¯ll make your children¡¯s lives a living hell. Try if you don¡¯t believe it.¡± She paused, then whispered, ¡°Riverton School, right?¡± Fear suddenly gripped Shawn¡¯s heart as he realized that Celeste knew about his son and even where the boy went to school. Recalling how she dealt with Angel, Shawn began to regret his actions. Although he was still furious, he didn¡¯t dare say another word. After paying their respects to Caitlyn, Steven and ir approached Celeste. Celeste nodded, ¡°Thank you foring.¡± ir looked at the woman before her, thinking that she looked like a delicate beauty straight out of a painting. Her haggard appearance couldn¡¯t hide her striking features. ir had studied fashion design and had seen her fair share of famous models and celebrities, but she had never seen anyone as stunning as Celeste. As she nced around the funeral, ir wondered why no one from the Reed family was present. Suddenly, she heard somemotion outside. The Reeds had arrived. As soon as their car stopped, Mr. Robinson hurried out to open the door. Sienna rushed out of the car and headed straight for the funeral home. Skyler got out of the car and quickly catched up to Sienna, gently grabbing her arm and whispering, ¡°Mom, please slow down.¡± Sienna coldly shook off her hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re just showing up now? You didn¡¯t even help Celeste with the arrangements!¡± Embarrassed in front of so many people, Skyler quietly exined, ¡°Celeste didn¡¯t tell me beforehand. I just found out.¡± ¡°If you paid more attention to her and had someone check on her asionally, you wouldn¡¯t be finding out just now!¡± Sienna angrily replied. ¡°When your parents passed away, how did your father and I handle it? You haven¡¯t grown up at all after all these years! You just left all this responsibility on Celeste.¡± Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Sienna was smart and knew how considerate Celeste was after spending years with her. Now, faced with her mother¡¯s sudden death, Sienna couldn¡¯t believe that Celeste wouldn¡¯t have informed the Reed family if there wasn¡¯t another reason. The whole thing happened so suddenly that Sienna didn¡¯t have time to understand the details, but that didn¡¯t stop her from guessing who was behind it all. Skyler clenched her fists, unable to say a word Valeria stepped forward to support Sienna, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. My sister¨Cinw has been busy lately, and she might have been a bit careless. Let¡¯s go see Celeste. She¡¯s been through so much these past few days, poor girl.¡± Hearing Valeria¡¯s words, Sienna¡¯s expression softened slightly. She gave Skyler a cold stare and allowed Valeria to help her inside. This time, even Kaylee was a bit annoyed with Skyler. She should have stayed out of it. Although cutting off Celeste¡¯s credit card wouldn¡¯t cause Caitlyn¡¯s death, doing so at this time was like inviting trouble for herself. Kaylee wasn¡¯t sad about Caitlyn¡¯s death, but she was worried that Liam would take his anger out on her when he returned. ¡°Kaylee, help your mother,¡± Clyde Reed said calmly. Kaylee reluctantly agreed and supported Skyler, saying, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go in.¡± As the Reeds arrived, the people at the funeral made way for them. Sienna walked in with a solemn expression. Now, her steps were much heavier than usual. After everyone paid their respects, the olddy went to Celeste¡¯s side. Within just a few days, Celeste had lost a lot of weight. The sight of her broke Sienna¡¯s heart. She took Celeste¡¯s hand and sighed softly, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered enough, and I¡¯vee toote.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, but she managed to choke out, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m okay.¡± Sienna lovingly stroked her face and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. From now on, our home is your home. I¡¯ll stand behind you, and no one will dare bully you again.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandma, Celeste said quietly. Although Sienna¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, everyone in the small room heard her words clearly. Shawn now deeply regreted listening to Helen and turning against Celeste. Sienna¡¯s statement was basically telling everyone that the Reed family would be Celeste¡¯s support from now on. As long as he was tight with Celeste, the Campbell family would got nothing to worry about when it comes to the Reed family¡¯s support, right? But now, Helen had totally screwed him over by making him miss this golden opportunity! Skyler¡¯s face was getting uglier by the minute. Sienna had backed Celeste up in public multiple times, which was super humiliating for her. She even started to regret not taking action sooner. Skyler stood there with a poker face and was pretty pissed with Sienna¡¯s attitude. But considering there were a lot of people around, she didn¡¯t say anything. At 10 o¡¯clock, the memorial service officially began. By 10:40, the service had ended, and they started to prepare for the cremation. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Nics was constantly dialing Liam¡¯s phone on the side. Didn¡¯t Liam say he¡¯d be here by 1030? What the hell was he so busy with? Just as the funeral home staff were about to nail the coffin shut, he finally saw Liam rushing back in a hurry. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Sienna was smart and knew how considerate Celeste was after spending years with her. Now, faced with her mother¡¯s sudden death, Sienna couldn¡¯t believe that Celeste wouldn¡¯t have informed the Reed family if there wasn¡¯t another reason. The whole thing happened so suddenly that Sienna didn¡¯t have time to understand the details, but that didn¡¯t stop her from guessing who was behind it all. Skyler clenched her fists, unable to say a word Valeria stepped forward to support Sienna, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. My sister¨Cinw has been busy lately, and she might have been a bit careless. Let¡¯s go see Celeste. She¡¯s been through so much these past few days, poor girl.¡± Hearing Valeria¡¯s words, Sienna¡¯s expression softened slightly. She gave Skyler a cold stare and allowed Valeria to help her inside. This time, even Kaylee was a bit annoyed with Skyler. She should have stayed out of it. Although cutting off Celeste¡¯s credit card wouldn¡¯t cause Caitlyn¡¯s death, doing so at this time was like inviting trouble for herself. Kaylee wasn¡¯t sad about Caitlyn¡¯s death, but she was worried that Liam would take his anger out on her when he returned. ¡°Kaylee, help your mother,¡± Clyde Reed said calmly. Kaylee reluctantly agreed and supported Skyler, saying, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go in.¡± As the Reeds arrived, the people at the funeral made way for them. Sienna walked in with a solemn expression. Now, her steps were much heavier than usual. After everyone paid their respects, the olddy went to Celeste¡¯s side. Within just a few days, Celeste had lost a lot of weight. The sight of her broke Sienna¡¯s heart. She took Celeste¡¯s hand and sighed softly, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered enough, and I¡¯vee toote.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, but she managed to choke out, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m okay.¡± Sienna lovingly stroked her face and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. From now on, our home is your home. I¡¯ll stand behind you, and no one will dare bully you again.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandma, Celeste said quietly. Although Sienna¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, everyone in the small room heard her words clearly. Shawn now deeply regreted listening to Helen and turning against Celeste. Sienna¡¯s statement was basically telling everyone that the Reed family would be Celeste¡¯s support from now on. As long as he was tight with Celeste, the Campbell family would got nothing to worry about when it comes to the Reed family¡¯s support, right? But now, Helen had totally screwed him over by making him miss this golden opportunity! Skyler¡¯s face was getting uglier by the minute. Sienna had backed Celeste up in public multiple times, which was super humiliating for her. She even started to regret not taking action sooner. Skyler stood there with a poker face and was pretty pissed with Sienna¡¯s attitude. But considering there were a lot of people around, she didn¡¯t say anything. At 10 o¡¯clock, the memorial service officially began. By 10:40, the service had ended, and they started to prepare for the cremation. Nics was constantly dialing Liam¡¯s phone on the side. Didn¡¯t Liam say he¡¯d be here by 1030? What the hell was he so busy with? Just as the funeral home staff were about to nail the coffin shut, he finally saw Liam rushing back in a hurry. Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Nics hurriedly stopped the people who were about to nail the coffin shut, ¡°Wait, someone¡¯sing!¡± They all stopped. Celeste looked up. Liam, looking nervous and dressed in a suit, quickly walked into the funeral hall. Their eyes met, and there was neither sadness nor joy in Celeste¡¯s gaze, as if she were looking at a stranger. Liam suddenly felt a pang of panic. Sienna noticed his daze and reminded him, ¡°Liam, give your mother¨Cinw a proper send¨Coff.¡± Skyler handed Liam a white flower and whispered, ¡°Bow deeply.¡± Liam took the flower, walked to the coffin, bowed deeply, and ced the flower inside. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sienna nced at it, frowned a bit, but ultimately said nothing. Liam finished paying his respects and looked up, wanting to say something to Celeste, but she turned away, telling the staff, ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡± Liam didn¡¯t dare speak up. In the spacious funeral hall, only the sound of nails being hammered into the wood could be heard. With thest nail in ce, Caitlyn said her final goodbye to the world. Nics had reserved a nearby restaurant for lunch. They could have booked a better ce, but the funeral was arranged so hastily that many things couldn¡¯t be done properly, so they had to do their best in a short amount of time. Most of the mourners had already left, and Sienna couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. After exchanging a few words with Celeste, she returned to her car, giving Liam a meaningful look before leaving. Liam approached Celeste, swallowing hard before saying with difficulty, ¡°My flight was dyed.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t respond, instead turning to Trisha and asking, ¡°Trisha, do you want to go to the bathroom?¡± Trisha was about to say no but changed her mind when she saw the expressions on their faces, ¡°Sure.¡± Nics frowned, ¡°What do you mean ¡®sure¡®? Didn¡¯t you just go?¡± Trisha twitched the corner of her mouth and red at him before pulling Celeste away. Nics couldn¡¯t help but look at Liam¡¯s expression, wanting tofort him but also ridiculing him. ¡°You¡¯re usually pretty sharp¨Ctongued, what was that just now? What do you mean your flight was dyed? This is your mother¨Cinw¡¯s funeral, you had toe back no matter what! You should let your wife know that you¡¯re just as worried and anxious, not say things like that to brush her off!¡± ¡°She just lost her mom, and she¡¯s vulnerable right now. Even if you don¡¯tfort her with a hug, at least let her know your stance, right?¡± Liam froze. The Reed family hadn¡¯t held a funeral in over twenty years, so he wasn¡¯t familiar with all the procedures, nor did he know what to do as a son¨Cinw in such a situation. Liam frowned and asked after a while, ¡°What happened these past few days?¡± ¡°A few days ago, a bunch of people barged into your mother¨Cinw¡¯s hospital room, pulled out her oxygen tube to try and collect debts, and then your wife called me. Mason and I went over right away. Luckily, we were there, or else they would haveid their hands on her. If it wasn¡¯t for the hospital, I would¡¯ve beaten them up.¡± Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Nics paused, ¡°Your mother¨Cinw might have passed away because of her condition worsening after her oxygen tube was pulled out.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned ugly, ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± ¡°No, but Mason said they might not be after money because those cowards ran away as soon as we mentioned calling the police. The hospital¡¯s surveince might have caught their faces, so we¡¯ll know who did it once we check.¡± Nics paused, ¡°I wanted to ask you, where have you been these past few days? Your phone was unreachable too. What have you been doing? Where¡¯s Owen? Didn¡¯t hee back with you?¡± ¡°Just helping a friend with some stuff.¡± Liam said indifferently. ¡°What friend? Why are you being so secretive?¡± Liam replied, ¡°The friend¡¯s identity must be kept a secret.¡± Nics didn¡¯t ask any more questions after hearing that. ¡°Which friend¡¯s identity needs to be kept a secret?¡± Mason¡¯s voice came from the side, ¡°Do you have any friends we don¡¯t know about?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer. Nics teased, ¡°It¡¯s normal for us to make new friends after not being back for so many years. Are you jealous?¡± Mason smiled and turned to Liam, ¡°Celeste has been in a bad mood these past few days. She even fainted the night Aunt Caitlyn passed away. You need to pay more attention to her now.¡± Liam felt a dull ache in his heart. At 1 p.m., the cremation waspleted. Celeste held Caitlyn¡¯s urn. After Nics¡® reminder, Liam finally knew what to do this time. He took the initiative to take the urn from Celeste¡¯s hands and said softly, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t fight him for it and took Caitlyn¡¯s memorial portrait that was handed to her by someone nearby. The two of them got into the same car, and Celeste was quiet the whole way. Liam wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t know what to say when he opened his mouth. It seemed that Celeste didn¡¯t want to talk to him. Instead, Liam wished she would show some emotion. She was too quiet, not only barely speaking but also not crying. Her forcefully suppressed emotions made Liam feel ufortable as well. Finally, the car arrived at the cemetery. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Sienna didn¡¯t get out of the car, as she had stood for a long time at the funeral and her legs were hurting badly. But she didn¡¯t forget to tell Mr. Robinson to remind Liam at the scene. After all, this was the kids¡® first time experiencing something like this, and they weren¡¯t familiar with the ceremony, so they couldn¡¯t be disrespectful. After the burial ceremony was officially over, Celeste stood up from the ground. She turned to look at Liam, her expression icy cold. A breeze blew, and he heard Celeste¡¯s voice carried by the wind, ¡°Liam, let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± For a moment, Liam thought he¡¯d misheard. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Everyone present was shocked beyond words, not just him. Shawn¡¯s scandal of having a secret daughter, Caitlyn¡¯s death, and Celeste now being all alone in the Campbell family. The Reed family hadn¡¯t even refused her yet, but she took the initiative to ask Liam for a divorce. To outsiders, she must have seemed crazy. Liam was stunned, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to talk about this.¡± Shawn got anxious and scolded, ¡°Celeste, what are you talking about?¡± Celeste ignored his question and looked at Liam, ¡°For me, now is the best time. Didn¡¯t we agree that after your business trip, we¡¯d get a divorce? You¡¯re back now, so it¡¯s time to fulfill your promise. Let¡¯s get the divorce paperwork done now, so we don¡¯t have to see each other tomorrow.¡± Liam¡¯s face noticeably turned cold. Many people witnessed the scene. Celeste brought up the divorce at this time, so they would have no room to maneuver. This fact made Liam feel a chill in his heart. He clenched his teeth and said lowly, ¡°I told you, let¡¯s talk about it when we get home!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait until we get home,¡± Celeste said firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take a dime from you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about protecting your assets. All I need is a divorce agreement. I¡¯ll leave the Reed family the same way I entered it.¡± Nics saw the situation and hurriedly advised, ¡°Sister¨Cinw, don¡¯t say that. Aunt Caitlyn just got buried. If you¡¯re mad at Liam, just scold him at home.¡± He then gave Trisha a look, hinting that she should say something too. Trisha rolled her eyes, thinking about how Liam wasn¡¯t there when Celeste needed him and didn¡¯t offer any exnation after his return. Aunt Caitlyn was gone, and Celeste had no more worries. Who cared about the Reed family¡¯s money? Remembering that it was Liam¡¯s mom who froze Aunt Caitlyn¡¯s life¨Csaving money, Trisha was so angry she wished they¡¯d divorce immediately! That way, Celeste wouldn¡¯t have to suffer anymore! Seeing that Trisha wasn¡¯t talking, Nics got even more anxious. Liam had his pride. No matter how much he loved Celeste, being asked for a divorce in public like this was too humiliating. ¡°Celeste, I¡¯m asking you onest time. Do you really want a divorce?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been more certain than at this moment,¡± Celeste said emotionlessly, looking at Liam. ¡°Give the title of Mrs. Reed to whoever wants it. I¡¯ve had enough. Liam¡¯s heart was trampled on in an instant. She said these words in public, even though he had been longing to see her for the past few days. She had messed up her own life and wanted to end it just like that. Liam¡¯s pride made it impossible for him to bow down and ask her to stay. He clenched his fists, with his voice low, ¡°Tomorrow morning at nine, see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau to get divorced.¡± Mr. Robinson frowned and whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, calm down.¡± Liam was too furious to listen. Celeste frowned, ¡°Are you busy today?¡± Liam gritted his teeth, ¡°Today is your mother¡¯s funeral!¡± Even if they were getting a divorce, they couldn¡¯t do it today. But Celeste sarcastically said, ¡°You weren¡¯t even here when she died.¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to stay any longer, and he turned and quickly walked away. Skyler nced at Celeste and left too.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Shawn was furious and followed Skyler when he saw him leave. The Reed family left, and the onlookers dispersed. Most of them came for the Reed family¡¯s sake. Once Celeste and Liam got divorced, they wouldn¡¯t stay any longer. Steven waited until most people left before approaching Celeste and saying, ¡°Ms. Campbell Celeste interrupted him, ¡°If you are here to tell me not to get a divorce, don¡¯t bother.¡± Steven paused, smiled, and said gently, ¡°I just wanted to ask what your ns are for the future.¡± Celeste looked down, ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns for now.¡± Too much had happened recently, and she hadn¡¯tpletely sorted herself out yet. ¡°Are you interested in signing with Skyline Media Group?¡± Steven spoke gently, and his expression was kind. ¡°Although Liam has a share in Gxy Games, Skyline Media Group is a sole proprietorship.¡± His intentions were clear. If Celeste divorce Liam and don¡¯t want any more involvement with him, signing with Steven is the best choice. Apart from her connection with Liam, Celeste couldn¡¯t think of any reason why Steven would value her so much. The one thing the entertainment industry didn¡¯tck was talented actors. She was a new actress, so why did Steven have such high hopes for her? She said lightly, ¡°Mr. Garcia, do you really think I can make you money?* Steven smiled, ¡°If I didn¡¯t think so, I wouldn¡¯t have let Zach Miller keep you when you barged into his audition at the hotel¡® Celeste was stunned. She suddenly remembered that day at the audition. The moment Zach closed the door, she saw a pair of men¡¯s suit pants in the room. Was that Steven? Had he seen her before? ¡°Ms. Campbell, I¡¯ve always trusted my instincts, and I believe you won¡¯t let me down. People always have to n for the future.¡± Steven paused, ¡°And you still have awsuit to fight. You¡¯ll need money for many things.¡± After a while, Celeste looked up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet tomorrow to talk about signing.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes shed with joy, ¡°No problem.¡± ir waited for a long time, finally seeing Steven return. As he got in the car, she asked, ¡°What were you talking to her about?¡± ¡°No biggie.¡± Steven hesitated, ¡°You were kinda rude, though. You should¡¯ve said hi to her, considering she saved you before.¡± ir whispered, ¡°They were talking about their divorce just now, how could I butt in? I¡¯ll do it next time, didn¡¯t Dad say he¡¯d treat her to a meal?¡± Steven didn¡¯t say anything more. Celeste went back to Trisha¡¯s ce. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day, so Trisha cooked her some noodles. Celeste didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, but she didn¡¯t want to let her friend¡¯s kindness go to waste, so she ate a little. Seeing that Celeste seemed okay, Trisha quietly asked, ¡°Celeste, do you want me to go with you tomorrow?* ¡°No need.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look up, ¡°It¡¯s just signing an agreement. I can go by myself.¡± Trisha wanted to ask her if she was really going to divorce Liam, but she thought it might be offensive, so she changed the way she asked. She didn¡¯t expect Celeste to answer so naturally, which made her think Celeste was really nning to get a divorce. Trisha thought to herself, Liam didn¡¯t respect his wife at all. Why should she help him?Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Trisha thought Celeste wouldn¡¯t be upset, but when she got up for a drink at night, she heard sobbing coming from the living room. Celeste wasn¡¯t really that tough, she just hid her weaknesses and didn¡¯t want to show them in front of others. After Aunt Caitlyn passed away, there was no one left in the world for Celeste to act spoiled with. Trisha sat by the door, listening to Celeste¡¯s cries, and her heart ached as well. She sent a text to her mom, ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t make you mad anymore, please live a long life and stay with me longer.¡± Not long after, her mom replied, ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Trisha had no response. As expected, warmth and affection didn¡¯t suit her and her mom. On the other side, as soon as Liam got home, Amelia started tidying up. Liam loosened his tie and looked at the entrance, Celeste¡¯s stuff hadn¡¯t changed much since he left, as if she hadn¡¯t touched it. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t shee home recently?¡± ¡°No, two days after you left, Mrs. Reed¡¯s mother had an ident, and she¡¯s been taking care of her ever since. She asked me to bring her some clothes and the medicine your mother had sent before.¡± ¡°Medicine?¡± ¡°Yeah, that medicine. When Mrs. Reed¡¯s grandfather was alive, Ms. Kaylee had a conflict with him while delivering the medicine, right? There were still a few bottles that didn¡¯t break, and Mrs. Reed asked me to send them to her.¡± Liam took off his suit, ¡°Why did she want you to send the medicine?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say, but her face looked pretty bad at the time.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Has anything else happened recently?¡± Amelia shook her head. Liam didn¡¯t ask any further. As he was about to go upstairs, Amelia stopped him, ¡°Sir, will Mrs. Reede home tonight? Should I leave the door unlocked for her?¡± Liam¡¯s fingers twitched and after a while, he said, ¡°Leave it unlocked.¡± Liam walked into the bedroom, and Celeste¡¯s scent still lingered in the room. He hesitated to open the window, pulled the curtains closed, andy down on the bed. Her scent on the bed was even stronger. Liam smelled her fragrance and thought of her determination at the funeral, and his mood grew heavy. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He took out his phone, opened WhatsApp, and edited a message for a long time before finally writing, ¡°Can we not get a divorce?¡± He hesitated for a long time before sending it. He thought that if Celeste didn¡¯t reply within two minutes, he would withdraw the message. However, Celeste didn¡¯t give him the chance. She had actually blocked him. He found it hard to ept. Was she really so eager to cut ties with him? Liam angrily threw his phone aside. The next day, Trisha was worried about Celeste and apanied her to handle the paperwork. She had nned to leave with Celeste after finishing the paperwork, but herpany had some urgent matters and kept calling her, so Celeste told her to go first. It was already nine o¡¯clock, and Liam hadn¡¯t shown up yet. She frowned and called Liam. The phone rang for a while before Liam answered in his deep voice, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s time. Where are you?¡± Liam pursed his lips, ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°How soon? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Give me an exact time.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°It¡¯s been three years, what¡¯s a little more time?¡± Celeste said coldly, ¡°When I want to get a divorce, every second feels unbearable. Hurry up, you aren¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯ste.¡± She hung up after saying that. Liam looked at the woman in the distance who was calling him on her phone. He suddenly felt that his own hesitation was ridiculous. He had left the house at seven o¡¯clock and had circled around the street countless times, watching Celeste get out of the car and anxiously waiting. tele sanly portate true is his, I didn¡¯t pay for it. I had an Coronaria afiar o the divorce and said unhappily, ¡°Just do as she says¡± Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Celeste gave it a quick nce and swiftly signed her name. Liam held the pen but didn¡¯t move. Celeste¡¯s phone beeped, and she took it out to see a Facebook post from Trisha. It was a photo of Sydney at the airport a few days ago. She was wearing sunsses and a mask and there were no fans around to greet her. It was probably a private trip. A fan recognized her and secretly took the photo. That wouldn¡¯t be a big deal since she was a celebrity, and it was normal for fans to recognize her. But what stood out was a person in the background of the photo. It was Liam. He was tall, with striking facial features and an aloof aura that was easily recognizable. Although there were some passengers between him and Sydney, from the angle of the photo, it seemed to be a boarding gate. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The photo was taken on the day Liam went on a business trip. Liam and Sydney were on the same flight. Trisha sent a message saying, ¡°So Liam disappeared for a few days to secretly meet up with that bitch Sydney, huh?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t reply and put her phone away. Seeing Liam hesitating to sign, the staff tentatively asked, ¡°Do you need more time to think about it?¡± Just as Liam was about to speak, Celeste said, ¡°No need, we have no emotional foundation. Forcing ourselves to be together won¡¯t help. Mr. Reed, sign it, and you¡¯ll be free to do whatever you want.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Celeste, do you have to be so sarcastic?¡± Celeste looked at Liam with mockery, ¡°Mr. Reed, is this the first day you¡¯ve met me? I¡¯ve always been like this. The well¨Cbehaved and understanding image I had before was just to win your favor. Now that I want nothing from you, why should I please you?¡± Liam¡¯s face changed, and he wrote his name on the paper. As Celeste stepped out of the civil affairs bureau, Steven called. ¡°Ms. Campbell, are you done?¡± Celeste hummed in response, ¡°Just got out, I¡¯ll take a cab over.¡± ¡°No need, my assistant is already there to pick you up. You¡¯ll see him when you step out.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± When Liam came out, he saw Celeste on the phone. As he approached, she hung up and looked into the distance. Liam walked up to her and said, ¡°Celeste, we¡¯ve signed the divorce agreement. You¡¯ll no longer have the designer bags and diamond jewelry you like. Even if you regret it, it¡¯s useless. People have to pay for their choices.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°Considering our years of marriage, I can forgive your attitude. I¡¯ll give you another chance. Apologize to me, and we can remarry tomorrow.¡± After waiting for a while, there was no response. Liam turned to look and Celeste was already gone. An Aston Martin was parked at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau. A man got out of the car to open the door for Celeste. She bent down and got into the car, and it drove off. Liam looked at the divorce agreement in his hand and was filled with indescribable regret. Why couldn¡¯t she just talk to him? If only she had, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten a divorce. As he drove, Nathan nced at Celeste sitting beside him. Having just gone through her mother¡¯s funeral and her divorce with Liam, Celeste was now signing a contract with thepany. She appeared calm throughout the process, and Nathan couldn¡¯t help but admire her inner strength. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Celeste looked out the window, noticing Nathan¡¯s gaze. Nathan coughed, ¡°Ms. Campbell, you don¡¯t have to rush. It¡¯s okay to rest for a few days at home.¡± ¡°No need¡°Celeste said indifferently, ¡°I need money after the divorce. Nathan knew Liam had treated Celeste well. He had even helped her cover up when she openly provoked Kaylee. He couldn¡¯t understand why Liam would let Celeste divorce him, especially right after her mother¡¯s death. Considering his boss¡¯s interest in Celeste, a thought suddenly crossed Nathan¡¯s mind. Could it be that Mr. Garcia had his eyes on her? He looked at Celeste again. She was indeed beautiful. Nathan was tom, thinking it wasn¡¯t right but also considering that helping his boss wouldn¡¯t hurt, especially since he wasn¡¯t young anymore. After a while, he finally asked, ¡°What do you think of our boss, Ms. Campbell?¡± Celeste, while looking down at her phone, casually replied. ¡°He¡¯s pretty good.¡± She wasn¡¯t close with Steven and didn¡¯t have an opinion of him, so she just responded politely. ¡°Then¡­. have you ever thought about starting a new romantic rtionship?¡± Celeste looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Our boss is the same age as Mr. Reed, single, likes to drink, asionally smokes, and ys cards, but has no bad habits. He¡¯s had two previous rtionships but they all ended. He owns dozens of companies, and his assets are no less than Mr. Reed¡¯s. Maybe you can consider him, Ms. Campbell. Celeste looked at him helplessly. Knowing that Celeste wasing to sign the contract today, Steven purposely came to the office. The office had been cleaned and arranged with a pleasant aroma diffuser. When Celeste was brought in by Nathan, she saw Steven sitting behind his desk in a suit, smiling at her. She quickly noticed the faint scent of green tea and pine in the air. A refreshing fragrance that she hadn¡¯t smelled around Steven before. ¡°Ms. Campbell, please have a seat.¡± Steven crossed his hands on the table, smiling as he spoke to her. Celeste pulled out a chair and sat across from him. Nathan handed over the prepared contract. *Please take a look, Ms. Campbell. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, we can discuss it again.¡± Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Celeste took the document and started browsing through it. The contract offered by Skyline Media Group had really generous terms. After she started acting, the pay would be split 50-50, and as her fame grew, she could sign a new contract, and her share would get higher and higher. Although Celeste had never signed with apany before, she had many ssmates in the industry, so she had some knowledge of talent agencies. For neers who sign with talent agencies, it¡¯s quite easy to get scammed. Somepanies seem to sign a contract with you but don¡¯t care about you after it¡¯s signed. You can¡¯t take jobs on your own while under contract, and if that happens, the agency will have an excuse to use you of breach of contract, and you¡¯ll be responsible for a huge penalty. In recent years, many actors have been cheated by this trick. Many young actors have heavy penalties on their shoulders before they be famous. If they¡¯re lucky, someone with a good eye will discover them and help them pay the penalty. Otherwise, they can¡¯t prosper. Celeste carefully read the penalty use. Skyline Media Group didn¡¯t oppose actors taking jobs on their own, as long as it didn¡¯t affect the company¡¯s work. For any self¨Ctaken job, thepany would only take 20% of the pay. However, if it affected thepany¡¯s work due to their own reasons, it would be considered a breach of contract. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The penalty was 1 million US dors. This price was reasonable. This contract could be said to be quite friendly to her. Celeste felt the contract was too good, and she suspected Steven had some ulterior motives. She recalled what Nathan had said in the car and looked at Steven¡¯s happy expression. She fell into deep thought. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Steven asked, ¡°If you aren¡¯t satisfied with anything, we can discuss it.¡± Celeste was silent for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t ept any shady deals.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Steven was a bit dumbfounded. Celeste looked straight at him, ¡°Nathan told me about your situation in the car. It¡¯s not bad. But I have no such thoughts about you, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t sign this contract.¡± Steven turned to Nathan, ¡°What have you been saying in front of her?¡± Nathan was stunned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a crush on Ms. Campbell?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Steven couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°I value her abilities!¡± Nathan had no response. Was his boss lying? Why did he investigate other people¡¯s family backgrounds? Even the age when they went to school, when they were sick, and what treatment they received were checked. Celeste observed the expressions of the two, and Steven¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem like he was interested in her. She had only met Steven a few times. Why would he be interested in her? It would be a different story if he liked her looks. Celeste looked at Steven. She thought if Steven were a woman, he would be even prettier than her. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I must have misunderstood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his nonsense, it has nothing to do with you,¡± Steven paused, ¡°Are there any problems with the contract?¡± Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Celeste said, ¡°There are two issues. First, I won¡¯t do reality shows Second, I hired an assistant before, and she helped me on set. She¡¯s also an Industry veteran, and I hope she can continue to be my assistant if possible¡± ¡°No problem, have your assistant send her resumeter, and I¡¯ll arrange it. As for reality shows, don¡¯t worry, I have no ns for you to do those? Celeste¡¯s acting skills and appearance meant she had a better future than just being a supporting actress. Celeste sighed in relief, ¡°I have no other questions.¡± Steven smiled, ¡°Then sign it.¡± After signing the contract and sending Celeste out, Steven asked, ¡°Are you free this weekend?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°You can just say what it is.¡± She would decide whether she was free based on the specifics. Steven chuckled, ¡°My father is back, and he heard that you saved my sister in the restroom at the charity event. He insists on inviting you to our house for dinner. Are you avable?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Thank you for his kindness. I¡¯ve already epted the car sent by your family, which means you¡¯ve already repaid the favor. So, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to go to this dinner.¡± Steven sighed, picked up his phone, and said, ¡°See, I told you she wouldn¡¯te. Do you know how awkward it is to have dinner with an old man like you? You insisted on asking. Are you giving up now?¡± Celeste was puzzled. A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone, anxiously saying, ¡°It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t sincerely invite her, give the phone to Ms. Campbell, let me talk to her!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already turned on the speakerphone, you can talk, and she can hear you.¡± Celeste was speechless. The man on the other end immediately put aside his anxious tone. ¡°Is this Ms. Campbell? Hello, I¡¯m Steven¡¯s father, Hiram Garcia,¡± Mr. Garcia used every nice word to describe her heroic actions when she saved ir. In the end, he said, ¡°You saved ir¡¯s life, which is like saving our whole family¡¯s life. If you really don¡¯t want toe to my house, then please tell me your address, and I will personally visit you. You work at Steven¡¯spany now, right? Or I cane to thepany to find you as well,¡± Celeste was dumbfounded. Are all the people in the Garc¨ªa family this enthusiastic? In the end, she agreed to Mr. Garcia¡¯s invitation, but they would go out for dinner instead. Going to their house was a bit too much for her to handle. Hiram was delighted, ¡°Then see you this weekend.¡± Steven thought to himself. The old man always had a way. As Celeste was leaving, Steven called out to her, ¡°Ms. Campbell, don¡¯t forget your medical check¨Cup for the job tomorrow.¡± After Celeste left Skyline Media Group, she received a call from the director of the welfare institute. ¡°Celeste,st time you were here, I totally forgot to give you something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the medical record your mom printed out the day before her car ident. She came to the welfare center and left it here, saying it¡¯d be neededter. But then she spaced out and left it with me. Time¡¯s been dragging on so long that it slipped my mind.¡± Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Celeste had a shoot in the afternoon and made a special trip to the welfare home the next day, where she got Caitlyn¡¯s photocopy of her medical records from the dean. Caitlyn had postpartum depression after giving birth to Celeste Her condition was up and down, and when her grandparents were still around, they helped Caitlyn with her treatment and took care of Celeste, gradually getting her condition under control Later, as Celeste grew up, her grandparents passed away, and Caitlyn and Shawn started arguing non¨Cstop. Caitlyn¡¯s condition began to fluctuate. The most severe time was when she stood on the rooftop, thinking about jumping off Celeste was terrified and shouted, ¡°Mom!¡°, which brought Caitlyn back to her senses. She was hospitalized for nearly half a year before she gradually recovered. Celeste checked the medical records, which clearly showed the dates of Caitlyn¡¯s treatments. Her condition was the worst in the two years after her grandparents¡® deaths, but it gradually improved, and by the time Celeste was in high school, the frequency of medication use had significantly decreased. Celeste looked at the most recent medical record. The most recent visit was five months before the car ident. The record showed that Caitlyn was in a normal state at the time, and the doctor had advised her to stop taking medication. Celeste frowned. Caitlyn¡¯s antidepressants were prescribed at the hospital, and because they were prescription drugs, they could only be obtained with a doctor¡¯s prescription. If the doctor had advised her to stop taking medication five months before the ident, why were there antidepressants in the car? She closed her eyes and recalled the situation at the time of the ident. Although she was wearing headphones and could not hear who Caitlyn was talking to, her tone was no different from usual, not like when she was having an episode. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. At the moment of the ident, Caitlyn instinctively turned the steering wheel to the left because Celeste would be least affected by the impact in this position. Would a depressed person think about protecting their child in a depressed state? Moreover, Caitlyn had fastened her seatbelt when she got in the car and reminded Celeste to do the same, but the investigation said she was thrown out of the car because she didn¡¯t fasten her seatbelt due to a depressive episode. Was this an ident or a premeditated murder? Just then, Trisha came back. As soon as she entered, she cursed, ¡°That bitch Sydney! I really want to p her hard!¡± Celeste put away her things and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She¡¯s back on set today, and her assistant didn¡¯te back from leave, so the director arranged for me to help her. That bitch deliberately stepped in a muddy puddle and made me wipe her shoes!¡± Trisha¡¯spany invested in the y Peaceful Land, and the male lead and several supporting roles were yed by their actors. As the crew Trisha was responsible for the actors¡® affairs on set. She shouldn¡¯t have had to help Sydney. manager, Chapter 461 Chapter 461 But Sydney was dissatisfied with everyone else on the crew and insisted that Trisha serve her. The crew had no choice but to let Trisha help, but Sydney started causing trouble right away. She deliberately stepped in the mud and had Trisha wipe her shoes. After wiping them clean, she dirtied them again. After three times, she looked at the shoes Trisha had cleaned for her and whispered, ¡°The more you wipe, the dirtier they get. Let¡¯s change to another pair¡± Then she threw the shoes away Trisha isn¡¯t the type to be bullied, so she immediately flicked the mud from the shoes onto Sydney¡¯s face, causing chaos on the scene Trisha was scolded by thepany¡¯s boss and sent back home. Celeste was furious, ¡°Is your boss really that unreasonable?¡± Trisha came out of the bathroom, ¡°Isn¡¯t Sydney about to terminate her contract? Hudson Reel wants to sign her, so they¡¯re just trying to please her, right?¡± After saying this, she sniffed her hand and still smelled Sydney¡¯s presence, so she went back to the bathroom to wash it off. ¡°That bitch Sydney, what acting skills does she have? If it weren¡¯t for the resources that backed her up, could she be famous? It¡¯s because she knows we¡¯re close that she¡¯s deliberately causing trouble for me.¡± Trisha said angrily. Celeste said coldly, ¡°I will definitely have my revenge on her.¡± Trisha sat down and said, ¡°Can we rent a different ce? This one¨Cbedroom apartment I have now isn¡¯t good for your back since you always sleep on the couch. I checked today, and there are two¨C bedroom apartments avable in ourplex. If you¡¯re okay with it, we can schedule a time to meet with thendlord and move there.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but thisplex is too far from where we work, and the parking is tight, and the rent isn¡¯t cheap. We might as well directly buy a house.¡± Celeste had enough money to buy arge t in a slightly more remote area after unfreezing her card, doing voice¨Cacting work over the years, and getting paid for Phoenix Fire. ¡°I¡¯ve calcted that after finishing Phoenix Fire, Skyline Media Groupwill be able to arrange new work for me. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to pay off the entire cost of buying a house in about two years.¡± The remaining money would be enough to pay Mason¡¯s attorney fees. When Trisha heard about buying a house, she immediately got excited, ¡°I¡¯ll go house hunting with you and pick which room I want to live in!¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°No problem. By the way, which friend did you borrow the money from before? I¡¯d like to treat them to a meal to show my gratitude.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a senior. Trisha dodged the question. ¡°He¡¯s very low¨Ckey and definitely won¡¯t agree. It¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m going to bed,¡± After Trisha went to her room, Celeste called Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I want to start by filing a defamationwsuit against Sydney.¡± She had already collected enough evidence for the defamation case, and the chances of winning were very high. She had nned to deal with her after finishing thewsuit with Shawn, but since Sydney kept getting in her way, she¡¯d deal with her first. The two of them chatted for quite a while, and just when they were about to hang up, Mason asked, ¡°So, how are things with you and Liam?¡± ¡°We¡¯re divorced now.¡± Celeste paused for a moment, ¡®Mr. Fletcher, please keep my information confidential before the court hearing.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mason said softly, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± Just as she hung up with Mason, Liam¡¯s call came in. Celeste frowned, hung up, and blocked him. ¡°Did she pick up the phone?¡± Nics asked from the side Liam didn¡¯t say a word She definitely didn¡¯t pick up ¡°It¡¯s okay, try again. She¡¯s probably busy.¡± Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Liam dialed again, but this time there was no ringing, just a busy tone Nics. Celeste had blocked Liam ¡°Didn¡¯t you say what I told you to say yesterday?¡± Liam pursed his lips. ¡°She left right after signing the agreement yesterday¡± He didn¡¯t even have a chance to talk to her ¡°Agreement?¡± Nics was taken aback. Seeing Liam¡¯s gloomy expression, Nics had a bad feeling. ¡°You didn¡¯t divorce your wife, did you?¡± Liam¡¯s face tightened, ¡°She embarrassed me at the funeral Why do I have to put up with that?¡± Nics¡® eyes widened, gritting his teeth, ¡°That¡¯s your wife, even if she embarrassed you, how does that affect you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary separation!¡± Liam emphasized, ¡°Im not giving her up¡± Liam pushed Nics hand away, frowning. ¡°She¡¯s just being stubborn, how could she not want me?¡± Nics bluntly burst his bubble. ¡°You disappeared when her mom died, you didn¡¯t take care of her during the funeral What does she need you for?¡± He leaned back on the couch and said, ¡°Let me tell you, once a woman decides to have a divorce, there¡¯s no turning back I think you and Celeste are done Don¡¯t even think about her anymore find someone better prettier, with a better figure, and with a gentler personality than Celeste 1 guarantee you¡¯ll forget about Celeste as soon as you have a new woman¡® Liam frowned, growling. ¡°Are you dumb? I said it¡¯s just a fight¡± Nics stared at him for a few seconds, then pursed his lips. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a fight, can¡¯t you appease her? Her mother just passed away, and you¡¯re divorcing her Try putting yourself in her shoes and see if you can ept it ¡± Liam opened his mouth but then fell silent After a while, he asked. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°Your wife, your problem¡± Nics took a sip of tea. ¡°At least show her your sincerity After saying that, he felt annoyed, ¡°Why did you divorce her for no reason?¡± Liam could not find the words to describe his emotions After talking with Nics, Liam went to the bedroom, washed up, thought for a moment, and picked up his phone Celeste was about to go to sleep when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and her eyes twitched as she nced at it Liam had sent her ten thousand dors with a message asking her to unblock him was he crazy?! She angrily sent the money back with a message saying ¡°Get lost! She had just closed her phone when Liam transferred another twenty thousand dors, asking her to come out and talk Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Celeste sent the money back again, feeling toozy to say ¡°Get lost this time Not long after, Liam transferred a hundred thousand dors, saying he could exin his absence and the situation at the funeral Celeste got angry when she heard about the funeral, sent the money back, and told him to go to hell and exin it to his ex mother inw Soon enough, another hundred thousand dors came in, with a message saying he understood she was angry Celeste didnt want to deal with Liam, this crazy guy, anymore She put her phone on silent and went to sleep Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Liam sent messages for a long time, but Celeste never replied. He frowned Was this still not enough sincerity for her? The next day when Celeste woke up, there were many transfer records on her phone, and her card had mysteriously gained a lot of money. Trisha was stunned when she saw it ¡°Is Liam sick or something? Giving you this much money just to talk?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Celeste had a headache. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s drunk and not thinking clearly¡± Celeste wanted to return the money, but her card had a limit. It would take her many days to transfer all the money back. After some thought, she unblocked Liam and called him. Liam was in a meeting at the time. Seeing Celeste¡¯s call, he suddenly got up and walked out with his phone. His colleagues in the meeting room were all baffled, wondering whose call was so important that Mr. Reed couldn¡¯t wait to answer it? Liam straightened his clothes before answering. ¡°Is this Liam?¡± However, it was Trisha¡¯s voice on the other end. Liam frowned, ¡°Why is it you? Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± ¡°Celeste doesnt want to talk to you, so she asked me to pass on a message * Tnsha cleared her throat, ¡°Take your money back, nobody cares! If you transfer money to me again, I¡¯ll report you for harassment!¡± Then she added, ¡°That¡¯s what Celeste said, not me.¡± Liam gritted his teeth, ¡°Let Celeste answer the phone!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you Celeste doesn¡¯t want to hear you talk. She feels sick just hearing your voice.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve passed on the message. Bye.¡± After hanging up, Trisha looked at Celeste with a worried expression, ¡°Liam won¡¯t do anything to me, will he?¡± ¡°No way, what can he do to you?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t care, ¡°If he touches you, 111 kill his mistress.¡± Trisha gave a thumbs up. ¡°Awesome¡± She continued, ¡°When I answered the phone, Liam seemed disappointed when he heard it wasn¡¯t you.¡± Trisha thought for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Do you want to talk to Liam? I think he probably didn¡¯t know about the freezing of your bank ount.¡± Celeste said indifferently, ¡°I didn¡¯t divorce him because of that.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Celeste recalled the doctor¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but clench her fingers tightly. After a while, she said, ¡°I guess you can say I don¡¯t have feelings for him.¡± Trisha sensed she didn¡¯t want to talk about it and didn¡¯t press further. At the Reed family¡¯s home. Sienna had just had an injection and was resting when Mr. Robinson knocked on the door and entered. ¡®Madam, I¡¯ve investigated what happened during those days.¡± Sienna opened her eyes and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± The more Mr. Robinson talked, the worse Sienna¡¯s face looked. By the time she heard that Skyler had frozen all of Celeste¡¯s cards so she couldn¡¯t pay for her medical bills, her face was as dark as a storm cloud. After Mr. Robinson finished speaking, Sienna finally said, ¡°Call Liam and tell him toe back for a bit and bring Celeste with him.¡± At six in the evening, Liam returned to the Reed family¡¯s home. As soon as he entered, Sienna saw that Celeste was not with him and frowned, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste? Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Liam pursed his lips. ¡°She¡¯s gone¡± Sienna frowned. ¡°Where did she go?¡± Liam stayed silent Sienna panicked, ¡°Did you guys get divorced?¡± Liam corrected, ¡°She wanted a divorce¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Sienna said angrily. ¡°You just went along with it? Are you nuts, Liam?¡± Liam had no response Sienna rarely scolded him, and this was the first time since he became an adult. Liam kept his mouth shut Facing Nics scolding, he could still argue back, but when Sienna scolded him, all he could do was ept it. He didn¡¯t even know how to respond, and his mood was extremely irritable. Thinking back on what he had said to Celeste, he now found itughable. He was the only one who regretted it, regretting it just a day after the divorce Sienna was so angry that her hands were shaking. ¡°When you got married, you told me it had to be her, and you even had me personally propose for you When you got divorced, you didn¡¯t even ask me. Do you even care about your grandma?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary divorce, Liam stressed, ¡°We¡¯ll get back together.¡± Sienna snorted. ¡°That might just be wishful thinking on your part, huh?¡± Sienna threw the information Mr. Robinson had found at him, ¡°Take a look at what Celeste has been through since you¡¯ve been gone.¡± Liam frowned and looked at it with a sinking heart. The more he read, the worse his expression became. ¡°When did you tell your mom you guys were getting divorced? Howe I didn¡¯t know about such a big thing?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he whispered, ¡°I never told her anything about the divorce, and I never thought about divorcing Celeste in the first ce.¡± Sienna red at him, ¡°But you divorced her!¡± Liam, ¡°It was just impulsive¡­¡± ¡°When were you ever impulsive?! If she hadn¡¯t had enough, would Celeste have asked for a divorce as soon as the funeral was over?¡± Sienna said angrily, ¡°I thought you¡¯d go home and coax her, investigate what¡¯s happened these days, and then give Celeste an exnation. But instead, you actually went through with the divorce!¡± Liam had no words. Sienna was a very feisty and heroic woman in her youth, and the years had mellowed her a lot. But the young master¡¯s divorce had infuriated Sienna Liam was filled with regret at this moment, not caring what Sienna scolded him for No wonder she said something about ¡°guarding against me transferring property.¡± So that¡¯s what happened. Liam thought of Celeste¡¯s desperate look when she couldn¡¯t afford the surgery at the hospital, and his heart ached unbearably. Sienna red at him, ¡°Celeste was too wronged to be with someone as good¨Cfor¨Cnothing as you. From now on, I¡¯ll treat her as my own granddaughter and find her a better marriage. I think Nics is pretty good, and Mason would do too. They¡¯re both better at loving someone than you!¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Can you not make things worse?¡± Sienna snorted, ¡°If you¡¯re capable, get her back. If not, just wait to attend your ex¨Cwife¡¯s wedding! You¡¯ll see that once you let go, there will be a lot of people eyeing her You¡¯ll watch her get married, watch her have children, and watch her children call someone else ¡®Dad¡°!¡° Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Liam couldn¡¯t handle it anymore Was this his own grandma or Celeste¡¯s? Stung by Sienna¡¯s words, Liam left the mansion with a heavy heart Robinson escorted him out and said, ¡°The olddy asked me to pass a message on to you¡± Liam turned his head Robinson calmly said, ¡°If you can¡¯t get her back, don¡¯te back. Don¡¯t affect her mood.¡± Liam returned to his house Upon reaching his home, he suddenly noticed that the bedroom light was on He frowned, as he had told the new maid not to clean the master bedroom yet, so why was she doing so? Just as he got out of the car, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and saw Celeste¡¯s Cayenne parked in the yard. He was stunned for a moment and then quickly walked toward the house. The maid greeted him as he pushed the door open. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Liam asked grumpily, ¡°Is she back?¡± ¡®Mrs. Reed went upstairs to get something. The maid replied. As soon as the maid finished, Liam rushed upstairs. When he reached the master bedroom door, his footsteps slowed down. The bedroom door was not closed tightly, and Liam heard the sound of a drawer being pulled open. He gently pushed the door open and entered. Celeste was squatting by the bedside table, looking for something, unaware of the movement behind her. Liam gently coughed. Celeste turned her head and nced at him, then said before he could speak, ¡°I¡¯ll leave as soon as I get my things.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had to go.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t answer. She found her documents and put them in a briefcase, then stood up. Seeing her about to leave, Liam quickly blocked her way. Celeste stopped, holding up the bag in her hand, ¡°Do you want to check if I¡¯m taking anything from your family?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I want to talk to you.¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°What do I have to talk about with you?¡± Liam pursed his lips, and as Celeste impatiently tried to leave, he whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t know your bank card was frozen.¡± Celeste chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, and you think that makes you innocent, right?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Liam frowned, ¡°Why do you always twist my words? I¡¯m apologizing to you.¡± Celeste mocked, ¡°Your apology is so unique, I couldn¡¯t even tell it.¡± Just as Celeste finished speaking, she heard Liam whisper, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Celeste looked at Liam in surprise, then raised her head to look at him, ¡°Liam, I want to ask you something, and you have to answer honestly¡± Liam looked at her without saying anything. Celeste clenched her fingers tightly, and after a long time, she whispered, ¡°Did you have your mom give me the medicine? Did you know from the start that I couldn¡¯t have children?¡± Liam was stunned, ¡°You found out?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart was heavy, she clenched her fingers and tremblingly said, ¡°Is it true?¡± Liam quickly blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s cool if you can¡¯t have kids, to be honest, I¡¯m not really a fan of them anyway. I think the two of us¡­ SMACKI Before he could finish his sentence, Celeste pped Liam across the face. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Celeste put all her strength into that p, and her sharp nails left two long red marks on Liam¡¯s face Liam was stunned, this was the second time she had ever hit him il the first p was just to resist his brute force, this one was filled with obvious hatred. Being pped in the face is humiliating at any age, let alone for someone like Liam So when Celeste was about to p him a second time, Liam furiously grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°Celeste, enough! Do you really think I won¡¯t touch you?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liam froze because Celeste¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. In all the years they¡¯d been married, Celeste had never cried like this, except when watching dramas. He had always thought she was heartless and carefree, but seeing her cry in front of him shattered his heart. He released her hand in confusion and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t really hit you either.¡± Celeste¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°Liam, the biggest regret of my life is marrying you. J City is so big, don¡¯t let me see you again from now on.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After shaking off his hand, she picked up her things and walked away. Liam stood there dumbfounded for a while before chasing after her, but Celeste was long gone in her car. Amelia didn¡¯t stop Celeste. Seeing Liame downstairs, she didn¡¯t dare ask questions and turned to tidy up the room. Liam stopped her, ¡°You said before that Celeste asked you to send the medicine to the hospital?¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°What day did you send it?¡± ¡°The morning after Mrs. Reed¡¯s mother passed away.¡± Liam asked, ¡°Did she say anything?¡± ¡°No, she just looked a bit pale. I heard that she fainted from grief the night her mother passed away, so maybe that¡¯s why she looked so pale.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything. Why did Celeste send the medicine to the hospital when Caitlyn had just passed away and she didn¡¯t even have time to grieve? Why was she so angry when she heard he was the one who sent the medicine? ¡°Is there any medicine left?¡± Amelia shook her head, ¡°There were only three bottles left that day, and I sent them all to her.¡± Liam didn¡¯t ask any more questions and called Owen instead. Owen had just returned from A City and had only slept for two hours when he received Liam¡¯s call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Reed.¡± ¡°Owen, check the store where my mom got the medicine for Celeste and look into the prescription.¡± Owen sat up, ¡°Didn¡¯t we check the prescription before? What happened?¡± Celeste and Liam had been married for over a year, and she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant. The family was pushing them, so they both went for a thorough medical check¨Cup. Liam was perfectly healthy, but Celeste had damaged her body in a car ident years ago. The doctor said her uterine wall had poor sticity, making it difficult for her to give birth. Even if she did get pregnant, there was a significant risk of miscarriage. When she went to get the test results, she even thought Liam would divorce her because of it. But Liam surprisingly kept it a secret. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 No one in the Reed family knew about Celeste s pregnancy difficult Liam told the family that she needed to recuperate Skyler had sent over some medicine, saying it was specifically for women¡¯s health Liam had someone check the prescription and found that it was indeed good for women so he tacitly approved in However, Celeste was obviously very resistant to taking the medicine and would argue about it They often fought about getting pregnant and every time it was brought up, they couldn¡¯t avoid arguing about the medicine Liam was afraid her body wouldn¡¯t recover well and was also afraid shed suddenly get pregnant and suffer a miscarriage, so he had a vasectomy at the end ofst year topletely eliminate the possibility When she went to the hospital to pick up Liam after the surgery, she was stunned Although a vasectomy doesnt affect male function, how many people are willing to do it, let alone for a woman? Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Liam probably felt that his crazy behavior was embarrassing if his assistant knew, so he just said, ¡®I¡¯m just annoyed by her not wanting to take the medicine, don¡¯t overthink it¡® Since the surgery, Liam no longer cared about whether Celeste took the medicine or not Celeste probably hadn¡¯t taken the medicine for the past two months, so why did Liam want to check it? Liam pinched his brow and said. ¡°Just go and check. I¡¯m very confused right now, and I might need you to be busier for a while. When things are settled. I¡¯ll give you some time off¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Owen suddenly remembered something just before hanging up. ¡°Mr. Reed, I brought back the ne you ordered for Ms. Campbell When do you n to give it to her? I can bring it to you when I have some time.¡± Liam pursed his lips and, after a long while, said, ¡°Keep it for now¡± Owen was somewhat surprised, ¡°Mr. Reed, did you two have a fight again?¡± Liam was silent for a moment before whispering, ¡°We¡¯re divorced¡± ¡°Divorced?!¡± Owen¡¯s voice almost broke the receiver. ¡°Do you want to scold me too?¡± Liam said angrily. Owen was speechless. He wouldn¡¯t dare, he still needed his sry. Owen cleared his throat and said softly, ¡°Mr. Reed, you were a bit impulsive in handling this.¡± Liam didn¡¯t argue, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Campbell is soft¨Chearted, and you¡¯ve been together for so many years, you still have a chance¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond to hisforting words and just said, ¡°Hurry up and check¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Celeste drove out of Pinecrest Manor, crying all the way. This marriage had hurt her heart and body. She had never hated Liam as much as she did now. Celeste had a pre¨Cemployment physical tomorrow, and her documents were still at Liam¡¯s house, so she called Trisha and went to Pinecrest Manor. Trisha finished work and saw that she hadn¡¯t returned, so she called her. Celeste saw Trisha¡¯s call and held back her tears before pressing the answer button ¡°Are you still not back yet? Did that jerk Liam give you a hard time?¡± ¡°No¡± Celeste said in a low voice ¡°I just got held up by something I¡¯ll be backter, you go to sleep first, no need to wait for me.¡± ¡°Alright then, just don¡¯te back toote and be careful.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± After hanging up the phone, Celeste drove along the bustling streets and suddenly felt that in this vast world, there was no ce for her Chapter 468 Chapter 468 She wandered around the streets and eventually stopped in front of a restaurant Booze is a great way to ease your mood when you¡¯re feeling super down. She drank fast and furiously, not even touching any food At first, the owner thought it was good for business, but the more she drank, the more worried he became. Worried that she¡¯d have an ident if she got too drunk So when she finished drinking and asked for more, he refused. ¡®Miss, you¡¯ve had quite a bit already. Why not order some food?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Celeste replied, her head resting on her hand, her cheeks flushed, looking tipsy but speaking clearly. ¡°Just get me another bottle of wine¡± ¡°Miss, you drove here What if you get drunk and can¡¯t go back? Your family will worry about you.¡± ¡°I have no family. Celeste whispered. ¡°My mom died. No one¡¯s waiting for me to go home, and no one¡¯s worried about me anymore.¡± The owner, seeing that Celeste was not much older than his own daughter, couldn¡¯t help but give her some advice ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t harm your body Your mom would be heartbroken if she knew.¡± Celeste sobbed silently, and the owner poured her a ss of water. ¡°Drink this and take a nap. When you wake up, you need to live well.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t ask for any more wine. She slowly sipped the water, and the owner went to greet other customers after seeing that her condition was okayPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When the restaurant got less busy, the owner looked over, and found she had fallen asleep on the table. Her phone kept ringing on the table, but she didn¡¯t hear it at all. The owner couldn¡¯t wake her up even after calling her for a while, so he answered the phone for her. Mason had filed awsuit with the court for the defamation case. He went over some of the evidence he had collected previously and wanted to double¨Ccheck with Celeste, so he called her. Instead of Celeste, a middle¨Caged male stranger answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± Mason hesitated, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Oh, this phone belongs to a customer in my restaurant. She¡¯s drunk and sleeping here. I couldn¡¯t wake her up, so I answered the phone for her.¡± Mason frowned, ¡°You mean she¡¯s drinking? By herself?¡± ¡°Yes, she drove here alone. Are you her friend? Can youe and pick her up? My restaurant is about to close.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your restaurant?¡± The owner quickly gave the address. Mason said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. Please take care of her for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up, Mason grabbed his coat and left. Shanna Fletcher was chatting with Kaylee downstairs when Mason came out. She quickly called him, ¡°Mason, are you done? Kaylee has been waiting for you for a while. She brought you some food she made herself, knowing you might be hungry from work. Come down and try it.¡± Kaylee¡¯s voice softened a bit when she saw Mason. ¡°I was chatting with your mom this afternoon, and she said you haven¡¯t been eating welltely. I remember you used to love this dish, so I tried making it. It might not be perfect, but it tastes good.¡± Shanna Fletcherughed, ¡°It¡¯s already great. My cooking wasn¡¯t even this good when I was young.¡± Mason went straight to the door, putting on his shoes as he said, ¡°No need, you guys eat. I have to go meet a client.¡± Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Shanna Fletcher frowned, ¡®Meeting a client thiste?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a case going to court soon * Mason put on his coat, looked in the mirror, and spoke lightly ¡°I need to double¨Ccheck the details.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you talk on the phone?¡± Shanna Fletcher wasnt happy ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered from your headache, and the doctor told you not to stay upte You always work overtime when youe back.¡± ¡°I took their money, so I have to do my best to help them.¡± Mason buttoned up his coat. ¡°I have to go now Enjoy your meal.¡± With that, he left. Kaylee felt a bit awkward. Shanna Fletcher also thought her son¡¯s resistance was too obvious During the time Kaylee was injured, Shanna Fletcher tried several times to persuade Mason to visit her, but Mason always used work as an excuse From the time Kaylee was beaten up until she recovered, Shanna Fletcher visited her twice, but Mason never went. Each time she visited, Kaylee would ask why Mason hadn¡¯te. Shanna Fletcher made excuses for him, saying things like he bought the stuff for her, and he was very busytely. Kaylee believed her, and as soon as she got better, she went to the Fletcher family to find Mason. But Mason¡¯s attitude was always so cold. What client needed to be met in the middle of the night? ¡°Kaylee, let¡¯s eat. Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Kaylee forced a smile, and after a while, she asked, ¡°What kind of girl does Mason like? What were the girls he used to date like?¡± Shanna Fletcher paused for a moment, thenughed, ¡°Mason never had a girlfriend. If he had one, I wouldn¡¯t be so worried.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Kaylee frowned, thinking she remembered hearing Nics talk about Mason¡¯s girlfriends when they were young Did she remember wrong? ¡°Kaylee, you don¡¯t need to worry about what kind of girl Mason likes. You don¡¯t need to deliberately cater to him as well. As long as your personalities match and Mason is willing, you don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± Kaylee¡¯s face turned red, ¡°Thank you¡± Mason finally found the restaurant after searching for the address for over half an hour. It was already past 10 pm, and there were hardly any customers left in the restaurant. The owner had cleaned up and was checking today¡¯s earnings at the counter. Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw a handsome, tall man walk in. The owner immediately said, ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re closed.¡± Mason saw Celeste lying on the table and sighed with relief. He whispered, ¡°I¡¯m here to pick someone up.¡± ¡°Are you the gentleman on the phone?¡± Mason nodded and said, ¡°How much is the bill for the drinks? I¡¯ll pay it first.¡± ¡°No need, the youngdy has already paid Just take her with you.¡± So, Mason put his wallet away. He walked up to Celeste, gently patted her shoulder, and called her name, ¡°Celeste?¡± Celeste frowned but didn¡¯t open her eyes. It seemed like she was annoyed at being disturbed from her sweet dreams. Mason called her for a while, but seeing that she was not responding, he decided to bend down and scoop her up in his arms. Celeste¡¯s body was incredibly soft and lightweight in his arms. Mason¡¯s heart started beating a little faster. It seemed like she found his holding position ufortable, so Celeste shifted her body a bit. She instinctively hooked one arm around his neck and said, ¡°Liam, carry me back to the room.¡± Mason could not find the words to respond. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 The boss chuckled softly. ¡°Young man, your girlfriend is quite interesting¡± Mason didn¡¯t deny it and just asked the boss to help open Celeste¡¯s car door. Mason put her in the passenger seat, then got in the driver¡¯s seat from the other side As he buckled Celeste¡¯s seatbelt, her breath kept blowing in his ear, making Mason very self¨C conscious. After buckling her up, he drove away. Celeste woke up halfway, groggily opened her eyes, and mumbled, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Mason asked. ¡®Where do you want to go?¡± Celeste, not knowing if she recognized who he was, leaned against the window and thought for a while, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach.¡± Then she fell asleep again. Mason drove to the beach as requested. Upon arriving at the beach, Mason rolled down the window, letting the cold wind rush in, and Celeste woke up again, ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡± Mason said, ¡°The beach is always cold at night.¡± He then took off his coat and draped it over Celeste. Celeste looked at the coat on her for a while and whispered, ¡°Liam, how have you changed? How can you put a coat on me? Aren¡¯t you supposed to steal my skirt and wear it yourself?¡± Mason, ¡°.. Celeste¡¯s drunkenness hadn¡¯t worn off yet, and she still thought Liam was beside her. Alcohol really numbed one¡¯s senses. She could hardly remember why she cried so much. She twisted Mason¡¯s face, squinting at him. They were bing too intimate, and Mason wanted to turn away, but Celeste grabbed his chin and pulled his face back. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± She was still a little angry, holding his face with both hands, staring at him for a long time, and then pushing him away, ¡°Whatever, I only liked your body anyway.¡± Mason was again left speechless. Mason pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a bit relieved about the phone call he made tonight. Celeste wasn¡¯t done yet, still immersed in her fantasy, and said seriously, ¡°How old are you? Are you an adult?¡± Mason decided to shut up and not engage. But Celeste wouldn¡¯t let it go, pping him on his head, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Mason, ¨C ¡°Twenty¨Csomething.¡± Mason suddenly felt that Liam marrying Celeste was quite impressive. After cursing Liam, Celeste somehow thought of Caitlyn again and started crying as she talked. Mason patted her back, silentlyforting her. Celeste continued to cry and finally fell asleep. Mason looked expressionlessly at the distant sea, stretching his hand to loosen his cor. The next day, Celeste was awakened by a knock on the door. She groggily opened her eyes, and a hotel¡¯s furnishings were in front of her. Pressing her temples, she couldn¡¯t remember how she got to the hotel. The knocking continued outside, and she said, ¡°Just a moment.¡± She propped herself up, got out of bed, and opened the door. ¡®Mr. Fletcher?¡± Mason appeared neatly dressed at the door, smiled when he saw Celeste, and said softly, ¡°I brought you some clothes to change into ¡° Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Celeste was slow to react. ¡°Did you bring me to the hotel?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Mason asked, ¡°I wanted to talk to you about the defamationwsuitst night, but when I called, it was the restaurant owner who answered. He said you were drunk and asked me to pick you up.¡± Celeste frowned, and with Mason¡¯s reminder, she vaguely seemed to have some impression. They seemed to have gone to the beach, but she couldn¡¯t remember what was said. She only remembered that she seemed to have pped Mason Celeste was so embarrassed she could barely speak ¡°I seem to remember a bit ¡°Celeste coughed, ¡°Did I go crazy and hit you when I was drunk?¡± Mason paused, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember anything?¡± Celeste tentatively asked, ¡°Was there anything worse?¡± ¡°Does using my clothes to wipe your nose count?¡± Celeste was once again speechless. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it. She had been talking about Liam, but when Liam got drunk, he just messed with her. She, on the other hand, messed with strangers when she was drunk. ¡°I really don¡¯t remember. Where are your clothes? I¡¯ll take them to be cleanedter.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Mason smiled, ¡°Just kidding.¡± He handed her the clothes he was holding. ¡°You should tidy up first. We¡¯ll talk about thewsuit on the way¡± Celeste sighed with relief, ¡°Okay.¡± Adriana Reilly had just left her hotel room when she bumped into Celeste in the hotel hallway. Celeste was standing at the door, talking to someone, and a man soon came out of the hotel room. They walked together toward the elevator. Adriana was stunned, Celeste actually spent the night in a hotel with another man! She hurriedly took a few photos with her phone and sent them to the group. ¡°Kaylee, I saw your sister¨C inw at the hotel this morning! She¡¯s with another man!¡± Kaylee had stayed upte talking to Shanna Fletcher and was still asleep. Her phone kept ringing, and she got annoyed, so she picked it up to check. Suddenly, she was wide awake. Adriana didn¡¯t know Mason well, so she couldn¡¯t recognize him. But Kaylee was very familiar with him and recognized him from his back alone. The coat he was weaning was the same one he wore when he left the housest night. He said he was going to see a client, but he was actually going to see Celeste! She was so angry that she looked at the pictures of the two people on her phone and rushed downstairs. Skyler was watering the flowers when she saw Kaylee running down the stairs without shoes and hurried to meet her. She frowned and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Kaylee said angrily, ¡°Mom, that terrible woman Celeste, she¡¯s seducing Mason!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Skyler naturally didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How could Mason be interested in her? She¡¯s your sister¨Cinw!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Kaylee showed her phone to Skyler, ¡°Look! Adriana saw theming out of a hotel room together!¡± Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Skyler took a look, and sure enough, the people in the photo were Celeste and Mason Skyler frowned but didn¡¯t say anything Kaylee was so pissed, ¡°She hooks up with guys everywhere with her pretty face Im going to tell my brother right now!¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Skyler stopped her, ¡°What can a single photo prove? They¡¯re not holding hands or hugging If you send it to your brother, he¡¯ll think you¡¯re just trying to cause trouble for Celeste¡± Kaylee gritted her teeth, ¡°They came out of the same room, isn¡¯t that evidence enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just Adriana¡¯s word She didn¡¯t capture it in the photo¡± Kaylee liked Mason, so seeing him with another womaning out of a hotel naturally stirred her up Skyler was an onlooker, and her mind was much clearer than Kaylee¡¯s Celeste was swamped with the Campbell family¡¯s mess and recently dealt with a divorce from Liam. She wouldn¡¯t have the energy to get tangled up with other men. If Adriana could get some substantial evidence, she could use it to confront Liam. But with just these few photos, no one with a brain would believe it Liam probably knew about her freezing Celeste¡¯s bank ount by now. If she made a move now, Liam wouldn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Alright,¡± Skylerforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. You¡¯ve known Mason for so many years, don¡¯t you know his character? He knows Celeste is your brother¡¯s wife, how could he have feelings for her? You just recovered, don¡¯t go running around all day.¡± Seeing that Skyler had no intention of pursuing the matter, Kaylee was even more frustrated. She agreed on the surface, but secretly came up with another n. On the way, Mason and Celeste went over some case details. The defamation case had veryplete evidence, and the trial could start by the end of the month without any surprises. Just after discussing the case, Steven called. Celeste answered the phone, ¡®Ms. Campbell, are you at thepany yel? Remember your pre¨C employment physical today.¡± Mason was a bit surprised, ¡®pre¨Cemployment physical?¡± Steven paused, ¡°Mason? Howe you¡¯re with Ms. Campbell?¡± Mason, Why did he detect a hint of wariness in Steven¡¯s tone? Celeste exined, ¡°I have awsuit that Mr. Fletcher is helping me with. We were just discussing the case.¡± Celeste paused and added, ¡°Mr. Garcia, can we push the physical back a couple of days?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± As Celeste turned the steering wheel, she said, ¡°No, I had some drinksst night. It might affect the physical, so I¡¯ll do it in a few days.¡± Steven seemed a bit unhappy and took a while to respond, ¡°Alright, where are you going now?¡± ¡°To the set. I¡¯d taken a few days off, and if I don¡¯t go now, Mr. Miller will rece me.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Steven chuckled softly. ¡°Alright, have the physical in a couple of days, and someone will take you when youe to thepany.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Steven hung up, he noticed Nathan had been staring at him. Steven frowned, ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia, do you personally call and remind people about physicals just after signing an artist?¡± Steven nced at him, ¡°I just like cultivating talent, is that a problem?¡± Nathan raised his eyebrows, already sure that his boss had taken a liking to Ms. Campbell. After hanging up with Steven, Celeste turned to Mason and asked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, where¡¯s yourw firm? I¡¯ll drop you off first.¡± Instead of answering the question, Mason asked, ¡°Are you still filming that Mastermind of Law?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°No.¡± Mason suddenly became interested, ¡°So, what role are you ying now?¡± Celeste said, ¡°With my looks, I¡¯m definitely ying a queen.¡± Mason was taken aback, then realized she was joking and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s fitting¡± zadenelu ¡°Vauzuet ba a clunnian queen. Chapter 472 Celeste was caught off guard, and then sheughed. Mason was really good atplimenting people. If he had just said she was beautiful, it would have been an ordinarypliment. He was just stating a fact she already knew. But by praising her indirectly, he made her very happy. Celeste¡¯s mood suddenly improved, ¡°Actually, all the female actresses on the set are very beautiful. The director thinks I¡¯m too young, so the makeup and hair are done to make me look more mature. With the added age, I appear more powerful and can better portray the role.¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t being deliberately modest. She really thought all the actresses were beautiful. There¡¯s no standard for beauty, as long as someone looks good, they¡¯re beautiful, regardless of their size. Mason said, ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m curious. Can Ie and see?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t have much work today, so I can take a break.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Celeste squinted her eyes, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to see. When you enter, just say you¡¯re my assistant, and they¡¯ll let you in.¡± Sheughed, ¡°There are several single actresses among our crew, maybe your lucky break ising.¡± Mason just smiled slightly without saying anything. The makeup for Celeste¡¯s queen role was very detailed, and Zach was very particr about it. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate any mistakes in his work. So, Celeste¡¯s makeup and hair always took the longest, almost two hours. Since it was a public makeup room, there were many actresses inside, so Mason didn¡¯t go in. is Celeste was getting her makeup done, she suddenly heard amotion outside. mmediately after, the door to the makeup room was kicked open. ome actresses were still changing clothes, and the sudden intrusion scared them into screaming. hen came a sharp and familiar voice, ¡°Celeste, you slut!¡± Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Celeste was caught off guard, and then sheughed. Mason was really good atplimenting people. If he had just said she was beautiful, it would have been an ordinarypliment. He was just stating a fact she already knew. But by praising her indirectly, he made her very happy. Celeste¡¯s mood suddenly improved, ¡°Actually, all the female actresses on the set are very beautiful. The director thinks I¡¯m too young, so the makeup and hair are done to make me look more mature. With the added age, I appear more powerful and can better portray the role.¡± Celeste wasn¡¯t being deliberately modest. She really thought all the actresses were beautiful. There¡¯s no standard for beauty, as long as someone looks good, they¡¯re beautiful, regardless of their size. Mason said, ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m curious. Can Ie and see?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t have much work today, so I can take a break.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Celeste squinted her eyes, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to see. When you enter, just say you¡¯re my assistant, and they¡¯ll let you in.¡± Sheughed, ¡°There are several single actresses among our crew, maybe your lucky break ising.¡± Mason just smiled slightly without saying anything. The makeup for Celeste¡¯s queen role was very detailed, and Zach was very particr about it. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate any mistakes in his work. So, Celeste¡¯s makeup and hair always took the longest, almost two hours. Since it was a public makeup room, there were many actresses inside, so Mason didn¡¯t go in. is Celeste was getting her makeup done, she suddenly heard amotion outside. mmediately after, the door to the makeup room was kicked open. ome actresses were still changing clothes, and the sudden intrusion scared them into screaming. hen came a sharp and familiar voice, ¡°Celeste, you slut!¡° Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Celeste picked up a cup and stood up ¡°Kaylee, there are better ces for you to mess around. Let¡¯s see who dares to smash anything today!¡± Her attitude was like that of a queen, with a strong presence The two guys were frightened. Kaylee became angry as she watched these two useless guys dare not take action. She grabbed the baseball bat and smashed the makeup mirror before Celeste ss shards flew everywhere, and the lights on the makeup mirror flickered. People around screamed and tried to intervene. Kaylee sneered, ¡°I smashed it. What will you do about it?¡± Celeste emotionlessly sshed the hot water from her cup onto Kaylee¡¯s face. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Kaylee screamed, covering her face. The water in the thermos was scalding hot. Although it wouldn¡¯t burn her skin, it was definitely painful. Adnana was frightened, her legs trembling. She had wanted to watch Kaylee teach Celeste a lesson and vent her anger, but she didn¡¯t expect Celeste to be so crazy! This was Kaylee, Liam¡¯s sister! Had she gone mad? Perhaps because she had been staring at her, Celeste nced at her and said indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s still some hot water in my cup. Does Ms Reilly want to try it too?¡± Adriana didn¡¯t even dare to help Kaylee, looking at Celeste in terror. Kaylee was shaking with anger, pushing Celeste with all her might. Celeste was always on guard, ready to fight back. But when Kaylee pushed her, Celeste suddenly caught sight of someone at the door and didn¡¯t dodge. Kaylee used a lot of force, and Celeste was knocked into a chair and fell to the ground. Her palm pressed onto the broken mirror on the floor, causing her to frown in pain. ¡°Bitch!¡± Kaylee picked up the baseball bat and wanted to smash Celeste, but before she could, someone grabbed her arm. ¡°Let go of me, you fucker!¡± Kaylee¡¯s eyes were red with anger, and she wanted to smash Celeste¡¯s mouth. ¡°Kaylee! Is this where you cause trouble?* Mason spoke coldly. Kaylee was taken aback, ¡°Mason?¡± Mason was furious. Kaylee had grown up with him, and had never seen him lose his temper. This was the first time he looked at her like she was a pile of garbage. Kaylee suddenly felt panicked. ¡°Mason, listen to me. She was the one who sshed water first.¡± ¡°Kaylee, how did you be like this?¡± Mason coldly took the baseball bat from her hand, threw it aside, and squatted down to check Celeste¡¯s hand. The broken ss had pierced her palm, and a small blood patch had seeped. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Celeste lowered her head and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t me Kaylee. She misunderstood our rtionship. She didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Everyone in the room¨CThat¡¯s not what you said earlier! Everyone present knew Celeste¡¯s attitude had changed, but no one dared to expose her. The people Kaylee brought had seen her fierceness when she sshed the water, so they didn¡¯t dare say anything. The crew members who worked with Celeste got along very well with her, and everyone saw who started the trouble. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t expose her either Kaylee was pissed off and cursed, ¡°Celeste, you shameless bitch, you were the one who started it! Why is everyone silent? Cat got your tongues?¡± Mason got even more furious, ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough trouble? With your behavior causing a stir today, I can have you locked up for a few days!¡± Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Kaylee asked incredulously. ¡°Mason, Do you believe her over me?¡± ¡°I only believe what I see ¡® Mason gave her a cold nce. ¡°Take your people and get out of here right now!¡± Celeste added, ¡°Might pay for the broken mirror before you leave. It¡¯s pretty expensive¡± Everyone was speechless Kaylee¡¯s heart was shattered by Mason¡¯s attitude, and she ran out with tears in her eyes. Adriana looked into Celeste¡¯s eyes, took out all the cash from her bag. put it on the table, and left with Kaylee As soon as Kaylee and the others left, Zach arrived. He had heard that someone was causing trouble and bothering Celeste, so he hurriedly arrived. Upon arrival, he saw nothing but broken ss on the floor. Celeste was sitting in a chair, Mason standing beside her, and her assistant Jta was helping her with a first aid kit Zach frowned and asked, ¡°Where are the troublemakers?¡± Before Celeste could speak, a makeup artist nearby said, ¡°They got scared away by Celeste.¡± Well, that was partially right. Zach, nced at Celeste¡¯s wound, and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I be fine. I¡¯ll put on an invisible band¨Caid, and no one will notice.¡± Zach took a deep breath, his face serious, ¡°Who let them in?¡± No one spoke. Only Lorinda¡¯s face looked a bit strange. Celeste nced at her and said indifferently, ¡°Forget it, Mr Miller. They were people I knew. I¡¯m sorry for causing a scene and disturbing everyone.¡± ¡°Never mind, as long as you¡¯re okay. Let¡¯s not dy the shoot.¡± Zach hated when actors caused trouble, so after a few words, he left. After her wound was treated, Mason sat down and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you this trouble.¡± Celeste replied indifferently. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Kaylee said she was taking revenge for her brother. If anyone should apologize, it¡¯s her brother. Mr Fletcher, are you saying you like Kaylee?¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Mason¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I¡¯ve always treated Kaylee like a sister, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so weird and unpredictable. She used to be so well¨Cbehaved and sensible.¡± After leaving, Kaylee sent the photos to Liam, ¡°Are you going to do anything about your wife?!¡± Then, she angrily called Skyler, and as soon as the call was connected, she started crying, ¡°Mom, Celeste sshed boiling water on me! I¡¯m in the hospital now!¡± At Quantum Enterprises. Liam was staring out the window, lost in thought. He couldn¡¯t get the image of Celeste¡¯s tearful eyes fromst night out of his head, and it was killing him inside. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Liam said §±atly. Owen said, ¡°Mr Reed, I found the info on the prescription you wanted me to look up¡± As he spoke, he unfolded a prescription and ced it in front of Liam. ¡°This prescription is exactly the same as the one we first checked. It¡¯s indeed a good prescription given by Mrs. Reed¡± Liam frowned. Did this mean the medicine is not a problem? If there¡¯s no problem, why was she so angry? ¡°However, while I was there, I discovered something else.¡± Liam looked up ¡°Your aunt also buys medicine from this pharmacy, so I also got her prescription.¡± With that, he unfolded another piece of paper and pushed it in front of Liam, saying solemnly, ¡°All the medicines on this prescription are cold¨Cnatured, which is notmonly prescribed. I consulted a doctor, and they said that taking these medicines for a long time harms a woman¡¯s body and may even cause infertility¡± Liam¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°You mean my mom switched the medicine?¡± Owen didn¡¯t dare to make such a guess. He only said, ¡°Mr Reed, what is Skyler¡¯s attitude towards Ms Campbell?* Liam hesitated for a moment Skyler didn¡¯t like Celeste When they got married. Skyler was the one who objected the most She thought Celeste needed to be better for him, and she was always dissatisfied with Celeste. When their marriage was finalized, Skyler didn¡¯t know about it until Sienna announced the wedding news, and she was unhappy throughout the whole event Later, after he and Celeste married, they lived separately and had little contact, so he didn¡¯t think anything was wrong But after he announced that Celeste needed to recuperate, Skyler suddenly became enthusiastic and sent people to deliver mediane, hoping Celeste would get pregnant. Skyler¡¯s attitude was indeed strange. Did she really expect Celeste to get pregnant when she didn¡¯t even like her? After thinking about it carefully, Liam suddenly felt a chill. He held the prescription and said, ¡°Go to the hospital and find out why Celeste suddenly fainted that day.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± As soon as Owen left the office, he let out a long sigh. If Skyler tampered with the medicine, it¡¯s no wonder Ms. Campbell wanted a divorce. This was just too cruel. Not long after Owen left, Liam received the photos from Kaylee, with the message: ¡°Do you even care about your wife?!¡± Liam opened the photos, and his face darkened. He immediately transferred money to Celeste¡¯s ount: ¡°Were you with Masonst night?¡± ¡°Why did you stay in a hotel together?¡± ¡°Did you drinkst night?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t hold your liquor and still dared to drink?!¡± ¡°And in front of Mason?!¡± Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep your distance from him? Did you not know what you¡¯re like when you¡¯re drunk? Celeste gloomily sent Liam a dor. She added a note: Liam, know your ce. As soon as Liam got in the car, he saw this transfer message from Celeste. He was about to reply when she immediately sent another dor. You¡¯re the ex¨Chusband! Ex¨Chusband! Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Liam. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Liam pursed his lips and transferred more money ¡°I¡¯m really perturbed you* Celeste couldn¡¯t be bothered to read this message Now she thought there was something wrong with Liam¡¯s brain She felt that she and Liam had been making a scene, but to Liam, it was as if they were ying around She even thought that he kept transferring money to her because he believed she divorced him for money Liam waited for a long time without seeing a response from Celeste, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed Owen saw Liam¡¯s expression and knew that he had been irritated by Ms Campbell again So heforted him, ¡°Mr Reed, this isn¡¯t something to be rushed Ms Campbell is still angry You have to give her some time to cool off¡± Liam eximed, hummed and said, ¡°Get someone to spread the good news about Smart Chips and make it a big deal. Even if it costs some money, make the news more solid¡± Owen thought for a moment and immediately understood his intention ¡°By the way, Liam thought and said, ¡°Get someone to keep an eye on Mason¡± Owen was a bit surprised, ¡°Watch Mr Fletcher?¡± Mr Reed was being too jealous, wasnt he? After she would choose Mr. Reeds friend as a partner Mr. Fletcher was his friend. Even if Mr Fletcher was interested in Ms Campbell, there¡¯s no way He found it a bit strange, as Mr Reed didn¡¯t seem like he was simply being jealous. Liam said, ¡°Yes, just see where he usually goes. No need to keep him too close roughly know his whereabouts¡± Owen had no choice but to agree Hospital Skyler looked at Kaylees swollen face, her teeth gritted in anger Celeste! It was her again disappointed in me Kaylee cried, ¡°Mom, that bitch Celeste she framed me on purpose in front of Mason He must be Skyler felt sorry for her daughter but couldn¡¯t help but me her. ¡°I told you not to rush to use this Why didnt you listen to me Kaylee sobbed, ¡°I just wanted to bully Celeste I didnt know Mason was there too Mason¡¯s looking at Celeste differently He wouldn¡¯t really like Celeste would he?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Celeste is your sister inw¡± ¡°Celeste said she divorced my brother!¡± Skyler was stunned, ¡°What did you say?¡± I wouldn¡¯t go What should I do now? | ¡°Celeste told me herself. She said she divorced my brother, who she sleeps with is her own business¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kaylee gritted her teeth, ¡°If she didn¡¯t divorce my brother, wouldnt she be scared when she saw those I posted?¡± The thought of Celeste being single now made Kaylee even more worried If Mason really liked Celeste, she would be wholly defeated ¡°Mom, get her out of J City, please I can¡¯t be at ease with her here!¡± Skyler whispered, ¡°Why are you always so impulsive? Do you think the Fletcher family would let anyone go so easily? Even if Mason Celeste, they may not ept her Besides, Mason wouldn¡¯t be caught so easily Don¡¯t scare yourself constantly Kayleeined, ¡°So, did I suffer for nothing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Skyler¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°I won¡¯t let her have an easy time¡± Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 The following day. Celeste got up early She meticulously dressed herself up Even though she was divorced from Liam, she couldn¡¯t lose her dignity especially when She arrived at Sunset Boulevard at 9 40, sitting in her car across the street, waiting At exactly 10:00, a white BMW parked in front of the coffee shop. The driver exited, walked to the back seat, and opened the door Skyler got out of the car She was dressed up neatly, as always. She had a white vintage coat, a ck velvet skirt, and her har all rat and tidy. Her ng crocodile skin clutch On her left hand, she wore a diamond ring, her chin slightly raised as she walked toward the coffee shop She entered the shop but didn¡¯t see Celeste, so she frowned. A waiter led her to a seat, and Skyler looked sternly at the char before muttering something The waiter immediately wiped the chair with a tissue Celeste sat in her car, expressionless, watching everything in the coffee shop across the street if it werent for Celeste a pampered Skyler wouldn¡¯t be on this street. This was a marketce, and every step would dirty her fancy shoes She wasn¡¯t in a rush to get out of the car She took the time and looked across It was when until Skyler grew impatient that Celeste got out of the car slowly As she walked into the shop. Skyler looked at her coldly and said. ¡°Yourete¡± Celeste pulled out a chair and sat down, ¡°You should be d im here. Mrs Reed Don¡¯t be so Skyler frowned, ¡°Is that how you talk to me Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Celeste snickered quietly. ¡°Who do you think you are? You Reed all think you¡¯re so important Are you a national hero or the First Lady Wi should I have an attitude toward you?¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You¡¯re so rude!¡± ¡°True, my mom¡¯s has passed away, so it¡¯s normal for red at her, ¡°Your living and breathing daughter isnt The implication was that Skyler would be better off dead Skyler¡¯s face turned ugly to be rude. You¡¯re alive and you haven¡¯t seen how much upbri I behaved as my dead mother Celeste had never dared to talk like this since she mamed into the Reed family he practically In just three minutes, she made Skyler so angry Had Celeste gone crazy since her divorce, not caring about the conseque imping her feet her words? Thinking about the purpose of her visit, Skyler swallowed her anger and said sterly. Im not here to argue with you. First the hospital, second, hand over the precious band Sienna gave you back then You¡¯re divorced now don¡¯t things he keed family a Celestes eyes darkened. The precious band was a small gift Sienna gave her when the mam Celeste had some knowledge of jewelry and jade, and while the precious band was made of mutton fat jade, it¡¯s quality could have been better However, it was old and a favorite of Sienna¡¯s Although it had some value, it wasn¡¯t worth as much as the bracelet Celeste had given Skyler at a Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 She asionally woar it on her finger, but it was a bit loose, and she was afraid of damaging it, so she didn¡¯t wear it often If it werent for Skylers reminder, she would have almost forgotten about it. Thest time she yed with it in the car, she threw it in the glove box and hadn¡¯t touched it in a long time It was strange that Skyler immediately demanded it back after learning about her divorce from Liam Celeste didn¡¯t know, but Skyler was well aware The precious band itself wasn¡¯t valuable, but it represented the Reed family s matriarch status The precious band had a long history passed down through generations of the Reed family, eventually ending up in Sienna¡¯s hands. As a young woman, Sienna traveled extensively, and the precious band became her signature, symbolizing her position as the Reed family matriarch Sienna had two sons and a daughter The daughter married away, and the two sons had settled down Traditionally, after her sons mamed, Sienna should have passed the precious band onto the new matriarch usually, the eldest son¡¯s wife But when she married Orville Reed, Sienna didn¡¯t give her the precious band She had mamed Orville because she identally got pregnant, so maybe that¡¯s why Sienna had always been biased against her, refusing to give her the precious band Luckily, she hadn¡¯t given it to Valeria either She wouldn¡¯t feel discriminated against if things continued this way since no one would get it. But as soon as Celeste married into the family. Sienna casually gave her the precious band And it was during the tea ceremony as if it were just an offhand reward for Celeste Liam wasn¡¯t close to her and even went against her wishes in his marriage. She had never liked Celeste, but somehow, the person she disliked the most easily obtained the precious band she had longed for How could she not hate Celeste? Now that Celeste and Liam were divorced, she naturally wanted to take it back. She wouldn¡¯t fear Sienna asking for it again if she could get it back from Celeste, Celeste nced out the window, dialled a number under the table, and then put her phone on the table before looking up. ¡°Why should I apologize to Kaylee? She barged into my workce, trashed our makeup room, and injured my hand. If anyone should apologize. it¡¯s her to me! Why would I say sorry to her?¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You sshed hot water on Kaylee. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re in the wrong too? I¡¯ve been wanting to call the cops on you!¡± *Speaking of calling the police,¡± Celeste raised her head, ¡®Mrs Reed, you better worry about yourself. You think I don¡¯t know about your dirty secrets?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Skyler frowned, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Celeste took a medicine bottle from her bag and put it on the table. ¡°Look familiar?¡± Skyler¡¯s face remained unchanged, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Celeste took a list of ingredients from her bag and put it on the table. ¡°Clear now?¡± Skyler stared at the names of the Chinese herbs, her expression gradually bing heavy, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Celesteughed lightly. ¡°You should be familiar with these medicines, right?¡± Skyler stared at her intently, not saying a word. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to get pregnant, so you drugged me to make me infertile, Skyler. Did you really think you could fool everyone?¡± On the other end of the phone, Mr Reed was terrifyingly annoyed. Owen was so nervous that he didn¡¯t dare to breathe. Mr Reed had spent a long time tidying up at home this morning, all excited to go out and meet someone He just arrived at the coffee shop when his wife called Mr Reed happily picked up the phone. But what came through the phone was the conversation between Celeste and Skyler Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Now that Celeste and Liam were divorced, she naturally wanted to take it back. She wouldn¡¯t fear Sienna asking for it again if she could get it back from Celeste, Celeste nced out the window, dialled a number under the table, and then put her phone on the table before looking up. ¡°Why should I apologize to Kaylee? She barged into my workce, trashed our makeup room, and injured my hand. If anyone should apologize. it¡¯s her to me! Why would I say sorry to her?¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You sshed hot water on Kaylee. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re in the wrong too? I¡¯ve been wanting to call the cops on you!¡± *Speaking of calling the police,¡± Celeste raised her head, ¡®Mrs Reed, you better worry about yourself. You think I don¡¯t know about your dirty secrets?¡± Skyler frowned, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Celeste took a medicine bottle from her bag and put it on the table. ¡°Look familiar?¡± Skyler¡¯s face remained unchanged, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Celeste took a list of ingredients from her bag and put it on the table. ¡°Clear now?¡± Skyler stared at the names of the Chinese herbs, her expression gradually bing heavy, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Celesteughed lightly. ¡°You should be familiar with these medicines, right?¡± Skyler stared at her intently, not saying a word. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to get pregnant, so you drugged me to make me infertile, Skyler. Did you really think you could fool everyone?¡± On the other end of the phone, Mr Reed was terrifyingly annoyed. Owen was so nervous that he didn¡¯t dare to breathe. Mr Reed had spent a long time tidying up at home this morning, all excited to go out and meet someone He just arrived at the coffee shop when his wife called Mr Reed happily picked up the phone. But what came through the phone was the conversation between Celeste and Skyler I thoughContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Celeste felt disappointed Skyler was definitely a master of psychological warfare She had been pondering for a long time, and Skyler¡¯s words were watertight, leaving her no room to find ws ¡°Hand over the precious band¡± Skyler spoke Indifferently Celeste had already discovered the problem with the medicine, and she wanted to settle the matter quickly and leave as soon as possible The longer she stayed, the more likely she was to say something wrong and reveal her intentions ¡°You hand over the precious band, and I won¡¯t pursue the money you got from Liam¡± Celeste scoffed, ¡°Skyler, you¡¯re mistaken. Didn¡¯t Liam tell you I didn¡¯t ask for anything when we divorced?¡± It turned out that Liam had been transferring money to Celeste after their divorce. Skyler¡¯s face was serious when she heard Celeste mentioning her name, but her brows furrowed when she listened to her words. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask for anything when you divorced?¡± Did Liam haven¡¯t told anyone about their divorce? Howe Kaylee didn¡¯t know, and Skyler didn¡¯t know either? Skyler looked Celeste up and down. She was wore clothes from lesser¨Cknown brands, with prices ranging from tens to hundreds. Her bag was also a few hundred bucks, not looking like someone whoContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. had received arge sum of money after a divorce. ¡°Liam didn¡¯t give you a penny?¡± Skyler said, a little surprised. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t get along. I¡¯m still a person who values old feelings. Name your price, and sell the precious band to me. The money you get can make your life a little easier¡± Her tone seemed condescending, making Celeste ufortable. ¡°You really want to buy it?¡± she asked. Skyler frowned, ¡°Why else would I be talking to you so much?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Alright since you want to buy it, I¡¯ll give you a price.¡± Skyler looked at her Celeste¡¯s lips parted slightly, and she said softly, ¡°One hundred million.¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed, ¡°Celeste, are you out of your mind?¡± Celeste blinked, ¡°I¡¯ve already been very restrained. If Liam came to buy it, it would be at least a billion.¡± Liam As Celeste spoke, she looked Skyler up and down ¡°Could it be that Mrs Reed can¡¯t even afford a hundred million?¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned red with anger. One hundred million was certainly not a small amount for her. When she asked Celeste to name a price, she had only expected it to be no more than two million. She didn¡¯t even have a hundred million herself. How could she offer that much to Celeste? She used to get five million a month from Liam, plus somepany dividends, totalling about seventy or eighty million a year. But she was a big spender To maintain her luxurious and elegant lifestyle in front of thosedies, she had to buy thetest styles of clothing and jewellery every season. She could barely save one or two million a year. How could she get a hundred million for Celeste? Even if she really had a hundred million, she wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to give it to Celeste because she ain¡¯t nning to sell that precious band. She just wanted to humiliate her. ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re just jacking up the price, huh? How much is this precious band really worth? Don¡¯t you know it in your heart? I¡¯ll give you my final offer, two million. If you agree, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you once I get the goods.¡± After saying that, she paused, ¡°For you, two million is already a super high price. You better seize this opportunity.¡± Celeste smirked, ¡°Let me tell you, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m selling it for less than a billion.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned sour instantly, realizing Celeste wasn¡¯t budging and had no intention of negotiating. Angry, she couldn¡¯t help but grab the coffee from the table and ssh it on Celeste¡¯s annoying face. Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 ¡°What kind of freak are you?¡± she asked angrily Liam just walked into the cafe and saw this scene His face turned gloomy, but it was toote to stop it The coffee sshed onto Celeste¡¯s chin and neck, ran down her face, and stained her white shirt It was already hot in early summer, and Celeste was wearing thin clothes. The coffee quickly soaked through her clothes, and her underwear was almost visible With a dark face, Liam took off his coat and quickly walked to Celeste, putting the coat on her. Then he turned and stared coldly at Skyler, asking. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± His tone was enough to show his anger at the moment. Skyler was taken aback, not expecting Liam to appear there. Seeing Celeste calmly wiping the coffee stains on her face with the back of her hand, Skyler finally understood It was Celeste! She had called Liam over! Before Skyler had time to figure out what Celeste had done, she hurriedly exined, ¡°Liam, what you saw is not the truth. She was rude first.¡± Liam¡¯s face looked even worse, ¡°She just said she wouldn¡¯t sell it for less than a billion, and you got angry?¡± Skyler¡¯s face darkened: ¡°That thing originally belonged to the Reed family, and she¡¯s already divorced from you. I¡¯m willing to repurchase it, and she should be grateful How dare she set a price? Can¡¯t I be angry?¡± Liam said solemnly: ¡°It was a gift from Sienna to her, and she can do whatever she wants. No one can take it away from her, including you.¡± Skyler was furious: ¡°Liam, who are you talking to? I¡¯m your mother!¡± Liam: ¡°You should be d we still have this rtionship.¡± As soon as Liam¡¯s voice fell, Celeste picked up the coffee on the table and sshed it on Skyler. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She was quick and urate, and Liam didn¡¯t have time to stop her. Only when Skyler¡¯s face was full of coffee did she react, screaming: ¡°Liam, look who you¡¯re protecting!¡± ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t protect me, I¡¯ll still do it.¡± Celeste said coldly, ¡°I want to ssh it on your face in front of him. Too bad there¡¯s only one cup. You got lucky.¡± After saying that, she took off Liam¡¯s coat, threw it to him, picked up her bag and phone, and walked straight out of the cafe. Liam followed her without hesitation. He didn¡¯t even nce at Skyler. Had they already divorced? Why is Liam even closer to her now? Celeste was holding back her anger at the moment. Did Skyler think she could treat her like she used to be and did whatever she wanted? She didn¡¯t fight back before because she was worried about her son! Now that she¡¯s given up on Liam, did she care who she is? Sshing coffee was the least she could do. Even Liam got a p from her! With an unhappy face, Celeste waited for the red light, and suddenly a coat was ced on her shoulder. Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 The familiar scent told her who it was. What was he trying to y? She resisted and pushed his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Liam closed his mouth, ¡°Your clothes are dirty¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about it!¡± Celeste turned her head, eyes full of tears, and said, ¡°Where were you when I needed you? Who are you doing this for now? Or do you and your family have a grudge against me and want to get even?¡± Usually, if she said this, Liam would fight back But today, he lowered his head and said nothing, gently wiping the coffee stains on her face with a hoarse voice, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Celeste held back her tears and shook off his hand, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. You and your mother don¡¯t have to worry about me getting pregnant I can¡¯t get pregnant in my life. Are you satisfied?¡± Liam¡¯s hand trembled He choked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry is the most useless word in the world, Celeste cried as she looked at him, ¡°Liam, you need to control your family. Whether it¡¯s Kaylee or Skyler, if anyone bothers me again, I won¡¯t let them go! My mom is gone, and there¡¯s nothing important to me in this world anymore. I only have this one life, and I don¡¯t mind dragging them to hell with me!¡± After saying these words, the red light turned green. Celeste turned around and walked away quickly. The zebra crossing of more than ten meters was a huge gap, separating him and Celeste from far away. For the first time, he felt that she was so distant. He thought he had arranged everything well, but he didn¡¯t know he hurt her the most. Owen slowly drove the car to Liam, ¡°Mr Reed, get in the car. Celeste is still single. There¡¯s still a chance to save your marriage.¡± Liam came to his senses, got in the car, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to thepany first.¡± Celeste returned to the car, opened the storagepartment, and removed the precious band. The design was straightforward, a precious white band. Was this the thing Skyler wanted to buy with money? What¡¯s the use of this thing? Why did shee to find her for this as soon as she knew she was divorced? Celeste looked at it and threw it back into the storagepartment. Even if Skyler offered a billion, she wouldn¡¯t give it to her! Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Now she¡¯s living alone, enjoying her single life. Who cared about her money! She wanted Skyler to taste the bitterness! Liam, this bastard, didn¡¯t even tell his family about the divorce and let theme to bother her. She was even more dissatisfied with Liam, picked up her phone, opened Facebook, found the divorce certificate, took a picture, and posted it with the caption ¡°Single, avable, healthy people preferred.¡± After posting on Facebook, she turned off her phone and threw it aside. Nics Media Group. Nics sat in the conference room, ying with his phone while listening to the employee¡¯s reports. Suddenly, there was a Facebook notification sound. He paused for a moment, and then opened Facebook. His eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly. The reporting department manager hesitated and asked, ¡°Mr Francis?¡± Nics waved his hand, ¡°Continue, don¡¯t mind me.¡± After saying that, he took his phone and went out. When he got back to the office, Nics immediately called Liam. Liam had just arrived at thepany and hadn¡¯t even sat down when he received Nics¡® call. He was annoyed right now, so his tone wasn¡¯t great, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Your ex¨Cwife is looking for a hubby on Facebook!¡± Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 ¡°Are you afraid the fire isn¡¯t burning hot enough?¡± Nics twitched the corner of his mouth and quickly sent a screenshot of Facebook to Liam ¡°Take a look yourself.¡± He didn¡¯t forget to hit him while he was down. ¡°Now that Celeste has blocked you, it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t see it¡± Liam looked at the screenshot, and his face immediately turned ugly. Nics asked, ¡°Did she say that? What does healthy people preferred mean? Are you not good in some way, and you¡¯ve never satisfied her?¡± Liam: ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not good in some way!¡± Nics I was asking casually I didn¡¯t say it was me. Why get angry? I didn¡¯t expect this guy to think Celeste was just angry with him and waiting to get back together with him. But Celeste announced the divorce news first. At least from Celeste¡¯s side, it seemed she might not want to get back with Liam. Nics suddenly felt a little sorry for Liam.. ¡°Liam, I must remind you, that Celeste is beautiful and has a great figure. More and more people in the J City circle might be drooling over her. Once you let go, they¡¯ll take action immediately.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Are you here to help or to make things worse?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to watch the show,¡± Nics: ¡°Who was it that said, ¡®She can¡¯t possibly leave me. Is she just being moody? Do you still think she¡¯s just being moody now?¡± He spoke sarcastically, making Liam¡¯s face change constantly. In the end, Liam hung up the phone directly After Celeste posted on Facebook, the news of her divorce quickly spread throughout the J City socialite circle. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. That Facebook post¨CCeleste made sparked everyone¡¯s spection Shawn freaked out as soon as he heard the news Celeste actually divorced Liam. How was he going to pull the Reed family into doing business in the future? Sure enough, just a few hours after Celeste¡¯s divorce news broke, thepanies that had intended to cooperate with them all chickened out. Shawn was furious and immediately called Celeste. Of course, Celeste wouldn¡¯t pick up. She was waiting to collect evidence and then sue Shawn for attempted murder She wouldn¡¯t let anyone off the hook! The next day, Celeste took a day off and went to Skyline Media Group. After waiting downstairs, Nathan came down and said softly. ¡°Ms Campbell, please follow me.¡± On the way, Celeste was a bit puzzled. Someone like Nathan shouldn¡¯t be responsible for sending her for a medical check¨Cup, right? Nathan was Steven¡¯s assistant. Shouldn¡¯t the administration or human resources department be ountable for the check¨Cup? Although she was puzzled, she didn¡¯t want to ask too many questions and didn¡¯t talk much along the way. Nathan took her to a private hospital for a check¨Cup. This hospital was quite far from thepany, and it took almost 40 to 50 minutes just to drive there. Upon arrival, Nathan arranged for them to pick up the forms first, then followed the list of items on the form for the check¨Cup There weren¡¯t too many people at the hospital for check¨Cups. Nathan took a phone call and then walked away. Celeste took the check¨Cup form and went to do the check¨Cup herself. When the ultrasound waspleted, the doctor told her to undress. Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Celeste hesitated, ¡°Do I need to undress for this?¡± The female doctor signed the form and said indifferently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here for the artist check¨Cup?¡± Celeste nodded ¡°Don¡¯t you know thepany¡¯s policy if you want to be an artist?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Celeste was puzzled. However, she obediently took off her coat. The female doctor said that wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Take off everything except your underwear¡± Celeste had no choice but to continue undressing. Steven sat in the next room, staring at the screen of the woman undressing, his lips tight, not saying a word When Celeste started to take off her bra, he looked away, tapped his ss, and whispered ¡°Ask her to turn around and show her back¡± The female doctor looked up and said, ¡°Please turn around.¡± Celeste turned around Steven looked up and saw the pink cloud¨Cshaped birthmark on Celeste¡¯s left shoulder de His hand trembled, and his face became extremely senous He clenched his teeth and whispered, ¡°Ask her what¡¯s on her back?¡± The female doctor walked over to Celeste, pretending to check her body, and then touched Celeste¡¯s birthmark with her gloved hand, asking. Is this a birthmark or a wound?¡± ¡°Birthmark. I¡¯ve had it since I was little Celeste paused, ¡°Will this affect anything?¡± After a while, the female doctor said, ¡°It¡¯s fine Birthmarks don¡¯t matter It¡¯s not like it¡¯s on your face Steven didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before his voice came through the headphones again. However, unlike before his voice was now very hoarse ¡°Let her get dressed¡± The female doctor looked up and said. ¡°You can put your clothes back on now¡± When Celeste was dressed, the female doctor handed her the signed check up form. ¡°Go get your blood drawn it shouldn¡¯t be crowded now ¡°Thank you, doctor ¡°Celeste took the form and went to the blood test department In the next room Steven sat in the chair, unable to recover for a long time That cloud¨Cshaped birthmark was exactly the same as the one in his memory, no, it should be several times bigger, but the position was exactly the same Could there be such a coincidence in this world? He remembered the nurse carrying a baby out of the delivery room with a cloud shaped birthmark on her left shoulder de, but they said he remembered it wrong It was still unclear whether he remembered it wrong, but they were waiting for the blood sample If it really was her We should investigate what happened back then correctly ¡°Knock, knock-¡± Stevenposed himself and said solemnly, ¡°Pleasee in Nathan walked in and said, ¡°ir called¡± Steven took the phone, and ir¡¯s voice immediately came from the phone. ¡°Steven, where did you go? Didn¡¯t you say you would apany me to pick out clothes today?¡± ¡°In the afternoon, I have something going on right now, and I cant leave,¡± he replied ¡°You promised before,¡± ir was a bit unhappy. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll go myself Oh, Dad said he will treat Celeste to dinner tonight, remember to let her know¡± ¡°Mhm, got it¡± After hanging up the phone, ir frowned What¡¯s up with Steven today? In the past, if she threw a little tantrum, he would drop his work and find her right away At this moment, Nathan was looking at the screen in the room, feeling again that his boss was out of line The girl just got divorced not long ago, and you¡¯re peeping through the screen while she¡¯s having a check up? That¡¯s not cool right? Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 After the checkup, the agent who helped Celeste look for a house called her ¡°Ms Campbell, Ive found a few houses for you based on the requirements you mentioned before They¡¯re all within the area you specified, but there are some differences inyout andmunity standards I¡¯ve sent the floor ns to your phone, you can check. Of course, I can take you to see them in person, so that you can get a better feel for things like lighting What do you think?¡± This agent had connected with Celeste when she first had a falling out with Liam Over the next few months, the agent kept in touch with Celeste But because Celeste was busy dealing with her divorce from Liam, she hadn¡¯t responded to the agent Unexpectedly, the agent was still concerned about her house hunting and would asionally introduce her to new listings Celeste couldn¡¯t resist people¡¯s persistence, and she felt everyone was working hard and should help each other Since the agent worked hard to help her find a house, she didn¡¯t want to refuse She was considering buying a house recently, and today finally, she got some free time, so she agreed to go and see the house. The agent immediately said, ¡°Of course. Where are you now? I¡¯ll take a taxi to pick you up. These houses are all quite close, and we can finish viewing them in one afternoon.¡± Celeste gave her the address, hung up the phone, and then called Trisha, ¡°I¡¯m going to see some houses soon. Wannae?¡± Trisha was busy filming and sighed, ¡°I really can¡¯t get away today. You go ahead. Remember to take some pictures for me, and I¡¯ll help you choose.¡± ¡°Alright, see you tonight¡± The agent was a young girl about the same age as Celeste, with short hair, not very tall, skinny, and very intelligent That afternoon, she took Celeste to see five houses in total Although these houses were all within the area Celeste requested, each had some unsatisfactory aspects Some had average security, some were new but had low upancy rates and were yet to be decorated, others had poor reputation, with owners and developers ending up in court After a whole afternoon of house hunting Celeste didn¡¯t find a suitable one The young agent asked, ¡°Ms Campbell, which house do you think is better?¡± Celeste said. ¡°They¡¯re all okay, I guess¡± Then she asked. ¡°Do you have any listings in the Redwood Ridgemunity?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The agent was surprised. ¡°You want to buy a house in Redwood Ridge Estates?¡± ¡°Just want to take a look¡± The agent said, ¡®I have two houses in Redwood Ridge Estates, but the budget might be higher than you initially thought¡± Redwood Ridge Estates was a mid¨Clevelmunity in J City ording to the size of the house Celeste requested, one house would cost about 10 million. The agent thought that someone Celeste¡¯s age might be unable to afford such a high price ¡°If theyout is good, it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s smaller if you can negotiate the price. I can pay an extra 10% for the down payment The agent immediately called herpany and took Celeste to see the houses Celeste had been paying attention to Redwood Ridge Estates for a long time. Before divorcing Liam, she had considered living there Redwood Ridge Estate¡¯syouts were great, withrge balconies and excellent lighting The agent showed her two houses, one with 180 square meters and the other with over 120 square meters Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Celeste preferred the 180 square meters one, but considering her current financial situation, she finally chose the one with over 120 square meters ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one Talk to thendlord and see if you can slightly lower the price.¡± The agent replied, ¡°Thendlord of this house is working abroad, and it¡¯s still early morning there. I¡¯ll contact them for you tomorrow. Is that okay?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fine. As long as the price is right, I¡¯d like to sign the contract as soon as possible.¡± *No problem!¡± After leaving Redwood Ridge Estates, the young agent offered to call a car to take Celeste home. Celeste nced at her and felt it was unnecessary. She told the agent, ¡°My friend is not far from here. I can walk there.¡± Then, the agent left. Celeste strolled along the street, feeling tired after an afternoon of house hunting. But things would most likely work out, she felt more at ease. There was still some distance to Trisha¡¯s apartment, but there was a restaurant nearby with fantastic food. Celeste wanted to go there and get something for Trisha as well. As she walked, a Maybach slowly followed her. Celeste looked at the car suspiciously, and Steven took off his sunsses, waved at her, and said, ¡®Ms Campbell, what a coincidence.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Hello, Mr Garcia.¡± Steven looked her up and down, from her hair to her heels. Celeste felt ufortable but thought about him being her boss and had to endure it. Celeste asked, ¡°Are you here to take care of some business, Mr. Garcia?¡± Steven looked away and answered, ¡°Yeah, just finished, Where are you headed, Ms Campbell?¡± ¡°Going home.¡± ¡°Perfect, I¡¯m heading back to the city too. I can give you a ride.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t really want to share a car with her boss, she hadn¡¯t figured Steven out yet and wasn¡¯t familiar with him. Celeste tried to decline, ¡°No need. It¡¯s easy to get a taxi around here.¡± Steven smiled slightly and said, ¡°Ms Campbell, you don¡¯t seem very friendly towards me.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± Having no choice, Celeste decided to respect the man who paid her sry. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. So she said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll trouble Mr Garcia to give me a lift.¡± The scent in Steven¡¯s car was the same as in his office, veryfortable and refreshing. After Celeste buckled her seatbelt, Steven asked, ¡°So, what brings Ms Campbell to this area?¡± ¡°House hunting,¡± Celeste replied sincerely. After all, she¡¯d have to provide her address when registering herpany info, so there was no point in hiding it. ¡°Is it Redwood Ridge Estates?¡± Celeste nodded. Steven kindly said, ¡°You know, Redwood Ridge Estates¡® developer has been involved inwsuits recently. Their housing prices might not increase much in the next few years. Redwood Ridge Estates has a high upancy rate, mainly with young folks, which isn¡¯t ideal for actors. If you¡¯re looking to buy a house around here, you might wanna consider Grandview Heights instead.¡± Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Even the smallest house in Grandview Heights was over 200 square meters. Themunity had big spaces between houses and top¨Cnotch facilities, and property management was top notch in the country. It¡¯s one of the best neighbourhoods in J City. With the money Celeste had, buying a house in Grandview Heights was like daydreaming. For Steven¡¯s suggestion, she thought, it would be best not to mention it again next time. Celeste didn¡¯t respond, and Steven continued, ¡°I know the owner of Grandview Heights. He still has some houses for sale. If you¡¯re interested. I can help you ask for a discount.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Grandview Heights is nice, but I can¡¯t afford it so I won¡¯t consider it for now.¡± Steven paused momentarily as if suspecting that Celeste was joking about being unable to afford it. With Liam¡¯s wealth, after the divorce, he would at least give Celeste a lot of money, and buying such a luxury house would be a piece of cake. Celeste exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for any property when I divorced, so my budget is limited. At least for now, I can¡¯t afford Grandview Heights.¡± Steven frowned and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He asked in a deep voice, ¡°Liam didn¡¯t give you any money?¡± Celeste casually said, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t put any money in when we got married, either,¡± Steven didn¡¯t continue talking, but Celeste could feel his mood was somewhat down.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Although she didn¡¯t know why, she still kept silent cautiously. After a while, Steven finally suppressed his emotions and whispered, ¡°Tomorrow night, please discuss the cooperation with Ms Campbell.¡± Celeste¡¯s expression softened, and she said gently, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Does Ms Campbell have any particr preferences or dislikes? Like favourite dishes or vours, let me know beforehand, and I can arrange the menu.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any special preferences, and I¡¯m generally okay with everything. But I¡¯m allergic to peanut butter. Everything else is fine.¡± Peanut butter allergy Steven tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He was also allergic to peanut butter He asked softly. ¡°Do you like mangoes?¡± Celeste smiled and answered, ¡°I love them very much.¡± Steven smiled, his eyes showing a hint of affection, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Stop a bit ahead. I want to buy something.¡± Steven stopped the car, and Celeste went into a restaurant. About ten minutester, Celeste came out with packed meal boxes. She put one of the meals in the back seat and said, ¡°This ce has delicious food. I got a meal for Mr Garcia, too. Give it a try.¡± Stevenughed, ¡°Thank you.¡± Not far away, in a Bentley car, Nics violently took off his sunsses. He witnessed Celeste carrying several meals, getting into a Maybach. He thought guiltily: What a coincidence! Holy moly! Really? Did his words have foresight? Celeste just got divorced, and she¡¯s already in a new rtionship? And why does this car look so familiar? He took a picture of the license te and sent it to Mason, ¡°Mason. Whose car is this?¡± Mason was at thew firm helping a colleaguemunicate with a client. He saw the WhatsApp notification, looked, and didn¡¯t reply. Without seeing Mason¡¯s reply, Nics saw the car opposite him start, and without caring about his own business, he chased after it Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 He said he was watching the excitement, but he and Liam had been together since childhood. Seeing Liam regretting the divorce, how could he not help? Regardless of whose car it is, understanding the situation is critical. He followed to an apartment, then saw the car door open. Celeste came out, said goodbye to the person in the car, and took the packed meals into the apartment. The car stayed in ce for a few minutes until Celeste disappeared before slowly driving away When the car drove away, Nics moved his car a bit forward, lowered the window, and carefully looked at the apartment¡¯s name. Highcliff Manor. He took out his phone, located himself here, looked up, and suddenly someone leaned over the car window, startling him, and he almost threw his phone out. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Trisha growled with a ckface, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Nics He responded calmly. ¡°Just passing by¡± ¡°Quit your BS! I saw you sneaking around here for quite a while! Are you stalking me?¡± Nics¡¯s mouth twitched. Does this girl have a persecutionplex? He didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with her, raised the window and wanted to leave. Trisha pushed the window down and asked him with narrowed eyes, ¡°Did you say something to Dr Ledford?¡± Nics frowned, ¡°Do I look idle?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not idle, how would you follow me here?¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°Dr Ledford hasn¡¯t been very friendly to me these days. We used to chat well, but ever since I was with you.¡± Thinking of that, Trisha felt shy and angry. ¡°After that, Dr Ledford didn¡¯t talk to me much. If it weren¡¯t for you saying something, how could he be so cold to me?¡± Didn¡¯t this girl have eyes? Jace Ledford didn¡¯t contact her, because he wasn¡¯t interested in her Jace¡¯s previous friends were all tall and curvy, and she looked like an underdeveloped high school student, short, which was not Jace¡¯s taste at all. How could he possibly contact her? Nics, being a gentleman to women, even to this girl, didn¡¯t want to say outright that Jace wasn¡¯t interested in her. He just said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Jace since the birthday party. How could I tell him? Besides, what good would I do to talk about this?¡± Trisha looked at Nics suspiciously. His expression now didn¡¯t look like he was lying. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t say anything?¡± Nics almost rolled his eyes, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll trust you this time,¡± Trisha thought for a moment and started looking at Nics again. That mischievous glint in her eyes made Nics shiver all over. ¡°Mr. Francis?¡± Nics¡¯s hand shook, and identally pped the car horn, causing it to re loudly. Trisha jumped in fright. ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡± Nics smirked, thinking it was her calling out that startled him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Although Trisha still didn¡¯t like how Nics acted like she didn¡¯t matter, she needed his help, so she had to swallow her pride. ¡°Mr Francis, are you close with Dr Ledford?¡± ¡°We¡¯re pretty tight, I guess. Why?¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes narrowed yfully, ¡°I need a favour. Can you help me pursue Dr Ledford? If you help me win them over, I¡¯ll never speak of what happened that night for the rest of my life. But if you don¡¯t.¡± Nics chuckled at her half¨Cthreatening and half¨Cpleading attitude, asking. ¡°So what if I don¡¯t help?¡± Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll spread rumours that you harassed me, protest outside yourpany, and let all your employees know your dirty deeds!¡± Nics¡® eye twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s pretty embarrassing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the victim here. Why should I feel embarrassed? You should be the one feeling embarrassed¡± Nics shook his head. He didn¡¯t care about people making a scene; he had dealt with clingy ex¨Cgirlfriends and people causing trouble at hispany. But this girl was different from those women. Others caused trouble for money, but her goal seemed more than just money. She might go public about being harassed by Nics. Thinking about this, Nics felt headache. He nced at Trisha unhappily, ¡°So what would it take for me to help you win him over?¡± Trisha¡¯s face lit up. ¡°As long as Dr Ledford agrees to date me, your mission isplete.¡± Nics looked her up and down, suggesting, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go for stic surgery first? That way, your chances of sess would be higher.¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°Do you think Dr Ledford is as shallow as you? Besides, where am I ugly?¡± Nics thought to himself. Speaking of shallow, Jace was even more so. Although he knew little about her past, he could tell she wasn¡¯tplicated. He felt the need to remind her. ¡°Men are all shallow. None of us are more noble than the others. You should at least get to know the person first, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare badmouth Dr Ledford!¡± Trisha red at him. Nics couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly inside. Whatever, it was her request, after all. If she¡¯s willing to take the risk, let her. Nics looked at her and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you. But you better keep your mouth shut. If any weird rumours spread, forget about chasing Jace, I¡¯ll make you afraid of looking at handsome guys ever again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a reasonable person, okay?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Trisha took out her phone. ¡°Let¡¯s add each other on Whatsapp.¡± After scanning each other¡¯s QR codes, Nics asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Trisha¡± Nics responded with ¡°Oh¡± and added a note to her contact: ¡°Female Bandit.¡± On the other hand, Trisha added the note ¡°Stinky Dummy¡± to Nics. ¡°Does Celeste live with you?¡± Trisha asked warily. ¡°Why are you asking about Celeste?¡± *Just asking.¡± Knowing he wouldn¡¯t get any information from her, Nics closed the car window and drove away. Mason finished his work, picked up his phone, saw the photo Nics sent, and replied, ¡°Steven¡¯s car. What¡¯s up?¡± After a while, Nics replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± He then sent a text to Liam. Steven took your ex¨Cwife home. Liam had been busy dealing with the Barlow family¡¯s affairs since returning from the coffee shop, his head spinning from all the work. Seeing Nics text, he frowned but didn¡¯t reply. Is Steven interested in Celeste? You just divorced, and he¡¯s already eagerly trying to please her. That¡¯s pretty weird. Liam pursed his lips: ¡°Celeste saved ir.¡± Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Chapter 491 ¡°Really? It didn¡¯t seem like a life¨Csaving favour to me. After your ex¨Cwife exited the car, he sat and stared for a long time before leaving¡± Liam was getting annoyed by Nic¡¯s constant mention of ¡®ex¨C wife.¡± Frowning, he asked, ¡°Did you see anything else?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Anyway, you better get a move on. Steven¡¯s not worse off than you in any way. If he likes Celeste, the Garcia family might not even mind that she¡¯s divorced¡± Liam pursed his lips: ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. She doesn¡¯t like Steven¡¯s type Celeste preferred men with sharper facial features and a slightly rugged appearance. Steven¡¯s gentle, schrly looks weren¡¯t her cup of tea. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Nics said leisurely. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her like handsome young schrs on TikTok. She has a taste for this type Steven¡¯s face is the best¨C looking I¡¯ve ever seen. He¡¯s not much shorter than you, has a good body, and knows how to please people. If I were Celeste, Id choose him¡± Liam. Thinking of the videos Celeste liked, he suddenly felt unsure. He wasn¡¯t sure if Celeste liked him, but he was sure she liked his face. During intimate moments, her favourite position was face¨Cto¨Cface, staring at him without blinking. The emotions and admiration in her eyes were all captured by him. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. He didn¡¯t like her being too concerned about his appearance, yet he used it to seduce her. Now that they were divorced, even this advantage was gone. Liam frowned and called Hiram. Hiram had just returned from a business trip and was busy handling overseas affairs for hispany When he received Liam¡¯s call, he had just arrived home. ¡°Uncle Hiram, it¡¯s me, Liam.¡± Hiram still liked Liam very much. After all, he was his college friend¡¯s son, and he had watched him grow up. ¡°Liam, I was just thinking of contacting you in the next few days, but you beat me to it.¡± ¡°I was on a business trip, and just got back. When you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll arrange a time to treat you to dinner.¡± ¡°No rush. I¡¯m swamped these days. Once things settle down, I¡¯ll personally visit Sienna and gather with everyone.¡± Liam agreed, ¡°Sure, just let me know when you¡¯reing¡± ¡°Is that all you called for?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another thing.¡± Liam paused, then asked softly, ¡°Has Steven started dating anyone?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been single, Hiram sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not getting any younger, but he¡¯s not in a hurry to find someone. He gets angry whenever the topices up.¡± Liam pursed his lips, ¡°Uncle Hiram, I know a few nice girls with good backgrounds. If Steven is still single, he could meet them. Maybe he¡¯ll find someone he likes.¡± Hiram¡¯s interest was immediately piqued, ¡°Whose daughters are they? How old are they? Do you have photos?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone gather their info and send it to you in a bit, and then you can help Steven check them out.¡± ¡°I trust your judgment. You definitely won¡¯t be wrong.¡± Liam casually said, ¡°It mainly depends on what Steven thinks.¡± Not long after hanging up, Liam sent over the profiles of several girls. Each one had high education and beautiful and dignified looks, and Hiram felt satisfied with every single one. When Steven returned with food, he saw Hiram sitting on the sofa, wearing sses and looking at his phone,ughing happily. ¡°What are you looking at that¡¯s making you so happy?¡® Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Steven put the food on the table, took off his coat, and threw it casually onto the sofa. He sat on the chair next to Hiram, picked up the ss of water from the table, took a couple of sips, and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you smile since got back What¡¯s got you in such a good mood now?* Hiram was in his fifties, with frosty temples and noticeable wrinkles around his eyes. However, his sharp brows and bright eyes still hinted at his youthful charm. Yet, as time went by, his body had gained a bit of weight. But it wasn¡¯t too noticeable since he had broad shoulders and was tall. Steven¡¯s eyes were very simr to his, but the rest of his facial features didn¡¯t quite resemble Hiram. He probably took after his mother more. ¡°Come take a look ¡°Hiram called out, ¡°Which one of these do you like?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Steven leaned in. Hiram showed him a bunch of profiles of socialites. ¡°How about this one? She¡¯s got a master¡¯s degree, and pretty good¨Clooking, with big eyes. What do you think?¡± Steven leaned back, ¡°Not interested.¡± ¡°What about this one? She¡¯s fluent in fournguages and can ride horses. You alwaysin about not havingpany when horse riding. This one¡¯s perfect.¡± Steven held his temples. ¡°You¡¯ve already dealt with thepany¡¯s affairs and still have the energy to worry about this?¡± ¡°Liam introduced these girls to you. He¡¯s considerate and cares about your love life, bringing many good options. You can¡¯t let his efforts go to waste. They¡¯re all decent. Why not meet them one by one? You may find someone you click with.¡± Steven frowned, ¡°You¡¯re saying Liam introduced them to you?¡± Hiram corrected, ¡°He introduced them to you.¡± Steven. Why on earth would Liam introduce women to him like this? Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. And not even directly to him but through his dad. If Liam genuinely wanted to introduce a girlfriend to him, shouldn¡¯t he go to Steven first? Going to Hiram would only make him think that Steven was messing with him, and eventually, Hiram would arrange for him to meet all the girls anyway. Did he piss Liam off recently? As Steven thought about it, he suddenly remembered the Bentley that followed him when he drove Celeste home today. He knew it was Nics¡¯s car, but he didn¡¯t bother with it. Just after he dropped off Celeste, Liam arranged blind dates for him. Could it be because Liam had taken a liking to Celeste? Steven¡¯s mind worked fast, and once he figured it out, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be kicked out with nothing? If Liam have the guts, take your time! Steven tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa, finally rxing, ¡°Alright, since Liam introduced them, I can¡¯t let his kindness go to waste. I¡¯ll make time to meet these girls.¡± Hiram was delighted, ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t afford to dy any longer.¡± Hiram: ¡°ir doesn¡¯t like the grilled meat you bought.¡± Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 ¡°It wasn¡¯t for her,¡± Steven said gently, ¡°just happened to give Ms Campbell a ride on my way back, and she got me a portion of grilled meat when she bought some.¡± Hiram asked, ¡°Does Ms Campbell like pork knuckle rice?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± Hiram smiled and whispered, ¡°Your mom also liked grilled meat. Our family and Ms Campbell are quite destined¡± Steven smiled faintly, ¡°Yes, quite destined. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her when you meet her tomorrow,¡± ir ¡°Who do you like, Steven?¡± As they spoke, ir came downstairs. She wore a beige cotton dress with a high ponytail and slippers. ir had been frail since childhood, and her development waster than her peers. But with the care of her family, she now appeared quite normal. She was thin and had a pretty bare face. Steven stood up, ¡°How¡¯s the painting going?¡± ¡°Not done yet, but I heard you talking to Dad and wanted toe down and see.¡± As she spoke, she nced at the food on the table, excitedly asking. ¡°What delicious food did you bring this time?¡± Before Steven could answer, she opened the takeout box, saw the grilled meat, and frowned. ¡°Steven, don¡¯t you know I don¡¯t like grilled meat?¡± Hiram was about to exin that it was from Celeste, but Steven jumped in, ¡°This is for Dad. If you want something else, I¡¯ll ask the maid to make it for youter.¡± Hiram didnt say anything. Upon hearing it was for Hiram, ir said, ¡°Dad, you have high blood pressure. The doctor said you should eat less greasy food¡± Hiramughed, ¡°Grilled meat doesn¡¯t count as greasy, and it¡¯s just this once. It won¡¯t hurt.¡± ir continued, ¡°Then you better gobble it. If Mom finds out, we won¡¯t be able to help you.¡± She didn¡¯t mind grilled meat, but her Mom disliked it a lot. She wouldn¡¯t eat it herself and didn¡¯t let them eat it either, ¡°I know.¡± The next day, after finishing her work on set, Celeste went home, changed her clothes, and met Hiram. She searched her wardrobe for a while before choosing a light blue, modified version of a formal dress. When dining with elders, paying attention to one¡¯s appearance was best. She put on some light makeup, and Steven called as she was changing her shoes. ¡°Ms Campbell, are you ready?¡± Celeste was stunned. How did he know she was getting ready at home? Steven immediately exined, ¡°I just called Mr Miller, and he said you went home. When you¡¯re ready, come downstairs. I¡¯m waiting for you outside your apartmentplex.¡± Before Celeste could say no, Steven hung up the phone This boss was too enthusiastic. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Celeste put on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and went out. As expected, Steven was waiting outside, driving the same Maybach he had used to take her home yesterday. He wore sunsses, stood beside the car with both hands in his pockets, one foot propped against the tire, and gazed around expressionlessly Seeing him, she smiled slightly. He pulled out his hand, stood up, and helped her open the passenger door. Celeste said thanks and got in the car. After the car started, Celeste said, ¡°Mr Garcia, you didn¡¯t have to pick me up. I have my car.¡± ¡°I was passing by anyway, and gas is expensive these days. You didn¡¯t get anything from the divorce, right? So, it¡¯s better to save a bit when you can.¡± He made a good point, and she couldn¡¯t argue with that. Steven¡¯s enthusiasm made Celeste wonder if he was actually trying to pursue her, but he never made any wrong moves, and their conversation mostly revolved around her childhood. He seemed really into this. Celeste signed his contract, so she had to chat with him, making small talk here and there along the way. Steven got out of the car and helped her open the door when they got to the restaurant.. As soon as Liam got out of the car, he saw Steven holding Celeste¡¯s hand, leading her out Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Celeste, dressed in a light blue dress, looked stunning and had gentle eyes. Her smile was still bright and charming, but it wasn¡¯t for him anymore. Liam clenched his fists and followed her without waiting for Owen to leave the car. ¡°Steven.¡± Hearing his name, Steven turned around and saw Liam, with a tense face walking towards him. He called for him, but his eyes were fixed on Celeste. Celeste frowned when she saw Liam, but because of Steven¡¯s presence, she pursed her lips and stayed silent. ¡°Mr Reed, what a coincidence, you¡¯re eating here too?¡± Steven¡¯s smile was faint. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Liam pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°Just having a meal with a client, and you, Steven?¡± Steven¡¯s hand lightly touched Celeste¡¯s waist and said, ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with Ms Campbell* Liam. He stared at Steven¡¯s hand on Celeste¡¯s waist, wishing he could tear it away. He lowered his voice, ¡°When did you be so close with my wife?¡± Celeste thought to herself, who¡¯s your wife? Weren¡¯t her words yesterday harsh enough? When did Liam be so thick¨Cskinned? Steven smiled lightly, ¡°Mr Reed, if I remember correctly, you and Ms Campbell are already divorced. Calling her your wife might damage her reputation. She is now my artist, and I don¡¯t want any weird rumours to affect my money¨Cmaking¡± Liam¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°You signed with him?¡± This question was directed at Celeste. Celeste nced at him indifferently, ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything from the divorce, and I need money. Mr Garcia offered a good price, so what¡¯s the problem with signing with him?¡± Liam choked and frowned, ¡°If you want to act, I can find you resources. You don¡¯t have to sign with someone else and be under their control.¡± Celeste said indifferently. ¡°Signing with you means I won¡¯t be under your control?¡± ¡°Or does Mr Reed enjoy keeping female actresses. After promoting Ms Denton, you want to promote your ex¨Cwife? If I sign with you, do I have to follow your orders 24/7 and please you whenever you want?¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Why are youparing yourself to her? You¡¯re not the same. I¡¯m more than willing to give you resources.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± Celeste smirked, interrupting him, ¡°After all, when my mom passed away. Mr Reed had the mood to show love to Ms Denton at the airport. As your ex¨Cwife, how can Ipare with her?¡± Liam frowned, not understanding what Celeste was talking about regarding showing love at the airport, but that didn¡¯t stop him from hearing the anger and resentment in her voice.. As he was about to exin, Steven said, ¡°No wonder Mr. Reed is so concerned about Ms. Denton. You cherish her. Since you have a new love, don¡¯t bother our artist anymore. Our little artist here isn¡¯t like Ms Denton and doesn¡¯t like to go down the hype route.¡± Liam: ¡°Steven, this is between us. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°What private matters do we still have?¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything from the divorce, and now Mr Reed wants to offend my boss and make me lose my job? Does it bother you that much to see me doing well?¡± Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Seeing the irritation in Celeste¡¯s eyes, Liam¡¯s anger was instantly extinguished. He pursed his lips, feeling lost, and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Mr Reed.¡± From not too far away, a soft feminine voicee. Celeste looked up coldly and saw Sydney in a long pink dress, all glitzy and morous. She smiled and walked over, ¡°Mr Garcia, you¡¯re here too,¡± and then nced at Celeste briefly with a curve of her lips, ¡°Hello, Ms Campbell.¡± Liam frowned. What was she doing here? Celeste¡¯s expression was indifferent, but her fingers were already clenched. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Of course, she could hear where Sydney emphasized her pronunciation and understood how much schadenfreude was in that ¡°Ms Campbell.¡± Wasn¡¯t it something to gloat about? Liam finally divorced her, and she got nothing. Sydney¡¯s long¨Chidden frustration was finally released, so why not show off before her? ¡°I heard Ms Campbell¡¯s mother passed away not long ago. I wasn¡¯t in J City at the time and couldn¡¯t go to pay my respects, which I truly regret. But looking at Ms Campbell¡¯s state now, it seems she¡¯s already over her grief. Time is indeed a good medicine.¡± Her mother had only passed away for over a week, and talking about being over her grief was like stabbing her in the heart. ¡°Ms Denton, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. You can still visit grave number 174 to show your condolences. Don¡¯t just say it. Take some action. Maybe my mom will be happy to see it ande thank you at night.¡± Sydney¡¯s face turned ugly. How could she say such a creepy thing so seriously? They were divorced, but her mouth was still so poisonous! Is this what happens when Celeste divorce Liam, lose backing, and start to let go? Sydney smiled, ¡°Ms Campbell knows how to joke.¡± Then she turned the topic to Steven, ¡°I heard Mr Garcia just returned to J City a few months ago. Is this your first time at this restaurant? I¡¯m a regr here and am very familiar with their signature dishes. I also have a good rtionship with the owner. If Mr Garcia doesn¡¯t mind, we can all share a table, and I can introduce you to some local specialities.¡± Steven nced at Sydney indifferently. He wasn¡¯t familiar with Sydney, but he¡¯d ¡°run into her frequently in the past month. Skyline Media Group had no cooperation with Sydney, so her frequent ¡°encounters¡± must take some effort. Sydney¡¯s got some tricks up her sleeve, and Steven knew it all too well. She¡¯s about to break ties with Nics Media Group and was currently looking for a newpany to sign with. Sydney¡¯s acting skills were not all that, but she had ambition. Skyline Media Group might be a newly registeredpany, but with the Garcia family backing them, they had some serious dough. Plus, they¡¯re on the lookout for talent right now. If Sydney signed with them at this point, she¡¯d naturally get the best resources considering her current status. Her career moving up another notch was just a matter of time. She¡¯s been creating the ¡°chance encounters¡± just to get on Steven¡¯s good side, hoping Skyline Media Group would take the initiative and offer her an olive branch. Too bad she miscalcted. Skyline Media Group¡¯s first production had Zach as the director, and Steven had no intention of letting his artists gain poprity through inte traffic. He¡¯s not nning on signing ¡°inte traffic¡± stars like Sydney. Besides, Celeste seemed to dislike her. With that in mind, Steven said, ¡°I appreciate Ms Denton¡¯s intentions, but I invited Ms Campbell here to meet my family today, and I don¡¯t want any outsiders around. Mr Reed seems pretty free. Why don¡¯t you join him at his table instead?¡± Celeste. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Liam was stunned, his eyes filled with shock, and a sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart. Sydney hesitated momentarily, then quickly asked, ¡°Meet the family?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Meet my family.¡± Steven said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for quite a while, so it¡¯s about time I introduce her to my parents. Otherwise, people might think I¡¯m single and keep trying to set up.¡± Liam. Celeste was taken aback. Steven¡¯s answer saved her face, but it felt odd and ufortable. Sydney couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Mr Garcia, are you saying that you and Ms Campbell have reached the point where you need to meet each other¡¯s parents?¡± Steven nced at her. ¡°Is that so surprising?¡± ¡°It is a bit.¡± Sydney clenched her fingers and whispered, ¡°Ms Campbell just got divorced, and now she¡¯s meeting your parents. Things are moving pretty fast.¡± ¡°Well. You don¡¯t want to wait a moment longer when you meet the right person. I thought I wouldn¡¯t have a chance, but it turns out Mr Reed couldn¡¯t see a gem when it was right in front of him,¡± Steven paused for a moment, thenughed, ¡°Mr Reed, if we end up together, we¡¯ll have to give you a big gift to thank you for giving up.¡± Celeste listened expressionlessly as Steven spewed nonsense. But she gotta admit, he sounded pretty serious, especially when he said, ¡°If we end up together,¡± and gave her a deep, love¨Cstruck look. He really seemed like a smitten guy. Liam¡¯s face at this moment couldn¡¯t be described as ugly, his eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth as he looked at Celeste. ¡°Is what he said true?¡± For a moment, Celeste seemed to see an indescribable panic and sadness in his eyes. But soon, she shrugged off the thought. Why would Liam be sad? It was his doing that brought them to this paint today. What right did he have to be sad? Even if he was sad, it was probably because she managed to find a good catch like Steven right after her divorce, hurting his pride. ¡°Does it matter if it¡¯s true or not?¡± Celeste nced at him indifferently, not wanting to stay here a second longer. She didn¡¯t want to see Sydney or Liam, especially not with them standing together. Celeste didn¡¯t look at him again and turned to Steven, ¡°Mr Garcia, let¡¯s go in.¡± Steven nced at Liam¡¯s broken expression and followed her, ¡°How about mango pudding for dessert?¡± ¡°Sounds good. I love it.¡± As their voices faded, Liam stood rooted to the spot, his eyes red and swollen. Their voices drifted away, and Liam stood there, his eyes red inappropriately Naturally, he didn¡¯t believe Steven¡¯s nonsense. What he was really sad about was Celeste¡¯s irrefutability. Though he no longer believed that Celeste would have a crush on Steven, nor can he watch her go to see Steven¡¯s parents without being moved. She didn¡¯t like Steven. What if Steven liked her? Celeste was good¨Clooking. Celeste was sweet Celeste was gentle with her elders. Celeste also saved ir¡¯s life. The Garcia family had no reason not to like her. He pursed his lips, looked at their backs, and followed him up. Sydney saw Liam leaving and hurried to pull him. ¡°m¡­¡± As soon as she touched Liam¡¯s hand, she was thrown off by the other side in a conditioned way. He frowned in a very bad tone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Sydney got a fright, retracted her fingers and whispered, ¡°Liam, can you do me another favor? Recently, there was a very difficultwsuit. Thewyer invited by the other party was very powerful. If I lose thewsuit, it will be very unfavorable to my career, Liam, please help me again.¡± Liam was bored with her coldly. ¡°our contract is over.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Sydney whispered, ¡°I really have no choice but to find you. Thewyer invited by the other party is your friend Mason, who has no record of losing this kind ofwsuit I am really worried¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business,¡± Liam¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°If you are open¨Cminded, why are you afraid of others asking for awyer?¡± No longer look at her, m turned into the restaurant. Sydney was gloomy, and after the bone marrow was taken out, she was useless to m. After several years of getting along, he turned out to have no feelings for her. She worked hard to get to where she was today. Where¡¯s Celeste? Even if she was divorced, she can quickly find a high¨Cquality receiver like Steven, Where was she worse than her? A sullen face, she took out her mobile phone and dialed a number As soon as the phone was connected, she lowered her voice. ¡°It¡¯s me, Sydney.¡± The person on the other end of the phone didn¡¯t speak Sydney whispered, ¡°I said ording to your guidance, Liam didn¡¯t answer. You must help me.¡± When they got into the elevator, Celeste said, ¡°Steven, thank you for helping me out just now.¡± Steven smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not a relief for you. He gave me trouble first, so I naturally want to pay him back.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°He thought I had something to do with you. He stuffed many photos of celebrities with my dad and arranged blind dates for me.¡± Celeste??? ¡°Since he angered me first, don¡¯t me me.¡± Steven hooked up his lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t look at his face just now I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s crying with anger.¡± Celeste¡­ ¡°You think too much.¡± Liam won¡¯t cry, and even if a dog cried, he won¡¯t! Especially it¡¯s his ex¨Cwife who has nothing to do with it. After getting off the elevator, under the guidance of the waiter, they soon got to the box. The closer she got to the box, the more restrained Celeste became. When Steven pushed the door open, she clenched her hands unconsciously. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Dad, Aunt Su, she¡¯sing¡± When he said this, he staggered his body. Celeste lowered her eyes and whispered, ¡°Hiram Garcia, Mrs. Janis.¡± Hiram was dazed. He looked at the girl in front of him and was shocked. Her long hair was simply tied behind her head, her face was light in makeup, and her eyebrows were picturesque. Even if she hanged her eyes, she can¡¯t hide that amazing. Hiram looked at that face, and his throat was a little stiff. Mrs. Janis said with a smile, ¡°Steven, is this Celeste you mentioned? She¡¯s really nice. Don¡¯t stand, come in and sit down.¡± Hiram returned to reality and quickly said, ¡°Oh right, right, right, let Ms. Campbell in!¡± Then he told Steven, ¡°Steven, find out what Ms Campbell liked to eat and ordered a few more dishes.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste whispered, ¡°There¡¯s already plenty of food, and I¡¯m not that hungry.¡± Steven said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked Ms Campbell, and you¡¯ve ordered all her favorites.¡± Hiramughed and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good¡± As he spoke, Hiram started introducing his family to Celeste. ¡°This is my wife, Janis, and this girl, who¡¯s about your age, is my daughter, ir. I won¡¯t introduce Steven since you two must know each other well.¡± Celeste nodded and greeted them one by one. She had met ir before and still had some impression of her. As for Hiram and his wife, this was their first meeting She recalled that Steven had called her Mrs. Janis when he came in earlier, Wasn¡¯t this Mrs Garcia his original wife? As she was thinking about this, there was a knock on the door, and it was pushed open. Celeste didn¡¯t look back, thinking it was the waiter. But the next second, she heard Liam¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr Garcia" Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Celeste¡¯s eyelid twitched But Hiram was delighted and quickly said. ¡°Liam, howe you¡¯re here?¡± Liam raised the two bottles of high¨Cend brandy in his hand, I heard from Steven that you¡¯re having a dinner party, so I came to bring you two bottles of brandy¡± Steven thought to himself What a perfect excuse! Although Hiram wasn¡¯t a heavy drinker, he loved brandy Janis wouldn¡¯t allow him to order alcohol, but it¡¯s another story if Liam brought it. So when Hiram saw Liam, especially with the brandy in his hand, he was over the moon, ¡°Young man, no need to bring anything Steven, go get it ¡°He gestured to Steven Steven slowly got up, walked over to Liam, and took the two bottles of wine. ¡°You have a dinner appointment, right? You better go Hiram didn¡¯t catch his son¡¯s displeasure and asked, ¡°Liam, do you have another appointment? I was hoping you could sit down and have a drink with me¡± Liam calmly replied. ¡°I did have an appointment, but the other party couldn¡¯t make it. The food has already been served and can¡¯t be returned. I¡¯l have someone send it to your roomter¡± Hiram enthusiastically said, ¡°Tve ordered quite a bit here too. How about this, since the person you were supposed to meet didn¡¯te, why not join us at our table?¡± Liam immediately replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll dly join.¡± Celeste.¡± Steven was helpless. How shameless was Liam? Was his skin as thick as a city wall? He wastes no chances when other people give him the tiniest bit of room and quickly takes action. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hiram immediately had someone add a chair and a set of tableware The waiter brought the chair, and Liam ced it directly between Celeste and Steven, not caring how crowded the three were, and sat down. Thus the situation was now this, with everyone else sitting at individual tables and the three of them all at one table. Celestes eyelids kept twitching. The distance between her and Liam was so close that they could touch each other by just raising their hands. Was Liam doing this on purpose? Although Hiram didn¡¯t notice the strange atmosphere between the three, he still felt they were sitting too close. ¡°Liam, why don¡¯t you sit next to ir? There¡¯s more space there Liam replied, ¡°I¡¯ll just sit here. I haven¡¯t seen Steven in a while, so I want to catch up with him.¡± Steven was dumbfounded He was lying so nonchntly, did he really think he couldn¡¯t see through it? When Hiram heard him say this, he didn¡¯t say anything more. He actually hoped that Steven and Liam could get along well. Although Steven sometimes had too many ideas, Liam was more down¨Cto¨Cearth and focused on getting things done. He hoped his son could learn from Liam in this aspect, so he was happy to see their rtionship improving Celeste quietly moved her chair closer to ir Hiram was very happy, talking non¨Cstop to Liam about Celeste, and when it came to her saving ir, he spoke as if he had witnessed it himsel Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Janis chuckled beside him, ¡°Liam knows better than you do. He and Ms. Campbell are a couple. How could he not know?¡± As soon as these words came out, everyone¡¯s expressions varied. The younger generation all knew about Liam and Celeste¡¯s divorce, as they were all in the same circle. But the older generation might not be in the loop, like Hiram and Janis. Hiram didn¡¯t even know Celeste was Liam¡¯s wife¡­ ex wife. If it weren¡¯t for this, he wouldn¡¯t have been chatting so happily with Liam for so long. Celeste pursed her lips. Since both elders didn¡¯t know about her divorce, if she mentioned it now, the Garcia family elders would definitely feel awkward. So Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. Celeste didn¡¯t speak, and the Garcia siblings didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to bring it up either. Liam also hoped that everyone wouldn¡¯t mention the divorce. After Janis finished speaking, Liam said, ¡°I just hope that no matter what the situation, Letti will always take care of herself first.¡± He knew that no matter what he said now, Celeste might not listen, but what he said at this moment was what he really wanted to say. From the moment he knew that Celeste had climbed along the outer wall of the twelfth floor from the women¡¯s restroom to the men¡¯s restroom, he had felt more than once how dangerous it was At a high altitude, several tens of meters above the surface, without any protective measures, if she had slipped, there would have been almost no chance of survival. He would rather she be the one to stand by and watch instead of saving anyone. Hiram didn¡¯t catch the meaning of Liam¡¯s words, but Janis did. Janis smiled, ¡°So Ms. Campbell is both brave and smart¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Hiram sighed, ¡°I¡¯m d she was there, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. ir, you must thank her.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ir said gently, ¡°Do I need you to remind me, Dad?¡± She raised her wine ss, turned to Celeste, and said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, I should have personallye to thank you for what happened at the hotel, but after I came back that day, my health hasn¡¯t been great, and I¡¯ve been recuperating for a while. It wasn¡¯t until today that I had the pleasure of having you here. I hope you don¡¯t mind. With this ss of wine, I want to thank you for risking your life to save me at the hotel. Without you, I might not be here. My family and I have prepared a simple feast today, and I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.¡± Celeste also raised her ss and smiled. ¡°Ms. Garcia, you¡¯re too kind. To me, it was just a minor matter. You being so formal with me makes me feel burdened. Actually, if it weren¡¯t for Kaylee having a conflict with me that day and blocking the restroom door from the outside, I wouldn¡¯t have been dyed for so long. In a way, I also dragged you down. I can¡¯t say I saved you, but I made up for my mistake.¡± She didn¡¯t care whether the Garcia family was grateful to her or not. Her goal was to direct the trouble to Kaylee. Hiram was taken aback, frowning. ¡°You mean Kaylee blocked the door?¡± Celeste lowered her head, ¡°Kaylee wasn¡¯t targeting Ms. Garcia, she was after me. But she didn¡¯t know Ms. Garcia was there too, so it was unintentional.¡± Celeste¡¯s words were sincere, but she sneered in her heart. Liam likes to clean up Kaylee¡¯s mess, right? Well, let him do it some more. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Hiram¡¯s face suddenly became serious. Clearly, he had no clue who was behind all this trouble. Liam looked at Celeste. Celeste was expressionless and didn¡¯t look at him. She was waiting to hear how Liam would cover up for Kayleeter. As expected, in just a few seconds, Liam said, ¡°Mr. Garcia, this Incident was indeed caused by Kaylee. The Reed family didn¡¯t discipline her well, so she¡¯lle to apologize in person another day.¡± Celeste was taken aback. She thought Liam would find some excuse for Kaylee, but he just admitted it for her. Was this a tactic of retreating in order to advance? Since Liam had already said this, Hiram couldn¡¯t say anything more in public, even if he was still unhappy. Hiram frowned, ¡°Kaylee is really out of line. Even without ir¡¯s incident, she shouldn¡¯t have locked Ms. Campbell in the bathroom just because she was unhappy. Is this how a normal person behaves?* Liam pursed his lips and said after a while, ¡°The Reed family has indeed spoiled her too much.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Janis said softly, ¡°Let it go. It¡¯s rare for us to get together this year, let¡¯s talk about something happy.¡± Celeste looked at Janis in surprise. ir called her Mom, but Steven called her Mrs. Janis. Judging from the titles they used, ir should be Janis¡¯s biological daughter. Mr. Garcia and Steven treated ir like a treasure, while Janis, the mother, was very magnanimous. But it seemed that Hiram liked this approach. As soon as Janis spoke, he didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further and just muttered, ¡°It¡¯s really inappropriate.¡± Seeing that her attempt to provoke didn¡¯t seed, Celeste was somewhat disappointed. The Garcia family was well¨Cmannered. If it were her, she would have wanted to beat the person who almost killed her daughter. Celeste raised her ss to ir and said, ¡°Ms. Garcia isn¡¯t feeling well, so tea instead of alcohol is fine. I¡¯ll drink first to show my respect.¡± With that, she downed the drink in her ss. ¡°Ms. Campbell is straightforward Steven said with a smile, refilling Celeste¡¯s ss, ¡°Here¡¯s to you, to celebrate our sessful signing¡± Celeste didn¡¯t refuse and drank it all again. Her face didn¡¯t change at all after drinking two sses of alcohol, Steven immediately poured a third ss, but before he could say anything, Liam said, ¡®Ill drink this one for her. She can¡¯t handle alcohol.¡± Celeste was like, ¡°What?¡± How could he say she couldn¡¯t handle alcohol with his weak drinking capacity? Before Celeste could speak, Steven suddenlyughed, ¡°If you¡¯re drinking, then we can¡¯t use this kind of small cup. We have to drink like men.¡± With that, he picked up a water ss, filled it up for Liam, and said, ¡°Heres to celebrating our reunion.¡± Liam looked at the full ss of alcohol in front of him with a troubled expression. Celeste thought to herself, weren¡¯t Steven and Liam friends? The way he urged him to drink seemed like he hated him to death. Was it just because Liam introduced him to a new girlfriend? Was this really necessary? Wouldn¡¯t this ss of alcohol knock Liam out? Celeste lowered her eyes, her fingers gently rubbing the chopsticks, not speaking. Hiram also quickly poured himself a full ss, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s drink together.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t refuse after what he had said He picked up the ss and said, ¡°Cheers.¡± Then he drank it all down. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Chapter 501 That ss must have been at least 300 ml, and Steven almost filled it up for him. Liam¡¯s alcohol tolerance was poor. While others enjoyed drinking, Liam was simply suffering When he finished the ss, his first reaction was to grab the cup and drink water, almost finishing half of it. Celeste was speechless. Sometimes she didn¡¯t know whether to call Liam stupid or dumb. If he couldn¡¯t drink, he shouldn¡¯t force himself. He could have just spat the alcohol into the cup while drinking water, and no one would notice. He didn¡¯t even know how to be sneaky. Celeste didn¡¯t know that Liam had never needed to escape from drinking in his environment. Celeste, on the other hand, was a bit of a drinking expert. During college, she could drink half of the male students in her ss under the table, not only because she had a good alcohol tolerance but also because she was good at deception. Like drinking while spilling, pretending to drink water to spit out alcohol, carrying a super¨Cabsorbent handkerchief to wipe her mouth and spit alcohol, and so on. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She had thought of all the ways to avoid getting drunk. There was no such thing as never getting drunk in this world. If you didn¡¯t get drunk, it was because you didn¡¯t drink much. She had never seen anyone like Liam who drank alcohol so honestly. Steven had a good alcohol tolerance, so he didn¡¯t chug it down either. When he saw Liam finish, he filled his ss again. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years, and you still have a great capacity. Let¡¯s have another ss.¡± Hiram, who rarely had someone to drink with, wanted to pour himself another ss too. But before he could touch the bottle, Janis said, ¡°You¡¯re joining Steven in this nonsense. You haven¡¯t even eaten a bite yet, and you¡¯ve already started drinking? Are we inviting Ms. Campbell to dinner or to watch you three drink?¡± Hiram reluctantly looked at the ss of alcohol and had to put it down, ¡°Steven, let¡¯s eat first and drink while we eat.¡± ir also said. ¡°Brother, Liams alcohol tolerance is average. Don¡¯t tease him anymore.¡± Celeste was surprised and looked at ir. Only those close to Liam knew that he couldn¡¯t handle alcohol well. How did ir know that? Just as she was about to think more about it, she felt that she was being nosy. It wasnt any of her business how ir knew. Since his family members were all persuading him, Steven gave up. Celeste nced at Liam, whose ears were already slightly red, but his face wasn¡¯t. He still looked normal. Hiram was very talkative and was very fond of Steven and ir. The siblings were both respectful and affectionate toward him, creating a family atmosphere that was truly enviable. Perhaps because she had saved ir, Hiram seemed particrly gentle with Celeste, asking her about her family and her work from time to time. The way he addressed her also changed from the initial Ms. Campbell to Celeste. ¡°Celeste,e on, try this shrimp.¡± Hiram handed a te of peeled shrimp to Celeste, ¡°Eat more.¡± Usually, he wouldn¡¯t be so caring to young people, even with ir and Steven, he never treated them this well. But somehow, today, he just wanted to feed this girl. Celeste was ttered, took it with both hands, and whispered, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Garcia.¡± Liam frowned and looked at the te of shrimp, ¡°She likes to suck on the shrimp shells.¡± Celeste was speechless. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Liam started talking. Celeste knew he was wasted. That¡¯s the thing with Liam, when he¡¯s drunk, as long as he doesn¡¯t fall asleep, he just sits there quietly and seems like a normal person. Hiram obviously didn¡¯t realize this and was surprised, ¡°Really? Does she like that?¡± Celeste whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°You were the one who told me.¡± She pursed her lips, deciding not to respond. When Liam¡¯s drunk, everyone shouldn¡¯t engage with him, who knows what he¡¯ll say next? The best approach is to ignore him. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t responding, Liam stopped talking. However, he kept putting unpeeled shrimp on her te, piling up a small mountain in front of Celeste in no time. That te of shrimp, which no one else had touched much of, was all piled onto her te by Liam. Celeste looked up at the silent Garcia family and felt like Liam had embarrassed herpletely. In the end, Hiram coughed and said, ¡°Liam really cares for his wife.¡± Liam whispered, ¡°I always make her mad.¡± Hiramughed, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s normal for young couples to argue and bicker. It¡¯s even said that arguments deepen the rtionship. At least you have someone to argue with, look at Steven, the same age as you and still single.¡± Liam wholeheartedly agreed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to be single, he has his eyes on someone else¡¯s wife.¡± Steven almost spat out his drink. Hiram blinked, ¡°What do you mean by saying ¡®has his eyes on?¡± ¡°Has his eyes on my wi-¡± Liam¡¯s words were cut off by Celeste covering his mouth. ¡°Mr. Garcia, Mrs. Janis, let¡¯s call it a night. Liam¡¯s drunk, I¡¯ll take him home.¡± This guy always talks nonsense when he¡¯s drunk! If she hadn¡¯t acted quickly, who knows what outrageous things he might have said. Hiram, a bit slow to catch on, said, ¡°Alright¡­ Mason can give you them a ride?¡± ¡°No need, he¡¯s got his car,¡± Celeste said as she pulled Liam up. ¡°Lets go home.¡± Surprisingly, Liam obediently stood up, held her hand tightly, and even remembered to say goodbye to everyone. After they left, Hiram sighed, ¡°Time flies, Liam¡¯s been married for so many years.¡± He then turned to Steven, ¡°When are you bringing a girlfriend home?¡± Steven had no response to his question, got up, and said, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± He also left. Hiram huffed, ¡°Every time I mention this, he pretends not to hear me!¡± Janis said, ¡°You were so lenient when he was young, and now you want to be strict. It¡¯s toote.¡± Hiram snorted, ¡°If I had known he¡¯d be so disobedient, I would have had more children.¡± Janis paused, ¡°When we were young, I asked you to have more kids, but you didn¡¯t want to.¡± Hiram hesitated, ¡°I¡¯ve always been scared of women giving birth.¡± Janis said, ¡°Times have changed, medical conditions are better now, and childbirth isn¡¯t as dangerous as you think.¡± Hiram didn¡¯t want to continue the topic and turned to ir, ¡°ir, spend more time with Celeste, don¡¯t let her think we are neglecting her.¡± ir nodded, ¡°I know, Dad.¡± As soon as they left the private room and got on the elevator, Celeste tried to break free from Liam¡¯s grip, but he held on tight, and she couldn¡¯t get away. ¡®Let go!¡± Celeste red at him. Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 But Liam didn¡¯t let go, instead tightening his grip, ¡°Are you going to date Steven?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business who I date, hurry up and call Owen to pick you up!¡± Liam frowned, not responding to Celeste¡¯s words, ¡°What do you see in Steven? He¡¯s so effeminate.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. Since when was Steven effeminate? This man, when he¡¯s drunk, not only talks nonsense but also spreads rumors. Seeing Celeste not speaking, Liam became unhappy, ¡°How am I worse than him?¡± He was like a stubborn child, insisting that she give a reason. Celeste, annoyed by his earlier nonsense at the dinner table, red at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re worse than him in every way. You¡¯re not as good looking, you¡¯re too sarcastic, and you¡¯re especially stingy. How can youpare to him?¡± Liam seemed to have a hard time epting this answer, and after a while, he finally asked, ¡®Am I stingy with you?¡± Liam was, of course, not stingy with her. His credit card had no limit for her, and no matter how much she spent, he never questioned it. If someone doesn¡¯t demand too much emotionally, Liam is a good marriage partner. But when she thought about leaving the marriage penniless, even Liam¡¯s generosity didn¡¯t seem like a plus anymore. She red at Liam and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it stingy to make me leave the marriage penniless?¡± Of course, she wasn¡¯t really holding a grudge about that. She had chosen to leave the marriage penniless, but she just wanted to take advantage of his drunken state to tease him and vent her frustration. After all, he wouldn¡¯t remember any of it the next day. Liam frowned and suddenly took out his phone. Celeste thought he was calling Owen, so she didn¡¯t pay attention. Soon they reached the ground floor and waited for a while, but Owen didn¡¯t show up. Celeste turned to Liam, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call Owen?¡± Liam shook his head. Celeste took a deep breath and dialed Owen¡¯s number. After the phone rang for a while, Owen finally answered. ¡°Owen, Mr. Reed is drunk. We¡¯re at Cuisine Cascade, can youe pick him up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tied up with something urgent and can¡¯t leave. Could you please help send Mr. Reed home?¡± Owen¡¯s voice sounded a bit breathless, as if he was really busy ¡°Owen, we¡¯re divorced. I don¡¯t have an obligation to help him.¡± Owen hesitated for a moment, ¡°Ms. Campbell, please help Mr. Reed get a taxi and ask the driver to take him back to Pinecrest Manor. I really can¡¯t leave.¡± After Owen hung up, Celeste looked at Liam, who was still holding her hand tightly, and frowned as she called a taxi. As the car arrived, Celeste immediately opened the door, trying to stuff Liam in, but he refused to get in. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Celeste struggled for a while but still couldn¡¯t get Liam into the car. The driver was getting a bit impatient, ¡°Are you guys getting in or what?¡± Celeste red at the annoying person in front of her and gritted her teeth, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go!¡± Then the taxi took the two of them to Pinecrest Manor, After getting out of the taxi, Celeste paid the fare and told the driver to wait for a bit while she dropped off the person. It seemed like the nanny wasn¡¯t home, and the lights were off. Celeste entered the password to unlock the door and casually told Liam, ¡°Take off your shoes.* After that, she pressed the light switch. The room had just lit up when Celeste immediately turned off the lights again. What the heck was that?! Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 She thought she must be seeing things, so she waited for three seconds before turning the light on again, Then, she was left dumbfounded by the dazzling piles of cash all over the room. The floor was covered in stacks of bills, at least a dozen centimeters thick, stretching from the doorway all the way into the living room. There was even a 3D pyramid made of gold bars on the coffee table. She felt like she had stepped into a millionaire¡¯s home, and if the police were to show up at that moment, she¡¯d be scared shitless. Liam hugged her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, ¡°Do you like It? All of this is yours.¡± Celeste had no words. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t have integrity, but really, who could keep their cool and sanity in the face of piles of cash and gold bars? But she was just an ordinary person. ¡°Who¡¯s more generous, me or Steven?¡± After the initial shock, Celeste gradually regained her senses. She recalled Liam¡¯s text in the elevator just now. Was that to prepare for this surprise? How did he manage to get so much money in the middle of the night? Did he own a bank or something? Celeste suddenly felt a headacheing on. She thought Liam was a bit off, and things got even more serious when he was drunk. Just because sheined about his stinginess, he brought back a whole bunch of money? Was he trying to show off his wealth? Seeing that she didn¡¯t answer, Liam got a little unhappy and hugged her even tighter. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, who¡¯s more generous, me or Steven?¡± Celeste had no doubt that if she said Steven was more generous, Liam would bring her even more money. Celeste had a headache. If she had known that he would cause such a scene when drunk, she would¡¯ve tried to mediate between them earlier. She tried to soothe him, ¡°You¡¯re generous, you¡¯re generous, okay?¡± Liam finally seemed somewhat satisfied and took her hand, saying, ¡°Call the driver to load the car, and we¡¯ll deposit the money into your ount.¡± Celeste quickly stopped him, ¡®Let¡¯s do it tomorrow; it¡¯s too late now.¡± If the driver caught wind of this, who knows what kind of wicked thoughts he might have? They could both end up in trouble. Drunk Liam wasn¡¯t thinking straight Celeste took out her phone and called Owen. The previously lightning¨Cfast Owen now didn¡¯t pick up at all. Celeste was helpless. Owen was like a ghost, and this money was definitely sent by him on Liam¡¯s orders. With no way to contact Owen, Celeste didn¡¯t know what to do. Not to mention that Liam seemed to be holding onto her like a helpless child, even if she could get away, she was genuinely worried that a thief might break in at night and hurt Liam. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Contacting Sienna would definitely scare her, and she might even pester Celeste with questions, especially since she hadn¡¯t even said a proper goodbye after the divorce. And it would be even worse if she contacted Skyler, Celeste suddenly stopped. She was sure that Skyler would deposit all the money in the house into her own ount and badmouth her. Celeste would rather burn up all the money than let Skyler have the upper hand. Liam, that bastard, really knew how to cause trouble for her! She called the driver and told him to leave. Celeste sat there, anxious and deep in thought about what to do with the money, while Liam kept talking nonstop. Liam talked for a long time, growing more and more sleepy, but it seemed like he sensed that as soon as he fell asleep, Celeste would disappear So even though he kept yawning, he held onto Celeste tightly. Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Celeste¡¯s arm was damp from his sweaty palm, and she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go to sleep.¡± Liam, with half¨Cclosed eyes, said, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep once the money is in your ount, or else you¡¯ll leave again.¡± Celeste thought to herself that whether or not the money was deposited, she was going to leave anyway. They were already divorced, and this ce was no longer her home. But she didn¡¯t say anything after she saw Liam¡¯s stubborn look. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Whatever she said, he wouldn¡¯t remember when he woke up. ¡°Letti¡± Liam softly called her as he held her and theyy on the pile of money. Celeste didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Letti.¡± Liam didn¡¯t hear her reply, so he called out again. She whispered, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t date Steven,¡± he said, nuzzling her neck. ¡°If you think I¡¯m not good enough, I¡¯ll change, but I can¡¯t change my looks. Just be with me more. and you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Celeste was just starting to feel a little moved when she heard Liam continue, ¡°I used to think you weren¡¯t pretty enough, your eyes weren¡¯t big enough, your nose wasn¡¯t high enough, and you looked a bit silly when youughed. But after being with you for a long time, you seem to be getting more and more beautiful.¡± Celeste suddenly wanted to shove a stack of bills into Liam¡¯s mouth. Liam babbled on, saying a lot of things that Celeste couldn¡¯t quite remember. His voice grew softer and softer in her ear, and they both unknowingly fell asleep. Money may look good, but it¡¯s notfortable to sleep on, Celeste woke up the next day, her body aching from the cash beneath her. She opened her eyes and stared at the familiar ceiling, taking a few minutes to recall the events of the previous night. Liam was still fast asleep, his hand tightly hooked around her waist. Celeste removed his hand, checked the time on her phone, and saw that it was just past six. She called Owen again, but he still didn¡¯t pick up. Estimating the time, she figured Liam would wake up soon, so she called Nics. On the phone, she just told Nics that something had happened at Liams ce and asked him to help deal with it. Nics was still half-asleep, but when he heard that Celeste had spent the night with Liam, he immediately perked up, got dressed, and drove over to Pinecrest Manor Liam was awakened by the doorbell. He frowned, as he was very unhappy about being woken up, and it took him a while to sit up. It was only after sitting up that he realized he wasn¡¯t in bed. He looked down and pursed his lips. Nics had been calling out for a long time before Liam finally came to open the door. Seeing Liam still half¨Casleep and not having changed his clothes, Nics immediately imagined a dramatic scene and smirked, ¡°Impressive! I thought it would take some time, but I didn¡¯t expect you to win Celeste over so quickly!¡± As he walked in, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste? She said there was an issue here. What happened¡­ Oh!¡± Nics stood in the entrance, looking at the piles of cash all over the room, and blurted out a curse, ¡°Did you rob a bankst night or something?¡± Liam rubbed his temples, his hangover giving him a massive headache, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Your wife¡­ your ex¨Cwife let me here, okay?¡± Nics forced his eyes away from the cash, ¡°She called me at like 6 in the morning, said there was some stuff going on here, and asked me toe help you out.¡± He paused and added, ¡°Was she talking about the bank robbery?¡± Liam ignored that part and frowned, ¡°Celeste called you? She was with mest night?¡° Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Liam rubbed his temples, thinking hard, but was only able to recall lying on a pile of money with Celeste. Everything in between was just bits and pieces. Hisst memory was at the dinner table, picking up shrimp for Celeste. Nics looked at Liam¡¯s frowning face and said angrily, ¡°I told youst night that you had her home, so why didn¡¯t you do something more grown¨Cup?¡± Liam red at him, ¡°Clean up your dirty thoughts. Not everyone¡¯s like you, only thinking about that.¡± Nics argued, ¡°You¡¯re so serious, yet you sleep with Celeste. You might as well be a monk. Do you want to get married or not?¡± Liam ignored him, ¡°Marriage is for legally sleeping together. Do you think everyone is as Irresponsible as you?¡± Nics snorted and hit back without mercy. ¡°Now you don¡¯t even have a marriage certificate.¡± Liam fell silent. Seeing Liam¡¯s gloomy face, Nics tried tofort him, ¡°Last night Celeste was still willing to send you home. It seems like you guys haven¡¯t reached the breaking point yet. Think about what you did when you were drunkst night, and maybe if you act like that, you might win her back.¡± Liam ignored him and called Owen. Owen finally picked up Liam¡¯s call. Liam¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Owen, what¡¯s going on with the money at home?¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Remember what?¡± ¡°Last night you texted me to move a billion dors to your house overnight, saying you wanted to surprise your wife.¡± Liam fell silent. Nics¡¯s eyes widened. Was Liam nning to lure Celeste back with money? ¡°But I couldn¡¯t get that much money out in the middle of the night, so I only got a little over a hundred million and had two boxes of gold bars delivered.¡± Liam rubbed his brow,pletely unable to remember any of this. ¡°Contact the bank and have them send a car to pick up this stuff.¡± Nicsughed, gasping for breath, ¡°Your way of pursuing your ex¨Cwife is really unique. Celeste would have a hard timeing back to you. She doesn¡¯t want you anymore, so why would she care about this money?¡± Liam¡¯s heart ached at the words, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you anymore.¡± And he impatiently said, ¡°Do you have anything to do? If not, get out!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only friend you have left, and you¡¯re telling me to leave? If I go, you¡¯ll never get her back.¡± Nics said as he walked away, but Liam held back his anger, ¡°¡­Come back.¡± Nics keptughing, ¡°You really can¡¯t do it without me.¡± Before he could finish, Liam threw a bag of trash at him, ¡°Take it out and throw it away.¡± Nics shrugged helplessly, thinking to himself, ¡°it serves him right for not having a wife!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Owen quickly brought the bank staff in to count the money. Liam sat in the living room, looking at the piles of cash, and told Owen, ¡°Deposit it into her card.¡± Who is she? As an excellent secretary, Owen could naturally understand everything. m thought for a moment and advised, ¡°If she asks¡­¡± ¡®Just say it¡¯s Mr. Reed¡¯s pocket money.¡± Owen immediately replied. Liam¡¯s brows instantly rxed. Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Owen had been able to serve Liam for so many years and make a million¨Cdr stary after graduation not only because of his professional skills but also because he could solve any problem for his boss i This money must not be said to be property divided after divorce. Once it was said it was equivalent to admitting that Afr. Reed and Celeste are already divorced Although the divorce process had beenpleted, the bots obviously didn¡¯t want to admit that he and Celeste were divorced. As a subordinate. Owen naturally wanted to take care of the box¡¯s mental state. When did Jade Barlow leave at |st night?¡± Jade Barlow was Liam¡¯s uncle and Sky! brother Liam¡¯s matemai family was originally engaged in the medical equipment business andter invested in real estate, making a fortune in the early years. However, after getting involved in the stock market, they suffered heavy losses, and the Barlow family s business began to decline ectronics industry. But without a technical team, they could only produce After Skyler mamed into the Reed family, they started to focus on the buk parts and be a contract manufacturer Although the product quality was not ideal, the business was still good, and the ie was quite considerable, all thanks to the backing of Quantum Enterprises However, the Reed family¡¯s olddy didn¡¯t think highly of the Barlow family members, so Liam didn¡¯t have a strong rtionship with them. This was not because the olddy was snobbish, but because she valued character most, not background. Though Shawn¡¯s style was unbearable. Celeste was more sensible than Skyler in handling major issues Celeste never took the initiative to meddle in the business of both families. Even if she asionally talked privately to Liam, it was under Shawn¡¯s coercion. As long as Shawn tasted a bit of sweetness, he would reduce his frequency of harassment But when it came to Quantum¡¯s big projects, no matter what Shawn tried, Celeste would never do anything underhanded Skyler, on the other hand, was different As long as it involved the Barlow family¡¯s business, she would do her best to pull it toward their side In the past, when Orville was alive, Skyler often sought benefits for the Barlow family from him If the Barlow family had a good reputation, the Reed family wouldn¡¯t mind these trivial profits But the Barlow family¡¯s father and son only knew how to cut corners, their product quality was average, and they often dyed delivery. Under Jade Barlow¡¯s control, the situation was even worse He didn¡¯t manage the business well and was addicted to gambling. With the money earned almost entirely spent on gambling, how could the business develop? Jade Barlow¡¯s gambling addiction was bad enough, but Skyler turned a blind eye to it. After Clyde¡¯s death, Skyler stopped causing a ruckus for a while because the leader of Quantum at that time was Sienna Sienna hated gambling addicts the most, so Skyler didn¡¯t even dare ask her for anything I wasn¡¯t until Liam joined Quantum that the long¨Clost Skyler became active again. Owen saw with his own eyes that Skyler went to find Liam, trying to get him to help her brother get a project. When Liam refused, she yed the guit card, crying about how difficult it was for her to raise him alone Liam grew up with the olddy, and his mother, Skyler, didn¡¯t really take care of him. Every time she went to find Liam, it was either for money or for the Barlow family¡¯s business To Skyler, Liam wasnt like her child, but more like a means to a better life. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Jade Barlow went to Liam for some work¨Crted stuff. Yesterday, two main production lines of the Barlow family¡¯s factory were reported for failing fire safety Inspections. The authorities came for a surprise inspection, catching Jade Barlow off guard. Not only was the fire safety equipment in the workshop iplete, but they also found mmable materials piled up in the escape routes. The inspectors shut down the two production lines on the spot. Last year, an explosion at a chemical nt in J City killed or injured hundreds of people. This major safety ident sounded an rm for society. so J City has been very strict with fire safety inspections this year. The Barlow family¡¯s two production lines were just asking for trouble, and the government departments would definitely punish them severely. Jade Barlow didn¡¯t realize the seriousness of the situation and thought that he could solve the problem by giving some money and paying a fine. But not only did the money not get delivered, he almost got locked up himself. A close friend told him that it was no longer a matter of fines. If the problem wasn¡¯t solved, the factory would be closed. The Barlow family¡¯s main source of ie depended on these production lines. If they were shut down, he couldn¡¯t bear the loss. So he hurriedly contacted Liam, hoping that his nephew could help solve this crisis. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. But what Jade Barlow didn¡¯t know was that the person who reported the two production lines was actually Liam. How could Liam possibly help him? Owen whispered, ¡°Mr. Barlow waited for more than an hour before he left, looking upset.¡± This matter had probably already reached Skyler, and she would soon go to Liam. Even after marrying into the Reed family for thirty years, her heart still belonged to the Barlow family. That¡¯s why Sienna has always been unwilling to hand over the position of main wife to her. If she were allowed to take control of the family, who knows if Quantum Enterprises would still belong to the Reed family in the future. Liam didn¡¯t mention this matter anymore and instead asked, ¡°Any recent moves from the Campbell family?¡± ¡°Shawn hasn¡¯t made any new movestely. After the news of your separation from your wife spread, he quickly reduced many projects rted to the Reed family. He probably figured that since both you and your wife had fallen out, it was better to cash out early¡± Owen paused and whispered, ¡°Smart Chips said that he¡¯s been contacting them about selling his shares these past few days. Once Smart Chips goes public, he will sell all his shares. Mr. Reed, I don¡¯t think he will take the bait.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t worried at all and just ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just do as I say and continue spreading the good news. Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, find all the sources you can, and hype up this news.¡± People are greedy, and Shawn would not disappoint him. After hearing this, Owen didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°By the way.¡± Liam said, ¡°Go find some information on female socialites and send it to Mr. Garcia.¡± Let Steven be busy so he won¡¯t have time to mess with Celeste. When Celeste took a break, she picked up her phone and swiped through it. Then she saw the receipt for the two¨Cbillion¨Cdor transfer. The cup in her hand shook, and the water almost spilled onto her hand. Seeing the payer¡¯s name, she knew at a nce that it was that crazy Liam. She had already canceled her previous bank card, but this bastard somehow got the number of her new card. With a serious face, she picked up her phone, wanting to remove Liam from her cklist, but felt that doing so would be too easy for him. So she held back her anger and sent a message to Owen, ¡°Why did Liam do this? Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 ¡°This is Mr. Reed¡¯s first¨Cquarter dividend. He said to give it to you for safekeeping since he can¡¯t manage money.¡± Celeste¡¯s temples throbbed, and she gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°Does Liam really think I wouldn¡¯t spend it?¡± Owen replied immediately, ¡°Mr. Reed said that giving the money to you means it¡¯s up to you to handle it. Whether you want to invest or spend it, is all up to you. It¡¯s just a portion of a quarter¡¯s dividend.¡± Humph, can this even be considered normal? A portion of a quarter¡¯s dividend is more money than some people make in their entire lives. This made her even angrier at Liam. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get any useful information from Owen, Celeste didn¡¯t inquire any further and let Liam do whatever he wanted. She had more important things to do and didn¡¯t have time to argue with him. The defamation court case was the day after tomorrow, and she nned to appear in court herself. So she discussed it with Zach. Upon hearing that herwsuit involved Sydney, Zach became a little worried. ¡°By doing this, you¡¯re exposing your identity. Her fans will definitely fight back, and the paparazzi will follow. If you lose the case, you¡¯ll bebeled as a publicity seeker before the new drama is released.¡± ¡°Mr. Miller, my conflict with Sydney isn¡¯t just work¨Crted. We also have personal grievances. I must fight thiswsuit, and I will not lose.¡± Hearing that the dispute came from personal conflicts, Zach didn¡¯t say anything more and just asked, ¡°What kind of personal grievances do you two have?¡± Celeste hesitated for a long time before saying. ¡°She stole my dog.¡± Zach was speechless. Meanwhile, at Sydney¡¯s Grandview Vi. Hanson knocked on the door. Sydney was on the phone and didn¡¯t pay attention to her, so Hanson walked in by herself.. After hanging up the phone, Sydney frowned and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even greet me when you came in.¡± Hanson closed her mouth tightly, not saying a word. Sydney paused for a moment, thinking about the court case the day after tomorrow, and forced a smile, ¡°Hanson, are you a little worried about going to court?¡± Hanson remained silent. Ever since she received the court summons, she¡¯s been on edge. Her registered ount was sued by Celestial Haze for defamation and infringement of reputation rights. But the ount was actually used by Sydney, and Hanson was just the ount holder in name. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ve hired the bestwyer for you. We¡¯re sure to win. Once thiswsuit is over, I¡¯ll arrange for you to join the crew. I¡¯ve already rmended you to the production team, and they¡¯re very satisfied with you.¡± Hanson is Sydney¡¯s cousin. After graduating, she started working at a toy factory. When Sydney became famous, Hanson¡¯s parents sent her to J City to be with her. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Sydney hired Hanson as her personal assistant and took care of her daily needs. They were close when they were kids, but ever since Sydney became a big shot, she had been acting all high and mighty. She was always telling people that her parents were top executives and university professors. But in reality, her parents were just factory workers in a small town. Their situation weren¡¯t bad, but it was definitely not all that great either. Sydney tried so hard to paint herself asing from a well educated family, but she was always worried that her cover would be blown. She was so scared of the paparazzi finding out about her real family background that she hadn¡¯t been back home in years. As the gap between their social sses grew wider, Sydney¡¯s affection for Hanson dwindled. Her parents sent her to be with Sydney, hoping that she¡¯d help their daughter make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. After all, who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by the money these celebs make from just one movie, which might be more than what they could earn in a year? Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 But Sydney had no ns to Introduce Hanson to her circle. Hanson had been with Sydney for over a year, but she was still only responsible for pouring tea and running errands for Sydney. Over the years with Sydney in the crew, Hanson had met many celebrity assistants. Although those celebrities weren¡¯t as high¨Cprofile as Sydney, their assistants¡® monthly sries were around $4,000, while Sydney only gave her $1,500. $1,500 might sound alright, but in a ce like J City where every inch ofnd is worth its weight in gold, after paying rent and living expenses, there¡¯s hardly any money left. She had mentioned a raise to Sydney many times, but Sydney always refused, saying that Hanson was too young and inexperienced. Hanson herself had no education, and in a talent pool like J City, if she left Sydney, she would find it difficult to survive and might have to work at the bottom and rely on her hard work to earn money. If she could bear the hard work, she wouldn¡¯t have left the factory to seek refuge with Sydney. Once you¡¯re used to easy money and a luxurious life, who wants to go back to the past? But Hanson knew very well that Sydney¡¯s current promises were just tofort her and let her take the me. After all, if it were discovered that it was Sydney herself who operated the ount, the impact on her would be huge. Everyone knew that Sydney had created an image of being innocent and close to fans without any pretensions. If it were discovered that she was behind the online fights, her career would be greatly affected. Hanson wasn¡¯t stupid, she knew that if she took on this responsibility, even if she could make a name for herself in the entertainment industry in the future, the stain would have a huge impact on her stardom once it was dug up. Sydney was in this circle and knew all the ins and outs. How could she not know the consequences of Hanson taking the me for her? She just saw that Hanson was young and wanted to enter the entertainment industry, so she used this to deceive her. If she really wanted to help Hanson enter the circle, why wait until now and still not take action? In the past year, Hanson had witnessed many things by Sydney¡¯s side. She knew she had no talent for acting. Even Sydney herself had reached this position through other people¡¯s money and connections. As a person without a background or professional education, why would anyone support her? Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. If she wins thewsuit, it¡¯s fine. If she loses, then she will now have a criminal record, and why should she bear this responsibility for Sydney? So Hanson sneered in her heart. But she didn¡¯t show it on her face. Hanson said, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t betray you. I¡¯ve already told my family about this, and my mom agrees. It¡¯s not easy for someone in our family to be famous, and we can¡¯t let this ruin your career. But my dad¡¯s not happy, he¡¯s worried that this will leave a stain on my reputation and affect my future marriage. And, I haven¡¯t brought any money back to my family in these few years, and my dad has started making a fuss at your parents¡® house. I¡¯m worried that he won¡¯t be able to keep his mouth shut and will leak this out.¡± Sydney¡¯s face changed. Obviously, she knew that Hanson¡¯s father had made a fuss at her parents¡® house, and her mother had mentioned giving Hanson a raise several times, but Sydney always found excuses to dy the inevitable.. Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Sydney didn¡¯t care about the money, she just chose not to give Hanson a raise on purpose. When she was younger, her family¡¯s financial situation was not as good as her aunt¡¯s, and her aunt and uncle always looked down on their family. Now that she¡¯s sessful, her aunt¡¯s family has changed their attitude and even sent their daughter to seek refuge with her. How could she not seize this opportunity for revenge? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The reason she let Hanson be her personal assistant was that personal assistants could only deal with private affairs, couldn¡¯t learn anything. and could only watch this bustling world helplessly. She thought she could easily get rid of her, let her take the me, and walk away unscathed. But she didn¡¯t expect Hanson to tell her family about 1. rt. Sydney¡¯s face turned ugly and she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to tell anyone about this?¡± Hanson shrugged and whispered, ¡°My dad knew I lent you the ount, and when thewsuit made the news, he saw it too. I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Sydney¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Forget it, you don¡¯t have to worry about this anymore. I¡¯ll talk to your dad, and you don¡¯t have to say anything to him about the case or contact him. Most importantly, do not give him my contact information. Got it?¡± Hanson nodded repeatedly. Finally, she asked, ¡®Cousin, will Mr. Reed testify?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach him.¡± Sydney was very annoyed, and she wasn¡¯t worried about losing thewsuit. With Hanson as a scapegoat, she would only be discussed byizens for a while, and it wouldn¡¯t have much impact on her career. However, that person insisted that she let Liam testify. Her deal with Liam had already ended. Now she couldn¡¯t contact him on the phone. She had too many secrets in that person¡¯s hands, and she needed to rely on them for the situation after the contract was terminated. She could only follow their instructions ¡°Sis, I actually have a way Hanson whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed has always been worried about the exposure of that illegitimate daughter¡¯s identity. If you tell him about it, he¡¯ll definitely agree to testify¡± Sydney¡¯s expression fluctuated Although she didn¡¯t know the rtionship between Coco and Liam, Liam obviously cared a lot about that child. Liam picked her to be a big star, not because she was outstanding but because she had a rare blood type that could save Coco. Liam had found five people with the same blood type from all over the country. But those people were either too young to meet the donation requirements, too old, or had other basic illnesses, making them unable to meet the continuous donation requirements. She was the most suitable one among them. She was of the right age, healthy, and, most importantly, she needed money and fame. This was very simple for Liam, and they soon signed a contract The contract stipted her lifestyle habits. She couldn¡¯t smoke, couldn¡¯t drink a lot of alcohol, couldn¡¯t get injured, and had to be on standby at all times until the bone marrow transnt waspleted. At the same time, he warned her several times not to spill the beans about the contract, or she¡¯d end up as a nobody in the acting world. Sydney has gone through hell and high water to get where she was now, and her biggest fear was losing her status, so she Kept her lips zipped about it. She didn¡¯t tell anyone about Coco¡¯s situation. Hanson thought that the kid was Liam¡¯s secret love child, which is why he hid her so well. Hanson had never seen Coco¡¯s face, so that¡¯s why she came up with this idea. Sydney knows Liam¡¯s limits, and she wouldn¡¯t dare threaten him with this Hanson noticed Sydney¡¯s concerns and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. If Mr. Reed mes us, just throw me under the bus. I¡¯m not part of the entertainment industry anyway, so there¡¯s nothing Mr. Reed can do to me. Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Sydney suddenly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you always want to be an actor?¡± Hanson replied, ¡°I ain¡¯t got what it takes to be an actor. The entertainment Industry¡¯s full of gorgeous babes like you. Look at me, who¡¯d want me In their movies? I might as well learn how to be an agent. As long as you keep shining, I won¡¯t starve, right?¡± Gotta say, this way of belittling herself to make Sydney look better was quite appealing to her. She gently said. ¡°It¡¯s great that you think that way. Once this is over, I¡¯ll have someone teach you. When you¡¯ve learned, we can start our own studio and go solo You can have a share in thepany too.¡± Hansonughed and said, ¡°We¡¯re close cousins, anything works.¡± Helping Sydney out of her current predicament was a golden opportunity. Being just an assistant with a sry wasn¡¯t enough for her. Managing Sydney¡¯s finances as her agent was what really mattered. Quantum Enterprises. Liam was in a meeting. Ever since the previous presentation incident, his projects had decreased quite a bit, and Clyde¡¯s momentum had picked up again. The senior directors were busy taking sides. Those who had originally leaned towards Liam¡¯s side, seeing the situation turn bad, switched to Clyde¡¯s side again. Thepany¡¯s R&D department was recently deserted, with many directors losing their enthusiasm for attending seminars. Liam didn¡¯t care about this situation. His focus was still on the products that had to be developed. Before the seminar ended, there was a suddenmotion outside. Shortly after, a woman¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Make way! I want to see Liam!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The security guards at the door tried to persuade her, ¡°Mr. Reed is in a meeting, and it¡¯s not convenient for him to see anyone right now.¡± ¡°What meeting? I don¡¯t care what meeting he¡¯s in, I want to see him now!¡± The noise outside was loud, and everyone in the conference room could hear it clearly. People looked at each other, and the person who had just spoken stopped and looked tentatively at Liam, Liam¡¯s face was expressionless as he said tly, ¡°Continue.¡± So the person continued speaking. ¡°Are you new here?¡± Skyler said angrily. ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Liam¡¯s mom! Do I need to wait for you to report to him before I can see him?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Reed has instructed that no one is allowed to enter during the seminar as it involves some company secrets. Please understand, ma¡¯am.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned red with anger. After getting in touch with Jade Barlow, she immediately called Liam. Unfortunately, Liam didn¡¯t answer his phone, and she couldn¡¯t find him in person, so she made a scene at thepany. But even at thepany, he still refused to see her, so of course Skyler was furious. Unfortunately, Quantum¡¯s employees weren¡¯t the Reed family¡¯s nannies, and they wouldn¡¯t obey her. As long as Liam didn¡¯t agree, no matter how much Skyler made a fuss or shouted, they wouldn¡¯t let her in. It wasn¡¯t until half an hourter, when the R&D staff left the conference room one after another, that Skyler finally saw Liam. Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 She gritted her teeth and said angrily. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to get a chance to talk to you.¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°Do you have a matter that needs to be resolved here?¡± Skyler said with a straight face. ¡°Your uncle¡¯spany is in trouble. Why don¡¯t you help?¡± Owen raised an eyebrow at this question. The Barlow family¡¯s business was none of the Reed family¡¯s concern, and it was unusual for Skyler to demand help from her husband¡¯s family with such righteousness. Liam nced at her, ¡°Do you know why the Barlow family¡¯s production line was shut down?* Skyler frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because of fire safety issues? Is it that serious? Aren¡¯t you familiar with government officials? Just give them a heads up, and it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Liam said gravely. ¡°Their workshop¡¯s emergency exits were blocked with mmable and explosive materials, which aren¡¯t even allowed in their production line. If those materials ignited, have you thought about the consequences for the workers? Who would take responsibility if something happened?¡± Skyler didn¡¯t take in any of this information, as she only cared about herself and the Barlow family. So when she heard Liam say this, she immediately said, ¡°But nothing happened, right? Can¡¯t we just get the production line back first and then make the necessary changes? Who doesn¡¯t make mistakes? Once I find out who reported this behind our backs, I won¡¯t let them off the hook!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam raised an eyebrow, ¡°It was me who reported it.¡± Skyler froze, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I reported the fire safety issues in the Barlow family¡¯s production line.¡± Skyler¡¯s expression went from shock to disbelief to hatred. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Why would you do this? Weren¡¯t your uncle and aunt good to you? Do you have no conscience?!¡± Liam looked at her with a piercing gaze, ¡°No special reason, I just wanted you to taste what it feels like when a family member is ruined.¡± Skyler was stunned for a few seconds, finally realizing that Liam was avenging Celeste. She said with an unhappy face, ¡°You¡¯re the one who got divorced, and now you¡¯re ming me?¡± Liam pursed his lips, ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for my mistakes, but you should take responsibility for yours too.¡± He continued, ¡°If you think the Barlow family has been wronged, you can move back in with them. I¡¯ll exin things to Grandma.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned pale, and she looked at Liam as if he were a stranger. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Liam, have you gone mad? All this for a woman? How could you do this to your own mother?¡± ¡°My own mother?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°My own mother, when I couldn¡¯t get out of bed after being put under general anesthesia for surgery, was disgusted by helping the nurse turn me over. How should I thank you?¡± Liam didn¡¯t like bringing up the past. He didn¡¯t like getting caught up in past events because they didn¡¯t make people happy. When you hurt others with painful memories, you don¡¯t bring joy to yourself either. In high school, Liam had a spinal injury due to an ident and needed surgery for repositioning. The surgery was done under general anesthesia, and he couldn¡¯t get out of bed for a whole week with a catheter inserted. At that time, eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom were all done in bed, relying on the caregivers to take care of him. Being sick is like losing his dignity, It¡¯s embarrassing, but he can¡¯t move, so he just gotta let others take control of his body. The first day after his surgery, he was out like a light and did nothing but snooze all day. The second day, the pain was so bad that it kept him up all night. Sienna was worried that the caregivers might be a bit careless and that Liam might have some issues he didn¡¯t feelfortable talking to them about. So she asked Skyler to keep himpany. The surgery for his spine left a wound on his back, and the post¨Cop swelling of the nerves had him feeling all numb and stuff. Not to mention the pain shooting down both his legs. The doc made sure to remind the caregivers and family to help him turn over every hour and prop up his waist with a cushion. That way, he¡¯d feel at least a little morefortable. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. At that time, Liam was only 17 years old, but his height had already reached adult level. Standing over 6 feet tall, it took two nurses working together to help him turn over. One day, one of the nurses went downstairs to eat, leaving the other to ask Skyler for help. As they were turning Liam over, the catheter identally slipped out, spilling fluid onto the bed. Skyler immediately let go of her hand, and if it weren¡¯t for the nurse holding Liam¡¯s waist, his wound would have directly touched the bed. He could never forget the look on Skyler¡¯s face at that moment. The disdain and disgust in her eyes, as if the person lying on the bed unable to move wasn¡¯t her own son. Skyler had always been cold towards him, but that time, he truly felt how little she cared about him. If even his own mother looked down on him, how sincere could others be toward him? After his spinal surgery, Liam began to hate hospitals. He never wanted to lie in a hospital bed and feel helpless ever again, because it was only during those powerless moments that he could see people¡¯s true colors. When he had a fever and dizzily copsed in the bathroom, he yelled at Celeste not only because of his pride but also because he didn¡¯t want to see the same expression on Celeste¡¯s face as he had seen on Skyler¡¯s years ago. But Celeste¡¯s reaction waspletely different from Skyler¡¯s. She took care of him considerately, even when their rtionship wasn¡¯t good, she still respected his pride. Liam knew about Skyler¡¯s dissatisfaction with their marriage. Less than two months after getting married, he and Celeste moved out to live on their own, trying to avoid contact between them as much as possible. However, he didn¡¯t expect Skyler to do such an extreme thing. Liam¡¯s heart trembled as he thought about the kind of mood Celeste must have been in when she asked him for a divorce. Skyler, shaking all over, pointed at Liam¡¯s head and cursed, ¡°You unfilial son, I gave birth to you and raised you, what sin have Imitted? I did all this for you! If you had listened to me earlier and married a woman of equal status, how could you be constantly suppressed in thepany? What¡¯s so good about Celeste? What help can she give you? You just like her face, right? Can¡¯t you find any woman you want once you get Quantum? Besides, you can make her your mistress! But you had to go against me for her sake, stabbing your own family in the back. Giving birth to you has be my biggest regret!¡± Liam nced at her indifferently, ¡°If my grandmother had thought the same way back then, you wouldn¡¯t even have been able to marry into the Reed family. Celeste is my own choice, not someone who climbed into my bed through despicable means.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned red with anger. Liam¡¯sst words undoubtedly mocked her. Her marriage into the Reed family had been somewhat disgraceful, as she had been pregnant before getting married, which was risky to some extent. She won the gamble, taking the Barlow family to new heights. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Liam¡¯s words were a reminder to her not to forget how she had married into the Reed family and that she had no right to look down on Celeste, who was married openly and honorably. At that time, her means of marrying into the Reed family had caused quite stir in their circle. As her status gradually stabilized, no one dared mention her past in front of her again. She never thought that the first person to expose her disgrace would be her own son! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam continued, ¡°Not just today, but from now on, I won¡¯t deal with any of the Barlow family¡¯s affairs. Instead ofing here to make a fuss, you should remind Jade Barlow to hurry up and improve the fire safety of the other production lines, or he might lose everything¡± After saying that, he walked past Skyler and left. Owen was shocked by Mr. Reed¡¯s decisiveness this time. He immediately followed. Skyler stood there, shaking with anger. She thought that after Liam and Celeste got divorced, everything would gradually return to her control. But she didn¡¯t expect Liam to be so bewitched by that cunning woman that he would even turn against her. The phone in her bag kept vibrating, and she knew without looking that it was Jade Barlow¡¯s call. He and his wife hade to her earlier this morning to ask for help, and she had promised to handle things. Now, with the situation as it was, how was she going to exin it to the Barlow family? Skyler¡¯s face darkened, and after a while, she turned and got on the elevator, pressing the button for the 19th floor. Back in the office, Liam loosened his tie and asked, ¡°Did she post anything today?¡± Owen quickly pulled out his phone to check. Celeste indeed posted something. She posted a screenshot of her bank ount bnce on Facebook with the caption, ¡°If I had known getting divorced would make me rich, I¡¯d do it ten times a year.¡± Liam was speechless. Thements below were even more interesting. Nics: ¡°Richdy, support me. Trisha: ¡°Only virgins need apply, our Letti has a thing for them.¡± Nics sent a middle finger emoji. Celeste: ¡°Virgin or not, it doesn¡¯t matter, you just need better skills than my ex.¡± Owen nervously observed Liam¡¯s expression. As expected, Liam¡¯s face had turned as dark as the bottom of a pan. Mrs. Reed wasn¡¯t the kind of person who spoke without thinking, so he seriously suspected that she had deliberately posted this for Liam to see. Owen was right. Celeste originally wanted to post. ¡°You guys, be serious But before sending it, she suddenly thought of Liam, that bastard who had been spying on her social mediately, so she deleted the message and re¨Cedited it, resulting in the one that Liam was now looking at Obviously, this sentence easily poked fun at Mr. Reed¡¯s sensitive male ega. Owen watched as Liam¡¯s face changed color several times, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that his phone was blocked, he would have probably called his wife to argue with her already. Owen coughed andforted, ¡°It¡¯s better than demanding a virgin. Skills can be practiced, but not being a virgin can¡¯t be helped.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched, and he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re done now, huh? Then redo the report!¡± Owen could not find the words to respond. As soon as Owen walked out the door, a bunch of express packages were delivered from downstairs. Some were products sent by partnerpanies, some were documents that Liam needed to sign, and most of them were urgent. Liam was sitting behind his desk, opening express packages. Halfway through, he suddenly noticed an anonymous letter in the stack. The letter only had the recipient¡¯s info, but no info on who sent it. Liam gave the envelope a little squeeze, it was pretty thin, seemingly just one or two pieces of paper. So he went ahead and opened it up. as he did his face would fall. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t paper inside the envelope but a photograph. The photo showed Coco lying in a hospital bed. With a serious look on his face, Liam flipped the photo over, where there were two lines of text written. [10 AM tomorrow, at the J City Oceanside Avenue courthouse,e and sit in on a trial. If you don¡¯t¡­] The text didn¡¯t continue, but the message was already loud and clear by sending a photo of Coco as a threat. Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Twenty minutester, Owen came in to report, ¡°The letter was delivered by a courier, but we still don¡¯t know who sent it. The trial on Oceanside Avenue tomorrow is about Celestial Haze suing some netizens for cyberbullying.¡± Liam looked clueless. Apparently, he didn¡¯t remember who Celestial Haze was and just thought the name sounded familiar Mr. Reed¡¯s memory of unrted people and things was always very short. Owen had to exin, ¡°She¡¯s the original voice actor for the sea monster in Legend, remember? You had Sydney rece her.¡± Liam finally had some recollection, ¡°What¡¯s thewsuit about?¡± ¡°Defamation and nder,¡± Owen paused, then said, ¡°The voice actor was cyberbullied by Sydney¡¯s fans before, developed depression, andter was falsely used of being a diva, so she withdrew from the inte.¡± ¡°Not long ago, she had awyer send letters to thoseizens involved in cyberbullying, and the trial tomorrow is about this case. Oh, and her attorney is Mr. Fletcher¡± ¡°Mason?¡± Liam frowned, suddenly recalling thewsuit Sydney mentioned at the entrance of Cuisine Cascade. Was it the same one? ¡°Celestial Haze will appear at the trial tomorrow. She has never shown her face online, so the case has attracted quite a bit of media attention.¡± Liam pursed his lips without speaking, his fingers gently rubbing the photo. Threatening him just to make him attend a trial? What was the purpose of this? Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Who sent the letter? The intiff or the defendant? No clue Owen guessed, ¡°Maybe someone wants to use the trial for publicity?¡± Liam was still a hot topic, and if he appeared at the trial, it would undoubtedly make the case more attention¨Cgrabbing. That could only mean the intiff side, as the defendants were ordinary people. Liam didn¡¯t say anything and called Mason. At that moment, Mason had just picked up Celeste from the set. The trial was tomorrow, and it was Celeste¡¯s first time as a intiff, so there were some things to go over with her. When Liam called, Celeste had just fastened her seatbelt. The phone rang for several seconds without Mason answering. Celeste, a bit puzzled, was about to ask when Mason said, ¡°It¡¯s Liam.¡± Celeste hesitated for a moment, then said lightly, ¡°Answer it.¡± Mason picked up. Liam¡¯s voice sounded in the car. ¡°Mason, do you have a trial tomorrow?¡± Mason replied, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Give me Celestial Haze¡¯s number, I have something to ask her.¡± Celeste frowned. How did Liam know about the trial tomorrow, and why was he specifically looking for her? Mason nced at Celeste and said with pursed lips, ¡°Liam, this involves the client¡¯s privacy, I have to respect my professional ethics.¡± Liam was silent for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Does she know me?¡± Celeste, Mason said, ¡°Noment.¡± It was this sentence that made Liam feel like he might have met the intiff. Usually, when someone hears such a statement, they first ask why he would think that or show a hint of surprise before trying to cover it up. But Mason had no reaction at all. His transition was too natural, which made it suspicious. Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Liam became more cautious and said in a deep voice. ¡°Tell her for me. If she wants to use this for publicity, she¡¯s wrong. I¡¯ll make her regret sending me those things. Then he hung up. Celeste¡¯s face was full of confusion. What the hell was Liam talking about? Who was trying to gain publicity, and what had been sent to him? Mason was equally baffled and whispered, ¡°I thought Liam knew it was you.¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°Put my voice acting work in front of him, and he wouldn¡¯t recognize me. Masonughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re good at it; I can¡¯t recognize you just by listening either.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow.¡± The next morning, at 9 o¡¯clock, a crowd had already gathered at the entrance of the Oceanside Avenue courthouse. Among the people Celestial Haze was suing, several were Sydney¡¯s fans. These fans had agreed privately to attend the trial together to cheer for the defendants. They were very invested in this, fighting for their idol even if it meant facing awsuit, making them heroes in the hearts of other fans. Others were there for Celestial Haze. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Besides a few of her fans, most were entertainment journalists looking for fresh news. After all, whether it was the mysterious face of Celestial Haze or thewsuit between her and Sydney¡¯s fans, it was still enough to attract people¡¯s attention. At 9:30, a low¨Ckeymercial vehicle stopped at the entrance of the courthouse, and a handsome man in a suit got out. He went around to the passenger side and opened the door for a woman in a baseball cap and mask. She wore a white shirt and ck wide¨Cleg pants, and her hair was loose, resting on her shoulders. The shirt was tucked into her pants, her waist was very slim, and as she ced her hand on the man, a glimpse of her arm revealed her glowing skin. The reporters waiting at the entrance were somewhat stunned; this waspletely different from the rumors online. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be in¨Clooking? Where was she in, ugly, or fat? The reporters rushed forward, their microphones and phones almost touching Celeste¡¯s face. ¡°Is this Celestial Haze herself?¡± ¡°Can you take off the mask and hat?¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say about today¡¯s trial?¡± ¡°Rumors online say that you and popr actress Sydney don¡¯t get along, and this is a deliberate publicity stunt, is that true?¡± The reporters bombarded her with questions, and if it weren¡¯t for Mason blocking them, they would have torn off Celeste¡¯s mask and hat. ¡°Guys.¡± Celeste said with pursed lips, ¡°I¡¯ll set aside ten minutes for you all to interview me after the trial is over. Now, please make some room.¡± Celeste used her signature sultry voice, which she often employed in her voice acting work. Anyone who had heard her work would instantly recognize her voice. And her attitude was great, not at all like the diva behavior that had been rumored online. Since she promised to make time for the interview, everyone was no longer worried about her running off, so they all voluntarily made way for her. Just as Celeste walked in, Liam and Owen also arrived. Liam was a bitte, and when he entered, almost all the seats in the spectator area were taken. There were only a few empty spots left in the front row, so he and Owen sat there. The scene was quite noisy, with everyone discussing the case at hand. Liam heard two young girls in the row behind him whispering, ¡°Look at the trending topics, the jinx star¡® has dragged Sydney¡¯s name into it again. They never forget to use our female celebs for publicity, even in awsuit. We must take some unttering pictures of herter!* Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Sydney, would she even be popr? She said she wanted to quit the inte, but then pulled this stunt. Isn¡¯t it obvious she¡¯s trying to get back in the publice with thiswsuit?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be like pping her own face if she came back?¡± ¡°If she really cared about her pride, she wouldn¡¯t keep riding Sydney¡¯s coattails every time she makes the headlines. Just wait till she shows up!¡± ¡°If she¡¯s really as beautiful and talented as her fans say, why would she settle for being a voice actor? I can¡¯t wait to see her ugly face, and the looks on her fans¡® faces must be priceless.¡± ¡°When taking pictures, don¡¯t purposely brighten them up. No need to give her a filtered effect.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Liam¡¯s expression remained neutral. Although he didn¡¯t quite understand some of the ng in their conversation, it didn¡¯t stop him from realizing that these two people were hostile toward the voice actor named ¡°Celestial Haze.¡± He turned to Owen and asked, ¡°Are all fans like this nowadays?¡± Owen whispered in response. ¡°This is actually mild. Fans of pop stars can be very aggressive, and online and offline attacks are quite serious. Theypare magazine sales, fight for TV drama roles, and even curse the production team if their idol gets less screen time. The haters are even worse, doing things like making mock obituaries and sending dead rats. In short, there¡¯s nothing they can¡¯t do if you can think of it.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone trying to stop them?¡± ¡°Who would? Pop stars rely on their fans for a living. The more popr and famous the fans are, the more popr the star will be. If they really quiet down, it means they¡¯re no longer popr. So, they might actually want their fans to fight fiercely for them.¡± Liam, who held a small stake in Nics Media Group, had never been involved in any affairs and only received dividends. Owen, who attended meetings on his behalf in Nics Media Group, knew some inside stories since most of the stars promoted by Nics followed the online poprity route. Nics once said that most fans¡® behavior was actually orchestrated by someone connected to the star¡¯s studio. In other words, a lot of fan behavior was actually thought up by the studio. Since that was the case, why would they change? They only hoped the situation gets more intense. After listening, Liam suddenly frowned. He thought of Celeste entering the acting circle and wondered if she would encounter such problems in the future. Thinking of this, he immediately took out his phone and sent a message to Steven. II want to invest in Skyline Media Group.] Steven, on his way to an appointment, saw Liam¡¯s message and was furious. He replied with a ¡°Piss off.¡± Lately, Liam had been annoyingly sending various girls¡® information to Hiram¡¯s phone, including famous socialites, politicians¡® daughters, doctors working in hospitals, teachers in schools, and civil servants. In short, they were all girls with excellent family backgrounds that Steven¡¯s parents deemedContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 He didn¡¯t even know where Liam, this annoying guy, got so much Information on these girls. Apparently, Liam correctly guessed Hiram¡¯s preference in choosing a daughter¨Cinw and was very satisfied with these girls. Just yesterday, Steven went on seven blind dates. This morning, Hiram dragged him out of bed to go on more blind dates. At this moment, Steven had a strong intent to kill Liam in his heart. And he still wanted to Invest? Dream on! Liam obviously wasn¡¯t going to give up easily and continued to send messages: [Then transfer Celeste¡¯s management contract to me. I¡¯m willing to pay three times the price.] It was indeed because of Celeste. Steven originally wanted to reply with a ¡°piss off,¡± but when he thought of Liam as a ¡°big spender,¡± he decided to earn a bit from him to vent his anger. [Are you serious about investing?] (Yes.] [Thene to my office this afternoon, and we¡¯ll talk face to face.] Just as Liam was about to reply, the courtroom suddenly became noisy. Liam looked up to see the judge, intiff, and defendant entering the courtroom. Next to Mason, a woman wearing a baseball cap and a tightly secured mask was walking in. She looked oddly familiar. Frowning, Liam tried to figure out who it was when she suddenly stopped and stared at him. In that instant, Liam¡¯s heart skipped a beat it was Celeste! Before he could figure out why she was in the courtroom, she red at him coldly and then followed Mason to the intiff¡¯s seat. He instinctively wanted to stand up, but the bailiff next to him stopped him, saying that the trial was about to begin and no one could move around. Liam had to suppress his restless heart and sit back down. At this moment, his mind was a mess, but one thing was clear. Celestial Haze was Celeste. She was today¡¯s intiff. How could she be Celestial Haze? How well had she been hiding this secret all these years? Slowly, he began to remember things he hadn¡¯t paid attention to before. He recalled that once, Celeste tested him with a question about Celestial Haze, asking what he thought about the recement of the voice actor in Legend. At the time, he casually mentioned that it might be a publicity stunt, and Celeste was furious. Then he thought about the first time Celeste wanted to divorce him. She left home, and the next day, he ran into her at Gxy Games. He had thought Celeste was following him at the time, but now he wondered if the voice actor Nics mentioned was actually Celeste. Why didn¡¯t that bastard Nics tell him about such an important matter? Liam felt like his head was about to explode. He had taken the voice acting role in Legend away from Celeste and given it to Sydney. All the abuse she received online was his doing. Liam¡¯s face looked terrible. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Owen didn¡¯t recognize the person in the defendant¡¯s seat as Celeste yet and said to Liam, ¡°She¡¯s not as ugly as they say online, her figure is pretty well maintained.¡± Liam kept a straight face and didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t until the judge and jury entered that Celeste took off her mask and hat, calmly looking towards the spectators ¡°OMG!¡± Owen almost screamed out loud. Those sitting behind them in the spectator seats had already started buzzing. What a stunning beauty! She¡¯s so good looking but chose to do voice acting is the kidding? Once Celecte showed he Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Celeste¡¯s face is seriously wless, whether it¡¯s her front or side profile, they¡¯re both perfect. Her features may not be the most beautiful individually, but whenbined, they¡¯re extremely well¨C proportioned. Beauty isn¡¯t always about having the most delicate and prominent features. Nowadays, stic surgery techniques are so advanced, so why can some people still urately tell that someone has had work done even though their features are beautiful? It¡¯s because they overly pursue perfection in their features, neglecting the overall harmony, which is the hardest thing to control in stic surgery. The reason why Celeste is so stunning at first nce is because her features are so well¨Ccoordinated. Her waist and hips are in normal proportions. Since she was wearing a hat earlier, her hair was even somewhat ttened, but none of this affected her beauty Those haters who were nning to take some ugly pictures of Celeste and make fun of her online turned pale when they saw her face. They couldn¡¯t help but admit her beauty the moment they saw Celeste¡¯s real appearance. Not only was she good¨Clooking, but her posture was also very upright, and her temperament was even more extraordinary. The long¨Cterm physical training and noble temperament rooted in her were things that an idol star like Sydney couldn¡¯tpare with. Some sharp¨Ceyed reporters have already recognized that Celeste was the one who disguised herself as a man in the ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± column a while ago.. Major blue V¡¯s (verified ounts) were forwarding support for the queen of legal dramas, who turned out to be Celeste! When Sydney¡¯s fans were attacking Celeste online for being arrogant and digging up dirt on her, the queen was actually busy helping the provincial TV station with a charity performance. Even though she was attacked so badly at the time, she didn¡¯t use the heat to rify herself but instead directly withdrew from the inte, giving up her ount with millions of followers. She took every step so decisively, so when the reversal came, everyone felt so satisfied. After all, the grudge between the queen of legal dramas and the popr little actress was such a dramatic story that it could make the news for several months. Reporters won¡¯t have to worry about their bonuses for the second half of the year. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Owen secretly nced at his boss. He stared at the person on the intiff¡¯s bench with a serious face, as if wanting to pull them over with just his gaze. Owen sighed quietly. He initially thought that Mr. Reed¡¯s pursuit of his wife would be smooth, as Mr. Reed, though sometimes sarcastic, truly cared for his wife, and they had a solid emotional foundation. Mr. Reed was currently making up for his past mistakes very actively, so it was only a matter of time before they got back together. However, now, looking at his wife on the intiff¡¯s bench, Owen was not optimistic at all. Mr. Reed had snatched his wife¡¯s voice acting job and given it to Sydney. When Sydney got into trouble with the voice acting incident and was exposed by Celestial Haze, it was Mr. Reed who paid to have someone fix the problem. In a nutshell, Mr. Reed was helping others and causing his wife to feel heartbroken and helpless. In short, a professional saboteur. With all these upsetting events added up, Mr. Reed¡¯s pursuit of his wife might be full of twists and turns. Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Owen suddenly felt some sympathy for his boss. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam¡¯s expression was indeed gloomy, but not only because he was shocked to learn that Celeste was Celestial Haze but also because Celeste¡¯s proxywyer was Mason There are many famouswyers in J City, and even if Celeste wanted to find someone to sue, she couldn¡¯t have just happened to find Mason, who had just returned to the country. Liam stared at the person on the intiff¡¯s bench. He didn¡¯t believe that there could be so many coincidences in the world The court assistant read out the court rules, but Celeste didn¡¯t pay much attention When she entered the courtroom and saw Liam earlier, her heart kept sinking. Liam had suddenly made a warning callst night. He must have known about thiswsuit, just not that she was the intiff So who was he here for? The answer was obvious. A few days ago, Mason had found out through someone the information about the girl named Hanson sitting on the defendant¡¯s bench; from her birthce to her life experiences, everything was clear. She had always thought that Sydney could never have registered an ount with a stranger¡¯s identity As expected, Hanson was Sydney¡¯s cousin, and the two had grown up together and were very close. Today¡¯s goal was not only to win thewsuit but also to try to get some information from Hanson and involve Sydney as well. Liam didn¡¯t know she was the intiff, so the only reason he could be here was for the defendant. On one hand, he was transferring money to her, and on the other, he was standing up for his little lover. Liam was such a two¨Ctimert As the court rules were read, the trial officially began. Mason disyed the collected evidence on the big screen while exining the corresponding evidence. Most of the evidence was the insults and nder from those ounts toward Celestial Haze. Their choice of words was so malicious that it was beyond people¡¯s moral cognition. Mason said. ¡°The defendant has been using the inte as a cover to relentlessly insult and attack my client,mitting cyber violence. In July 20XX, my chent couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and had an emotional breakdown, taking an excessive amount of sleeping pills. She waster diagnosed as being in a depressive state.¡± Liam clenched his hands, staring intently at the diagnosis on the screen. This was the first time he had seen this diagnosis, and Celeste had never mentioned it to him. What happened in Julyst year? Liam quickly searched his memory and finally remembered that Julyst year was when they had the most intense argument. At that time, they¡¯d been married for over two years and still didn¡¯t have kids. Everything had been going great, but for some reason, Celeste suddenly got a bit neurotic and obsessed with having a baby Sometimes he¡¯de homete after a busy day, hoping to chill with her for a bitt but shed be calcting her cycle and dragging him into the bedroom to try and get pregnant Before this, Celeste hadn¡¯t shown any signs of being in a hurry to have kids, so this sudden change really threw him for a loop. He felt that if they were going to have kids in the future, it should be when both of them were physically and mentally ready. A baby isn¡¯t just a byproduct of a couple¡¯s fun, it¡¯s a new life parents have to take responsibility for Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Not to mention Celeste¡¯s body hasn¡¯t fully recovered, and she was still a bit childish herself. It would have been like a child raising a child. He didn¡¯t think it was the best time for them to have a kid given their situation at the time. They had a huge disagreement on the issue of having children, and on top of that, Shawn¡¯spany had quality Issues with their products, which involved Celeste and affected Clyde¡¯s project. The board members kept asking him for an exnation, and Celeste brought up the topic of having a child at that time, so they had a big fight. After the argument, he was busy dealing with the aftermath of Shawn¡¯s issue and barely stayed at home during that period. If it was back in Julyst year. It was exactly when these two things happened. Liam¡¯s heart clenched. He had no idea she was taking sleeping pills, let alone about this diagnosis. Liam felt a lump in his throat. Although Celeste hid her Celestial Haze ount from him, she never hid her emotions. It was he who overlooked those facts She didn¡¯t hide it that well. If he had been just a little more caring, he wouldn¡¯t have found out about all this until now. After Mason finished his statement, the judge asked the defensewyer to speak. Sydney got a top¨Cnotchwyer for Hanson, who didn¡¯t deny the evidence listed by Mason. Instead, he questioned the diagnosis. Celeste¡¯s diagnosis was fromst July, while the main abusive messages from the defendant were mainly after this January. Therefore, he asserted that Celeste¡¯s depression had no direct connection with the defendant¡¯sments. The defensewyer spoke sharply, ¡°In conclusion, we believe that there is no necessary causality between these two events. We cannot say that the intiff¡¯s depression was caused by the defendant¡¯s comments. Maybe her life situation was already not going well, or maybe she was already prone to depression.¡± He looked at Celeste, ¡°Your Honor, I request to ask the intiff some questions.¡± Owen whispered to Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, the defendant¡¯swyer seems to be your college ssmate.¡± Not just ¡°seems,¡± he was Liam¡¯s college ssmate. The defendant¡¯swyer, Hector, was all about money. As long as he was paid, he¡¯d take any case without considering the character of his clients. His most famous case was a poisoning incident in a universityb five years ago. At that time, there was plenty of testimony that the suspect had ample time and motive tomit the crime, but there was no fingerprint or hair evidence found at the scene, nor was there any direct evidence that the suspect had entered theb before the incident. In other words, there was no proof that the poison was ced by the suspect. Although he brought the toxic substance back to his dormitory, the poison was found in the water dispenser in theb. Since the entire chain of evidence could not be connected, there was no proof that the suspect was the poisoner, only that he carried a toxic substance illegally. Hector grasped a key point and sessfully turned the case around. A poisoning case became a manughter case, and the suspect was sentenced to only five years for causing death by carrying a toxic substance. The case caused quite a stir at the time. Hector was widely discussed byizens, but it didn¡¯t affect his reputation. Those who hired him for their cases were wealthy people. For them, avoiding jail time was the best deal they could get. Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Hector was a man who specialized in making that kind of money. Liam didn¡¯t like Hector¡¯s unscrupulous way of doing things, so he didn¡¯t get close to him. Back in the day, Hector turned the case around by questioning witnesses in court and catching their slip¨Cups in their statements. So when he said he wanted to question Celeste, Liam couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous After the jury¡¯s discussion, the judge agreed Hector looked directly into Celeste¡¯s eyes, ¡°Ms. Campbell, your file shows that you graduated from T University¡¯s Acting Department three years ago with excellent grades, and you were one of their top graduates. However, you didn¡¯t work after graduation. What have you been doing for these three years?¡± Mason frowned The other party was clearly well prepared. Liam¡¯s face darkened. Hector seemed to want to divert the case in another direction. Celeste stared back at him fearlessly, ¡°What I did after graduation¡­ does it have anything to do with today¡¯s case?¡± Hector paused, ¡°Not for now.¡± ¡°Then I refuse to answer this question.¡± ¡°The intiff has the right to refuse to answer questions unrted to the case Defensewyer, please ask another question.¡± Hector nodded and then asked the second question, ¡°ording to the information, Ms. Campbell had a bedridden mother for many years.¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°With your mother bedridden for so long, you must have been very upset, right?¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened. What kind of questions were these? If it weren¡¯t for being in court, she would have asked him right away. ¡°Would you be upset if your mom was lying in a hospital bed?¡± Mason said solemnly, ¡°This question is irrelevant to the case, and we have the right to refuse to answer.¡± After the judge agreed, Hector asked the third question. ¡°Ms. Campbell, have you ever been diagnosed with depression beforest July?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, and after a while, said, ¡°No.¡± Hector smirked, ¡°Ms. Campbell¡¯s mother has been bedridden for years, and she must have cared deeply about this. With her mother¡¯s critical condition, Ms. Campbell was under constant stress. ording to the information we have, , in June ofst year, Ms. Campbell¡¯s mother was given a critical illness notice, and her mother had a history of depression. So I have reason to believe that Ms. Campbell¡¯s depressive state was due to her mother¡¯s critical condition, her psychological stress, and gic factors and has nothing to do with my client.¡± ¡°Objection!¡± Mason said with a solemn face, ¡°Our client¡¯s mother, Ms. Caitly in a vegetative state. She has received critical illness notices dozens of times a car the past seven years ago and was diagnosed as being years. If our client was depressed because of Ms. Caitlyn, why did it take six years for the depression to ur? Also, there is no reliable data showing that depression is rted to gics.¡± The gallery of the courtroom was buzzing with chatter at this point. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hector¡¯s speech hadid bare Celeste¡¯s pain for all to see. Two fans of Sydney sitting in the back saw this and immediately felt aeback was in sight, discussing excitedly. ¡°I told you depression isn¡¯t good evidence. With so much pressure in today¡¯s society, who doesn¡¯t have some depressive feelings? Using a piece of paper to im her depression is caused by thesements is justughable.¡± ¡°After her mom¡¯s car ident, where she became a vegetable and stayed in the hospital for many years, how does she not have a job? I¡¯m a bit curious where her moneyes from.¡± The person snorted contemptuously, ¡°Where else could ite from With her beautiful face, as long as she¡¯s willing to sell herself, there are plenty of men who would buy. How can she be pure after getting stic surgery like that?¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Liam suddenly stood up and kicked the chair in the row behind him. The two girls screamed in fright, immediately drawing the attention of the courtroom staff. Celeste and everyone looked in that direction. Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 All they saw was Liam standing by the side with a tense face, ring at the two noisy women in the back row, his expression cold and gloomy. The two girls had no idea what had happened, but Liam¡¯s gaze had already scared them to the point their voices trembled, ¡°What, what are you doing?¡± Liam nced at them coldly, and emotionlessly said, ¡°got a leg cramp.¡± The two girls were speechless. Who kicks someone else¡¯s chair when they have a cramp? However, Liam¡¯s aura was too strong, and even though they knew he was talking nonsense, they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound anymore. Owen nced at the two malicious women in the back row and thought, luckily they were girls, if they were two guys, Mr. Reed¡¯s kick would havended on them instead of the chair. These two were so annoying, spreading rumors about pretty girls, utterly disgusting. The bailiff came over to maintain order, ¡°No noise is allowed in the courtroom, please keep quiet.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t see Liam kick the back row bench, and didn¡¯t know what had happened exactly, but as soon as she saw Liam¡¯s expression, she knew this guy was angry. How dare he be angry when he came to support Sydney? Because of this small incident, the judge announced a ten¨Cminute break. Liam immediately got up to find Celeste. Just a few steps away from her, Hector suddenly called out to him, ¡°Liam, long time no see, what brought you here today?¡± Celeste looked at Hector and Liam acting familiar with each other, her eyes somewhat heavy. She turned to Mason and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bathroom first.¡± Liam casually replied a few words, but when he turned his head, Celeste was gone, leaving only Mason at the scene. He walked over with a frown and asked Mason, ¡°Where¡¯s Celeste?¡± ¡°She went to the bathroom.¡± Liam turned to chase after her, but Mason stopped him, ¡°There are many reporters here today. The defendant¡¯swyer has already made people specte about her past. She¡¯s a public figure now. If you¡¯re caught looking for her, have you ever thought about the consequences?¡± Liam¡¯s steps came to a sudden halt. Mason whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let her lose this case.¡± Liam looked into Mason¡¯s deep, abyss¨Clike eyes. ¡°When did she ask you to sue?¡± Mason pursed his lips, ¡°Before the charity dinner. Liam¡¯s face grew even heavier, ¡°You knew early on that she was Celestial Haze, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Mason looked indifferent, ¡°Liam, I¡¯m awyer, Celest besides, I think her acting career has is my client, protecting the client¡¯s privacy is my basic professional requirement, and no impact on your marriage.¡± In other words, it doesn¡¯t matter if you ys are a divorce, whether I tell you or not. How could Liam not understand the meaning behind his words? He clenched his fists, his voice involuntarily deepening. ¡°Mason, you better control your behavior, Celeste is mine. No matter what Mason¡¯s hand adjusting his sleeve suddenly think in your heart, if you dare touch her, I will never let you go.¡± A pair of beautiful eyes filled with cold indic and he slowly raised his head Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. should be the one controlling yourself¡± Liam¡¯s face turned icy cold. ¡°I¡¯ve always been in control, at least when she was still your wife. But now, she¡¯s not, and you Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Their gazes shed in the air, neither willing to back down. ¡°How did you know that Celeste¡¯s mother had a car ident seven years ago?¡± Liam was very sensitive to the use of words in details. Hector only mentioned Caitlyn being bedridden, but Mason could urately say the specific ident and time. He had only known Celeste for just over two months, so how did he know those details? Instead of answering that question, Mason asked him another one. ¡°Do you know how Caitlyn passed away?¡± Liam¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. This question had been bothering him since the funeral, but he hadn¡¯t pursued it in detail. He didn¡¯t have much affection for Caitlyn, who was in a vegetative state and never even spoke. It was obvious that he couldn¡¯t develop deep feelings like Celeste could. Because he couldn¡¯t empathize, he initially felt that Celeste was making a fuss when she asked for a divorce at the funeral. Now that the question was once again in front of him, Liam suddenly felt a little afraid to face the truth. Mason spoke casually. ¡°When we went in, Ms. Caitlyn hadn¡¯tpletely lost her vital signs yet. It was Celeste who personally removed her oxygen mask.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your woman, you should protect her for a lifetime and keep her forever young and happy. Since you can¡¯t do that, you have no right to question.¡± Without waiting for Liam to speak, Mason turned and left the courtroom. Liam stood still, his face tense, and it took him a long time to return to his seat. Seeing Mr. Reed return with a gloomy face, Owen didn¡¯t dare to ask what Mr. Fletcher had just said to him. He just whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, don¡¯t worry too much. Mrs. Reed has a strong case, and Mr. Fletcher is very good at handling this kind ofwsuit. She won¡¯t lose.¡± Liam¡¯s face was already ugly because of Mason¡¯s provocation, and now hearing Owen praise Mason, it became even uglier He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t him, she wouldn¡¯t lose this case! I have enough money to hire the bestwyer for her!¡± Owen was confused. Why did Mr. Reed¡¯s words sound a bit resentful? A few minutester, the trial continued. Celeste returned to the intiff¡¯s Compared to before, rexpression seemed more reserved. Thewyers on both sides continued to sh, and Hector¡¯s level was indeed not inferior to Mason¡¯s, but Mason¡¯s side had ample evidence. Regarding the questions Hector had Celeste quickly produced new evidence. raised, After being diagnosed with depression forpletely recovered. Since then, her back. first time, she would get a check¨Cup every month. By the end ofst year, the symptoms had had a few brushes with death, but she¡¯s been mentally stable, with no signs of depressioning This can prove that her depression diagnosisst year wasn¡¯t caused by her mom¡¯s situation. Hector couldn¡¯t provide any new evidence and was losing ground. Mason seized the opportunity and said, ¡°Your Honor, I¡¯d like to ask the defendant a few questions.¡± ¡°Granted.¡± Hanson I since the trial began her lips, not having said a word s Herwyer had advised her to stay as quiet as possible, as fewer words meant fewer chances to mess up. ¡°Ms. Hanson, when did you registerT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ount the whole time? Have you ount? When did you post your first update? What was it about? Have you been the one using this r lent it to someone else?¡± Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Mason suddenly threw a bunch of questions at Hanson, leaving her speechless for a moment. She stuttered, ¡°The ount was¡­ registered the year beforest, I don¡¯t remember the exact time, and the first post, I think it was a repost, I forgot. I¡¯ve always been the one using the ount.¡± Mason¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, making it hard to tell if he got the information he wanted. Hanson felt uneasy, afraid she might say something wrong. But seeing herwyer didn¡¯t interrupt, she rxed a bit. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Miss Hanson, when is your birthday?¡± ¡°July 16th.¡± ¡°July 16th¡­¡± Mason pondered the date and suddenly asked, ¡°Your ount posted a message on February 19th, wishing yourself a happy birthday. Do you have two birthdays a year?¡± Hanson¡¯s face changed. February 19th was not her birthday, but Sydney¡¯s. That ount had always been used by Sydney, and she had no idea what content Sydney had posted. Such a stupid move! Posting private content on a secondary ount was just in dumb! ¡°Miss, please answer my question!¡± Mason¡¯s aura was strong, even more oppressive than the judge in court, making Hanson feel nervous. Finally, Hector spoke up. ¡°February 19th was the birthday of the celebrity she was following at the time. Fans often treat their idol¡¯s birthday as a new beginning, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, right?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Mason said. ¡°It¡¯s just rare to see someone wishing themselves a happy birthday instead of their idol.¡± Then he turned to the judge and said. ¡°I¡¯m done with my questioning.¡± This caused quite a stir. Sydney was a big star, and her birthday was no secret among her fans. Fans celebrating their idol¡¯s birthday ismon, but wishing themselves happy birthday on their idol¡¯s birthday seemed a bit off. Even if it was really to congratte the idol, they should have posted a picture of the idol. Just a cake picture with a caption ¡°Happy birthday to me¡± obviously couldn¡¯t stand up After Mason finished his questioning, it was left to the reporters present to dig deeper. Both sides finished their defense. After on¨Csite discussions, a verdict was made. Hanson and others were found guilty of insult. Starting immediately, they must publicly apologize to the intiff on major online tforms, with the apology letter disyed for more than seven days. They must alsopensate the intiff for emotional distress, lost wages, and other expenses, totaling $76,000. Due to significant disagreements on the defamation charge, a separate verdict will be announcedter. This result was within Celeste¡¯s expectations. Four peoplepensating $76,000 wasn¡¯t too much, but the significance of this verdict was huge. Cyberbullying incidents are not umon, and in recent years, casualties due to cyberbullying have urred from time to time. After each incident, the perpetrators often sessfully hide, and those who suffer from long¨Cterm cyberbullying desperately need a victory in this case to give them the courage to fight against cyberbullying. Celeste didn¡¯t mind being the leader. After the trial, reporters who had been waiting for interviews gathered around her as she left the courtroom. Celeste was very easygoing. She stood on the steps, speaking gently to the reporters, ¡°Don¡¯t push, safety first. I promise to leave time for interviews, so I won¡¯t break my word. You can ask whatever you want, but I have to leave in ten minutes because I have some personal matters to deal with. I hope you understand.¡± The reporters felt like they had met an angel. Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Chapter 527 In this day and age, even actors with a little bit of heat acted very arrogantly in front of reporters and media. Although they needed the media to increase their exposure, they openly and secretly expressed dissatisfaction with the content of these entertainment reporters¡® jobs. Celeste was candid and respectful, which made people feel good about her. ¡°Miss Celeste, do you know everyone calls you the Queen of Justice?¡± Celeste was surprised, but she really didn¡¯t know because she had been too busytely to browse the inte for news. So she asked, ¡°Is it because I¡¯m good at ying twisted roles?¡± Everyoneughed, and someone joked along with her, ¡°You¡¯re definitely twisted when you need to be.¡± This kind of humorousnguage was always funny no matter when it was used. *Miss Celeste, are you only working on Mastermind of Law? Have you considered acting in TV shows or movies?¡± ¡°Miss Celeste, are you really not going to do voice acting anymore?¡± ¡°Miss Celeste, are you currently single?¡± ¡°Miss Celeste, have you signed with an agency?¡± Everyone¡¯s questions came one after another, covering all sorts of topics. Some asked about her emotional status, others about her rtionship with Sydney. Having yed mind games with Skyler for years, Celeste was always watertight in her answers. Mason kept an eye on the time, and after ten minutes, he reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Only then did Celeste say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all for today. I¡¯ll give more answerster.¡± Although the reporters were disappointed, they still let her through. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Mason single¨Chandedly protected Celeste, gently encircling her waist, ensuring that no impulsive reporters touched her. When they reached the car, he opened the door for Celeste, and they both got in. Liam sat in the car behind them, watching the scene in a bad mood. Only after the car in front started did Liam say in a deep voice, ¡°Follow them.¡± Once in the car, Celeste leaned back in her seat, sighing with relief. Then she said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, thank you for your hard work today¡± Mason smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t work for free; I took your money, so I was doing my job.¡± Celeste smiled back. Mason taking her case actually didn¡¯t make much money. When she went to Mason¡¯sw firm before, she asked the assistant about it. Lawyers at Mason¡¯s level usually took on big cases. Smaller cases like this were time¨Cconsuming and energy¨Cconsuming and were rarely epted. Mason taking it was purely a favor. After winning the case, Celeste felt much better and asked, ¡°How about we have dinner together? What do you feel like eating?¡± Driving the car, Mason gently said, ¡°I¡¯m good with anything. It depends on what you want to eat.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have something nice, huh?¡± Celeste squinted her eyes, ¡°How about a cheeseburger?¡± Mason also grinned, ¡°Is that what you call nice?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m usually super strict with my carbs during work, so for me, this is a treat¡± Hearing her say that, Mason responded, ¡°Alright then.¡± The traffic light ahead turned red, and just as Mason hit the brakes, there was a loud ¡°bang¡± from behind, as something crashed into them, causing his car to skid forward uncontrobly for half a meter. Celeste furrowed her brows and looked back. In the rearview mirror, all they could see was a silver¨Cgray sedan. Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Celeste frowned and said, ¡°Is the driver a newbie? How did they hit us?¡± Mason gently smiled and said, ¡°Seems like dinner will be a bitte tonight.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the ident first.¡± ¡°Hold on a sec.¡± Mason whispered, then turned on the hazard lights, unbuckled his seatbelt, and prepared to get out of the car ¡°I¡¯ll go with you¡± Celeste said, also unbuckling her seatbelt. Mason is pretty easygoing, so what if the other driver is unreasonable? She needed to be there just in case. If Mason couldn¡¯t handle the situation, Celeste would take over, after all, she¡¯s thick¨Cskinned and never loses an argument. Mason smiled and said, ¡°Okay¡± So Liam saw Celeste and Mason get out of the car together. Celeste even walked around the car to be by Mason¡¯s side She was wearing a white trench coat, her hair loose and casual, hands in the pockets of her coat, and her lips tightly pressed together. She looked like someone you wouldn¡¯t want to mess with. She walked slightly ahead of Mason, shielding him behind her. This action made Liam¡¯s\mood darken During their first year of marriage, they both attended a party for Sienna¡¯s birthday. Liam was driving, and as the traffic light turned green, he started driving. Suddenly, an electric scooter darted out, and Liam quickly hit the brakes, but still hit the scooter The rider was a middle¨Caged woman in her fifties with a five or six¨Cyear¨Cold child on the back. After being hit, both of them fell off the scooter. Liam asked Celeste to call the insurancepany while he checked on the situation. While Celeste was on the phone, the middle¨Caged woman got up from the ground and started hitting Liam¡¯s car with her helmet. Liam, a grown man, couldn¡¯t bring himself to fight with an older woman with a child, so the woman became even more agitated, cursing and hitting the car while trying to kick Liam. Being newlyweds, Celeste couldn¡¯t stand seeing her man being bullied. She immediately grabbed a golf club from the back seat and got out of the car, not hesitating to start smashing the electric scooter with it. Her movements were fast and ruthless. The golf club made of alloy was very sturdy, and within a few hits, the scooter¡¯s windshield was shattered The child nearby was scared and started crying. The middle¨Caged woman realized she had met her match and stopped being aggressive, quickly going to protect her grandson and the now¨Cdamaged scooterContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. When the police and insurancepany arrived and took photos as evidence, the woman was found at fault for running a red light. The damage to her scooter wasn¡¯t severe, and with insurance, she would probably only have to pay about 2000 to 3000 dors inpensation. However, the woman was stubborn and med Liam and Celeste for not paying attention while driving and for damaging her scooter. She demanded hundreds of thousands of dors for repairs. When she heard thepensation amount, she argued that Celeste had started the damage first Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Chapter 529 But it was clear who started it, as the dashcam had recorded everything. Celeste¡¯s damage to the scooter only cost around a thousand dors, while the woman had to pay hundreds of thousands for the car repairs. It was a shame. Celeste was fierce when smashing the scooter, but as soon as the incident was over, she got back in the car, removed her sunsses, and her voice softened. She whispered to Liam, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I¡¯m not usually like this. People say I¡¯m gentle and virtuous.¡± Liam¡­ If he hadn¡¯t seen her smashing the scooter with his own eyes, he might have believed her. Celeste was never a pushover. She just liked to pretend to be one. As she said, ¡°When ites to my husband, if anyone¡¯s going to hit him, it¡¯s going to be me.¡± She¡¯s always been very protective of her own people and possessions. There was one time, he was the one she protected, but now¡­ Liam stared intently at Celeste and Mason as they approached. Celeste frowned, as the driver of the car behind them hadn¡¯t moved an inch. Quite an attitude. Mason knocked on the driver s side window, which slowly rolled down. There was Owen, smiling apologetically, ¡®Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Reed, what a coincidence.¡± Celeste was speechless. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Mason was also taken aback, ¡°Owen, it¡¯s you?¡± Owen got out of the car, ¡°I was giving Mr. Reed a ride to his house, but I had trouble adjusting to the new car and hit the brakes toote. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± He looked at the damage to Mason¡¯s car and said with a guilty face, ¡°This is quite bad. The taillights are cracked. I¡¯ve contacted the insurancepany, and they¡¯ll be here soon. But it¡¯ll definitely dy Mr. Fletcher¡¯s ns.¡± Celeste¡¯s forehead vein twitched. Owen was an excellent driver, and very experienced. How could Liam¡¯s assistant make such a rookie mistake? Did Liam ask him to do this on purpose? Celeste stared at the backseat window with a hostile expression. Even though she couldn¡¯t see inside clearly, she could feel Liam¡¯s gaze. Helping her opponents in awsuit was one thing, but now he¡¯s hitting her car? What¡¯s wrong with Liam after the divorce? As she red at the window, it rolled down. Liam, dressed in a suit, was sitting in the backseat, barely ncing at her as he asked, ¡°what is it, Owen?¡± Owen replied. ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s quite a coincidence. We hit Mr. Fletcher¡¯s car, and Mrs. Reed¡­no, Ms. Campbell is with him. The damage looks pretty bad, the taillights are cracked.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°How long will it take to deal with this?¡± ¡°It might take about 20 to 30 minutes. It¡¯s rush hour now, so the insurancepany might be slow to arrive. Mr. Reed, do you want to call the olddy and tell her we¡¯ll be a bitte?¡± Liam pursed his lips, staying silent for a moment before saying. ¡°Just tell them to hurry up.¡± His annoyed expression made Celeste start to doubt herself. Because as the window rolled down, Liam barely even looked at her Just as Liam finished speaking, his phone rang Liam¡¯s phone was connected to the car¡¯s Bluetooth, and when he answered the call, Mr. Robinson¡¯s voice came through the speakers, ¡°Mr. Reed, how much longer till you arrive?¡± Liam replied, ¡°There¡¯s been a bit of an ident, might take about half an hour.¡± ¡°Is everything okay? Anyone hurt?¡± ¡°No worries.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should consider hailing a cab toe over. The olddy here is getting pretty impatient, and it might get ugly if you don¡¯t show up soon.¡± Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Celeste suddenly felt a heaviness in her heart. 47 When she saw his grandma at the funeral, she was still strong and healthy. How could she suddenly be weak? She clenched her face and her fingers unconsciously tightened. Her mother had just passed away, so she was very sensitive to the health of those around her. Only those who have experienced such things know how unpredictable life is. Liam¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but darken a bit as well, and he said softly. ¡°I got it, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up the phone, Liam unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car He nced at Celeste and Mason, then turned to Owen and said. ¡°You wait here for the insurance guy to handle this, I¡¯ll take a cab and head there¡± With that, he walked toward the opposite side, his hurried steps making Celeste feel uneasy. She instinctively called out to him, ¡°Liam!¡± Liam stopped and looked back at her. Celeste whispered, ¡°What happened to Grandma?¡± Liam stared into her eyes and said heavily. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If you want to know, you cane with me to check it out.¡± She and Liam were already divorced. Was it appropriate for her to go with him now? Liam waited a few seconds, and seeing her not moving, his eyes shed a hint of disappointment. I¡¯ll be taken off then,¡± he said. Celeste choked on her words. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She could be indifferent to any problems the Reed family had, but she couldn¡¯t ignore something happening to grandma. The kindest person in the Reed family to her was Sienna. She couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye and pretend not to hear. So, the moment Liam turned around, she called out to him, ¡°Wait for me.¡± Then she turned to Mason and said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day. I need to go check on grandma first.¡± Mason¡¯s expression softened a bit, and he whispered, ¡°Go ahead, contact me if there¡¯s anything¡± Celeste breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him before catching up with Liam. Watching the two of them leave, Mason¡¯s eyes became deep and it took a long time for him to look away. Owen awkwardlyughed and said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I¡¯m really sorry for wasting so much of your time.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re short on time.¡± Owen¡¯s smile faded slightly, as if he heard another meaning in those words. Seemed like he was sneering Liam. During the wait, Liam didn¡¯t say a word. Celeste was worried about Sienna¡¯s condition, so she naturally didn¡¯t feel like talking. Before long, a taxi pulled up The driver poked his head out and asked where they were going. Liam gave the address, and the driver said he could take them there, but there was already a passenger in the who needed to be dropped off at her university first. He asked if they would mind. The university and his old house were on the way. ay, so Liam agreed. Once in the car, they realized there was a young girl who looked like a student in her twenties sitting in the front seat. The temperature wasn¡¯t low today, and with it being close to noon, the sun was scorching. The car was filled with the smell of leather and engine oil in the heat, which was very unpleasant. As soon as Celeste smelled it, she felt nauseous. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat, trying to rest and feel a little better. After she closed her eyes, Liam secretly nced at her. There were some faint dark circles under Celeste¡¯s eyes. She must have been very tiredtely, with no time to rest after the funeral. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Liam pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°Congrattions on winning thewsuit today.¡± The corners of Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched upward, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes. ¡°I won, so Mr. Reed must be very disappointed, huh? Spending so much onwyer fees and still having to pay compensation.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Why would I be disappointed?¡± Celeste barely lifted her eyelids, half¨Cclosing her eyes as she looked at him. ¡°you even managed to get Mr. Hector on board, really sparing no expense.¡± She had heard that Hector¡¯s attorney fees were very high, and it wasn¡¯t just about having money, but also status and connections. Sydney might not have been able to get him, but Liam definitely could. Thinking about the way they were chatting in court earlier, Celeste¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but darken. ¡°You think Hector was hired by me?¡± Celeste nced at Liam. ¡°Then why were you there to watch the trial, Mr. Reed? If you try to pretend you have nothing to do with it, at least avoid people when you¡¯re talking to Mr. Hector. So it¡¯ll look more convincing. Just because you lost the case doesn¡¯t mean you can deny the truth.¡± Listening to Celeste¡¯s sarcasm, Liam¡¯s mind began to cool down. He started to review the events of thest two days in his mind. Celestial Haze was Celeste, so the photo incident definitely wasn¡¯t her doing Who wanted him toe and watch this trial so badly? And the purpose was¡­? Liam suddenly looked at Celeste, who was looking back at him with a mocking gaze. He felt like he knew the purpose of the person who invited him to watch the trial. They wanted Celeste to think that he had helped arrange the trial Judging by the way Celeste looked at him now, their goal seemed to have been achieved. He and Celeste were already divorced, with a chasm between them. He was trying to fill that chasm, but someone wanted to make sure he could never cross it Who could that be? Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. As Liam searched for suspicious people in his mind, he realized there were too many people with that motive. Too many people were hoping for Celeste to divorce him. Liam exined. ¡°There¡¯s a misunderstanding here. I didn¡¯t know you were involved in this case before I came. I¡¯m just acquainted with Hector, and our conversation in court was just a greeting, not because I¡¯m his employer,¡± After listening to his exnation, Celeste finally said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t know, then why did you show up at the trial?¡± Liam hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Someone sent me a letter telling me toe and watch the trial.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t hold back any longer ¡°Liam, if you can¡¯te up with an excuse, just stop talking! A simple letter brought you here? What about when I called you so many times during my ident? Why didn¡¯t you answer? Is a letter more important than your wife?¡± Liam: ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± Celeste put on her headphones, turned her head to look out the window, and ignored him. After the other passenger got out of the car, the driver headed straight for the his house. As soon as they got to the mansion and got out of the car, Mr. Robinson was already waiting for us behind the door. ¡°Young Master, Mrs. Reed¡± Mr. Robinson still used the same old titles. Celeste was anxious to know how Sienna was doing, so she didn¡¯t bother with the title and asked quietly. ¡°Mr. Robinson, how¡¯s Granny?¡± Mr. Robinson hesitated for a moment, nced at Liam, and said with pursed lips, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see her.¡± Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Celeste and Liam followed Mr. Robinson inside. All the way, Mr. Robinson¡¯s expression was very serious, so Celeste didn¡¯t dare to ask more questions. As they walked, they found that Mr. Robinson didn¡¯t take them to old Mrs. Reed¡¯s residence, but to the racecourse behind it. Celeste frowned and whispered, ¡°Mr. Robinson, are we going the wrong way?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Mr. Robinson replied quietly, ¡°the olddy is right here.¡± Soon, they arrived at the stable. Celeste saw Sienna sitting outside Sugar¡¯s stable, holding an apple and whispering to Sugar ¡°Just take a bite, my dear. Your fur is dull. If you lose more weight, you¡¯ll be ugly, and Celeste won¡¯te to see you anymore¡± Sugar neighed a few times, stomping its hooves impatiently, as if it was angry. *Just have a bite, you haven¡¯t eaten for two days. You¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± Celeste thought, wasn¡¯t it said that Sienna was weak? Isn¡¯t she lively and energetic? She even has the strength to feed the horse! She couldn¡¯t help but re at Liam, who pursed his lips and showed no expression. Mr. Robinson said loudly. ¡°Olddy, the young master and Mrs. Reed are here.¡± Hearing the sound, Sienna turned her head and saw Celeste, as if she had seen a savior. ¡°Celeste,e and take a look. Sugar hasn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything these days. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t leave directly, so she walked over. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask a doctor toe and take a look?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Sienna frowned, looking worried. ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s a psychological issue, lovesickness, that¡¯s why it¡¯s on a hunger strike and acting up.¡± ¡°Lovesickness?¡± Celeste s eyebrows twitched, thinking, can horses also get lovesick? She coughed and asked, ¡°Did you find Sugar a girlfriend?¡± Sienna shook her head, ¡°he misses you. You haven¡¯t been here to y with him for more than half a month, so he¡¯s angry and acting up.¡± Celeste thought Sienna was talking nonsense. But Sugar quickly responded, he turned his head, staring at her with big eyes and panting heavily. This is how horses show excitement. Does Sugar really rely on her that much? Celeste wasn¡¯t sure because Sugar¡¯s temper was actually pretty moody. But noble horses always have tempers, and Sienna spoils him, so people he doesn¡¯t approve of can¡¯t even touch him. Sienna handed the apple in her hand to Celeste, ¡°You try feeding him Celeste had no choice but to take it and put it to Sugar¡¯s mouth. Sugar stared at her for a few seconds, opened his mouth and bit the apple, then threw it on the ground. Celeste thought, ¡°I knew it had nothing to do with me¡­ Before she could finish her sentence, Sugar suddenly reached out its neck and bit Celeste¡¯s sleeve Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. With a ¡®rip¡± sound, Celeste¡¯s shirt sleeve was torn off from her shoulder. Sugar bit the half sleeve, excitedly running in circles in the stable Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched She had previously bought so many hairpins for this little guy, but not only did she not get any gratitude, she was also treated with hostility. It¡¯s really as much of a jerk as Liam! Thinking of this, she angrily red at Liam. Liam: ??? Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Sienna didn¡¯t expect this to happen either, and sheughed awkwardly, ¡°Maybe he likes the smell on you.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Sienna suddenly eximed in surprise, ¡°he¡¯s eating, Celeste, look, Sugar is eating!¡± Celeste looked and saw that Sugar picked up the apple he had just thrown on the ground and started eating it seriously. Sienna quickly gave him a carrot, and Sugar ate it happily ¡°I said Sugar misses you because he hasn¡¯t seen you for so long.¡± Sienna smiled. ¡°As soon as you came, he still acted up a bit, but his appetite immediately improved. He¡¯s used to youing over every week to y with him, and he misses you when he doesn¡¯t see you. Celeste,e more often when you have time, Sugar will be happy to see you, and so will l Celeste smiled faintly and said vaguely. ¡°We¡¯ll see, Grandma, I¡¯ve been pretty busytely.¡± Today was an ident. She thought something had happened to Sienna, so she was worried and confused. If Sienna really had an ident, she should go to the hospital instead ofing to the mansion. Sienna didn¡¯t force her, and turned to Liam, Liam, take Celeste to change her clothes, and then have a meal together.¡± Celeste was about to refuse, but Sienna added, ¡°After dinner, you can chat with me.¡± Celeste had no choice but to close her mouth. There used to be her clothes in Liam¡¯s bedroom, but since they didn¡¯t live here often, Sienna let Ramona pack them up. There were only two thin pajamas in the closet, which she couldn¡¯t wear now Celeste was swinging her bare arm outside, her bra strap exposed, which was really indecent. So she sat in Liam¡¯s room, waiting for him to find Ramona to get her clothes. Her phone in her bag had been vibrating, and Celeste took it out to check. It was a few tweets from Trisha. Celestial Haze appears at the trial scene Celestial Haze is Celeste Celestial Haze and Mastermind of Law Celestial Haze Real Person Video Celestial Haze Wins Defamation Case Celestial Haze case defendant suspected to be Sydney¡¯s assistant The entertainment section was almost entirely dominated by these entries. The discussions under the rted entries were also very intense: ¡°Wow, the psychopath criminal in Mastermind of Law is actually Celestial Haze herself!¡± ¡°How can Sydney¡¯s fans have the face to dox her? Who¡¯s voice acting made her popr?¡± ¡°I was at the trial scene today, and I saw Celestial Haze in person. She even greeted me!¡± ¡°So, is Celestial Haze gorgeous or what?¡± ¡®She¡¯s absolutely stunning! There aren¡¯t many in the entertainment industry who canpare to her. She looks even better in person than she does in Mastermind of Law, her skin is so smooth!¡± ¡®Is the defendant really Sydney¡¯s assistant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard too. Some people say they saw that person on the set of Sydney¡¯s film shoot, but the photo is a bit blurry, so it¡¯s hard to see her face clearly. The figure does look like her, though.¡± ¡°Wow, if that¡¯s really her assistant, is it possible she doesn¡¯t know they¡¯re attacking others online?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°No way she doesn¡¯t know, maybe she even masterminded it. When Mystery Lover was popr, her fans were constantly fighting with Celestial Haze¡¯s fans. She even personally posted a voice video trying to show off, but it almost backfired on her. Since she couldn¡¯t win over Celestial Haze with her voice, she went on to criticize Celestial Haze looks. Turns out, Celestial Haze looks way better than her too. What else can shepete with? She might as well take the crown for creating the most drama.¡± Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Trisha texted: ¡°Sydney can¡¯t take it anymore, she¡¯s spending money to get off the trending topics!¡± Sydney was currently promoting her new movie like crazy, hoping to use its poprity to downy the lawsuit. Celeste asked, ¡°How much would it cost if I paid someone to keep hyping thiswsuit?¡± Trisha replied bluntly, ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s more than your paycheck. You¡¯re broke now, you can¡¯t afford it.¡± Celeste said, ¡°I have millions in my ount, how am I broke?¡± Trisha¡­ ¡°Suddenly, I feel like Liam is quite generous to you. Why don¡¯t you remarry him, then divorce himter, ask for a few more millions, and then marry and divorce again Cycle through, isn¡¯t this better than making money from acting?¡± Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°You¡¯re really a genius.¡± Trisha giggled and then asked. ¡°Are you really going to spend money on promotion?¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s tough enough to buy a house, better save the money for important things.¡± Trisha agreed wholeheartedly, ¡°there¡¯s no need to waste money. Sydney¡¯s image is fake, it¡¯s only a matter of time before she gets exposed What¡¯s the rush? She¡¯s the one who should worry. She¡¯s about to break the contract with Mr. Francis, and he¡¯s so stingy that he won¡¯t spend any more money on her Maybe she¡¯s even paying for the movie promotion herself!¡± ¡°That makes sense, but, Celeste paused, ¡®Mr. Francis is actually a good guy, very loyal. We¡¯re all in the same circle, and we should get along with him. Maybe we¡¯ll need his help in the future.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hes just -¡°Trisha gritted her teeth, and after a while, said, ¡°Forget it, just keep your distance from him!¡± Then she continued. ¡°Are you with Mr. Fletcher now? I saw a video of you and Mr. Fletcher leaving the courthouse online today,¡± andughed teasingly, ¡°You two look good together, you can give Mr. Fletcher a try, and piss off Liam at the same time.¡± Although Trisha was a bit over the top, she could tell that Liam still had feelings for Celeste. What kind of ex¨Chusband transfers money to his ex¨Cwife every now and then and keeps in touch with her best friend, just to sneak a peek at her life? Hmph. Of course, she didn¡¯t tell Celeste about Liam contacting her. When Liam first approached her, she refused, so Liam had Nics talk to her. Nics ckmailed her with what happened on his birthday, and Trisha reluctantly epted Liam¡¯s friend request Although Liam didn¡¯t say anything to her, she always felt like she was being a spy. And she couldn¡¯t tell Celeste about it, because as soon as she did, her sleeping with Nics would be exposed. Too embarrassing, she didn¡¯t want Letti to know. She was angry but didn¡¯t dare to offend Liam, so she was now desperately persuading Celeste to consider Mr. Fletcher, somewhat venting her private anger. Since he wants to get Celeste back, then she¡¯ll make it harder for him. ¡°Just don¡¯t mess around. I¡¯ll wrap things up with Mr. Fletcher after thewsuit, and I¡¯m now at the Reed family¡¯s house.¡± Trisha frowned, ¡°What are you doing there? Liam¡¯s mom and sister aren¡¯t there, right? Don¡¯t let them bully you.¡± Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Celesteughed, ¡°If I run into them, maybe they are the ones being bullied.¡± In the past, they took advantage of being Liam¡¯s close rtives and bossed her around. She had to give in a little, either for Liam¡¯s sake or out of respect for the elderly and the young. But now, who is Liam? ¡°When are youing back? Do you need me to pick you up?¡± ¡°No need, you go home early and rest, I¡¯ll take a cab back.¡± ¡°Alright, contact me if you need anything.¡± After hanging up, Celeste looked at the time. She had been on the phone for more than ten minutes. Why didn¡¯t Liam some back? She stood up and walked to the mirror to look at her shirt. Not only were the sleeves torn, but there was also a tear in the back. She lifted her shoulders to see how bad it was, and with a ¡°rip,¡± the seam that was only up to her shoulder des tore down to her waist, the fabric hanging loosely down, exposing most of her back. Celeste was speechless. Turning around and looking in the mirror, she felt like she was almost naked. After waiting a few more minutes and not seeing Liam, she got up, took a nightgown from the closet, threw it on the bed, and began to unbutton her shirt. After unbuttoning two buttons, she suddenly thought, was it necessary to unbutton this shirt? So she simply pulled the hem of her shirt out of her pants, crossed her hands to grab the bottom of the shirt, and tried to pull it off over her head. As soon as the shirt was lifted over her head, she heard the sound of the door turning. Celeste hurriedly tried to pull the shirt down, but the buttons got caught in her hair, and it was stuck on top of her head. Unable to take it off or put it on, she yelled as the door was about to be pushed open,¡± ¡°Don¡¯te in yet!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Liam pushed open the door and stopped. Celeste stood by the bed, her hands connected to the shirt stuck on her head, only a bra covering her upper body, exposing arge expanse of skin. With the shirt stuck on her head, Celeste couldn¡¯t see the person in front of her, but she knew she must look stupid in front of Liam. What kind of mocking expression would he have? She gritted her teeth and said, ¡± 1. d. ¡°Get out!¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything His gaze slowly moved up from her slender ist to her full chest. Because she was trying to get the shirt off her head, Celeste was breathing heavily, and her chest heaved along with it. Liam pursed his lips together, not saying anything, and walked step by step towards Celeste. Celeste obviously noticed his approach and involuntarily stepped back, ¡°What are you doing? I told you to get out!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Liam threw the clothes in his hand on the bed, reached out and grabbed her wrist, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Would Celeste listen to him? She didn¡¯t listen when they were married, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t now that they were divorced. At this moment, Celeste felt extremely embarrassed She had imagined that after the divorce, she would be sessful in her career and could show off in front of her ex¨Chusband. However, reality made her feel very awkward. Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Got stuck in her hair while taking off her clothes, and got caught by her ex¨Chusband. Celeste was too awkward! Why did she always bump into Liam when she¡¯s embarrassed? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam was indeed her nemesis! ¡°Get out! You liar!¡± Celeste shook her head, trying to dodge his touch. Liam frowned, ¡°What did I lie about?¡± ¡°You lied that Grandma was dying! Where is she dying?¡± ¡°When did I tell you that Grandma was dying?¡± Liam said irritably. ¡°Think about it, what did I actually say?¡± Celeste recalled that Liam didn¡¯t actually say anything. It was Mr. Robinson who called and said that Grandma couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Plus, Liam¡¯s face was serious at the time, so she thought Grandma was really in bad shape. Who knew that Mr. Robinson¡¯s words were misunderstood. The original words were, ¡°Hurry up, the old lady has been in the stable feeding the horses for too long, her legs can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Although she misunderstood, Liam didn¡¯t exin, did he? ¡°No matter what you said, you¡¯re still a liar! Don¡¯t touch me!* She said while dodging him. After failing to grab her hand several times, Liam simply hugged her waist, threw her on the bed, pressed her elbows, and pinned her under him, saying fiercely. ¡°Do you dare to go out in this shirt? Be honest, I¡¯ll help you untangle!¡± Celeste clenched her teeth, ¡°Are you helping me or taking advantage of me? Get off me!¡± She said as she tried to kick him with her leg. Liam pressed one leg directly on her knee, fixing her in ce, while untangling her hair from the buttons, saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one seducing me? You know I¡¯ming in to give you clothes, and you don¡¯t lock the door when you¡¯re undressing? It¡¯s not too much to say that you didn¡¯t lock the door on purpose to seduce me, right?¡± Celeste was bitten back by him, her face turning green with anger, ¡°Fine, even if I didn¡¯t lock the door to seduce you, can¡¯t you knock first when youe in? Even if you don¡¯t knock, shouldn¡¯t you leave when you see this scene?¡± Liam said confidently. ¡°This is my own house, I don¡¯t have the habit of knocking.¡± What a great excuse! Celeste clenched her teeth and said, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of being seduced, why don¡¯t you leave when you see this scene?¡± Liam paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Seducing by undressing directly is a bit too low¨Clevel.¡± Celeste was about to retort when Liam whispered in her ear, ¡°But it works on me.¡± Celeste¡¯s ears immediately turned red. Was Liam flirting with her? Celeste was both shy and annoyed, gritting her teeth, ¡°Liam, we¡¯re already divorced. If you do anything to me, I¡¯ll sue you for sexual harassment!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t touch you, Liam untangled another strand of her hair, ¡°I won¡¯t force you on anything, unless you¡¯re willing to.¡± Celeste¡¯s face flushed with anger. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a question,¡± Liam nced at the woman¡¯s flushed chest beneath him, his voice low, ¡°am I bad in bed?¡± Celeste remained silent. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 He asked this question while pressing on her, making Celeste feel very awkward, so she pursed her lips and remained silent. Seeing that she didn¡¯t answer, Liam became a little dissatisfied and asked, ¡°Is it good or not?¡± Celeste was annoyed by the question, ring at him through her clothes, ¡°How would I know if it¡¯s good or not? Wait until I find a new boyfriend, try it out, and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You want to try with other men?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I have a sex life after divorce? Celeste seemed to have found a way to provoke Liam, squinting her eyes and saying. ¡°Others find a husband who is energetic, having sex seven, eight, or nine times a night. For you? One time is hard enough! I was only deceived by you because I had too little experience! I have to try a few more before I remarry. If it¡¯s someone like you, I definitely won¡¯t marry him!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes twitched, his face darkening down. ¡°Seven, eight, or nine times a night? Do you think this is animal mating? You can¡¯t even close your legs after two times, let alone seven, eight, or nine times. Are you nning to die by making love everyday?¡± Celeste was stunned, not because Liam¡¯s words angered her, but because she was surprised by the vulgar words that came out of his mouth. After all, before this, she was always the one who spoke vulgarly, and Liam, even if he had a sharp tongue, was more decent in his sarcasm. Moreover, after Liam said these words, she even imagined what she would look like walking the next day, and even felt that his description was quite appropriate! But thinking that it was about herself, Celeste¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If I am able to walk out of bed the next day, it just means you¡¯re not good enough!¡± Liam stopped untangling her hair, his eyes dangerously fixed on her, ¡°Do you want to try the feeling of not being able to get out of bed?¡± Celeste had already noticed the change in Liam¡¯s tone, and their current position was also intimate, ¡°Even if I try, it won¡¯t be with you. Don¡¯t forget what you just said!¡± Liam pressed down on her waist, his voice low, ¡°What did I say?¡± Celeste was really afraid that he would lose his sanity, after all, their current positions were too ambiguous, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t force me on anything!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Did I?¡± Liam¡¯s fingers gently rubbed her soft waist, saying. ¡°I never keep my word.¡± As he said that, he untangled thest strand of her hair, took off her shirt from her head, held her hands, looked deeply into her angry eyes, kissed her lips, and thenughed like a child who had seeded in a prank, ¡°What can you do?¡± Celeste stared at him, wide¨Ceyed. She should have never believed his lies! Celeste opened her mouth and bit down on his shoulder. Liam was only wearing a shirt, and her bite was solid, making him frown in pain. He let Celeste bite him, and after a few seconds, suddenly asked, ¡°Is this the marking from those werewolf stories you read? Bite the nd in one bite and mark the other?¡± Celeste almost spat blood in anger. She let other mouth and stared at him, ¡°Did you look at my iPad?¡± Liam nced at her. ¡°Can you turn off iCloud when you¡¯re reading that inappropriate content? I don¡¯t want to see those things when I¡¯m looking for information on myputer.¡± Liam paused for a moment, ¡°What does ¡°marking¡± mean?¡± Celeste said expressionlessly, ¡°It means making a mark.¡± Liam raised his eyebrows, ¡°making a mark on the inside or outside?¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened. That jerk Liam, he obviously knows what it means! He must have already checked out those private contents she saved and even knows how werewolf be mates! Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 She¡¯s usually super careful when downloading this stuff, afraid that Liam would find out what she¡¯s watching and ruin her image in his eyes. Turns out he already knew and pretended not to know all along! Thinking about how serious she looked while reading those novels on her iPad and lying to Liam that she was reading serious books, he probably guessed what she was up to a long time ago! Celeste was so pissed, like, why is Liam so freaking annoying! Liam, enjoying the sight of the woman beneath him being annoyed and angry, couldn¡¯t help but smile and sigh, whispering in her ear, ¡°If only we could mark people in real life too.¡± ¡°What are you even thinking?!¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°That stuff¡¯s only fun in novels! If marking were possible in the real world, the first thing I¡¯d do is be strong so nobody could mark me!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Liam nced at her, ¡°What if you were the one wanting to find a mate?¡± Celeste imagined it for a moment andughed. ¡°Then I¡¯d have a few handsome guys marking me, it¡¯s no fun with only one mate.¡± Liam¡¯s speechless. Double standards! The two didn¡¯t realize they were getting off¨Ctopic until the door was pushed open again. Sienna looked at the two lying on the bed, and the next second, she closed it again. Celeste looked at Liam on her, she kicked his leg with her foot, ¡°Get away, get away, get away! We¡¯re divorced now! Granny will misunderstand if she sees us like this¡°¡± Liam slowly got off her. Celeste quickly grabbed her clothes and put them on. When she was ready, they both headed out. As soon as Liam opened the door, he saw Sienna with her ear against it. The sudden opening of the door almost made her lose her bnce, but Celeste quickly grabbed her arm. ¡°Granny, be careful.¡± Sienna steadied herself and then looked at the two of them, frowning. ¡°That was too quick, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Liam And Celeste both speechless. What was Sienna thinking? Celeste exined, ¡°We just changed clothes.¡± Upon hearing this, Sienna immediately shot Liam a disgusted look and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re not even as good as Sugar!¡± Liam ??? Sienna had prepared a meal, and Celeste, unable to refuse, stayed for dinner. During the meal, Sienna didn¡¯t mention Celeste and Liam¡¯s divorce, only asking what Celeste was doing now. Celeste said she was acting in a drama, and Sienna was thrilled, ¡°So I¡¯ll be able to see you on TV often?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not a very important role, but you¡¯ll be able to see me.¡± ¡°You are just starting out, there will be opportunitiester. Show them when you get a Best Actress award.¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± As they were talking, Liam¡¯s phone rang, and he went out to answer it. Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Taking advantage of this, Sienna said to her, ¡°Celeste, the Reed family has wronged you. I didn¡¯t know about that boy divorcing you untilter. I don¡¯t know how to face you.¡± Celeste¡¯s face softened a bit, ¡°Granny, don¡¯t say that. Liam and I got divorced because of our own problems, not because of you. I remember your kindness, and no matter what our rtionship is, you¡¯ll always be my granny.¡± Sienna pursed her lips, ¡°Tell me honestly, did you and Liam divorce just because he missed your mother¡¯s funeral?¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers tensed for a moment before she finally said, ¡°Granny, I might not be able to have children. Knowing this, would you still want me and Liam to be together?* Sienna was taken aback, then frowned, ¡°If he divorced you because of this, you should never talk to him again!¡± Liam, who was listening outside, felt his face darkening He felt his granny wasn¡¯t here to reconcile them, but rather to persuade them to break uppletely. ¡°But Liam definitely isn¡¯t that kind of person. He knew from the beginning. ¡°Bang-¡°A crashing sound came from the living room, Sienna¡¯s voice paused, then she coughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m just an old woman, what do I have to say? As long as you two are happy, I don¡¯t care. I won¡¯t live for many more years, so why oppose you? Besides, medical technology is so advanced now, as long as it¡¯s not a terminal illness, there¡¯s hope for a cure. You¡¯re both young, don¡¯t be so pessimistic. If you¡¯re willing, and he¡¯s willing, then everyone¡¯s happy. Don¡¯t just think about others!¡± Celeste was speechless. Wasn¡¯t Sienna just hoping for a great¨Cgrandchild earlier? Why did she suddenly change her mind? Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Or, why don¡¯t you find a time for you and Liam to get remarried? My birthday ising up soon, so what about having the wedding and birthday celebration on the same day? Double happiness!¡± Celeste¡¯s totally speechless. ¡°Granny, let¡¯s eat first.¡± Celeste clearly didn¡¯t want to continue the topic. Not to mention the problems between her and Liam before, just the issue with Skyler was a hurdle she couldn¡¯t get over in her heart. Seeing this, Sienna could only close her mouth. She knew her grandson was indeed somewhat disappointing, so she could only say so much, ¡°By the way.¡± Celeste took out a card and the ring from her bag. ¡°Granny, I¡¯m returning this ring to you. Since Liam and I are divorced, it¡¯s not right for me to keep your things. Please take it back. And this card, it has the money Liam transferred to me after the divorce. The password is my birthday in reverse. Please give it back to Liam for me.¡± Ever since Skyler visited herst time, she had been carrying the ring in her bag, wrapped in a box, thinking about when she could return it to Sienna. Today was the perfect opportunity, so she wouldn¡¯t have to make a special tripter Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Sienna chuckled, ¡°Celeste, since I gave you this ring, I don¡¯t n to take it back. It¡¯s not worth much anyway, so just keep it. As for the money in the bank card, that¡¯s between you and Liam. It¡¯s his money, and he can do whatever he wants with it. If you don¡¯t want it, you can talk to him directly. I can¡¯t make that decision for you.¡± Celeste pursed her lips. If Liam was willing to take it back, she wouldn¡¯t want Sienna to help. Liam, this guy, even after divorce, still caused so much trouble for her! When Liam came back after finishing his phone call, Celeste gave him a cold look. While they were having dinner, Mr. Robinson suddenly came in, ¡°Madam, young master Mason is here to see you¡± Liam paused. Celeste immediately looked up. Mason stood behind Mr. Robinson, holding a gift box, and smiling at her politely. ¡°Grandma, I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you.¡± Sienna was delighted, ¡°Of course not! I wish you guys would visit me every day, just like when you were kids.¡± She paused, ¡°Have you eaten? If not, sit down and join us.¡± Mason replied gently, ¡°I just sent my car for repairs and haven¡¯t had time to eat yet.¡± Liam:¡­ He suddenly felt the same way Steven did when he went to Cuisine Cascade with a bottle of wine to find Hiram. Upon hearing this, Sienna immediately said, ¡°Mr. Robinson, get another set of tes.¡± Mr. Robinson took the gift from Mason and quickly brought in another set of tes. Mason thanked him and sat down across from Celeste and Liam. ¡°Mason, help yourself to whatever you want. Make yourself at home, don¡¯t be shy.¡± Mason joked, ¡°When have I ever treated myself as an outsider in front of you?¡± Celeste pushed an apple pie in front of Mason and whispered, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, have some of this.¡± During their previous discussions about the case, they had chatted about other topics, and she knew that Mason liked sweet dishes. Among all the dishes on the table, other than this pie, the rest were what she and Liam liked, and Mason might not be used to them. Her action made Liam frown. However, Celeste didn¡¯t Mason thanked her gently and started Ichatting with Sienna. Sienna really liked Mason. He was sensible and very polite. When everyone¡¯s feelings. Elders always liked very sensible children. and Nics were still fighting over toys, Mason had already learned to be humble and considerate of Among the younger generation of the Reed family, only Liam she saw Mason and wished he were her own grandson. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Sienna knew that Skyler wanted Mason to be her son in decent, and the others were not so good. So Sienna was delighted whenever Of course, she wanted to make that happen too. However, she also knew that she couldn¡¯t force it. Mason obviously wasn¡¯t interested in Kaylee, so even though Skyler kept mentioning it, Sienna never agreed, saying it depended on the children¡¯s own wills. This time, everyone gathered for dinner, and Sienna, like other elders, couldn¡¯t help asking about Mason¡¯s love life. ¡°Mason, you¡¯ve been back for so long, has your family arranged good girls for you?¡± Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 ¡°They have, but I haven¡¯t had time to meet anyone yet,¡± Mason replied. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot to do at the law firm, and finishing work is the top priority.¡± ¡°Work is work, but you can¡¯t neglect the important things in life either. If you¡¯re not satisfied with your mother¡¯s arrangements, I can introduce you to some girls. I know quite a few nice ones. Just tell me your requirements.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Mason felt a little awkward. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush, is there?¡± ¡°We should hurry. I¡¯ll help you screen some girls first, so the sess rate will be higher.¡± Celeste looked at Mason¡¯s embarrassed face and found it interesting. So even Mr. Fletcher, when faced with matchmaking, was so helpless. Sienna kept urging, and Mason had no choice but to mention a few points. ¡°Someone who looks pleasing to the eye, a college degree is fine, and there aren¡¯t any other requirements.¡± ¡°Having a pleasing appearance is already a high requirement,¡± Siennaughed. ¡°Liam also said that as long as the girl looks pleasing to the eye, and he ended up choosing Celeste from hundreds of girls. If Celeste¡¯s level is what you guys consider pleasing, then you probably won¡¯t find a girlfriend in J City.¡± ¡°Uh¨CCeleste almost choked on her soup, coughing uncontrobly. Liam nced at her but didn¡¯t say anything. The first time he saw Celeste, he didn¡¯t find her particrly pleasing to the eye. It was only after they got married that he gradually found her more attractive. Mason listened to Sienna¡¯s words and alsoughed, responding. ¡°Celeste is indeed pleasing to the eye.¡± Liam¡¯s movements paused, and his eyes became somewhat gloomy. Celeste also felt that Mr. Fletcher¡¯s words sounded a bit strange, so she changed the subject, ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t just focus on talking, hurry up and eat¡± As she was about to cut a piece of apple pie for Mason, she realized that the pie, which was still more than half full just now, had disappeared entirely, ending up on Liam¡¯s te. Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, and she whispered, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like sweet pies.¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°I felt like having some today. Is that a problem?¡± If you want to eat it, just take a little bit. Don¡¯t move all of it to your te. How are others supposed to eat? Celeste couldn¡¯t help but recall how Liam had drunkenly given her all the shrimp a few days ago, filling her entire bowl with them. Should she be grateful that he didnt give her all the pie this time? Otherwise, she would have to embarrass herself along with him. Since there was no more apple pie, Celeste felt awkward offering Mason any other dishes. After dinner, Sienna chatted with them for a while, told them to go to the horse track with Sugar for a fewpster, and then went upstairs to rest Ramona started cleaning up the dishes, and Celeste got up to follow her into the kitchen to cut some fruit, leaving only Liam and Mason in the living room. Liam was fiddling with the tea leaves in his and said, ¡°You rushed over here without fixing your car?¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°I was worried about Sienna and Liam paused in the middle of lifting his cup, his worried that Celeste wouldn¡¯t be able to catch a ride back home.¡± Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Mason¡¯s gaze collided with his, not avoiding it at all. His eyes seemed calm, but actually it was a storm inside. Liam took a sip of tea and put the cup back on the table. ¡°You¡¯re really making a fuss over nothing. We¡¯ve got so many cars at home, it¡¯s no big deal to lend her one to get home.¡± Masonughed a bit, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid Celeste won¡¯t want to take it, she doesn¡¯t like taking advantage of others¡± Liam didn¡¯t seem to catch who Mason was referring to by ¡°others,¡± and said, ¡°well, we¡¯ve had dinner, chatted a bit, and had some tea. You should head home early¡± Mason¡¯s mouth twitched, and just as he was about to speak, Liam said, ¡°Oh, I just remembered your mom said you can¡¯t sleep if you drink tea,¡± and he picked up Mason¡¯s cup of tea and took a sip himself. ¡°Don¡¯t drink the tea then, just hurry up and leave.¡± Mason was speechless. It seemed that Liam had be more talkative after not seeing him for a few years. At that moment, Celeste brought out a te of sliced fruit and called out, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, have some fruit.¡± Mason¡¯s face softened a bit, and he thanked her warmly. Liam wanted to grab some fruit, but realized Celeste had cut a te of mangoes. He nced at Celeste, ¡°Isn¡¯t there any strawberries?¡± Celeste shot him a look. ¡°Mr. Fletcher doesn¡¯t like strawberries.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened. She didn¡¯t know Mason for a long time. But she even knew his preference. Celeste was actually just making things up. She didn¡¯t really know what kind of fruit Mason liked, she just didn¡¯t want Liam to eat the fruit she cut, so she purposely cut a te of mangoes since Liam was allergic to them. Strawberries were Liam¡¯s favorite fruit, but she deliberately didn¡¯t cut them. Mason seemed quite happy, discussing the follow¨Cup handling of the defamation case with her in a low voice. Celeste listened carefully, asionally responding. Liam listened from the side, gritting his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s about time to take Sugar for a run,¡± Liam said, ncing at Mason. ¡°It¡¯ll probably take an hour or two. You¡¯re so busy at yourw firm, I won¡¯t keep you any longer¡± Celeste checked the time, and it had been two hours since Sugar had finished eating. ording to their usual routine, it was indeed time to take him to the racetrack for a run. Mason put down his fruit fork, ¡°When I¡¯m in court, there¡¯s usually nothing else scheduled at thew firm, so I¡¯m not too busy today. I haven¡¯t seen Sugar in a long time, and I miss him. If you guys don¡¯t mind, take me with you to see him,¡± then he said to Celeste, ¡°I can give you a lift home afterwards.¡± Celeste immediately agreed, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s great.¡± She could save some cab fare, which was always nice. Mason was an angel for helping her win thewsuit and save money. After winning the defamationwsuit, there was still Shawn and Caitlyn¡¯s property division case. She needed to maintain a good rtionship with Mr. Fletcher. If they won the property division case, that would be another big ie, right? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Liam¡¯s face darkened as he watched Celeste smile at Mason. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Sugar had finished eating and was restless in the stable. As soon as Liam and the others arrived, Sugar couldn¡¯t help but start whinnying, panting heavily through his nostrils, stomping his hooves in ce, his eyes ck and sharp, his mane smooth and flowing, his coat so ck it gleamed. Liam changed into his riding gear, opened the railing, and led Sugar out. Sugar didn¡¯t eagerly follow Liam, but instead circled around Celeste, showing off his hooves and neck in an anxious manner. Celeste was puzzled, and upon closer inspection, her eyes suddenly fell on Sugar¡¯s hooves. She eximed in surprise, ¡°You got new shoes?¡± Sugar immediately raised his head and proudly trotted a few steps in front of her. He had new horseshoes on, making a loud sound as he stepped on the ground. Sugar even intentionally stepped heavily, like a child showing off new shoes to friends Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh. Mason chuckled, ¡°I was wondering what he was trying to show off, turns out it¡¯s his new shoes.¡± Celeste smiled and stroked Sugar¡¯s mane, ¡°He even showed off his hairpin to me before. He¡¯s just like a child, except he can¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that smart?¡± Mason said, trying to imitate Celeste and reach out to touch Sugar¡¯s mane, but before he could, Sugar turned his head to avoid him. Liam held the reins, a hint of a smile on his lips as he watched. ¡°This horse isn¡¯t just for anyone to touch.¡± What Liam said was true. Sugar was particr about his owner, and aside from the horse trainer, only Sienna, Liam, and Celeste were allowed to touch him. Kaylee had tried to show off by riding him in front of friends, but was unceremoniously thrown off. Since then, Kaylee had not dared to mess with Sugar again However, Liam¡¯s words were quite unpleasant. Celeste, not wanting Mason to feel awkward, exined, ¡°Sugar is a bit shy. He¡¯ll be fine once she gets used to you.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not surprising for a good horse to be picky about its owner.¡± Sugar was anxious to run on the racetrack and could hardly wait. Liam told Celeste, ¡°Put on your protective gear and take him for a warm¨Cup.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t refuse. She was an average rider, but she enjoyed riding. It was even more fun to tame a spirited horse like Sugar, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t say no. Perhaps it was because they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while, but today Sugar was especially well¨C behaved, allowing Celeste to mount him without any fuss. Celeste gently pulled the reins, and Sugar dashed onto the track. Celeste waved her riding crop, lightly tapping Sugar¡¯s back, and Sugar sped up in response. Celeste bent down, mping her legs around Sugar¡¯s back, feeling the wind¨Clike speed of the horse. Mason watched the heroic woman on the racetrack, deep in thought. Liam nced at Mason and said, ¡°I taught her how to ride.¡± Mason snapped back to reality. ¡°Really? It¡¯s hard to imagine, Celeste said you didn¡¯t have much patience when you danced with her.¡± The implication being that teaching her to ride was probably a lie. Liam:¡­ That woman could really say anything! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. When has he ever been impatient? He just doesn¡¯t like dancing, that¡¯s all. What¡¯s so great about two people getting up close and personal, wiggling their hips in a dance floor? After running twops, Celeste came back with a thinyer of sweat on her nose. She jumped off the horse, led Sugar to Liam, and tossed the reins to him. ¡°Sugar¡¯s too excited, I¡¯m having a hard time holding him back. You go.¡± As soon as Liam took the reins, Mason grabbed a bottle of water, twisted it open halfway, and handed it to Celeste. ¡°Have some water and take a break.¡± Liam frowned. Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Celeste showed her gratitude and took a few sips from her water bottle. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve got some pretty good horse riding skills,¡± Masonplimented ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± Celeste replied modestly. She felt her skills might look good to amateurs, but to experts, they weren¡¯t worth mentioning. Liam nced at her, ¡°Mason has taken formal horse riding lessons before, so if he says you¡¯re good, you must be.¡± Celeste was a bit surprised Last time Steven came andpeted with Liam, Mason didn¡¯t participate, so she thought he couldn¡¯t ride a horse. ¡°Did you actually take horse riding lessons?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°I learned with Liam. It wasn¡¯t very professional, just learned the basics¡± Mason was a humble person. When he said he knew the basics, it meant he was an expert. Thinking back to Mason¡¯s resume she saw on thew firm¡¯s website, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but admire how well¨Crounded he was. Seeing Celeste¡¯s expressions change from surprise to admiration, Liam¡¯s heart filled with jealousy He suddenly said to Mason, ¡°How about a littlepetition?¡± Masonughed, ¡°Nah, I haven¡¯t ridden in a long time. I¡¯m rusty¡± Liam smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re rusty, I can go easy on you¡± Mason caught the challenging tone in Liam¡¯s words. Celeste noticed it too, and frowned, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, don¡¯t ride if you don¡¯t want to, just ignore him.¡± Liam looked at Celeste seriously Mason suddenly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± and then looked at Liam, ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition No need to go easy on me, I can handle winning or losing.¡± Liam¡¯s lips tightened, and he tossed the key to the tack room to Mason, ¡°Get ready and pick a horse¡± About ten minutester, Mason put on his protective gear and led a brown horse out of the stable. It seemed to be a new horse Sienna had just bought, and Celeste hadn¡¯t seen it before However, the horse was no less impressive than Sugar. Its muscles were smooth, and it was even a few centimeters taller than Sugar. Its eyes werent as calm as Sugars, and it seemed not yet fully tamed, a bit wild Celeste whispered, ¡°Mr Fletcher, maybe choose another horse. This one doesn¡¯t look very gentle.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°A gentle horse wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Sugar¡± Celeste didn¡¯t try to persuade him further Men¡¯spetitiveness isn¡¯t easily swayed by a few words. With Liam¡¯s obvious provocation, although Mason was usually gentle and polite, he was still a spirited man who couldn¡¯t resist the challenge. Liam looked at her worried expression, his eyes growing heavier After Mason mounted, Liam snapped his whip and led the way onto the track. Mason followed closely behind. At the trainer¡¯smand, the two horses raced side by side. This time was different from the race against Steven. Liam sped up from the start, not deliberately slowing down to give Mason a chance to catch up Sugar was naturally fast, excitedly galloping forward under Liam¡¯s control. Mason was not far behind, and the brown horse seemed excited to race against another horse, quickly following Sugar Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 The two horses were neck and neck. Liam crouched down, eyes fixed on the track ahead, adjusting direction with his whip. At the turn, Sugar leaped ahead of the brown horse. Mason gradually fell behind. Although they were still moving fast, the two or three¨Cmeter gap couldn¡¯t be shortened no matter what. Liam looked back at Mason, smiled briefly, and sped up again. Mason¡¯s eyes were determined, and he whipped the horse hard. The brown horse neighed and sprinted faster. At thest turn, the horse suddenly got spooked, letting out a loud neigh and throwing Mason off its back. Celeste¡¯s heart tensed, and she shouted, ¡°Mr. Fletcher!¡± Mason¡¯s body was thrown to the side of the saddle, one foot hanging in the air and the other still hooked on the stirrup. His hands tightly gripped the reins, his face tense, and veins bulging on his forehead. The brown horse was out of control, running wildly with Mason in tow. Celeste¡¯s back broke out in a cold sweat, and she shouted Liam¡¯s name. Liam also noticed Mason¡¯s horse was out of control and hurriedly chased after it on Sugar. The brown horse ran off the track, charging wildly across the grass, heading straight for Celeste. Celeste¡¯s face changed, realizing the danger, and she turned and ran towards an obstacle. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. But how could a person¡¯s speedpare to a horse¡¯s? As the horse got closer and closer to Celeste, Liam¡¯s face darkened. He let go of Sugar¡¯s reins with one hand, stood up on the horse¡¯s back, and jumped onto the brown horse at the right moment. He tightly pulled the reins, forcing the horse to change direction. The brown horse seemed to be even more frantic due to the pain. Liam looked at Mason, who was hanging on one side of the horse. His hand was turning purple from the pressure of the reins, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and his fingers trembling from supporting his body weight for so long. Liam spoke in a deep voice, ¡°When I tell you to jump, let go and protect your head, then roll down.¡± Mason looked at him tensely and nodded. With a serious expression, Liam tried to control the direction and calm the frenzied horse. But it was no use; the more he tried to control it, the more wild the brown horse became. Liam could only seize the opportunity when the horse passed by a cushioned area and kicked Mason off. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to wait for Liam¡¯s signal to let go? Mason thought as he flew off the horse¡¯s back. He quickly protected his head and rolled a few times on the soft sand, stopping. Celeste hurried over to check on Mason¡¯s injuries. Mason had some scrapes on his palms and elbows, but the rest of him was fine. Celeste sighed with relief and looked back at the field. The brown horse was still uncontroble, even starting to jump while running, trying to throw Liam off. At such a high speed, falling off would be no joke. Celeste got Mason to safety and then anxiously watched Liam, her throat tightening involuntarily whenever he was about to be thrown off. The horse trainer had already hopped on a steed to chase after them, but the distance was too far, and the chestnut horse¡¯s path was unpredictable, making it super hard to catch up. Liam was drenched in sweat, covered in dust, and the protective gear on his hands was worn through. His palms were sweaty, and the reins were starting to slip from his grasp. At this rate, he was bound to be thrown off sooner orter. Liam¡¯s eyes darkened, and he decided to slip to one side of the horse¡¯s back, bending his legs and preparing to jump off when the chestnut horse turned. But before they even got to the turn, the reins suddenly snapped, and Liam fell straight off the horse¡¯s back. Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Celeste watched the scene unfold, her heart feeling heavy. Liam reacted quickly, letting go of the reins as they slipped, but he was still dragged a few meters before rolling onto the grass. Celeste held her breath until Liam sat up on the grass, her clenched fists finally loosening a bit. Mason frowned at the scene, asking softly, ¡°Is Liam okay?¡± ¡°If he can get up, he should be fine, I guess.¡± Mason paused, gave her a nce, and said nothing. After Liam fell, the brown horse slowed down. The horse trainer quickly caught up and managed to control the runaway horse. Liam¡¯s arm hurt like hell, and he stood up pale¨Cfaced, looking towards Celeste. Seeing that she was fine, he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved, and then walked toward them. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. As he approached, he asked Mason, ¡°How are you?¡± Mason showed his palm, the skin scraped off, bleeding. He smiled and said. ¡°Just a minor injury. Luckily, you caught me in time, or I¡¯d be in big trouble today. Thanks. Celeste said, ¡°Why are you thanking him? If it wasn¡¯t for his insistence onpeting, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt.¡± She looked at Liam, ¡°You knew Mr. Fletcher had a head injury, but you still insisted on doing this. If he¡¯d fallen off the horse and hit his head, could you bear the responsibility?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned ugly, looking at her being so protective of Mason, he felt a mix of jealousy and anger. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re ming me? I didn¡¯t put a knife to his throat and force him to ride!¡± Celeste red at him and turned to Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, let me take you to the clinic to get patched up.¡± Mason looked at Liam¡¯s upset face and whispered, ¡°Liam might be injured too. Check on him first.¡± Celeste scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him! He¡¯s so capable, how could he get hurt?¡± She pulled Mason and headed out of the racetrack. Liam watched her, this heartless woman, feeling both cold and hurt. He gritted his teeth and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help in the first ce!¡± Celeste was long gone, not hearing what Liam had said. After calming down the brown horse and tying it to the stable, the horse trainer hurried over to check on Liam. Liam¡¯s face was pale, and his left arm was in an awkward position. The trainer gasped, ¡°Young Master, is your arm dislocated?¡± Liam took a deep breath and said softly. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± ¡°I can,¡± the trainer, hired by Sienna from the professional racing scene, was no stranger to minor injuries. Athletes¡® injuries were nothing to him, but Liam was a young master from a wealthy family. He whispered, ¡°But it¡¯ll hurt a bit. Bear with me.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned even paler, but he nodded slightly. The trainer supported Liam¡¯s elbow, gently rotating it to find the right position, then quickly twisted it. Liam let out a muffled grunt, his dislocated joint snapping back into ce. His hand could move now, but the joint still hurt. The trainer whispered, ¡°Get some ointment from Siennater, and the pain should subside in two or three days.¡± Liam thanked him and left with a dejected look on his face. After Liam left, the trainer checked on the horse¡¯s condition. The brown horse had just arrivedst week. Although it was also a spirited horse, it was not as difficult to control as Sugar had been. Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 It could even run with the other horses these days, so he thought it was tamed. He didn¡¯t expect such an ident to happen today. He untied the reins and threw them aside, then used a brush to clean the dust off the horse¡¯s body. When he touched its neck, the horse suddenly became agitated, snorting and stomping its hooves, looking very uneasy. The trainer found it strange and noticed a shallow wound on the horse¡¯s neck, still bleeding. The dark hair on the neck and the reins¡® position had made it difficult to see the wound at first. The trainer frowned, closely examining the wound. It looked somewhat like a cut, but also not quite. The skin and flesh around the wound had been rubbed raw by the reins, making it difficult to see the original wound. No wonder Liam¡¯s pulling on the reins only made the horse more out of control. The more he pulled, the more the horse¡¯s pain intensified, making it even more agitated. Unsure of the wound¡¯s cause, the trainer reported the injured horse to Mr. Robinson and asked the veterinarian toe and treat it, as the olddy also liked this horse. Celeste pulled Mason out of the racetrack and left the estate. She looked tense the whole way, and Mason just let her lead him without saying anything. Once they left the mansion and got in the car, Mason said, ¡°We should¡¯ve told Grandma.¡± As Celeste started the car, she said, ¡°Liam can talk, he¡¯ll tell her.¡± Mason pursed his lips and, after a while, asked softly. ¡°Are you worried about Liam?¡± okay ¡°How could I be?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I have nothing to do with him anymore. I¡¯m just angry that he¡¯s so irresponsible. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay today.¡± Mason¡¯s eyes softened, and he said gently. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, no big deal. We can¡¯t me Liam entirely. I wanted to race too.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t need to defend him. He¡¯s a grown man and still so immature!¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to talk about Liam anymore, or she¡¯d keep thinking about him falling off the horse. She changed the subject and talked about thewsuit with Mason. Soon, they arrived at the nearest clinic in her car After treating Mason¡¯s injury, Celeste took him back to thew firm. Leaving thew firm, Celeste looked down at the dust on her shoes. It was from when she stumbled while running as Liam jumped from Sugar to the brown horse. She squatted down and wiped it with a tissue, suddenly thinking of Liam and feeling annoyed. At that moment, her phone rang. She nced at it and saw an unknown number. Celeste answered the call. ¡°Hello,¡± a hoarse male voice came from the other end of the line, ¡°Is this Ms. Celeste?¡± The voice was unfamiliar, someone she didn¡¯t know. Instead of answering, Celeste cautiously asked, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you send me an email a few days ago?¡± Email? Celeste was taken aback for a moment, and then suddenly remembered ¡°Are you Mr. K?¡± The other person gave a hum, ¡°I¡¯ve read your request. Are you avable today? We can meet up and have a detailed chat¡± Celeste quickly agreed, ¡°Of course!¡± Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Mr. K gave the time and ce, and before hanging up, asked, ¡°Are you tight with Micha Sanders?¡± P ¡°I¡¯m pretty chummy with her husband¡¯s brother,¡± Celeste replied. Mr. K didn¡¯t pry any further, simply saying, ¡°Catch you in a bit.¡± Mr. K was the notorious private eye in J City. Mr. K didn¡¯t have a detective agency, his whereabouts were always up in the air, and the only way to find him was through an email address he publicly posted on forums. You want to work with him, send him an email. If he¡¯s interested, he¡¯ll get in touch. If he¡¯s not, and doesn¡¯t reply for a week, that¡¯s your cue to move on. Ever since Celeste found those things in the safe and realized that Caitlyn had considered divorcing Shawn Campbell seven years ago, she started suspecting that there was more to the car ident seven years ago. After Caitlyn¡¯s funeral, she reached out to Micha and asked her about the case. Micha¡¯s in criminal investigation, but she also has connections in the traffic ident department. Micha asked a friend to help her look up the case files from seven years ago. The conclusion was that the authorities handling the ident didn¡¯t collect a blood sample from Caitlyn at the time, so there was no drug test done. Thus, it couldn¡¯t be confirmed whether Caitlyn had taken any antidepressants. In other words, Shawn¡¯s im that Caitlyn was under the influence of depression was just a guess made by the police officer who surveyed the scene at the time, there was no evidence to support it. Micha exined that they had good surveince footage of the scene, so the entire incident was pretty clear. Plus, the family of the vehicle that Caitlyn crashed into wanted the case resolved as soon as possible, so it was treated as a regr traffic ident ¨C fines were issued,pensation was arranged, and both parties settled privately. After exining all this, Micha added, ¡°The officer handling the case was a colleague of mine. ording to his recollection, both parties wanted to quickly close the case, nobody likes having unresolved cases. They did suggest a blood test, but Shawn refused, citing your mother¡¯s critical condition as the reason.¡± While Micha could help with the case files, Celeste could also have officially requested this information as a family member of the victim, though the process would have been slower. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Micha was just helping her expedite the process. While there were things she couldn¡¯t disclose, she did add thatst bit as a personal reminder, because the case was indeed suspicious. How much blood would a drug test require? Caitlyn¡¯s injuries were mainly to her head, she didn¡¯t lose a lot of blood, so how could drawing some blood for testing be inconvenient? Furthermore, drug tests can¡¯t be dyed for too long. The longer it¡¯s dyed, the more difficult it would be to detect the drugs after they¡¯re metabolized. It seemed like Shawn wasn¡¯t concerned about whether his wife was innocent, but was rather eager to get this matter resolved. Back then, the police handling the case also had their doubts, but the final decision was up to their superiors. If the superiors wanted the case closed quickly, they couldn¡¯t continue investigating. After learning about the case from Micha, Celeste was even more convinced that there was something fishy about the ident. But after so many years, the vehicle involved in the ident had already been destroyed. Without new evidence, there was no way to reopen the case. Micha rmended her to this private detective and gave her his email, suggesting she give it a shot. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Celeste thought of a n the detective might not be interested in a traffic ident case from years ago. Because the cases Mr. K investigates are either famous unsolved cases or cases involving rich businessmen having affairs. Yes, the cases he takes on are just the two extremes. The former for fame, thetter for money. Celeste was worried he might turn her down, so she mentioned in the email that she was a friend of Micha¡¯s. When Micha introduced Mr. K to her, Celeste had a feeling that Micha knew him well. Thinking he might be a friend, she used this strategy. Turns out, it worked. Following the address given by Mr. K, she wandered around the old streets in the old part of the city and finally found a small restaurant. Upon entering the tiny ce packed with people, she couldn¡¯t tell who might be the detective, Just as she was hesitating, someone tapped her shoulder, ¡°Ms. Campbell?¡± Turning around, Celeste saw a young man in a ck hoodie and jeans standing behind her. He was taller than her, skinny, with a clean face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes ¨C looked like a student. ¡°¡­Are you Mr. K?¡± Celeste asked, puzzled. He chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t I look like him?¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t seen him before, so she couldn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t. She just said, ¡°You look young.¡± Mr. K ordered a te of pasta and casually sat down, ¡°I¡¯m 37,¡± So he was significantly older than Liam Reed. Liam, with his hair slicked back, looked old enough to be someone¡¯s uncle. Celeste sat down and started chatting with him. After they met, Mr. K ate while listening to Celeste. He was eating fast, like he hadn¡¯t had a good meal in days. Celeste paused, ¡°Maybe you should finish eating first before I continue?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, keep talking, I¡¯m listening,¡± Mr. K replied in between bites. So Celeste continued. By the time she finished, Mr. K was almost done eating. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, ¡°Do you suspect your dad or his mistress staged the ident?¡± ¡°I just think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence,¡± Celeste replied in a low voice. She was nning to divorce, then had an ident. The biggest beneficiary of Caitlyn¡¯s ident was Shawn. She couldn¡¯t help but suspect him. If the ident wasn¡¯t an ident, she would make Shawn pay, no matter what! After copying the information from Celeste¡¯s hand, Mr. K told her, ¡°If things are as you say, it does smell fishy that the culprit took off from J City after getting thepensation. I¡¯ll try to reach out to the family first, and I¡¯ll hit you up if anythinges up.¡± He paused, ¡°Pay up front, and if I can¡¯t dig up anything useful, I¡¯ll give you a full refund. But if I do, the next time we see each other, you¡¯ll owe me the second payment. Any questions?¡± ¡°No questions.¡± Mr. K is quite the big shot in the industry, so Celeste naturally trusted him not to do her dirty. She even forked over an extra 20 grand, urging him to get the intel asap. She was about to go toe¨Cto¨Ctoe with Shawn in a divorce property divisionwsuit, and it would be a game changer if she could find useful information before the case wrapped up. If it turns out he really did off his wife to get his mitts on her dough, Shawn would be in the mmer, and it wouldn¡¯t end well for Helen and her mom and kid. No one would beughing then. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Skyline Media Group. Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Finally back in the office after a day of blind dates, Steven was really fed up with Liam. He had eaten five meals and drank four cups of coffee in just one day. The women Liam set him up with were not bad looking, but they each had their own quirks. Three of them were normal enough, but the others, upon seeing how handsome Steven was, bluntly suggested they go to a hotel to rest. Was it appropriate to go to a hotel right after a blind date? Was it really to rest? He was too embarrassed to call them out on it. He even began to suspect that Liam wasn¡¯t trying to help him find a date, but instead was looking for a sex partner for him. Why did he divorce Celeste if he was afraid of dating her? Did he think that after the divorce, Celeste wouldn¡¯t be able to run away from him? Who gave him that confidence? While contemting how to deal with Liam, he waited and waited, but Liam just didn¡¯t show up. Feeling puzzled, Steven picked up his phone and gave Liam a call. Liam had just left the old house when he answered the phone. His tone was much quieter than the cocky attitude he disyed in his previous text messages. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked. Steven: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wereing to my office? What time is it now, where are you?¡± Liam seemed to have just remembered this, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet outside, I won¡¯t go to your office, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± A Steven: ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve had five meals in six hours, I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°No problem, you can watch me eat.¡± They agreed on a ce and Steven hung up the phone, grabbed his coat, and left the office. No sooner had he left than ir Garcia walked in. Finding the office empty, she pulled out her phone and called Steven. Steven had just gotten off the elevator when he answered. ¡°What¡¯s up, ir?¡± ¡°Where did you go?¡± ir asked. Steven replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to have a meal with a friend, just got downstairs.¡± ¡°What friend,¡± ir teased, ¡°It¡¯s not another blind date, is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s Liam.¡± ¡°Liam?¡± ir was a bit surprised, then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner either, take me with you.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Do you want toe?¡± Steven asked with a smile. ¡°I have nothing else to do at home.¡± ¡°Thene down, I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs. Oh, and grab the essential oil from my office drawer.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After hanging up, ir went around the desk, opened the third drawer and immediately spotted a light blue bottle of essential oil in a box. She took out the essential oil and suddenly noticed a picture frame hidden under the box. ir paused, then took out the photo. It was an old family portrait. A young couple was holding a four or five¨Cyear¨Cold boy. The boy was Steven, the father was Hiram Garcia, and the woman¡­ The woman had a captivating presence, her features were so delicate it was as if she was a painting. Holding the little boy in her arms, her smile was radiant. ir had seen pictures of this woman in Steven¡¯s room when she was a child. She thought the woman was stunningly beautiful. Later, she learned that this was Steven¡¯s biological mother. But she was too young then and forgot about the picture after seeing it once. Also, the family was worried that it would bring back painful memories, so they never disyed the woman¡¯s picture again. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Seeing the woman in the picture again, ir suddenly noticed that she bore a striking resemnce to Celeste. No wonder their dad had that expression when he saw Celeste at the dinner party. She stared at the photo for a while, then returned it to its original ce, closed the drawer, and left with the essential oil. Although they were supposed to be having dinner, Liam barely touched his food and instead ordered some drinks. Seeing him in a bad mood, Steven was a bit puzzled. ¡°Did Uncle Clyde Reed kick you out of thepany?¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°If anyone is getting kicked out, it¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Then, did you¡­¡± Steven narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, ¡°Find out that Celeste and I are getting close?¡± At this, Liam paused, then bluntly stated, ¡°She¡¯s not into you.¡± Steven: ¡°She might¡¯ve been into you, but she still dumped you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Liam tightened his lips and surprisingly didn¡¯t refute. It seemed to really have something to do with Celeste. Liam poured two sses of wine, pushed one to Mason Fletcher, and started drinking the other one himself. After finishing one ss, he finally spoke again, ¡°What do I have to do to get a stake in thepany?¡± ¡°Easy,¡± Steven¡¯s conditions were quite harsh, ¡°10% of the shares, one hundred million, no dividends for the first two years. If you think it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll have someone prepare the contract. If not, then-¡± ¡°Deal Liam agreed cleanly, which made Steven feel like he was shortchanging himself. He had only spent fifty million to register thepany, and the newpany hadn¡¯t achieved any real results yet. To fleece Liam for a hundred million for a 10% stake was outright extortion. If he had known Liam would agree, he would have asked for a billion and no dividends for ten years! ¡°When do we sign?¡± Steven nced at him, ¡°Tomorrow.¡± When ir came out of the bathroom, she saw Liam drinking alone with Steven sitting next to him, not trying to stop him. ¡°Steven, Liam can¡¯t hold his liquor. What if he gets drunk?¡± Steven propped his chin on his hand, looking nonchnt, ¡°If he gets drunk, he gets drunk. He¡¯s a man, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ir tried to persuade him, ¡°Liam, drink less, it¡¯s not good to be drunk.¡± He didn¡¯t like her unfamiliar scent, so he frowned and avoided her, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Steven: ¡°Don¡¯t bother him. The best case scenario is that he gets drunk and we can leave him on the side of the road and go.¡± Unable to convince Liam, who wouldn¡¯t let her near him, ir could only sit by, looking worried. Steven casually sipped the wine in his ss, then suddenly asked, ¡°ir, what do you think of Mason?¡± ir: ¡°He¡¯s okay, I guess. We haven¡¯t had much interaction. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Mrs. Janis came to me yesterday,¡± Steven smiled, ¡°She thinks you two would make a good match and seemed to want to introduce you.¡± ir was a bit helpless, ¡°I hardly ever talk to him, my mom was just saying things. I don¡¯t likewyers. If we ever had a fight, how could I -win against awyer?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Steven chuckled, jestingly saying, ¡°Mason hardly ever gets into quarrels, if you can manage to get into one with him, that¡¯s quite impressive.¡± With that, Liam wobbled to his feet, dering he needed to visit the restroom. Steven paid no attention to him. But just as Liam took two steps, he tripped over a chair. Nearly falling, ir quickly caught him, ring at Steven, ¡°Dude! Why didn¡¯t you help?!¡± Only then did Steven leisurely rise to his feet, taking over Liam, and grumbled, ¡°useless!¡± Then he assisted Liam to the restroom. As soon as they left, Steven¡¯s phone on the table buzzed. A text message popped up on the screen. ¡°Mr. Garcia, the hospital replied, they can only get the results the day after tomorrow.¡± Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 The text came from Nathan. ir was a bit taken aback. What test results? It took Steven a good fifteen minutes to drag Liam back. He looked a bit off¨Ccolor and startedining as soon as he sat down, ¡°This guy Liam, man, his tolerance for alcohol hasn¡¯t improved one iota in all these years!¡± He swiped open his phone, paused at the sight of the text, then immediately dialed Owen¡¯s number. After hanging up, ir finally spoke, ¡°Bro, we can just drop Liam off, why trouble Owen¡¯s assistant at this hour?¡± ¡°Why should we be his chauffeurs?¡± Steven took a swig of his drink. ¡°He¡¯s a single dude, you¡¯re an unmarrieddy. Hanging around with him isn¡¯t good for your reputation.¡± ir looked exasperated and mumbled under her breath, ¡°Such old¨Cfashioned thinking!¡± Soon enough, Owen arrived. He thanked Steven and ir, took Liam off their hands, and even picked up the bill before leaving. Steven sighed, ¡°Liam can be a bit of a blockhead, but he sure has an eye for people.¡± Like his assistant, who¡¯s a thousand times better than Nathan. Why didn¡¯t I hire someone like Owen? ¡°What¡¯s so dumb about Liam?¡± ir shot him a nce. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because Dad always praises him!* Steven¡­ After they got home and ir came out from her shower, she sat on the bed, toweling her hair, and somehow, the text she saw on Steven¡¯s phone popped back into her mind. She pursed her lips, tossed the towel on herp, and shot Nathan a WhatsApp message. ¡°Nathan, you up?¡± Nathan had just got home when he saw the WhatsApp message and quickly replied, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up, ir?¡± Nathan and ir were old schoolmates. He always called her ¡®Miss¡® in public, but referred to her by her first name in private. It was ir¡¯s own request, saying she wasn¡¯t used to being called ¡®Miss¡®. It felt weird. Having witnessed ir being bullied in their younger days and knowing about her health issues, Nathan always had a soft spot for her ¡°Is Steven feeling unwell these days?¡± ¡°Seems fine to me. Mr. Garcia didn¡¯t mention anything about not feeling well.¡± ir typed, ¡°Met a friend for dinner today, they said they saw Steven at the hospital a few days ago. If he¡¯s fine, why did he go to the hospital?¡± ¡°Oh, that. Mr. Garcia wasn¡¯t there for a check¨Cup, he was there for the new talent¡¯s medical exam. He wanted to make sure everything was fine.¡± Well, he was actually there to sneak a peek at Ms. Campbell, but of course, Nathan wouldn¡¯t spill the beans. ¡°Didn¡¯t thepany only sign a few new artists recently? Was it really necessary for Steven to personally make a hospital visit?¡± Nathan thought to himself, how else was he going to get a look if he didn¡¯t show up? But he said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because this new signee, Ms. Campbell, saved you once. Mr. Garcia seems to care a lot.¡± ir was taken aback. The person who had the medical exam was Celeste? She replied, ¡°As long as Steven¡¯s okay. You should get some rest. After closing WhatsApp, ir suddenly stood up from the bed, tossed her towel aside, and headed for Janis¡¯s room. After meeting with Detective K, Celeste hurried to the set to shoot her scenes. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Zach Miller was thrilled that she had won thewsuit and rewarded her with two extra hours of filming. Celeste was the busiest on set, so every time she showed up, Zach would seize the opportunity to film as many scenes as possible. By the time they wrapped, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Celeste came home and crashed She didn¡¯t wake up until almost noon the next day. Trisha Colton had the day off. She took advantage of Celeste¡¯s slumber to hit the supermarket and buy a bunch of groceries, nning to cook a feast at home. Unlike Celeste, whose cooking skills hadn¡¯t improved in years, Trisha was a culinary wizard. She was justzy and didn¡¯t bother to cook much when she lived alone. Now that she was living with Celeste, she had the chance to show off her skills. Whenever she had free time, she would whip up delectable dishes for Celeste, who would act as her sous¨Cchef and take care of the cleaning and washing up afterward. But today, Celeste overslept. By the time she got up, Trisha was almost done cooking. As Trisha was dishing up the food, her phone rang. She didn¡¯t pick it up until she sat down at the dining table. Upon reading the message, she immediately began cursing. ¡°Liam, that scumbag, has moved on already!¡± Celeste paused but didn¡¯t react. Trisha shoved the phone in Celeste¡¯s face, ¡°Look at this, Liam has barely been divorced for a few days and he¡¯s already seeing another woman!¡± Despite her self¨Cimposed indifference, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but take a peek. The post was from Nics Francis¡¯s Facebook. Nics had posted a photo on Facebook. It was a picture of Liam being supported by a woman, seemingly in a bar or pub. Liam¡¯s eyes were zed and his cheeks were flushed, clearly inebriated. The woman, however, looked worried and sober. The woman was none other than ir, whom Celeste had met not too long ago. Nics had posted this photo on Facebook. Celeste pressed her lips together, picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of meat, ¡°Let¡¯s just eat.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Trisha was surprised, ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± Celeste responded nonchntly, ¡°Why should I be mad? I¡¯m divorced from him, why should I care who he¡¯s with?¡± Seeing Celeste¡¯s reaction, Trisha felt like she might have been making a mountain out of a molehill. She tossed her phone aside and picked up her chopsticks, ¡°Is that Mr. K reliable?¡± ¡°He should be, he has a good reputation,¡± Celeste had just taken a bite when her phone vibrated. Mr. K had sent a photo. Celeste recognized Shawn¡¯s former driver in the photo. He looked much older, but the mole on his chin was unmistakable. Celeste quickly replied, ¡°Any updates?¡± ¡°Do you recognize this person?¡± She replied, ¡°Yes, he used to be thepany¡¯s driver.¡± Mr. K didn¡¯t respond. Celeste asked a couple more questions, but he didn¡¯t reply. He must have been busy. Celeste was getting a bit antsy. This driver was actually supposed to take her to school back in the day, but because he was tied up, she ended up riding with Caitlyn. Mr. K spotted him and wondered if he knew something. Just as she was about to ask him further, a Facebook notification from Nics popped up on her phone. It was the same scene from the previous photo, but Liam and ir seemed even closer. Celeste made a face and promptly blocked Nics on Facebook. Nics waited for a while for Celeste¡¯s response and was utterly puzzled when he got nothing. Wasn¡¯t this news juicy enough? He almost jumped for joy when he first saw the photo. 1/2 Liam had just divorced and everyone in the circle was buzzing about it. Then suddenly, this intimate photo of him and ir came out and set the whole circle on fire. Ever since ir returned to her home country, she had be a hot target for the rich kids in the circle. Everyone was still lining up to get her, and who would have thought that Liam, a divorced man, would beat them to the punch. Everyone was green with envy. Nics was still waiting for Celestial¡¯s reaction, and to his utter surprise, he got blocked too. Meanwhile, a letter from the hospital was promptly delivered to Steven¡¯s office by Nathan. Steven took it and waved Nathan away. ¡°You can leave now.¡± Only after Nathan left did Steven open the letter. Inside was a paternity test. Steven held his breath as he unfolded it, his eyes slid down to the bottom, and upon seeing the words, his eyebrows knitted together instantly. How could it not be? Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 He stared at the test report for a while, picked up his phone, and made another call. Before long, someone on the other end picked up. ¡°Daniel, have you got your results over there?¡± A female voice came from the other end of the phone: ¡°Just got out of the meeting room; I¡¯m going to ask now; it should be out.¡± The woman paused and asked, ¡°Did you father a love child or something?¡± Steven said, ¡°Quit yapping and go check it out. Send it to me as soon as you get it.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He hung up the phone, and about ten minutester, the other side sent over the test results. Looking again, Steven¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. The same two samples from two different hospitals yield two different results:¨C He was a bit puzzled and made another call: ¡°Daniel, is this result urate?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s urate; we specialize in this kind of identification; if we made a mistake, we¡¯d all be out of a job.¡± The sample that Daniel had was personally delivered by him; only they knew about it, so the chances of a mistake were very slim. So, what about the one Nathan sent over? Was it a mistake on the hospital¡¯s part, or did someone tamper with it? Is he supposed to be d that he was prudent enough to go to two different hospitals, just in case? Steven¡¯s expression grew serious, and he said in deep voice, ¡°Daniel, send the sample to another hospital for me.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t trust me?¡± Steven said in a deep voice, ¡°This matter is very important; I must make sure there are no mistakes. Send it personally; don¡¯t let anyone else help, and send the report directly to me once it¡¯s done.¡± Hearing Steven¡¯s tone, the other party quickly took it seriously. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll switch to a different ce.¡± ¡°Can the results be out in a day?¡± ¡°Steve, you think this is some TV drama where you can get the results as soon as you hand it over? It needs to be purified again; at its fastest, it¡¯ll take two or three days. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s expedited.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you.¡± Actually, between these two reports, which one is real and which one is fake? Steven already had an idea. But being the cautious person he was, doing it again would give him more peace of mind. After hanging up the phone, Steven¡¯s face was tight. He was just about to call Nathan in to ask, but then he thought better of it. Let¡¯s see how things unfold. If someone did tamper with the results, there surely wouldn¡¯t be just this one move. With a serious face, he put the identification book away and into the drawer. Zack gave Celeste half a day off today. She had nothing to do in the afternoon, just as the broker invited her to sign the contract, so she packed up and left. For the house in Redwood Ridge Estates, the broker talked her down to 6.2 million, but the other party required a 50% down payment, which was 3 million. 3 million nearly emptied out arge portion of her savings; it was indeed a bit painful, but luckily the house was fully furnished; she just needed some furniture, and she could move in right away. So Celeste didn¡¯t haggle any further; she very directly agreed to sign the contract. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. After gathering all the necessary documents, she went to the appointment. But after all the contracts were signed and she was ready to file for the record, the Housing Management Committee told her that she didn¡¯t qualify for home ownership. Because the demand for housing in this city is very high, they limit each person to only one property. Celeste was puzzled and asked the staff, ¡°You must be mistaken; I don¡¯t have any property under my name.¡± ¡°The system can¡¯t be wrong,¡± the staff said. ¡°It shows that you have a vi in Golden Penins and a 400¨Csquare¨Cmeter residence in Grandview Heights; ording to the relevant regtions, you no longer qualify for home ownership in J City.¡± Celeste was very confused. Golden Penins was a famous vi area in J City, where she and Liam used to live in Pinecrest Manor; could that be the vi they¡¯re talking about? What¡¯s going on? And what about Grandview Heights? Howe she had no idea? Celeste said in a deep voice, ¡°Can you check for me? When were these two properties filed for?¡± After some operation, the staff told her, ¡°For the vi in Golden Penins, the information was changed in March of the year before; Grandview Heights was filed in September ofst year.¡± The seller was a bit annoyed when he heard this. Chapter 555 Chapter 555 ¡°You don¡¯t even qualify for home ownership; running around with me, isn¡¯t this a waste of time?¡± Celeste furrowed her brow and exined softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had property under my name before.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how many properties you own? Who are you trying to fool?¡± The seller frowned at the agent and said, ¡°You spent so much money, what kind of buyers are you finding me? Wasting my time!¡± The young agent was embarrassed and quickly apologized. The seller didn¡¯t give any face, said a lot of unpleasant things, and then left with his documents angrily. Celeste looked at the crestfallen agent, feeling very sorry in her heart, and kept apologizing to the other party. She had no idea she had the property under her name; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have made people run around with her for nothing. The agent was quite optimistic and kept saying it¡¯s okay. Celeste had the money ready; if she knew, she wouldn¡¯t have gone this far, but she couldn¡¯t help but envy: ¡°The properties under your name are so nice; why are you buying Redwood Ridge Estates?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my house,¡± Celeste said as she picked up her phone. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m making a call.¡± Celeste took Liam off the cklist and called him. Nics was doing a massage with Liam. He didn¡¯t know where Liam got all these injuries; he wouldn¡¯t say when asked, so he took Liam for a massage since he was free in the afternoon. The doctor was giving Liam a massage; his phone was on the table next to him, very close to Nics. Nics was about to doze off but was awakened by the ringtone of the phone. He picked up Liam¡¯s phone and saw that it was a call from his ex¨Cwife. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Your ex¨Cwife is calling!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes snapped open, but then he remained silent. Nics was confused. Liam dreamed about Celeste taking him off the cklist every day; now that she finally did, was this his reaction? ¡°You¡¯re not picking up? I¡¯m going to hang up then.¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond. Nics didn¡¯t believe it; he continued, ¡°I¡¯m really going to hang up.¡± Liam still didn¡¯t react. Nics squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to pick up, I¡¯ll just hang up.¡± As he said this, his hand identally slipped, and the phone stopped ringing. Liam immediately sat up. ¡°Who told you to-¡± ¡°Liam, are you free today?¡± Before Liam could finish his sentence, Celeste¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Are you free?¡± made Liam feel a bit ttered, but remembering how Celeste acted when he fell off his horse a few days ago, Liam felt this ttery was a bit undeserved. She definitely wasn¡¯t calling to check on his injuries. But Liam didn¡¯t want to hang up, so he purposely made his voice sound cold: ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Chapter 556 When she found out when these two properties were registered, Celeste was a bit puzzled. These two houses were not transferred to her after she and Liam divorced. They were transferred while they were still married. This revtion left her with an unexinable feeling. Houses were not like designer bags or pretty clothes, which were just for decoration. They gave people a sense of security. When site used to brush forums, Celeste often saw that kind of post, for example: After five years of marriage with two children, the husband won¡¯t add his wife¡¯s name to the room book. Should they divorce? A girl¡¯s fiance paid a down payment to buy a house while the man said that the girl should pay for the decoration. After marriage, the two of them would pay for the mortgage together. The girl then asked him to add her name to the room book, but he said that girls should not be so materialistic. Does the girl still want to get married? After paying the mortgage for three years, a girl found that her mother¨Cinw¡¯s name was written on the room book. What should the girl do? She had read countless posts like this. At that time, she also thought about whether to let Liam add her name to the real estate license. She even went to turn over the marriagew. The marriagew told her that whoever bought the house before marriage will own it. Of course, if the other party was interested in giving it and was willing to add name, it will be stipted separately. When she saw it, she didn¡¯t have a dime, and she wanted the other party to add her name. It was a bit shameless, so she gave up. It never urred to her that as early as a long time ago, Liam drew two properties in her name. She never thought that Liam had already transferred two properties under her name a long time ago. Regardless of how things ended up between her and Liam, these two properties were more than enough to ensure she livedfortably for the rest of her life. If Liam really thought about her future, why did he let Skyler Reed drug her to prevent pregnancy? If he didn¡¯t want kids, why didn¡¯t he discuss it with her instead of using such methods? Harming her on the one hand and nning for her future on the other, she found it harder and harder to understand Liam. Celeste suppressed her emotions and said in a deep voice, ¡°If you have time,e to the housing authority and transfer the properties under my name to yours.¡± Upon hearing this, Liam became irritated. ¡°All for this?¡± ¡°This is a big deal for me,¡± Celeste pursed her lips, ¡°Without the transfer, I won¡¯t even have the eligibility to buy a house in J City.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°You already have a house; why do you need to buy another?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your house. The housing authority closes at 5:30. There¡¯s still over an hour left; you should hurry up.¡± She didn¡¯t even want to argue about when he transferred the properties under her name; she just wanted to cut ties with him. Liam clenched his fist, his face cold. ¡°I don¡¯t have time!¡± Celeste frowned. ¡°When will you have time? I¡¯m kind of in a hurry to buy a house.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, um-¡± He was cut off by Nics, who ran over and covered his mouth. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Hey, Celeste, it¡¯s me. Liam and I are out. We¡¯re starting a project soon, and Liam¡¯s been busy with site surveys. He probably won¡¯t have time for a while.¡± Liam red at him, trying to pry off the hand covering his mouth. Nics held the phone away and whispered, ¡°If you still want Celeste as your wife, you better watch your mouth!¡± Liam¡¯s hand stopped in midair. He stared at Nics with icy eyes, but he didn¡¯t struggle anymore. Upon hearing this, Celeste immediately furrowed her brows and said, ¡°It only takes an hour or two; can¡¯t you squeeze that in?¡± ¡°Really can¡¯t. How about this: don¡¯t buy a house; just live in one of the ones under your name. They¡¯re all yours anyway; why give them back to him? Isn¡¯t your youth worth a house?¡± It made sense; if it was Trisha who said this, she would ept. After all, she¡¯s her best friend. But Nics was Liam¡¯s good friend; would he speak for her? Celeste pursed her lips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to owe Liam anything. When will he be free?¡± 1/2 ¡°Oh boy, I really can¡¯t say. How about this: if you have nowhere to live, I have a house in Grandview Heights. It¡¯s already renovated; you can live there with no rent. Wait until Liam is done, then you two can¡­¡± His voice started to cut out as he rubbed a tissue back and forth on the phone¡¯s microphone. ¡°Dis¡­ cuss¡­ Sig¡­nal¡­ bad¡­ Hang¡­ing up¡­¡± Then he hung up. Liam??? Nics handed the phone back to him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take the house back; she¡¯lle looking for you. Are you still worried about her blocking you?¡± Liam¡­ It sounded a bit harsh, but it made sense. Nicsy back down and said, ¡°When pursuing a girl, don¡¯ty all your cards on the table. People, whether men or women, won¡¯t appreciate what they¡¯ve got. And you said Celeste was never mature anyway, right?¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Liam frowned. ¡°You sure do talk yourself up, don¡¯t you?¡± Nics replied, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m just gaining experience for my future wife, learning what different types of girls want. Only by understanding their needs can I make them happy and improve my sess rate. You¡¯re just inexperienced. You had so many girls liking you before; as long as you had dated a couple of them, you wouldn¡¯t be this clueless in front of Celeste.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t interested in this theory at all: ¡°You¡¯re full of experience, yet none of your rtionships ended upsting.¡± That hit Nics where it hurt. During rtionships, he did like the other party, but that was about it; he couldn¡¯t go any further. Whether it was him or the girls he dated, their so¨Ccalled care was mostly materialistic. Celeste was materialistic too; she had no qualms about spending Liam¡¯s money, but she genuinely cared for Liam. Take the lunch for example. Liam once bragged about it on Facebook, and Nics said he didn¡¯t care, but secretly, he was envious. In this world, what money can buy wasn¡¯t precibus; what it can¡¯t buy was treasure. Both he and Liam were picky, always socializing and getting sick of outside food, so they appreciated home¨Ccooked meals. Whether it tasted good or not was secondary; the important thing was that someone at home cared about whether you ate well. Rarely could any of his ex¨Cgirlfriends cook, and even if they could, they would tell him seriously that they would never step into the kitchen. Once they started, wouldn¡¯t they have to revolve around the kitchen after marriage? Who could stand that? He wondered could one meal define a person? In general, they didn¡¯t care; whether it was him or those ex¨Cgirlfriends, they always put themselves first. Celeste couldn¡¯t cook either, but she cared about Liam¡¯s appetite and was willing to learn for him. This had made Nics envious for a long time. So when Celeste stopped bringing lunch for Liam, he felt a bit schadenfreude. ¡°Why bring me into this? Anyway, if you want to win Celeste back, you have to listen to me.¡± After saying this, he paused and added, ¡°I need to call Mason; he has seen a lot and can give you some advice.¡± Frowning, Liam said, ¡°No need to call him.¡± Surprised, Nics asked, ¡°What happened? Did you guys fight?¡± Liam remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. Nics was very surprised. Mason and Liam¡¯s rtionship was much better than his and Liam¡¯s. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. They were childhood friends who had grown up together, while he only met Liam in his teens. The Francis family¡¯s status in J City was far less than that of Liam and Mason¡¯s families. Unlike Liam and Mason¡¯s prestigious families, the Francis family¡¯s rise to wealth was only over twenty years. Nics¡® parents were both divorcees; he was the youngest child in the family, ate¨Clife child with several elder siblings. With so many children in the family, the parents had limited energy to take care of each child. When he was born, his parents were busy with their careers and had no time to take care of him. So he was sent to his grandparents¡® house at a very young age. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Chapter 558 He stayed there until he was about eleven or twelve before returning to his parents. By then, the Francis family¡¯s business in J City had developed well, his siblings were either married or in college. His family didn¡¯t have deep feelings for this son they hadn¡¯t raised for over ten years, but they still gave him everything he deserved and sent him to the best private school in J City. At that time, all the students in his ss were from wealthy families. Nics¡® parents were in the seafood business, supplying half of the restaurants in J City. So some students would mock him for selling fish. Some students deliberately excluded him, but there were always some children who didn¡¯t participate in it. Among them were Liam and Mason. They were very close. At first, because he was bullied by those so¨Ccalled aristocratic sons, Nics despised them. He thought, What¡¯s so great about them? Just because they have capable fathers? A bunch of garbage. One time, when Liam was maliciously pushed and injured his leg on the field, Mason immediately fought with that bully. The bully was tall and big; Mason hadn¡¯t fully developed yet; he was skinny and didn¡¯t look like he could take on the bully at all. But he was ruthless; he picked up a rock and smashed it on the bully¡¯s head, causing him to bleed on the spot, and the scene was instantly chaotic. Liam, despite the pain, took the rock from Mason and told him to leave immediately. Of course, neither of them could escape in the end. Both of them imed to be the one who hit the guy, and none of the witnesses dared to testify. In the end, they both got reprimanded. From then on, Nics changed his view of these wealthy sons. He realized not everyone was bad; there were people like Liam and Mason who were passionate and loyal. So he started to approach the two of them. Nics grew up in a small town and knew how to have fun. He could always find interesting things to do. At first, Liam seemed a bit aloof. But how aloof can a teenage boy be? As time passed, the three of them started hanging out together. But Nics always felt that Liam and Mason¡¯s rtionship was the best. Now that they¡¯re at odds, it¡¯s really weird. ¡°We¡¯re all adults now; let¡¯s set a time for a drink together. I tell you, those people who made trouble at the hospitalst time, Mason helped Celeste settle it. Also, at Celeste¡¯s mother¡¯s funeral, Mason did his best to help. These were things you should have done as a husband; you really should thank him.¡± The more Liam listened, the more ufortable he felt. He said sternly, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± With Liam unwilling toe to Celeste¡¯s side, the issue couldn¡¯t be resolved, which would directly affect the house¨Cbuying issue. She felt terribly guilty, so she gave the agent a 500¨Cdor shopping card, and the house buying had to be put on hold. However, there was progress on Detective K¡¯s side. He managed to get in touch with the driver, who had been involved in the investigation of the Campbell family back in the day. Half a year after the ident, this driver quit his job and had been out of work? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ever since. But he somehow had enough dough to renovate his house. His family was even considered pretty loaded in the local area. No ie, yet no shortage of cash to ssh around. Just that alone was a red g. Detective K also looked into the other taxi involved in the ident. But the oue wasn¡¯t exactly peachy. After receiving thepensation, both the driver¡¯s and the passenger¡¯s families packed up and left. J City. He tried every trick in the book to find out where they¡¯d gone after leaving J City, but it was as if they¡¯d vanished into thin air. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Two people dead, one injured, andpensation of over a million was really not enough; oddly, these passengers didn¡¯t kick up a fuss. But with the help of the Campbell family¡¯s driver, the passengers weren¡¯t so important anymore. As long as the detective can get some information out of the driver, he might be able to uncover the truth. Celeste was very pleased with this development and quickly paid the second installment. In the afternoon, after work, Sienna Reed called. *Celeste, Robinson got a bunch of dried mangoes recently; I can¡¯t finish them all, so I sent some to you. Have you tried them yet?¡± Celeste remembered the big box of dried mangoes she received in the morning, so they were sent by Sienna. Her eyes softened, and she said quietly, ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten home yet, but if it¡¯s from Robinson, it¡¯s got to be good.¡± ¡°Robinson is reliable.¡± Sienna praised Robinson a few times and then said, ¡°It¡¯s my birthday next Wednesday; Robinson has ordered a giant cake, a wholeyer of mangoes. I¡¯ll have Liam pick you up then; eat as much as you want.¡± Celeste hesitated: ¡°Is it¡­ appropriate for me to go?¡± ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate? Just because you divorced Liam, you don¡¯t recognize me as your grandma anymore?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant; you¡¯re always my elder,¡± Celeste said quietly. ¡°I just think that now that I¡¯m divorced from Liam, it would be awkward for him if I showed up. Can I visit you the day before your birthday instead?¡± ¡°What¡¯s he got to be awkward about? If he¡¯s awkward, he can leave. It¡¯s my birthday; I want to invite the people I like to celebrate with me: Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Sienna sighed, ¡°This is my 80th birthday, probably thest big party in my life. I just want it to be perfect, but if it¡¯s too much for you, never mind. I¡¯m an old woman, not many years left, just muddling through, as Robinson said; I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for the kids.¡± Robinson thought to himself, Was that something he said? Hearing this, Celeste immediately softened. ¡°The doctor said you¡¯re very healthy; living to a hundred is definitely no problem,¡± and then she paused and said quietly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Sienna was overjoyed, asked her a few questions about her recent situation, and then hung up the phone. Meanwhile, the case about the property division was going full steam ahead. When Shawn received the case notification, he almost died of anger. The Angel Campbell incident had already hit thepany once, and now Celeste¡¯s divorce was causing him to lose quite a few orders. He was busy filling these holes and didn¡¯t even have time to settle the score with Celeste, and here she was,ing for him first! Shawn immediately called Celeste; unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t get any better treatment than Liam. Shawn threw down his phone, swearing, ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of her, feeding her, and now that she¡¯s grown up, she¡¯s bullying me!¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t contacted him, but herwyer had. The other party¡¯s demand was very direct: he can¡¯t take anything away. She wanted to take thepany he worked so hard to build away from him in her dreams! Helen picked up the phone and put it on the table, gently saying, ¡°Shawn, don¡¯t be angry; your health is important.¡± Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Chapter 560 ¡°Look at this notice,¡± Shawn said as he handed her the document. ¡°I was wondering why she¡¯s been so quiet since the divorce; turns out she was nning this! Does she really think she can win the case with what she¡¯s got?¡± Helen pursed her lips. ¡°Shawn, thewsuit isn¡¯t the most important thing; Pedro¡¯s family just contacted me.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Shawn didn¡¯t react for a moment. Helen said quietly, ¡°The former driver.¡± Shawn frowned. ¡°What did he call for?¡± ¡°Somebody went to his town to investigate him.¡± Shawn¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but, Shawn, who do you think would investigate that driver at this time?¡± Shawn¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°You mean¡­ Celeste?¡± ¡°Shawn, Celeste knows about Caitlyn¡¯s divorce proposal seven years ago, and she has the evidence Caitlyn gave her back then. Celeste will definitely doubt that car ident from years ago. As for the property division, if we can find a reliablewyer, Celeste might not necessarily win, but if she finds something about the ident, it¡¯s not just about losing money anymore.¡± Shawn turned a little pale. He tried to stay calm. ¡°The vehicles involved in the ident have already been destroyed, and the police have already concluded. Even if she finds something without evidence, what can she do? For thewsuit, we can just give her some money; isn¡¯t that what she likes?¡± Helen wasn¡¯t so optimistic. ¡°Shawn, you underestimate Celeste. If she dares to divorce Liam right after Caitlyn¡¯s death, that means money isn¡¯t important to her; what¡¯s important is Caitlyn.¡± ¡°Think about it: when you asked her to go to those parties and wanted to use her for a marriage alliance, didn¡¯t she also agree because of Caitlyn? Caitlyn raised her, her respect for Caitlyn is far greater than for you. Now that she¡¯s found out there might be something wrong with Caitlyn¡¯s ident, she won¡¯t let it go; she¡¯d rather drag us all down to hell!¡± Hearing the word ¡°hell¡°, Shawn¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t help trembling, and the image of Caitlyn covered in blood lying on the roadside seemed to pop up in front of him again. His lips turned a little pale. ¡°So what do you suggest? She¡¯s already started investigating; if we make any moves now, won¡¯t she be more suspicious?¡± Helen said, ¡°Shawn, you should just ept this notice, let¡¯s fight thiswsuit with her; who knows who will win or lose in the end? Once thewsuit is over, I promise she won¡¯t have the energy to investigate the ident from years ago.¡± Shawn was uneasy, but at this moment, he could only trust Helen. They were in the same boat, sharing the glory and the shame. In the property division case, Shawn¡¯swyer quickly contacted Mason. After the two sides connected, the court date was adjusted to next Monday. The original date was a monthter, but Shawn¡¯s side applied to the court, and after consultation between the two sides, the court date was adjusted. Celeste felt weird; knowing Shawn¡¯s character, he would drag the case out as long as he can. She even thought that when it came to trial, he wouldn¡¯t even bother to show up; just let his attorney do the job. But surprisingly, he agreed without a second thought. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Did he think he had this case in the bag or something? Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Time flied; it¡¯s Monday again in a blink of an eye. ¡± Mason drove to pick up Celeste. Trisha also happened to have the day off and came along. This case was different from previous defamation cases. It involved a popr star, so naturally, it attracted attention. But property division cases were rtively low¨Ckey. When they drove to the court, there were hardly any people at the door. Trisha asked Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, do we have a good chance of winning this case?¡± Mason replied while parking the car, ¡°We have a pretty good chance. Shawn¡¯s previous division method was obviously wed. When thepany was founded, more than half of the startup funds were provided by Ms. Caitlyn. And during the subsequent operation of thepany, Caitlyn¡¯s contribution was also very significant. Even if Shawn transferred Ms. Caitlyn¡¯s shares to his name through some unconventional means, anything signed by Ms. Caitlyn when she was incapacitated is not fully protected byw.¡± Trisha said angrily, ¡°Shawn is such a shameless bastard! Mr. Fletcher, you must fight for Letti. Even if the money is thrown away or donated, it cannot benefit the Campbells.¡± Mason smiled and said, ¡°I will certainly fight for Celeste¡¯s best interests; after all, she¡¯s my boss now.¡± As he spoke, he gently looked at Celeste. Celesteughed lightly, saying, ¡°My legal fees aren¡¯t even enough for your car maintenance; stop pulling my leg.¡± A Trisha¡¯s gaze swept back and forth between the two. Mr. Fletcher seemed to be quite interested in Letti; that look¡­ Then she looked at Letti; she¡¯s so clueless! As soon as the three of them got out of the car, Steven called Celeste¡¯s cell phone. Celeste was a bit puzzled. Why would her boss call her so early in the morning? With that thought, she answered the call. ¡°Mr. Garcia, what¡¯s up?¡± Steven was staring at the appraisal results on the screen, too excited to calm down. ¡°Celeste, where are you?¡± Celeste was taken aback. Did her boss take the wrong medicine? Their rtionship was not so intimate that they can call each other by their first names, right? ¡°I¡¯m at the courthouse; I have a trial today.¡± She paused and asked, ¡°Mr. Garcia, do you have any work arrangements?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Steven hesitated for a moment, then changed his answer to ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it urgent? I might not be able to get there until the afternoon.¡± Steven rubbed his forehead, too excited and a bit incoherent. After calming down a bit, he asked, ¡°What trial are you in?¡± ¡°Just some family stuff.¡± Celeste paused. ¡°It won¡¯t affect my work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that.¡± Steven pursed his lips. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Celeste said, ¡°No need; mywyer is very capable.¡± ¡°Then which courthouse are you in? I¡¯ll go and sit in. After your trial, I¡¯ll take you to meet the new director.¡± Wsn¡¯t this kind of thing that should be said by an agent? Right now, she didn¡¯t have an agent. Celeste thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then youe over.¡± Steven noted down the address Celeste gave and then hung up the phone. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. After hanging up, Mason asked, ¡°Steven is corning?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°After the trial, the boss wants to take me to meet the new director.¡± She joked, ¡°Maybe after I be famous, you can brag to your other clients that you¡¯ve represented a big star.¡± Mason asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to charge me for advertising, are you? ¡°I¡¯ll give you free advertising.¡± The trial today was also public, but there were fewer spectators thanst time. And there was no media. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Steven arrived just a few minutes before the court session started and sat where Liam had satst time. Just like a family member of the intiff. The defendant¡¯s family members, Helen and Angel, were there, and there was a six- or seven¨Cyear¨C old boy next to Helen. He looked a lot like Helen and had an unpleasant look. This was Shawn and Helen¡¯s son, Jacques Campbell. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. If it hadn¡¯t been for opening Caitlyn¡¯s safe, she wouldn¡¯t have known her father had left her two such big surprises. The three of them were dressed neatly. Helen had changed her submissive appearance, and her hair was very stylish. The clothes on her and her daughter next to her seemed very expensive. Celeste looked coldly at the defendant¡¯s seat. Shawn was in uniform and in good condition; he even seemed to have gained some weight during this time. Thinking about how it was Caitlyn¡¯s efforts that had nourished these people, Celeste felt depressed. She clenched her hands. She must win thiswsuit! Mason gently patted the back of her hand, and while organizing the documents in front of him, he whispered, ¡°Stay calm.¡± Celeste took a deep breath and lowered her head. The trial began soon. Thewyers from both sides quickly started a heated debate in the case. Both sides had their own evidence and views. Shawn¡¯s side held onto Caitlyn¡¯s medical expenses. Several times they emphasized how big that expense was and stressed the care Shawn took of her after Caitlyn¡¯s ident. He even made up a lie that Caitlyn herself knew he was cheating and willingly helped him raise the child since Caitlyn had already passed away. He also imed that he did not get together with his current wife until after Caitlyn¡¯s ident and that there was no property transfer. Despite knowing Shawn was shameless, they were still shocked by his shamelessness. Fortunately, Mason was well prepared. Whether it was his affair with Helen during his marriage, using themon property with Caitlyn to buy a house for Helen, or the frequency of his visits to the hospital after Caitlyn¡¯s ident, all proved that he did not care about his wife. The doctors had asked him toe to the hospital several times to speak to Caitlyn to help her wake up, but he had nevere. These were supported by the doctors¡® testimonies, and he could not hide them. Gradually, Shawn was at a disadvantage. After Mason stated his case, he presented the intiff¡¯s ims. The opposingwyer was silent for quite a while. Just when Celeste was convinced they had this case in the bag, the opposingwyer suddenly said, ¡°Your Honor, I have a question for the intiff.¡± ¡®Granted.¡± The defendant¡¯swyer turned to Celeste and asked, ¡°Miss Celeste, in what capacity are you suing Mr. Shawn in this case?¡± Celeste furrowed her brows. What kind of question was that? She pursed her lips and said, ¡°As his daughter, I am representing my mother in a property division lawsuit against him. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°There is, the opposingwyer pulled out a report, his sharp gaze fixed on Celeste, ¡°ording to our investigation, you are not Mr. Shawn¡¯s biological daughter. You have no biological rtion to Mr. Shawn. In other words, you have no standing to sue Mr. Shawn as a intiff.¡± From the spectators¡® bench, Steven¡¯s eyes became grave. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Chapter 563 The opposingwyer then handed over the report he was holding. ¡°This is a paternity test report for Mr. Shawn and Ms. Celeste. It clearly shows that Ms. Celeste and Mr. Shawn do not share any blood rtions. She is the product of Ms. Caitlyn¡¯s affair. Our client has no legal obligation to support her, and she has no right to inherit our client¡¯s property. She has no business being in thiswsuit!¡± Celeste was so infuriated that she was shaking all over. ¡°Bullshit! Shawn, you¡¯re making up anything to win! You know damn well how my mom treated you!¡± Was Shawn even human? He was throwing mud at Caitlyn even after she had passed away. Couldn¡¯t Shawn see how much Caitlyn cared about him? Caitlyn had tried everything to have a son for him. How could such a woman have an affair? It was utter nonsense! The judge said stemnly, ¡°intiff, remain quiet and maintain order.¡± The judge then handed the evidence to the jury for verification. Mason¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but he tried to calm Celeste down first. ¡°Don¡¯t get upset. Let¡¯s wait for the results.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth. ¡°It has to be fake! My mom would never have an affair!¡± Mason pursed his lips, not feeling optimistic. With such judicial evidence, the truth would be easily determined. Shawn wouldn¡¯t bother to use fake results to fool Sure enough, the jury quickly confirmed the authenticity of the report and allowed it to be used. If the intiff had any doubts, she could everyone. apply for new judicial test after the trial. Celeste was stunned and lost for words. How could she not be Shawn¡¯s biological daughter? This sudden twist had the previously quiet spectator seats buzzing in an instant. The trial had only just begun, and when Celeste turned out not to be Shawn¡¯s daughter, this was more than thrilling. The local media, who were initially here to capture some juicy news from the rich and famous, were thrilled. Shawn¡¯s affair and his secret daughter were already quite sensational. Now that his own daughter was suing him over property division, everybody was just hoping to capture something newsworthy. Who would have thought the news would be this explosive? The illegitimate daughter turned out to be the real heiress, and the real heiress was the illegitimate one. This was more dramatic than any soap opera. Trisha was getting impatient; why wasn¡¯t Mr. Fletcher saying anything? The unexpected turn of events left Mason at a loss, too. ¡°Your Honor,¡± Shawn suddenly spoke up. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone in the court turned to look at him. Shawn looked at Celeste with sorrowful eyes and a pitiful expression. He said softly, ¡°Celeste, I never thought we would end up in court like this. Your mother¡¯s passing has caused you great pain, and it pains me as well. I had initially nned to keep it a secret that you¡¯re not my biological daughter. Over the years, I¡¯ve raised you as my own, and even after your mom passed away, I wanted to keep our rtionship as it was. I understand that you¡¯re broke after your divorce from Liam, and I get that you¡¯re strapped for cash. If you needed money, you could¡¯ve just told me. As your father, how could I refuse? You shouldn¡¯t have brought this to court over some money!¡± Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Chapter 564 The dough in Celeste¡¯s card was given by Liam; how could she be short of money? Shawn was deliberately slinging mud at her! First, he revealed that she was not his biological daughter, making himself out to be a man cuckolded by his wife. Then heined about how hard it was to raise Celeste and then turned around to say that Celeste was suing him for money and that he had no choice but to reveal her real parentage. With these words, he had directly put Celeste in the hot seat. Celeste¡¯s face turned pale; she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Shawn, you¡¯re lower than a pig and a dog! How could my mom have ever wasted money on you? Now that you¡¯re sessful, you¡¯re slinging mud at my mom. Are you even human?!¡± ¡°intiff, watch yournguage!¡± Mason hurriedly interjected, ¡°Your Honor, my client is not feeling well; we request a postponement of the trial.¡± ¡°Mr. Fletcher is no rookie, right?¡± Either we finish today or you drop the charges.¡± Mason¡¯s eyes darkened. The current situation was very unfavorable for them; Celeste was disoriented, and continuing the trial would not yield a satisfactory result. More importantly, the focus of the spectators had already shifted to Celeste¡¯s illegitimate daughter¡¯s identity; the longer the fuss, the wider the news would spread, which would be even more detrimental to her. Mason pursed his lips, whispering to Celeste, ¡°Let¡¯s drop the charges.¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, do you also think I¡¯m an illegitimate daughter?¡± She seemed to be seeking confirmation, refusing to believe Shawn¡¯s test results. Mason understood she didn¡¯t care about being Shawn¡¯s daughter, but that she couldn¡¯t believe her mother would betray her marriage. He softened his voice a bit and said, ¡°No matter who you are, to me, you¡¯ll always be Celeste. Dropping the charges is not admitting defeat; we need to find new evidence to ensure a foolproof case.¡± Celeste clenched her fingers and, after a long while, finally whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s drop the charges.¡± For the first time in over twenty years, Helen felt triumphant. Let¡¯s see who dared use her children of being illegitimate in the future. Suddenly, she felt a gaze piercing straight at her. Helen frowned, turning her head to look. Not far from her, in the same row of spectator seats, sat a handsome young man. He smiled at her. Helen was somewhat puzzled. His gaze made her quite ufortable. The intiff dropped the charges, bringing thewsuit to an end, but it caused quite a stir. As soon as Celeste stepped out of the courthouse, she was surrounded by a crowd blocking her way. ¡°Ms. Campbell, what do you think of the paternity test results provided by Mr. Shawn?¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell, did you really leave with nothing after your divorce from Mr. Reed?¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell, who is your biological father, did you know all along that you weren¡¯t Mr. Shawn¡¯s biological daughter, or did you just find out today?¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned pale, and she said in a deep voice, ¡°Step aside.¡± The crowd didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Ms. Campbell, please answer our questions. With that, the microphone was thrust up to Celeste¡¯s chin, and Celeste pushed it away, not even touching the person holding it. Yet that person stumbled and fell. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°How could you push people?¡± The media was discontented, whispering, ¡°Just an illegitimate daughter, why so arrogant?¡± Trisha had been holding back for a long time and finally couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Who pushed? The microphone was right in her face; can¡¯t she avoid it?¡± 1/2 How did I fall if I wasn¡¯t pushed?¡± The person red, ready to argue with Trisha. Trisha rolled up her sleeves, ready to throw down, and suddenly someone stood between her and Celeste. ¡°Tangerine Entertainment, right?¡± Steven looked at the badge on the person, raised his head, and said, ¡°Tell your boss, I agree to the exclusive interview with Tangerine Entertainment on one condition: he has to fire you first.¡± Chapter 565 Chapter 565 The man was taken aback, his face quickly turning ugly. He thought to himself, Who the hell was this guy, acting all high and mighty? His colleague, who recognized Steven, whispered, ¡°I think he¡¯s Mr. Garcia from Cloud Top Inc.¡± CloudTop Inc., the Garcia family of J City The editor of Tangerine Entertainment had tried countless times to score an interview with Cloud Top Inc., but to no avail. He didn¡¯t expect to run into him today. He thought it would be a career highlight, but it turned out to be a stumbling block. The man was pale and pained, angry but unable to speak. Steven, however, was not so patient. Coldly, he said, ¡°Move!¡± Only then did the reporters blocking the way step aside. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Steven turned to Celeste, his voice softening. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± urtrob Finally, Celeste had recovered from the courtroom drama. She gathered herself, thanked him, and left, with Trisha following Steven. Mason¡¯s car was already waiting at the entrance. Steven said to Mason, ¡°Mason, you go first. Ms. Campbell and I have some business matters to discuss. I¡¯ll drop her offter.¡± Mason looked at Celeste. ¡°Celeste, are you okay?¡± Although Celeste was a bit pale, she was holding up. She said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Mr. Fletcher, you¡¯ve been working hard. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner someday. You¡¯ve been busy with my stuff all these days. You should go home and rest early today.¡± Mr. Fletcher agreed and then turned to Steven. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Ms. Campbell in your hands, Mr. Garcia.¡± Steven looked at Mason a bit surprised, then nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Celeste and Trisha got into Steven¡¯s car. Steven didn¡¯t bring his assistant. The smell in the car was as pleasant as always, calming Celeste¡¯s agitation. After the car started, Steven remained silent. Trisha, who wasn¡¯t very familiar with him, asked a few questions and then stopped talking. She just looked at Celeste worriedly. ¡°Letti, are you okay?¡± Finding out that your father isn¡¯t your biological father and that you¡¯re the product of your mother¡¯s affair was hard for anyone to ept, But the thought of Shawn not being Letti¡¯s real dad was quite satisfying for Trisha. That man didn¡¯t deserve to be a father! It was just infuriating that this revtion had thrust Celeste into the spotlight. Celeste shook her head and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just strange to have my childhood suspicions confirmed.¡± She suspected she wasn¡¯t Shawn¡¯s daughter when she saw him favoring Angel. She thought it was just aint about Shawn¡¯s favoritism, but she didn¡¯t expect it toe true one day. Trisha pondered. ¡°Maybe the hospital mixed up the sperm when your mom had IVF?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t an IVF baby. After my mom had me, Shawn wanted a second child. That¡¯s when my mom first tried IVF, but it didn¡¯t work because of her health.¡± Steven asked, ¡°Could it be possible that Ms. Caitlyn isn¡¯t your biological mother? That they adopted you?¡± That¡¯s impossible,¡± Celeste immediately denied. ¡°If I was adopted, wouldn¡¯t everyone around me know? And Shawn wouldn¡¯t have waited until today to bring out this DNA test.¡± Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Steven fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Then perhaps it¡¯s a hospital issue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s even less likely. My mom took me for checkups every year when she was healthy. If I wasn¡¯t her child, how could she not know? And we still have her ultrasound scans from when she was pregnant with me. I¡¯m definitely her child.¡± Steven fell silent. This was his doubt as well. Celeste¡¯s blood type clearly indicated she wasn¡¯t Caitlyn and Shawn¡¯s child. Could Caitlyn have been oblivious? Celeste¡¯s affection for Caitlyn was so deep. Bringing up her origins at this time might backfire. ¡°Mr. Garcia,¡± Celeste broke his thoughts. She said, ¡°My origin might be a scandal. If you think it¡¯s risky, you can terminate the contract. But I might not be able to afford the full penalty.¡± Steven smiled. ¡°Only illegal things are scandals. What¡¯s this? We don¡¯t rely on you to attract fans. Just focus on acting; don¡¯t worry about other things.¡± He asked again, ¡°By the way, have you bought your house yet?¡± At this point, Celeste felt a headacheing on. ¡°Not yet.¡± Steven was surprised. Trisha exined, ¡°Her ex¨Chusband transferred two properties under her name before their divorce.¡± Celeste¡­ Steven asked, ¡°Are you two back together?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Celeste answered, feeling a bit awkward discussing her personal life with her boss. ¡°He¡¯s not thinking straight.¡± Steven seemed to rx a bit. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t buy a house for now. I¡¯ll have thepany arrange amodation for you.¡± ¡°No need to bother, I can rent a ce myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no bother. We¡¯re obligated to ensure the safety of our artists during the contract period. It¡¯s not free; the rent will be deducted from your sry. Thepany apartments are nice, not shared, and decently sized. You can bring your friend to live with you; girls should look out for each other.¡± Trisha raised her hand. ¡°Excuse me, where are thesepany apartments located?¡± Steven smiled. ¡°Not too far from where you¡¯re living now, Grandview Heights.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes widened in excitement as she frantically patted Celeste¡¯s arm, silently urging her to agree. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Living in a top¨Ctier residential area provided by thepany? Only a fool would refuse! Celeste originally nned to say no. But considering her current situation, Steven¡¯s help was like a godsend. Why should she continue to resist? She just needed to work her butt off on the set and help her boss earn this money back. So Celeste agreed. Steven chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll have thepany send someone to help you moveter.¡± ¡°No rush. I¡¯ve still got a ton of stuff to pack. Plus, my lease isn¡¯t up yet. need to talk to myndlord about breaking it.¡± Steven didn¡¯t insist: ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯ve sorted it out.¡± Instead of taking Celeste to meet the director, Steven took them to dinner. He said Celeste wasn¡¯t in the right headspace today to meet the director. She should first get her mojo back. Trisha was moved by this humane boss, feeling a lump in her throat. Howe her boss, Hudson Reel, always made her work overtime? Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Chapter 567 ¡°Mom, why are you only telling me something this important now?¡± Angelined after stepping out of the court. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She had been feeling inferior all these years because of her identity. She even lost her dream job because she was an illegitimate child. Now she knew that Celeste wasn¡¯t Shawn¡¯s biological daughter at all. If they had told her earlier, would she have lost her job over this? Thinking of Celeste taking her ce and bossing her around, Angel was furious! ¡°If we had told you earlier, how could she have helped us?¡± Helen looked at Angel with a dissatisfied look. Whether Celeste was illegitimate or not, Angel¡¯s identity couldn¡¯t be revealed. And the fact that Celeste¡¯s real identity was exposed after Angel¡¯s was actually to their advantage. Everyone¡¯s focus was now on Celeste¡¯s true identity as the ex¨Cwife of the Reed family, so no one cared about Angel anymore. Celeste would also be too busy to do anything with this sudden news. Whether it¡¯s fighting in court or investigating the ident from years ago, she would be overwhelmed. It was like killing two birds with one stone. But Angel was still unhappy. When she was exposed as an illegitimate child,izens tore her to shreds. Why should Celeste get off so easily? She pulled out her phone and opened Instagram. ¡°This won¡¯t open.¡± The little boy next to her handed his snack to Helen. Helen pushed his hand away and said, ¡°Be good; let your sister help you open it.¡± She then said to Shawn, ¡°Shawn, there will probably be more interviewsing in the next few days. Remember to stick to the story we told in court today: that Celeste wronged you, not the other way around.¡± Shawn frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t we just refuse the interviews?¡± Helen knew that Shawn was going soft again. ¡°Shawn, Celeste showed us no mercy when she was against us. If you don¡¯t deal with her thoroughly, we will be the ones to suffer when she fights back! She¡¯s not your biological daughter; don¡¯t you feel wronged after all these years?¡± Shawn clenched his fists. ¡°She and Liam are divorced now; she can¡¯t stir up any trouble. Going too far will also harm our reputation.¡± Did Shawn forget that he was the one who sent the driver away and let Celeste get in that car when they just wanted to get rid of Caitlyn? And now he¡¯s pretending to have deep father¨Cdaughter feelings? Helen patiently said, ¡°Shawn, I know you¡¯re soft¨Chearted, but you can¡¯t be on this. And I¡¯m always uneasy about the money we invested in Smart Chips.¡± Smart Chips went publicst Friday, and its stock price skyrocketed by 60 points on the first day, earning him nearly 50 million in one day. Shawn immediately sold two¨Cthirds of it. He originally nned to sell all the stocks. But because of the continuous good news from Smart Chips, the investment group he was in was discussing thispany every day, and many people felt regret for not being able to buy the stocks. Some experienced stock investors predicted that the stock price of Smart Chips would hit the upper limit for at least ten consecutive trading days. He was not fully believing this prediction at the time, but the stock price hit the upper limit as soon as the market opened today, up 20 percent, and he immediately regretted it. Hearing Helen ask him to sell the remaining stocks, his face immediately turned sour. If it weren¡¯t for Helen nagging every day, saying that Liam and Celeste were divorced and definitely wouldn¡¯t let him take advantage, he might not have sold immediately after the stock market opened, and he could have made another 20 million today! ¡°Shawn, cash in hand is real; being greedy brings risk¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Shawn interrupted her, looking a bit impatient. ¡°I have it under control; you just manage the house.¡± Helen wanted to say something else, but Shawn said, ¡°Stop at the intersection ahead. You take the kids home; I¡¯ll go to thepany.¡± Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Helen said, ¡°Let Angel take Jacques by taxi; I¡¯ll go with you to thepany.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need; you take good care of Jacques at home. The teacher said he¡¯s still making mistakes in addition and subtraction; you should tutor him at home.¡± Helen frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just hire a tutor?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get a tutor when you can¡¯t teach him anymore. He¡¯s still so young why waste money now? Teaching him can also strengthen your bond. You sent Jacques to early learning sses when he was only two, and he doesn¡¯t even want to call you mom now. Can you still do that? When Celeste was a child, Rainy taught her personally.¡± Helen¡¯s face turned bad immediately. Shawn realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say that after he had finished speaking. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°In short, you should pay more attention to the child. I¡¯ll handle thepany, there won¡¯t be ack of ces for you and your daughter to spend money.¡± Helen was very angry inside. Did Shawn think she could be easily deceived into bing a full¨Ctime housewife like Caitlyn? When Shawn was with her, Caitlyn was nursing a baby, and the power of thepany had already been handed over. She wasn¡¯t that stupid with precedent! Helen lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Aren¡¯t I just worried that you can¡¯t handle it alone?¡± Shawn¡¯s face softened a bit. ¡°If there¡¯s something in thepany, I¡¯ll tell you. The important thing for you now is to take good care of Jacques.¡°/ ¡°Got it.¡± As soon as Shawn got off the car, Helen¡¯s face immediately turned gloomy. ¡°Old Liang, did you drive Mr. Campbell straight home after work yesterday?¡± The driver was taken aback and immediately said, ¡°Yes.¡± Helen smiled. ¡°Then why does the driving record show that you went to New Water Street first and stopped there for a while?¡± The driver¡¯s face changed; he gripped the steering wheel and answered in a low voice, ¡°I ran into Secretary when I got off work yesterday. She couldn¡¯t get a car, so Mr. Campbell gave her a ride.¡± Helen¡¯s face sank; sure enough, a leopard can¡¯t change its spots! Seeing her expression, the driver was also worried. Everyone in and out of thepany knew Helen¡¯s methods were way nastier than Shawn¡¯s. The driver, worried about his job, murmured, ¡°Madam, Mr. Campbell only drove her home; nothing out of line happened.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Helen shed a smile and said, ¡°I know, let¡¯s head back.¡± The driver nervously responded and hastily started driving towards the Campbells. Nics Media Group. Nics was frowning, looking at the group chat. Celeste was not Shawn¡¯s biological daughter? A photo from the court was leaked somehow, and Celeste looked utterly shocked; she must have just found out about this news as well. As Nics was thinking, he received two messages. He opened them, and Liam sent him two pictures. One of a white rose bouquet, the other of a red rose bouquet, asking him which one Tooked better. They were chatting in the morning, and he told Liam to buy flowers. He didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen by the afternoon. If Liam tried to deliver flowers now, Celeste would probably throw them right back at his face. Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Chapter 569 ¡°She¡¯s a bastard child, and you¡¯re bringing her flowers to celebrate?¡± Nics immediately called Liam, ¡°Hold off on the flower picking. Didn¡¯t you see? Your ex¨Cwife is in trouble!¡± Liam was taken aback; his tone suddenly tensed. ¡°What happened?¡± Nics filled him in on the court saga: ¡°Shawn is so heartless. He dumped Celeste right after your divorce! He¡¯s been benefiting from Celeste for years. Now they think she¡¯s useless, and they just ditch her without a second thought. After over twenty years, even a pet would have some emotional attachment. He¡¯s just out to ruin Celeste¡¯s reputation. You should¡¯ve seen the look on Celeste¡¯s face when she heard the news in court; her eyes were all red, and she probably cried her eyes out after the trial.¡± Liam looked serious and anxiously asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the trial?¡± ¡°At XX court. She¡¯s in a property dispute case with Shawn; Mason is thewyer.¡± Nics paused. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mason tell you?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer the question, grabbing his coat while saying, ¡°Gotta go, we¡¯ll talkter.¡± ¡°Hold up!¡± Nics stopped him and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to find Celeste, aren¡¯t you? Take me with you. Trust me, without me, you won¡¯t even be able to get through the door.¡± He had seen the power of Trisha. She was Celeste¡¯s bodyguard. With her around, Liam wouldn¡¯t stand a chance to see Celeste. Twenty minutester, Owen was driving Liam and Nics to Trisha¡¯s apartment building.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Liam and Nics went up together. Seeing Liam press for the ninth floor, Nics was quite surprised. ¡°Do you know where Celeste lives?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say a word. Celeste¡¯s best girlfriend was here. Whenever there were disputes in the past, she would run here. Once, she got drunk here at Trisha¡¯s and called him to pick her up. She told him the address herself. By the time he arrived, Trisha and the other girls were all drunk, so no one knew he had been there. Ninth floor, room 912 The room was near the elevator, visible as soon as one stepped out. Nics rang the doorbell for a long time, but no one came to open the door. He was a bit skeptical. ¡°Did you get it wrong?¡± Liam pursed his lips and said, ¡°This is the ce.¡± Nics started ringing again. This time, 912 didn¡¯t open, but 914 did. A girl poked her head out intending to shout, but seeing the two tall men, her voice instantly lowered: ¡°912 isn¡¯t back yet.¡± Nics immediately smiled friendly and asked, ¡°When do they usuallye back?¡± The girl whispered, ¡°Usually around eight or nine in the evening.¡± Liam nced at the time; it was just past seven. Nics thanked her and asked Liam, ¡°Shall we wait in the car downstairs?¡± Liam said, ¡°You go to the car; I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Nics sighed, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡± There were many residents on the first floor of the apartment building, and it was not very convenient to stand in the corridor, so the two went to the stairwell. They thought they would have to wait a long time, but not half an hourter, they heard Trisha¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr. Garcia is so generous. If I ever want to jump ship, I¡¯ll go to Skyline Media Group. With this kind of treatment, I wouldn¡¯t mind working overtime.¡± Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Chapter 570 As Celeste fumbled for her keys, she muttered, ¡°With good payes high expectations. Is there such a thing as a capitalist who doesn¡¯t want more?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Trisha pondered over this for a moment before responding, ¡°True. But Mr. Garcia is quite the fooker. I felt an instant connection when I first saw him. Like I¡¯d seen him somewhere before, you know?¡± As Celeste pushed open the door and bent down to grab her slippers, she teased, ¡°So quick to fall for someone else? What happened to your Dr. Ledford?¡± ¡°I just appreciate Mr. Garcia, that¡¯s all. No funny business. He¡¯s way out of my league with his background. Dr. Ledford¡¯s the one for me.¡± With that, she shut the door. With a frown, Liam red at the person holding him back and grumbled, ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± Nics replied, ¡°With her bestie around, Celeste will avoid you if she doesn¡¯t want to see you. Her friend will stand guard at the door, not letting you in. There are a lot of people living on this floor; they¡¯ll all see. The more they chatter, the less Celeste will like you.¡± Liam furrowed his brow, growing more and more impatient. ¡°So what do you suggest?¡± ¡°Watch this, Nics said as he pulled out his phone, dialed Owen¡¯s number, and whispered a few instructions before hanging up. He then turned to Liam and said, ¡°Just wait.¡± Just as Trisha changed into her pajamas, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the property management. She hurriedly answered. ¡°Apartment 907, is 375568 your e¨Cbike?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mine. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Why is your e¨Cbike parked in someone else¡¯s spot? You better move it! ¡°I didn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s spot.¡± Trisha frowned. She hadn¡¯t ridden her bike for a couple of days. It had been parked in the e-bike parking area the entire time. There was no way she had taken someone else¡¯s spot. ¡°Well, the license te is yours. Isn¡¯t it your bike? Get a move on, or it¡¯s not our problem how the owner decides to handle this.¡± ¡°Wait, tell them to hold on. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After hanging up, Trisha yelled towards the bathroom, ¡°Letti, I¡¯m going down to move my bike.¡± Celeste responded with a grunt, and Trisha grabbed her bike keys and headed out. Just as she reached the elevator, she saw Liam and Nics standing in the stairwell. She immediately turned to run back, but Nics was quicker. He slipped his arm around her waist, covered her mouth, and hoisted her into the elevator. He then gave Liam a thumbs¨Cup, who pressed the floor button for him. Trisha struggled in Nics¡® grip. During the tussle, Nics¡® hand slipped and touched Trisha¡¯s chest. Trisha bit his hand without hesitation. But Nics didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Do you still want to chase after Jace Ledford or not?¡± Trisha red at him. Seeing her calm down, Nics continued, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to meet Jace now. If Celeste calls youter, tell her you¡¯re busy and will be backter. Got it?¡± Trisha shrugged her shoulders, signaling for him to let go. Nics hesitated but eventually released his grip. Without skipping a beat, Trisha yelled, ¡°You annoying jerk, where do you put your hand? Who do you think you are to touch me whenever you feel like it? Are you addicted or something?¡± Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Chapter 571 She was cussing and struggling, leaving Nics for a moment unable to control her. *Annoying jerk. Do you think I¡¯m the kind to ditch my friends for a pretty face? Listen up. Even if you make Dr. Ledford even more attractive, I ain¡¯t going! Get Liam out here now. If he dares to touch my Letti, I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s screwed with you¨Cuh-¡± She was cut off when the elevator doors opened, and Nics simply kissed her, effectively silencing her. The few people waiting to get on the elevator were a bit awkward at first. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. They made their way, watching as Nics kissed the woman in his arms and took her out of the elevator. Once they were out of sight, Nics let go. He took a breath and squinted. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your permission. You¡¯re going tonight!¡± Trisha was red¨Cfaced from the forceful kiss, but her hands were still held behind her by Nics. She was helpless to retaliate. Seeing her unusually quiet, Nics pinched her face and said, ¡°I guarantee I¡¯ll help you win Jace over.¡± Trisha: ¡°If Liam hurts Celeste today, I¡¯ll deal with you before I deal with him!¡± Nics chuckled. Despite her temper, the girl was loyal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He let go of her hands and instead grabbed her arm, saying, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go orf our date.¡± Trisha frowned. ¡°How am I supposed to go on a date in my pajamas?¡± Nics was inexplicably in a good mood and generously said, ¡°I will take you shopping for a new outfit; I guarantee you¡¯ll steal the showter.¡± With that, he shoved her into a taxi. Not long after Trisha left, the doorbell rang. Celeste, having just washed the foam off her face, shouted, ¡°Did you forget your keys?¡± The password lock on Trisha¡¯s door was broken, and thendlord hadn¡¯te to rece it yet. They had been using a key to get in. There was no response from outside. Celeste wiped her hands and went to open the door. Instead of Trisha, it was Liam standing outside. Celeste was startled for a second and immediately tried to close the door. Liam reached out to stop it and got his hand caught in the door. Feeling something caught, Celeste panicked and let go. Liam was pale as a sheet, leaning against the door, with a deep imprint on his hand and signs of bleeding on the back of his hand. Celeste frowned. ¡°What the hell, why did you stick your hand in?¡± Liam looked up. ¡°If I didn¡¯t stick my hand in, would you let me in?¡± Celeste pursed her lips and said, ¡°Even if you did, I still wouldn¡¯t let you in.¡± With that, she closed the door. Liam looked at the mark on the back of his hand and pressed his lips together. Celeste was irritable. She was already on edge because of Shawn¡¯s report, and now Liam was adding fuel to the fire. Did he think she was a pushover? She had a drink of water, put on a face mask, and paced around her room. A few minutester, she went to the door and peered out the -peephole. There was no one outside; it seemed Liam had left. She pursed her lips and opened the door. Liam was sitting on the ground, seemingly contemting something. Blood was seeping from the back of his right hand. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Hearing the door open, Liam turned his head to look. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. To her surprise, Celeste saw a hint of hurt in his eyes. Why hadn¡¯t she noticed bis expressive face before they got divorced? The elevator made a noise, and a few people stepped out. Seeing a man squatting at the door, they all cast curious nces. Celeste pursed her lips, feeling a bit annoyed. ¡°Come in, she said. Liam immediately stood up. But he¡¯d been sitting for so long that his feet were numb, causing him to wobble a bit. Celeste, startled, instinctively reached out a hand. Seeing him steady himself against the doorframe, she felt a pang of annoyance. Liam also felt a pang of regret. Why did he refuse her help. Without saying anything more to Liam, Celeste turned and entered the apartment first. Liam closed the door and followed her in. As Celeste turned around, she noticed that he hadn¡¯t changed his shoes. ¡°Do you think this is your ce? Change your shoes!¡± she said. Liam went back to the entrance to change his shoes. He noticed there weren¡¯t any men¡¯s slippers in the shoe cab, which somehow made him feel relieved. So he just went in wearing his socks. Celeste was sleeping on the sofa here. The sofa at Trisha¡¯s ce was foldable. It served as a couch during the day and a bed at night, with the bedding piled up at the end of the sofa. The living room was connected to the dining room, which was quite small, even smaller than their bathroom at home. Celeste was rather picky. She evenined about not having a bathtub in the guest room at home. How could she get by in a ce Tike this? Celeste grabbed a small stool to stand on and started searching for the first aid kit in the storage cab above. As she reached up, her T¨Cshirt rode up, revealing a glimpse of her waist Trisha was shorter than her. How did she manage to store things so high? Standing on her toes, she just managed to touch the edge of the first¨Caid kit when suddenly the leg of the stool she was standing on broke with a ¡°crack¡°. She almost fell off, but a hand wrapped around her waist from behind and lifted her down. At that moment, Liam was d that the room was small. Otherwise, by the time he could run over to their living room at home, Celeste would have already gotten up. Once she was steady, Celeste shrugged off Liam¡¯s hand. She squatted down and noticed that the stic stool was slightly damaged. Liam obviously noticed it too. He frowned and said, ¡°Did you¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Celeste red at him. If he dared to say she¡¯d gained weight, she¡¯d kick him out right away! Liam pursed his lips and stepped on the stool, breaking itpletely. He then said with a straight face, ¡°The quality was poor.¡± His remark eased Celeste¡¯s bad mood a bit. Why hadn¡¯t she noticed before that Liam was quite the comedian? Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Chapter 573 ¡°Let me do it,¡± Liam said, looking into the cab. ¡®Is it the yellow one? He easily reached it. Being tall definitely had its advantages. Celeste took the first¨Caid kit and found only alcohol, bandages, and cotton swabs but no medical tape. The first aid kit at Trisha¡¯s ce was quite rudimentary and cheap. The medications inside were all expired cold medicines, and there was nothing special. The fact that they could find bandages and alcohol was purely due to Liam¡¯s good luck. She dipped a cotton swab in alcohol and bent down to clean his wound. Celeste had a face mask on, so it was hard to see her expression clearly. But just the act of bending down made Liam feel content. He winced after she swabbed the wound once, Celeste nced at him but didn¡¯t say anything. Liam pursed his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you have softer cotton swabs?¡± She said, ¡°Do you think this is your ce? You¡¯re being picky? I was nice enough to let you in. If you¡¯re ufortable, go back to your ce!¡± Liam shut his mouth. After disinfecting the wound, Celeste held a bandage and pondered for a moment before cing two horizontally across the back of Liam¡¯s hand, covering the burst wound perfectly. Liam muttered, ¡°The tape is sticking to the wound.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Celeste as she put away the first¨Caid kit. ¡°It¡¯s not my hand that¡¯s hurt; just deal with it.¡± It seemed as if she was about to write ¡°impatient¡± on her face. She packed up the first¨Caid kit. This time, Liam proactively took the kit and put it back in the cab. When he turned around, Celeste had already gone to the bathroom to remove her face mask. Liam sat on the sofa waiting for her, saw a book on the coffee table, and picked it up. It was ¡®The Little Prince¡®. The book seemed to have been flipped through countless times. A page marked with a highlighter read, ¡°Cherish the opportunity to watch the sunrise with your loved one now; don¡¯t wait until you¡¯re old to regret it.¡± When Celeste came out of the bathroom, she saw Liam engrossed in the book. She stood at the entrance with a ss of water and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Liam closed the book. ¡°You had a court case with Shawn today?¡± Celesteughed: ¡°News travels fast. You must be d you divorced me. If this had happened before the divorce, it would have made the headlines in J City, right? You would have been embarrassed along with me then.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Do you think I care about that?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t care. You didn¡¯t even care about me, so why would you care about that?¡± His remark made Liam very angry. He said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t care about you, would I keeping to you, letting you hurt me over and over again, yet still finding it hard to leave? Celeste! Don¡¯t you have a heart?¡± Celeste said painfully, ¡°I never asked you toe.¡± Liam threw the book on the coffee table, stood up, and coldly walked away. With an indifferent expression, he walked out. Celeste leaned against the entrance with her head drooping, not moving. She heard the door being twisted from behind. Then, the hand that wasn¡¯t holding the cup was suddenly grabbed and raised above her head. Liam kissed her passionately, full of anger.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Liam was no smooth operator when it came to flirting. He may not be gentle, but he¡¯s definitely not rough. But with this kiss, oh boy, Celeste got a taste of what it¡¯s like to be manhandled. D He was practically gnawing at her lips. Almost instantly, she was engulfed by his scent. Surprised and embarrassed, she opened her mouth to bite him. Liam, having been on the receiving end of her wrath too many times, was ready for her. The moment she bared her teeth, he gripped her chin. With one hand bound above her head and a cup in the other, she didn¡¯t hesitate to ssh the contents of the cup on Liam¡¯s face. Liam only paused for a moment. Droplets of water slid down his nose and hung off the tip. Liam lowered his head and rubbed the droplet on Celeste¡¯s lips, then slowly kissed it away. When actions slowed down, they be particrly suggestive. Celeste¡¯s cheeks flushed. She gripped the cup, eyed Liam¡¯s head for a few seconds, and finally smacked it against his shoulder. Liam frowned and let go of her lips. He wiped the water off her face and murmured, ¡°When I married you, I didn¡¯t care if you were a heiress or someone¡¯s daughter. I just didn¡¯t care.¡± Celeste, her chin still in his grip, couldn¡¯t respond. She signaled for him to let go, holding back her anger. Liam hesitated, then released her. Celeste picked up a random object from the entrance and hurled it at him, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you care! Who said you could kiss me?!¡± She didn¡¯t hold back, and Liam, not fighting back, could only raise his arm to block. She hit his elbow, and his face instantly paled. Celeste gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Liam replied, ¡°I¡¯m not; my shoulder hurts.¡± ¡°Then go home if it hurts!¡± Celeste said, opening the door, ¡°Get out now!¡± Liam looked down at his shirt and said, ¡°How am I supposed to leave like this?¡± His shirt was wet and had be transparent. Celeste nced at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re not a woman; what are you so shy about?¡± Liam replied, ¡°Don¡¯t I have some dignity?¡± Celeste thought to herself, Why didn¡¯t I see you being so dignified earlier?T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She took another look at Liam. Was his shirt made of silk? Just look at him; he¡¯s a wet dreame true. It was satisfying to see all three members of the Reed family get doused with water. Celeste pursed her lips and said, ¡°Call Owen to bring over a change of clothes.¡± Liam replied indifferently, ¡°Owen is on a date with his girlfriend. And it¡¯s after work hours.¡± Celeste looked at him. Was he really such a benevolent boss? Seeing that Celeste didn¡¯t respond, Liam asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a dryer here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your hair dryer?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have one.¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Then what do you have?¡± Celeste crossed her arms and gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Natural gas, want it?¡± Ten minutester, Liam was shirtless, holding his shirt over the gas stove to dry. In the small apartment with an open kitchen, Celeste could see Liam from the living room. 1/2 He was wearing suit pants, shirtless. The muscles on his back moved with the shaking of his shirt, making it quite a sight. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Where the hell was Trisha? How long does it take to move a car? Celeste picked up her phone to call Trisha, and it quickly connected. ¡°Trisha, what¡¯s taking so long?¡± Nics¡¯s voice came from the other end: ¡°Trisha¡¯s with me.¡± Celeste frowned. ¡°She¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Dr. Ledford asked her out. She¡¯s shy; she needed me to tag along.¡± Celeste was even more confused. Since when was Trisha this close to Nics? Trisha wouldn¡¯t go on a date in her pajamas, would she? ¡°Give the phone to Trisha; I need to talk to her.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Nics replied. Half a minuteter, Trisha¡¯s voice came through the phone: ¡°Letti, I¡¯ll be back late tonight.¡± Celeste was surprised: ¡°You¡¯re actually going out with Dr. Ledford.¡± Trisha mumbled an affirmative and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back after I¡¯ve had my fun.¡± ¡°Alright then,e back early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Trisha covered her chest with her clothes, gritted her teeth, and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Get out of the dressing room!¡± Nics/chuckled and pinched her face. ¡°Pick any clothes you like. I will send you a few more sets. Guaranteed to help you win over your crush.¡± Trisha wished she could rush over and bite this bastard¡¯s face off! Just as Celeste hung up, she smelled something burning. She walked over to see that a section of the shirt had turned yellow. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Her eye twitched as she turned off the gas and snatched the shirt from him. Not long after, Liam saw Celeste bring out a small heater, hang the shirt up on the balcony, and use the heater to dry it. After finishing, Celeste picked up her script, sat cross¨Clegged on a single sofa, and began reading. Liam sat next to her and asked, ¡°Are you stilling to Grandma¡¯s birthday?¡± Celeste flipped a page and asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± She knew why he was asking. News of her illegitimate daughter status had spread. The banquet the day after tomorrow would be packed, and there would be plenty of gossip. If she was afraid of this, she wouldn¡¯t be Celeste. ¡°I¡¯m here to celebrate Grandma¡¯s birthday, not worry about others¡® opinions. If Grandma doesn¡¯t say I shouldn¡¯t be there, I definitely won¡¯t be absent.¡± She was not guilty of anything; her absence would only prove her guilt. Plus, she hadn¡¯t gotten her revenge yet; why wouldn¡¯t she go? Liam looked a bit better and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up the day after tomorrow.¡± At first, Celeste wanted to refuse, but then thought better of it. Letting Skyler see how her precious son was getting close to her¨Cwouldn¡¯t that just piss her off? So she nced at Liam and said, ¡°Is it convenient for you? If not, I can take a taxi or hitch a ride with Mr. Fletcher.¡± Driving in formal attire could be inconvenient. Upon hearing her mention Mason, Liam quickly said, ¡°Very convenient! Celeste raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Mr. Reed.¡± Finally, things cooled down a bit. Celeste was reading her script, and Liam was watching her. He hadn¡¯t really looked at her like this for a long time since their divorce. Celeste had lost some weight since the divorce. Liam figured she must have slimmed down because of Caitlyn¡¯s death, not the divorce. She even seemed better off without him. *About yourwsuit with Shawn, I¡¯ll find you a newwyer. Blood¨Crted or not, you have every right to inherit your mom¡¯s estate.¡± Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Chapter 576 ¡°No need,¡± Celeste said without even lifting her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already handed the case to Mr. Fletcher. Who in their right mind changeswyers halfway? What would people think if I changed mywyer? They might think I don¡¯t trust his professional capability, so I want a change. I can¡¯t say such things.¡± Liam said, ¡°I can talk to him; you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Is it about you saying it or me?¡± Celeste said, a bit impatiently, ¡°I¡¯ve already paid some money; do I have to get it back?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem with getting it back?¡± Liam frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re short of his money, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the money, but about losing face,¡± Celeste finished, giving him a re. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s my business; mind your own!¡± Liam was about to say something when Celeste cut him off: ¡°One more word, and take your shirt and go!¡± Liam closed his mouth. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. After a while, Liam spoke again: ¡°I¡¯ve told a renowned obstetrician about your condition. He¡¯sing to J City next month for a lecture, and he said he could make a face¨Cto¨Cface diagnosis then.¡± Celeste¡¯s fingers clenched tightly. A few minutester, Liam was kicked out of the apartment topless, followed by his shirt. ¡°Dr. Ledford,¡± Trisha said, resting her head on her hand, looking tipsy, ¡°What¡¯s your ideal type?¡± Jace, holding his drink, smiled at her and said, ¡°I had some ideas before. But I think it¡¯s pointless now. When you meet someone you truly like, those standards don¡¯t matter anymore. The person you like is your ideal type.¡± ¡°Well said!¡± Trisha giggled. ¡°My ideal type used to be Leonardo DiCaprio, but after meeting you, he seems just so¨Cso.¡± Jace chuckled lightly. Although this girl was a bit silly, she was quite interesting. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Jace asked. Trisha shook her head and took a sip of her drink before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been single for 25 years. Well, actually, a neighbor kid once fooled me. He said he would marry me when we grew up. But he disappeared before we even graduated from kindergarten; pretty sad, huh?¡± Jaceughed, saying, ¡°You can¡¯t take a kid¡¯s words seriously.¡± Trisha, a bit tipsy, whispered, ¡°Dr. Ledford, when is this lump on my chest going to go away?¡± ¡°Three to six months, maybe. But it varies. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle should speed up the recovery.¡± Trisha mumbled, ¡°Really? I always feel like the lump has gotten bigger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. Benign lumps usually don¡¯t grow. If you¡¯re worried, I can check it for you at the hospital tomorrow.¡± Trisha frowned. ¡°Can¡¯t you check it now? Can¡¯t you just feel it?¡± Just as Jace started to wonder whether this girl was truly drunk or pretending, she started unbuttoning her shirt. Nics walked in just as this was happening. He quickly covered Trisha up and asked, ¡°How drunk are you?¡± Jace said, ¡°She just kept drinking; I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± He stood up and said, ¡°Where¡¯s her ce? I¡¯ll take her home.¡± Nics didn¡¯t look up, put his jacket on Trisha, and helped her up. ¡°No need. You can go. I¡¯ll take her.¡± Trisha, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly perked up and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you; I want Dr. Ledford!¡± Nics frowned. ¡°Does he even know where you live?¡± Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Chapter 577 ¡°My house is at-¡± Trisha was cut off by Nics, who covered her mouth. He squinted warningly. ¡°Giving out your address like that¨Caren¡¯t you afraid someone will sell you?¡± Trisha struggled a bit but couldn¡¯t move. She leaned weakly against Nics. Jace watched this and suddenly asked, ¡°Is she really your rtive?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nics responded without hesitation. Jace smiled. ¡°She said she never had a boyfriend; quite innocent.¡± Nics paused. As a man, he knew exactly what Jace meant. Jace, a yboy, cared a lot about whether a girl was a virgin. Nics didn¡¯t mind before; what others liked was none of his business But hearing it now, he felt a bit upset. Trisha¡¯s first time was with him, even though it was an ident, but that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t innocent. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Nics nced at him and said, ¡°My cousin is very naive. If you mess with her, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Jace chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in immature little girls.¡± Nics didn¡¯t say anything more, picked up Trisha, and left the room Early the next morning, Celeste was up. Trisha was brought back by Nics at one in the morning and was still resting. Celeste didn¡¯t wake her up. Tomorrow is Sienna¡¯s birthday party, and she can¡¯t make a mistake with the gift. Time quickly came to the day of the birthday party. The party will be held at night because there¡¯s a fireworks show, which is better to watch at night. Originally, Celeste was supposed to n the party. But before it was Sienna¡¯s birthday, she divorced Liam. Skyler quickly took over. Valeria naturally wouldn¡¯t back down. If Skyler arranged the venue, she would organize the program. Since Sienna didn¡¯t specify anyone, they all fought for it, hoping to get a piece of the cake. Skyler was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Because neither she nor Valeria were Sienna¡¯s designated people. They could only show their strengths, make the birthday party beautiful, and then reward them based on their performance. ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied?¡± Mrs. Kelley followed Skyler, pointing to the garden full of roses and asking with a smile. Skyler curled her lips. ¡°How could I not trust you?¡± Sienna likes peach blossoms, but the season for peach blossoms was over. Mrs. Kelley remembered the birthday party early, and these roses were specially brought from other ces, costing a lot of money Skyler sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we couldn¡¯t invite Mr. Hilliard.¡± ¡°Mr. Hilliard hasn¡¯t been on stage for ages, so it¡¯s no biggie if we can¡¯t invite him. Valeria didn¡¯t manage to get him either. We¡¯re no worse off than her.¡± Pausing for a second, she said, ¡°Sienna was even thinking about entrusting such a big event to Celeste. Thank God she didn¡¯t¨Ca love child marrying into the Reed family¨Cthat¡¯s really a bit much.¡± Every time Celeste was brought up and Skyler remembered the coffee incident, his face would darken. Mrs. Kelley noticed Skyler¡¯s change inplexion and quickly changed the subject. ¡°The Garcia family¡¯s daughter showed up today; I caught a glimpse of her earlier; she¡¯s really quite a looker and well¨Cmannered. Liam¡¯s divorce came just in time.¡± Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Skyler was definitely looking a lot better. In her mind, the ideal daughter¨Cinw should be a high¨Cbreddy like ir. She had always looked down on Celeste. Knowing that Celeste is actually Caitlyn¡¯s illegitimate daughter, she was even more disgusted. Fortunately, Liam was finally divorced. Once he and ir got married, with the support of the Garcia family, he would eventually understand her good intentions. ¡°Are the fireworks ready?¡± Mrs. Kelley nodded and said, ¡°Custom¨Cmade fireworks. There¡¯s a portrait of Sienna guaranteed to be unique tonight; it will surely make Sienna very happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always on top of things.¡± Mrs. Kelley humbly replied, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me so much; it¡¯s the least I can do. About that thing, you see¡­¡± Skyler thought for a moment: ¡°Liam just got divorced recently. There are some things I can¡¯t bring up right now. Don¡¯t worry. Once this period is over, I¡¯ll definitely help you solve it.¡± In fact, Liam had stopped her monthly withdrawals. Recently, production at the Barlow farmily¡¯s end was faltering, and the dividends she was getting started to decrease. But Skyler thought this was all temporary.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Liam and Celeste had been married for over three years. Even if it were a dog, there would be feelings. It was normal for him to be upset, but it would pass. She didn¡¯t believe that a woman of low status could withstand their blood ties. Hearing her say this, Mrs. Kelley felt reassured. ¡°Kaylee, have you lost weight recently?¡± Kaylee Reed was wearing a little red dress. She had been beaten by Celeste before and couldn¡¯t eat at first, but she had been recovering for a while. Now that she was healed, she had lost a lot of weight, her features were more prominent, and she was looking more and more like Skyler. Skyler was a beauty in her young days. Naturally, Kaylee wouldn¡¯t be any different. Today was Sienna¡¯s birthday party, and she was dressed up gorgeously because Mason would be there. Kaylee rubbed her face and whispered, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious,¡± a girl said, ¡°But you look better. As long as Celeste doesn¡¯te, you¡¯ll definitely be the center of attention.¡± Kaylee¡¯s smile stiffened a bit. Celeste was a nightmare in the circle of socialites. If she didn¡¯te, the other socialites could shine; if she came, she would steal the spotlight. She was beautiful, with fair skin, making anyone standing next to her look dull inparison. Someone surprisedly said, ¡°Does she dare toe? Isn¡¯t she afraid of losing face?¡± ¡°When she was married, she used to show off all her jewelry at parties. Now that they¡¯re divorced and she¡¯s an illegitimate daughter, she probably doesn¡¯t even have decent jewelry. With her show¨Coff personality, is she too embarrassed toe?¡± ¡°The Campbell family is really something. Both parties had affairs and had illegitimate daughters; they¡¯re a perfect match.¡± ¡°Thank God your brother had the foresight to divorce her. I couldn¡¯t stand having a wife like that.¡± Kaylee¡¯s lips curled up, her eyes gleaming with triumph. ¡°Then you guys try harder; my brother is still single.¡± Her girlfriendsughed and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to rely on you then.¡± As they were talking, Kaylee saw ir appear at the venue with Steven. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Steven whispered a few words to her, then took his drink and went to the men¡¯s side. ir was very elegant. She stood there, and even without any action, people could still feel her nobility. Recalling Skyler¡¯s words, Kaylee took the initiative to strike up a conversation with ire.¡± ir turned around, saw Kaylee with a group of girlfriends, smiled, and said, ¡°Kaylee, long time no see.¡± ¡°Are you well?¡°, Kaylee whispered. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happened before.¡± ir thought for a moment¨Cprobably Kaylee had already been reprimanded when she got home. So she smiled and said, ¡°Liam has apologized for you. It was unintentional on your part.¡± Kaylee was surprised. Her brother actually spoke for her? In an instant, she liked ir much more; just this point alone was much more pleasing than that annoying Celeste. Thinking that this person might be her sister¨Cinw in the future, she couldn¡¯t help but warm up. ¡°The dress you¡¯re wearing is really nice; whose work is it?¡± ¡°You mean this?¡± ir smiled slightly and said, ¡°This is my own design!¡± Kaylee looked surprised and said, ¡°You¡¯re so talented; it suits your temperament very well; it looks like an haute couture piece from a brand.¡± As soon as Kaylee said this, her other girlfriends also started topliment her. Although ir had seen a lot of this in foreign countries, dealing with these socialites was naturally a piece of cake. She spoke appropriately, neither too close nor too distant. She was well¨Cmannered and always maintained the restraint that a socialite should have. At the same time, Liam had been waiting downstairs at Celeste¡¯s apartment for an hour. He frowned at the time and took out his phone, intending to call. Nics stopped him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the patience; how are you going to woo your ex¨Cwife?¡± ¡°She told me to pick her up at five; it¡¯s already six! Don¡¯t I have enough patience?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only an hour, have you forgotten about the times when you were cold¨Cshouldered for days when negotiating a deal? You were so patient when it came to business, but you don¡¯t have patience when waiting for your ex¨Cwife?¡± Nics leaned against the car, lifting his eyelids to say, ¡°She¡¯s going to spend a lifetime with you; what¡¯s a few hours of waiting? Besides, she¡¯s getting dressed up to see you, so you should be happy. If she really didn¡¯t care about you, she wouldn¡¯t bother with makeup.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Liam insisted, ¡°She¡¯s getting dressed up for the birthday party!¡± She didn¡¯t even bother to peel off her face mask when facing him. ¡°Think about it: when she appears at the venue, everyone sees how beautiful your ex¨Cwife is. Who would dare introduce you to lousy prospects? This way, their ideas are stopped. Maybe your ex¨Cwife is dressed so beautifully because she has this in mind.¡± Liam was drawn into his logic, thought carefully, and felt it made sense. Thinking that Celeste was dressing up so beautifully to prevent others from introducing him to prospects, Liam suddenly felt it was okay to wait for her a little longer. At a little after six, Celeste finally came out of the apartment. Her hair was done up all prim and proper, her makeup was on point, and she was rocking this long, purple gown that went all the way down to her ankles. The sleeves had this semi¨Csee¨Cthrough design along with some ruffle details, and the dress even had a high slit on the side. As she moved, her long legs would asionally peek out. It was like she was somehow managing to be both ssy and sexy at the same time. As she strutted her stuff, folks around couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Liam turned to look at Nics, ¡°Go sit shotgun.¡± Nics gave him a helpless look. ¡°You think I sit in the back because it¡¯sfy? If I don¡¯t take the back seat, Celeste will ster herself against the window as soon as she gets in. She¡¯d prefer to be a million miles from you!¡± As he spoke, he tugged Liam towards him. ¡°You take the middle.¡± He tossed all the misceneous items, like bottled water, cushions, etc., from the back to the shotgun seat, then said to Owen, ¡°Owen, get the door.¡± Owen got the hint, unbuckled his seatbelt, and exited the car. Having been by Liam¡¯s side for years, Owen was always dazzled by Madame¡¯s new looks. She was gorgeous. He seemed to understand why Mr. Reed was reluctant to bring his wife to public events. A rare treasure like her was better kept for one¡¯s enjoyment. As Celeste approached, Owen greeted her with a smile. ¡°Good evening, Madame.¡± Celeste returned the smile politely. Owen chivalrously opened the car door for her. ¡°Please, Madame.¡± As Celeste was about to step in, she saw Liam and Nics sitting side by side and paused. Nics leaned against Liam, waving at her. Celeste managed a smile, then turned to Owen. ¡°I¡¯ll sit in the front, Owen. The back looks a bit cramped.¡± Liam¡­ Nics¡® jinx hade true. Owen looked apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madame. The front seat is full of stuff, including a gift for Sienna¨C no room for anyone to sit. Plus, the sun visor is broken. The sun hasn¡¯t set yet; it might damage your skin.¡± Nics avoided Celeste¡¯s gaze and gave Owen a thumbs up. Upon seeing the front seat stuffed, Celeste turned to Liam, who had picked up his phone. ¡°Get in.¡± Seeing him nonchnt, Celeste gathered her skirt and got in. Liam had wanted to be a gentleman and help her with her seatbelt. Only then did he realize her dress was conservative from the front, but the back was a revealing deep V¨Ccut¨Chalf her back was exposed. Liam frowned. ¡°What are you wearing? Are you that broke?¡± Celeste nced at him. ¡°What I wear is none of your business. Remember who you are, ex¨Chusband!¡± Liam was speechless. After a moment, he managed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Celeste replied indifferently, ¡°Mr. Reed, are you cold because you¡¯re old? I¡¯m young, and I¡¯m hot.¡± Nics couldn¡¯t help butugh. He teased, ¡°Old age can¡¯t appreciate. Our generation understands each other better. I think you look stunning.¡± ¡°Mr. Francis, you¡¯re the same age as me?¡± Didn¡¯t he just celebrate his 30th birthday? ¡°Don¡¯t I look like it?¡± Nics touched his face. ¡°I just look more mature. I¡¯m not old. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Liam.¡± Liam nced at him. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re counting by IQ, he¡¯s definitely not old. He¡¯s a few years old, tops.¡± With Nics around, the car ride was anything but boring. About half an hourter, they arrived at Ruby Lake. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Once Owen parked the car, Nics was the first to get out to take a call. Just as Celeste was about to open the car door, Liam grabbed her wrist. ¡°Wait.¡± Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Celeste turned to look at him. Liam then pulled out a very exquisite velvet box. Just as Celeste was wondering what was inside, Liam opened the box. Inside was a dazzling diamond ne. Each diamond on it was at least one carat, tightly set together, one after another. The pendant was square, with countless small diamonds set around it and a square ruby in the middle. Celeste was stunned by the ne. ¡°How old is your grandmother? How is she going to wear this ne?¡± Liam frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not for grandma; it¡¯s the gift you asked me for. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Celeste was even more confused. ¡°When did I ask you for a gift? Besides, with my taste, how could I possibly want such an ugly ne?¡± Liam said, ¡°Did a dog chew your brain? Why is your memory always so bad!¡± He had imagined how surprised and moved Celeste would be when she saw the ne. But none of that happened. She even called it ugly! Liam wanted to pry open her head to see if it was filled with a straw! Just as Celeste was about to argue, a vague memory suddenly resurfaced in her mind. I¡¯m not asking for much, a ne with 108 rubies, each not less than one carat, and a tinum chain; the thicker, the better. This ne does seem to have 108 diamonds. Liam had ordered a ne, ording to her offhandment. Celeste felt strange. She suddenly thought Liam was silly. Who would use so many diamonds to make a ne? Celeste murmured, ¡°Even if I said that, you didn¡¯t have to do it, right? And you made it so ugly.¡± Liam red at her. ¡°It¡¯s ugly because you chose it to be!¡± He took out the ne and said, ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wearing it,¡± Celeste rejected, ¡°I¡¯ll beughed at if I go out with such an ugly ne.¡± Liam said, ¡°Do you know how much this ne is worth?¡± Celeste looked at him. Liam said, ¡°47 million.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wear it once.¡± With that, she obediently turned around. Liam chuckled, holding the ne, and ced it around her slender neck. Owen sighed in the front. Mr. Reed knew Celeste well. She liked the most expensive things, not the best. At the birthday party: The guests were arriving one after another, and Valeria and Skyler were each entertaining the guests. The two had quite awork in J City, but Skyler was slightly more popr today. Because Liam was divorced, thedies with marriageable daughters all took this opportunity to get closer to Skyler. No matter what kind of person Skyler was, Liam, a handsome and scandal¨Cfree young man, was a model son¨Cinw in the minds of these high societydies. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Mrs. Garber said to Skyler, ¡°You look much better today. Thest time I saw you, you looked quite unwell.¡± Skyler said, ¡°Liam just got divorced a while ago; you¡¯re bummed about that, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Everyone had been whispering about Liam and Celeste¡¯s divorce. Not everyone was a Celeste fan, but the fact that Liam ditched her right after her mum passed away? Not cool, man. Skyler used to brag about how she was the perfect mother¨Cinw. But now that her son¡¯s divorced, she wasn¡¯t even breaking a sweat. Instead, she was fighting over who gets to host the birthday party, this didn¡¯t match the image she¡¯s been selling, and it¡¯s got people raising their eyebrows. ¡°Marriage is no cakewalk, and getting together in the first ce is destiny. I always tell Liamn this. But that¡¯s just us old folks talking. Kids these days are stubborn. Once they make up their mind, no one can change it. I might be able to talk to Liam, but if Celeste digs in her heels, even I can¡¯t do anything. Guess we just weren¡¯t meant to be.¡± With that, she slyly shifted the me onto Cele?te. What she actually wanted to say was that she didn¡¯t want them to split up, but Celeste asked for a divorce, and she couldn¡¯t change her mind. Onedy said, ¡°A bad¨Cluck charm has no business entering a lucky family. I think the divorce is for the best. Celeste is pretty, but who knew she was an illegitimate child? Isn¡¯t that tarnishing the Reed family¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Thank God she asked for the divorce. If she clung to Liam, that would be a real mess.¡± ¡°Absolutely, it¡¯s a blessing they¡¯re not together anymore. With Liam¡¯s status, he can definitely do better.¡± ¡°I heard someone saw Celeste at Cuisine Cascade. She seemed to be clinging to Liam.¡± ¡°Maybe she regrets the divorce after she learned about her illegitimate status?¡± Skyler sighed, ¡°Divorce is hard on a woman too. If you bump into her, be kind. Mrs. Kelley chimed in, ¡°Skyler is such a sweetheart.¡± Thedies quickly changed the subject. ¡°Skyler, your ring looks stunning!¡± Onedy spotted the seven¨Ccarat pink diamond on Skyler¡¯s finger, which was auctioned off at Krista Fletcher¡¯s jewelry show. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Skyler smiled, ¡°Kaylee picked it out for me. A sweet gesture from my child. I thought it was nice, so I wear it for fun.¡± Everyone felt a pang of envy. There¡¯s a level up from rich and it¡¯s super¨Crich. Skyler¡¯s outfit was worth a fortune, and what¡¯s even more envy¨Cinducing is that it¡¯s not even the priciest one in her wardrobe. That¡¯s the difference. As everyone was having a st, someone said, ¡°Why is Celeste here?¡± All thedies froze and turned their heads. Celeste strutted in, wearing a purple yam¨Ccolored dress and a vintage French hairstyle. A dazzling diamond ne hung on her slender neck. Under the bright light, the ne was even more eye¨Ccatching. hapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Liam tried putting his coat on her, but she kept shaking it off, this went on for quite a while. Wait, wasn¡¯t Celeste supposed to be the clingy one? It seems like it¡¯s the other way around. Skyler looked displeased. She didn¡¯t expect Celeste to show her face! She took a deep breath and called out, ¡°Liam¡® Liam froze Celeste shook off his coat. Of course, Celeste heard Skyler She turned her head and smiled, ¡°Mrs Reed, long time no see¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed, but she still had a polite smile ¡°Celeste, what brings you here?¡± Celeste casually said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mrs Reed the host of this birthday party? Why don¡¯t you even know who¡¯s on the quest list?¡± Skyler replied, ¡°I knew Sienna invited you. But given the circumstances, I thought you wouldn¡¯t be in the mood toe. | underestimated your resilience Looking at Skyler, Celeste said, ¡°You¡¯ve put it quite delicately¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the mood, but Liam kept calling me. It was so annoying. We were married once, so I came.¡± Skyler red at Liam. He didn¡¯t refute her words, as if admitting to what she said. ¡°Liam respects his grandmother. He doesn¡¯t want to upset her on such a joyous day¡± The implication was clear: Liam called you here for Sienna¡¯s sake, not yours. Don¡¯t tter yourself. Celeste said with a smile, ¡°He does respect Sienna. He was worried I wouldn¡¯te, so he gave me this ne.¡± She touched the red diamond on her neck. Liam looked at her but said nothing. Skyler was taken aback, and her face darkened. Thedies behind her started to chatter. They debated whether the diamond ne was real or fake, and Celeste confirmed it. Not only that, Liam gave it to her. Weren¡¯t they divorced? And Celeste seemed different after the divorce. She used to never stand up to Skyler But now, she¡¯s changed. Anyone could tell she was mocking Skyler with her words. But clearly, Skyler was losing this battle. Skyler held back her anger, ¡°You didn¡¯t get anything from the divorce; it¡¯s normal for Liam to compensate you. This ne is nothing for the Reed family.¡± Celeste tumed to Liam, ¡°Your mom said this ne isn¡¯t expensive, so why don¡¯t you give me a few more?¡± Liam looked at her and said, ¡°Okay¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Holding back her anger, Skyler said to Liam,¡± Kaylee and Wesley are already with Sienna; you should go too. Don¡¯t bete and make a fool of yourself¡± Liam looked at Celeste, ¡°Let¡¯s go together¡± Celeste said casually. ¡°You¡¯re the grandson, I¡¯m an outsider. You go first, Ill go when it¡¯s my turn.¡± Liam frowned He wasn¡¯t preciselyfortable leaving Celeste here, Skyler¡¯s sneaky moves had blown his mind, and he was afraid she might be mistreated alone. Celeste whispered to him, ¡°Off you go, I¡¯ll be waiting for you¡± If Liam didn¡¯t hightail it out of here, she wored he might tick off his mom by sticking around to protect her. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Liam handed her his coat, ¡°Put this on, and I go.¡± Celeste thought to herself, it¡¯s just her back showing, and Liam was acting as if he¡¯d never seen a woman¡¯s back before. She took the coat impatiently and draped it over her shoulders, ¡°Happy now?¡± Only then was Liam satisfied, saying. ¡°Ill be right back,¡± before leaving Of course, not before shooting a waming nce at Skyler. Skyler was fuming Liam went over to Owen, took the new coat Owen had fetched and put it on, fastening the buttons as he instructed, ¡°Keep an eye on her, don¡¯t let anyone push her around.¡± As soon as Liam left, Skyler nced at Celeste, ¡°I underestimated you. To have Liam this smitten.¡± Celeste replied indifferently. ¡°No need for the ttery, Mrs. Reed.¡± Skyler lowered her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. Celeste. From the moment you divorced Liam, forget about remarrying him. Even without your unclear status, just that you can¡¯t have children, Sienna would never let you remarry Liam.¡± Celeste looked at Skyler impassively. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m interested in remarrying anyway. But even if I were, before that happens, I¡¯d have to get Liam to kick you out of the Reed family first.¡± Skyler chuckled, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Celeste answered, ¡°Not a threat, a warning.¡± Skyler didn¡¯t hold a position at Quantum, so Celeste had plenty of ways to drive her out of the Reed family. She¡¯d always respected Skyler as Liam¡¯s mother, but now she didn¡¯t think Skyler deserved that respect Just as Skyler was about to respond, a clear and pleasant female voice came from behind, ¡°Skyler.¡± Skyler saw that it was Janis calling her and immediately smiled politely. ¡°Janis, you¡¯re here.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Janis was standing next to ir. The mother and daughter were about the same height and looked alike. Janis cared for herself well, so they looked like sisters than mother and daughter Seeing Celeste, Janis hesitated momentarily before saying, ¡°Ms. Campbell is here too.¡± Celeste just nodded in acknowledgment. For some reason, Celeste felt like Mrs. Garcia wasn¡¯t as warm to her as she had been during their time at Cuisine Cascade. ¡°ir had grown up and looked so much like you did when you were young,¡± Skyler said enthusiastically to them, seeming to have forgotten about Celeste. Liam¡¯s father and Hiram were ssmates, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that their wives knew each other. Skyler was a big deal in J City, so seeing her being so polite to otherdies was rare. And Mrs. Garcia turned out to be quite generous. She had already forgiven Kaylee for locking ir in the bathroom. Celeste remembered the birthday gift she had prepared. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she stepped aside and texted Trisha ¡°When will you get here?¡± ¡°Probably in about half an hour to forty minutes. I have so much stuff¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°Just thinking about living at Grandview Heights with you, I suddenly don¡¯t feel tired.¡± Celeste smiled Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Over on one side, some of thedies couldn¡¯t help but gossip quietly ¡®Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Garcia are so close?¡± ¡°Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Garcia are old ssmates, so it¡¯s normal for them to know each other well.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never heard of her before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the previous Mrs. Garcia wasn¡¯t her.¡± Celeste¡¯s attention was immediately caught. ¡°Is Janis a mistress?¡± one of thedies whispered. ¡°Not exactly, I heard that Mrs. Garcia died in childbirth, and Mr. Garcia didn¡¯t remarry until five or six yearster ¡°So Steven isn¡¯t Mrs. Garcia¡¯s biological son?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s her stepson The Garcia family¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t Hiram¡¯s biological daughter either, she¡¯s Janis¡¯s from a previous marriage. But even though she¡¯s not their biological child, the Garcia family greatly dotes on her. That¡¯s why people say she¡¯s lucky. She married well, and even her daughter from a previous marriage is enjoying the benefits.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the background of the first Mrs. Garcia?¡± ¡°I heard she¡¯s not a local, she¡¯s from the Capital. She was a perfumer and very beautiful. The predecessor of CALE, Aroma Artistry, was founded by her. She also created the most ssic perfume of their family, and it¡¯s still a hot seller¡± CALE is a perfumepany under Cloud Top Inc. They not only have a fixed series of perfumes but can also customize perfumes ording to customer needs and are very popr. The essential oil Celeste keeps in her bathroom was customized by them. Thinking about it now, the scent in Steven¡¯s car also seemed to be a custom fragrance from CALE. No wonder it was so distinctive. Skyler had been making small talk when Mrs. Kelley asked, ¡°How old is Ms. Garcia this year?¡± ir bowed her head and politely replied, ¡°Twenty¨Csix.¡± ¡°About the same age as my child,¡± Mrs. Kelley smiled, ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± ir smiled and looked shyly at Janis. Janis smiled and said, ¡°ir was studying abroad before, and her ssmates were all locals. I only have one daughter, so I couldn¡¯t bear to let her marry far away, so I didn¡¯t let her date.¡± ¡°Now that she¡¯s back, you don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Mrs. Kelley said enthusiastically. There are many talented young men in J City here today, so you can get to know more people.¡± ¡°Bothering about them is just a waste of time.¡± Kaylee had somehow joined in,ughing as she jumped into the conversation, ¡°Sure, they¡¯re talented, but they¡¯re no match for my bro and ir. ir, if you¡¯re looking for a boyfriend, you might as well consider my brother¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, youngdy,¡± Skyler gently scolded ¡°Where did I go wrong? Whether it¡¯s background, education, or looks, ir is miles ahead of Celeste. Isn¡¯t she perfect for my brother¡± Celeste was on the verge ofughter. It was as if Liam was some prized possession. Couldn¡¯t ir find a man with better prospects than Liam, a divorcee? Even though she thought this, after catching a glimpse of ir¡¯s expression, Celeste managed to hold back herughter. Chapter 586 Chapter 586 ir¡¯s cheeks flushed a bit, she lowered her head and muttered, ¡°Kaylee, stop talking¡± Her voice was full of girlish shyness. If she didn¡¯t want to, she could outright refuse But she said, ¡°Stop talking, obviously not objecting to Kaylee¡¯s words Celeste felt a bit ufortable She suddenly remembered a photo she had seen on Nics¡¯s Facebook a few days ago. Did Liam get drunk and say some nonsense to others, causing misunderstandings? Otherwise, why would a nice girl actively want to marry Liam? Celeste took a bite of the watermelon on the table Skyler saw ir¡¯s reaction and knew she liked Liam Mrs. Kelley smiled, ¡°Kaylee makes a good point, Liam and ir are indeed a good match¡± ¡°Mrs Kelley, you¡¯re mistaken. Liam is a divorcee. How did he be a single man in your mouth?¡± Valeria chuckled. Wesley Reed following by her side. Skyler¡¯s face changed Mrs Kelleyughed, Valeria, as long as he doesn¡¯t have children, Liam can be considered a single man.¡± Valeria smirked, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, you¡¯re so understanding. I remember someone visited your house to discuss marriage; why didn¡¯t you agree?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Kelley was speechless. Skyler had been ipetent for the past few months and wanted to get on Valeria¡¯s good side. But Valeria was no fool, she was rich and powerful. She failed to secure a project for her husband and was taught a lesson by Valeria. Valena introduced her thrice¨Cdivorced son to her eldest daughter, saying that everything would be fine if the marriage went through Mrs. Kelley loved her husband and three daughters, how could she let her daughter marry a man with such a bad reputation? After that, she never approached Valena again She said that it didn¡¯t matter whether they were married, but when it came to her daughter, she couldn¡¯t bear it. Once Valeria brought it up, she didn¡¯t know how to refute it. Skyler nced at Valeria, There is no need to take it so seriously Valeria covered her mouth andughed, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Turning to the Garcia family¡¯s mother and daughter, she smiled, ¡°ir do you still remember me? I held you when you were little.¡± ir nodded, ¡°Auntie¡± Valeria held her hand and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re growing more and more beautiful She then introduced, ¡°This is Wesley, you guys yed together when you were little, do you remember?¡± ir shook her head Who would remember something from twenty years ago? ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember, you can get to know each other again today¡± Celeste nced at Wesley, noticing he was dressed in a suit today and looked energetic. Wesley extended his hand and smiled. ¡®Nice to meet you, Ms. Garcia ir¡¯s fingers lightly touched his, then quickly retracted. Nice to meet you¡± Celeste was eating strawberries and watching the show Suddenly she felt a warmth on her back, and Liam¡¯s voice sounded in her ear. ¡°Who told you to take off your jacket?¡± Celeste took a bite of the strawberry. ¡°I heard that there are a lot of young talents from J City today¡± Liam didn¡¯t get her point Chapter 587 Chapter 587 After finishing the rest of the strawberry, Celeste said leisurely. ¡°As a divorced woman, how can I compete with these socialites and attract the attention of young talents if I don¡¯t dress a bit revealing?¡± Liam¡¯s face changed, ¡°We¡¯ve only been divorced for a few days, and you¡¯re already eager to find a new partner?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Your mom is already looking for a recement for you, I need to hurry up, right? I can¡¯t beter than you for my second mariage, can 17¡± Before Liam could rify. Skyler¡¯s voice came over ¡°Liam, you¡¯re just in time, show Ms Garcia around and get to know your friends.¡± Liam said indifferently. Im not familiar with this ce, let Wesley show her around¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Skyler was left speechless. He had hosted countless business events at Ruby Lake, how could he not be familiar? Wesley was happy to take on this task, ¡°Ms Garcia, please¡± ir lowered her head. ¡°Maybe next time, the birthday banquet is about to start, we need to celebrate grandma¡¯s birthday¡± Wesley smiled, not in a hurry, ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.¡± Having had her fill of the show, Celeste turned to leave, but Liam pulled her back, ¡°III show you something good ¡°No¡± Celeste refused without thinking Liam didn¡¯t say anything, he just pulled her along. Just as Celeste was about to struggle, seeing Skyler¡¯s wide¨Ceyed expression, she immediately linked arms with Liam and smirked provocatively. After they had walked away, ir nced in the direction they had left, then withdrew her gaze There¡¯s ake in the park of Ruby Lake This was a man¨Cmadeke, the water was very clear because it was constantly maintained, so the water quality was excellent, you could see the bottom of theke at a nce. Lights were installed at the bottom of theke; when they lit up at night, you could see the fish, shrimp, and crabs at the bottom. ¡°What exactly do you want me to see?¡± Celeste was pulled to theke by him, but she didn¡¯t see anything, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Liam squatted down, picked up a small iron basin on the ground and knocked a few times, the next second, a white ball suddenly sprang out and pounced at Liam¡¯s feet, squealing and rolling around with its belly up. Celeste was startled and looked closely to see that it was a white puppy with a ck patch on its head. Liam put on gloves, took some jerky from his pocket, and put it in the bowl, the little dog immediately sat up and ran to eat it. Celeste was stunned for a while before she said, ¡°Is this that little ck dog?¡± Liam nodded. Celeste squatted down and carefully stroked its fur. ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve grown so much!¡± Last year, she and Liam attended a business party near Ruby Lake, where she found a month¨Cold puppy at the entrance. Celeste loved small animals and wanted to keep them, but Liam was allergic to pet hair and didn¡¯t agree. He told her to ditch it pronto No matter how much Celeste pleaded, it was no use. In the end, the puppy was left at Ruby Lake Liam said someone would take care of it But she didn¡¯t believe him at all back then. She thought Liam was just being cold¨Chearted, trying to pull the wool over her eyes with lies. Who would help take care of such a tiny pup in such a big park? The next day, she brought a box to catch it and took it to a pet shop to find it a home But after searching for a whole day, she couldn¡¯t find it. She thought the little puppy, still being weaned, was probably gone for good. Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Chapter 588 She hadn¡¯t expected the puppy to have grown so much. The pup was chubby and well¨Cfed with good food. It was well taken care of. Celeste was delighted. ¡°The park manager takes care of it. There are often business events at Ruby Lake, so its food isn¡¯t bad, look how chubby it is, like a ball.¡± Liam pinched its neck. Celeste red at him, ¡°Is your ball at home this cute?¡± Liam chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you¡± Celeste paused for a moment. Then she realized Liam was talking about when they couldn¡¯t find the puppy She argued with Liam back home when they couldn¡¯t find the puppy. Of course, she yelled at him, calling him a liar and cold¨Cblooded Liam just said he had given it up for adoption, whether she believed it or not. Celeste asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you show it to me then?¡± ¡°At that time,¡± Liam paused, 1 wasn¡¯t sure it would survive¡± The puppy was not weaned and was difficult to raise, plus, it was sick when they found it. It looked like it wasn¡¯t going to make it Liam didn¡¯t have much hope either, so he paid some money to let the park manager take it to the vet. To their surprise, the puppy was tough, and after a few months of treatment, it miraculously recovered. When Liam came to see it, the park manager thought he wanted to take it home and was reluctant to let it go. Liam wanted to take it home but was allergic to animal fur. Otherwise, with Celeste¡¯s love for fluffy toys, their house would be full of cats and dogs by now. He didn¡¯t take it home but asionally came to see it and feed it. The puppy seemed smart and remembered who had rescued it, constantly rolling over when it saw Liam. Liam said, ¡°We can¡¯t keep a dog at home, but I can bring you here to see it more often.¡± Celeste ran her fingers through a tuft of the puppy¡¯s ck fur and nced at him, ¡°Your house can¡¯t keep one, but my house can.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°In your ce, which is smaller than a bathroom, it¡¯s already crowded with two people, and you still want to keep a dog?¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°I want to move to arger house, who¡¯s the one that made me ineligible to buy a house?¡± Liam was taken aback, ¡°I can help you with that¡± Liam sighed. ¡°You just have to make do with your current ce for now I will help you as soon as I can, but it may require you to pay.¡± Celeste was furious Liam knew Celeste¡¯s temper, she would never spend an extra penny on this kind of tant robbery, even if she were affluent. She was frugal, stuffing her closet with discounted shirts so she could wear a different one every day for a year. Celeste gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Liam, don¡¯t forget I still have your money here. If you make me angry, I¡¯ll donate all of it!¡± Liamughed and said, ¡°You can go ahead and donate it I can earn that money back in no time.¡± Celeste kept silent. Nics called at that moment. The banquet was about to start, and they should hurry over. Sienna¡¯s banquet was quite grand Celeste had been married to Liam for less than three years, but this was the first time she had seen such avish event. The status of the Reed family was one thing, but Sienna¡¯s popnty was another Wesley smiled and said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve prepared a program for you. Lets start the birthday banquet with my program.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a program?¡± Sienna was amazed ¡°Of course,¡± Valeriaughed, ¡°Wesley has been rehearsing for it for a long time.¡± Everyone was looking forward to it. With a wave of Wesley¡¯s hand, the lights dimmed. Then the sky gradually lit up. Hundreds of drones lit up the sky in a V¨Cformation. As the music started, the drones began to change formation. Soon, a giant ¡®Happy Birthday¡± appeared in the sky. Screams and cameras were shing. Everyone apuded and congratted her Finally, the drones formed a giant simplified version of a chip in the sky, with a big ¡°S¡± in the middle, the logo of Quantum This scene moved Sienna. She had dedicated her life to Quantum, which meant much to her Wesley¡¯s gesture had touched her heart. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. After the drone show, the apuse was deafening, and Sienna praised it Nics watched this scene, clicked his tongue, and said to Liam, ¡°He takes credit for the achievements of the team you led. He¡¯s got quite a thick face.¡± Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Quantum got into the drone business because Liam, the big nerd, was into it He was all about mechanics and flying stuff, but that¡¯s not what Quantum was all about. Liam started messing around with drones simply because the market had nothing to satisfy his geeky needs. So, he put together a team and started developing his own. Their drone tech advanced way faster than their chip research. Their SkyRider Senes,unched by Quantum, was an instant hit with the public. Theirtest stealth drone tech even got a thumbs¨Cup from the bigwigs. They¡¯ve already signed a secret agreement to join in on the development of war drones. It¡¯s like watching your kid, who you¡¯ve toiled over, being dragged off to perform at a show. It¡¯s absurd, you don¡¯t know whether tough or cry Liam, ever the chill dude, simplymented, ¡°The drone flies pretty steady.¡± Nics was left speechless. Not far away, Steven frowned as he watched Celeste standing near Skyler. Janis, on the other hand, was full of praise. ¡°What a wonderful performance! So heartfelt and creative.¡± Sienna chuckled, ¡°Wesley has always been a bright boy.¡± Valeria agreed, ¡°Wesley¡¯s wit is always a crowd pleaser. But if we¡¯re talking real talent. I heard ir oncepeted in a piano contest in Vienna and did quite well.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ir hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t win any awards. It¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Valeria countered, ¡°Just making it to the finals is quite an aplishment. There¡¯s a piano here today, why don¡¯t you y a piece for Sienna, so we can all enjoy your music.¡± Valenia saw this as a golden opportunity for the Garcia family to make a ssh in the J City social circles. ir didn¡¯t immediately agree but looked to Janis. Janis smiled, ¡°Since your aunt has suggested it, why don¡¯t you go ahead and y a piece?¡± ir approached Sienna and asked, ¡°Grandma, any particr piece you¡¯d like to hear?¡± Sienna replied gently, ¡°ir, y whatever you like. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll enjoy it ir thought momentarily before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll just wing it.¡± Sienna nodded. ir walked to the piano, lifted her skirt and sat down. She started to y ¡°Flower Dance¡°. It was a beautiful piece for a birthday party. Her smooth performance showed she practiced often and had a solid foundation. In contrast to Sydney Denton¡¯s forced elegance, ir was genuinely graceful. Even Celeste, a woman herself, admired her. As ¡°Flower Dance¡± neared its end, ir seamlessly shifted to ¡°Flight of the Bumblebee.¡± This piece showcased her skills. When the music ended, thunderous apuse filled the room. After thanking everyone, ir returned to Janis and said to Sienna, ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t mind my poor performance.¡± Sienna echoed her modest tone. ¡°You yed beautifully, don¡¯t be so modest¡± Just as the atmosphere was warming up, Mrs. Kelley said, ¡°I remember Ms. Campbell is also quite a pianist, why don¡¯t you y a piece 100?¡± Celeste froze mid bite. She must have pissed off Mrs. Kelley in a past life. How else could she always remember her at such times? Sienna was surprised, ¡°Celeste can y the piano?¡± Before Celeste could respond, Mrs. Kelley jumped in, ¡°Ms. Campbell ys beautifully She stunned us allst time on a cruise.¡± Celeste muttered, ¡®Mrs. Kelley is exaggerating I can hardly y I fiddle around, but I¡¯m far from elegant¡± ¡°Well, this is just for fun or to lighten the mood You could even do a duet with Ms. Garcia¡® At this point, Celeste wanted to sew Mrs. Kelley¡¯s mouth shut. 1/2 10011 Her skills were only enough to outdo Sydney ir seemed interested in a duet and said gently. ¡°If Ms. Campbell wants to y, I¡¯d be happy to apany¡± Steven saw Celeste was in a tight spot and was about to intervene when Liam beat him to it, ¡°She injured her hand, she can¡¯t y¡± She doesn¡¯t even have a bandage, aren¡¯t they lying? Everyone naturally looked at Celeste¡¯s hand. Celeste could only force a smile and say, ¡°I have tendonitis¡± Mrs. Kelleyughed. ¡°Ms. Campbell¡¯s illness has impable timing) Anyone could understand the subtext. Outmatched, she was making excuses to save her face. If Mrs Kelley had kept quiet, this would have blown over But her remark sparked Celeste¡¯spetitive spint She nced at Mrs. Kelley, ¡°I can¡¯t y the piano, but can I give a different gift?¡± Sienna was intrigued, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll paint you a picture.¡± Before Sienna could respond, the others started tough. Sienna, seeing Celeste¡¯s confidence, felt sure she could deliver. ¡°Of course, you can,¡± she said and had Liam arrange a table, ¡°Liam, get a table ready¡± ir suddenly said, ¡°Could you prepare one for me too, Granny Reed? I¡¯d also like to give you a painting¡± Celeste was taken aback. She looked at ir in surprise. Steven¡¯s frown deepened, what the heck was ir up to? ¡°Cut it out, ir, he said in a low voice. irughed lightly, ¡°Bro, it¡¯s not every day I meet a friend who can paint, I just wanna chat with her a bit.¡± Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 ¡°I seriously doubt Celeste can even draw. She doesn¡¯t look like the artsy type, does she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s technically a former daughter¨Cinw of the Reed family Drawing in front of everybody, isn¡¯t she just making a fool out of herself?¡± Ever since the preparations began, Liam has been all frowns and grimaces He has seen Celeste¡¯s drawings. They weren¡¯t terrible, but they weren¡¯t exceptional either. Sienna would shower her with praises if it were just her drawing, with no one topare her with But now that ir is also drawing, there will beparisons. Who¡¯s good and who¡¯s not, everyone will see instantly. No one will be able to save her then. Liam approached Celeste and whispered, ¡°When I cough, pretend to throw up Liam shot her a look, ¡°Getting pregnant with your ex husband¡¯s baby after divorce is less embarrassing than losing in a drawing Celeste replied calmly, ¡°I think the former is more embarrassing¡± Liam was speechless. ¡°Moreover,¡± Celeste lowered her voice, ¡°how can you be so sure I will lose?¡± Liam responded, ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen your drawings before. Don¡¯t I know your skills?¡± Celeste said, ¡°There¡¯s much more you don¡¯t know about me.¡± She looked at Liam, ¡°How about we make a bet? If grandma prefers my drawing today, you¡¯ll help me with my house purchasing qualifications today.¡± Liam immediately declined, ¡°No bet.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of losing to me?¡± Liam calmly replied, ¡°I can afford to lose money, but not my dignity¡± Soon, the ce was all set Mr Robinson kindly said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, Ms. Garcia, you may begin. Celeste no longer paid attention to Liam and stepped forward. Both were dressed in simr colors but exuded entirely different vibes Celeste started to draw. ir nced at her and started to draw as well. Watching their movements, Nics whispered to Liam, ¡°Does she have tendinitis? Her hand is shaking so much, can she even draw? Liam frowned, ¡°Shut up.¡± Nics was silent. Before long. ir¡¯s drawing waspleted. Nics craned his neck to take a peek Even someone like Nics, who knows nothing about art, had to admit it was pretty damn good. Then he looked at Celeste. Her hand was still shaking. It¡¯s over It¡¯s all over She is going to lose this time Nics suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pretend to trip and spill your wine on her drawing? Cheating is better than losing.¡± Liam picked up a wine ss and handed it to him, ¡°You do it¡± Nics nced at the wine in his hand, then back at Celeste. He put the ss back down, Tm afraid Celeste will beat me up ¡± Liam huffed, ¡°Coward¡± Nics was silent Skyler nced at Celeste¡¯s drawing, then looked up at Mrs. Kelley. Mrs. Kelley immediately got the hint, ¡°Ms. Campbell, you¡¯re not done yet?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look up, she didn¡¯t even pause her drawing, she just replied calmly. ¡°Is there a time limit?¡± Mrs Kelleyughed. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re taking so long, people might think you can¡¯t draw¡± Everyone burst intoughter Looking at Celeste¡¯s drawing posture, everyone was convinced she would lose. Sienna raised her hand and whispered, ¡°Shush, everyone.¡± Only then did Mrs Kelley shut up Celeste finished her drawing a few more minutes than ir. She stood up, put down her brush, and said. ¡°Sorry to keep everyone waiting¡± Sienna smiled warmly. ¡°Not at all. The longer you take, the more effort you¡¯ve put in.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Sienna¡¯s words clearly showed her bias. Two servers picked up their drawings and showcased them to everyone When ir¡¯s drawing was revealed, it immediately earned everyone¡¯s admiration. Everyone praised ir¡¯s drawing, then turned their eyes to Celeste¡¯s. Everyone fell silent. Kayleeughed and said bluntly, ¡®This is considered a drawing? Even a child can draw better than this.¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 As soon as she opened her mouth, everyone cracked up. Mrs. Kelley joked, ¡°There¡¯s noparison. My daughter doesn¡¯t have the confidence of Ms. Campbell.¡± Frowning. Sienna: Well, she can¡¯t lie about it Sienna nced at Liam, passing the ball to her grandson. ¡°Liam, why don¡¯t you give your opinion?¡± After seriously looking at both paintings, Liam said, ¡°Both have their merits. They¡¯re both well done.¡± Are all of you blind? Just as Celeste was about to speak, a male voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°From a form perspective, Ms. Garcia is a bit better, but in terms of content, I think Celeste is a notch above.¡± Everyone turned around to see Mason grinning ¡°Grandma, happy birthday. I hope you don¡¯t mind me judging these paintings¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Laughing, Sienna said, ¡°If you can exin your reasoning, I won¡¯t me you.¡± Mason replied gently, ¡°I certainly have my reasons.¡± Turning to the server holding Celeste¡¯s painting, he said, ¡°Could you please flip this painting over?¡± The server was startled, ¡°Flip it?¡± ¡°Yes, upside down.¡± Although confused, the serverplied. When the painting was turned upside down, Liam instantly understood where Celeste¡¯s confidence came from. The painting looked remarkably like a portrait. Someone in the crowd said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a portrait of Sienna?¡± Everyone took a second look, and indeed, it was Sienna. The artist had clearly captured Sienna¡¯s distinctive features ¨C the small curls in her hair and prominent cheekbones when she smiled- unmistakable. Surprised and delighted, Sienna eximed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Wow, your wife is talented! You¡¯ve been living with her for so long, how did you not know she could do this?¡± Nics said. ¡°Mason brilliant, he figured out the secret in the painting right away.¡± Liam retorted with a cold face, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, no one would think you¡¯re mute!¡± Not far away, Hiram said thoughtfully, ¡°Ms. Campbell is something else.¡± Janis smiled and nodded, ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s not simple.¡± She nced at Steven, who was standing nearby. His face was indifferent, not showing much emotion. Squinting, Celeste said, ¡°Grandma, happy birthday¡± Siennaughed happily, ¡°This is all so wonderful. You, kids, are so thoughtful. I¡¯ll have someone hang these upter.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything more From the moment ir proposed they paint together, she found it strange ir had plenty of opportunities to show off, why did she have to drag her into it? It seemed like she wanted to step on her to elevate herself Maybe she was overthinking, always assuming the worst about people. Hopefully, she was just overthinking. ir was the daughter of the Garcia family; she could have anything she wanted, she had seen every kind of scene, and there was no need to step on others to build herself up Mason walked over to Liam and Nics Nics greeted him, ¡°Mason, why are you sote? I thought you weren¡¯ting tonight¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve been swamped with cases. Lately, the office has been busy. I came a bitte. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve missed such a spectacr performance.¡± Celesteughed, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t spoken up, no one would¡¯ve figured it out I would¡¯ve had to flip the painting, turning the surprise into aedy show In the years she¡¯d been married to Liam, she had a lot of free time and picked up many random skills. She never thought they woulde in handy. ¡°How did you leam to do this?¡± Mason was quite curious ¡°There was no particr method, I just figured it out * Kaylee ran over and grabbed Mason¡¯s arm, ¡®Mason, dance with me.¡± Mason whispered, ¡®Find someone else, I just got here, I want to rest a bit ¡°Ill take you somewhere quiet to rest, Kaylee clung to his arm. Mason frowned, about to speak, when Liam handed a fruit tter to Kaylee ¡°Take Mason to rest, get some more food and drinks¡± Kaylee was thrilled, her brother was finally helping her pursue Mason Excitedly, she said, ¡°Thanks¡± After saying that, she took the fruit tter and led Mason toward theke Many people were around, and Kaylee was holding many things. Mason felt terrible pushing her away, so he let her lead him. Nics didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Didn¡¯t you oppose Kaylee pursuing Mason before? Why are you helping her now?¡± ¡°Did I oppose it?¡± Liam sipped his juice and said calmly, ¡°Mason is a decent man, I think he would be a good brother¨Cinw Celeste thought Liam should look at his sister¡¯s behavior, she was not worthy of Mason. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Out of the blue, Nics asked, ¡°What did Sienna just hand you?¡± As Celeste reached into the gift, she felt like a thick card She immediately halted. Nics was anxious on the side, ¡°What is it?¡± Celeste Said, ¡°Seems like a card¡± Nics was dumbfounded, ¡°Sienna is quite generous to you, you should check how much money is in it¡± Celeste then pulled out the card from inside. Then, the three of them fell silent. This wasn¡¯t a bank card but aminated photo of Liam. The picture was taken during Liam¡¯s university days, with T University¡¯s sports field vaguely recognizable in the background. The distinctively underwear¨Cshaped science building of T University hadnt changed in over a decade. In the photo, a much younger Liam was dressed in a sports uniform, sitting on the grass. His hair was wet and pushed back, revealing his handsome face as he casually looked into the camera, holding a water bottle This was the first time Celeste had seen a photo of Liam from his university days. Liam didn¡¯t like taking photos; most of his photographs were from when he was a kid, mostly kept at his grandma¡¯s. She had seen them when she visited the old house, but she had never seen this one before. However, his pose in the photo was as rxed as ever. ¡°There¡¯s something written on the back¡± Nics suddenly said. Celeste flipped it over. There was only one word on the back of the photo ¨C ¡°gift¡± Nics¡¯s gaze circled between them, then he suddenlyughed, ¡°Granny is quite generous; she gave you her favorite treasure ¡± Celeste said, ¡°Three thousand dors, and I¡¯ll sell you the treasure.¡± Liam¡¯s mouth twitched. Was he only worth three thousand dors? Nics quickly waved his hands, ¡°I can¡¯t afford that¡± Without saying anything else, Celeste stuffed the photo into Liam¡¯s suit pocket, I¡¯m going to get something to eat.¡± She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since lunch and was a bit hungry. After Celeste left, Nics looked at Liam with a grin. ¡°Sending a photo is so boring, next time, just wrap yourself up as the gift; maybe she will ept that.¡± He didn¡¯t know about the gift. When Celeste took out the photo, Liam was also surprised But he thought it was from Sienna and that it aligned with her style. Nics said, ¡°Celeste still likes your face. Didn¡¯t you see her expression when she looked at the photo? Her eyes lit up.¡± Liam paused, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯t like you, her first reaction should be disgust. But just now, she looked at the photo five times! Celeste likes good¨Clooking guys, just look at the ounts she follows, they¡¯re all handsome and well¨Cbuilt.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Are youparing me to those guys?¡± Nics was speechless, ¡°Is that the point? The point is Celeste likes your face, that¡¯s your advantage!¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°I¡¯ve known that for a long time.¡± He knew Celeste liked his face a long time ago. The year she had a car ident, he went to see her when she was brought out of the operating room. She was still groggy from the anesthesia The doctor asked him to talk to her to see if she was conscious Before the doctor could open his mouth, Celeste opened her eyes, squinted and called him ¡°bro.¡± She complimented his face with sweet words and even giggled, asking for his contact info. Liam knew he was handsome, Nics would always say if he looked like Liam, he wouldn¡¯t even have to say a word when chasing girls, they woulde up to him wherever he stood But not many girls approached him for his looks Because his face was always icy, keeping people at a distance But Celeste dared She would stare straight at him. Liam was disgusted by women who only cared about looks, but when Celeste was lying in bed complimenting him, he felt a strange feeling After marrying Celeste, he got to know her better He might not have experience with other women, but usually, women should be shy for their first time. But not Celeste T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste initiated their first time He feared the awkwardness and wanted to turn off the lights, but Celeste didn¡¯t let him She just stared straight at him, and it turned out he was the one who felt embarrassed. Nics ruthlessly said, ¡°Now there¡¯s someone with better looking than you, look at Steven, you can¡¯t compete with him ¡° Liam suddenly looked at Steven Steven had somehow made his way to Celeste¡¯s side. Steven gently handed Celeste a mango pie, saying, ¡°This is really good! Celeste politely replied, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Garcia.¡± ¡°ir was wrong just now, I¡¯ve already talked to her.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Ms. Garcia¡¯s painting is indeed perfect, I was just lucky¡± Steven said, ¡°You just haven¡¯t practiced. If you practice well, you won¡¯t be worse than her¡± Having received a different education since childhood, Celeste turned out well, thanks to Caitlyn¡¯s hard work. With Ms. Caitlyn¡¯s protection, Celeste¡¯s childhood was less harsh. However, thinking about how Celeste was forced to marry Liam to save Caitlyn, he felt upset. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Celeste was a bit taken aback. Wasn¡¯t Steven known for not being particrly doting on his sister? Why did it sound like he was taking her side? After some thought, Celeste concluded it was probably because Stever was just being polite After all, his words could also be interpreted as an apology for ir¡¯s impulsiveness With that in mind, Celeste politely said, ¡°Even if I did practice, I¡¯d probably barely match Ms Garcia. Her drawings are wonderful¡± Steven¡¯s gaze softened Celeste was not only well¨Cmannered but also kind hearted ¡°Mrs. Kelley mentioned you y the piano. If you ever get the chance, Id love to hear it,¡± he said. He wanted to get to know her better after missing out on more than two decades Celeste once again questioned whether Steven might like her His words were just too peculiar Realizing his words might have caused a misunderstanding. Steven cleared his throat and said, ¡°It¡¯s important for me to understand all aspects of the talents of my employees so that I can assign work tasks appropriately¡± Celeste responded in a low voice, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not very good at ying the piano.¡± Steven was surprised. He had heard from others that her no performance on the cruise ship was a hit. ¡°I can only y one song well, Celeste honestly confessed to her boss about her piano skills, ¡°So, Mr. Garcia, please don¡¯t ask me to perform in public when you assign tasks to me.¡± Steven frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Campbell family hire a piano teacher for you?¡± ¡°They did, Celeste replied, taking advantage of her assistant, Jta¡¯s absence, to help herself to another piece of cake. ¡°But I lose interest quickly. I study hard when I¡¯m interested, but my interest doesn¡¯tst long.¡± No matter what skill, teaching alone was useless. Practice made perfect However, she got bored with the piano after only six months. But Caitlyn was very strict. Being a disciplined person herself, she was strict about Celeste¡¯s studies. Whether she liked it or not, Celeste had to stick to the piano practice schedule She used to hear her friends ying outside when she practiced in her room, and she desperately wanted to join them. At those times, her friends would call out to her through the window, and they had a secret code If Caitlyn were home, she would y a specific song. Her friends knew not to call her once they heard that song if Caitlyn weren¡¯t home, they would call her, and she would open the window A stool would be ced under the window for her to step on and sneak outN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. As soon as Caitlyn entered the alley, someone would inform her, and she would climb back into the house through the window. Before Caitlyn got home, she would sit at the piano and pretend to practice Of course, fooling adults was impossible for children. Before long, Caitlyn discovered what was happening and gave her a stern lecture. However, Caitlyn couldn¡¯t bring herself to hit her, she pped her palm ¡°Later on, my mom probably realized I wasn¡¯t suited for piano She was also busy with work, so she stopped pushing me.¡± After their living conditions improved and they moved to a bigger house, life never felt as happy as it did when she was a child. Steven gently said, ¡°If you hated practicing that much, didn¡¯t you ever think about damaging the piano, so you wouldn¡¯t have to pr or get hit? Celeste chuckled, ¡°I didn¡¯t dare. You may not understand, but for our family¡¯s financial situation at the time, the piano was costly. My mom could have bought a car but spent the money on me instead She even had a big fight with Shawn about it. I¡¯d rather get hit than darnage the piano¡± Steven suddenly felt a bit sad Seeing Steven¡¯s change in mood, Celeste thought she might have overshaned and upset him. So she coughed lightly and said, ¡°Mr. Garcia, this cake is pretty good. Would you like to try some?¡± Steven took the te from her and said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep calling me Mr. Garcia. You¡¯re about the same age as ir. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me bro.¡± 1/2 1001 1 Celeste was taken aback. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch, and Celeste thought it¡¯d be best to maintain a certain distance from her boss. But she couldn¡¯t reject him outright After all, he was her boss, and offending him might affect her job So, shepromised, ¡°I heard some people in thepany call you Steve I¡¯ll call you Steve, too¡± Although Steven wasn¡¯t thrilled, the timing wasn¡¯t right, so he agreed. ¡°The Celeste served him sushi, ¡°Steve, try this¡± But before she could ce the sushi on Steven¡¯s te, someone bumped into her arm, causing the sushi to slip from her chopsticks and fall onto the floor ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t see you there¡± A female voice came from the side. Although it was an apology, the tore was arrogant and made people ufortable Celeste tumed to look and saw it was Molly Fletcher. Recalling the incident at Simon Rowley¡¯s dinner party, where Molly pretended to be drunk and threw herself into Steven¡¯s arms, Celeste suspected she might have bumped into her on purpose Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Molly apologized indifferently, but her tone softened instantly when she turned to Steven ¡°Steven, are you hungry? There¡¯s a fresh steak ahead, I can take you there¡® Steven responded calmly. ¡°I wanted that sushi, but unfortunately you made it dirty¡± Molly froze for a second, thenughed. ¡°That¡¯s easy to fix, I¡¯ll have the chef make you another one.¡± Steven retorted, ¡°I wanted the one that just fell on the floor¡± Molly couldn¡¯t keep up the smile Wasn¡¯t this a tantint against her? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Not wanting to y the fool, Celeste picked up her te and said, ¡°Steve, I¡¯m going to go ahead¡± And with that, she walked off with her te Compared to Steven, Celeste suddenly felt Liam was easier to bully. If Liam said he wanted to eat the one on the floor, she¡¯d probably pick it up and feed him, even if he scolded her. But Steven, she didn¡¯t dare. She feared Steven would kill her. Even though he seemed quite friendly. Just as Celeste slipped away from Steven, Liam grabbed her wrist and pulled her to one side. Afraid her food would fall, Celeste struggled a little, ¡°Stop pulling me Liam let go and asked with a stem face, ¡°What were you talking to Steven about? You guys were talking for so long.¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Oh, you mean Steve? Or I should call him ¡®brother¡± Liam was stunned. Brother? She¡¯s never called him ¡°brother¡± before! Celeste shrugged, ¡°Nothing much, just chatting about our hobbies and interests¡± Liam¡¯s face tightened even more, ¡°Why do you need to know his hobbies and interests?¡± Celeste casually sat down, started eating her food, and said while chewing. ¡°He¡¯s my boss now, shouldn¡¯t I get to know him better?¡± Her eyes swept over his waist, her flippant tone and words poking at his pride and making him flustered. Liam said tly. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Nothing much,¡¯ Celeste looked innocent, ¡°What does Mr. Reed think it is?¡± Could her rtionship with Steven be any closer than hers with him? Liam lowered his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t call Steven bro!¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°Why not? Mr. Garcia lets me call him bro because he respects me.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t admit he was jealous and said, ¡°He¡¯s not respecting you, he¡¯s taking advantage of me. If you call him bro, wouldn¡¯t I have to call him bro too? I don¡¯t want to call him bro!¡± ¡°Steve is not as childish as you, okay? Besides, I¡¯ve divorced you already, who told you to follow my lead?¡± Liam growled. ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t call him bro!¡± While arguing, a few people pushed a giant cake into the scene. Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Grandma didn¡¯t lie, the cake wasyered with various fruits, but oneyer was entirely mangoes. Celeste¡¯s eyes followed the cake, nning to give Trisha a big pieceter that girl loved the cake Thinking of Trisha, Celeste frowned Why isn¡¯t she here yet? Did something happen? Celeste Bent Trisha a Whatsapp message. ¡®Where are you?¡± Before Trisha could reply, Liam said. ¡°Let¡¯s go, stand up front, it¡¯s time for a group photo.¡± Celeste stuffed her phone into her bag and walked to the front row with Liam. The front row was crowded and noisy, Celeste didn¡¯t notice her phone lighting up in her bag. Security stopped Trisha outside Ruby Lake, they wouldn¡¯t let her in because they didn¡¯t have an invitation And Celeste¡¯s phone was unreachable, Tnsha was very anxious. Mr. Hilliard¡¯s assistant was very displeased, ¡°What¡¯s this about? You asked me toe here without even an invitation?¡± Trisha kept apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she must be busy or didn¡¯t hear. Sir, why don¡¯t you rest in the car first? I¡¯ll try calling her again¡± Mr. Hilliard¡¯s tone was gentle. It¡¯s okay, you try again.¡± Celeste entrusted this critical task to her, Trisha feared making a mistake and embarrassing Celeste. She put aside her grudge against Nics and called him. The call connected quickly, Nics¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°What do you want?¡± Trisha said anxiously. ¡°Come to the entrance of Ruby Lake, I¡¯ve been stopped by security, I can¡¯t get in!¡± ¡°Why are you here? Looking for Jace?¡± Trisha gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a birthday gift, hurry up! If you dy and embarrass Celeste, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Nics paused, ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± After the Reed family¡¯s group photo, Sienna pulled Celeste aside for a solo shot After the photo, Celeste walked to the side, and Steven handed her a ss of juice The women below watched the scene with envy. ¡°This Celeste just divorced, and she¡¯s already attracted Mason, now she¡¯s flirting with Steven, what a tramp¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She flirts with men wherever she goes; does she think they like her? Mr. Reed just got out of trouble, who knows who the next victim will be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m inquisitive; the Campbell family said she¡¯s an illegitimate child, how does she have the face to attend this banquet?¡± ¡°If she didn¡¯te, how could she flirt with the rich young men of J City? Look at the provocative way she was talking to Steven just now.¡± ¡°I heard she recently signed with Steven¡¯spany, nning to be an actress.¡± Molly was increasingly angry listening to them. After Celeste left, Steven didn¡¯t even bother to say another word to her, he just excused himself to go to the bathroom. Steven hasn¡¯t been chasing after women for all these years, so howe Celeste, a divorcee, managed to catch his eye? What makes her so unique? Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Someone asked. ¡°Do you guys know what gift Celeste brought tonight? ¡°I didn¡¯t see her at the registration desk. Guess she snuck in or something¡± ¡°Man, she¡¯s got some nerve Showed up empty handed and even walked away with a gift¡± Molly¡¯s eyes turned dark While everyone was singing the birthday song, Celeste sneakily checked her phone and saw several missed calls She immediately called Tnisha back. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. But Trisha was on another call. So, Celeste texted her, ¡°Where are you now?¡± Just after she sent the text, there was amation. It turns out the gift registry book got soaked in wine. Mr. Robinson reported this to Sienna, who frowned in displeasure. The gift registry book was quite significant, after all, it recorded who brought what gift for future return gifts. Giving a gift too casually or too grand is not good. The registry helped to keep things in bnce. Now that the book was wet and the words blurred, some pages were torn, so it was impossible to see what was recorded. Skyler and Valeria were even more anxious. They both had put in a lot of money for this party. They had invited their guests and were each responsible for their gifts. The registry book was damaged, and they couldn¡¯t check it against the gifts. ¡°What kind of operation is this? With so many people, how could wine be spilled on it?¡± Skyler comined. Valeria also looked upset, but the person in charge of the registration desk was a retired employee whom Sienna highly respected. She had to swallow her anger. ¡°Mom, how about we re¨Cregister while everyone is still here? I¡¯ll send someone to check if anything doesn¡¯t match upter¡± Sienna frowned. Re¨Cregistering was a bit inappropriate, but there were too many guests. Without the book, it would be a big deal if they couldn¡¯t keep track of the guests and lost their manners. Sienna told Mr. Robinson, ¡°Robinson, handle it¡± Mr. Robinson nodded, picked up the microphone and exined the situation to everyone, People in the J City business circle valued interpersonal rtionships very much. Everyone understood and cooperated with the re¨Cregistration Mr. Robinson arranged for four people, and the re¨Cregistration process was much faster When there were not many people left, Molly looked at Celeste. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Campbell going to register?¡± As soon as she said this, everyone looked at Celeste The advantage of re¨Cregistering was that it could immediately filter out who didn¡¯t bring gifts. Someone whispered, ¡°She came empty¨Chanded¡± ¡°Sienna was so nice to her at the jewelry show. How could she not bring anything?¡± ¡°What can you expect from an illegitimate child? She takes advantage where she can.¡± ¡°No wonder the ount book was suddenly damaged.¡± To make Celeste embarrassed, Ms. Fletcher went all out. Just as she was about to speak, the registration staff suddenly said. ¡°Ms. Campbell has already registered. And she brought three gifts. I clearly remember a cat¡¯s eye brooch, a gold ted Jesus statue, and a pair of crystal sses¡± Liam paused and looked at Owen, asking him with his eyes what was going on. Owen was also perplexed He only helped Celeste register one gift Just as the confusion was setting in, the lights at the venue suddenly dimmed. The spotlight shone on the corridor by theke. Before anyone could be seen, an ethereal female voice echoed across the venue Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Sienna turned to thekeside corridor in surprise The crowd followed suit, looking in the direction of the sound. The sound of opera music came from the speakers. Youngsters didn¡¯t know much about opera, everyone thought it was a performance prepared by the Reed family But older guests were familiar with operas. Isn¡¯t this music the prelude to the opera Dancing with Daisies? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, the singing voice was so smooth, anyone who listened to opera regrly would know that the performer was highly skilled, it sounded a bit like Mr. Hilliard. Many people in the high society circle knew that Sienna was an opera fan, and her favorite was Mr. Hilliard¡¯s singing style. In fact, not only Sienna, there were also many fans of Mr. Hilliard in JCty¡¯s high society circle But ever since Mr Hilliard retired from the stage many years ago, he has never sung in public again. No matter how much money was offered or who tried to persuade him. Mr. Hilliard never broke his principle Before he became famous, he performed seven or eight times a day with tickets cheaper than a pack of cigarettes, but he never missed a show When he decided to stop singing, not even sky¨Chigh appearance fees could sway him. Because he never breaks his principles, people respect Mr. Hilliard even more, seeing him as someone with integrity and pride Although people thought the voice sounded like him, it was still improbable that it was Mr. Hilliard. No matter how influential the Reed family of J City was, Mr. Hilliard was a national¨Clevel actor, virtuous and talented, receiving a national sry; he didn¡¯t have to please anyone. As the music progressed, two rows of actors ying the role of maids appeared from the green¨C shaded corridor. Behind them, a man in a long robe, wearing a golden crown, with exquisite makeup and a smile followed. The maids moved softly, spreading out after leaving the corridor and finally standing in a row on the corridor, with the man in the middle The man held a folding fan in his right hand and danced lightly with his left, looking at the crowd along with the music. His eyes were full of emotion, his posture graceful, just a few movements causing a stir in the audience When he began to sing, the audience was shocked. It was Mr. Hilliard! Who could afford to hire him? Such a big shot! Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on the Reed family¡¯s two daughters¨Cinw. The two of them organized the birthday party, so they should also have arranged this performance. Sienna loves Mr. Hilliard, if they managed to invite him, wouldn¡¯t Sienna have to praise them a lot? It was unclear who had such ability. Skyler looked at the performance with a disgruntled face; her gaze seemed to want to kick Mr. Hilliard into theke. Mrs. Kelley and Mr. Hilliard¡¯s wife were ssmates; Skyler spent a lot of money to ask Mrs. Kelley to contact Mr. Hilliard¡¯s wife After several interactions, they got to know each other quite well. Mrs. Kelley then proposed to invite Mr. Hilliard to celebrate Sienna¡¯s birthday, but as soon as Mrs. Hilliard heard, she refused. Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 When Mr. Hilliard retired from the stage, he was overworked and in poor health, his wife had urged him to retire early Mr. Hilliard, to keep his promise, really hasn¡¯t performed onstage since Upon hearing this, Skyler was funous. But then she thought, Valenia also contacted Mrs. Hilliard, there¡¯s no way Mrs. Hilliard would agree to Valeria and offend her, right? With this thought, she felt a bit better. If none of them could invite him, it would be up to their abilities to outshine each other But who would¡¯ve thought that Hilliard would show up! She looked at Mrs. Kelley with a gloomy face Mrs Kelley, who had failed to handle the matter looked equally unhappy but stillforted, ¡°Skyler, I¡¯m sure Valeria did not invite Mr. Hilliard Mrs Hilliard would not ignore our old friends because of her. We were good friends in school.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not her, then who is it?¡± Skyler said grumpily. ¡°You cant even handle a small thing!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Kelley almost choked. Was this a small thing? Why don¡¯t you invite him yourself? Leaving things to others and thenining when they can¡¯t handle it? Mrs. Kelley could onlyin in her heart, she still relied on Skyler in many ways, so she swallowed her discontent and said in a low voice. ¡°It won¡¯t happen next time¡± Skyler didn¡¯t speak anymore with a sullen face. Valeria also looked worried. ¡°Mom, how did you manage to invite him?¡± Wesley asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Valeria said in a low voice. ¡°Mrs. Hilliard rejected me and I didn¡¯t even get to meet Mr. Hilliard.¡± Wesley was surprised, ¡°If it¡¯s not you, who is it?¡± Valeria looked unhappy, she wouldn¡¯t look this way if she had invited him. She was also curious about who had such clout to invite Hilliard. Everyone was guessing who had the clout, only Sienna, who was very happy to watch Mr. Hilliard¡¯s live performance of Dancing with Daisies, fulfilling her long¨Cheld dream. After the song. Mr. Hilliard, with the assistance of his helper and Trisha, removed his heavy headdress and makeup, wearing only a simple outfit. He came to Sienna with everyone. ¡°Madam, happy birthday,¡± Hilliard took a small gift box from his assistant and handed it to Sienna, ¡°I wish you good health and a happy life¡± Unlike his singing voice during the performance, Mr. Hilliard¡¯s voice was warm and maic, very comfortable to listen to. And he didn¡¯t put on airs like a national drama master. Once the makeup was off, he was just an attractive, polite, and mild¨Cmannered middle¨Caged man. Sienna was over the moon. Having her favorite opera master perform at her birthday banquet and even give her a gift, she was so happy she could hardly count the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was like a fangirl who had finally met her idol, bombarding Mr. Hilliard with questions and constantly offering him food. After listening to everyone¡¯s discussion, Mrs. Garber guessed that Skyler invited Hilliard, so she complimented, ¡°Skyler¡¯s filial piety must have touched Mr Hilliard, that¡¯s why he agreed to perform. Madam, you are truly blessed to have a daughter¨Cinw like Skyler¡± Skyler¡¯s eye twitched at that As soon as Mrs. Kelley said that, everyone assumed Skyler invited Hilliard Mrs Garber and Skyler were on good terms, so what she said couldn¡¯t be wrong. So, everyone just went along with it and started to praise Skyler Skyler¡¯s expression turned weird, and she didn¡¯t know how to respond. Hearing everyone¡¯spliments, Trisha couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. Hilliard was invited by Celeste, it has nothing to do with Skyler Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Trisha¡¯s words were sharp and straight to the point, like a boulder thrown into a pond, instantly stirring up ripples. ¡°Could she be talking about Celeste?¡± ¡°No way, if Celeste had that savvy, why would she divorce Liam? You gotta be kidding met ¡°The girl who called out was standing night next to Celeste.¡± ¡°Looks like it is Celeste ¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed unpredictably; she never dreamed that Celeste would be the one who invited Hilliard. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. With Hilliard present, Sienna was so happy that she probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in the grand finale she had prepared. Celeste entirely stole her show! When Celeste was with the Reed family, Sienna always favored her. Now, even after the divorce, she could still steal her thunder! Skyler red at Celeste with eyes full of anger Celeste was calm andposed as if what she did was a piece of cake. When Sienna heard that Celeste was the one who invited him, she was shocked and hurriedly called Celeste over ¡°Celeste, what¡¯s the deal?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes were soft, ¡°This is my birthday gift to you. Haven¡¯t you always wanted to hear Mr. Hilliard sing Dancing with Daisies again?¡± ¡°I did want to hear it, but how did you invite Mr. Hilliard?¡± ¡°Mr. Hilliard is a nice guy. When I told him you are a big fan, he immediately agreed toe and celebrate your birthday¡± Mr. Hilliard was taken aback, ncing at this girl who was full of bullshit. Did Celeste forget how she stalked him daily at the tea house where he had his tea? She was thick¨Cskinned, helping him carry bird cages, serving him tea and water, and she couldn¡¯t be chased away no matter what But the reason why Hilliard came here wasn¡¯t just because of Celeste¡¯s thick skin. If that were the case, someone would have invited him long ago. Who can¡¯t be thick¨Cskinned? He agreed toe because of Celeste¡¯s mother, Caitlyn. Before Hilliard became famous, he had very few audience members. But there was one audience member who always came to every performance, and that was Caitlyn. His tickets were the least sold at the theater during his first two years on stage. Audiences bought tickets to watch famous actors, which greatly disappointed him. The theater was for profit, and if tickets sold too few, the theater would be unwilling to arrange shows for you. So at that time, he faced the dilemma of having no operas to sing. News about the theater reducing his shows somehow spread among his fanbase. The next day, his performance tickets were sold out. Hilliard was shocked at the time. After stepping on the stage, he discovered that Caitlyn, Celeste¡¯s mother, was the only audience member She bought out the whole venue to boost his box office so he wouldn¡¯t have to stop performing Coincidentally, his performance attendance rate kept increasing that year. Within two years, he became famous. Even after he became famous, Caitlyn still supported him. As long as she was free and there was a performance, she woulde and always sit in the same spot. This kind of support hassted for more than ten years. When Celeste approached him, she brought a lot of photos of her and Caitlyn. Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Celeste was very good at ying the emotional card. Plus, Hilliard was already grateful to Caitlyn and was very sorry when he heard of her passing So he agreed to Celeste¡¯s request as a way to thank Caitlyn However, seeing how well Celeste could talk, Hilliard didn¡¯t expose her Sienna liked this answer very much. She praised Celeste a lot, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Nics sighed, ¡°Celeste is amazing, she managed to invite Mr. Hilliard Trisha sneered, ¡°Our Celeste is awesome. Whatever she sets her mind lb, she can do it,¡± she said and red at Liam, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need any man!¡± Nics held back hisughter, patted Trisha¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Hey if your Celeste is so awesome, why are you still a small¨Ctime runner?¡± Trisha shrugged off his hand and shot him a re, ¡°Your friend is a CEO of a listedpany and one of the top ten young talents in J City in his twenties, you¡¯re thirty, and you¡¯re not even the top entertainment tycoon, and you¡¯re always hanging around women, why don¡¯t you feel ashamed and kill yourself?¡± Nics¡¯s mouth twitched, this girl¡¯s mouth was indeed not worse than Celeste¡¯s, even more fierce. After saying that, Trisha went to find something to eat ¡°Like a woman with a poisonous tongue, no man would be interested!¡± Nics wanted toin to Liam but saw that he was staring at Celeste and Steven Liam didn¡¯t look happy. Why was Steven, like a fly, going to talk to Celeste again? Liam asked Nics with a straight face, ¡°What do you think Steven has over me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely that he¡¯s never been married, you¡¯re a divorcee¡± Grinding his teeth, I¡¯m asking you seriously!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also being serious. Single guys are more attractive¡± Liam frowned, ¡°She calls Steven ¡®bro, she never called me ¡°bro!¡± ¡°Was this small thing worth you anger?¡± Nics was somewhat speechless,forted him, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, you¡¯re also a bro¡®, you are¡­ ex¨C husband bro.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, he wanted to immediately kick Nics into theke. What kind of friend was this? ¡°But Steven is nice to your ex¨Cwife; I¡¯ve never seen him so happy¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°Do you know why?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Celeste signed her agency contract with Steven, she¡¯s now an artist of Skyline Media Group.¡± Nics froze as if struck by lightning ¡°How could my sister¨Cinw sign with someone else first! I talked to her first!¡± Seeing the shocked expression on his face, Liam finally felt a sense of satisfaction. He wasn¡¯t the only one who should feel upset. Liam turned to Owen and said, ¡°Go find out who sent the Buddha statue and the cat¡¯s eye gem.¡± After greeting Steven, Celeste saw that Sienna was still taking photos with Mr. Hilliard. So she grabbed a piece of cake and went to find Trisha As she passed Mrs. Kelley with the cake, she identally bumped into Mrs. Kelley¡¯s arm. The cake was filled to the brim and was instantly knocked over if it weren¡¯t for Celeste¡¯s quick reaction, the cake would havended on her long skirt. Celeste couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the cake that fell on the ground and coldly looked at Mrs. Kelley Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Mrs. Kelley acted surprised, as if she just noticed, ¡°Oh, Ms Campbell, Im sorry, I didn¡¯t notice you¡± ¡°Ms. Campbell, are you not nning to change yourst name? But then again, you can¡¯t do that since you don¡¯t even know your biological father¡¯sst name, right?¡± Having been wronged by Skyler Mrs. Kelley then wanted to take it out on Celeste. If it weren¡¯t for Celeste stealing the spotlight, how could she possibly have been criticized by Skyler? Celeste nced at Mrs Kelley, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, you better mind your own business instead of avenging others. Don¡¯t leave your pants on fire while trying to cover other people¡¯s butts.¡± Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Mrs. Kelley¡¯s face stiffened instantly, and she muttered, ¡®What the hell am you bbering about?¡± Celeste smirked, ¡°Mrs. Kelley, do you remember when Mr. Kelley insisted that you rent Ruby Lake to me?¡± Mrs Kelley¡¯s face turned sour immediately. She remembered that incident Back then, when Celeste wanted to rent Ruby Lake, Mrs. Kelley had sent her away with the excuse that the ce had already been rented out, just as Skyler had instructed. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. But a couple of dayster, her husband suddenly brought up the matter of Ruby Lake¡¯s leasing She proudly told her husband how she had duped Celeste. She thought she would be praised, but instead, Bryce Kelley gave her a dressing down He med her for being short sighted and told her not to meddle in the internal disputes between Skyler and Celeste, stating that the Reed family would eventually belong to Liam and that offending Celeste wouldn¡¯t do them any good. Mrs. Kelley was dismissive She thought Celeste, who couldn¡¯t even bear a child, might be unable to keep her position But her husband was furious and insisted on renting Ruby Lake to Celeste. As for Mrs. Kelley, regardless of her character, she was undoubtedly loyal to Mr. Kelley When Mr. Kelley got angry, she felt helpless. After all, they had been mamed for twenty or thirty years and rarely had big fights. Mr. Kelley was adamant, so Mrs. Kelley had no choice but to rent the ce to Celeste. And guess what? Before she could even rent it out, something happened in Celeste¡¯s family. She ended up divorcing Liam, and naturally the banquet preparations had nothing to do with Celeste anymore Mrs. Kelley was puzzled as to why Mr. Kelley suddenly interfered. He always asked her to maintain good rtions with Skyler And how did Celeste even know that her husband had brought up this matter? Mrs. Kelley thought momentarily, ¡°You must¡¯ve asked Liam to talk to my husband, huh? You can only rely on men, that¡¯s all you¡¯re good for Celeste gave her a look, ¡°To deal with you, I alone am more than enough. I don¡¯t need him. Mr. Kelley spoke up for me because he had skeletons in his closet.¡± Celeste lowered her head to pull out her phone, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Mrs Kelley, look at your phone.¡± Mrs. Kelley frowned, took out her phone and saw that Celeste had sent her many photos on WeChat. She opened them with confusion, her face turning pale instantly. Those were pictures of Bryce Kelley with a female celebrity Pictures of them holding hands, hugging, and even getting intimate in a car And that¡¯s not all. As she scrolled through, there was a picture of a teenager who looked strikingly like Bryce Kelley when he was young! Even Mrs. Kelley, who was in denial, could see the teenager¡¯s rtion to Bryce Kelley She felt suffocated as if someone was strangling her or she had just been hit on the head. Scrolling further, there were even pictures of Bryce Kelley, the woman, and the child at a banquet together, and Skyler was even in the picture! Mrs. Kelley¡¯s face turned ashen. She felt dizzy, clutching her phone shakily She red at Celeste like she¡¯d seen a ghost, ¡°These photos, you must re had them forged to ruin my family!¡± Celeste sighed, ¡°Mrs. Kelley. I have no grudge against you. Why would I forge these photos to ruin your family? What good would that do for me?¡± Mrs. Kelley struggled, ¡°You must have a motive. You and Skyler don¡¯t get along, you want to use me against her¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 ¡°Mrs. Kelley Celeste cut her off, ¡°Look at the date of the picture of Skyler with them. She knew about Mr. Kelley and that female star before you borrowed money from her to get rid of the little starlet¡± Celeste emphasized, ¡°She always knew.¡± Mrs. Kelley¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, ¡°After all the dirty work I¡¯ve done for her, this is how she repays me!¡± Celeste achieved her goal, patting Mrs. Kelley¡¯s shoulder sympathetically, and smeared some cake on her dress ¡°Look out for yourself, you still have three daughters.¡± With that, Celeste grabbed her te and went to get more cake. As for Mrs. Kelley, let her wallow in misery. Mrs. Kelley looked at the photos in her hand, her fingers trembling uncontrobly Bryce Kelley¡¯s smooth climb up thedder wouldn¡¯t have been possible without her handling things behind the scenes. She thought she was different from the other wives. She and her husband were in a love marriage, they were indeed in love. They had been a couple for many years, always as loving as ever. Bryce Kelley would carefully select a gift for her every holiday. something the other wives envied. True love was harder to find than a treasure chest. The only stain on her marriage was that aspiring starlet She discovered this eight years ago. At that time, Bryce Kelley said he had been set up and kept apologizing to her begging for her forgiveness. He agreed without hesitation when she proposed to get rid of the woman. To get rid of that woman, she swallowed her pride and borrowed money from Skyler, unveiling the dirty laundry of her marriage. And in the end, she was the only one kept in the dark from start to finish Skyler knew about Bryce Kelley¡¯s affair even before she did! Thinking about how Skylerforted her back then, she felt sick Skyler never considered her a friend. She said whatever she wanted about her, not even minding her feelings, even when she was reprimanding her in front of everyone. She¡¯s been taking it on the chin for Bryce Kelley¡¯s career. Shes the biggest fool at the end of the day! ¡°Why are you still standing here?¡± Skyler¡¯s voice came from behind. Mrs. Kelley turned around, her eyes bloodshot, her face pale as a ghost, Skyler jumped, ¡°What happened to you?¡± Mrs. Kelley pressed her lips together to keep her calm, ¡°Nothing, just got some sand in my eye, what¡¯s up, Skyler?¡± Skyler frowned, ¡°Where are the fireworks you prepared? It¡¯s almost time, why are you still here dragging your feet? Didn¡¯t I tell you how important the fireworks are tonight? Can you please take this seriously?¡± Mrs. Kelley clenched her fists, staring at Skyler¡¯s arrogant face, itching to w her face off! Biting back her frustration, Mrs. Kelley murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll go immediately Skyler¡¯s expression loosened slightly. ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t worry about your husband¡¯s stuff; I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± Mrs. Kelley responded emotionlessly Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She won¡¯t let Skyler off that easily, nor Bryce Kelley and that little tramp ¡°Trisha, the cake! Catch Celeste came over with two tes piled high, one in each hand. She hadn¡¯t even made it over yet, and the little paper tes for the cake were about to buckle under the weight. Liam stepped forward to help her. Looking at the two tes of cake piled high like a fortress, Liam couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°What, they won¡¯t let you have a second te if you finish this one? Why pile it so high!¡± Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Liam grabbed the cake, and Celeste finally loosened her grip, rubbing her slightly sore fingers and ring at Liam. ¡°Look at all the kids swarming around the cake. By the time I finish hem, all the yummy fruit on top will be snatched up¡± Liam was helpless, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have brought back two cakes, could you? Snatching from kids, aren¡¯t you ashamed¡± Celeste cut a piece of mango, ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed of? These kids are far nicer than you. Each of them gave me a spoonful, how else could I get so much cake on my own?¡± Liam was skeptical Just as he was about to say something, a child came over with candy. Seeing Celeste eating the cake, his face was a picture of disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the cake was for Uncle Liam?¡± Celeste¡­ Liam?7? Celeste swallowed the cake with difficulty, coughed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. This cake is indeed for Uncle Liam. I¡¯m just tasting it.¡± With the spoon in her hand, she brought it to Liam¡¯s mouth, ¡°Isn¡¯t that night, Uncle Liam?¡± Liam¡¯s eyelid twitched The child was skeptical, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s terminally ill and wanted to taste a piece of cake before he dies?¡± This uncle doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s dying at all. Celeste hastily defended, ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t it a miracle that he¡¯s better after eating your cake?¡± Liam¡¯s face hardened. The child was only six or seven years old, looked innocent, and Celeste was a good actress. Liam stood there sternly looking ¡°unwell,¡± so the child half¨Cbelieved her story and gave his candy to Liam, ¡®Here you go, wish you a speedy recovery.¡± Celeste patted the child¡¯s head with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll ept it on his behalf, thank you.¡± Being good¨Clooking had its perks. As long as she sounded gentle, everyone liked her The child blushed and said, ¡°Of course, you can have some too.¡± And then he ran off happily. As soon as the child was gone, Liam grabbed Celeste¡¯s wrist tightly, gritting his teeth, ¡°Who did you say is terminally ill and wants to taste a cake before dying?¡± He knew it was impossible that the kids would give her so much cake This woman, for a piece of cake, dared to curse him! And also, ¡°Who¡¯s your uncle!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just something to fool a kid, why are you taking it so seriously?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Just as Liam was about to lose his temper, Celeste suddenly stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth, ¡°Is it good?¡± Liam was stunned, his anger vanished in an instant. He tasted the candy in his mouth, it was milky and a bit sweet, no, it was very sweet, so precious that it reached his heart, making his chest feel all tingly. Seeing Celeste¡¯s expectant eyes, Liam originally wanted to say, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but ultimately, he changed his mind, it¡¯s good.¡± Celesteughed and handed him all the candy in her hand, pushing his shoulder, ¡°If it¡¯s good, go eat it on the side, don¡¯t disturb me and Trisha¡¯s chat¡± Liam was pushed away by Celeste and ended up with a group of wealthy young masters The crowd quickly surrounded Liam warmly, toasting and drinking with him. Trisha watched Celeste¡¯s operation from the side, giving her a thumbs up in admiration. ¡°You should write a book, Celeste, tell us sisters how you managed to get your ex husband addicted to you after the divorce.¡± Celeste, Stop talking nonsense!¡± Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Trisha racked her brain, drawing on her experience of reading novels. If Liam pursues you, don¡¯t agree, um¡­ at least don¡¯t agree too quickly. Make him anxious, you need to let him know you can leave him, but he can¡¯t leave you¡± ¡°Do you think Liam looks like someone who can¡¯t live without someone?¡± ¡°I used to think you couldn¡¯t live without him. You were so love sick, you¡¯d hide at my house after a fight with Liam, making me curse him with you. I nearly persuaded you to divorce him. The next day, he¡¯d call, and you¡¯d run back to him¡± Why does she remember such embarrassing things so clearly? ¡°But now, you¡¯ve grown, and Liam has be more and more childish He even teamed up with Nics to kidnap me to see you.¡± Trisha¡¯s voice trailed off, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve never seen anyone so childish!¡± Celeste was confused, just about to ask for details, when a bright light streaked across the night sky, exploding into countless sparks The fireworks had started. Celeste hadn¡¯t seen such spectacr fireworks in a long time. Skyler grabbed the microphone and made a spirited speech, wishing Sienna a happy birthday and thanking everyone for their presence as the hostess. She looked every bit thedy of the house, causing Valena¡¯s face to darken. Just then, a firework suddenly flew into the crowd, exploding directly, sending sparks flying all around. Everyone shouted in surprise and scattered. Celeste quickly looked toward Sienna¡¯s location, but before she could see clearly, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side After running a few steps, Celeste saw that Mason was pulling her Celeste turned to look for Trisha, but she saw Liam pulling ir¡¯s hand and running in the other direction. Celeste frowned. Trisha watched Celeste being pulled away in disbelief and just managed to shout ¡°Celeste¡± when someone pulled her into his arms. A spark flew past her ear, and Trisha shivered with fright. Nics carried her and started running,ining as he ran, ¡°You¡¯re a little shorty but weigh a ton; you don¡¯t look that meaty, why are you so heavy?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Trisha¡¯s mouth twitched, and she pped him across the face, ¡°Shut up, Naggy Nics!¡± When they reached a safe area, Mason finally let go of her hand, apologized, and scrutinized her, asking softly, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Celeste shook her head, then noticed smokeing from Mason¡¯s left elbow. ¡°Your suit¡¯s on fire, take it off!¡± Fortunately, he took off his suit in time; the spark had only burned a hole in his shirt without burning his skin. Celeste stomped on the smoking suit on the ground a few times, ensuring the fire didn¡¯t spread before she finally sighed with relief At this point, the ce was a total mess. Sparks had flown onto the tablecloth, causing a fire, some quests got burnt, and amidst all themotion, you could hear kids crying, which made the whole thing super depressing. Celeste looked around, no sign of Trisha, and she instantly whipped out her phone to call her in a panic. After ensuring Trisha was okay, Celeste finally exhaled a sigh of relief She turned around, about to say something to Mason when she got yarked away Chapter 605 Chapter605 Liam grabbed Celeste¡¯s wrist, his face serious as he looked her up and down, his voice anxious, ¡°Did any of it ssh on you?¡± ir followed closely behind, panicked, asking with concern, ¡°Ms. Campbell, are you guys okay?¡± Seeing Celeste not replying. Liam grew more anxious. ¡°Did you get burried?¡± Celeste lowered her head to free his hand, ¡°No.¡± Just as tam was about to heave a sigh of relief, he heard Celeste continue, ¡°I¡¯m lucky as hell. Even sparks take a detour when they see me How could I get burned?¡± Liam was about to say something when Steven also hurried over. Checking Celeste first and confirming she was unharmed, Steven turned to ir, ¡°ir, how are you doing?¡± ir answered softly. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Liam pulled me away, or else the fire would have sshed me.¡± Liam frowned Hearing this, Steven nced at Liam, ¡°So you do have some decency N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Ignoring Steven¡¯s sarcasm, Liam turned to speak to Celeste But Celeste turned to Mason and said, ¡®Mr. Fletcher, let¡¯s go somewhere brighter and check if your arm got burned¡± With a nce at the anxious Liam, Mason smiled, ¡°Ainght¡± Liam wanted to follow, but Steven grabbed his shoulder, ¡°Handle the scene first. There are a lot of people with burns. Don¡¯t let it affect the Reed family¡¯s reputation.¡± Liam, displeased, could only watch as Celeste walked away with Mason The fire hadn¡¯t been put outpletely, and cries could still be heard as Liam turned to coordinate the scene. Steven draped his coat over ir. ¡°Why are you so impatient with Liam? He just saved me. You¡¯re not like this with Ms. Campbell.¡± Steven scowled. ¡°Can he bepared to Ms. Campbell? She risked her life to save you. Anyone could have pulled you away¡± ir retorted softly, ¡°I think Liam is a good guy, very responsible.¡± Steven grimaced, ¡°If he were responsible, would he have divorced right after Ms. Campbell lost her mother? Stay away from him.¡± ir pouted, looking toward Celeste, ¡°Brother, Mason seems to care about Ms. Campbell. Does he like her?¡± Steven ruffled her hair, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense¡± Liam doesn¡¯t deserve Celeste, and Mason needs to be evaluated. If Celeste wants to date, he can help her find someone, if not, they can hire more young and handsome men in thepany for her to choose from. If she wants to marry, she can, if not, the Garcia family can support her for a lifetime. Mason unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. The burn on his arm was still shocking, but Celeste was prepared, not scared but feeling sorry There was a burn hole the size of a ping pong ball on the elbow of the shirt, Celeste looked closely at the skin under the burn hole, the burnt skin deeper in color ¡°Does it hurt? Celeste asked. Mason paused, then whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t feel it¡® Celeste blinked Mason exined, ¡°The burn hit the nerve endings, where there are scars, the sensation is very dull, whether it¡¯s hot or cold, or pain, there¡¯s not much feeling. Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter 606 That was why, even though the fire had burned such arge hole in his clothes, he didn¡¯t react Celeste felt a lump in her throat, why does she always seem to hit Mason¡¯s sore spot? She can¡¯t control her mouth! ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s injured, let me help you apply some ointment, just in case¡± Mason didn¡¯t refuse. Celeste took the burn ointment the medical staff gave, squeezed some onto her finger, and carefully spread it over his arm. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Her fingers were cool as they touched Mason¡¯s skin, making his heart tremble. Even though the sensation was dull, he could feel Celeste¡¯s fingers sliding over his skin. He stared at Celeste¡¯s face, his throat moving slightly. ¡°Liam probably thought Ms. Garcia was you, you two have simr colored clothes; he cares about you.¡± Celeste paused, ¡°Our clothes are different styles, and Ms. Garcia and I have different body shapes and heights, how blind would he be to mistake us?¡± ¡°Maybe the situation was too chaotic¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care if he mistook me, I don¡¯t need him to save me!¡± Seeing her not looking good, Mason didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Done¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Celeste to finish applying the ointment, Mason nced at his arm, then fell silent. Celeste had applied a thickyer of ointment all around his elbow Mason pursed his lips, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apply so much.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in applying more, maybe it can even fade the old scars, the instructions said it can remove burn scars.¡± ¡°Do you think these scars are ugly?¡± Celeste suddenly wanted to p herself Why did she have to bring up such a thing! ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± she hurriedly exined, ¡°I just saw that the box said it could remove scars¡­ I didn¡¯t think the scars were ugly, they look pretty good, wait- not pretty, no, that¡¯s not right, it¡¯s¡­ anyway. I didn¡¯t say it because I thought it was ugly: I don¡¯t think having some scars is anything, I have scars too¡­¡± Mason watched Celeste exining in a fluster, then chuckled, ¡°I know, I was just teasing you.¡± ¡°Celeste, do you know? You¡¯re always very reserved when you¡¯re with me, very formal. I thought we were already friends.¡± Celeste said awkwardly, ¡°We are friends.¡± Mason looked at her gently, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re friends; there¡¯s no need to be so formal. Every time I help you, you want to pay me back double. Friends don¡¯t do that. You can joke around with me, say whatever you want. I hope we can be more than just employer and employee There was a specific stiffness in her interactions with Mason. She could joke around with Nics and even be good friends with him, but she couldn¡¯t be as close with Mason. Celeste joked, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s ¡®cause you¡¯re awyer Regr folks get nervous aroundwyers, afraid they might say the wrong thing, give you something to hold against them, and wind up in jail¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°Well,wyers can also help you put other people in jail.¡± Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 ¡°From now on, just call me by my name, okay? As friends, we don¡¯t usually address each other by our professions, do we?¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Fletcher¡± Mason??? Celeste coughed, ¡°Mo Mason¡± About ten minutester, all the fires at the scene were finally extinguished More than a dozen guests were scalded, but luckily, none of them were serious. The medical staff were quick to help Sienna and Mr. Hilliard were not injured under Mr. Robinson¡¯s protection, but Mr. Robinson¡¯s back was scalded. Sienna quickly called for a doctor to treat Mr. Robinson. Skyler walked over, ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡± There were several burn holes in her dress. Her hair was disheveled from her frantic escape, and she looked very embarrassed. Sienna gave her a cold nce, ¡°You really gave me a big surprise!¡± Skyler turned pale and instinctively defended herself, ¡°The fireworks were arranged by Mrs. Kelley¡­¡± ¡°What else would you do but shirk responsibility?¡± Sienna said angrily, remembering that when Skyler was standing next to her and the fireworks flew over, she just ran away by herself, and she couldn¡¯t get angry. Valeria still knew how to shout, and after thirty years, Skyler was still so selfish! ¡°Get away from me,¡± Sienna said coldly. ¡°My blood pressure is high, I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Skyler clenched her hands, her face was pale Valeria quickly brought over some water, ¡°Mom, have a sip of water first. Don¡¯t be angry, your health is important. Wesley has gone to check on the fireworks. We will definitely exin this to everyone¡± Sienna took the water and instructed, ¡°Valeria, help me send Mr. Hilliard home. I¡¯m really sorry for him today. In a few days, bring some gifts and visit him for me.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange it right away¡± Valeria nced at Skyler, who was covered in dust, and smiled slightly, ¡°Skyler, let us take care of the injury first. After all, you¡¯re also a member of the Reed family. so you must not lose your identity.¡± Skyler¡¯s fingers trembled with anger. She knew that today¡¯s incident hadpletely ruined her reputation in front of Sienna Staying would only add to the trouble. She sped her hands tightly and left with an ugly expression on her face. When both Skyler and Valeria had left, Sienna called Liam over, ¡°How is Celeste?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine¡± Sienna nodded, ¡°First, arrange for everyone to leave the scene. Send those who in need to the hospital. Those who need to beforted,fort them. Later, prepare some gifts and apologize in person. Remember, don¡¯t shift the me. I saw that some children were also scalded. Their parents may be upset, no matter what they say, you have to bear it, understand?¡± Liam replied Sienna frowned. Skyler was full of vanity and focused only on her family, the other was too calcting and not sincere enough, she didn¡¯t like these two people. Liam¡¯s wife, Celeste, though, she had only met twice but was quite fond of her. Celeste could be flexible, tough when necessary, and able to let go when needed. Thinking of Celeste¡¯s merits, Sienna increasingly disliked Liam. ¡°You said you divorced Celeste? She¡¯s much better at handling these things than you are! What¡¯s the use of your mouth besides eating?¡± Before Liam could speak, Sienna waved her hand and started to chase people away, ¡°Go, go, do your job¡± Nics, who had been listening on the side, holding back hisughter and going crazy. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When Liam came over, Nics teased, ¡°After you divorced Celeste, it turns out that people hate you so much in your house?¡°?¡± Liam red at him, ¡°Shut up!¡± Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Then he nced at where Celeste had been standing, suddenly startled, ¡°Where is she?¡± Nics looked around, not only Celeste, but Trisha was also gone. Janis¡¯s dress was sttered with sparks, and she was also frightened. Hiram decided to take the whole family home first. Steven nced at Mason, who was sticking to Celeste, frowned and turned to his father, ¡°Dad, you guys go first fl help Liam deal with the scene.¡± Hiram nodded. ¡°Go ahead, and check on Ms Campbell too, don¡¯t let her get scared¡± ¡°Okay¡± After several people left, Steven saw Tnsha arranging her clothes and walked over. ¡°Ms. Colton¡± Trisha was startled ¡°Sir¡± Steven smiled warmly. Want to ride in a Bugatti Veyron?¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up, unabashedly saying, ¡°I want!¡± ¡°Then you call Celeste, and I¡¯ll take you guys home¡± Tnsha immediately called Celeste. Ten minutester, the three of them stood in front of a Koenigsegg. Trisha was disappointed. You said it was a Bugatti Veyron, didn¡¯t you?¡± Steven said senously, ¡°Bugatti only has two seats, if I drove that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to give you a lift¡± Trisha Good guy, another new member of the sarcasm club! Sarcastic words were so ingenious! Celeste, however, quickly epted the reality. She just wanted to rub the car. As soon as the car started, Trisha¡¯s phone rang. She saw it was Nics and frowned. She originally wanted to hang up directly, but remembering how he had helped her earlier, she pouted and pressed answer ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Little bandit, is Celeste with you?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Trisha¡¯s phone volume was very loud, and the other two people in the car heard it. Celeste waved her finger at Trisha, who immediately understood, ¡°No!¡± Nics paused, ¡°I found a diamond on the scene, check if it fell off from Celeste¡¯s ne.¡± Trisha looked back and nced, but before Celeste could stop her, Trisha had already blurted out, ¡°She didn¡¯t lose it.¡± Celeste Steven Trisha realized after seeing Celeste¡¯s expression and cursed, ¡°Nics, you tricked me!¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°I was just asking.¡± Trisha angrily hung up the phone, cursing Nics¡¯s ancestors all the way back. Whispering, ¡°Letti, it wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡± Celeste sighed, ¡°So what if he knows?¡± While driving, Steven out of the blue asked, ¡°How¡¯s the packing going? When are you moving?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°It is almost packed, in the next couple of days. Ive contacted a movingpany, they can sort everything out in an afternoon¡± ¡°Move tomonow then, fil get people to help. They are responsible for helping artists with housekeeping* Trisha was very surprised ¡°Isn¡¯t this a treatment that only first-line artists can enjoy?¡± Steven smiled, ¡°Ourpany treats all artists equally.¡± Trisha silently remembered this, wondering when she would quit her job and join Skyline Media Group. After hanging up the phone, Nics turned to Liam, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Celeste is with Trisha now¡± He continued to tease Liam, ¡°Let me tell you, how can you recognize the wrong person at a time like this?¡± Chapter 609 Chapter609 I didn¡¯t make mistake, Liam said solemnly, ¡°How could I admit the wrong person?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Even if ir and Celeste were dressed differently, even if their clothes were exactly the same, there was no way he couldn¡¯t be wrong ¡°So it was you who was pulling ir when the ident happened?¡± ¡°No, she was the one pulling me¡± When the fireworks started heading his way, his first instinct was to run towards Celeste, but instead he was stopped by the terrified ir who was standing very close to him, pulling on his sleeve. While he was struggling to get away from her, he saw Mason pulling Celeste away. The fireworks were still flying towards the crowd, so he had to first pull ir to safety, then he immediately went looking for Celeste. Nics opened his mouth, but it took him a while before he managed to say, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say, even the gods aren¡¯t on your side. You had such a perfect chance to y the hero and save the girl, but you got stopped by someone else.¡± Liam was also pretty annoyed Just as things were starting to progress, Celeste had blocked him again. Looking at Liam¡¯s defeated expression, Nics sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not all bad. The fact that Celeste got angry when she saw you pulling ir means she still has feelings for you. If she didn¡¯t care at all, she wouldn¡¯t have blocked you over this.¡± ¡°First, clean up the mess at the scene and let Celeste go back to calm down. Tomorrow, you can exin it to her tomorrow.¡± Ideals were wonderful. However, the next day, Liam brought flowers and went looking for Celeste. He waited all night at the entrance to her apartment, only to be told by Trisha¡¯s neighbor that the tenant of unit 712 had already moved out early in the moming. Liam stood there, stunned. ¡°Do you know where they moved to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. When I came back from my night shift, I saw them moving stuff out. There were several guys helping.¡± Liam went back to his car. Owen saw that the bouquet of flowers had not been delivered, ¡°Ms. Campbell won¡¯t open the door?¡± Liam pursed his lips and said, ¡°She has moved. You can ask someone to check and see where she lives now. ¡°clear¡± Liam lowered his eyes, took out his phone, and transferred money to Celeste, postscript. I did not admit the wrong personst night I did not mistake ir for you. She was the one who grabbed me. How could I possibly mistake you. Only you would mistake me. You took Mason for me, you even hugged him, and I¡¯m not mad at you Well, not exactly not mad, just a little bit. You¡¯re just a little bit angry, okay? Celeste thought that Steven had arranged for someone else toe and help, but Steven brought someone over himself¡­ Girls always had a lot of stuff, not to mention Trisha was an expert in online shopping¡­ These two dozen boxes of things had to trouble Steven to go back and forth several times, and the two of them were extremely embarrassed. But Steven was a gentleman, not letting Celeste and Trisha lift a finger. He even helped carry a box himself. After all the stuff was loaded onto the truck, Steven drove them and the moving truck to their new home in Grandview Heights. Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Grandview Heights was indeed one of the best neighborhoods in J City. Thendscaping was beautiful, with carefully designed green spaces and well¨Cmaintained water features. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The buildings were also spaced apart, so even if living on the first floor, there was no need to worry about not getting any sunlight. Plus, each floor had an open¨Cair terrace, which was perfect for barbecues and drinks with friends in the summer. Celeste thought that the house Steven mentioned would be in a remote location, like a building on the first or top floor facing the street. But it turned out he had rented a prime location in the building There were fifteen floors in the building, and they lived on the ninth floor. With the oversized floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, the water system and rockery in the center of the community can be seen when open the curtains. The view was very good. What¡¯s even more surprising, this apartment had almost 300 square meters of space. Tnsha was excitedly checking out every room, while Celeste was a bit hesitant. ¡°Steve, can I ask how much the rent is per month?¡± Tve already paid a year¡¯s rent, so it¡¯s toote to ask now. Why don¡¯t you just settle down and think about how you can help me make money so I can get my investment back. Besides, I don¡¯t think this apartment is too big. Once you get busy with work, you¡¯ll need a ce to store all the clothes and essories from brand sponsors. I think the two walk¨Cin closets are a bit small¡± Celeste was speechless. Just as they were talking, there was a knock at the door. Steven said ¡°wait for me¡± and went to open the door. The man was in his thirties, about 1.75 meters tall, with an ordinary looking. He was dressed simply, and there was nothing special about his face, but his eyes were sharp, adding a touch of intelligence to his otherwise in face. ¡°Celeste,e, let me introduce you. This is Eaton. He will be your agent from now on. He will take care of all your work¨Crted matters.¡± Eaton held out his hand. ¡°Hi Ms. Campbell. My name is Eaton. I¡¯m thirty¨Cfive years old. I¡¯ve seen your resume, and you¡¯re much younger than me. If you don¡¯t mind, you can call me Eaton in the future¡± Celeste quickly shook his hand. ¡°Hi Eaton. You can just call me by my name.¡± ¡°Mr. Garcia has already handed over your current work to me. Your film is almost finished, isn¡¯t it?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°It should wrap up in about half a month¡± ¡°In the next two weeks, you can finish your current work with peace of mind, and I will amange other work for you,¡± Mr. Garcia instructed me not to let Ms. Campbell get too tired, so she can¡¯t be filming multiple movies at the same time. Celeste naturally had no objections. If Caltlyn were still alive, she might have taken on several movies at once to make money. But now, with only Celeste left, she wanted to do her best in every project. Not letting herself down, and not letting down Caitlyn¡¯s expectations. Steven originally wanted to stay and have a meal to celebrate their new home, but he got a phone call halfway through and had to leave first. The people he brought were very professional. They not only helped move things upstairs, but also helped arrange everything in the apartment. Celeste and Trisha basically had nothing to do and were even getting in the way. A few hourster, the apartment was transformed. The guy in charge even kindly asked, ¡°You two can check to see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, and we can rearrange it.¡± ¡°No need, everything is great, really great. Thank you for your hard work.¡± After sending those folks off, Trisha plonked herselffortably on the cushy couch, ¡°Feels like having a nanny or something, you know? I¡¯ve moved so many times, but this is by far the easiest. Didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger, just enjoying good time with you.¡± ¡°Your agent¡¯s really good. He used to work at Nics Media Group That Grand m¨Cwinning actress who died young was his protege ¡°Since the actor passed away, he also left Nics Media Group, and he didn¡¯t know where he went. I haven¡¯t heard about him in the past two years. I didn¡¯t expect Mr Garcia to invite him. Letti, you It will definitely be popr!¡± Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Celeste was totally gobsmacked. The amodation was well arranged and the agent was top notch Steven was just too good to her So good a little too much. Celeste thought about it carefully, and there was really nothing particrly attractive about herself. From the looks of Steven, he didn¡¯t seem to be into her Could it be he thought she had the talent to be a superstar, so he¡¯s willing to spend money to train her? Celeste chuckled to herself Forget it the contract had already been signed, and she had moved in here. Just take it one step at a time. Her phone buzzed. Celeste picked it up and took a look. It was Liam, that nutcase, sending her money again. She skimmed through the message he sent Her expression was okay at first, but when she read ¡°You even hugged Mason and I¡¯m not mad at you¡°, she had a twitch at theer of her mouth. He¡¯s still harping on about old stuff! She stared at the sentence ¡°Can you just be a little mad?¡± and transferred him a penny. Not good! Liam quickly transferred 100,000. So, how long will you be mad? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste didn¡¯t reply. Liam then transferred another million, said: Sean¡¯s about to take his college entrance exam, he called home asking if we could send him for the exam, I sald youing? Celeste She nced at the calendar, the college entrance exam was the day after tomorrow. yes, are Sean Knott hadn¡¯t contacted her, he just met Liam once, how would he contact Liam? She thought Liam was lying to her, and instead of replying, she called Sean. At this moment. Orphanage Owen was helping Sean with his luggage ¡°Is that all?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve got everything else in mind.¡°¡± Owen chuckled, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get in the car then.¡± Just as the car started, Celeste¡¯s call came in. Owen took a nce and said while steening the wheel, ¡°Just tell her the truth.¡± Sean nodded and picked up the phone. ¡°Sean, you¡¯re taking your college entrance exam the day after tomorrow?¡± Sean hummed a response ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Celesteined a bit guiltily, she had been too busy with her own stuff recently andpletely forgot about it. ¡°I told Mr. Reed.¡± ¡°Where is your exam site? Is it far from where you live? if it¡¯s too far, I will book a hotel for you, you need to rest well.¡± ¡°No need, Mr. Reed sent someone to pick me up to live with him, he wants to help me predict the exam questions, it¡¯s fine for you to send me off together when the timees** Liam not only led to her but also to the kid ¡°What does he know about predicting exam questions, he graduated ages ago, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense!¡± ¡°When you and him came to schoolst time, you had a row with Hunter Kelley¡¯s mom, Mr. Reed did some mental math and circled all the answers to a set of physics multiple¨Cchoice questions, and they were all correct¡± ¡°Maybe he looked up the answer key ¡°Our teacher made the test, the answer key wasn¡¯t even printed at the time.¡± ¡°Well, you might as well stay at my ce, I have a house now, it¡¯s big enough for you, and it¡¯s closer to the city, it¡¯ll be easier to take you to the exam site¡± ¡°Can you solve physics problems in your head?¡± Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Did he really think that by bringing Sean over, she would willingly y into his hands? She would not go! Not long after that, the dean of the orphanage called ¡°Celeste, sorry to bother you, but the test location for Sean this year is quite far from the orphanage. Professor Torres and I have no idea how to handle it and by the time we thought to book a hotel, it was toote. I¡¯m worried Sean won¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep before the big day. Thank goodness you¡¯re here.¡± Every year during the college entrance exam period, hotels near the test locations were in high demand and prices were hiked up several times over. The most basic rooms started at over 3,000 and were pretty shabby, with poor soundproofing. Those with a better environment basically started at five or six thousand, but you can¡¯t even grab that. The dean had initially nned to rent a camper and hire a driver to take Sean to the exam, where he could also rest at noon. When Sean heard the price of the car rental, he immediately pulled the dean back. He said he could sleep at 9 pm, wake up at 5 am, and be ready for the exam at 9 a.m. So he could keep up. Having said that, the dean was still worried. But just then, Celeste sent someone to pick up Sean, instantly putting her at ease. After listening to the dean, Celeste was silent. That sneaky Liam had imed to be acting on her behalf! Thank you so much for the dean, Celeste was embarrassed to make such a fuss, ¡°I¡¯m not too busy, don¡¯t bother, haha.¡± ¡°Celeste, there¡¯s something else I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to send money to the orphanage anymore. Last week, we received a donation that¡¯s enough to cover the orphanage¡¯s expenses for a year. The donor also conveyed through the charity that they intend to be our long¨Cterm sponsor.¡± ¡°I know you and Shawn are involved in awsuit right now and you could use the money wisely. You don¡¯t have to worry about the orphanage anymore. This donation will ensure the children are well taken care of.¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°Do you know who the donor is?¡± ¡°This is not clear, it¡¯s an anonymous donation.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The dean and Celeste chatted a bit longer, and before hanging up, the dean reminded Celeste to take some pictures of Sean before his exam to post on the orphanage¡¯s website for publicity. After promising the dean, Celeste had no choice but to go. Sean was much more rxed during his second visit to Pinecrest Manor. Liam arranged for him to stay in the best soundproofed room. After Sean showered, Liam told him to get his books. Sean was taken aback. ¡°Didn¡¯t you pick me up to catch Letti?¡± Sitting on the sofa by the window in his pajamas, Liam gave him a casual look, nodded, and said, ¡°That¡¯s right¡± Liam really didn¡¯t pretend at all.. ¡°But I like doing ys and doing full sets¡± Sean took out his textbooks and ced them on the small round table. Liam picked up one to flip through and asked. ¡°How are your grades usually?¡± ¡°About 620 points¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Not that bad.¡± The basics can definitely be Sean¡¯s biggest blow since he was studying. ¡°Which subject drags your score down the most?¡± ¡°Physics¡­ and a bit of math.¡± The other subjects were fine. Liam skimmed through Sean¡¯s past papers and saw that Sean¡¯s losing points were mainly in calculus, function increase¨Cdecrease judgment, or interval solution. As for physics, it was probably because he spent too much time on multiple¨Cchoice questions, causing him to run out of time for the long answer questions. Sean had seen Liam solving physics multiple choice questions mentally, but he wasn¡¯t sure if Liam would tutor him. Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Like Celeste said, Liam graduated from high school over a decade ago, could he really teach? Soon, however, Sean was convinced What Liam taught him was not a conventional algorithm at all He taught him problem¨Csolving experience For example, with multiple choice questions, few required him to do calctions. He solved them intuitively, esther by working backwards from the answers or by inferring from the data given in the question to eliminate incorrect options This method was something his teacher had taught before, but it wasn¡¯t as straight to the point as what Liam taught Sean jumped right into it After going through two sets of questions, Liam asked Sean to try a new test paper that he hadn¡¯t attempted before Sean had a good foundation and quickprehension After two hours, his speed in solving multiple¨C choice questions had increased by over ten minutes, and the uracy rate was not low However, Liam frowned after reading Seans test paper it looks like your foundation is stillcking¡± Sean Liam¡¯s phone rang Seeing that it was Owen, he answered Mr. Reed, your wife is staying at Grandview Heights, building 7, apartment 901¡± ¡°Whose house?¡± ¡°Mr Garpa¡¯s¡® Owen paused ¡°He owns the entire 8th, 9th, and 10th floors¡± The implication was that if Liam wanted to live near the water tower and be neighbors with his wife, he probably won¡¯t have a chance. Not only couldn¡¯t he be a neighbor, but he couldn¡¯t even be on the floor above or below Mr. Garcia¡¯s move was simply too narrow, too obvious He even predicted Liams next move Liam pursed his lips. ¡°Does Steven live in Grandview Heights too?¡± ¡°That is not true, Mr Garcia has has been living on West Orchid Road, in the old Garcia family house.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°How did he convince Celeste to move in?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not clear, but it¡¯s most likely due to thepany¡¯s arrangement¡± Celeste signed with Skyline Media Group, and thepany¡¯s arrangement as an excuse to persuade her to move in was the most reasonable reason. Otherwise, she would never have agreed. Liam thought for a moment, ¡°Find a way to let Celeste find out who the property is registered to.¡± ¡°Do you want your wife to move out by herself?¡± Best move away! Why did his wife live with Steven? However, considering Stevens cunning methods, he would probably be able to convince Celeste to stay even after she found out *Just do it, and once she finds out, keep a close eye on her and the situation with those apartments, especially Steven¡± At first, Owen didn¡¯t catch on to what Liam was up to Untilter, when Celeste found out that the house she was living in was under Steven¡¯s name. To clear her doubts, Steven rented out the rest of his properties, that¡¯s when Owen finally understood Liam¡¯s true intentions. They could just rent a house not to buy it Making the max returns with the least investment was what makes a decent businessman Of course, this was all forter Skyline Media Group Steven whipped out a medical report from the hospital again. The results from the hospital¡¯s investigation were out this morning It said that the new medical assistant identally mixed up the samples, not just this one in his hand, but several others too, they¡¯re currently being recalled for a redo This exnation couldn¡¯t convince Steven at all How could such a big mistake be made in a first¨Css hospital? Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Even though there was no conclusive evidence, he still believed that this incidence wasn¡¯t an ident Daniel said that the possibility of the hospital making a wrong sample was extremely small, and failing to find it could only show that the other party moved quickly and handled things cleanly. The medical staff who were in charge of delivering the babies did get in touch, but because a long time had passed, they didn¡¯t remember much about the situation at that time, and they didn¡¯t find any clues after a lot of investigation. They had no follow¨Cthrough. He bowed his head, looking at the photo of Celeste in the documents on the table, and sighed. Fortunately Letti looked like their mother Otherwise, he would never have discovered that he had a sister living in this world. Just as he was thinking, the door was suddenly pushed open Steven was startled, seeing it was ir, he said helplessly, ¡°ir, you can¡¯t just barge into my office like this. Can¡¯t you knock?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your door wasn¡¯t closed properly; ir walked over and said with a smile, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re with your girlfriend. I¡¯m not going to interrupt anything¡± ¡°You should still be polite¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll knock next time.¡± As ir spoke, she noticed the documents on the table, paused for a moment, ¡°You seem to admire Ms. Campbell, I heard they said you asked Eaton to be her manager? Steven spent a lot of money and resources to hire Eaton. He originally nned to let him brought the company¡¯s first¨Cline artists, but she didn¡¯t expect Steven to directly arrange for him to bring Celeste, and only take her alone. This kind of special treatment, ir had never seen Steven use it on anyone before. ¡°I think Ms. Campbell is very talented and might be the star of Skyline Media Group,¡± Steven said. Although he did take special care of her sister, Letti¡¯s professional ability was undeniable. Back at the hotel, when she barged in to audition, she nailed her lines in just a few minutes. Even actors who have been in the business for many years may not be able to do that. And it¡¯s not like he assigned Eaton to her, Eaton agreed to go. Top agent wouldn¡¯t take a novice who couldn¡¯t act to smash his own brand¡­ He showed Eaton all of Celeste¡¯s video materials Eaton was shaken only after watching a long shot of her in ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°. After seeing Celeste¡¯s college grades, he decided to take Celeste with him. In Eaton¡¯s words, ¡°the current industry trend isn¡¯t good. Those with a bit of fame all want to film, which gives people the impression that the threshold of being an actor is very low.¡± ¡°As long as you look a little bit pretty, you cane to filming. If you are not good at acting, you will have a double, and if your voice is not good, you will be dubbed. The actor only needs to show his face¡± ¡°But the key point is, they couldn¡¯t even show facial expressions properly, or they look like they¡¯re having a facial spasm. When the dubbing is removed, even kindergarteners speak more clearly while reciting nursery rhymes. Some people have been in the Industry for years, and they can¡¯t even pronounce words correctly.¡± Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Eaton didn¡¯t want to represent such artists. The reason why he could cultivate a Best Actress was because he believed that an actor needs a cultural foundation. An actor without higher education couldn¡¯t even understand the script. How could you expect him to interpret the role? So Celeste¡¯s video matenals,bined with her educational background and grades, made Eaton instantly relieved. He did make an effort, but mainly because Letti also performed very well. ¡°Steven, you have a lot of confidence in Ms. Campbell irughed. ¡°But I think experience is also very important in acting,¡± she said, waving a document in her hand. Tve found a person with great potential for you, and the price is definitely affordable.¡± Stevenughed, ¡°Who could that be, to be described as having great potential by you?¡± ir put the file in front of Steven, ¡°A popr A¨Clister, Sydney¡± Steven was stunned, and his face immediately tumed cold ¡°You¡¯ve signed Sydney?¡± ir hadn¡¯t noticed the change in Steven¡¯s face and proudly said, ¡°She has terminated her contract with Nics Media Group. I snatched her from Shining Entertainment. The signing fee is 800,000 Isn¡¯t that a great deal?¡± Steven looked at the signed contract with his fingerprints on it, his face extremely pale ir was still chattering. ¡°You should thank me a lot this time. I don¡¯t ask for much. I just want you to take me¡­¡± Before she could finish, Steven sternly interrupted, ¡°Who told you to sign her without discussing it with me?¡± ir was shocked Steven had never yelled at her. She was so startled that she didn¡¯t even react for a moment. ¡°Steven, I just wanted to help you. Sydney and the Nics Media Group terminated their contract. Manypanies are scrambling to sign her. The highest signing fee offered was 30 million. Isn¡¯t it good that I signed her for 800,000?¡± ¡°You signed her for 800,000. Didn¡¯t you ever wonder why she didn¡¯t sign the 30 million contract and signed with you instead? Not to mention all the dirt on her, which of her shows has a passing grade? Am I a garbage collector?¡± Steven was angry, ¡°Go find her and get the contract terminated.¡± ir said, ¡°The contract has already been signed, how can I cancel it with her?¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you discuss it with me before you signed it?¡± Steven said with a nk expression, ¡°Sydney¡¯s reputation is not low, you should at least let me know before signing, are you helping me? You are adding trouble!¡± Steven was grumbling,pletely unaware that ir¡¯s face had turned pale ¡°You usually sign an artist you like, and that¡¯s it. At least they have some works. What the hell is Sydney? What are her representative works? Didn¡¯t you do any research? If I want to reproduce her kind of traffic star, I can reproduce countless times! Why would I want to sign a wed one?¡± ¡°Do you have her contact information? Call her now and have here over.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. He finished speaking and saw that ir didn¡¯t react. He frowned and looked up, his face immediately changed. ir was pale, trembling all over, clutching her cor, gasping for breath, her eyes bloodshot. Steven stood up, anxious, ¡°Where¡¯s your medicine, where¡¯s your medicine?¡± ir was struggling to breathe ¡°Nathan¡± Steven busted open the office door, ¡°Where¡¯s ir¡¯s medicine Nathan¡¯s action was very fast, rushing over with the medicine less than a couple of minutester. Steven sprayed the medicine into her mouth, gently patting her back, andforted her, ¡°Breathe easy, just breathe easy¡± It took quite a while for ir to regain herposure, but she still looked pale. She whispered, ¡°Bro, I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.¡± Steven sighed. ¡°I was the one who spoke too much. I¡¯ll handle this matter by myself, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± rkept quiet, her eyes downcast The contract issue wasn¡¯t even resolved yet and Steven just got chewed out by Hiram. Because ir¡¯sness at thepany had reached home Over the past few years, ir¡¯s episodes had be less frequent, but in the three months since returning to J City, she¡¯s had two episodes. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 And both times, it happened when he was with her Hiram couldn¡¯t help but feel he hadn¡¯t been taking good care of ir ¡°Why are you yelling at ir? Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s not well? Can¡¯t you speak nicely?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about signing a celebrity? If she wants to sign, let her. It doesn¡¯t matter whether this little star can get famous or not, the family is not short of this money How can you get angry about that¡± Steven stayed silent Janis brought the water and persuaded him, ¡°Forget it, ir is fine. As long as it¡¯s about ir, you¡¯ll be nervous if there¡¯s any trouble. Steven is also thinking about thepany. Don¡¯t you know how much he protects ir? It¡¯s fine. But you have hurt the feelings of the two children on the contrary¡± Being woken up by the noise downstairs, ir came down, ¡°Dad, I told you Im fine. Why did you call Steven again?¡± ¡°TII just talk about him when you¡¯re fine, and I¡¯ll beat him if something happens!¡± Hiram nced at Steven, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this matter, just sign it if you sign it, can I still afford to pay for a starlet signed by my daughter?¡± Steven said, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not about losing money.¡± ¡°Bang-¡± Hiram mmed his cup on the table, angrily saying, ¡°You still want to talk back to me!¡± ¡°Steven, stop arguing with your dad,¡± Janis intervened, ¡°His blood pressure is high, he can¡¯t be getting angry. Let¡¯s just leave the matter for now. If the actor ir signed does prove to be a problem, wait for her to make a mistake and then you can fire her. There¡¯s no need to upset your father over this.¡± Steven clenched his fists, and only after a while did he mumble agreement. He knew,pared to him, ir was Hiram¡¯s favorite Hiram was a doting father. The loss of his daughter from his previous marriage often kept him awake at night. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. It took him many years to recover from the grief of losing his wife and daughter. His remamage to Janis wasrgely because of ir. She¡¯s the same age, and had the same frail health, which easily stirred up Hiram¡¯s longing for his daughter. He treated ir like a treasure, using her to channel his longing. That¡¯s why he was so furious when he found out she was sick. He was scared history would repeat itself. Steven wondered how Hiram would react if he knew his daughter was still alive. He¡¯d probably scare Celeste into moving away overnight with his enthusiasm. Better to get Celeste on board first, then it¡¯ll be a natural progression for her toe back home. After Steven left, Janis started nagging Hiram. ¡°Don¡¯t always blow up at Steven, he¡¯s not a child anymore.¡± Hiram sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just angry, and besides, he¡¯s thick¨Cskinned, he won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Steven wouldn¡¯t take it to heart indeed. If he did, he would¡¯ve moved out long ago because of his dad¡¯s temper. That afternoon, Sydney announced on Twitter Thanks for the journey with Nics Media Group. Looking forward to my future with Skyline Media Group.¡± After the tweet, the topic ¡®Sydney signs with Skyline Media Group¡® quickly trended on social media. CS CamScanner Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Everyone in the industry knew about Skyline Media Group. They haven¡¯t signed many artists so far. With Sydney joining, she¡¯ll be showered with resources, making others green with envy. However, this envy onlysted until the evening when another topic ¡°Skyline Media Group hasn¡¯t responded also topped the trending list. Sydney announced her signing with Skyline Media Group, but there was no response from their official Twitter ount. Instead, they retweeted an official photo from ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± featuring the back of a character. The cast of ¡°Phoenix Fire¡® had been gradually announced, with only a few remaining shrouded in mystery. Despite it being a back shot, you could tell the actress had a great figure. The earlobe peeking out from under her hat was round and delicate, and her skin smooth. Sydney¡¯s fans were not happy. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. They had already argued with the official ount of ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± because Sydney didn¡¯t get the role. And now her newpany started by retweeting this tweet, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? So ¡°cancel the contract¡± also trended on social media. Fans voiced their disapproval of Skyline Media Group on behalf of Sydney. Just when Sydney was over the moon about her contract, she saw the trending topics and her face changed. She quickly contacted her team to suppress the news. ¡°These fans are crazy!¡± Frustrated, Sydney eximed, ¡°Tve finally signed with Skyline Media Group, and theye here making a fuss, sticking their noses in everything. It¡¯s my business who I sign with, it¡¯s none of their damn business¡°¡± Hanson spoke softly, ¡°Sydney, lower your voice. You can¡¯t say things like that about your fans. They¡¯re your bread and butter, you can¡¯t badmouth them. ¡°Bread and butter? They only helped me sell a million copies of that magazinest week. Do you know how many copies the other star sold in the same period? Almost double mine!* ¡°They say they like me, well, how about showing it with some actions? They¡¯re causing trouble everywhere!* Hanson didn¡¯t say anything. When they needed fans, they¡¯d call them ¡°baby¡°. When fans caused trouble, they¡¯d call them idiots. These sincere fans, if they knew what their idol thought of them privately, how would they feel? Pinecrest Manor. In just one day, Sean¡¯s speed in answering multiple choice questions had significantly improved. Liam also briefly exined calculus to him Sean¡¯s view of Liam had drastically changed from initial skepticism to admiration. ¡°Liam, what did you major in at university?¡± *Mechanical Automation and Electronic Physics. Liam paused, ¡°Double major Sean¡­ It was very difficult to learn one of these two casually, but to actually practice two, it was really not an ordinary person. No wonder he¡¯s so good at physics and mathematics, his logics was really good. Then Sean asked again, ¡°Which professional people does yourpany recruit?¡°?¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°Thinking about joining us?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°Yourpany¡¯s treatment is indeed very high. Liam¡­ Quite honest. ¡°There are professional requirements in the recruitment information on thepany¡¯s website, you can check it out yourself,¡± Liam paused, ¡®Education is just one aspect, if you don¡¯t have the professional skills, even if you get hired, I won¡¯t hesitate to kick you out.¡± ¡°If you kick me out, I¡¯m going to find Celeste.¡± While sipping his tea, Liam casually replied, ¡°It won¡¯t do you any good, no matter who you look for¡± Sean¡¯s phone started to vibrate, he nced at it and suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s a call from Celeste.¡± Liam shook his hand, and the tea spilled out, but he didn¡¯t care, and quickly took Sean¡¯s phone. Take a look at the results Caller ID was the customer service of the mobile phone operator. Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Liam was speechless Sean diced his book, leaned over the table and asked how did you meet Cieste¡± in two days of action, he was no longer as aid of Liam as before Liam was fidding with his phone and red perfunctory Heroes save beauty Sean was surprised Doesn¡¯t seem like it if you don¡¯t familia you should leave him where he is Sean was smart Liam was nice to him because of Celeste he himself wasnt the meddlesome type Liam paused Swantong other inthes goal wasn¡¯t to save her He only saved her because she was the one involved in the car ident But that didn¡¯t really count as meeting did it? Celeste didn¡¯t even remember m ¡°you saved her like a hero, why did you divorce her Liam naturally couldn¡¯t talk about his previous dementia operation. He maintained his usual aloof image and said, ¡°What we had wasn¡¯t a divorce it¡¯s called spice in the rtionship, get it?¡± Sean. hat¡¯s wrong with your mouth? In order to meet Let, he did not hesitate to pull him over as a toolman, but also for fun. ¡°Chitch time is over Liam pulled out a test paper. Finish this then off to bed At half past six the next moming Celeste drove to Pinecrest Maner Liam heard the sound of the engine and went downstairs Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. It was particrly hot that day Waking up early to a sultry air Celeste was dressed in a Tshirt and shorts, locking cool and casual Her thick hair was tied up high, with no makeup just ayer of sunson. She looked like a college student who hasn¡¯t g Seeing Liam at the door her expression clearly soured ¡°Where¡¯s Sean? ¡°Just got up, he¡¯s washing up, Liam stepped aside, ¡°Come in and wat¡® Celeste wanted to say shed wait outside, but when a gust of hot wind blew the decisively entered the house. Pinecrest Manor hadn¡¯t changed much, it was pretty much the same as when she left. While Liam was getting milk, he saw Celeste staring nkly at the huge wedding photo in the living room ¡°Have some milk, Amelia just poured it.¡± Celeste snapped back to reality, took the milk, ¡°Get someone to take down this wedding phototer looks like an ide Liam Said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that stupid¡± Celeste choked on her milk, coughing and nng at him, ¡°I was talking about you being the idiot Liam chuckled. Then it shouldn¡¯t be taken down even more, it would make you feel better¡± Celeste¡­ Just as they were talking. Sean came out ¡°Let you¡¯re here¡± He casually greeted her, then went to get his milk Celeste wondered, in just two days, how did she feel that Sean had betrayed her? ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Liam asked Celeste responded coldly. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Then eat a little more, you have a big appetite Celeste. She was prepared to confront Liam all day, but damn it, this guy always managed to break her defenses with just a few words! Just when Celeste wanted to persist, Amelia called out ¡°Madam, do you want vinegar and chili in your shrimp?¡± Celeste subconsciously said, ¡°Yes¡± Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Atur speaking Celeste wanted to smack hors Her loose cannon of a moti Limed at trying to stifle augh But then he thought better of a while if heughed, Celeste would probably brat and hide in the car He coughed lightly into his fat and said. ¡°Have some food with Sean if you don¡¯t eat, he¡¯ll be too shy to touch his silverware.¡± Celeste¡¯s pride briefly waged at before she reluctantly said, ¡°Fine, rest with him.¡± Ten minutester. Sean watched Celeste et another te, and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let, artists don¡¯t need to pay attention to their bodies-¡± Before he could frist, a swift kick this shin under the table Celeste was sitting beside him, Liam across from them it wasn¡¯t hard to guess who had delivered the luck ¡°What were you saying just now? Celeste shot him a nce Sean said. ¡°Nothing¡± Notion he had stopped eating Celeste asked. ¡°Are you full already? You have exams 11:30. Are you sure you canst till then with just that?¡± Sledsely. ¡°A me bit of hunger can make the brain sharper Eating too much can slow it down¡± Celeste snorted. ¡°What a load of crap After eating Owen showed up in the miniva Crowned the sight of the Lincoln A minivan for an exam She was about to let loose ament, but when she saw the amenities inside the vehicle, she deaded to keep her mouth shut The minivan was kmed out with a table and bed, perfect for Sean to get some rest at noon. A lot more convenient than her old clunker Traffic was a bit tight due to some road restrictions that day, but fortunately, they left early They reached the exam center around eight Owen was an exceptional assistant, having secured a parking spot the day before with the help of a friend As soon as they arrived, Owen¡¯s friend moved his car and they seamlessly upied the spot. Laters were still circling the lot for parking At $20. the exam center opened, and the students started to trickle in Celeste, dressed head to toe in a sun hat and face mask, walked in with Liam to drop off Sean ¡°Hold on Celeste suddenly said, pulling out her phone ¡°Strike a pose I need to get a few pictures¡± No Sean refused don¡¯t want to look like a fool posing for everyone¡± The dean asked for pictures, are you going to ignore her too? Celeste knew she couldn¡¯t handle Sean, so she brought up the dean. Sean nced at her ¡°That¡¯s your promise to the dean, not mine¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Just as Celeste was about to let loose on him, Liam said, ¡°Just take a few pictures and get to the exam¡± Reluctantly Sean tumed to Celeste Fine, but you have to be in it too¡± Celeste slung an arm around his shoulders, Fine let¡¯s take the pictuer Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 She tossed her phone to Owen, ¡°Owen, take our picture¡± ¡°Mrs Celeste, I¡¯m not good at taking pictures. Maybe Mr. Reed should do it Owen said, handing the phone to Liam Liam shot Owen a look before taking the phone Owen knew from that lock that his bonus for the month was secured Celeste had her doubts about Liam¡¯s photography skills, but the had no choice but to trust him She removed her face mask and sun hat, cing them on the grass. She nudged Sean with her elbow, ¡°You stretch out your left hand, and fil stretch out my right We¡¯ll make a heart shape for the dean¡± Sean was about to refuse, but under Liam¡¯s intense gaze, he swallowed his words. He reluctantly reached out and formed a heart shape with Celeste. Celeste beamed at the camera Liam held the phone, but the camera was only focused on Celeste Celeste held her pose, her smile growing strained, ¡°Did you get it?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°The lighting isn¡¯t great Maybe move a bit to the left.¡± Celeste had no choice but to nudge Sean to the left ¡°Like this?¡± Celeste asked ¡°Perfect¡± Liam replied, quickly unlocking Celeste¡¯s WhatsApp and removing himself from her block list. He then sent the solo picture of Celeste to his own WhatsApp After a moment, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Liam, are you done yet?¡± She let go of Sean and walked towards Liam, ¡°Give it here. I¡¯ll do it myself¡± Liam calmly deleted the chat and the solo picture from the phone, switching back to the camera. He handed the phone back to Celeste, saying with a straight face, ¡°I think I did a pretty good job¡± Unconvinced, Celeste took the phone and found that Liam had taken quite a few pictures When she opened them, her face turned green Liam had somehow managed to make her 56¡± frame look like 4¡¯3¡°. She held back her frustration for a moment before snapping. This is your idea of good? How is this good?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Your face looks nice¡± Celeste Sean, not having the time for their squabble, said, ¡°I¡¯m going in¡± Celeste promptly handed him two bottles of water After showing his exam permit, Sean was allowed in Just as he was entering, Celeste suddenly screamed his name ¡°Sean¡® Sean¡°¡± Sean turned around, puzzled Celeste had put her sun hat and face mask back on. She raised her arm, formed a huge heart over her head, and shouted, ¡°Sean, you¡¯re number onel Sean, you¡¯re number one All eyes in the venue were now on Sean Sean¡¯s face darkened. He wished the earth would swallow him whole. Head down, he quickly made his way towards the teaching building, feaning recognition His retreating figure looked awkward. A mischievous glint shed in Celeste¡¯s eyes That¡¯ll teach you to listen to Liam¡® N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Once Sean was inside, Celeste and Liam went back to the car It was simply too hot outside The minivan was great, equipped with a bed, fridge, and vanous iced drinks in the refngerator Most importantly, it had air conditioning. Once Celeste got in the car, she immediately sent the pictures Liam took to Professor Torres at the orphanage, and asked the other party to show them to the director to put her mind at ease Liam nced at her and asked in a low voice, ¡®Are you still mad?¡± Celeste paused her phone scrolling but didn¡¯t say a word Liam slowly started to exin, Tve been thinking about what happened the other day non¨Cstop.¡± Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 ¡°That day when you gave me candy and drove me away, I wish I hadn¡¯t left. fil definitely catch you right away. I just stood too far away¡± Mason took the lead. Celeste She snapped, ¡°So, you¡¯ve thought about it for two days and that¡¯s your conclusion?* ¡°No.¡± Liam put down the bottle in his hand. I shouldn¡¯t have let ir pull me away, I should¡¯ve pushed her away Even if I was a bitte, I should¡¯ve been heading your way¡± Celeste Owen silently turned up the volume of his headphones ¡°Don¡¯t y the emotional card with me,¡± Celeste turned her face away ¡°I want to y the emotional card with you, but you said we don¡¯t even have an emotional foundation,¡± Liam said. Celeste Suddenly, she remembered what she had said to the clerk on the day of their divorce We didn¡¯t have an emotional foundation. Forong ourselves to stay together would just be torture. ¡°On the day of the divorce, I was really upset. I didn¡¯t expect you to actually go through with it. You signed the papers so resolutely, as if you didn¡¯t care about me at all¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not all your fault. Most of it is mine. I shouldn¡¯t¡­ shouldn¡¯t have been absent when you needed me the most. I let you down.¡± Celeste clenched her fists. Liam, what the hell were you doing before! She gritted her teeth and said stubbornly. ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying all this now? I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°Letty¡± Liam looked up, his eyes a bit dazed. He shook his head and murmured. ¡°I swear, this won¡¯t happen a third time. Don¡¯t look at Mason, don¡¯t look at Steven, look at me, Letti ¡± Before he could finish, Liam copsed onto the bed. Celeste jumped up in surprise, ¡°Liam, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Liam didn¡¯t respond, with dark circles under his eyes. Panicked, Celeste called out for Owen, ¡°Owen! Liam seems to have fainted!¡± Owen took off his headphones and came over After a brief check, he said, ¡°Mr. Reed is fine, he¡¯s just exhausted and fell asleep¡± He picked up the drink Liam just had, ¡°And he¡¯s been drinking¡± Celeste nced at it. It was a cocktail. ¡°Can this get you drunk?¡± She clearly didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Not usually, but Mr. Reed has been very busy dealing with the injuries from the banquet. He barely got any rest and had to help Scan in his spare time. He¡¯s been under a lot of stress. This drink just knocked him out.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t believe it. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Useless guy!¡± Even a cocktail of this strength could get you drunk! The man on the bed moved slightly Celeste¡¯s ¡°I don¡¯t care really bothered him. He was already finding it hard to say those things. He was even afraid to see Celeste¡¯s reaction, so he pretended to be drunk after saying them. But when Celeste saw him ¡°drunk¡°, she actually went to call Owen. He was prepared. If Owen exposed him, he would have kicked him to the branch office for reflection. But Owen reacted quickly! Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Owen smartly suggested, ¡°There¡¯s a drink shop across the street¡± Celeste had indulged enough in the morning and didn¡¯t dare to drink now. But she thought for a moment and said, ¡°Get a lemonade for Sean. He¡¯ll need it to cool down after his exam* Owen left as told Celeste turned to look at Liam This guy didn¡¯t even take off his shoes. How was he going to sleep when Sean arrived? She went up and took off Liam¡¯s shoes, then moved his legs to push his body further into the bed. In the process, she tripped and fell onto Liam. Her chin hit Liam¡¯s belt, causing her to gnt her teeth in pain. As she was about to get up, she suddenly felt something rising underneath her. She paused for a moment, then her face tumed dark. She picked up a pillow and hit Liam on the head ¡°Liam, go to hell!¡± She said with a stern face and stormed out Liam When Owen returned with the drinks, he found Liam sitting alone on the bed, looking upset Celeste was nowhere to be found. ¡°Mr. Reed, where¡¯s thedy?¡± Owen asked ¡°She left Liam said in a deep voice He wanted to ask where she had gone. But seeing Liam¡¯s expression, it seemed like she had left and wasn¡¯ting back So, he kept his mouth shut. After a while, he heard Liam ask, ¡°How did she find out?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Owen¡­ He wasn¡¯t in the car, so he didn¡¯t know Three dayster, Mr. K contacted Celeste The investigation into the car ident seven years ago had hit a dead end. The driver of the Campbell family at the time had been recently diagnosed with Alzhe mer¡¯s He couldn¡¯t provide any more information for the time being. If his illness was real, anything he said could probably not be used as evidence in court. The other lead he had, the taxi that had collided with their car, was even more bizane. Not only was the driver missing, but so were the passengers. There were no clues at all, which was very strange. Mr. K believed that someone had erased these people¡¯s information. And this person, most likely, was not Shawn. If he had the ability to do so, the first person he would have erased would be the Campbell family¡¯s driver ¡°The existing evidence is iplete, a lot of it is spection without any substantial evidence, Mr K paused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is all I can find for now. If you want to stop the investigation now, I will refund the second payment in full.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste said, ¡°Keep looking I refuse to believe he conveniently got Alzheimer¡¯s when we started investigating¡± Mr K nodded, ¡°However, I suggest you start looking into Shawn and Helen¡¯s rtionship.¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°Are you suggesting I drive a wedge between them?¡± Mr K smiled, ¡°If Shawn did this, Helen definitely knew about it Shawn had feelings for your mother. He¡¯s timid and weak. Without someone else¡¯s instigation, he wouldn¡¯t have had the guts to go through with it¡± Celeste had thought about this, but now that she knew she wasn¡¯t Shawn¡¯s daughter, she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Helen is not an easy person,¡± Mr. K said softly. ¡°Do you know that she was once a poor student supported by your mother. For her, mamage with Shawn was an important way to help her cross sses. She is the person who covets your mother¡¯s position the most¡± Celeste tightened her lips, and it took her a while to say, ¡°I get it¡± Before she left, Mr. K stopped her again, ¡°At the time of the car ident seven years ago, your ex¨C husband was there too, coordinating things on the scene. I reckon he probably knew the person in the taxi¡± Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Chapter 623 After Mr. Khad his say, he took off Celeste stood there, her brows knit together All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. That year it was, in fact, Liam who had saved her from that car ident. She had never given much thought to why Liam was there at the scene of the ident. On the day of the ident, both cars caught fire, and vehicles on the road kept their distance, afraid of being affected Given Liams cold demeanor towards strangers, it was indeed odd that he saved her That car ident, which the thought was a one¨Csided attempted murder, now seemed to have too many suspicious points. Just like Mr K said the most direct way was to separate them if the murder was nned by them together, as long as they separated and disintegrated their alliance they would not have to worry about finding out the truth With that thought, Celeste took out her phone and dialed a number Shawn was having a rotten month Smart Chips had been on a roll for a week, and the media was hyping up this stock. He watched it for a week and couldn¡¯t resist, he threw in twenty million. The next day when it rose, his confidence inted significantly, and he bought several more tens of millions But in the second week, the stock began to fall. At first, it wasn¡¯t much, a few points, which he could swallow He even thought it was an opportunity to buy more, after all, he was still making money. So, he bought a lot more. The next day it fell again He was a holder of the original stock, so although it fell, he was still making money, so he bought more It fell again He bought more It fell again He bought more And so it went By the time Shawn had sold all his chips, the stock still hadn¡¯t nsen. It would rise a couple of points today, but the next day, or the day after, it would definitely fall. There was no pattern to it, and within two weeks, it had fallen below its issue price. Not only did Celeste lose all the money she had made, but she also lost more than ten million. Novices like Shawn, who y the stock market, always think it will rebound the lower it falls. But there was no rebound, and all his stocks were stuck If he were smart, he¡¯d cut his losses and bail out at this point, but Shawn was foolish and greedy. He thought that such a powerfulpany as Smart Chips, how could Liam let it keep falling without doing anything? And all the media were unanimously optimistic about it. If he pulled out now, he¡¯d lose big So, he didn¡¯t pull out Moreover, since Celeste and Liam¡¯s divorce, thepany¡¯s business had be much harder. He was counting on the stock to make him a big fortune, and he was unwilling to sell it no matter what But the stock kept falling, losing tens and hundreds of thousands every day, which also made him ufortable Three clock, the market closed And it fell again Shawn didn¡¯t look good He had juste out of the study when he saw Helen and Angel returning from shopping, bringing back a bunch of luxury goods, trying them on in the living room. Seeing him. Helen happily said, ¡°I bought you a te,e over here and let me try it on you¡± Shawn walked over with a frown As Helen reached for the te, the price tag fell off Upon seeing it, Shawn¡¯s face turned sout, ¡°Thirteen grand? For this piece of crap cloth?¡± ¡°The brand¡¯s expensive that¡¯s just the way it is Look at the quality, it¡¯s definitely better than those you used to get for a couple of grand. Take a closer look¡± ¡°Look at what?¡± Shawn coldly tossed the tie back into the box, ¡°Return it now¡°¡± Helens face tumed cold as well Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Seeing this, Angel put down her bag and said in a low voice, ¡°Dad, mom was just trying to be considerate of you. You¡¯ve worked hard for so many years, she wanted to buy you something good.¡± ¡°Is this being considerate of me? Spending my money to be considerate of me?¡± Shawn was instantly angry at this, ¡°I¡¯m curious, do you have that many things to buy when you go shopping? The clothes, bags, and shoes in your closets are piled up like a mountain, and you¡¯re still buying Helen couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°You think I buy all this because I¡¯m vain? I¡¯m doing it for you! If I don¡¯t dress well and use good bags, how am I going to fit into those rich wives¡® circle? Only when I get to know them well will I have a chance to bring in business for you!¡± Shawn waspletely ungrateful, ¡°We¡¯re both remarried, everyone in the circle knows that. Those rich wives all have high standards, even if you were covered in gold, they wouldn¡¯t look up to you! Instead of spending that time, you should focus more on Jacques, that¡¯s better than anything Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. After a pause, ¡°Where¡¯s Jacques?¡± Helen, who was already furious, suddenly realized her son was missing and immediately became anxious ¡°He was just in the living room.¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°Find him quickly.¡± The family searched for a while and finally found Jacques in the attic. He was sitting on the floor, drawing something on paper. Helen breathed a sigh of relief and approached him, ¡°You little rascall, we¡¯ve been calling you for ages, and you didn¡¯t respond. Before she could finish, she caught a glimpse of the drawing and her face turned pale. ¡°Shawn,e over here¡­¡± Shawn just came up, seeing her nervous look, he frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Come over and see¡°¡± Shawn frowned and walked over. As soon as he saw what Helen wanted him to see, his face turned very pale. His finger trembled, the drawing depicted an overtumed car, and not far from the car, a womany in a pool of blood, her eyes fixed on him. Jacques had a talent for drawing, and although his technique wasn¡¯t mature, he captured the characteristics of the people very clearly. The woman on the ground was wearing a dark green dress, her hair was inrge curls, and there was a mole under her left eyebrow, very clear. These features belonged to Caitlyn. Shawn¡¯s throat was dry. His scalp tingled. How could Jacques draw such a picture? He wasn¡¯t even born when the incident happened. He had never seen this scene, how could he draw it? Could it be that Caitlyn¡¯s ghost was haunting them? Was it because she couldn¡¯t rest in peace? Shawn trembled. It was Helen who first came to her senses, she pulled Jacques and asked, ¡°Jacques, tell mommy, who told you to draw this picture?¡± Jacques shook his head. ¡°So how did you think to draw this picture?¡± Jacques shook his head again. ¡°No one told you that you could draw this picture, are you lying?¡± Helen was growing restless, her voice nsing without her realizing. Jacques was scared and started crying, his eyes were red. ¡°Why are you crying? I ask you a question and you don¡¯t answer, are you a mute?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Shawn said with a pale face, ¡°What¡¯s the use of ming the child? You¡¯ve been with him all the time, don¡¯t you know who he¡¯s been in contact with? Maybe maybe he dreamt this¡­ ¡°No way!¡± Helen screeched, ¡°Ghosts and ghouls my foot Someone¡¯s definitely up to some tricks!¡± Ranting, she snatched up the painting and started ripping it apart. ¡°She couldn¡¯t hold a candle to me when she was alive, she can¡¯t now when she¡¯s dead either! Even if she turned Into a ghost, fd still send her packing!¡± As she said this, she flung her hand and the painting turned into scraps, scattering all over the floor Shawn was dumbstruck, unable to utter a single word. Grandview Heights. A phone call came through to Celeste¡¯s cell Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 She picked up her phone, whispered a couple of words, and hung up Trisha, carrying thest dish to the table, called over her shoulder. ¡°Hey, your highness, grub¡¯s up-¡± Celeste chuckled and shuffled over in her slippers. Delicious ¡°Trisha, that n of yours was wicked. You scared the pants off Shawn¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, do tell, do tell?¡± Celest spilled the beans about what had been going down with the Campbell family that day. After Mr. Khad spilled the beans about creating a nft, she and Trisha put their heads together. Trisha, quick on the uptake, suggested they target the youngest son of the family. Kids were easier to sweet¨Ctalk, and when a kid got involved in such shenanigans, it cranked up the fear factor to eleven, like a horror movie where a painting foretells death. Who wouldn¡¯t be scared shitless? Especially since Shawn was a scaredy¨Ccat. So they hatched a n, staked out Helen¡¯s whereabouts, and tailed her in disguise. At the mall, while Helen and Angel were busy shopping, Jacques was sitting alone, glued to his phone. Tnsha lured the kid out and Celeste, disguised as an old woman, persuaded him to y a game with her. She had a knack for simple magic tricks, which were a hit with kids. Jacques was hooked in no time. Then she pulled out Caitlyn¡¯s photo, told him to draw a specific picture. If he didn¡¯t, she¡¯d make his parents and sister disappear, just like magic. And if he spilled the beans to anyone, they¡¯d disappear too. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Jacques went white as a sheet when he heard that. She actually wanted to nt a bug on Jacques. But that was a bit too conspicuous. Summer clothes were thin, nowhere to hide it, so they had to rely on the Campbell family¡¯s nanny for intel The nanny was hired by Caitlyn. She¡¯d been reced once, but Shawn got used to her and hired her back. When the nanny¡¯s father was hospitalized, Caitlyn helped find a hospital, pulled some strings, and even lent her money. Celeste was banking on her sense of gratitude Thankfully, she hit the jackpot Trisha said indignantly, ¡°Really, I can¡¯t see it with my own eyes. It¡¯s a pity. These two adulterers must have been scared to death, night?¡± ¡°Scared or not, they definitely got a taste of their own medicine¡± ¡°We should have the kid draw another one.¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°Can¡¯t pull the same trick twice. This time it was an ident, they didn¡¯t realize it. Once they figure it out, they¡¯ll realize someone¡¯s messing with them and tighten security on Jacques. We won¡¯t get another chance.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, you¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Just as they sat down, there was a knock at the door. Trisha wiped her hands, ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± She ran over, ¡°thump thump thump¡°, opened the door, and was about to shut it without a second thought. Nics wedged his foot in the door, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°Neighbor, is this how you treat me when we¡¯ve just met?¡± Trisha held a grudge against him for previous deceit and snapped, ¡°Who¡¯s your neighbor? Scram.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in 901, I¡¯m in 902, aren¡¯t we neighbors?¡± He even shook the bag of candy in his hand, ¡°This is a housewarming gift give it a taste.¡± ¡°Trisha, who is this?¡± ¡°No¨Cmm-¡± Trisha hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Nics covered her mouth, ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s me¡± He hooked his arm around Trisha¡¯s shoulder and pulled her into the house with him Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 ¡°Well, what a concidence, never thought the upant of 901 would be you guys* After saying that, he smelled the aroma of food and his eyes widened, ¡°Celeste, did you cook this?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°No, it was Trisha¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She paused, why on earth did Nics move here? A few days ago, when the property management was verifying the owner¡¯s information, Celeste found out that the apartment they were living in belonged to Steven She tentatively asked the agent, Eaton Eaton exined that thepany¡¯s recently established, so for convenience, all the houses they arrange for their artists are under Steven¡¯s name. He also mentioned that the floors above and below them were also owned by thepany, and they might either arrange for other artists to live there or rent them out to earn some rental ie Upon hearing this, Celeste didn¡¯t probe further These past two days, there had been peopleing and going from 902, so Celeste thought the company had arranged for neers to move in But, it turned out to be Nics What a coincidence, almost too much to be a coincidence. Nics was shocked to hear that the meal was cooked by Trisha, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t your main stage be the fighting ring not the kitchen?¡± Trisha snorted, ¡°I can do it all, writing scripts and kicking ass Nics couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her smug face, it felt like he was being tickled by a feather It felt like seeing a cute fluffy pet on the street and not being able to resist ying with it ¡°How do you kick ass?¡± Trisha raised her hand in a karate chop and hit Nics on the shoulder ¡°Get it?¡± Nics ¡°Do you need anything? If not, you should probably leave¡± Insha started to shoo him away The aroma of the food was wafting from the table, making Nics¡¯s stomach growt Celeste politely said, ¡°We didn¡¯t know Mr. Francis was moving in today, weil bring a housewarming gift tomorrow Today was unexpected were not prepand Trisha looked unhappy, so Celeste had to subtly ask him to leave Nics seemed oblivious to Celeste¡¯s hint, and went along with herment ¡°The food looks good were old friends, so no need for any fuss¡± He pulled out a chair and sat down, ¡°You guys are usually busy, so this is a good time Trisha retorted, ¡°Did we say we were going to invite you to eat?¡± Nics said, ¡°There¡¯s so much food, you twodies cant finish it all What a waste to throw it away¡± Trisha¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°We can always save leftovers in the fridge, nothing will be wasted¡± Nics shot her a nce, ¡°Clearly, you don¡¯t pay attention to expert advice They say eating leftovers can lead to cancer There was an old man who ate leftovers every day for decades, and he ended up dying of stomach cancer in his seventies because of it Could it be that whether he ate leftovers or not didn¡¯t really matter. Trisha sneered, ¡°Experts also say you shouldn¡¯t drink soda. Those who drink soda mgrly will eventually die¡± Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Nics didn¡¯t seem to understand the sarcasm in her words, and said with a ¡®confidant expression on his face. ¡°So I won¡¯t drink carbonated drinks now, and you don¡¯t want to rat leftovers, as long as I¡¯m hom, Lean solve everything today¡± He got up and said T go get a bowt Then he walked straight into the kitchen to look for one Trisha gritted her teeth, ¡°As if he¡¯s never eaten anything good befour¡± Celeste also felt a headacheing on Should they kick him out? Nics had helped her when Caitlyn was in the hospital, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to be too harsh til they didit, it seemed like Trisha and Nics were not getting along, it was a dilemma Nics searched the kitchen but couldn¡¯t find any cutlery He came back to the table in disbelief. ¡°You guys only have two tes?¡± Creste said. ¡°We only moved here recently, we don¡¯t have everything yet¡± They were only two people, they didn¡¯t have extra tes Trisha spoke less politely. ¡°We live together, why do we need to many tes?¡± She paused, narrowed her eyes and said. ¡°You might as well grab and eat with your hands Nics mouth twitched, I don¡¯t mind, but if I do, will you still be able to eat?¡± Trisha E get someone to bring over a te¡± He grabbed his phone and dialed a number ¡°Bring me some cutlery, I¡¯m at 901 Grandview Heights, hurry up, the food¡¯s getting cold, don¡¯t dy my meal.¡± After hanging up the said with a smile, ¡°You guys go ahead, don¡¯t wait for me¡± Celecte Trisha Content held by N?velDrama.Org. If she had known it would be this troublesome, she would have put somexatives in the food! With things at this point, Celeste didn¡¯t feel right to move forward It¡¯s not polite for the hosts to eat while the guest sit and watched She got up. Tll go cut some fruit Nics didn¡¯t hesitate. If you have wine, open a bottle.¡± Trisha red at him ¡°Are you treating this like your home?¡± Nics didn¡¯t get mad, he just smiled, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve asked someone to bring it Then he sent a text message While Celeste was cutting the fruit, the doorbell rang Trisha reluctantly went to open the door. When she opened the door, Trisha fell silent Liam was standing outside with two sets of cutlery, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet of flowers Damn Nics, she should have kicked him out from the beginning! ¡°the delivery for the cutlery?¡± Nics voice came from behind, then his elbow was on Trisha¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What are you zoning out for, kid?¡± Tipped on his foot and stormed inside. She dared to deal with Nics, but with Liam, she only had the guts when Celeste was present After all, she still remembered him calling the police on her Wom bande Nics cursed as he imped, then said to Liam. ¡°Remember to reimburse for the injury¡± Liam shoved the cutlery and wine into his arms and entered the house holding the flowers The quality of the houses in Grandview Heights went without saying Liam looked around the room, there were many unopened packages in the living room, probably items they bought when they moved in The promo poster for Phoenca Fire¡® was still on the coffee table Celeste stood sideways, put her right index finger on her lips, and made a ¡°keep quiet gesture The left half of her face was gentle and dignified, while the right half of her face was hidden in the dark light, with a sinister and evil expression Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Liam was dumbstruck. This was the second time she had blown him away with her acting Thest time was when she yed that psycho in ¡°Mastermind of Law¡± Celeste just seemed to sparkle in front of the camera. Even if you were familiar with her face, when she was in front of the camera, you¡¯d think she was the character itself To others, she was like a night pearl covered in dust, and once the dust was removed, the light could no longer be hidden. But in Liam¡¯s eyes, she was never obscured by dust. He just kept that light hidden in his heart, for his eyes only. Yet, the darker it gets, the more dazzling the night pearl, destined to be gazed upon by the world. He couldn¡¯t hide it Celeste came out with the cut fruit to see the scene in the dining room and frowned Liam, Nics, and Trisha were already sitting at the dining table. Liam was expressionless, Nics and Trisha were ring at each other, and the atmosphere was eenly tense. Celeste amved and broke the eenie tension. Nics, being tactful, stood up and took the te from Celeste, Thanks for your hard work, sit down and eat quickly, the food is getting cold.¡± I ¡°I heard Liam helped you move today, so I invited him to dinner you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not, he¡¯s not an outsider, night, Mr. Reed?¡± Celeste smiled on the surface, but was grumbling inside She really couldn¡¯t be lenient with Nics. This guy was Liam¡¯s think tank. She had a hard time dealing with Liam, and Nics, this cunning guy, could dig a hole for her at any time. Nics clicked his tongue, ¡°You¡¯re really generous.¡± He then took out the wine. ¡°We didn¡¯te empty¨Chanded, look, we brought wine, Lafite¡± Tnsha: ¡°You a boss, bring this kind of wine to fool people?¡± ¡°This kind of wine?¡± Nics gritted his teeth, ¡°It¡¯s from 96, more than ten thousand a bottle, okay? Each sip costs several bucks! And who said I¡¯m a small boss? I¡¯m also a billionaire boss, okay?¡± Trisha rolled her eyes and served Celeste a bowl of soup. Nics immediately handed over his bowl Tnisha ignored him, but Nics was ¡°resolute.¡± After Trisha served the soup, he took thedle and served himself a bowl, of course, not forgetting to serve his good buddy a bowl The soup was simmered for a long time, milky white in color, the pepper taste was very light, but just right, it didn¡¯t mask the fresh taste of the soup. After a sip, Nics taste buds were immediately conquered Although the taste was not the best he had ever had, it surprisingly suited his taste. Nics: ¡°Little bully¡± Tnsha said impatiently, ¡°What?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your soup¡­ it¡¯s pretty good.¡± Nics praised sincerely. Trisha snorted. ¡°My reputation as a cooking god isn¡¯t for nothing, right?¡± Nicsughed for a while. This Trisha, why was she so endearing? Celeste didn¡¯t say much at the dinner table. Mainly because she was still mad at Liam. He had pretended to be drunk and deceived her a while ago. if the quarreled with Liam and mentioned the reason, it would be too inappropriate for children to hear. Nics and Tnsha were there, she had to leave some dignity for Liam So the meal was rtively peaceful, with only Nics and Trisha arguing from time to time He ate and chatted, and actually drank most of the pot of soup After eating, he even volunteered to help clean up the dishes Til do it¡± Celeste said Guests shouldn¡¯t have to clean up the dishes. Nics didn¡¯t decline and went to the living room to drink tea. Liam took off his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and helped her clean up Seeing him move, Celeste stopped, pulled down her sleeves, and said lightly, ¡°Clean them well¡± She then went back to her room 1/2 CS CamScanner Liam He looked down at the pile of dishes, feeling a headacheing on. It took m more than ten minutes to finish washing the dishes Liam had been living in a privileged environment since he was a child and had no experience with dish washing. After washing a pile of tableware, the water covered his body, and his shirt and trousers had many water stains on the front. He came out of the kitchen. Nics and Trisha were ying games on their phones in the living room Liam ignored these two and quickly found Celeste¡¯s room after scanning a few rooms. As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw the rabbit doll on Celeste¡¯s bed. He had one at home too But the room was empty, Celeste was nowhere to be seen. Just as Liam was wondering, he was shoved hard in the back He stumbled forward a few steps and then fell onto the bed Celeste pounced from behind, holding a pillow and aiming for his head. ¡°Annoying guy, who let you into my room!¡± She cursed and hit, always alming for his face, as if venting her grievances The feather pillow was not heavy and didn¡¯t hurt when it hit him. Liam easily grabbed her wrist, turned over, and swapped their positions. He narrowed his eyes, saying dangerously, ¡°Are you setting a trap here?¡± He thought, having had expenencest time, why didn¡¯t Celeste lock the door? Turned out she was intentionally waiting for him. Celeste red at him, ¡°You barged into my room uninvited, what¡¯s wrong with me hitting you?¡± Seeing her spirited look, Liam felt his heart soften a bit, ¡°Nothing. I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡± As he said that, he pinched Celeste¡¯s face lightly, ¡°in the future, whoever dares to treat you like me, you will beat them hard, and I will bear it for you until they are disabled Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 ¡°Then fil knock you down first!¡± Liam chuckled, then after a while, he muttered. ¡°The house five assigned to you is bigger than this one fil have someone cleaned it up, you can move in there¡± Celeste pushed him away, want to adopt me like you adopted Sydney?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Since when did I adopt Sydney?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Celeste jumped her feet angrily. ¡°The news reports have been sent to me, who doesn¡¯t know that Sydney¡¯s benefactor is you?¡± Liam furrowed his brows, seemingly recalling those gossips from the entertainment news, He frowned and said, ¡°in terms of resources, I am indeed her benefactor, but definitely not in the sense of nurturing. I¡¯ve neverld a finger on her Celeste sneered, ¡°Then how did she get pregnant with your baby? Asexual reproduction?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s pregnant with my baby?¡± Celeste opened Facebook and clicked on Sydney¡¯s post from three months ago. It¡¯s the photo of the pregnancy test. ¡°She posted this when she was six weeks pregnant, six weeks ago you were caught with her at her vi. Even though the photo was as blurry as a mosaic, I could still recognize you!¡± Liam frowned, staring at the photo. After a while, he pulled out his own Facebook, clicked on Sydney¡¯s updates Scrolling down to March, he couldn¡¯t see the update Sydney posted on his side. Celeste noticed it too She also noticed that Liam had muted Sydney¡¯s WhatsApp notifications. She scoffed, ¡°It can¡¯t be only visible to me, right?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything Neither did Celeste So they both rushed to the living room, found Nics. ¡°Open Facebook¡± Liam said in a deep voice Nics ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Check Sydney¡¯s Facebook¡± Liam repeated Nics, unsure of what was going on, switched to Facebook and opened Sydney¡¯s profile What he saw on Facebook was exactly what Liam saw There was no pregnancy test result, no photos of her bandaging Liam up. Nics still didn¡¯t understand what happened, so he looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam pursed his lips, his face grim, ¡°Nothing.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look too good either. Although sheter suspected Sydney was lying, it was all just spection. Now with the evidence right in front of her, she was shocked that she had been fooled by such a crude lie. Just as Liam was about to speak, the doorbell rang and Steven¡¯s voice came from the monitor. ¡°Celeste, open up.¡± Celeste was shocked, not caring about her anger anymore, she pushed Liam, ¡°Hide, hide quickly!¡± Liam looked upset, ¡°Why should I hide?¡± Was he that shameless? Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°I¡¯m living in my boss¡¯s house and I brought another man over. Is that appropriate?¡± Liam was not pleased, he nced at Nics, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him to hide.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my ex¨Chusband¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how many things you don¡¯t know?¡± Liam¡­.. Nics added, ¡°Celeste and I are good friends.¡± Trisha gave him a look and muttered, ¡°More like besties¡± ¡®Celeste?¡± Hearing no response, Steven sounded worried, ¡°Celeste, are you guys home?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Celeste replied loudly, then she pushed Liam into the bathroom, warning him, ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise, or else you¡¯re screwed After saying that, she closed the door and went to open the front door Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste tidied up a bit, walked to the door and opened it Steven was standing outside the door, carrying a bunch of stuff. Seeing her, his eyes were full of warmth. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± ¡°Just finished,¡± Celeste replied. Looking at the pile of stuff in his hands, she hesitated, ¡°Steven, what¡¯s all this?¡± Steven exined, ¡°Thepany prepared some gifts for the holidays two days ago, and I wanted you toe and pick them up, but I happened to be going to drink with friends at night, so I brought them over by the way? ¡°So much?¡°7¡± She had just signed the contract, and she had received so many benefits before she had earned a penny for thepany. ¡°Let me get them¡± Celeste reached out to take the things Steven side stepped her, ¡°They¡¯re a bit heavy. You open the door, and I¡¯ll bring them in.¡± The big boss personally delivering gifts, of course, Celeste had to show gratitude. She stepped aside to let him in, softly saying, ¡°Steven, if you have something to do with thepany in the future, just call me. You don¡¯t need toe over personally Steven thought to himself, running this little distance was nothing. He¡¯d do it every day if he was willing too. But he still agreed, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call you next time.¡± Just as he stepped through the door, He saw Nics and Trisha sitting on the sofa in the living room ying games. His movements paused, and he looked around vigntly. Didn¡¯t see Liam, but¡­ that huge bouquet on the table was a bit strange. ¡°Mr. Francis, what are you doing here?¡± Nics was dissatisfied with Steven taking away his idol, so he was not so polite when talking to him, ¡°Boss Steven, you really care about your employees, personally delivering gifts? Don¡¯t you have anyone avable under yourmand?¡± Steven knew what he was thinking in his heart, smiled kindly, and countered, ¡°The actors who have finally signed in must be taken care of. Mr. Francis had a lot of artists in hispany, so of course he won¡¯t be so careful¡± Nics twitched at theer of his mouth, looking up at Celeste, ¡°Celeste, how many years have you signed with him?¡± ¡°Five years,¡± she replied. Nics¡¯s expression darkened further, ¡°If you ever want to leave Skyline Media Group, let me know. I¡¯ll help you switch. Don¡¯t worry about the liquidated damages.¡± That generous fool Liam would definitely rush to pay! Naturally, Celeste would not be so disrespectful, and immediately said, ¡°Thepany treats me very well, and I have no ns to change jobs in the short term.¡± Nics sighed, ¡°Such a pity. We recently terminated an actor¡¯s contract, freeing up a lot of resources. If you came over, fd definitely support you fully.¡± Steven felt a pang of unease Sure enough, he heard it in the next second, and Nics said with regret, ¡°The actress went to Skyline Media Group after the contract was terminated. She is quite famous, and Mr. Garcia will definitely support her with all her strength. By the way, you also know that actor is ** Celeste¡­.. Steven:¡­ Celeste frowned, taken aback. Trisha blurted out, ¡°Sydney¡¯s signed with Skyline Media Group?¡± Sydney? Steven nced at Celeste¡¯s expression, pressing his lips together, ¡°Thepany¡¯s people signed her, I didn¡¯t know initially Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Trishamented bluntly. ¡°The people in yourpany have as much taste as a rotten cucumber. Mediocre looks, near zero acting skills, what do you see in her?¡± Nics Little bandit, Sydney is the most popr foret that I have chosen. Even now, she¡¯s among the top of her age group in the entertainment industry. Do you know what it means to be the top?? It means she makes money for me just standing there. Plus, Sydney isn¡¯t just supported by capital, she¡¯s the audience¡¯s choice.¡± If the audience didn¡¯t like her type, no matter how much I invested, she wouldn¡¯t get popr We make money off her, as long as she doesn¡¯t break thew, who¡¯d give up a money printing machine?¡± Trisha gritted her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s because you capitalists¡® taste has changed, so you use your taste to kidnap the audience¡¯s taste, and talk about market choice¡± Nics opened his mouth, as if he couldn¡¯t argue with her Trisha was speaking from the audience¡¯s perspective, and he from the capitalist¡¯s. The argument was pointless. So he switched the topic back to ¡°driving a wedge¡± between Celeste and Steven After all, that was the main mission. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Mrs Reed, the doors of Nics Media Group are always open to you¡± Steven¡¯s eyelid twitched He suddenly wanted to gag his mouth. After a brief surprise, Celeste regained herposure. Nics was right Capitalism was about making money. No matter how ufortable Sydney made people, she was one of the most profitable stars at this stage She had put Sydney out of her mind after the divorce with Liam. And today, she leamed about Sydney¡¯s ¡°miraculous¡± operations, and now they¡¯re in the samepany. If she didn¡¯t take revenge, she won¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully at night! Having thought this through, Celeste said. ¡°Mr. Francis, dont joke about me My boss won¡¯t be pleased Since I¡¯ve signed, I¡¯ll follow thepany¡¯s arrangements ording to the contract. Whoever the company signs, I believe it will not matter¡± It was a choice after careful consideration¡°.¡± Steven immediately felt a bit relieved. ¡°When your ¡°Phoenix Fire¡® is finished, let the director help you arrange a new job, Celeste, don¡¯t worry, I will never break my promise as promised in the contract¡± Celeste smiled, not saying anything more. After Steven finished his piece, his gaze returned to the bouquet of flowers on the table Nics obviously noticed where he was looking He put his arm around Tnsha¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Baby, do you like the flowers I got you?¡± Trisha got goosebumps, pping his hand away. ¡°Td like to see your head burst into bloom? Nics was just trying to crack a joke, but looking at Trisha¡¯s face, he suddenly said, ¡°Little rascal, have you never received flowers from a man before?¡± ¡°Talking nonsensel¡± Trisha was suddenly hit where it hurts, ring at him, ¡°I received flowers for the first time when you were still a bachelor!¡± Nics couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°How do you know when I ended my single life?¡± Trisha gave him a re, ¡°For someone like you, you probably weren¡¯t single anymore before you came of age, right?¡® Nics Watching the two chat getting more and more off track, Celeste coughed, ¡°Steven, didn¡¯t you make ns to grab a drink with friends? I¡¯ll walk you downstairs¡± Just as Steven was about to speak, a sudden ¡°swoosh¡± came from the bathroom He quickly turned his attention towards the direction of the bathroom. Celeste instantly straightened her back in anxiety. Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 She licked her lips, a little nervous. Nics and Trisha were as cool as cucumbers, acting like they hadn¡¯t heard the noiseing from the bathroom. ¡°Is there someone in the bathroom?¡± Steven asked. ¡°Ummm! it¡¯s the plumber Celeste fibbed with a poker face. ¡°The tap in the bathroom broke.¡± The tab broke in a new house? Steven nced around the room, taking a while before he said, ¡°Well uld be going then.¡± As he said this, he dialed a number on his phone Immediately, a series of phone rings echoed from the dining table. Steven looked at the phone lying on the chair Liam, who was in the bathroom, also seemed to have heard the ringtone. He pushed the door open, his shirt half unbuttoned, looking wet and water¨Cdrenched, his hair was also wet. Hebed back with his hand, revealing his chiseled features. Despite being fully clothed, he looked like he just got out of a shower, strolling out cool as a cucumber. He casually greeted, ¡°Mr. Garcia, what a coincidence. Are you here for dinner too?¡± Celeste¡¯s eye twitched a little Upon seeing Liam¡¯s half¨Cunbuttoned shirt, Nics immediately shielded Tnsha, who said, ¡°Dont gawk.¡± Annoyed, Trisha elbowed him in his stomach. Steven smirked, ¡°The Reed family business not doing well? You¡¯ve changed careers to plumbing?¡± Liam smiled calmly. The business is doing fine, I¡¯m just helping out a neighbor and promoting community spint¡± Steven¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°Neighbor?¡± Nics raised his hand, ¡°Neighbor¡¯s right here, I¡¯m the tenant of 902¡± Steven looked at him, then at Liam, quickly catching on. These two had conned that naive kud, Nathan He knew something was fishy when the rental ad was just posted, and so many inte celebrities showed up That idiot Nathan even told him that J City was the capital of intemet celebrities, many of whom rent top¨Ctier apartments to make videos With such high rents, did he think beng an inte celebrity was so profitable? It turned out these two were the culpts! Looking like he was ready to mark his territory, Liam was probably seeing him as a nival Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. What a joke! Suppressing his annoyance, Steven smiled and tumed to Celeste, ¡°If anything breaks in the future, call maintenance if it can be fixed, or just throw it away if it can¡¯t Don¡¯t always bother the neighbors, it¡¯s a hassle.¡± ¡°You should throw things away when it¡¯s time, don¡¯t be stingy, I¡¯ll get new ones for you Remember, everything¡¯s better when it¡¯s new¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, and his face turned a bit sour Seeing Liam¡¯s expression made Steven feel much better, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off, Mr. Reed, you should head home after you¡¯re done fixing the pipes.¡± As soon as Steven said goodbye, Liam frowned and said, ¡°Steven¡¯s pretty shrewd, try to interact with him less¡± Celeste gave him a sidelong nce, ¡°How about a walk?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam was caught off guard Celeste said, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk downstairs?¡± Liam returned to reality, this was the first time Celeste had asked him out since the divorce Was it because she found out about Sydney¡¯s lies and felt relieved? Liam¡¯s heart pounded, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Sure¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then¡± Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Celeste picked up his coat and opened the door Liam tactfully whispered, ¡°I can get it myself¡± Celeste handed the coat over to him As soon as Liam stepped out, Celeste shut the door behind him, leaving him outside A walk? What a joke! He always had his phone on him; he left it in the living room on purpose! Did she think he was stupid? On June 20th, Celeste finished shooting all her scenes for ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± Zach and the whole crew threw a small wrap party for Celeste. Her first project hade to an end Leaving the crew was quite challenging All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Zach was upright, the crew was tightly knit, everyone was very dedicated, and they all got along well Just like Jta said, she was lucky to get into Zach¡¯s crew for her first gig saving her from many detours Celeste, being inexperienced, onlyughed it off when the heard Jta¡¯s words After the crew disbanded, thepany gave her a few days off to rest and recuperate, saying a vital arrangement would being up Suddenly, Celeste had nothing to do. Trisha, on the other hand, had been quite busy Usually, she¡¯d only cook on weekends or holidays due to work But these days, the was cooking quite often Celeste watched the busy figure in the kitchen and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy with w Trisha was marinating a steak when she replied, ¡°Not really, its about the same as before¡± ¡°Then why are you cooking every day! Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Trisha turned around with a beaming smile, Tm doing it for Dr Ledford¡± Celeste ??? ¡°The other day, when I went for a check up, I saw Dr Ledford was very busy He didnt even have time for lunch, the takeout he ordered got cold before he could eat it It¡¯s greasy and unhealthy, so I thought I¡¯d make him something delicious Ill pack it up he can have it whenever he wants¡± Celeste was taken aback, she wanted to tell Trisha that she and Dr Ledford weren¡¯t that close yet, but then the remembered how mindlessly devoted the had been to Liam What right did she have to advise Trisha? Trisha prepared garlic pepper beef and a sd with vinaigrette in an hour She set aside some for Celeste, then packed the rest into a lunch box ¡°Eat slowly, I¡¯m off to deliver the food¡± With that, she picked up the lunch box and excitedly left Nics arrived on time, driving a convertible and waiting in the underground parking lot Seeing the elevator open, he turned on the hazard lights Trisha spotted him instantly, picked up the lunch box, and walked over quickly As soon as he got in the car, Nics couldn¡¯t wait to peek into the lunch box to see what was inside, but Trisha pped his hand away ¡°Keep your eyes on the road!¡± Nics sounded discontent, ¡°I¡¯m helping you woo a guy, and you won¡¯t even let me see what you cooked?¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°That¡¯s because you owe me Nics didn¡¯t mind, he casually said while steering. ¡°The c chicken wings you made yesterday were a bit sweet. You could use less c next time Trisha was taken aback, ¡°How did you know I made c chicken wings?¡± Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Nics said calmly, Well, Dr. Ledford told me. How would I know what you did if you never let me see?¡± Upon hearing that Jace said it, Trisha immediately asked for advice, ¡®Did he say anything else?¡± Nics responded thoughtfully. ¡°Not much else he doesn¡¯t like sweet food and can¡¯t handle too spicy¡± Upon hearing this, Trisha disappointingly said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I made stir fried beef today, it¡¯s a bit spicy¡± Stir¨Cfried beef? Nics¡¯s eyes lit up a bit he cleared his throat and said. ¡°A little spicy is fine, it whets the appetite¡°: Trisha sighed in relief and asked, ¡°Have you heard anyments from Dr Ledford about the meals you¡¯ve been delivering? Let me know whether they¡¯re good or not and I¡¯ll make adjustments Seeing her serious expression, Nics felt a bit ufortable After helping Liam rent an apartment, he moved in here to keep an eye on Celeste (mainly to keep an eye on Steven). A few days ago he bumped into Trisha, who was carrying some groceries home Ever since tasting Trisha¡¯s cooking, he has been craving it. Liam has been busy with work these few days and didn¡¯t have time toe over, so he didn t have a chance to mooch off their meals. So when he saw Trisha with groceries, he immediately followed and offered to help carry her stuff Tnsha was very wary of him and didn¡¯t let him touch anything, so he just chatted with her This girl was sharp tongued but a bit slow in the head, and Nics quickly discovered she was buying all these ingredients to cook for Jace A light bulb went off in Nics¡¯s head, and he immediately volunteered. ¡°Tl help you deliver it¡± ¡°You?¡± Trisha didn¡¯t trust him, ¡°You would be so kind to help me?¡± Nics said. ¡°We did have a rtionship, and I said I would help you chase Jace, I won¡¯t go back on my word. You¡¯re a girl, not his girlfriend yet and you deliver food to him daily. If you end up with Jace, it¡¯s fine, but if Jace doesn¡¯t want to, he can¡¯t refuse you in front of others, or if he directly rejects you, how will you, a girl who values your self¨Cesteem, ever go to their hospital again?¡± ¡°I have a good rtionship with Jace, and I can sing your praises when I go to him. Over time, he might ept you. To win a man¡¯s heart, you must win his stomach first. You should focus on cooking and figuring out how to win his stomach, leave the delivery work to me, I promise I¡¯ll get the job done¡± Trisha thought about it and it seemed to make sense Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Dr. Ledford was quite gentle, and she¡¯s been pursuing him aggressively. If he didn¡¯t like it, it might not be suitable to say it directly. By giving it to Nics, she might be able to find out how Dr Ledford felt about her from him So they struck a deal Every day, she would cook and give the food to Nics After Nics took it, he would retum the cleaned lunchbox that night She had to go to thepany today, so she hitched a ride with Nics. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 ¡°Are you listening? Trisha interrupted his thoughts, ¡°What did Dr. Ledford say?¡± Nics returned to his senses, ¡°Just what I said about too sweet and too spicy, he didn¡¯t say much else¡± ¡°Oh Insha thought momentarily. Ask him what he wants to eat tomorrow, I have a day off and can make a few more dishes¡± After a pause, she added. ¡°Considering you¡¯ve been delivering food to Dr Ledford for me these days, you can also pick a dish as a little reward for you¡± Nics suppressed his difort, tumed the steering wheel, and returned to his normal rxed state. Can you make anything?¡± Trisha immediately cut off his picky thoughts, ¡°Nothing tooplicated, its a waste of time. Home cooked meals are fine.¡± Pork chop stew with chickpeas then, not too hard, nght?¡± ¡°Okay, but pork is expensivetely, you should sponsor the meat money¡± Nics. ¡°Jace eats this and that every day Don¡¯t you ask him for money?¡± ¡°Can youpare yourself to Dr. Ledford? Trisha snorted. ¡®Dr Ledford is my future husband, I¡¯m willing to spend money on him. What are you? You¡¯re the perven who took my virginity! It¡¯s good enough that I¡¯m allowing you to redeem yourself, and you¡¯reparing yourself to Dr Ledford, don¡¯t you know your ce? ¡°Good organic pork in the supermarket is so expensive, you eat so much, you need at least three boxes of meat, plus gas and all that, fil charge you fifty, hand over the money Nics¡¯s mouth twitched. Three boxes of meat? Does the think he¡¯s a pig? Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He handed his wallet from the glove box to Trisha ¡°Get it yourself Trisha quickly opened the wallet, pulled out a banknote, and saw an old photo in thepartment In the photo, an older man with a white beard sat on a wooden chair with a little boy beside him. Behind them was arge orange grove and under the orange trees in the distance, a chubby child sat, dressed like a fat peach. The child was too far from the camera to make out their features or gender, but the boy in the photo was Nics with a smug expression. Even as a child, his smile was sly ¡°You looked quite pleasing as a child¡± Trishamented Nics smiled, ¡°Back in the day, I also won everyone over at school with my face, you know?¡°¨C if he hadn¡¯t transferred to the J City Aftering to the J City, both Liam and Mason were more handsome than him, and Nicss looks were instantly overshadowed. Trisha slowly finished the second half of her sentence, ¡°But then you grew up and grew crooked¡± The car soon amived at the hospital, Trisha waited in the cat and Nics went into the hospital with the lunchbox Just a little while after Nics left, an Audi parked in front. A fashionable woman wearing sunsses got out of the car, her outfit locked pricey. Just as she exited the car, the person in the driver¡¯s seat called her over. She walked over, and the man brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. They chatted for a bit before the woman finally turned to leave The Audi drove off, leaving the woman who had just exited the car standing at the crosswalk, looking like she was heading towards the hospital across the street. Trisha watched this figure, thinking she looked familiar The evening was growing dark, the sun had long since set. The woman probably thought her sunsses were making everything too dim, so she took then off. Upon closer inspection. Insha realized she was Shawn¡¯s mistress What was she doing at the hospital? Trisha immediately hopped out of her car to follow her Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Helen crossed the zebra crossing, putting her sunsses back on After scanning her surroundings and spotting no anomalies, she entered the hospital. Trisha stood next to Helen, sporting ck¨Crimmed sses and letting her previously tied up hair flow freely, making her look like a high school student. Naturally, this didn¡¯t arouse Helen¡¯s suspicion Because she had hardly seen Trisha before, but Trisha, being on the same side as Celeste against theirmon enemy, hadmitted Helen¡¯s face to memory Helen checked into the gynecology department as soon as she entered the hospital. Trisha did the same As they got on the elevator Trisha was filled with questions. Could it be that Helen is pregnant again? Shawn looked tired as hell. Could he still pull a rabbit out of his hat at his age? Trisha found it hard to believe that Shawn could pull it off. Even young Liam hadn¡¯t managed to knock Letti up Seeing that Trisha was heading to the same floor, Helen couldn¡¯t help giving her a second nce Pretending not to notice, Trisha pulled out her phone and pretended to make a call ¡°Hey honey, I¡¯m at the hospital, I just checked in. It¡¯s packed. I should¡¯ve made an appointment in advance. Yeah, yeah, you shoulde over soon.¡± Helen turned her gaze away and didn¡¯t look at her again. Tricha breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that after spending years on set with those seasoned veterans, if there was one thing she had leamed, it was how to bluff Her acting might not cut it with those who knew her, but it was more than enough to fool strangers The gynecology department was packed. The hallway was lined with pregnant women, some of whom hade alone, others apanied by family or husbands She found a spot near Helen to keep an eye on her A pregnant woman beside her asked, ¡°Are you here for prenatal care too?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Thisha responded hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m pregnant yet. I¡¯m womed the pregnancy tests might not be urate¡± The pregnant woman nodded and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re so young, and you¡¯re already nning on having a baby?¡± Tnshaughed hollowly. I just really like kids¡± Lady please don¡¯t be so friendly with me She was afraid of saying too much, making a mistake, and giving herself away. But the pregnant woman was quite the chatterbox, pulling Trisha into a lengthy conversation Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She asked about Trisha and her husband¡¯s professions, how they fell in love, and when they married Trisha strained her brain to make up a bunch of stuff, nearly running out of things to say, when the pregnant woman finally said, ¡°You two are so lucky But even happiness needs to be prepared for You never know if tomorrow or an ident wille first. Moreover, your husband is a driver¡± She paused, ¡°Have you considered getting him ident insurance?¡± Huh??? The pregnant woman continued. ¡°Ourpany¡¯s new insurance product, you can get a million¨Cdor payout in case of idental death it¡¯s only a few hundred bucks a month, and if you pay annually, you get a 10% discount. It¡¯s a steal.¡± Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 The woman said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t buy medical and ident insurance these days? After all, life is unpredictable. You always have to n for yourself and your N?velDrama.Org owns this. children¡± Tosha swallowed, ¡°A few thousand is quite a lot for us. I have to discuss it with my husband.¡± The woman persisted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call hint and ask now? There¡¯s a promotion going on. I¡¯m only telling you all this because you seen nice. If you wait a few more days, the price will increase¡± Trisha nced over at Helen, feeling like she was being watched, quickly averted her gaze At that moment, her phone rang. It was Nics. Trisha quickly picked up, feeling like her cover was about to be blown. She needed Nics to help her out As soon as she answered the call, before Nics could speak, Trisha said, ¡°Honey, the gynecology department is on the seventh floor Come straight up. I¡¯m in line here There¡¯s ady here asking us if we want to buy insurance. It sounds pretty good. You shoulde to take a look¡± Nics frowned, ¡°Little bandit, what are you up to?¡± Trisha didn¡¯t respond, simply saying. ¡°Hurry up, I¡¯m going to hang up now¡± Nics was confused but turned around and headed back to the hospital, to the seventh floor gynecology department Upon arriving, he saw Trisha sitting among a bunch of pregnant women, holding a check¨Cin slip. As soon as he appeared, Trisha spotted him Calling out, ¡°Honey,¡± she ran over and grabbed his arm, whispering. Thedy sitting next to me earlier is Shawn¡¯s mistress. She sneaked into the gynecology department to check¨Cin. I followed her here. She hasn¡¯t recognized me yet. You need to help me cover¡± Nics quickly nced at Helen before turning his gaze back to Trisha, wrapping his arm around her waist, ¡°Wifey, did you miss me so much after just a short while apart?¡± The corner of Tnsha¡¯s mouth twitched. Could he be any more fake? ¡°Yes! I missed you to death-¡± Tnsha nearly gritted her teeth as she said this The insurance saleswoman looked at Nics and was taken aback, then turned to Trisha, ¡°Your husband is a driver? ¡°Huh, doesn¡¯t he look like one? Trisha ruffled Nics¡¯s hair, messing up his slick hairstyle, ¡°He just likes to put on airs, loves buying knockoffs to pretend he¡¯s nich She tugged at Nics¡¯s tie. This is from Amima. Doesn¡¯t it look like Armani?¡± Nics¡¯s lips twitched. This little bandit Trisha, she¡¯s getting her own back! ¡°Your husband does look quite distinguished¡± ¡°Right? I was bewitched by this face at first, too. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so irresponsible. Driving for a living, three days fishing, and two days drying thes. We¡¯ve been mamed for three years, and we haven¡¯t been able to save any money Sister, is your insurancepany hiring? What¡¯s the pay and benefits like? Do you think my husband would fit the job? Don¡¯t let his loafing around fool you, he¡¯s got a pretty face if you get him to sit in a pile of women, I bet he¡¯d get you a ton of sales The woman was speechless In all her years of selling insurance, this was the first time she¡¯d seen someone pitching their spouse as a salesperson. Nics could hardly contain hisughter as he listened to Trisha¡¯s cock and bull story Tnsha was too funny Trisha¡¯s aggressive sales pitch took aback the woman. Standing up, she said. ¡°I need to go pee. Well talkter¡± After finishing her words, she hurried off with her little cup as if she were making a run for it Trisha turned her gaze back to Nics, sighing, ¡°Honey, your job situations gone south again, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Nics replied, ¡°No worries, you can keep me A twitch yed at theer of Trisha¡¯s mouth Helen¡¯s gaze lingered on the two momentarily, then returned to her own business as her number was called next Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 As soon as Helen stepped into the clinic, Trisha pushed Nics away. ¡°Man, you¡¯re burning up like a furnace¡± Nics shot her a nce ¡°With this heat, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not hot?¡± Well, she didn¡¯t seem that hot Her touch was soft and rxed, like meat jelly Trisha grabbed a pamphlet on the chair and started fanning herself ¡°This side chick must be in her forties Shawn¡¯s just over fifty Can she get pregnant?¡± ¡°Just the other day, there was news about a woman in her sixties having a baby What¡¯s the big deal with being in her forties?¡± Nics grabbed the pamphlet from her hand and started fanning himself. He sat to Trisha¡¯s right, and being a guy, his wrist was stronger. The wind he fanned also blew onto Trisha¡¯s face, which was refreshing ¡°Something feels fishy here Shawn had a kid at this age, and with his emphasis on offspring, he¡¯d be overjoyed Why would this woman be so secretive? Unless the kid isn¡¯t Shawns!¡± If that were true, all they¡¯d have to do was spill the beans about Helen¡¯s affair to Shawn. Wouldn¡¯t that stir up some drama? Once their alliance crumbles, they might be able to squeeze out some information Nics ruffled her hair. You sure have a wild imagination. The mistress is keeping a toy boy?¡± Trisha knocked his hand away ¡°Helen¡¯s an old fox, still charming, and she¡¯s got money. You think she¡¯d settle for Shawn, that old fart? Nics chuckled ¡°Who knew you had such a broad vocabry? Judging by how you usually talk, I thought you were barely literate¡± Tnsha was at a loss for words ¡®Letti and I were ssmates. How the hell do you think I graduated from college?¡± As they were talking, the door opened Helen took her papers and went to get a cup for the urine test Just as Trisha got up, the nurse called her number It was her turn. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She quickly instructed Nics Keep an eye on her if she bolts, you can say goodbye to your stew.¡± Trisha came out in less than two minutes, then went to get a cup and headed to the bathroom. The bathroom was crowded. Helen was still in line Trisha just slipped in behind her After Helen went in, anotherdy came out of the next stall. Trisha gestured to the woman behind her to go in first. She stealthily swapped out a pregnant woman¡¯s pee cup while washing her hands, leaving an empty cup in its ce When Helen came out, Trisha was sitting with Nics outside the test room, waiting for the results About twenty minutester, the PA system called out their numbers to collect their papers To make it look convincing, Nics volunteered to get the results Tall and sharp¨Ceyed, he was perfect for peaking at Helen¡¯s results. Taking Trishas results, Nics quickly nced at Helen¡¯s [hCG pregnancy test positive] Trisha¡¯s hunch was correct Nics couldn¡¯t help but nce at the paper in his hands, and his heart skipped a beat. He blurted out, ¡°Holy shit.¡± ¡°How can it be positive?¡± Trisha rushed over ¡°What¡¯s wrong, honey?¡± Nics looked at her, conflicted. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a sight for sore eyes? Isn¡¯t this good news?¡± How can she be so calm? Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Helen took her paper and went to see the doctor again. When she came out, she went downstairs and left the hospital straight away Trisha only asked, ¡°So, is the mistress pregnant?¡± Nics was still stuck on Trisha¡¯s pregnancy test he had just seen. Just that once and she got pregnant? Trisha¡¯s question brought him back a bit. He muttered, ¡®She is Positive¡± 1knew it! I saw her take a leaflet about painless abortion The baby in her belly must not be Shawns!¡± Nics couldn¡¯t care less about whose baby Helen was carrying All he cared about was whether the baby Trisha was carrying was his Nics thought about it for a long time When they got in the car, he hesitantly asked. ¡®So what are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let me be clear I have no ns to many and don¡¯t want a kid. But if you want to keep it, I won¡¯t force you to terminate it. If you want to raise the kid, I send you child support promptly if you don¡¯t want to then I¡¯ll raise it From being utterly bewildered. Trisha¡¯s face tumed stem Does this guy think she¡¯s carrying his child? So he¡¯s senously discussing whether to keep the baby with her? Seeing her silence. Nics asked again, ¡°So, what¡¯s your n?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Gritting her teeth, Tnsha said, 1 n to flush it down the toilet!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s carrying your child? I used someone else¡¯s peel¡± He paused. ¡°You¡¯re not pregnant?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant! I just had my period yesterday? Trisha red at him. ¡°You nutjob!¡± After driving for a while, Trisha suddenly remembered. ¡°Later, give me a copy of the car¡¯s dashcam footage I need to check that boy toy¡¯s license te¡± Nics paused, then started bargaining ¡°Cook for me for a month, and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± TI buy the groceries, you won¡¯t have to spend a penny Juste over to my ce to cook. You won¡¯t even have to do the dishes, Nics said, squinting his eyes Trisha¡¯s lips twitched. Does he think she¡¯s his maid? She red at Nics 1 say no way!¡± ¡°This could help your best friend.¡± Nics coaxed ¡°Don¡¯t you want to help Letti take those Campbells down?¡± Trisha red at him. ¡°Your best bud is chasing Letti like his life. You¡¯re not helping him. Instead, you re ckmailing me?¡± ¡°He lost his wife, he should chase her himself. What¡¯s that got to do with me? If he can¡¯t catch up, it¡¯s his problem.¡± Look at this false brotherhood ¡°If you cook for me for a month, I promise, not only will you get to see the dashcam footage, but I shall also help you dig up everything about this boy toy. What do you say? Trisha was on the fence, and Nics sighed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then forget it. It seems like you¡¯re not as tight with Letti as you thought, can¡¯t even cock a few meals for her¡± Trisha¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t you try to stir the pot here; I just don¡¯t buy that you¡¯re capable of this!¡± Nics smiled slightly. ¡°Little bandit, I¡¯m the boss of a publicpany, if I couldn¡¯t pull this off, how could I have made it this far?¡± Trisha started to waver Thinking of how Letti was left high and dry, she couldn¡¯t offer much help Though this Nics was a pain in the neck, he had a vastwork and could find something they couldn¡¯t She could think of a month of cooking as feeding a dog! She gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°is your word good?¡± Nics cracked another slight smile, ¡®Honesty is the best policy, I always walk the talk¡° Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Driving for a while, Nics asked, ¡°Caitlyn¡¯s dead, and Letti isn¡¯t Shawn¡¯s daughter anymore. What¡¯s the point in digging all this up?¡± Celeste doesn¡¯t seem to care about the Campbell family¡¯s fortune. After all, she doesn¡¯t want Liam¡¯s money, so why would she be interested in Campbell¡¯s dough? She¡¯s not Shawn¡¯s daughter anymore, which is excellent. Cut the ties cleanly, right? Why get all tangled up with the Campbell family again? Trisha said, ¡°Just because someone¡¯s dead, we should let bygones be bygones? Those two cheating bastards plotted together and caused Caitlyn¡¯s car ident She ended up as a vegetable, lying in bed for seven years. Now she¡¯s dead, why should they get off scot¨Cfree? Is that fair? N?velDrama.Org owns this. Nics was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re saying Shawn caused Caitlyn¡¯s ident?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Caitlyn was about to kick Shawn out. Then she had an ident and lost consciousness Who do you think benefits the most? Just look at that, Shawn¡¯s a prime suspect¡± ¡°Did you report it to the police?¡± ¡°Letti consulted a friend in the police department. The car involved in the ident was scrapped years ago It¡¯s nearly impossible to find direct evidence to mopen the case. The detective Letti hired advised us to try and break up Shawn and Helenis rtionship if their rtionship falls apart, useful information mighte Out¡± Trisha paused. ¡°Don¡¯t say this to anyone, or I¡¯ll shut you up for good!¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Rx, I¡¯m tight¨Clipped¡± After dropping Trisha off at her office, Nics called Liam. ¡°Got an opportunity to impress your ex wife, you game?¡± Liam had just finished a meeting Holding the phone, he was walking and talking, ¡°Shoot¡± Nics smirked, ¡°Your ex suspects her mom¡¯s car ident years ago was orchestrated by Shawn and his mistress. If you can get to the bottom of this, it¡¯ll improve her impression of you¡± He paused, then added. ¡°Heads up, the mistress is keeping a boy toy. You can start there¡± After hanging up. Nics hummed a tune on his way home Now he had someone to dig up the dirt, and he didn¡¯t have to spend a dime. And he managed to trick a little cook intoing back. How clever was he? Back in his office, Liam delegated the task Then he asked, ¡°Has Shawn lost all his investment in Smart Chips yet?¡± Owen replied, ¡°Not yet, but he has lost more than half. He sold half of it this afternoon at a loss, and he¡¯s watching the rest.¡± Liam didn¡¯t even look up, ¡°Keep pushing, if he doesn¡¯t get out, he¡¯ll lose it all.¡± They had been setting up this trap for a while, and it was finally time to close in Owen sighed He had to admit Mr. Reed had a keen insight into human nature. Their scheme was a bit hasty and not very sophisticated Shawn could have made a fortune if he had been cautious and cashed out when he made a profit. But the man was too greedy and a newbie to stocks Liam was prepared, he was bound to fall for Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 But this tactic of hurting the enemy at one¡¯s own expense was something he had never seen Mr. Reed use before. Liam¡¯s phone vibrated He nced at it, Sean had sent him a report card. High scores. Liam smiled, then picked up a pen, wrote a sentence on a piece of paper, took a pictum, and sent it to Sean Owen took a look. While there is life, there is hope The writing was smooth, and the font free and easy Owen couldn¡¯t help recalling the first time he failed the interview at Quantum Liam had written a sentence on the back of his resume Nothing is impossible With this sentence, he spent a year wildly studying Quantumis information, including its founding process,pany history, and the characteristics and sales of current products When he came for the interview the following year, he passed quickly The final round was a one¨Con¨Cone interview with Liam. Owen was more nervous than he¡¯d ever been Liam just asked a few simple questions, and then he passed Later when they became familiar, Owen once mentioned this to Liam. He gratefully told Liam that if he hadn¡¯t seen the sentence on the back of his resume that year, he might not have had the courage toe again. It was Liam who gave him this opportunity Liam was stunned momentanly then said, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re capable¡± Owenter found out that Liam would write a sentence on the back of the resumes of those who made it to the final round of interviews every year. Most of them were encouraging words. But Quantum had high standards, and most interviewees were from prestigious schools. After being eliminated, they might. feel somewhat unconvinced and not even look at the resume The HR manager told him that Mr. Reed would write every year, but very few, like Owen, would swallow their pride ande for the interview again. Liam¡¯s way of doing things might seem too cold and rigid, but as a businessman who valued practical work, he provided an equal stage for job seekers. Did the flowers amive?¡± Liam looked up and asked Owen snapped back to reality. Well Mr. Reed might be a bit lovestruck. They were delivered and signed for today.¡± Liam was a bit surprised, considering the flowers hed sent a few days ago had been thrown out. ¡°What did she say?¡± Owen pursed his lips. ¡°Ms Trisha signed for them. She said she would use them for a bath, and your wife agreed that.¡± Seeing him a bit down, Owen coughed and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, this is a good sign. Even if Ms. Trisha signed for them, if your wife didn¡¯t want them, Ms. Tnsha couldn¡¯t have brought them in¡± Liam looked a little better then asked, ¡°Did Skyline Media Group arrange any work for her recently?¡± ¡°So there¡¯s a movie casting happening at Skyline Media Group, and the missus is going for an audition on Monday. The audition was at Azure Club Owen paused. ¡°Mr. Reed, the partners are hosting a dinner at Azure Club on Monday, you gonna show up?¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°What do you think?¡± Owen chuckled T RSVP night away¡± Celeste had an excellent five¨Cday break before Eaton arranged a new audition for her A director making a suspense movie was cast at Skyline Media Group The movie. Murder was based on a college poisoning case from years ago All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. They didn¡¯t hand out a script, just a rough storyline Celeste was taken with the story and Eaton saw potential in it too. But for a big movie, you need a box landing the lead role seemed slim No matter how good the script it all depended on the attitude of the money guys draw and Celeste was a newbie Hat cha Celeste however was very optimuatic The lead actor of that hit show was rejected over 200 times during auditions. Compared to him, can make it so can! Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 acting well, the key was ti l?ave the night mindset and to know hat you want. wn for a casting trip so he couldn¡¯t apany her instead, he asked a colleague from thepany to take her to the ongmally her assistant had been assigned to help other artists on the set during her rest break. Athough Steven had been looking out for her thepany had to ow its internal rules At Celecter¡¯s current statut, the couldn¡¯t have her private assistant. So, when she was resting it was customary for Jta to be reassigned Eaton gave her contact of his colleague isabel, who was iso an agent. She had been poached from Shining Entertainment by Skyline Media Group She used to work in the samepany as Trisha ording to Tesha isabel was quite a powerhouse and had many first and second¨Ctier artists under her wing. But for some reason, she had a fallout with her boss, and most of her resources were divided among other agents. After establishing Skyline Media Group she actively jumped ship from Shining Entertainment She was one of the first agents signed by thepany Celeste had prepared early When it was the initiative to ca | itstel The call was answered after a while. ¡°Hels in the evening, and she hadn¡¯t received a call from isabel, she started to feel anxious The woman¡¯s voice on the other end was a bit indifferent Celeste spoke softly Isabel, have you arrived yet?¡± yet there¡¯s a bit of traffic¡± Celeste frowned. Even without traffic, it would take 30 What time would be by the time they arrived there? minutes to get from the residential area to Azure Club, but Isabel hadn¡¯t even amved yet. ¡°Isabel, why don¡¯t you go straight to Azure Club¡± I can take a taxs there myself, it would save to How could that be? I promised Eaton to take you there. What if something happe isabel hung up the phone without waiting for Celeste to respond Celeste furrowed her brows, and it was busy when she tried to call back Property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Isabel arved, it was already past 7 10 Celeste had been waiting outside the residential area for a 113 be there soon, wait a bit longer Once in the car isabel locked her up and down, then said. ¡°Didn¡¯t Eaton tell about the dress code for the audition today?¡± Celeste was taki ¡°He didn¡¯t mention it¡® isabel said. Tem if he didn¡¯t, you should know what the movie is about, right? Murder is set in a dance academy, the main characters are all dancers. The director will want to see your basit dance skulls. How are you. perfori in jeans?¡± Celeste pursed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go upstairs to change ¡°No time,¡± Isabel said. T¡¯I have someone bring a set for you. You can change when we get there Celeste breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Isabel Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 say anything more as her phone rang and the picked it up Fotunately the wasn¡¯t too bad and they arrived there before clock. Once fart, habel handed her a stic bag clothes and said. ¡°You go change first, call me when you¡¯re done¡± hes, thanked her and was then led to the changing room fien had directors choosing actors for auditions, so a storage room had been converted into a simple changing room. It was only a few square meters big with a char and some drinks stacked in theer Celeste changed into the dance outfit put her clothes in the stic bag, and then thed to open the do but when she pulled it didn¡¯t open N?velDrama.Org owns this. She was taken aback and tried again, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Celestes face tumed serious, and she called out a few times, but there was only silence on the other side She quickly took out her phone to call isabel but there was no signal She forgot that Azure Club had many celebrities and high¨Cprofile customers visiting Signal jammers were used above the fifth floor to protect their information from being leaked so her call couldn¡¯t get through it was then that Celeste realized she had been screwed over. She looked around the room The room had no window, just a venttion fan in the top left corner Opening the window to call for help was out of the question a bummari What had she done to offend isaber? After locking Celeste in isabel retumed to th Son room. Seeing her Sydney handed her a bottle of water Isabel how did it go?¡± Don¡¯t worry¡± Isabel said with a smile as she took the water, ¡°che on¡¯t be appearing at Trishas intel was wrong udition today¡± bel had tried to poach Sydney befom Although the wasn¡¯t sessfu the two had a perfect tionship After Sydney signed with Skyline Media Group, she asked isabel to be her agent With a famous rising star in her hand what was there to worry They hit it off immediately The Murder audition was interested in Sydney, who had arge fan base and considerable influence. The production team intended for her to carry the box office But thepany rmended two ople for the Stion, Sydney and Celeste At first, Isabel didn¡¯t take Celeste an artist with no poprity. But yesterday. Sydney came to her and said that Celeste had a special rtionship with Steven, and the was worried the might not pass the audition ?sabel couldn¡¯t see anything special about Steven¡¯s tionship with Celeste in fact, Steven didn¡¯t even come to thepany often. But after she watched Celeste¡¯s performance in Mastermind of Law, the suddenly felt a bit wary She and Eaton were schoolmates and were just ordinary friends without any conflicts of seen Eaton as apetitor Eatons got a keen eye, he must¡¯ve seen something pretty dam special in het I now that they were in the samepany, Isabel had long Isabel itching to show off her skills to the new boss, ain¡¯t going to hand Eaton the chance to make a new star And that¡¯s what led to the scene just now Upon hearing this. Sydney breathed a sigh of relief Celeste, you were divorced from Liam, what on earth gave you the night to act all high and mighty? Seventh floor private room Smoky, clinking sses. Liam sat in aer, nced at his wristwatch. it was past eight already. Liam was getting antsy The business partner beside him saw his furrowed brow, quiet since he arrived, not drinking, so he initiated a conversation Mr Reed lighten up, let¡¯s drink He poured a full ss for Liam Just as Liam was about to decline Owen walked in He leaned over and whispered in Liam¡¯s ear. ¡°Mr. Reed, I can¡¯t reach Celeste on her cell.¡± face tumed prout. ¡°What do y I mean you can¡¯t mach Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Owen whisperi The signal from her cell phone has disappeared. She should have arrived at the Azure Club and entered the signal¨Cblocking area but she is e audition site¡± Ten aready contacted the club¡¯s manager and they¡¯re checking the surveince footage, but it take some time¡± Owen paused. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance Madam¡¯s Liam w unenten rules of the entertainment industry, but Owen was Celeste had gamed over a million followers in just a week with her legal doma Mastermind of times. Anyone would be scared topete against such a formidable opponent without any paid promotions. She had even trended several The mat in the entertainment industry was only so big Not only was Celeste talented but she was also a beauty if she became famous, she would inevitably cut into other peoples market shares. Considering how much Celeste valued her acting career it was improbable for her to miss her audition. She was likely been tricked by herpetitors. Liam stood up and walked out without saying a word The partner that had gone to great lengths to invite Liam was taken aback by his sudden departure Owen stopped the man from following Liam and gently said, Sir Mr. Reed has an emergency today. We hope to see you at Quantum¡¯s anniversary celebration next Wednesday I¡¯ll have the invitation delivered to your The man was stunned. Being invited to Quantum¡¯s anniversary was a rare honor, usually reserved for big partners or close friends of the brand. He had only been coborating with Quantum for a couple of years and never dared to dream of being invited to their anniversary Owen didn¡¯t pay any attention to the mans shocked expression and left with Liam, Celeste knocked on the door several times, but the room was pitch dark. She started to panic and hastily turned on her phone shlight She feared the dark, especially in such a small and confined space it reminded her of some unpleasant experiences from her childhood She squatted on the ground and knocked on the door until her hand was sore, but there was no response She should have expected such a dirty trick. if they had locked her in here, they must have ensured she wouldn¡¯t get out anytime soon. They might even have someone keeping an eye on the ce so she couldn¡¯t leave quickly. She looked around the room with the dim light from her phone and boxes to the door She opened a bottle and poured the alcohol through the gap under the door a few boxes of alcohol on the floor & thought crossed her mind, and she dragged the Liam quickly amived at the ninth floor where the auditions were held. Exiting the elevator he asked Owen. When the surveince footage be ready?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say, mainly because we don¡¯t kn hen Madam entered the probably All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Liam¡¯s face tumed serious again. ked them to check the recent footage. It could take at least half an hour It was already half past eight. The auditions would be over by the time they found out what hap ned Owen quickly added. ¡°The manager of Azure Club has already arranged for people to search the building floor by floor We should hear something soon Owen paused, then quietly said, ¡°Mr. Reed, you could just let this slide. This could be a good opportunity for you to shine. Let Madam suffer a bit, and then you can swoop in and save the day¡± Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Liam stopped and turned to look at Owen, simply replying. ¡°That¡¯s her dream¡± He could act as Owen suggested, let Celeste experience the cutthroat nature of society, let her sink into the mire, and thene to her rescue like a knight in shining armor Show her how cruel and scary the world can be without him, and keep her by his side like a caged canary But Celeste was not a canary. Although she had been living a life of luxury, carelessly spending money, her spirit had been dimming daily She would toss and turn at night, looking at her former ssmates achieving sess in their careers. While watching TV shows, she would point at an actor and say, ¡°That¡¯s my ssmate xxx. He wasn¡¯t as good as me back in school, but look at him now, everyone¡¯s working so hard¡± He wanted to keep her in a cage but never locked it. Celeste had been in the cage for so long she didn¡¯t want to fly out Just like a baby elephant chained up by its owner, even when it grew up and had the strength to break free, itcked the courage to do so. Now that she had stepped out of the cage unless she chose to go back in herself, he would nevery that trap and destroy her dreams. Owen was taken aback and quietly said, ¡°I understand.¡± As they passed the audition suite, Liam suddenly stopped The carpet under his feet felt different from elsewhere Looking down, he saw that it was damp. Everywhere else was bright red, but the spot under his feet was dark red Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The damp trail led to a narrow door a few meters away Owen curiously said, ¡°There¡¯s a leak. Wait, why does it smell like alcohol?¡± Liam nced at the door and was about to walk away when suddenly, arge amount of alcohol began to seep out from under the door. ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience,¡± a waiter rushed out, apologizing nervously, ¡°Please walk on the left side, guests. There¡¯s been a leak in our alcohol storage, I¡¯ll have someone clean it up immediately¡± Just a leak? More like a flood Liam nced at the door and said, ¡°Open it.¡± The waiter was startled ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but this is also an employee changing room containing many personal belongings. It would vite their privacy¡­ ¡°Open it!¡± Liam¡¯s patience was weaning thin, his face turning stern. The waiter was startled. Liam had been controlling his aura, but now that he was angry, his overpowering presence was giving off a strong sense of intimidation The kind of pressure thates from someone in power was overwhelmingly strong. But the waiter had taken money from the other party, promising to keep her locked until nine, and it was only twenty minutes to nine. How was he supposed to get the rest of the money if she was released now? However, he soon regained hisposure. The owner of Azure Club was a big shot in the capital. Who would dare to cause trouble here in J City? So, he suppressed his fear and insisted, Tm sorry, but I¡¯ll have to ask the manager¡¯s permission.¡± Owen took out his phone and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Manager, there¡¯s a waiter here refusing to open a door. Can you visit the ninth floor and check what¡¯s going on? Mr. Reed is waiting The waiter¡¯s face went all pale What! What! They went straight to his manager Three minutester, the manager rushed to the scene, ready to give the waiter a piece of his mind. But Liam cut him off, ¡°Get the door first.¡± The manager turned his head, itching to give the waiter a good telling¨Coff. ¡°Where¡¯s the key? Open the door, pronto!¡± In a panic, the waiter fetched the key from the duty room. His hands shook so much that he couldn¡¯t get the key into the keyhole Owen took the key from his hand and, with a stem face, opened the door. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 The moment the door swung open, a thick, boozy smell smacked me right in the face Celeste was squatting on the floor, looking a little paler than usual One hand clutched a cell phone, and the other was still pouring booze into a crack in the door Feeling a pang of anxiety, Liam rushed over and pulled her out of there. Owen wasn¡¯t looking any better. This tiny,pletely sealed¨Coff room was like a gas chamber with its power cut and only vent blocked off. The air was so foul that it was suffocating Anyone stuck in there for half an hour would be struggling for breath. ¡°Liam Celeste was leaning against him, calling out his name faintly. Liam was tense lips sealed shut and responded with a vaque grunt. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered. ¡°Take me to the window or the balcony I need some fresh air Liam paused momentanly, then said in a low voice, Tm taking you to the hospital first¡± ¡°Just take me to the balcony first Celeste clung to his shirt, Tl be fine after a break. I still have to audition. I can¡¯t let them winN?velDrama.Org owns this. Seeing Liam¡¯s strained face, she rubbed her hand against his cheek, Please!¡± She wouldn¡¯t say the word when he wanted her to, but she could use it like a pro when he least expected it. Liam clenched his jaw, said nothing, and camed her straight to the balcony The open space with fresh air was like a breath of life. The heaviness in her lungs slowly dispersed, and her breathing became more rxed Liam remained silent, sitting by her side, gently rubbing her back. Celeste¡¯s face slowly regained some color. Owen brought warm water, ¡°Ma¡¯am, have some water¡± Celeste thanked him, took small sips, and retumed the cup to Owen. ¡°I have to go to the audition¡± She stood up, feeling a short darkness spell before her vision cleared again. Liam grabbed her wrist, ¡°Rest a little longer. I¡¯ll talk to the director.¡± ¡°No¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°If you do that, people will think you¡¯re my sugar daddy. I haven¡¯t earned a dime for my boss yet, and I already have a scandal with you. How am I supposed to work in thepany?¡± Liam said sternly ¡°Anyone who talks nonsense, I¡¯ll np their tongue out.¡± When did Liam be so domineering? Celeste coughed, ¡°You maybe you should talk less. I¡¯m not used to it¡± Celeste nced at the time, I have to go now. Don¡¯t interfere. Got it? Or I¡¯ll donate all your money!¡± She took off like a bat out of hell Once she was out of sight. Liam turned to Owen with a grim face. Find out who did this.¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t even reached the private room when the door opened, and a group of people walked out,ughing and chatting She felt a sinking feeling in her heart, humedly catching up, and called, ¡°Director Javier A man in his fifties with graying hair turned to look at her. ¡°You are ¡°I¡¯m Celeste, the actress auditioning today¡± After saying this, Celeste silently cursed under her breath It was the same with ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± if it weren¡¯t for an actor having an ident, Zach wouldn¡¯t have let her fill in at thest minute. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would be that lucky this time Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 She wasn¡¯t familiar with Director Javier, who had made arthouse andmercial films and won numerous awards This kind of director would hate it even more if an actor werete for an audition As soon as Celeste finished speaking, Isabel and Sydney exited the private room Upon seeing Celeste, Isabel immediately stepped forward to block her, ¡°We couldn¡¯t find you during the audition. Now you show up, causing a scene with no sense of time! Mr. Javier has already chosen Sydney for the lead role¡± Javier turned to his assistant Who is this actress?¡± The assistant quickly found Celeste¡¯s information and said in a low voice, ¡®She¡¯s a new signee with Skyline Media Group She hasn¡¯t had any work yet She just finished shooting a drama recently, it hasn¡¯t been released yet. She also appeared in a short film and gained a little fame The assistant continued. ¡°Sydney, that big star arrived for the audition an hour early This one has no concept of time it¡¯sughable that Skyline Media Group would rank these two together in his view, there was nopanson between them Sydney was superior in all aspects, whether in poprity, public image, or existing works. Isabel kept pushing Celeste Annoyed, Celeste grabbed her hand and said in a low voice, ¡°You know damn well why I waster Isabel sneered. ¡°ming others for yourck of time management?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to waste her breath with her and shook off her hand, walking straight towards the director and his team ¡°Mr Director, the audition ends at nine, and it¡¯s eight fifty¨Ctwo now I still have eight minutes, enough for me to perform. Please give me a chance¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Javier examined her from head to toe After a long pause he finally said. ¡°As you just heard, we¡¯ve already chosen the lead actress.¡± Sydney¡¯s mouth curved into a smug smile. The character Kathie, a poor and innocent girl, in Javier¡¯s film was tailor¨Cmade for her. That was Sydney¡¯s forte. The moment she saw the script, she knew the role was hers With Celeste¡¯s somewhat strange face, she wouldn¡¯t even pass the image screening. She was waiting to see Celeste¡¯s crushed expression, but to her surprise, Celeste didn¡¯t show any change of expression. She even gave a small smile Tm not here to audition for Kathie. I¡¯m here for Nannie¡± Nannie, the second female lead and Kathie¡¯s roommate, is a wealthy heiress. Despite her privileged background, she often lost to Kathie in professional courses, and their rtionship was almost hostile Later, when Kathie was drugged and her lower body paralyzed, the investigation team came. Nannie was the prime suspect. But the case was eventually left unsolved due tock of evidence. Paralyzed from the waist down, Kathie could no longer stand on stage. Meanwhile, Nannie managed to step onto the international stage, bing a big shot in the industry at home and abroad Nannie¡¯s character in the y was the mostplex, second only to the female lead in screen time¨C the character ages from twenty to forty, a vital role However, the character was so dark Javier couldn¡¯t decide who should y it. Now that Celeste had mentioned the role, he gave her a second look. The arrogance in Celeste¡¯s eyes and her natural grace fit Nannie¡¯s image perfectly Javier became interested. ¡°Can you dance?¡± Celeste answered cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ve had a few years of training¡± Javier turned to his assistant. ¡°Give her a script from the training room scene¡± Then he looked at Celeste again. ¡°Let me see your basics.¡± The pressure in Celeste¡¯s heart cased a little As long as she got a chance, that was all that mattered Sydney looked displeased. As Celeste walked past her, she said coldly. ¡°Celeste, the entertainment industry is about talent, not about hooking up Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Celeste stopped and nced at her, ¡°You can tell who¡¯s got the chops on set, and besides, the men I know, you¡¯ve probably never met.¡± Then she nced at her belly, ¡°Your baby isn¡¯t bom yet, night?¡± Sydney¡¯s face soured as Celeste entered the private room Javier¡¯s assistant handed her a script of just one page set in a school¡¯s practice room Nannie won first ce in the citywide youth dancepetition, and her ssmates began discussing it in the practice mom. They all thought there had been some foul y and were indignant on behalf of Kathie Nannie heard these whispers outside the door and stormed in to argue with Kathie They had a public showdown. and Nannie messed up on the move, inviting the crowd¡¯sughter Celeste quickly memonized the script and looked at Javier, Ready to start?¡± Javier nodded, paused, then said. ¡°Sydney,e join us, not much dialogue for you¡± Sydney responded, ncing at Celeste, and took the script from the director The ssmates thought Kathie performed better than Nannie, who clearly messed up during the competition but still won first ce Nannie¡¯s father was the deputy mayor, and her grandfather was also a big shot, so they all spected that there was foul y in thepetition and the judges intentionally voted for Nannie In other words, she didn¡¯t win the championship fair and square Everyone was discussing it, feeling sorry for Kathie, whose family was financially struggling She was a unique, talented student the vige folks sponsored her tution Thepetition¡¯s first prize came with a cash prize of a thousand dors A thousand dors was a considerable sum of money back then, it was enough for Kathie to finish her studies and even improve her family¡¯s living conditions So naturally, everyone was infuriated when Nannie won first ce. ¡°What¡¯s so great about her? Does she think she dances that well? if it wasn¡¯t for her family connections, could she have scored that high with that mistake she made? ¡°Exactly, if those judges really knew how to appreciate, they would have noticed how obvious her mistake was Kathie said softly, ¡°Actually Nannie dances quite well Dance is subjective, everyone has their own opinions, it¡¯s all in the past now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too kind. Did you see how she acts after winning the championship? She looks down on people. She said she worked hard, but everyone work hard in dance ande to practice early in the morning. I get it now, it¡¯s not about dancing well, but having a powerful and influential father¡± Just as she finished speaking, the practice room door was kicked open with a ¡°bang¡± Everyone jumped, seeing Nannie standing there, they all looked a bit embarrassed N?velDrama.Org owns this. After all, having your gossip heard by the person it was about was always awkward. Nannie¡¯s face was dark as she nced at everyone, saying coldly, ¡°If you have something to say, say it to my face. Speaking behind someone¡¯s back is like a rat, it can¡¯t stand the light. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 The girl who had just been ranting blushed, ¡°I¡¯ll say it! What¡¯s there to be afraid of? You know how you danced that day, don¡¯t you? How did you win this championship? Can you honestly say it? If anyone¡¯s a rat here, it¡¯s you, sneaking around and stealing others¡® hard work!¡± Kathie quickly stood up to mediate, ¡°Margarita, stop talking¡± Nannie clenched her fists, her face was terrible. ¡°The judges were brought in from other amas, how could I cheat? You¡¯re badmouthing me behind my back just because you didn¡¯t win. Is the championship yours? And only if you win its fair?¡± Kathie frowned. ¡°Nannie, no one meant it that way We¡¯re all ssmates, don¡¯t say such harsh words¡± Nannie scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re a good person Why don¡¯t you talk about your own mistakes on stage?¡± ¡°You made mistakes, and you¡¯re dragging others down with you Katte must have danced that dance a hundred times, how could she make a mistake?¡± ¡°She¡¯s human, why can¡¯t she make a mistake? Nannie turned to Kathie Dare topete again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it Kathie, show her how this dance should be done!¡± Half¨Cpushed half pulled, Kathie and Nannie stood together As the music started, the two began to dance Nannie slightly bowed her body, her arms wrapped around her chest like a newly hatched bind carefully exploring this unknown world. As the music changed, she stretched out her arms gradually, like an eagle soaring in the sky With the sound of a de cutting through the air, she fell like a bird with broken wings, finally reborn in the mes. ¡°Bang-¡± Nannie¡¯s move to nse from the floor was messed up due to ack of control, and shended hard on her back Everyone was shocked thinking Celeste messed up her performance. She sat up with a pale face, looking at the person dancing gracefully next to her She wanted to win so badly, she made a severe mistake on such a simple move. All around her ssmates wereughing, Nannie clenched her fists, her eyes filled with anger and unwillingness The room was dead silent. Javier was stunned for several seconds before finally saying, ¡°Cut- Celeste breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the floor without any grace. She had been locked in the small room for too long and then had such a big dance scene, it was pretty tiring. The people around her, however, were awestruck by her acting skills, Only Sydney¡¯s face was unsightly Celeste¡¯s acting had a kind of oppressive force, just those few lines just now, Celeste¡¯s emotions almost carried her away She was supposed to be the lead, but in those few lines with Celeste, her lines didn¡¯t convey the tenacity of a character with a poor background. Instead, she saw a spoiled princess¡¯s arrogance from Celeste Javier was incredibly excited inside Just that one scene and the character of Nannie suddenly came alive in his mind. He suppressed his emotions and asked, ¡°Did you choreograph that dance sequence just now?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°Not really, I adapted it from my teacher¡¯s signature dance, but I¡¯m not as skilled, I can only imitate some of the basics.¡± Everyone fell silent. That dance just now felt like watching a stage y; the movements were so smooth. If that was just the basics, then what Sydney danced just now could only be called crap, right? Sydney said she¡¯s been doing modern dance for five years and was confident she could nail this role. The director checked out her dance skills, didn¡¯t say a word, just asked someone to find a dance double who matches Sydney¡¯s physique ASAP Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. And then there¡¯s Celeste, who ims she can only do a little dance, but when she started moving, she blew everyone away She doesn¡¯t need a dance double to do the heavy lifting with the night guidance, she can pull off some pretty gnarly moves all by herself. A voice in Javier¡¯s head was screaming, it¡¯s her, it¡¯s her, Nannie is Celeste, Celeste is Nannie Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 From the next room, Liam quietly watched the live stream on the screen, not saying a word This was his first time seeing Celeste dance like this At home, she would asionally dance What Celeste insisted on the most was to squeeze out time every day to do stretching exercises and practice some basic dance skills Sometimes, she would suddenly want to dance a few steps, but most of the time, they were quite interesting dances Every time she imitated these dances, she would call him over to watch. She would y the original video and follow the animated characters on the screen, making all kinds of dance moves Liam didn¡¯t watch popr videos before so he thought it was very peculiar when he saw these for the first time But Celeste¡¯s imitation and the actions of the characters in the animation could almost bepletely synchronized It was the first time he realized that the human body could be so flexible Her dance imitating an alien was still saved on his phone. Once at a business party, a boss¡¯s wife who had studied dance said that this kind of dance looked simple, but it mequired a high level of body coordination. Generally, people who could dance it well had a good foundation in dance So, when Celeste said that her dance foundation was average, she was being modest Perhaps she was not being modest but deliberately saying that her dance was average and then shocking everyone on stage After all, Celeste loved to show off her abilities the most Just like at ss reunions, those who liked to boast about how sessful their husbands were and how much money they had eamed then asked about her husband¡¯s looks and what he did for a living. Celeste would say my husband was not as good as yours, he was just an ordinary person, doing some small business at home Then at the ss reunion, she would have him pick her up in a luxury car, and she would definitely wear the most expensive clothes in her wardrobe, wear the most expensive jewelry, carry the most expensive bag, and put on the most exquisite makeup. Compared to boasting verbally, Celeste preferred to show off with practical actions. ¡°Ms. Campbell is sure to win Owen said. ¡°Look at the director¡¯s expression¡± Liam nced at him with satisfaction. ¡°You don¡¯t need to remind me.¡± Owen Others wereplimenting Ms. Campbell, why did Mr. Reed look like they wereplimenting him? When he led the team to win the technology award, he didn¡¯t seem so happy when he went up to receive the award. He really wanted to say you and Ms. Campbell were already divorced, the good things others said about her had nothing to do with you. Unfortunately, he dared not say. In terms of feelings, Mr. Reed was more like a child, liking to hear nice words. After discussing with the screenwriter of the crew, Javier confirmed Celeste¡¯s role He told Celeste, ¡°After joining my crew, the most basic requirement is not to bete, no matter what reason you have; if I can¡¯t find you after the shooting starts, I can rece you at any time¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Her beingte today actually had a bad impact although she tried her best to make up for it with her acting skills. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Celeste said: ¡°1 guarantee that the incident of beingte will not happen a second time¡± Javier showed a satisfied expression on his face, ¡®Take a look at the contract, if there is no problem, please sign it¡± Celeste said ¡°Can I make a video call to my agent first and let him help me check this contract?¡± Before Javier had a chance to answer, an assistant next to him interjected ¡°The content of this kind of contract is basically the same just sign it quickly don¡¯t waste time anymore Javier raised his hand to signal them to stop talking Then he said to Celeste ¡°You can call and ask, it¡¯s always good to be cautious.¡± When Isabel heard that Celeste would call Eaton, her face changed instantly. After thanking Celeste went to the ce where there was a signal downstairs, called Eaton, and sent him the contracts content After Eaton read the contract¡¯s content, he asked her ¡°Are you trying out for the role of Nannie?¡± Celeste answered. ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°I wentte today. When I got there the role of Kathie had already been decided, so I tried Nannie, and I also prefer the character Nannie¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Eaton actually preferred this role too He knew that if a movie wanted to win awards, the best role would definitely be the mostplex character in the drama, but Steven had to let Celeste try the role of Kathie Steven was a businessman He only knew about investment and knew nothing about acting in his view, the female lead must be the best But Eaton was a professional. He knew very well which character had more drama and which character was more suitable for his actor So, Celeste ying Nannie was very much in line with his wishes. However, he still asked. ¡°Why did you arrive sote? Didn¡¯t Isabel pick you up?¡± There were people from the crew next to Celeste, so it wasn¡¯t good for her to exin in detail. Otherwise, the conflicts within Skyline Media Group would not be beneficial to thepany if they were leaked out. So she said, ¡®Let¡¯s talk about it when youe back¡± Eaton did not continue asking, only saying ¡°Javier is a good director He is very talented and good at shooting female themed dramas. You can ask him directly if you don¡¯t understand something in the script. He likes to discuss characters with actors the most, but he is a bit lengthy, you just listen.¡± After hanging up the phone, Celeste went upstairs again to say goodbye to the director and his party Javier picked two important roles at once, he was very happy, and when he left, he patted Celeste on her arm to encourage her After everyone left, Sydney also said, ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t be too proud, signing the contract is just the beginning. Whether you can stay till the end is your real skull¡± Recing actors during the shooting process of movies and TV dramas was verymon. Sydney had been in this circle for many years and clearly understood these. Whether Celeste could stay or not, she had to find a chance to avenge her past humiliation Celeste shot back, ¡°Heres a piece of advice for you. As an outsider, you¡¯re messing with my marriage by delivering the pregnancy test results. If your fans knew that their idol is actually a dirty yer, do you think you can handle their harsh criticism? Suddenly, Sydney¡¯s gaze tumed icy cold. She was scared but tried to keep her cool, ¡°Do you really think people will believe you just based on your words?¡± The public image she had built was so wless, and her fans were extremely loyal to her. Her public persona was enough to ensure a peaceful life as long as she didn¡¯t break thew Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Want to put it to the test? Celeste said, breaking into a suddenugh. ¡°You¡¯re using such a cheap trick to make me miss the audition for the lead role, Sydney What are you so scared of?¡± Sydney froze, but she quickly got a grip. ¡°What trick are you talking about?¡± Sydney knew she wouldn¡¯t be found out, so she was certain she wouldn¡¯t admit anything But she didn¡¯t know if Celeste had been recording, so she couldn¡¯t let her find out the truth ¡°Everyonepetes based on their skills. You didn¡¯t arrive on time, and you have to ept the consequences of beingte Don¡¯t me others¡± It was clear Celeste had seen through her Looking at Celeste¡¯s smiling face, Sydney suddenly remembered thest time she had pushed her into the sea Today¡¯s situation was not handled well if she continued confronting Celeste, she would find out the was lying. N?velDrama.Org owns this. So Sydney gave her a cold look and snorted. Well, let¡¯s wait and see.¡±. Then she tumed and left Isabel stood there watching Celeste Celeste stood there calmly watching Sydney¡¯s retreating figure, but when she saw Isabel, she snorted in amusement That mocking look made Isabel feel very uneasy But she quickly calmed down Whether she could be famous depended on the audience¡¯s preference. Even if she acted well, if the audience didn¡¯t like her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to be famous. After everyone left Liam and Owen also came out of the box Seeing Liam, Celeste suddenly felt a little embarrassed. When she was locked in the room earlier, finding it hard to breathe, she thought that she would do anything for whoever saved her, whether it was a man or a woman As it turned out, Liam came ¡°Thinking about how to thank me?¡± As if seeing through her thoughts, Liam said, ¡°ording to your TV drama rules, you should marry me Celeste red at Liam, Tm tired of your face I won¡¯t marry you.¡± Liam bowed his head slightly andughed, suddenly leaning close to her. ¡°Then let¡¯s do something else¡± Anything could mean horse riding, night? Patting her shoulder, Liam said, ¡°I want to see who can run faster, you or Sugar¡± Celeste pped Liam¡¯s hand away, staring at him, ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Then she left Liam frowned, ¡°Why is she angry again?¡± Owen rubbed his forehead Mr. Reed could have just kissed Ms. Campbell, why did he have to mention Sugar! Celeste rubbed her ear, ¡°jerk! Idiot! Rogue!¡± ¡°Celeste?¡± Mason¡¯s voice came from behind her as she walked into the hall Celeste turned around, somewhat surprised, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, what are you doing here?¡± Mason came over and said softly, I¡¯m here to handle a case ¡°He looked at her dance suit, ¡°You are. I¡¯m here for an audition, I just finished¡± Mason nodded After the audition, Celeste was a little excited, ¡°Arent you going to ask me if I passed?¡± ¡°Do I need to ask?¡± Mason smiled, he could tell by her expression Celeste urged, ¡°Ask me?¡± Mason chuckled, asking seriously, ¡°Ms Campbell, did you pass your audition?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Passed at once! The director was full of admiration!¡± Seeing her like this, Mason couldn¡¯t hide his amusement, That impressive? Congrattions¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes curved into crescents. While they were talking a middle¨Caged bald man suddenly rushed up to Mason, Mr Fletcher, think it over, i can add more money, it¡¯s not a problem, as long as you take mywsuit, I¡¯m willing to double the lawyer¡¯s fee Mason turned his head, his face expressionless ¡°Mr. Hale, I¡¯ve made it clear, I¡¯m currently Mrs Hale¡¯s attorney, I can¡¯t take yourwsuit Mr Hale continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t take mywsuit, then don¡¯t take Mrs Hale¡¯swsuit either. I¡¯ll still pay the money, how about it?¡± Mason clearly was tired of his pestering and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Hale, if you have that much spare money, you might as well spend it on otherwyers or negotiate 15.06. with Mrs Hale, she might consider dropping the suit, I have a date with a friend, so I have to leave.¡± After saying that, he pulled Celeste and left The assistant beside Mr Hale whispered. ¡°Mr Hale, why don¡¯t we find anotherwyer? Mr. Fletcher is tough to deal with¡± Mr. Hale frowned, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s about who I find? I can handle it no matter who Mrs Hale hires, but she just had to hire Mr. Fletcher. Do you know the status of the Fletcher family in J City? Can I afford to offend him?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯tck money, offering money won¡¯t work¡± Mr. Hale frowned, ¡®Everyone has desires, find someone to watch him¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Celeste was pulled out without understanding, and when they got outside, she asked, ¡°Was that your client?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the husband of one of my clients¡± Mason said softly. 1 recently took over a divorce case The couple had been married for nearly thirty years and suddenly wanted to divorce. The man has illegitimate children outside and many lovers. The woman demanded to recover the money he spent on these people over the years and redo the divorce property. division¡± ¡°Why are all the cases you get like this? Don¡¯t these people respect mamage?¡± Mason chuckled ¡®The couple¡¯s feelings had broken down more than a decade ago The wife had other lovers before They didn¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s lives and agreed to enjoy life But the wife decided to divorce when the husband had an illegitimate child¡± Celeste mmed up because now, she, too, was a love child She never dared to dig into her background. On the one hand, she feared the truth might be too hard to swallow, on the other, she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Caitlyn betraying her marriage ¡°Where do you live? Let me give you a lift home,¡± Mason said gently Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Celeste nced back at the entrance, but Liam hadn¡¯te out yet. Noticing her action, Mason asked, ¡°Still waiting for a friend?¡± Celeste stayed silent for a few seconds before answering, ¡°No, not really¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. She wasn¡¯t waiting for Liam 1 can just grab a cab, no need to bother you¡® Mason paused, ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s only right for friends to help each other. Plus, it¡¯ste, you¡¯re a woman, and it¡¯s unsafe for you to take a cab. Let me take you home¡± Hisst sentence almost sounded like a plea Celeste hated it when people talked to her like that. She couldn¡¯t refuse, so the just got into Mason¡¯s car Do you live in Grandview Heights now?¡± Mason asked while driving Celeste nodded ¡°Yes, thepany arranged it. I¡¯m living there with a frend¡± Mason tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, then said, The neighborhood is pretty safe, you¡¯ll be fine there Just as he was speaking. Celeste¡¯s phone rang She nced at the screen, it was Owen Celeste answered. ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went home¡± ¡°Did you leave on your own?¡± ¡°Yes, I did ¡°Was that your friend calling?¡± Celeste had just answered when Mason¡¯s voice came from beside her Before Celeste could reply. Liams angry voice came through the phone, ¡°Is Mason taking you home?¡± Celeste felt uneasy but quickly suppressed it She and Liam were divorced, and she and Mason were just friends. Why should she feel uneasy? Liam had taken Sydney away before her and she hadn¡¯t seen him feeling uneasy! So she retorted without hesitation, ¡°What¡¯s it to your Liam angrily said. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times to stay away from Mason. You just won¡¯t listen, will you?¡± ¡°When did i not listen to you? I just happened to run into him? Didn¡¯t I just happen to run into you too?¡± ¡°You think I have time to attend all these social events? I did all this because of you!¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but curse Celeste¡¯s heart beat slightly faster, but she refused to back down, ¡°Who knows who you¡¯re doing it for? I¡¯m not the only one auditioning¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing, he said, ¡°Get out of the car now, send me your location, and I¡¯ll come get you¡± Celeste replied, ¡°No need, I¡¯m almost home!¡± ¡°Get out of the car¡± Celeste hung up, muttering under her breath, ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± ¡°Was that Liam?¡± Mason asked. Celeste snapped out of her thoughts, ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t seen him in a while, Masonughed, ¡°After Grandma¡¯s birthday party, a lot of friends asked about him. They all wanted to introduce him to some girls¡± Celeste immediately said, ¡°Absolutely not, Liam is a man, but his temper is terrible Any family¡¯s daughter marrying him is asking for trouble. He¡¯s better off living alone, let him enjoy his loneliness.¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°In the eyes of the elders, Liam is actually a good catch Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 He¡¯s capable, responsible, and fits the bill of an ideal son¨Cinw. Plus, he¡¯s got plenty of female admirers. The elders in the Reed family are probably pushing him to get married soon Celeste fell silent feeling a little uneasy She didn¡¯t say anything, just tapped her fingers against the window Soon, they amved at Grandview Heights As Celeste was getting out of the car, Mason called her back He took out a small pink rabbit charm from his glove box and handed it to Celeste. ¡°The colleagues ordered these phone charms. The color is too girly for me. You girls should like it¡® The charm was very delicate, and Celeste did like it a bit But she didn¡¯t take it don¡¯t use a phone case, so this is of no use to me You better keep it for a girl you like Mason was taken aback. You don¡¯t use a phone case? ¡°Nope After watching Celeste enter her building. Mason held the charm for a moment before casually tossing it into a trash can by the gate. Then he drove off Back at his ce. Liam was fuming over the fact that Celeste had been taken home by Mason Owen tried to soothe him, ¡°Mr. Reed Ms Campbell isn¡¯t clueless She may have just been unable to refuse Mr. Fletcher¡¯s help ¡± Owen didn¡¯t know Mason very well and couldn¡¯t im to understand him Unlike Liam, who wouldmunicate directly if there was an issue, Mason was different. He seemed mild andposed, but it wasn¡¯t easy to get favors from him She probably couldn¡¯t say no if he wanted Ms. Campbell to get in his car Whether it was Ms Caitlyn¡¯s funeral or the subsequentwsuit, Ms. Campbell owed him a favor Liam said. Tm not doubting her, I just want her to minimize her contact with Mason¡± Owen nodded Liam picked up his phone and dialed Steven¡¯s number N?velDrama.Org owns this. Steven had justnded, and seeing Liam¡¯s call, he hung up right away. Liam called again Once Steven got in his car, he finally answered. Before he could say anything, Liam shouted, ¡°Steven, you son of a bitch! You signed Celeste, was it so that she could be a supporting actress for yourpany¡¯s stars? Steven was taken aback, Liam, can you get your facts straight before you start cursing? When did lever make Celeste a supporting actress?¡± Liam briefly talked about what happened that night, saying with an icy tone, ¡°I¡¯ve invested in your company, and I can deal with you not involving me in the business, but you should at least protect hert She might be fine today, but if anything happens to her, I swear I¡¯ll bring CloudTop Inc. down to its knees/¡± Upon hearing this. Steven got seriously pissed off. But when he heard thest part, he justughed. ¡°Liam, if you dare to destroy CloudTop Inc.. I promise you, you¡¯ll never get your hands on Celeste in your lifetime!¡± With that, he hung up the phone Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655 After hanging up the phone, Steven immediately dialed the Human Resources department, looking deadly serious. ¡°Let Isabel pack her things immediately! I never want to hear her name in the industry again!¡± He then hung up the phone The very next morning, Isabel had just arrived at the office when she received a call from the HR manager instructing her to process her resignation Isabel thought she had heard wrong. ¡°Victor, what did you say?¡± ¡°You need toe in as soon as possible to process your resignation. You¡¯re fired¡® Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Isabel¡¯s face tumed pale. ¡°On what grounds did thepany fire me? I¡¯ve found three famous artist Why are they firing me?¡± Victor said dismissively. This is Mi Garcia¡¯s decision. We don¡¯t have the right to interfere tors for thepany, and I¡¯m currently managing thepany¡¯s most Victor looked at Isabel, a capable agent. Why would Mi Garcia impose a nonpete use because of her? Isabel snapped, ¡°I have a three year contract with thepany. You can¡¯t just fire me without a legitimate reason¡± Victor chuckled. ¡°Are you new here? If the boss wants to fire you, they¡¯ll always find a reason. If you¡¯re not happy, you can go to court. Thepany in willing to fight this battle, but i suggest you don¡¯t because it won¡¯t do you any good¡± She won¡¯t be able to get into any major agencies in the future, but she could try her luck with smaller ones. As long as she doesn¡¯t run into Mr. Garcia, thall always find work Victor added. ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t want everyone¡¯s lunch break¡± Isabel¡¯s face turned solemn She had worked her ass off to get to where she was today How could she just let herself be kicked out of thepany? She immediately called Sydney Upon hearing the news. Sydney rushed to thepany Of course, Sydney wasn¡¯t there to help Isabel. She had her own agenda. After listening to Isabel¡¯s story, she handed her a tissue and whispered, ¡®Is this because ofst night? I heard that Ms. Campbell and Mr. Garcia are tight¡± Isabel was stunned. ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s in Mr Garcia¡¯s pocket?¡± Sydney left it vague, ¡°I bumped into them at dinner once. They could just be friends.¡± Isabel¡¯s face darkened. ¡°see¡± ¡°Go look for Ms. Garcia I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s nice. She might be able to help you.¡± Isabel quickly found ir After hearing the story, ir asked, ¡°How did Ms. Campbell get out?¡± Isabel was stumped. She didn¡¯t know, she thought Celeste was just lucky. ir said. ¡°I can ask for you, but don¡¯t get your hopes up. Even I can¡¯t change my brother¡¯s decisions¡± Sure enough, Steven was livid and told her to stay out of it After hanging up the phone. ir looked at isabel, pale as a ghost, and finally said. ¡°Your actions were too damaging. I can¡¯t help you.¡± While Isabel was fired. Sydney remained unaffected She hadn¡¯t directly manipted Isabel it was isabel¡¯s own foolishness to think she was the biggest fish in the pond that everyone would respect her, and even if her actions were tant, thepany would still protect her But after this incident, Sydney was more cautious. Regardless of whether Steven fired Isabel for the company¡¯s benefit, his rtionship with Celeste was definitely not a simple one. Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Chapter 656 When Celeste got home, she gossiped about her audition in their group chat Jta, who was still on a different set, was outraged when she heard about Celeste¡¯s experience She was still a week away from wrapping up her current project. Once she was done, she intended to request thepany to apany Celeste on her next project. But Jta wamed her, ¡°Letti, stuff like this often happens in the industry. Be careful with food and water from others. Make sure they eat first before you do Celeste joked. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t poison me would they?¡± Trisha quickly replied. ¡°There have been incidents in the past where artists were poisoned One singer had their throat damaged. They wouldn¡¯t dare do it now because of how developed the inte is it¡¯s hard to hide things. But if they want to embarrass you, they might make you miss an opportunity ¡± Jta added. ¡°Trisha¡¯s night. In the industry, whether it¡¯s food or items, especially from strangers, you need to check them thoroughly. Trisha, do we have a ma at home? Put one in Celeste¡¯s bag¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Celeste caught on quickly. Would someone put a needle in my clothes?¡± ¡°Good thinking¡± Trisha said, Tl find one for you right away¡± Jta still seemed womed. ¡°Letti, when ites topetition, you can¡¯t afford to be kind. You never know what the other party will do next. Your job is to say alert and protect yourself. We can¡¯t harm others, but we must also guard against them¡± Celeste answered, understand, Jane I¡¯ll definitely remember your words¡± Two dayster, director Javier personally called to say that the male lead for Murder had been confirmed Curious Celeste asked. ¡°Who¡¯s ying my boyfriend in the film?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find out on the first day of filming Celeste probed, ¡°Is he handsome? Is he tall? Does he have long legs? Does he have abs?¡± Javier asked. ¡°Are you picking a boyfriend?¡± Celesteughed, 1 just want to know more. I don¡¯t care about how the male actor looks, but if he¡¯s handsome, I¡¯ll feel more confident when I¡¯m acting¡± ¡°No matter how good¨Clooking or not the male actors are your conviction and passion need to be rock solid,¡± Javier paused for a moment, Filming starts in two weeks. There¡¯ll be a dance instructoring soon to teach you guys some moves. I¡¯ll text you the detailster. Tomorrow you¡¯re off to seclude yourselves for some intense training. Pack some extra clothes, we¡¯ve got your amodation covered¡± ¡°Alright¡± After hanging up, Celeste was immediately packing her luggage Trisha quickly stuffed her ¡®protective gear into Celeste¡¯s suitcase. in the next room, Nics couldn¡¯t resist and called Trisha again ¡°When the hell are youing over? it¡¯ste, where¡¯s my dinner?¡± Trisha whispered. ¡°It¡¯s just one meal, why are you constantly calling me?¡± Nics snapped. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Trisha gritted her teeth and said. ¡°I said you can¡¯t starve, I¡¯ll be right over, just hold your horses¡± Nics replied ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m digging up some dirt on your new friend¡± Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Chapter 657 After she hung up the phone. Trisha put down what she held and told Celeste, ¡°I gotta step out for a bit, you go on with your stuff¡± Celeste chuckled and teased. ¡°Off to see Dr. Ledford again, huh?¡± Tnsha wished she could date Dr Ledford Instead, she had to do a bunch of grunt work just to get a bit of info Dressed lightly. Trisha stepped out and headed directly to 902 across the street and rang the doorbell N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. In less than three seconds, the door swung open ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you the codest time? Why do you have to ring the doorbell every time youe? Nics had just finished working out. He was fresh out of the shower and was topless, only wearing his shorts, with a towel wrapped around his head Water drops were still trickling down his hair Trisha yanked the towel off his head and tossed it onto his chest. Put on a shirt, will ya? I¡¯m a girl, you know! With that she made herself at home Nicsughed, picked up the towel, and closed the door As he dried his hair he walked into the room, I¡¯m letting you ogle my body for free You should be grateful Trisha replied with a straight face ¡°Girls who fancy you may like your body. To me, this is just in harassment¡± Nics retorted. You follow Jace on Instagram and liked his ab pictures, howe you don¡¯t think he¡¯s harassing you?¡± Trisha side¨Ceyed him, ¡°He¡¯s just posting pictures on his own Instagram, how is that harassing me? Nics said, ¡°Trisha, let me tell you from my experience that guys who love to snap pictures of their abs am generally gay Be careful¡± Trisha gave him a look ¡°Well, you seem to know yourself quite well¡± Then she asked curiously, ¡°You change girlfriends faster than a chameleon changes colors. Could it be because you¡¯re not into girls and that¡¯s why you can¡¯t keep a long¨Cterm rtionship? You and Liam are always together you fancy him, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re afraid people might find out, so you can only stay by his side as a friend, watching him get married and have kids while you¡¯re left all alone?¡± Nics immediately went pale. ¡°Shut up! Is describing me all you learned from your scriptwriting courses?¡± Trisha tied an apron around her waist and said. ¡°Yeah!¡± With that she tossed him some vegetables, ¡°Go wash these¡± ¡°Why do I have to do it myself? Nics voiced his displeasure but took the veggies anyway Trisha red at him, ¡°Why? After all this time, what info have you found for me?¡± Nics washed the veggies and replied, ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t find anything?¡± Trisha paused. ¡°You found that guy?¡± ¡°Yeah, he s Helen¡¯s cousin, Bart ¡°Who?¡± Nics quickly rinsed the veggies and said, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that Bart is Mason¡¯s uncle, he¡¯s Helen¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Tnsha immediately refuted, ¡°How could they behave so intimately then?¡± Nics didn¡¯t witness their actions first¨Chand, so he asked. ¡°What exactly did you see that day?¡± Trisha wiped off the stains on her apron and walked up to Nics, standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck. Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Nics got startled, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m demonstrating!¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°Lower your head, why are you so tall?¡± Nics replied, ¡°It¡¯s you who are too short.¡± Despite his words, he bent down to amodate her Trisha gently touched Nics¡¯s face, her fingers slowly sliding across his cheek, stopping at his earlobe for a gentle rub, and then moving to the back of his neck for a soft stroke Even though her hand was cold, Nics felt as if the ces she touched were scorched, filling him with a strange sensation ¡°That guy touched her like this¡® Trisha let go, ¡°Does this seem like a normal sibling tionship to you? Would your sister touch you like this?¡± He scratched the ce where she had touched, coughed, and said, ¡°My sister would only hit me, based on your description, their rtionship is indeed abnormal¡± ¡°Exactly¡± Trisha said. She gave Nics a sidelong nce and frowned, ¡°Have you been shirking your investigation?¡± ¡°How could I have? Nics certainly wouldn¡¯t admit it, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t investigated, how could I tell you? Helen isn¡¯t from around here, so to dig into her backgrund, i needed to go to her birthce She¡¯s been away for more than twenty years, those who knew her are either dead or old. Do you think an investigation is that easy¡°¡± Trisha said. ¡°Ainght, hurry up then¡± Nics hummed in response, his hand constantly scratching his face. A whileter the feeling not only didn¡¯t subside but became increasingly intense. He stopped and looked at the chopped chili on the chopping board, ¡°Did you did you touch my face directly after handling the chili?¡± Trisha paused for a moment, then after a few seconds, she admitted, ¡°Seems like it.¡± Nics immediately ran to the bathroom to wash his face N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Trisha hummed a tune while chopping at a fast pace. Half an hourter, dinner was ready Trisha ced the dishes on the table, removed her apron, and prepared to leave Seeing her about to leave. Nics asked, ¡°You¡¯re not eating with me today?¡± ¡°Letti has training tomorrow, I need to go back and check if anything needs to be prepared. Oh, and I¡¯m taking Letti to the training tomorrow, you¡¯ll have to cook for yourself. I won¡¯t being¡± With that, she put on her shoes, opened the door, and left Nics looked at the food on the table, but it didn¡¯t seem as appetizing as it did in the previous days. He picked up his phone and texted Liam. ¡°Your ex¨Cwife starts her training tomorrow, so she needs a driver.¡± trash. The next morning, Trisha stepped out to take out the to Just as the elevator doors opened, a hand reached out from behind her, an arm wrapped around her waist, another hand covered her mouth, and she was camed into room 902 The door was swiftly kicked shut with a long Once they were inside the room, Nics messing with me¡± let go of her. Trisha grabbed a trash bag and started swinging it at his head, ¡°You¡¯re such a pain in the ass, stop Nics easily dodged her attack, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t go home today, hang out with me. We can y some games and I¡¯ll help you level up.¡± Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Trisha said, ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m just an ordinary worker, I can¡¯tpare with you. I still need to drop Letti off With that, she turned to open the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Trisha turned back, ring at him, ¡°Open the door¡± Nics was already sitting on the sofa. ¡°Your friend has someone to drop her off, why are you always tagging along?¡± He then patted the spot next to him, Hang out with me, I¡¯ll take you out tonight¡± Trisha instantly understood what he meant. ¡°Did you tell Liam that Letti has training?¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°Smart¡± Trisha grabbed a pillow and started hitting Nics. You jerk. I trusted you and told you everything, and you¡¯ve been pumping me for information?¡± Tve cooked so much for you, I might as well have been feeding a dog¡± Nics couldn¡¯t dodge her attack, he could only grab her wrist and press her onto the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s good to have loyalty But if you interfere too much, it¡¯s over the line got it?¡± ¡°If Celeste doesn¡¯t like Liam, she will reject him herself, not you for her. Do you know how hard it is for her to seed on her own without Liam¡¯s profaction? ¡°Bullshit Trisha gritted her teeth, Letti is talented and beautiful, she will seed sooner orter Nics smirked. ¡°How many talented people are there in showbiz? Or people who are good looking? How many of them are truly sessful? Do you think resources will just fall into yourp without taking any proactive measures? Are any of those famous people really that innocent?¡± Trisha bit her lip and said nothing. ¡°There are no fairy tales in showbiz. We all know what methods people without a background use to be popr. Why do you think Celeste was signed to Skyline Media Group? Do you really think Steven has good judgment? It¡¯s all because Liam invested money in Skyline Media Group¡± Trisha was unconvinced, ¡°So you¡¯re saying without him, Letti can¡¯t survive in showbiz?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant Nics said quietly, ¡°If there¡¯s a shortcut, why take the long way around?¡± Deep down, Trisha had epted Nics point. She had seen too much over the years. There was once an actress who was beautiful and talented, but because she refused to y by the rules, she never made it big Then she suddenly started getting important roles and slowly became famous. She started winning awards and getting more and more endorsements Then rumors started circting that she was being kept by someone. It was all toomon At first. Trisha couldn¡¯t ept it. She didn¡¯t understand why even talented people needed to resort to such measures to be famous. Then a director told her that was how the industry worked. Just like Nics said, without someone¡¯s help. Letti¡¯s beauty would be a curse in this industry Trisha wanted to say something when she heard a ¡°click¡°, she turned her head, and her face instantly changed N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. That bastard Nics had somehow gotten a pair of handcuffs and cuffed them together He smirked, ¡°No matter what you say, you¡¯re not leaving today¡± Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Trisha gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± Nics gently pinched her face and smiled, ¡°Then call the police. But I think they probably won¡® Trisha looked closely and saw a ring of pink fluff on the handcuffs It was a sex toy! Her face turned red, and she cursed. ¡°You shameless bastard, why do you have this kind of stuff at Nics said, ¡°I¡¯m a grown man, what¡¯s wrong with having this kind of stuff at home?¡± Dout a little thing like this.¡± Nics didn¡¯t have any special preferences. The handcuffs were a birthday gift from a friend. When he moved, he took a nce at it and threw it on the sofa. He saw the handcuffs stuck in the gap of the sofa just now, and in order to prevent her from making a fusster, he took them out and put them on both of them But now, looking at Trisha¡¯s flushed face, he suddenly felt like teasing her He lowered his voice and leaned into Trisha¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you want to see the full set?¡± He thought Trisha would scold him, but Trisha whispered, ¡°Can I take pictures?¡± Celeste waited for a long time but Trisha never showed up. Seeing that the go out alone with her suitcase she had booked was already at the front door, Celeste had to leave a message and When she went out of themunity, she didn¡¯t see the driver¡¯s car, Celeste called. 1 him. The driver said his car broke down on the road and he couldn¡¯te, then he hung up All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Celeste had never encountered such a driver. She frowned and had to book another car The training ce was far away, so it was difficult to book a car She was considering whether to drive there herself when a Mercedes slowly pulled up in front of her The car window rolled down, and Owen greeted her with a smile, ¡°What a coincidence¡°¡± Owen looked at the suitcase next to her, ¡°Going on a trip?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to training and waiting for a ride¡± Owen said, ¡°It¡¯s a long way, not many drivers go there. I happen to be going there on business. I can give you With the ¡°encounter¡±st time, Celeste instinctively looked at the back seat, suspecting that Liam was there Owen rolled down the window and the back seat was empty. Liam was not there. Owen had already gotten out of the car and put her luggage in the trunk, ¡°Please get in.¡± a She had been wondering if Liam purposely made it impossible for her to find a ride, and then he would conveniently show up. Now that he wasn¡¯t in the car, she suddenly felt that she was overthinking Liam probably wouldn¡¯t be that petty. She thanked him and got in the car Sitting alone in the back seat, she suddenly felt a bit lonely. Celeste said, ¡°Is thepany not busy today?¡± ¡°Right, Mr. Reed is on a business trip. So I¡¯m not busy¡± So he went on a business trip, it really wasn¡¯t him. Celeste felt a sense of loss for some reason What she didn¡¯t notice was that the interior of the car waspletely captured by a miniature camera Quantum Enterprises. Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Liam was tenderly gazing at an image on his phone. Nics shot him a message, ¡°Sometimes stepping back ain¡¯t a bad move, dude Look at your ex¨Cwife¡¯s face. She seems bummed you¡¯re not around¡± This strategy was indeed Nics¡® brainchild. Initially, Liam had intended to personally send Celeste off. But Nics argued that a little distance could make her miss him more. So he gritted his teeth and refrained from seeing her off And thus, he witnessed the disappointment in Celeste¡¯s eyes It was worth it. Liam sent a file over to Nics It was a project coboration proposal. After seeing that, Nics said, ¡°you¡¯re a real fickle friend, huh? All it took was one nce from Celeste to get you to do what I¡¯ve been asking for ages¡± ¡°Uncuff me!¡® Trisha frowned, ¡°I need to use the restroom¡± Nics tossed his phone aside and chuckled, ¡°Just go like this. We¡¯re all friends here, what¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Trisha shot him a re, ¡°Unlock these handcuffs, or I¡¯ll make you my enemy!¡± Nicsmented, ¡°Such a brute.¡± And with that, he started rummaging through his drawer Two minutester. ¡°Have you found it yet?¡® Trisha asked. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s in a box.¡± Nics went on to search for the box. Five minutester Trisha was getting antsy. ¡°Still haven¡¯t found it?¡± Nics scratched his head, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s in the bedroom?¡± Ten minutester Trisha was fuming. ¡°Where the hell did you put the key?¡± Nics awkwardly admitted, ¡°I forgot.¡± So Nics dragged her along as they searched everywhere. Half an hourter Trisha was beet¨Cred from holding in her pee. ¡°You blockhead, are you doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°I really forgot where it is, maybe I should call the fire department to open it?¡± ¡°Do you want me to die of embarrassment? Trisha snapped Nics helplessly replied, Then what do you suggest?¡± Trisha looked miserable. She had no solutions, and she didn¡¯t know how to pick locks Most importantly, she was about to pee. Whether or not she¡¯d be embarrassed was secondary to the fact that she was about to explode. She kept silent, one hand pressing on the handcuffs while the other exerted all force to pull them off The handcuffs looked like toys but were incredibly sturdy Within a few moments, Trisha¡¯s wrist was red Nics grabbed her hand, ¡°Just go to the restroom first, I¡¯ll close my eyes¡± With teary eyes, Trisha adamantly refused, ¡°No!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Just because he couldn¡¯t see didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t hear, right? Using the restroom in front of a guy, how could she ever show her face again? However, soon she realized that holding in her pee was a lot more torturous. Nics presented a pair of headphones, ¡°How about I wear these?¡± He then turned up the volume to the max and let Trisha test it out, ¡°Can you hear anything?¡± He then stuffed the headphones into his ears and tossed his phone onto the coffee table, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I won¡¯t be able to hear anything¡± Trisha wanted to hold it in a little longer, but she just couldn¡¯t She yanked Nics toward the restroom Nics had his back to Trisha with headphones on. He couldn¡¯t see her, but he could sense her movements The music in his headphones was loud and stabbed at his eardrums, yet his thoughts uncontrobly drifted toward her Thinking about what she was doing, his ears suddenly felt hot. He rubbed his ears uneasily, trying his best to focus on the music Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Chapter 662 A few minutester, Trisha got up to wash her hands. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Nics tumed around, about to say something, only to see Trisha¡¯s eyes welling up with tears. He was startled and immediately removed his headphones and whispered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear anything with the headphones on. Why are you crying?¡± Trisha cried even harder. Nics reached out helplessly to wipe her tears. He had seen women cry, but this girl¡¯s tears flowed like a floodgate had been opened. Her tears fell like pearls off a broken string, heart wrenching and heartbreaking ¡°I hate you¡± She said. ¡°Why do you always witness me at my worst?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything Nics paused, then continued. ¡°And I won¡¯t spill the beans.¡± Thsha sobbed. ¡°Swear it.¡± Nics swore. ¡°I swear if I spill the beans, lightning may strike me Now, stop crying¡± ¡°No¡± Tnsha choked, ¡°Say that if you spill the beans, you¡¯ll be infertile¡± Nics twitched at the corner of his mouth. That was a rather cruel curse wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Are you going to say it?¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll keep crying ¡± Nics felt helpless over and over again, he realized that seeing a woman cry was truly terrifying. He gritted his teeth, ¡°If I spill the beans, III be infertile.¡± Only then did Trisha stop crying, ¡°TII believe you this once¡± Nics was speechless Why did he feel like he was yed by Trisha? ¡°So, what to do now? Tnsha looked at their handcuffed hands. ¡°We get a locksmith Nics replied Half an hourter a locksmith cautiously stepped into the upscale apartment, thinking he hadnded a big job. His eyelids twitched the moment he saw the handcuffed pair ¡°Just this one?¡± Nics nodded, ¡°Just hurry up and unlock it¡± Without using any tools, the locksmith simply flipped a switch on the inside of the handcuffs, and they came undone ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Trisha was in disbelief. The locksmith exined. ¡°These handcuffs are designed to be unlocked without a key in case of emergencies. Didn¡¯t you guys read the instructions when you bought this?¡± Trisha immediately red at Nics, grabbed a pillow, and hurled it at him, ¡°You bastard!¡± With that, she stormed off. He didn¡¯t know, okay? The dance instructor for Murder is a professional from Graceful Moves Dance Academy Over a dozen female actors participating in the intensive training gathered at the dance studio every day at a fixed time. The daily trainingsted approximately six to eight hours By the end of the day, everyone was so exhausted they just wanted to lie down and not move Celeste only felt a bit tired. But the other female actors, especially those who didn¡¯t regrly practice, were in so much pain that it was almost unbearable Celeste was even doing leg stretches while everyone else was groaning on the floor An actress named Yuna curiously asked, ¡°Celeste, doesn¡¯t your body hurt?¡± ¡°Yeah, it hurts, but it¡¯s not that bad it¡¯s probably because I regrly get muscle massages¡± ¡°How do you do the massage?¡± Celeste replied with a grin. ¡°I can give you a massage, and you can give it a shot¡± Yuna was more than happy to get on board. Ten minutester, a scream echoed from the training room, ¡°How is this more painful than doing the splits?¡± Twenty minutester, Celeste stopped and looked down, ¡®How are you feeling?¡± Yuna moved around a bit and said in surprise, ¡®Actually, it doesn¡¯t hurt that much anymore.¡± The other actresses all flocked over, ¡°How¡¯d you do that? Celeste, give me a massage too. My arms and legs are killing me¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°I can do one more at most. I¡¯m beat today. If I¡¯m not too tired tomorrow, I can do another one. Who¡¯s going to be the lucky one?¡± 15.27 ¡°Me first, me first¡± Sydney returned from the restroom to see Celeste surrounded by everyone like she was some sort of superstar. Seeing this, Sydney immediately looked miffed. She had brought them so many things when she came, but they never treated her like this ¡°Wow, such professional massage techniques.¡± Sydney walked over with a sarcastic smile, ¡°You must have been trained in this, right?¡± Chapter 664 Chapter 664 The more she watched, the more she craved, and the more she craved, the more she couldn¡¯t sleep. She opened Instagram and posted ¡°I¡¯m just a hungry pig now.¡± Liam was workingte at night, and his phone vibrated. He picked up his phone and unconsciously smiled. The R&D department staff had been driven almost crazy by him recently. They spent most of their time either in theb or the meeting room. Liam is a detail¨Coriented person. Every step in the creation of the new product must be perfect. This made the R&D staff work overtime most of the month. But they couldn¡¯t refuse the sry Liam offered, otherwise, they would have quit long ago. Seeing Liam smile, the tense atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly eased a lot. Everyone was guessing. Who made Liam show such a satisfied smile? Liam stood up and said, ¡°Meeting adjourned, take a day off tomorrow.¡± Then he left the meeting room. Everyone looked at each other, then turned to assistant Owen for answers. ¡°Owen, who made Mr. Reed smile? Can you tell us?¡± Owen coughed and said seriously. ¡°It¡¯s a secret ¡± After leaving thepany, Liam asked Owen to order food for Celeste, ¡°Send some food.¡± After a moment of thought, he added, ¡°Not too greasy, she has training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Owen acted immediately. Liam¡¯s car soon arrived at Celeste¡¯s training camp. He transferred a hundred thousand to her. Celeste had just taken a sip of water and sat back on the bed. Seeing the transfer message, she almost spat out the water. She transferred a dor to Liam. Liam transferred a hundred thousand back. Celeste twitched her mouth and transferred a dor back Liam transferred a million. Has he gone mad? Celeste widened her eyes and transferred another dor. Liam transferred a million. Was he sick? Celeste immediately stood up, hit her head on the upper bunk, and grimaced in pain. Yuna, half awake, asked in a small voice, ¡°Celeste, why are you up?¡± Celeste made a shush gesture and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Yuna mumbled ¡°Okay¡°, and ¡°Get some rest¡°, then fell back asleep Celeste put on her slippers, threw on a coat, and slipped out quietly In the corridor, Naomi was on the phone with her sugar daddy. ¡°So annoying. Our dorm has four people. With someone snoring, I can¡¯t sleep at all¡± The person on the other endforted her a bit, then she began to act coquettishly, ¡°I know, I¡¯ve been very good.¡± She lowered her voice and said in a seductive tone. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t you miss me?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The person on the other end gritted his teeth, ¡°If you keep this up, Daddy wille back and punish you.¡± ¡°Stop it~¡± Naomi was being coquettish when she saw a sneaky figure slip out of the room. The figure turned the corner, and only then did Naomi realize it was Celeste. Where the heck was she off to in the middle of the night? Naomi quickly said goodbye to her sugar daddy, grabbed her phone, and chased after her. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Celeste strolled out of the dorm, expecting to be intercepted by the gatekeeper, but instead, she breezed through the main gate. Just as she reached the gate, the headlights of a distant car suddenly lit up. A car slowly drove up, the door swung open, and Liam turned his head to look at her. ¡°Get in.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t move. 1 came out to tell you to get lost! Don¡¯t cause trouble here!¡± Liam nced at Owen, who immediately honked the car horn twice. The loud noise was particrly prominent on the empty road at night. A security guard stuck his head out of the gatekeeper¡¯s room and yelled, ¡°What the hell are you guys doing? Why aren¡¯t you back in the dorm?¡± After he spoke, he shone a shlight over, making Celeste feel nervous. She quickly scrambled into the car Owen quickly locked the car door. Not far away, Naomi¡¯s eyes widened. This was outrageous, has she lost her marbles? She was meeting a mante at night! Naomi took many pictures of the Mercedes, intending to capture the number te, but the car quickly drove away Celeste got in the car and turned to look at Liam ¡°Why are you here in the middle of the night?¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer and just leaned over. Celeste was startled and tried to block him. But Liam¡¯s hand circled her chest,stened her seat belt, and then he told Owen, ¡°Drive¡± Collecting herself, Celeste frowned, ¡°We have roll call tomorrow, where the hell are you taking me?¡± Liam said, ¡°There¡¯s some unfinished business fromst time, let¡¯s wrap it up, or it¡¯ll keep nagging at me Celeste was taken aback Did this jerk want to get back at her for locking him outst time? Is he tricking her so he can dump her on the roadside? Liam seemed to see through her thoughts, nced at her, and said, ¡°Rx, I won¡¯t dump you on the roadside.¡± Celeste was left somewhat speechless by his reply Just by rolling her eyes, he already knew what she was thinking. Celeste said, ¡°Just spit it out. Tell me how you want to get back at me, so I can brace myself¡± Liam frowned. ¡°Do I seem like the type to hold grudges?¡± This gave Celeste an opportunity ¡°Aren¡¯t you? When my lipstick got on your shirt, you just threw it away. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Liam said, ¡°If the shirt can¡¯t be cleaned, shouldn¡¯t I throw it away?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Why did you have to throw away my lipstick too?¡± He nced at her, The lipstick was ruined, shouldn¡¯t it be reced? Didn¡¯t Owen buy you a whole set later?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart pounded. Hold up! ¡°When did you buy me a whole set? Are you messing with me because I have a bad memory?¡± Liam frowned at Owen. Owen said, ¡°When I gave it to you, you were angry and didn¡¯t want anything from Mr. Reed, so you gave it to Ms. Kaylee¡± A vague memory surfaced in her mind Apparently, there was a time when she had an argument with Liam, and a few dayster Owen brought a box, saying it was something Liam bought while on a business trip. When Celeste was no longer angry, Kaylee suddenly came to pick up her documents and taunted Celeste Celeste angrily refused the gift, saying she could buy her own and didn¡¯t need anything from Liam Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Then Kaylee took the things away, and Celeste had no idea what was in the box. Looks like she really did have a poor memory. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Celeste bit her lip and continued, ¡°When I identally used your fork to nt flowers, I bought you a new one. If you didn¡¯t like it you could have just told me. Why did you have to throw it away?¡± Mentioning this, Liam¡¯s tongue started to ache, ¡°Fork? The one you bought was such poor quality that it cut my tongue! Celeste was speechless. She felt a little guilty and responded in a small voice, 1 thought it was quite useful.¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°Because you gave the poor quality one to me.¡± ¡°When Kaylee came back and I went to have dinner with you and them, you dumped me on the road on the way back. How do you exin that? | only mentioned divorce, was that too much?¡± Celeste became more confident as she spoke, she had to walk home in the rain that day! Liam paused, looked at her, but didn¡¯t say anything. Celeste snorted. Not talking now? You¡¯re just petty!¡± Owen interrupted, ¡°Madam, actually that day, Mr. Reed called a car to pick you up. But you were afraid that the driver might have bad intentions and insisted on not getting in¡± Not long after that day, Liam had Owen contact one of thepany¡¯s drivers to pick up Celeste. However, Celeste, clutching her three¨Cmillion¨Cdor bag, felt unsafe around everyone The driver, being a newbie, felt the need toplete the task given by his boss. When Celeste refused to get in the car, he slowly followed her in his car As a result, Celeste was scared into thinking she had encountered a bad guy, and she was even more reluctant to get in the car She ran home, clutching her bag Probably because the truth was a shock to her, Celeste was taken aback. She said after quite a while, ¡°Don¡¯t team up with Liam to cheat me.¡± Owen chuckled but didn¡¯t say anything In her heart, Celeste already believed his words, but she was just unwilling to admit it. That day, the only person who knew about it besides her was the driver So Owen wasn¡¯t lying. Liam really did call someone to pick her up. This fact made Celeste feel ufortable. ¡°Anything else?¡± Liam nced at her, as if to say, ¡°Td like to hear what other reasons you cane up with¡± Celeste felt ufortable. Why did she feel like she was the one being unreasonable? She stubbornly said, ¡°Let me think!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Liam seemed to chuckle. The car was dark, so Celeste couldn¡¯t see. All she heard was Liam saying, ¡°You take your time thinking. His voice always made her feel good. Soon, the car arrived at the beach. Liam unbuckled his seat belt and asked her to get out of the car. Reluctantly, Celeste followed him out and saw a camper van parked not far away. The door was open, and the lights inside were on Liam walked a few steps, turned around, and saw her dawdling, so he grabbed her hand and led her into the van. Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Celeste was gobsmacked the moment she got in the car. There was a spread of food on the table, with a candlestick in the middle and a white rose in a small vase beside it. Celeste couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Who the hell is old school enough to set up a candlelit dinner?¡± Liam had no response. She turned to look at him and suddenly fell silent. She opened her mouth to say something, but her stomach growled first. Liam nced at her, ¡°Your stomach is more honest than your mouth.¡± She brushed her hair and suddenly felt ufortable. She had known Liam for so many years and knew that he didn¡¯t have a romantic bone in his body. One year, for Liam¡¯s birthday, she bought a bunny outfit to cheer him up. She had dressed up like that, only for Liam to start debating whether the outfit was a rabbit or a fox. Liam thought it was a fox because the ears on her headband were too short. Celeste was speechless. She argued that the tail on the outfit was obviously a rabbit s, not a fox¡¯s. So, Liam dug up a ton of data to prove that the ears on the headband were indeed a fox¡¯s. As for why the tail on the butt was a rabbit¡¯s, it was likely that the store mixed up two different outfits. It turned out that Liam was right, because the outfit and the headband weren¡¯t from the same set. But seriously! Who in their right mind would still be holding a tablet and discussing whether it¡¯s a rabbit or a fox at such a time? Liam was essentially romance repellent. If you tried to talk to him about past lives, he¡¯d talk about molecr theory, from the Big Bang to human evolution If you wanted to take a walk with him in the rain, he¡¯d say, ¡°You¡¯re wearing too much metal, you might get struck by lightning. Let¡¯s stay in the car, it¡¯s totally safe with the metal shell.¡± This guy, setting up a candlelit dinner, was simply too shocking. Celeste looked around N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t sitting down, Liam asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Celeste turned around, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have a couple of fire extinguishers nearby? It¡¯s dangerous to light candles in a car.¡± Liam nced at her. They¡¯re in the back.¡± Celeste fell silent. Yep, that¡¯s the ¡°safety first¡± Liam she knew. Liam reached out and lifted the lid off a soup bowl in the middle handing her a spoon. Actually, when Liam asked her out, she had just had a drink and wasn¡¯t that hungry. But the smell of the food made her hungry again. Celeste was going to be polite and decline, but at that moment, she just started eating There were six small bowls on the table Liam opened them one by one. Although each dish was small, they were very delicate, and none of them were too rich, which made you want to eat them at first nce Celeste was very focused when she was eating, not saying a word the whole time. In fact, she didn¡¯t really know what to say She had noticed Liam¡¯s behavior recently and wasn¡¯t turning a blind eye But her feelings were confused, and sometimes she deliberately avoided Liam Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Chapter 568 But there were some things you can¡¯t keep running from. Celeste was stress eating and munching away nonstop. Liam, looking at her, said, ¡°Enough with the grub.¡± She froze, swallowed what was in her mouth, and retorted, ¡°This is the food you brought, now you¡¯re telling me not to eat?¡± Liam passed her a ss of water, ¡°You¡¯ve been chowing down a lot. If you keep going, you¡¯re gonna feel sick tonight¡± He paused. ¡°Are you stuffing your face to avoid talking to me?¡± Was her act that obvious? She hung her head, took a sip from the ss, and stayed silent. She was already full. If Liam didn¡¯t stop her, she might eat until she was about to burst. ¡°Letti¡± Liam said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between me and Sydney. I¡¯m nice to her because she¡¯s useful to me. She can help someone who¡¯s really important to me. I¡¯ll introduce you to them when the time is right. This whole thing isplicated, and I don¡¯t want you tangled up in it.¡± He reached across the table, gently brushing her hand, then brought it to his lips for a soft kiss, ¡°As a husband, I might¡¯ve dropped the ball. But it¡¯s my first time at bat. I don¡¯t have a ybook. You¡¯ve gotta cut me some ck when I screw up. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Celeste felt a lump in her throat. For a moment, she wanted to burst into tears. But she held them back The problems between them weren¡¯t that simple anymore, They had their fights, but most of the time, she was happy. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Liam hadn¡¯t cheated. Even if his love wasn¡¯t deep, he never let her down. If only that were the only issue. Celeste clenched her lips, pulling her hand away ¡°Liam, does your Grandma know. She paused, That I can¡¯t have kids?¡± He stiffened She forced augh, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know, does she?¡± His lips trembled, but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡°If she knew, would she still let you marry me?¡± His jaw tightened This was the most crucial issue he¡¯d been avoiding ¡°You¡¯re the heir to your family. You can¡¯t be childless forever. Your grandma wouldn¡¯t stand for it.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know about my condition, so she still hopes we can patch things up. But what if she finds out? How long can you keep it under wraps? ¡°Even if you can fool her for now, what if she learns the truth one day and hurts herself out of anger? What would you have me do then?¡± His voice choked up, I can live without a child¡± She gave a sad smile, ¡°People will change. You might not want kids now, but what aboutter? What if you regret it a year from now, two years, ten, or even twenty? What if, when you see other happy families, you start regretting your decisions in your youth? Would you me me for not having your own child? And I¡¯d be living in guilt for not being able to give you one. We might end up hating each other.¡± Celeste continued, ¡°I¡¯m not done with Skyler I have to get my revenge. You can¡¯t just stand by and watch, right?¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°So let¡¯s call it quits. Let¡¯s end this while we can still look at each other without resentment.¡° Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Liam¡¯s lips quivered slightly, and his eyes filled with bloodshot lines Celeste was like fine sand, no matter how tightly he clung to her, she would always slip through his fingers. Since his father passed away, this was the first time he felt so powerless, his heart was filled with fear and uncertainty. He rasped, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask Granny? She said she didn¡¯t mind.¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°That was just me testing her. She probably didn¡¯t take it seriously. How could a family like yours ever ept you not having a kid? The others would look at you differently too.¡± Liam gazed at her for a long time, then quietly said, ¡°You always talk about what Granny thinks and how others see it. But what about you? What do you think? You¡¯re right, I care about Granny¡¯s opinion, but it¡¯s you I¡¯m going to spend my life with. Your answer is what matters most Kids are not that important. If you want your own, we can see a doctor, if you don¡¯t want any, we can adopt, if you want revenge, go for it. What I want to know is, what do you really want? Do you still want to be with me?¡± Owen was outside their car, listening to their conversation. Mr. Reed was making progress, at least he had his priorities straight. Kids, vanity none of that was as important as his wife. With what Liam just said, Celeste would surely be moved. He had many ws. He wasn¡¯t considerate enough or gentle enough. He spoke harshly, and even when he did good things, he always managed to mess it up with his poor choice of words N?velDrama.Org owns this. But he had his merits too. Like when Kaylee bullied her, he would secretly help her get back at Kaylee. He himself had a bit of a sharp tongue, but if others talked down to her, he would definitely seek revenge. He would bail her out when she bragged too much. He would buy that ugly ne just because she mentioned it casually. And he was damn good¨Clooking and totally her type She wasn¡¯t perfect either. Sometimes, she was even harsher than Liam. She could hold grudges. When she was in a good mood, she would try to appease him. But when she was not, if Liam came homete at night, she would lock him out of the bedroom. Even when Liam was angry, the next day she could cut him a te of strawberries, and he would instantly be docile and only grumble a bit about. how hard the bed in the study was She was petty and held grudges, always remembering all the bad things Liam did to her. She always thought that Liam was only with her because he couldn¡¯t marry his first love. He couldn¡¯t possibly love her. It wasn¡¯t until now that she finally understood what Caitlyn once said. In a marriage, one can¡¯t always focus on the other¡¯s faults. One should also see their merits. Because no one in this world is perfect. When you demand perfection from others, you should also reflect on whether you¡¯ve reached that ¡°perfect¡± standard yourself. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Chapter 670 God is always fair. You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too. Greed won¡¯t bring happiness. She asked herself. Would she like Liam if he were as meticulous, considerate, and wless as Mason? The answer was no. That wouldn¡¯t be the Liam she knew. She would be scared and panicked, wondering whether she was good enough for such a man. But reality is not a fairy tale. Even if she agreed, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee smooth sailing If their issues remained unresolved, she would never be able to be with him at ease. She would worry and fear that he would regret it and revert to his old self. She didn¡¯t want that. Celeste suppressed her emotions and looked up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡± Liam¡¯s face turned pale, and he shakily asked, ¡°Why?¡± Celeste avoided his gaze. ¡°If i remarried, I would choose someone who likes me and whom I like. Do you understand?¡± Liam¡¯s face turned even paler, his eyes glowed red, and his voice was shaky and solemn, ¡°Who do you like?¡± Celeste was a bit annoyed, ¡°Why do you care?¡± She just wanted to make Liam give up, so she made up an excuse. But Liam wouldn¡¯t let it go, he kept pressing. ¡°Mason? Or Steven?¡± Liam recalled what Nics had said before and got tense, ¡°Is it Nics?¡± Celeste¡¯s lip twitched. Was he nning to guess all the men in her life? ¡°Who is it?¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Does it matter? Whoever it is, it¡¯s not you.¡± ¡°I need to know what Ickpared to him.¡± Liam said firmly, ¡°Why you chose him over me¡± Celeste pulled at her hair in frustration. Why couldn¡¯t Liam just be normal? He was so proud, yet he could lower his pride and say such things to her. After being rejected, shouldn¡¯t he just leave? Why was he still prying? Seeing her reaction, Liam suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s Steven, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°After you had just divorced me, he was in such a hurry to sign you and did not let me interfere at all. Is he afraid you mighte back to me?¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam¡¯s imagination was really something. Where did Steven show any signs of liking her? But now, there didn¡¯t seem to be a better scapegoat than Steven So she said, ¡°Yes. My boss Steven is nice, protective, and handsome and he even helped me when I was in trouble. What woman wouldn¡¯t like him?¡± As expected, Liam¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°You¡¯re lying! You definitely don¡¯t like that kind of person!¡± ¡°How would you know what I like?¡± Celeste said exasperatedly. ¡°After all these years with me, you still don¡¯t know? I like handsome guys, just like when I chose you¡± Liam was furious, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then call Steven now and tell him you like him.¡± Celeste felt like facepalming. When did Liam get so smart? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Her face was red, and she said, ¡°Are you nuts? I¡¯m crushing on him, you know what that means? if I get found out, how am I supposed to keep liking him?¡± Liam calmed down. He looked at her for a few seconds, then concluded, ¡°So there¡¯s still a chance for me¡± Celeste was dumbfounded. Great, now he¡¯s even more confident. ¡°Liam, I¡­¡± Suddenly, Liam stood up and kissed her on the lips without warning. Celeste froze, but Liam only made brief contact before letting go of her. He casually rested one hand on the back of her chair while his other hand gently grazed her lips, murmuring. ¡°You chase yours, I¡¯ll chase mine, and I bet I¡¯ score first.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart was practically in her throat. Where on earth did Liam learn all these moves?! Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Celeste¡¯s face turned beet red as she shoved his hand away. ¡°Did I ever say I was okay with this, Liam? Do you even realize what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re being a total pest!¡± Liam¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly. Just when Celeste thought his ego had taken a hit and he was about to leave, Liam whispered in her ear in a low voice, ¡°You liar Celeste looked at him, puzzled What did I lie about?¡± His eyes were filled with anger. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember anything, do you?¡± Celeste scrunched her eyebrows Remember what?¡± What was this cryptic conversation all about? Liam¡¯s face turned sour, ¡°Did you ever take anything I said seriously?¡± Liam looked both angry and hurt, which made Celeste feel ufortable But the thing is, she had no clue what Liam was talking about. ¡°What did I say?¡± Liam clenched his jaw, as if trying to hold back his anger ¡°You said, if you ever dumped me, I should keep pestering you Maybe your soft heart would make you change your mind. So now you won¡¯t even let me pester you?¡± Celeste waspletely lost When did this happen? She couldn¡¯t remember anything Wart, this sounded familiar. A vague memory came to her After mulling it over for a while, it finally clicked. There was this one time when she was watching a soap opera. The story was about a man and a woman who loved each other but chose to break up because of family and career issues She cried her eyes out under her nket, one moment ming the male lead for not standing up for their love, the next ming the female lead for not fighting for it If they loved each other, why couldn¡¯t they be together? Even if one of them just kept pestering the other, it would be better than just ending it all so easily Her crying was so loud that she woke up Liam, who was sleeping next to her Liam thought she was crying because she bought a fake bag and was upset about being duped. When he found out she was crying over a TV show, he was speechless He handed her a tissue and wiped her puffed¨Cup, peach¨Clike eyes, saying. ¡°TV shows are all fiction. They¡¯re just trying to milk tears from sensitive people like you¡± Celeste took the tissue, still sobbing, and used him of being heartless. Liam, who was never good atforting people, just handed her the whole box of tissues and turned over to sleep. Celeste was even more upset. She woke him up and asked him what he would do if he were the male lead N?velDrama.Org owns this. Liam, although extremely sleepy, tried to understand the plot and then said that if the female lead didn¡¯t want him anymore, why should he keep pestering her? They should just break up This really hit a nerve with Celeste She grabbed Liam¡¯s cor tightly. ¡°No! Even if I don¡¯t want you anymore, you have to keep pestering me. I¡¯m soft¨Chearted if you say a few sweet words. I might start to regret it¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, ¡®Aren¡¯t you being a bit too narcissistic? Why should I keep pestering you?¡± Celeste leaned on his shoulder and said in a cutesy voice, I¡¯m a girl Girls should be taken care of Liam was speechless Liam asked, ¡°If I don¡¯t want you anymore, would you keep pestering me?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyebrows shot up and she kicked him away, ¡°in your dreams!¡± Recalling this, Celeste fell silent Just how many thoughtless romantic words had she said to Liam in the past? Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Chapter 672 The thing is, she didn¡¯t remember most of them, but Liam¡¯s memory was like aputer, always able to pull out a few lines that left her speechless. Was she really so heartless? She opened her mouth to weakly defend herself. Things said in bed shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously.¡± Liam looked grim, ¡°The words you¡¯re saying now, I won¡¯t take them seriously!¡± Before Celeste could say anything else, Liam suddenly picked her up from the chair. Celeste was startled and started hitting his chest, ¡°Liam, what are you doing?¡± Without a word, Liam put her on the bed Celeste was taken aback. He wasn¡¯t going to get angry and do something drastic because his advances were rejected, was he? Liam leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. Celeste didn¡¯t resist or fight back, which made Liam very happy He said, ¡°You can reject me, but I won¡¯t let you reject me! Celeste was speechless. What was he up to? After saying that, Liamid down next to her The bed wasn¡¯t wide and Liam was tall, so he had toy on his side He was very close to her, so close that she could feel his breath and hear his strong heartbeat. Again and again, he didn¡¯t seem as calm as he looked. Celeste¡¯s heart fluttered. ¡°I have training tomorrow.¡± Liam said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there in the morning¡± ¡°I want to go now¡± She tried to sit up, but Liam held her waist, ¡°At least for tonight, please stay with me.¡± His tone wasn¡¯tmanding, it was more like he was pleading Celeste¡¯s heart softened again. She clenched her fingers, trying not to be swayed by his words, and said softly. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± ¡°Mmm¡± He didn¡¯t deny it and responded gently, without any anger He leaned in, his cheek brushing against hers, ¡°I was too restrained before. I didn¡¯t know what you wanted, and I didn¡¯t know what I wanted.¡± Celeste¡¯s throat felt dry ¡°I like Steven. That doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± Liam¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, then he said in a low voice, I¡¯ll make you see that I¡¯m better than Steven, and you¡¯ll like me.¡± Celeste opened her mouth, but in the end, she said nothing She had already said enough to hurt him, she didn¡¯t want to hurt Liam anymore. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She felt so annoyed. Celeste turned to look out the window. Only the lights of the fishing boats were left on the sea, along with the crescent moon in the sky. She thought she would have a hard time falling asleep, but soon after closing her eyes, Celeste¡¯s breathing became steady. Liam opened his eyes, gently propped himself up, brushed her hair back from her face, and then kissed her forehead, followed by her eyebrows, her nose, and finally her soft lips. He savored her slowly, his hand unconsciously settling on her waist. Feeling a little restless in his body, Liam frowned and stopped what he was doing. Then he gently pecked her on the corner of her lips before lying back down, slowly calming himself. He couldn¡¯t rush the process. He reminded himself of this internally. Celeste was already pretty wary of the Reed family, he had to show her his sincerity. And then there was Steven. Thinking about this, Liam dialed a number Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Chapter 673 After hanging up the phone, Liam sat in the car for a while before getting out. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Owen was leaning against the car, puffing on a cigarette. When he saw Liam getting out of the car, he was about to stub out the cigarette butt. He knew Liam didn¡¯t like the smell of tobo. Apart from social asions, he hardly smoked at all. Liam stopped him and asked casually. ¡°Got another one?¡± Owen took out a cigarette from his pack and handed it to him. The flicker of the lighter me danced in the sea breeze. Owen shielded it with his hand. Liam took a drag, and the tip of the cigarette glowed before burning brightly He exhaled a puff of smoke, squinted his eyes, and leaned against the car with Owen, staring into the distance Owen asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, why didn¡¯t you tell your wife about the surgery?¡± He was referring to the vasectomy. Liam didn¡¯t respond. Owen assumed he didn¡¯t want to answer, so he didn¡¯t ask again It wasn¡¯t until the cigarette was half smoked that Liam said, ¡°The surgery was my choice, not a tool to manipte her morally¡± ¡°I want her to choose me because she likes me, not for any other reason¡± Owen was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything The divorce not only left a crack in his wife¡¯s heart but also hurt Liam badly. He clearly had many ways to keep his wife by his side, but he didn¡¯t dare force her or demand anything Liam¡¯s love, thoughte, was incredibly deep. Maybe it wasn¡¯t because his love camete, but because of his past experiences He wasn¡¯t good at expressing his feelings, and he was afraid of rejection Owen said softly, ¡°It would have been good if you hadn¡¯t gone to C City¡± Liam was silent for a moment. His heart ached slightly More than once, he thought that if he could go back in time, he would have left for a different reason, arranged everything properly, and been there for her when she needed him. But that was meaningless ¡°Suppose¡± is useless for things that have already happened. If supposing was useful, he shouldn¡¯t have answered that call seven years ago But if he hadn¡¯t answered that call, how would he have met Celeste? Everything is a chain reaction of fate, so there¡¯s no point inining He had no regrets because it was his own choice. His only mistake was that he was too arrogant and overestimated his control over things. Liam took another puff of his cigarette, then asked, ¡°How¡¯s Coco beentely?¡± ¡°The doctor said she¡¯s doing well, she¡¯s now running around in the ward, asking the nurse for a phone every day, wanting to call you asking when you¡¯re going to pick her up Owen paused, ¡°Mr. Reed, who is Coco¡¯s father?¡± He had been with Liam for many years and only found out about the little girl four years ago when Liam had Sydney give her a blood transfusion. Coco didn¡¯t live in J City. She lived in the neighboring H City, where someone took care of her. Only when she needed a blood transfusion would she be brought to J City The frequency of transfusions was about once every three months. Apart from this, Liam didn¡¯t go to H City very often. Chapter 674 Chapter 674 As a special assistant, Owen¡¯s strength was that he never asked questions he wasn¡¯t supposed to. If it weren¡¯t for this matter affecting Liam and his wife¡¯s marriage, he might not have asked. Owen pondered, ¡°Liam, if Coco is your daughter, I suggest you tell your wife sooner rather thanter¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Is my hair red?¡± Owen was taken aback, then realized that Liam was talking about the color of Coco¡¯s hair. He was implying that Coco, with her red hair, couldn¡¯t possibly be his daughter Owen fell silent. Liam fished out his phone and showed him a picture. Owen instantly tensed up Liam looked up, made a zipping motion over his mouth, raised his eyebrows, and said, ¡°You get what I¡¯m saying?¡± Owen nodded heavily Liam put away his phone, stubbed out the cigarette and said, ¡°Go sleep in the car for a while, take her back before dawn.¡± The next morning, Celeste was woken up by Owen. When she opened her eyes, she was already in the car. Outside was the training base. Owen, who sat in the driver¡¯s seat, turned to her and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s half past seven Go back and tidy up a bit before ss¡® Celeste closed her eyes, and her mind was still not fully awake. She mumbled a goodbye and got out of the car. When she arrived at the dormitory, everyone else was just getting up. After she had washed and changed into her training clothes, she discovered that her clothes had been cut into tatters. She turned to ask the three girls in the same room, but everyone seemed very tense Celeste suddenly felt there was no need to ask. It was either Sydney or that woman named Naomi. One had a long¨Cstanding grudge, the other was a new enemy. And only these two people had the status that the young actresses in the dormitory dared not offend. Such childish tactics. Did they have the IQ of a three¨Cyear¨Cold? Director Javier had specifically mentioned yesterday that everyone had to wear the same outfit to see how it looked on camera. The next day, her clothes were cut up She was the main character in the drama. If she wasn¡¯t in the shot, it would have a big impact. Celeste frowned, stared at the training outfit for a long time, then with a flick of her hand, threw it into the trash can. Yuna couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Celeste, shall I fix it up a bit with tape?¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°No need¡± She pulled out a suitcase from under the bed and took out a red dance outfit. This outfit was a gift from Caitlyn when she got into university Caitlyn had it tailor¨Cmade in the oldnes of the city The vintage design, the bold red color, and the exquisite stitching made her fall in love with it at first sight. She had only worn it three times in all these years N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She had packed it for this training camp but hadn¡¯t nned to wear it. Today, however, she had no choice. By nine o¡¯clock, everyone had trickled into the training room. Javier hade especially early today, bringing along the crew¡¯s photographer and lighting staff. He was talking to the dance teacher, inquiring about the training in the past couple of days When almost everyone had arrived, the dance teacher asked them to stand in their previous formation. Then she noticed someone was missing ¡°Who hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡± The teacher asked. Naomi smirked slightly, ¡°Who else could it be but the rich girl?¡± Just as the teacher was about to respond, the door to the training room swung open, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± Everyone turned around to see Celeste, her hair done up in a bun, dressed in a vintage red dance outfit, standing there elegantly. Her skin shone, and her red outfit was unexpectedly stunning. Not only were the boys attracted to her, ever: the girls admitted she was very beautiful. Naomi¡¯s face turned serious at the sight of her outfit. She didn¡¯t expect this girl to have a backup n! Sydney stared at Celeste, suddenly saying, ¡°Celeste, Director Javier wants to see how we look on camera, why are you dressed differently from everyone elso?¡± Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Everyone finally got it. Indeed, today everyone was dressed in a pink and white dance attire, and Celeste, in her red costume, was undeniably attention¨Cgrabbing. So attention¨Cgrabbing that it made people wonder if she was purposefully unting her uniqueness. In a group setting, people weren¡¯t exactly fond of this kind of deliberate show¨Coff If you did well, you might just steal the show, but if you failed, you might drag everyone down with you. Therefore, when Sydney spoke up, some people began to look at Celeste with less friendly eyes. Celeste understood this, but at the moment, she could only stick to her n After all, no one cared about why her costume was different, they only cared about the final performance. Hearing Sydney¡¯s words, Javier also asked, ¡°Celeste, why are you dressed like this? Where¡¯s your team uniform?¡± Instead of answering his question, Celeste said, ¡°Director, I¡¯ve been thinking about the character Nannie these past few days. I remember in the script that shees from a privileged background, she¡¯s never known hardship, she¡¯s aloof and arrogant, so much so that she can¡¯t ept the fact that she lost to the highly talented Kathie.¡± Javier loved discussing characters with his actors. He nodded as Celeste spoke, ¡°Yes, Nannie is aloof, but she¡¯s also very hardworking. She didn¡¯t choose an easy life just because she was privileged. What she can¡¯t ept is that her efforts lost to talent, and Kathie¡¯s talent is why she could never surpass Kathie¡± Javier paused, ¡°Do you have other thoughts?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°I just have some thoughts about this character. I was thinking that Nannie, being such an arrogant person, is a bit self¨Ccentered. Despite her cold demeanor, deep down, she craves attention.¡± At this, Naomiughed, ¡°If you want to add your own ideas to the storyline, just say so. Why bother talking about character creation? Is it even written in the script?¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Javier frowned and stopped her. Turning to Celeste he said, ¡°Celeste, tell us more about your thoughts.¡± Naomi looked at Celeste with annoyance. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ignoring her, Celeste continued, ¡°A self¨Ccentered person like her would want to attract attention in any situation. For example, during training, she might deliberately dress differently to stand out and get everyone¡¯s attention. On one hand, it reinforces her character, on the other hand, it reflects her status within the team¡­ like being an outsider¡± Javier¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought for a few seconds and nodded, ¡°You make a lot of sense. Nannie, being arrogant and self¨Ccentered, would likely want to stand out during training. It¡¯s just something she¡¯d do.¡± He looked at Celeste¡¯s vintage red dance costume. She was aloof and arrogant while she was surrounded by the group of actresses in their pink and white attire. The character from the script came alive before their eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s do a test shoot.¡± Sydney¡¯s gaze deepened. She said, ¡°Director Javier, I suggest we try two approaches and see which one works better.¡± Celeste paused and gave her a nonchnt look. Sydney smiled and said, ¡°Only the pursuit of perfection is the best.¡± Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Javier nodded and turned to Celeste, ¡°You can change back to your original costumeter.¡± Celeste nodded in agreement Naomi sneered. She had already ripped her costume to shreds; she wanted to see what Celeste would wear now! Celeste¡¯s red dance costume was stunning. The photographer could hardly contain himself, he wanted to take close¨Cups of her. He¡¯d never seen such a photogenic actress. No matter the angle, there was not a single w Previous shoots required specific angles and a heavy reliance on lighting and styling. Some big¨Cname actors would even me the photographer and demand a reshoot if they felt they didn¡¯t look good on camera. With their limited personal conditions, no matter how skilled the photographer, they couldn¡¯t make them look as beautiful as Venus. Thus, most people began to rely on post¨Cproduction. They depended so heavily on post¨Cproduction that they¡¯d ask the post¨Cproduction team to retouch every single frame. So, for photographers and post¨Cproduction staff, an extremely photogenic actress like Celeste was a godsend. They wished they could only shoot her. After two shoots, the director looked at the footage and kept nodding, clearly very satisfied. But Sydney wasn¡¯t looking so good. Standing next to Celeste, she knew Celeste was beautiful. So, she woke up more than an hour early this morning to carefully apply makeup that seemed natural. Although Sydney was average, she frequently underwent cosmetic procedures over the years, so her features were quite harmonious. Her innocent looks were very popr with the audience. This time, she stuck to her usual makeup and hairstyle. With French bangs and a fluffy updo, she looked incredibly pure and lovely at first nce. However, when the camera moved from her face to Celeste¡¯s, Sydney felt a huge gap. Celeste was bare¨Cfaced, her hair all tied back, and her entire face clearly visible, bright and bold. Unlike her, who used bangs to hide her shorings. Even with her entire face exposed, Celeste was wless. Inparison, looking pure and cute seemed trivial. Celeste made her seem insignificant. Sydney clenched her fists, looking at Celeste with jealousy. Naomi frowned, ¡°What¡¯s with the lighting? It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s all focused on Celeste, making us look so dark.¡± The lighting technician¡¯s eye twitched. Was this his fault? Did Celeste, standing there like a reflector, even need his lighting? But he didn¡¯t dare say so, not wanting to offend anyone. Javier was more straightforward, ¡°You¡¯re not shining yourself, why me the lighting?¡± Naomi was left speechless. Suddenly, Sydney chimed in, ¡°Hey, Javier, why don¡¯t we have Celeste rock the same outfit as us? It might look better that way.¡± Even though Javier was already pretty thrilled with the current version, Sydney was a big shot after all, and she was the leadingdy in this film, so he had to consider how she¡¯d look in the shot. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. So he turned to Celeste and said, ¡°Celeste, why don¡¯t you try on that outfit we handed out earlier, and we¡¯ll give it another go.¡± Celeste bit her lip lightly, stealing a quick nce at Sydney. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Sydney¡¯s lips curled up slightly and her eyes filled with malicious intent. With a smug look on her face, Naomi chimed in, ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road, there¡¯s no time to waste. Our director is treating us to lunch.¡± Celeste shifted her gaze back, about to speak, when the door of the training room was suddenly pushed open and a friendly voice echoed, ¡°Director Javier, can I interrupt for a moment?¡± Celeste blinked in surprise, turning to see Mason standing at the entrance, with hands full of coffee cups. Javier paused, then broke into a smile, ¡°Mason, what brings you here?¡± Celeste looked puzzled Mason spoke in a friendly manner, ¡°Heard from a friend that you¡¯re prepping for a new project and training the actors here. I was passing by, so I thought I¡¯d drop in.¡± He looked beyond Javier to the people behind him, I¡¯m not intruding, am 17¡± ¡°Not at all, we¡¯re not in the middle of shooting or anything. Your visit is quite wee.¡± Javier took the coffee from Mason, had his assistant distribute it, and started chatting with Mason, ¡°When did you get back?¡± Mason replied, Tve been back for a while, been busy with a friend¡¯s neww firm, and didn¡¯t get a chance to catch up.¡± ¡°No worries, workes first. Anytime is a good time to catch up.¡± Javier paused before asking, ¡°How¡¯s your health?¡± ¡°Doing great¡± Javier smiled, That¡¯s good to hear.¡± As Eaton had said, Javier sure was a chatterbox. He and Mason talked for half an hour. It was only when his phone rang that he excused himself to take the call. Celeste moved toward Mason with her coffee and whispered, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, do you know our director?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Mason nodded, ¡°His daughter was studying abroad and got involved in a bullying case. I helped her out.¡± Mason lowered his voice, ¡°I can stall for a bit longer. Your friend should be here with your clothes soon.¡± Celeste blinked in surprise, ¡°How do you know?¡± Mason chuckled and whispered, ¡°I saw your Instagram postst night. I actually came to see you and wanted to bring some treats, but I didn¡¯t know where to find you. So I called your friend and she told me about your ripped clothes.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to another set to borrow clothes for you, but it¡¯s a bit far. She was worried she wouldn¡¯t make it in time, so she asked me to stall for you. Lucky that I know the director, huh?¡± So that¡¯s what happened. Celeste sighed in relief, ¡°You¡¯ve really saved me.¡± If her clothes didn¡¯t arrive today, Sydney and Naomi would definitely use this opportunity to nder her, saying she¡¯s causing trouble before shooting even starts. That wouldn¡¯t leave a good impression. Mason asked, ¡°How did your clothes get ripped?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I was set up.¡± Mason¡¯s gaze swept the room,nding on Sydney, before he lowered his head and suddenly asked, ¡°Do you want revenge?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mason smiled and changed the subject, ¡°Your outfit is very stylish.¡± Celeste was always happy to receivepliments, ¡°It¡¯s a gift from my mom. She modified a pattern she found in a book, then had a tailor make it for Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Mason¡¯s gaze softened, ¡°Your mom has good taste. It suits you.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile. Javier finished his call and returned quickly. He wanted to continue his chat with Mason, but Naomi, afraid he¡¯d forget about the uing shoot, cooed, ¡°Director Javier, when are we starting? I have ns for the afternoon. That¡¯s when Javier said, ¡°We¡¯ll start as soon as Celeste changes her clothes.¡± Then he turned to Celeste and added, ¡°Off you go.¡± Celeste nodded, gave him a look, and left the room. The moment she stepped out, her phone rang. It was Trisha, panting on the other end, ¡°Letti, what floor are you on?¡± ¡°Second floor,¡± Celeste paused, a smirk ying on her lips, 1 see you.¡± Back in the training room. Sydney and Naomi were sitting together. Naomimented, ¡°She had her clothes ruined, and now she¡¯s putting on a show and going out to change. I can¡¯t wait to see how she exins this to the director¡± Sydney asked, ¡°Are you sure you ruined her clothes?¡± ¡°I cut them myself and made sure they were unwearable.¡± Naomi scoffed, ¡°I heard from their dormmate that she threw them in the trash. She can¡¯t possibly be digging them out to put them back on, can she?¡± Naomi seemed confident, handing Sydney a cup of coffee, ¡°Sydney, have some coffee. Iced Americano, no sugar. I remember you like it this way. Sydney thanked her, taking the cup. She inserted the straw while gazing at the doorway, anticipating Celeste¡¯s entrance. Around ten minutester, the door to the training room opened again. Everyone looked up to find Celeste, now in a pink and white dance outfit, entering their line of sight. Naomi froze a secondter, ¡°How on earth?!¡± Sydney¡¯s face hardened. That waste of space! ¡°I cut them up to shreds myself. How can they be intact?¡± ¡°Enough¡± Sydney snapped, ¡°Shut up!¡± Did this fool want everyone to hear? She nced at Mason, then back at Celeste, btedly realizing what the so¨Ccalled visit was all about. It was to buy time for the rescue! She had a hunch. How coincidental that their visitor happened to be Mason When he saw Celeste arrive, Javier told Mason, ¡°Mason, have a seat. I¡¯ll be done with these shots soon. Then we¡¯ll go to lunch.¡± Mason nodded, ¡°You carry on with your work.¡± After that, he nced at Celeste and gave her a discreet thumbs up. Celeste smiled with her eyes filled with gratitude. Since they had already run through the scene once, everyone was more familiar with their positions this time around. They were expecting a smooth run, but just a few shots in, Sydney suddenly tripped while doing a squat and fell to the ground. Everyone was taken aback. The actor next to her immediately helped her up, asking with concern, ¡°Sydney, what¡¯s up?¡± Sydney shook her head, murmuring, ¡°Got a sudden dizzy spell. Sorry, director¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Javier noticed her expression was off, asking, ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt yourself, did you?¡± Normally, if Sydney so much as stubbed her toe on any other set, no matter how minor, people would immediately swarm up to her with concern. But not on Javier¡¯s watch. Because Javier didn¡¯t have a thing for overly sensitive actors, and with Celeste on the scene, Sydney didn¡¯t want to appear less tough. So she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s carry on then.¡± Sydney was helped up. Celeste nced at her, saying calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself if you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Celeste didn¡¯t mean any harm. She was just concerned that Sydney¡¯splexion looked a bit off. She didn¡¯t care about Sydney¡¯s wellbeing; she just didn¡¯t want Sydney¡¯s issues to slow down her work progress. But to Sydney, that felt like mockery. She shot Celeste a cold nce, ¡°Just stick to your part.¡± Celeste fell silent. They all regrouped and continued to follow the dance instructor¡¯s guidance. After a few jumps, Sydney began to feel breathless, her head felt heavy, and her vision started to blur. Then everything went ck, and she copsed onto the floor. This time, she didn¡¯t have the strength to get up. Sheid there, her body trembling, her face pale. This caused every young actor present to freak out, their screams echoing around. It took Javier a few seconds to react, and he quickly sent for an ambnce. Sydney¡¯s assistant, Hanson, also rushed to the scene. She took a nce at Sydney and started to warn everyone not to take pictures. Sydney was obviously in shock, and yet they were worrying about photos. Were they joking? Thankfully, there was a doctor present, arranged by Javier, just in case anyone got injured during practice. The doctor was already on the scene and immediately began to give Sydney first aid After a few minutes, an ambnce arrived, and she was taken to the hospital. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The incident made Javier¡¯s face gloomy. Sydney had a lot of fans, any minor injury on set could lead to the crew being cursed at by her fans. This time. the filming hadn¡¯t even finished yet, and now that this had happened, he was worned it might tarnish the crew¡¯s reputation. But that wasn¡¯t the main thing now, the main thing was that Sydney had to be okay. With her lead in the hospital, there was no point in rehearsing the scenes. So Javier waved his hand, giving everyone the day off. He went to Mason and whispered, ¡°Mason, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner some other day, now I need to go to the hospital. This happened during our training: we have to take some responsibility.¡± Mason nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fine, things came up, we can eat anytime.¡± Javier said a couple more things, then left. At this point, Trisha also walked in. She saw Sydney being lifted onto a stretcher, trembling all over. She was taken aback, and she asked as soon as she entered. ¡°What happened to that bitch, Sydney? She looked really bad.¡± The ce was packed, Celeste whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Naomi snapped several pictures of Celeste and Mason. The man she sawst night was him, right? They got in the car, and Celeste began to tell Trisha what happened at the rehearsal After hearing this, Trisha immediately said, ¡°This is her karma, she must be the one who cut your clothes, and then the universe saw her doing bad things, so it punished her.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°If the universe were this fair, howe Shawn is still doing so well?¡± ¡°Take it one step at a time,¡± Trishaforted her, ¡°He will get what he deserves eventually.¡± Then she said, ¡°Thank God Mr. Fletcher bought us some time, otherwise I might not have made it in time.¡± Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Mason was driving and he said, ¡± just did what I could, I didn¡¯t expect to know the director, otherwise, it might have been very tight.¡± ¡°So doing good deeds really does pay off.¡± Trishaughed, ¡°Aunt Caitlyn sponsored so many people, which helped Letti find you, our lifesaver.¡± Mason smiled but didn¡¯t respond. Celeste was grateful, she softly said, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, if you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯d like to treat you to dinner.¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Celeste chose a barbecue restaurant. On one hand, she wanted to be more formal, on the other hand, Trisha really wanted barbecue. Celeste took them to the barbecue restaurant Liam used to take her to In fact, she didn¡¯t have a particr taste for barbecue, so she couldn¡¯t judge which was better, so she chose ording to Liam¡¯s preference. Liam once said, the steak there was the best in J City Celeste ordered the set meal Liam usually ordered, then handed the menu to Trisha. Trisha was stunned when she saw the prices on the menu, a steak for nearly a hundred dors? If she had known, she would have stayed home and cooked She could make a big pot with 30 dors. She didn¡¯t dare order randomly, so she chose the same set meal as Celeste. Mason also quickly made his choice. Trisha still liked Mason because he could always help Celeste, and because he was awyer, she thought having awyer friend was cool. So she kept chatting with him at the table. Mason was very talkative, he spoke at afortable pace, and he could carry on any topic. He never made people feel awkward. Celeste was feeling a bit ufortable, she felt like her period wasing, so she went to the restroom first. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Nics just came downstairs and saw Trisha sitting by the window downstairs,ughing and talking with the person next to her. He frowned and walked over quickly. ¡°Little devil, the thing you said was a date with a man?¡± Mason paused and looked back, ¡°Nics?¡± Nics was taken aback, ¡°Why is it you?¡± Trisha pushed his hand away, ¡°What¡¯s it to you what I do? Were youcking food that day?¡± Nics ruffled her hair, ¡°How many times have you cooked for me since Celeste went to the training camp?¡± Trisha said, ¡°Don¡¯t I have a job? Don¡¯t I make up for it on the weekends?¡± After saying that, she paused, ¡°And you don¡¯t look any thinner.¡± Nics threatened her in a low voice, ¡°Still want me to help you check?¡± Trisha red at him. Just as she was about to speak, a beauty walked over and hooked Nics¡¯s arm, ¡°Aren¡¯t we leaving?¡± Nics stiffened and subconsciously looked at Trisha. Catching Trisha¡¯s eyes on him and the hot babe, he suddenly felt guilty He gently pushed the babe¡¯s hand away, cleared his throat, and said, ¡°Just leave for a bit, I need to talk with my friend.¡± The babe, not making a fuss, turned around and left. Nics tried to settle his voice, ready to exin himself, but before he could even open his mouth, Trisha whispered, ¡°How were her boobs? What did they feel like?¡± Nics was speechless. A vein pepped on his forehead and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrobly. He struggled to say, ¡°How would I know? We¡¯re not like that rtionship!¡± Trisha clearly didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°Could you really resist?¡± Nics felt that if he kept up with this conversation, his patience would run out and he might blow his top. At the same time, he had a weird feeling because she didn¡¯t seem to care if he was with other people. Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Nics forced down his inner difort, cleared his throat, and asked, ¡°Howe you two are having dinner together?¡± ¡°You guys barely know each other, right?¡± Mason said, ¡°I went with Miss Trisha to visit Celeste. It was a dinner party organized by Celeste, so we¡¯re all eating together¡± He chuckled, ¡°Did you score a new girlfriend?* Nics replied, ¡°Nope, just a blind date arranged by my family Sipping her juice, Trisha stole a nce at him. ¡°Already holding hands on a blind date, huh?¡± What she meant was, Do you think I¡¯ll buy that? Nics smiled, ¡°Well, I¡¯m irresistible. Women can¡¯t help themselves when they meet me. Like when you first met me, you wouldn¡¯t let go of me, remember? That¡¯s way more than just holding hands.¡± Trisha choked on her juice, nearly suffocating herself After a long coughing spell, her face all red, she red at him and said, ¡°I was trying to buy time!¡± Nics pulled out the chair next to her, propped his head up with his hand, and looked at her with a mischievous grin, ¡°Really? I thought you were drawn to my charm¡± Trisha rolled her eyes, ¡°If I harbor any inappropriate thoughts about you, may I be struck by lightning!¡± Nics fell silent. Did she have to be so harsh just for a joke? Was it that embarrassing to have feelings for him? Nics felt a tinge of annoyance. Just as they were speaking, Celeste returned from the restroom. She was surprised to see Nics, but after learning what had happened, she politely invited, ¡°Mr. Francis, would you like to join us?¡± Before Nics could answer, Trisha quickly said, ¡°He¡¯s already eaten.¡± Then she turned to Nics, ¡°You should probably get going.¡± Nics, who initially had no intention of freeloading, simply took a seat He said, ¡°Well, in that case, I won¡¯t be shy. The food on the blind date was terrible Eating with someone you don¡¯t know kind of kills your appetite Celeste was speechless. To Nics, being polite probably meant ¡°an invitation¡°. So the dinner for three turned into a dinner for four. Trisha was not pleased with this. She lowered her voice and said to Nics, ¡°You shameless jerk, do you have any idea how expensive this meal is? You don¡¯t care since you¡¯re not paying!¡± Annoyed, Nics said, ¡°Say something nice, Trisha. I¡¯ll pick up the tab.¡± Trisha paused, ¡°Show me your wallet first.¡± Nicsughed in frustration. Did she think he wouldn¡¯t keep his word? He tossed his wallet to her. When Trisha opened it and saw the credit cards inside, she was instantly all smiles. ¡°Order whatever you want. If we can¡¯t finish it, we¡¯ll take it home to feed the pigs. Nics, * Where did the pigse from? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Nics would pay the bill, and Trisha immediately took the menu back and ordered a bunch of expensive items like Bluefin Tuna. Seeing her almost wishing to order the entire menu, Nics felt both amused and irritated. What a grudge she held just because she had to cook for him a few times! As the food was served, the four chatted and ate. Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Chapter 682 It was only then that Nics learned about Celeste¡¯s experience on set that morning. When he heard that Trisha had asked Mason for help, he immediately felt a bit upset. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me for help? I¡¯m on good terms with Javier¡± Trisha, like a squirrel with a mouthful of food, mumbled something unintelligible Nics rolled his eyes, passed her a ss of juice with a look of disgust, ¡°Swallow your food first.¡± Trisha took the juice, took a couple of sips, swallowed her food, and then said, ¡®Do you think I didn¡¯t try to find you? As soon as I got Letti¡¯s call, I went looking for you. But you didn¡¯te homest night, and nobody answered your phone. Then, Mr. Fletcher happened to call, so I had no choice but to ask him for help. Luckily, he knows the director, or I might not have made it in time.¡± Celeste¡¯s costume had been cut up, so Trisha had two options. One was to try to get by with the red dance dress, the other was to contact Trisha urgently to see if she could find an identical dress. Trisha had been working in the film industry for many years and had a good rtionship with many costume designers and prop masters Uniform costumes like these were usually not custom¨Cmade but shared among many film crews. So she posted the photo on a Facebook group and quickly found an identical costume through her contacts. Having a costume cut up might not be a big deal for a big¨Cname actress, who would be pampered by the director and crew. But for a neer like Celeste, it was quite significant Nobody cared how your costume got torn. All they cared about was that you dyed everyone¡¯s work. Trisha had seen all kinds of ugly deeds in the film industry. No matter what means were used, as long as they could push you down, someone would immediately take your ce. ¡°You called me?¡± Nics took out his phone and scrolled. Sure enough, there was a missed call from Trisha. The number he had given Trisha was his work number, which was usually for unimportant calls. So, sometimes even when he heard it, he wouldn¡¯t answer That must have been how he missed her call. He parsed his lips and set a special reminder for Trisha¡¯s number. After setting it up, he asked, ¡°Who cut the costume?¡± ¡°Who else but that bitch, Sydney?¡± She red at Nics after saying, ¡°The trash idol that you promoted!¡± Nics had no response. ¡°But she had some bad luck. She suddenly fainted on set and looked as pale as a ghost. She was taken away in an ambnce.¡± Nics was taken aback, ¡°Why would she suddenly faint?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s karma for doing something bad.¡± Trisha cracked open a lobster w, tasted the meat, and murmured, ¡°Still not as good as the one I cooked.¡± Naturally, Nics didn¡¯t believe in karma. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Sydney had no health issues, so her sudden fainting was indeed strange. But he didn¡¯t think too much about it. She was no longer a talent of Nics Media Group, so her condition was none of his concern. He turned to Mason and asked, ¡°Mason, I heard that you¡¯re helping Ramsey Hale¡¯s wife with awsuit. Is that true?¡± Mason, chuckling, asked, ¡°Howe you know everything?¡± Nics, with a smug grin, responded, ¡°What don¡¯t I know in J City? Who¡¯s got secret kids? Who¡¯s got lovers? Who¡¯s got betrayed wives? | know them all like the back of my hand¡± Trisha said, ¡°Do you have nothing better to do than snooping into people¡¯s private lives?¡± Nicsughed lightly, gently ruffling her hair, ¡°You don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s my way of gathering information.¡± Trisha swatted his hand away, ¡°Stop messing with my hair, don¡¯t you know that constantly touching one¡¯s top of the head could stunt his or her growth?¡± The more she told him not to touch her, the more he wanted to As he continued tousling her hair, heughed, ¡®At your age, how much more are you gonna grow?¡± Trisha¡¯s hair was incredibly soft and cool to the touch, and a pleasure to handle. After he said that, he suddenly paused. Did his words sound familiar, like something he had said to someone else in the past? Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Trisha swatted his hand away and red at him, ¡°I heard some people can grow two centimeters taller after giving birth. I haven¡¯t had a kid yet; I bet I will still grow Nics raised an eyebrow, ¡°Get real, Trisha. The reason people grow taller after giving birth is due to bone expansion. You¡¯re still kiddo; how on earth would you have bone expansion?¡± Trisha was about to snap back, but when he called her ¡°kiddo¡°, she instantly forgave his faux pas Nics looked up at Mason, ¡°Ramsey and his wife are no walk in the park. Why the hell did you take this case?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Slicing his steak, Mason replied, ¡°No choice, she¡¯s paying me a fortune.¡± Nics snorted, ¡°Are you short on cash?¡± Ramsey was no saint, and his wife wasn¡¯t any better. This conniving couple was always up to no good, often sending young female employees from their company to their business partners¡® beds. A few years back, someone sued them, used them of drugging and raping people. But the case was lost when the witness backed out in court. The girl disappearedter, and it created quite a storm. But the inte has a short memory, two yearster, all the negative press was gone. Ramsey¡¯s business was even bigger than before. Now, this wicked couple was getting divorced. Mason chuckled. ¡°The bigger thewsuit, the higher our firm¡¯s reputation. I wish all cases were like this.¡± Seeing Trisha finished her steak, Nics gave her the half he had left. This isn¡¯t like you. You wouldn¡¯t touch cases like these in the past.¡± Mason said, ¡°I was young back then, always wanted to do the right thing. Now, as you said, making money is more important.¡± Nicsughed, ¡°You gotta be loaded to dream big, right?¡± Trisha huffed, ¡°So worldly¡°¡± Nics nced at her. ¡°Doctors aren¡¯t worldly, they save lives without sry, filling their stomachs with wind?¡± Trisha frowned, ¡°Why bring up Dr. Ledford?¡± Nics sipped his water, keeping a poker face, ¡°Did I mention him?¡± Trisha was about to retort, but Nics beat her to it, ¡°Still want me to pick up the check?¡± Trisha swallowed what she was about to say and forced a smile, ¡°You¡¯re right, Nics. You¡¯re not worldly at all.¡± Nics finally eased up. He grabbed his phone, sneakily snapped a photo of Celeste, who was eating, and sent it to Liam. Pay for your wife¡¯s mealter. Liam was having dinner with a client and didn¡¯t check Nics¡® message immediately. When his client went to the restroom, he picked up his phone. He opened the photo and saw Celeste eating at the dining table, having a set meal that he often ordered. His eyes softened a bit. He was about to make the transfer when he stopped. On the photo¡¯s left was a man¡¯s hand with a quartz watch on his wrist. The watch face was pale gold with an eagle engraved on it. Mason¡¯s family provided a custom gift for Mason for hising of age. Liam¡¯s face suddenly darkened, his lips pressed tightly together. Nics waited a long time, but Liam didn¡¯t transfer any money. How could that be? Liam¡¯s a love¨Cat¨Cfirst¨Csight kind of guy. He should have transferred the money when he saw Celeste, right? Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Chapter 684 They all dined for nearly an hour. Mason stood up, seeing everyone was almost done, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± But instead of heading to the restroom, he went to the front desk. ¡°Could you please settle the bill for table twelve? Thank you.¡± The cashier started to settle the bill and soon handed it over. Just as the cashier was about to ept his card, Celeste quickly snatched it away and handed the cashier another card, ¡°Please use mine.¡± Mason had just left, and Celeste felt something was off, so she quickly followed and found him settling the bill. Mason smiled slightly, ¡°Nics ordered quite a lot. You just started working, and there¡¯s a lot you need money for. Let me handle this. Once you¡¯re settled in your job, you can treat me then.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste declined, ¡°I can afford to treat you all to a meal. You helped me with thewsuit before; I should be treating you. But there were so many things going on then i didn¡¯t get to thank you properly¡± Just as Mason was about to speak, Liam¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Letti¡¯s right. We should be treating you, can¡¯t have you, the guest, paying.¡± He had already walked over, striding to squeeze between Celeste and Mason. She moved aside, stretching her hand to hand the card to the cashier, when Liam snatched it away Then, he handed the cashier a ck card, ¡°Swipe this one¡± Celeste frowned, grabbed Liam¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Stop making a scene! I¡¯m treating everyone, what are you doing here?¡± Liam leaned closer to her ear, I¡¯m pursuing you.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Celeste¡¯s ears turned red, and she red at him, ¡°What does that have to do with who pays?¡± Liam lowered his voice, ¡°I need to show off my capabilities, whether it¡¯s physical or financial Now, Celeste¡¯s ears were red, and her neck was too. She gritted her teeth, ¡°Who needs you to show off here?!¡± Just as Liam was about to speak, Mason said, ¡°Let me do it. Celeste didn¡¯t get much from the divorce, better save when she can.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned dark, pushing Mason¡¯s hand away. ¡°Yourw firm doesn¡¯t make that much money either. Better save it for your parents.¡± Mason casually replied, ¡°My parents¡® pension is quite a lot. They don¡¯t need me to support them for now.¡± ¡°Then save it for your wedding¡± Mason smiled and lowered his voice, ¡°Working on it.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he shoved Mason on the shoulder. Mason stumbled backwards and knocked over the decorations on the cashier¡¯s desk. With a loud ¡°clunk¡°, the decoration hit the floor. Luckily, it was made of brass and didn¡¯t break. However, the loud noise did attract the attention of the diners. Celeste jumped out of her skin, her face turning a sickly shade. ¡°Liam, what the hell are you doing!¡± Liam looked edgy, but he didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Mr. Fletcher, are you alright?¡± Mason got up, grinning, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just lost my footing¡± He paused momentarily and then turned to Liam, ¡°I won¡¯t fight with you over this; you pick up the tab.¡± Liam was seething, thest thing he wanted was to foot the bill; he¡¯d instead take off with Celeste. But if he did, everything he¡¯d done would be for nought. Swallowing his rage, he pulled out his card and handed it over, ¡°Here, let¡¯s settle the bill.¡± Mason stiffened slightly, looking at Liam in surprise. Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Chapter 685 The cashier took the card and saw a notification on herputer screen, then said, ¡°The customer at table twelve has already paid.¡± Both of them were taken aback and simultaneously turned to look at Celeste. Celeste looked puzzled ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Trisha roared, ¡°The bill¡¯s been taken care of.¡± She handed the wallet back to Nics and gave his chest a light pat, ¡°Nics, you¡¯re such a big spender Nics expression shifted. He felt a lot better hearing that. As they left the restaurant, Celeste quietly apologized to Mason, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡± Mason smiled gently. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. There¡¯s no need to apologize to me, Celeste. You¡¯re your person, not someone¡¯s essory.¡± The word essory made Celeste feel ufortable. essory, she¡¯s always been seen as Liam¡¯s essory Now, without an identity and an unknown father, standing next to Liam made her feel even more like his essory. She lowered her head and said nothing more. Mason¡¯s phone rang. He said, ¡°I need to take this call, and went off to the side with his phone. Liam took her hand, ¡°Let me take you home.¡± Celeste pulled her hand back, ¡°I can ride with Mr. Francis. He¡¯s going the same way.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°He¡¯s not going home,¡± Liam turned to ask Nics, ¡°Right?¡± Nics yed along, ¡°I need to head back to the office, Ms. Campbell. Let Liam take you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take a cab.¡± Liam gazed at her, his tone softened, ¡°Are you mad at me for pushing him? I didn¡¯t mean to, who knew he was so fragile.¡± Celeste¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°You¡¯re justifying pushing someone? Mr. Fletcher is not well. You¡¯re not competing with someone, you¡¯re pushing someone. If something happens, you could end up in jail?¡± Liam was annoyed, but after hearing thest sentence, he suddenly said, ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Celeste kept a straight face, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I don¡¯t want to get involved.¡± Despite her words, Liam saw her mysterious eyes and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. I won¡¯ty a hand on him again.¡± Celeste looked slightly ufortable, ¡°Deal with your problems, don¡¯t drag me into it.¡± Liam was thrilled, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Have I won you over?¡± Celeste twitched, ¡°You haven¡¯t even started pursuing me, and you think I¡¯m that easy to win over?¡± After saying this, she saw the twinkle in Liam¡¯s eyes and realized she¡¯s been yed. She red at him, ¡°If you want to pursue me, try being perfect first¡± Liam asked her, ¡°Then what¡¯s my score now?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Negative ten thousand.¡± ¡°What¡­ are the grading criteria?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Depends on my mood.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not fair. What if you deliberately don¡¯t give me any points?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t pursue me,¡± Celeste patiently exined, ¡°Why put yourself through so much trouble?¡± Liam stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, saying gently, ¡°I like the thrill of the chase, if you can promise that you¡¯ll be with me when my score reaches 100.¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°Try getting into positive numbers first.¡± She held the power to determine his score, each time only giving him one point; he would never reach 100. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Imagining Liam struggling only to gain one point, Celeste¡¯s mood instantly improved. She lightly patted his shoulder, encouraging him, ¡°Keep it up.¡± Seeing her smug expression, Liam felt a warm glow inside. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulled her against the car, kissed her cheek, and whispered, ¡°I will¡± Celeste was startled and quickly checked their friends¡® reactions. Luckily, everyone was busy with their things and hadn¡¯t noticed them. She red at Liam, ¡°Touching me without my consent is a hundred points off!¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°Points can be deducted?¡± ¡°Of course! What can be added can be deducted!¡± Liam asked again, ¡°Under what conditions will points be deducted?¡± Celeste answered, ¡°Depends on my mood at the time.¡± Liam thought momentarily, saying. The same reason won¡¯t be deducted twice, right?¡± Celeste thought you¡¯re still in the negatives, whether it¡¯s deducted twice or not, so she said, ¡°No double deductions.¡± Then Liam kissed her other cheek and grinned, like a child who¡¯s pulled off a sessful prank, ¡°You said no double deductions.¡± Mason got a call from a client, so after hanging up and saying goodbye to everyone, he left first. Nics had to return to the office, and Liam drived Trisha and Celeste home. Trisha wasn¡¯t as rxed in Liam¡¯s car and didn¡¯t dare to talk much. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Once they reach home, she quickly got out of the vehicle. As Celeste exited, Liam stopped her, ¡°If you ever need anything, call me. I know you don¡¯t like owing people, but you can always ask me for help. I want to help you¡± Before Celeste could express her gratitude, Liam said, ¡°If you¡¯re too embarrassed, you can always give me some points.¡± Celeste waved at him, ¡°Goodbye.¡± After saying this, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, not looking back as she walks away. Liam watched her figure disappear and then dialled a number on his phone. Once connected, he asked, ¡°Doctor, has Mason been to see you recently?¡± ¡°Yes, hees every week, but his headaches haven¡¯t improved. It might be due to psychological stress.¡± ¡°Has there been any change in his condition recently?¡± The doctor thought for a moment, ¡°There have been some changes. He asked me a while ago if he could date with his condition.¡± Liam¡¯s heart raced, ¡°What else did he say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest,¡± the doctor chuckled, ¡°but I heard Mason¡¯s got a crush on a girl. That¡¯s good stuff for him, you know? It gives him an emotional outlet which could take a load off his mind, maybe even help with his headache issues.¡± When Liam hung up the phone, his face was all kinds of serious. The news of Sydney being whisked away by an ambnce caught fire on social media like wildfire. The fans were all kinds of confused, hurling usations at the Murder production team online, ming them for overworking Sydney. The production team stood their ground, releasing a training video from that morning. The practice onlysted for three hours, and Sydney fainted halfway through. The kicker here was that the dance routines didn¡¯t add up to an hour within that time, and it wasn¡¯t a continuous hour. The other actresses in the group were all spry and lively, so to say that Sydney fainted because she was overworked didn¡¯t hold water. The official response from the Murder production team was that they were bummed about the whole thing, but they hoped everyone would cool their jets, be rational, and wait for the hospital¡¯s diagnosis. Then, someone spotted Celeste in the video, who had gained some social media fame a while back, she was there at the scene, standing close to Sydney. When Sydney hit the deck, she did not lend a hand and even ducked to the side. Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Chapter 687 This move sparked the fury of Sydney¡¯s fans. As a result, the term ¡°Cold¨Chearted Celeste¡± quickly shot up on the hot search of social media. ¡°Even if she wasn¡¯t going to help, did she need to took a half step back? We¡¯re all from the same crew, isn¡¯t this too heartless?¡± ¡°Everyone else came forward to check on Sydney. What¡¯s up with her? Afraid of people bumping into her, How pitiful to encounter such a colleague on set?¡± ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have stepped back; she should have supported Sydney. Then Sydney wouldn¡¯t have fallen so hard. This person is too scheming¡± ¡°I used to think her acting was not bad, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this kind of person. I¡¯ve already unfollowed her ¡°Sis, treat yourself to something nice, no need to pay attention to this kind of person¡± ¡°This person is Celestial Haze, the voice actress for Sydney¡¯s previous character She said she was retiring but then came back to act. What kind of retirement was this?¡± ¡°This was a whole new way of hyping things up She wanted to act but didn¡¯t want to lose her previous poprity. Was she trying to have it both ways, huh?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the crew releasing the surveince footage, I wouldn¡¯t have known she was this kind of person!¡± ¡°How could someone who doesn¡¯t help in a crisis enter the entertainment industry? I¡¯m going to criticize this person today! Celeste, leave the entertainment industry! Celeste, you¡¯re a bystander¡± ¡°Be a person before you act. Celeste, leave the entertainment industry!¡°; Not long after the news of Sydney¡¯s injury became a hot trend, terms like Celeste leaves the entertainment industry¡± and ¡°Celeste, the bystander were pushed to the top of the hot pursuit N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Naomi had just finished a battle and was browsing her phone in her sugar daddy¡¯s arms. Seeing the hot search terms, she couldn¡¯t help butugh Who¡¯d have thought that cutting the clothes didn¡¯t put Celeste at a disadvantage Instead, it was because Sydney fainted that she became a hot trend. She had helped Sydney up then and even gained a few thousand fans. Many of Sydney¡¯s fans came to thank her Someone left ament asking about the specific situation at the time Naomi thought about it and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. At the time, a female actress changed two sets of clothes, Maybe because the rehearsal time was too long. Sydney was a bit overwhelmed.¡± After sending the message, she took a screenshot of her reply and switched to her alt ount, sending the screenshot to several entertainment ounts. Then she sent the video she capturedst night of Celeste appearingte at night and sneaking onto a Mercedes, to the entertainment ounts as well. Then she smirked, waiting for the situation to develop. Sure enough, before long, several entertainment ounts posted the screenshot and even found the video, confirming that the person who changed two sets of clothes was indeed Celeste. They then posted a video of Celeste¡¯s secret meeting with a ¡®sugar daddy¡± Now Sydney¡¯s fans were even more agitated, convinced that Celeste wanted to hog the spotlight, changed two sets of clothes, and extended the shooting time, causing Sydney to faint from exhaustion. She was arrogant on set because a sugar daddy was backing her up. Otherwise, how could shend such an important role with her experience? So, several new terms were added to the hot search on social media: ¡°Celeste being kept¡°, ¡°Celeste¡¯s sugar daddy¡± Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Many Sydney fans flooded Celeste¡¯s Twitter, hurling insults and demanding a public apology Naomi watched the turn of public opinion and couldn¡¯t help butugh. The man beside her pinched her waist, ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± Naomi said. ¡°The one who once stole my role, she has offended Sydney¡¯s fans and is now being chased and scolded¡± She showed Ramsey the video. ¡°She was so quick to dodge Sydney, faster than a rabbit, this kind of detail reveals her character. Sydney¡¯s fans will definitely not let her off easily¡± Ramsey took a nce, and his movements suddenly stopped. He saw Mason¡¯s figure in theer of the video. He furrowed his brows, ¡°Why is Mason there?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Naomi didn¡¯t recognize Mason and asked in confusion. ¡°Thatwyer,¡± Ramsey stared at the video, following Mason¡¯s line of sight, he saw Celeste ¡°This woman looks somewhat familiar¡± Naomi thought he was interested in Celeste, squinting her eyes and pinching him below. ¡°You find all pretty women familiar, huh?¡± A sh of desire appeared in Ramsey¡¯s eyes, he flipped Naomi underneath him, ¡°How could I You¡¯re the only one in my heart!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± In an instant, the bedroom was filled with ambiguous noises again. Quantum Enterprises. Owen was looking at Twitter, his brows furrowed Liam handed over a file, saying calmly, ¡°Print this out and distribute it. After waiting a few seconds without a response, Liam looked up to see Owen engrossed in his phone. He lightly tapped on the table, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break and rest for a few days?¡± The words of ¡°take a break¡± immediately brought Owen back to reality. The word ¡®okay¡® was about to escape his lips, but he swallowed it back ¡°Mr. Reed, your wife is on the hot search of social media¡± Liam¡¯s expression immediately changed, ¡°What happened?¡± Owen handed him the phone. ¡°Sydney¡¯s in the ER, some people are using your wife of being a bystander. They¡¯re also saying she¡¯s relying on a sugar daddy¡± Liam only read a fewments before his face fell, ¡°This is nonsense! Contact them and get this term off the hot search ¡°It¡¯s toote, with this kind of reading volume, it¡¯s already blown up. If we pull it now, people will think there¡¯s something fishy.¡± Liam suppressed his anger, he also realized this. Public opinion had already blown up, which would only intensify people¡¯s spection about the rumours. He momentarily pondered and asked, ¡°Contact the Inte Management Committee, tell them we¡¯re launching our anti¨Cfraud system early¡± Owen understood Mr. Reed was trying to use this incident to suppress the hot search. Grandview Heights. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Trisha was looking at thements on Twitter, about to explode with anger ¡°These fans, are they sick? What¡¯s wrong with not helping? Who said you have to help? Considering what Sydney has done, not kicking her while she¡¯s down is already a testament to Celeste¡¯s kindness!¡± ¡°And this Naomi chick, what does she mean by saying that changing clothes and causing the shoot to run long tired Sydney out? They had at least an hour break in between, how weak is she to get all worn out from a few moves?¡± ¡®So we¡¯re ming the environment now when things don¡¯t go our way? If you can¡¯t get pregnant, do you me the mattress ¡°Letti even turned down Quanturn family, which sugar daddy could possibly top Liam? Wait, why does this car look so familiar? Trisha suddenly lifts her head, staring at Celeste, ¡°Where the hell were you with your ex¨Chusbandst night?¡± Celeste¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°We just went for dinner!¡± ¡°Just dinner, huh?¡± Celeste said, ¡°We had dinner and then took a nap in the car Trisha looked at her suspiciously. ¡®Nothing else happened?¡± With a poker face, Celeste said, ¡°Just sleeping pure and simple Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Trisha¡¯s face fell, ¡°Can Liam really control himself? Is there something wrong with him, like, physically?¡± Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Tnsha blurted. ¡°Did Sydney sneak a pic of you when you were outst night?¡± ¡°Maybe it was not Sydney, the news said there haven¡¯t been any updates from the hospital¡± Celeste frowned. If it wasn¡¯t Sydney, then it was highly likely Naomi was the culprit. She never expected to be the centre of online hot topics because of Sydney¡¯s sudden illness With less than two million followers, her Twitter ount had seen a surge of thousands ofments under thetest tweet. Some scolded her for not helping, some used her of being money minded, and others demanded an apology And surprisingly, her follower count had dropped by ten thousand just because of these discussions Her evasive move at the time seemed to have upset her fans Whenever news was reported about elderly people falling with no one to help, people usually quoted, ¡°If you didn¡¯t trip him, why should you help him up using it as an excuse for their indifference Even though it had been proven wrong, it still became amon criticism fromizens. When their idol fell, they suddenly advocated for justice, trying to judge right from wrong from a short clip They demanded others to follow the highest moral standards but only held themselves to the lowest. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Letti, stop reading those You¡¯ll get mad¡± Trisha was worried about Celeste¡¯s earlier low spirits, afraid she would be affected by those malicious comments. Celeste chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I knew what I signed up for when I entered this industry it¡¯s just amazing how crazy fans can be. I didn¡¯t even notice that I was stepping back at that time¡± When a stranger suddenly falls towards you, most people instinctively dodge. In the video, Celeste wasn¡¯t the only one who dodged. The actors close to Sydney also evaded at first; but Celeste didn¡¯t rush over like the others after Sydney fell ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you dodge? Were you supposed to wait to get hit? If I were there, I would¡¯ve even stepped on hert Trisha said, switching to her private Twitter ount, ¡°I¡¯m going to p back at theseizens!¡± Just as Celeste was about to respond, Eaton called, advising her to avoid looking at Twitter Sydney was still in the ER, and the situation seemed serious. It was best not to respond for now Celeste paused, ¡°Eaton, what happened to her? How serious is it? Eaton exined, ¡°It¡¯s anaphctic shock. She came into contact with an allergen.¡± At first, Sydney¡¯s condition seemed to improve slightly after being admitted to the hospital, but it soon worsened. Based on her symptoms, the doctors deduced she had an allergic reaction. Celeste was shocked, ¡®Allergies can be this serious?¡± Eaton replied, ¡°Sydney¡¯s allergy to coconut juice is severe. Her assistant mentioned that she had to be admitted to the ICU because she drank fresh coconut juice. Her symptoms now are simr to that incident. The doctors might not have thought of this cause if she hadn¡¯t spoken out in time. The coffee she drank had fresh coconut juice in it, which is likely the cause of her shock¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡®Coffee? ¡°Someone might have intentionally added fresh coconut juice to her coffee.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Celeste said ¡°The coffee was from my friend who doesn¡¯t even know Sydney How would he know she¡¯s allergic to fresh coconut Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Eaton frowned, ¡°The coffee was from your friend?¡± ¡°Yes, my outfit was sabotaged, and my friend brought me a new one and coffee for everyone. Not all the coffee had coconut juice in it. There were many vors; how could he know Sydney would choose the one with coconut juice? This doesn¡¯t make sense at all.¡± Eaton pondered if what Celeste said was true, It could be an ident. But something about this ident felt off ¡°Sydney¡¯s side has reported it to the police. They might question you in the next few days, answer truthfully. If reporters are waiting for you, don¡¯t respond and try to stay indoors¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Celeste paused, ¡°Will my friend also be questioned by the police?¡± ¡°Definitely Sydney has a lot of influence, the police will take her case seriously ¡°I see. Talk to youter, Eaton¡± Celeste hung up and called Mason Mason was reviewing documents in his office. Seeing Celeste¡¯s call, he set down the documents and answered ¡°Mr. Fletcher, Sydney suffered from anaphctic shock due to an allergy to coconut juice.¡± Mason was taken aback. ¡°Ms Denton is allergic to coconut juice¡± He seemed unaware Celeste exined, ¡°That¡¯s what my manager told me. They suspect someone deliberately added coconut juice to her coffee and have reported it to the police. The police might question you.¡± Celeste apologetically said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been involved.¡± Mason chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. She was just unlucky. I brought so many coffees, and she just had to pick the one with coconut juice Even though he said this, Celeste knew Sydney¡¯s fans were crazy. She warned Mason, ¡°Be careful¡± Mason replied, ¡°You too if you need any help, just let me know. Take care of yourself.¡± Celeste acknowledged and hung up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Mason leaned back in his chair On hisputer screen was an interview from when Sydney first debuted The interviewer asked, ¡°What vour of coffee do you prefer?¡± Sydney replied, ¡®Unsweetened iced Americano.¡± The interviewer asked, ¡®Is there any food you dislike or hate?¡± Sydney said, ¡°Conander and fresh coconut juice. I¡¯m allergic to fresh coconut juice, so much so that I need to be hospitalized.¡± In the hospital. Sydney was still in danger. As the top dog actress in thepany, the bigwigs should visit her. So Steven rushed to the scene, and ir was with him. Steven only got the lowdown from outside and didn¡¯t even set foot in the ward. Then he told Sydney¡¯s new agent Sarah, ¡°Use the studio¡¯s official ount to release a statement, saying she mucked up and ate something wrong, and there is nothing to do with anyone else¡± Sarah frowned Steven¡¯s attitude towards Sydney was a bit of a shocker. He was pushing for such a statement with her condition still up in the air. ir said. ¡°Sir, Ms Denton is still hanging by a thread, we can¡¯t just spit out a statement like this.¡± Steven, with a furrowed brow, said, ¡°This is all hogwash from the media; she should know what she can and can¡¯t eat ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t shoot off a statement like this. The cops haven¡¯t even released their investigation results. If we jump the gun and the truth isn¡¯t as we im, it¡¯ll be a bad look Besides, her fans are all fired up right now. If we release a statement like this, they¡¯ll think we¡¯re ying favourites with Ms. Campbell, and that¡¯s no good for Ms. Campbell either. You know how bonkers her fans can get.¡± Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Steven frowned and said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have signed her contract in the first ce, I can¡¯t stand these fans¡± ir turned pale, lowered her head, and quietly apologized, ¡°Sorry, bro!* Steven stared momentarily, then frowned again, I¡¯m not ming you Let¡¯s wait for the police investigation¡± He turned to Sarah, ¡°Who gave Sydney that coffee?¡± Sarah answered, ¡®Naomi, an actress from an entertainmentpany But she didn¡¯t buy the coffee, it was brought by a friend of the director who was visiting the set Steven thought briefly, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s publicize the reason for Sydney¡¯s hospitalization and let her fans cause trouble for someone else Sarah thought this was a pretty savage move that instantly shifted the focus of the conflict. So, Naomi was woken up in the middle of the night by her manager¡¯s call, asking her, ¡°Did you give Sydney that coffee? Naomi asked sleepily. What coffee?¡± ¡°Sydney was hospitalized due to an allergic shock. The doctor said it was due to an allergy to coconut water in the coffee she drank that day! The surveince footage released by the crew showed that you gave her the coffee. Now her fans are going wild, and thepany¡¯s phones am blowing up. They even called the police using you of attempted murder Naomi woke up instantly. ¡°Attempted murder? How could I know what she¡¯s allergic to? And I didn¡¯t buy the coffee, I just passed it on.¡± The manager knew Naomi well She liked to bully unknown artists but wouldn¡¯t dare to harm a star like Sydney However Naomi¡¯s action gave the manager a headache. ¡®You didn¡¯t even check if there was a problem with the coffee before giving it to someone Are you a newbie?? Naomi said. ¡°A friend of the director brought the coffee, who would have thought there would be a problem? I¡¯ll rify on Twitter now, saying the director¡¯s friend bought the coffee. I just helped to pass it on¡± ¡°Do you want to make enemies of everyone?¡± The manager helplessly said, ¡°Give me your Twitter password, I¡¯ll tweet for you. Stay off Twitter for now¡± Naomiined. ¡°So I should let others nder me?¡± ¡°Sydney hasn¡¯t woken up yet. Be careful with your words, don¡¯t provoke her fans, or they might dig up your past¡± Naomi growled. These people are dumb. They just let Celeste off the hook?¡± The manager didn¡¯t understand what she was thinking, ¡°Which is more serious, attempted murder or neglecting to save someone? Think clearly!¡± After that, he said. ¡°TMm hanging up now, stay off Twitter¡°¡± Naomi was unwilling, but she had to follow her manager¡¯s arrangement. Trisha argued with Sydney¡¯s fans on Twitter for two hours, almost uninstalling Twitter in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve argued too long with these idiots¡± Fresh out of the shower, Celeste drank a ss of water and said. ¡°Go to bed early; stop looking Trisha lounging on the couch, said. ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll continue in a bit.¡± Celeste relinquished. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote¡± ¡°Got it¡± Celeste returned to her room, finished her skincare routine, and got into bed. She didnt care about thements online, but once shey down, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the nastyments, finding it hard to fall asleep. Her phone buzzed, it was Liam transferring her some money, with a note saying ¡°to rest well and not to overthink¡± Celeste was stunned momentarily staring at the message for a while. When she finally came to, she had already dialled his number. She was about to hang up when he answered. ¡°Hello?¡± Liam¡¯s deep, maic voice came through the phone Celeste She moved her finger to the end call button, but Liam said, ¡°Letti¡± Celeste paused, not hanging up ¡®Can¡¯t sleep? Liam¡¯s voice was soft Celeste answered him, ¡°Yes,¡± she paused, then asked, ¡°You can¡¯t sleep either?¡± Hearing her concern, Liam quickly gestured for Owen to be quiet, got up, and went into the break room, loosening his tie, he whispered, ¡°I was about to go to sleep¡± Celeste fiddled with the nket, ¡°Oh.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Liam asked, ¡°Why¡¯d you call?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I dialled the wrong number¡± Liam He shouldn¡¯t have asked that. He ignored it and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Celeste dishonestly said. ¡°No¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°That¡¯s normal, you were like that before. Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re getting old; the doctor says sleep duration is inversely proportional to age; the older you are, the less you sleep.¡± Liam He whispered, ¡®So you sleep ten hours a day because you¡¯re sixteen?¡± Celeste furrowed her brows, ¡°When did I sleep for ten hours?¡± Liam paused briefly, ¡°I¡¯mplimenting you for being young. How did you readprehension in school?¡± Celeste¡­ She coughed, ¡®Are you saying I don¡¯t understand you? I¡¯m going to deduct ten points of you!¡± Liam¡­ ¡°Can I say a few more things? I thought the deductions don¡¯t umte?¡± Celeste continued. ¡°You think as you¡¯re already at minus ten thousand points, a few more won¡¯t matter?¡± Liam chuckled lightly. ¡°I want to see how far down I can go.¡± Celeste grunted, ¡°If you want to experience that, you¡¯ll be at minus hundred thousand in no time¡± Liam seemed to be in a good mood, heughed a little, then quietly asked, ¡°How are you feeling now?* Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Celeste was taken aback, then realized Liam was referring to the inte. But she didn¡¯t voice her thoughts, ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about what others say.¡± If she genuinely didn¡¯t care, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen into depressionst year because of those online comments, unable to pull herself together Liam looked down at the floor, murmuring. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, talk to me. Don¡¯t take sleeping pills, they¡¯re bad for you¡± Celeste¡¯s heart started racing she pretended to be casual, ¡°You think sleeping pills can be bought just like that? Even if I wanted, I couldn¡¯t get them¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Good if you can¡¯t¡® Liam¡¯s voice was a bit raspy, ¡°I¡¯m scared¡± Whenever he thought of the depression test report from the court, he couldn¡¯t sleep This constantly reminded Liam of how ipetent he was as a husband. Celeste proposing divorce wasn¡¯t a whim or out of anger, as he thought. She was fed up with disappointments, preferring to have nothing more than to have anything to do with him. He could make urate judgments at work but always got it wrong regarding her Only after the divorce did he vaguely understand that emotions weren¡¯t a program, they didn¡¯t have a fixed answer. Celeste lowered her head, gently tugging at the nket, whispering ¡°You¡¯ve always been a scaredy cat. I¡¯ve never seen a guy scared of getting a shot.¡± Liam¡­ Of course, Liam wasn¡¯t afraid of needles. He just didn¡¯t like going to the hospital. Once, he was dragged to the hospital by Celeste due to severe stomach pain. While getting an IV, the new nurse kept looking at his face and failed to get the needle in several times. Liam hated being stared at, and this person was not only doing that but was also unprofessional, which pissed him off Celeste thought he was afraid of needles, so she came over, turned his face away, and whispered, ¡°Good boy, you won¡¯t be scared if you don¡¯t look Liam wasn¡¯t afraid of needles initially, but it was the first time someone took care of him, and it felt novel. He was about to speak when the nurse failed again, and Liam was so in pain he wanted to swear Celeste held his face, whispering. ¡°Bear with it, and it will pass. Be good when we get home, I¡¯ll wear the pajamas you gave me for you to see Liam was stunned and then felt his face turn red. The nurse finally got it right But Liam didn¡¯t feel the pain because he was thinking about Celeste in the pajamas and immediately blushed and muttered, ¡°Shameless. Celeste said, ¡°You¡¯re my husband, not someone else¡± She didn¡¯t put on the pajamas for him to see even a month after he was discharged from the hospital Only then did Liam realize Celeste was just sweet talking him. So, she still thought he was afraid of getting shots. Liam thought momentarily didn¡¯t deny it, and softly said, ¡°Shots hurt.¡± Celeste giggled sounding delighted, ¡°You really are a coward.¡± Liam said softly, ¡°Put the phone down, turn on speaker mode, and close your eyes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liam exined, ¡°Nics gave me a luby Apparently, it¡¯s very effective; it can put you to sleep in three seconds. Let me y it for you¡± ¡°Just three seconds? Even sleeping pills don¡¯t work that fast¡± Celeste was skeptical but still put her phone aside and turned on speaker mode Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Chapter 693 ¡°Ready¡°¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Liam then pressed y. The lyrics go I¡¯ve made so much money. I don¡¯t even know how to spend it I have three cellphones, I change my number every day I drive a Mercedes, and a BMW. In my spare time, I go surfing then eat lobster¡­ Celeste Liam¡­ Celeste frowned. ¡°This is a luby?¡± Liam said. Tm hearing it for the first time too.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. The audio file Nics gave him was imed to be a luby He had never opened it. He should have known Nics was a ke What the heck was he even sending! Celeste thought for a moment; considering Nics¡¯s personality, this song might actually have a hypnotic effect. But his purpose in giving it to Liam was obviously not to help him hypnotize Celeste held back herughter for a while, then said softly, ¡°Your method actually made me more awake. I¡¯m hanging up. Without waiting for Liam to respond, she hung up. Liam clutched his phone, feeling very frustrated. Nicspletely ruined the rxed atmosphere! Meanwhile, Nics, who was testing a game, suddenly sneezed several times in a row He was about to get some water when the doorbell rang He opened the door to find Trisha holding a takeaway, ¡°Your food. You even wrote the wrong house number? Nicsughed, ¡®Isn¡¯t this to protect my real address?¡± Trisha said. ¡°So you just revealed ours?¡± ¡°We¡¯re neighbors, we should look out for each other¡± Nics said this as he took the takeaway box, then asked, ¡°Want to grab a bite with me?¡± Trisha wasn¡¯t hungry initially, but the smell of the roast chicken was too tempting She coughed and said, ¡°Eating this at night will make me gain weight.¡± if Nics was a man with high EQ, he would definitely say, you¡¯re not fat, and then she would agree to eat together. But Nics said. ¡°With your figure, you need to lose weight? You already look like a potato, super cute. If you lose more weight, you¡¯ll look like a bug how ugly would that be Trisha¡¯s face turned as green as a bug she stomped on his foot and turned to leave. Nics, wincing in pain, put down the takeaway and went forward to grab her wrist, pulling her back, ¡°I invite you for dinner, and you stomp on me. Do you really think i don¡¯t have a temper?¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°You¡¯re the bug!¡± Nics chuckled softly. ¡°I was only kidding why are you so mad?¡± He said this while gently pinching her face, Join me, I can¡¯t finish it all by myself it¡¯s no fun eating alone¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡®Don¡¯t be modest Have you forgotten that you can eat three bowls of rice in one go and still not be full?* ¡°That¡¯s because the food you cook is too delicious, Nics answered with a smile, ¡®Who else appreciates your cooking as much as I do? ¡°Stop making excuses for your huge appetite!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t eat that much,¡± Nics¡® voice softened, ¡°Mainly because the food outside isn¡¯t as good as yours, it¡¯s just a waste if I can¡¯t finish it Thosepliments made Trisha feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She coughed and said, ¡°I ain¡¯t a glutton, I just hate to see good food go to waste¡± Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Nics chuckled, ¡°Me too¡± Upon this. Trisha agreed to Nics¡¯s invitation and went to his house. The roasted chicken from the shop down the street was something she could identify with just a sniff Because thepany was near this shop, she would always get drawn in by the amma every time she passed Duringpany dinners, she had suggested going to this shop numerous times. However, since the shop only had a main hall and no private rooms, her suggestions were always turned down due to a lack of privacy. So, even though the chicken shop was close to thepany. Trisha rarely had the chance to eat them So this time, she ate to her heart¡¯s content. After finishing, she volunteered to help clean up and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Nics stopped her, ¡°stay and help me test a game.¡± Trisha waved a hand, ¡°No thanks¡± ¡°I can give you in¨Cgame cards¡± Trisha stopped. ¡°How many?¡± Nics nced at her. ¡°One¡± Trisha feigned dissatisfaction. ¡°Just one? That¡¯s a bit stingy¡± Nics sighed, ¡°Then you can go.¡± Trisha was puzzled. He just let her go like that? She walked a few steps, and Nics didn¡¯t call her back Trisha could only say, ¡°We¡¯re neighbors, so one is fine.¡± Suppressing augh, Nics asked her, ¡°You don¡¯t feel short-changed?¡± Trisha replied. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as I can help you¡± So she put down the trash in her hand and joined his game. Nics sent her the game rules and got a few beers from the fridge. Because of Liam¡¯s call, Celeste had a deep sleep that night When she woke up the next day, she made some soy milk and went to knock on Trisha¡¯s door. But after knocking for a while and getting no response, she opened the door. Trisha wasn¡¯t in her room, and the nket on the bed was tidy as if no one had slept in it. Celeste frowned, walked to the living room, and picked up her phone to call Trisha. But the ringtone of the phone wasing from the sofa. Didn¡¯t she take her phone? Celeste was a little worried. She changed her clothes, ready to go downstairs to check, but before she left, her phone rang The call was from Eaton, ¡°Celeste, are you coborating with Quantum Enterprises?¡± ¡°What? Celeste was confused Eaton said. ¡°At six this morning. Quantum Enterprises and the Public Security Bureau jointlyunched an anti¨Cfraud system, saying you¡¯re the spokesperson for this system Celeste was stunned, she didn¡¯t know she was the spokesperson ¡°Didn¡¯t you check Twitter?¡± Celeste told the truth, ¡°I uninstalled Twitterst night¡± ¡°Download Twitter again and log in to respond. This is a good opportunity to rify¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Celeste agreed and re¨Cdownloaded Twitter The top trend on Twitter was this news. She clicked to view it The Cyber Security Bureau released a clip of her character from Mastermind of Law, where she yed a college girl driven to suicide by online loans. The caption read, ¡°Second coboration, hoping for smooth sailing¡± Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Quantum Enterprises¡® official ount retweeted this and wrote, ¡°Yes, we ¡°sponsor¡® this. They even generously showcased the Mercedes that was previously rumored This responded to the rumors about Celeste being sponsored by a wealthy person. Informing everyone that Celeste did note home the previous night not because a rich man was sponsoring her but because she was discussing a coboration. Then, several verified ounts retweeted this. The producer of Mastermind of Law had a vastwork, and Celeste extended a helping hand when they were in difficulty making the legal drama very popr. She didn¡¯t even take payment for the role, so the producer had an excellent impression of her Therefore, as soon as the news was released, the producer used hiswork to help spread it In less than an hour, the online public opinion had reversed ¡°Trust the official statement, a verified ount wouldn¡¯t choose someone problematic as a spokesperson¡± ¡°I quite like her, her voice is lovely¡± *Her avoiding it was a natural reaction, I don¡¯t understand why so many people are stuck on this Have they forgotten that some fans previously revealed Celestial Haze suffering from depression? Why should she respond kindly to malice? ¡°It was originally some people making a fuss about nothing, she wasn¡¯t the only one who avoided it. I slowed down the footage, everyone goes to my Twitter page to see the footage ¡°She never used Celestial Haze¡¯s name to gain anything it was some fans who kept saying she wasn¡¯t pretty enough and even publicly posted court photos¡± Reading these topments. Celeste suddenly thought of Liam. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He had been working on the anti¨Cfraud system project for almost two years, and she remembered Liam saying it was supposed to beunched this year The project wasunched ahead of schedule, and he had never mentioned to her about being the spokesperson, Connecting it to yesterday¡¯s trending topic, Celeste realized that Liam used the release of the anti¨C fraud system to calm the previous rumors. Celeste was somewhat displeased, she didn¡¯t want to have any connection with Quantum Enterprises. She didn¡¯t want her actions to affect Quantum¡¯s image in the future But saying these things at this time seemed a bit pretentious and ungrateful. Liam sent her a message. ¡°Respond to it, you don¡¯t have to say much, just keep it simple and clear.¡± Celeste responded and retweeted Quantum¡¯s tweet with the caption: Yes, they sponsor me. After a moment, Liam retweeted her tweet and replied. Good Celeste¡­ Liam was using his ount! Liam¡¯s personal ount had millions of followers He rarely posted, each time, it was about new scientific developments or productunches His story was widely spread in J City, such as investing hundreds of millions of dors in cultivating high¨Ctech talents, building thousands of schools in poverty¨Cstricken areas across the country, winning multiple tech awards at a young age, and he was handsome and getting married at a young age Therefore. Liams fan base was diverse Some admired him as a colleague in the industry, and then some young girls were smitten by Liam¡¯s charisma All in all, his follower count had been on a steady climb This tweet was the first time Liam ever retweeted someone else¡¯s post and in such a subtle way. Even though everyone got the hint, they can¡¯t help but stay glued to this kind of stuff. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Liam was the tech nerd about scientific research, and Celeste was the sexy, stunning actress from the entertainment world. They were as different as night and day, but somehow, they meshed well together. Liam kept a low profile, hardly ever interviewing or appearing in public. Most of the pictures of him were group shots from his workce, like that one from a university lecture a while back Fans went wild trying to find a picture of Liam and then paired it with a shot of Celeste from her role in Mastermind of Law And, oh boy! They looked pretty darn good together So, their fans teamed up and gave them a nickname. Celeste doesn¡¯t have a huge fan base, but most of them are pretty chill. They were like, ¡®Mr. Reed is a family man. We love the sibling vibe between them¡± ¡°I wish they were a couple, but for Celeste¡¯s sake, let¡¯s not stir up any trouble¡± Liam was amused at first, but he wasn¡¯t thrilled when they started calling their rtionship sibling like. He was about to retweet a fan¡¯s post when Owen stopped him. ¡°Mr. Reed, you can¡¯t retweet this. If you do, your wife will be ndered Remember, you¡¯re still married in the eyes of the public¡± Liam was pretty miffed about this. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t a fan of the siblingbel. Owen tried to console him, ¡°Being siblings isn¡¯t all that bad. You can protect her openly Once your wife¡¯s career stabilizes, you can publicly announce your rtionship Reluctantly, Liam dropped the idea of retweeting Sydney was moved to a regr room the day after the ident. It was only after she woke up that she learned about the Twitter storm. She was pissed when she found out Celeste had benefited from the ident, bing the spokesperson for the Quantum Enterprises anti¨Cfraud system. She was so angry that she smashed a ss on the table. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Her agent, Sarah, rushed over when she heard Sydney was awake. After the doctor¡¯s check¨Cup, Sarah said. ¡°We¡¯ll take a few pictures and post a tweet to assure your fans that you¡¯re okay¡± A weak Sydney asked, ¡°How is thepany dealing with this?¡± Sarah nced at her. ¡°You had a bad coffee. It was a misunderstanding. Thepany will cover your medical expenses. You focus on getting better. Once you¡¯re healed, you can get back to filming¡± Sydney was upset, ¡®This wasn¡¯t an ident. Someone deliberately targeted me! It must have been Celeste! She knows the guy who served the coffee, I¡¯ve seen them together several times! They must have spilled the coffee with coconut because she suspected me of ruining her clothes¡® Celeste is a vengeful woman!¡± Sarah gave her a look, ¡°You¡¯re both artists from the samepany. You¡¯re the lead, she¡¯s the supporting actress. There¡¯s no conflict of interest. Why would she harm you Sydney flushed, unable to exin her earlier attempts to stir up trouble between Liam and Celeste. Sarah continued. ¡°Thepany hasnded you an endorsement deal with a luxury brand as compensation. Additionally, the police concluded that it was an ident. Mr. Garcia doesn¡¯t take kindly to troublemaking actors. It would help if you did your job ording to the contract quietly, and the company won¡¯t short¨Cchange you. But if you have other ideas, no one can protect you once Mr Garcia finds out¡± Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Chapter 697 As thepany¡¯s top actress, she should be a priority, yet Steven wasn¡¯t interested in Sydney, as evident from her fainting incident. When thepany assigned Sarah as Sydney¡¯s agent, she thought thepany nned to promote her, so she took Sydney under her wing But it seemed like a random decision because thepany didn¡¯t care much for Sydney Still, Sarah did her best to help Sydney since the actors¡® earnings directly affected their agents¡® ie. As long as Sydney didn¡¯t stir up trouble or breach her contract, her status would rise further. It was just a matter of time. Sarah¡¯s words didn¡¯tfort Sydney Instead, they annoyed her even more Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She had worked hard to get a certain person¡¯s help joining Skyline Media Group. But now, less than a monthter, she regretted her decision. With her status, any other agency would appreciate her Why did she have to deal with this at Skyline Media? Steven would instead support a neer than cater to her, the superstar If anyone said they had no rtionship, Sydney would never believe it. After Sarah left, Sydney sat on her hospital bed, frowning for a while before tweeting ¡°Thank you for your concern, I¡¯ve been moved to a regr room. I¡¯m sorry for causing you all to worry and inconveniencing my colleagues Everyone drinks coffee, Naomi just passed it to me Please be rational about this¡± Not long after her tweet, Naomi replied. ¡°Sydney. I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay, I was apprehensive¡± Then Naomi called to check on her Naomi said, ¡°Sydney. I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re okay. I would¡¯ve felt temble otherwise Sydney replied gently. ¡°You had nothing to do with this. I should apologize for causing you to be wrongfully used¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, as long as you understand I was just afraid you¡¯d be mad at me.¡± ¡°Of course not. Someone else delivered the coffee; you just passed it to me. If the police say it was an ident, it was an ident. But if it was intentional, I think they were trying to hurt me through you¡± Naomi missed Sydney¡¯s insinuation, she frowned and asked, ¡°Who would do something like that?¡± Sydney said, ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t know the coffee guy, but I know he¡¯s close with Celeste.¡± She added, ¡°But it could have just been an ident.¡± Naomi immediately remembered Celeste chatting with the guy who had delivered coffee for ages. The more she thought about it, the more she believed Celeste could be the one She blurted out in anger, ¡°That woman, she ys dirty! Just because I messed up her clothes?¡± Sydney whispered ¡°Keep it down, don¡¯t gossip without evidence. I¡¯ve got some stuff to do, gotta hang up now¡± If she couldn¡¯t do it herself, she had others do her dirty work. Even if Steven was biased, he couldn¡¯t be unreasonable, right? News that Celeste was chosen as the spokesperson for the anti¨Cfraud system quickly made its way to Skyler Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Sayler was seriously ticked off Liam couldn¡¯t care less about the Barlow family, yet he was generous and friendly with his ex¨Cwife She counted herself lucky they were divorced. If not, Liam¡¯s infatuation with that woman might run even more profound, shaking her position in the Reed family firight and early. Skyler showed up at the old house. She¡¯d beenying low this month due to the drama at the birthday party, which had left Sienna pretty peeved at her. Apart from visiting the injured guests, she mainly came to the house to apologize Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. But Sienna didn¡¯t want to see her Every time Skyler came, she either got a closed door in her face, or Sienna wouldn¡¯t say a word if they did meet Skyler had managed to marry into the Reed family not only because she was pregnant but also due to her tenacity. When she first got pregnant, Sienna disapproved of the mamage But Skyler had patience and persistence. She¡¯de to the old house daily to serve tea and do chores Old Mr. Reed had a soft spot. After a while, he began to sympathize with a pregnant woman who, apart from her tarnished reputation, had a hard life. Plus, this stalemate wasn¡¯t doing the Reed family¡¯s reputation any good. After a few persuasions, Sienna finally agreed to the marriage. Fast forward thirty years, Skyler was still the same, offering to help around the house whenever she visited But back then, she was desperate to marry into the Reed family, so she didn¡¯t mind getting her hands dirty or tired. Now after enjoying decades of privileged life with the Reeds, she naturally found such chores repugnant. She didn¡¯t get why Sienna would work her fingers to the bone, tending to a massive vegetable garden and fertilizing and weeding it every week instead of living a life of ease Skyler imed she was there to help with the fertilizing, but as soon as she arrived at the vegetable garden, she had the house staff put on two masks and three pairs of gloves for her The garden was teeming with mosquitoes in the summer Skyler, swatting them away and frowning barely managed to spray a few nts with the fertilizer. Sienna, watching from afar, didn¡¯t bother with Skyler. She went to another part of the garden to prune the tomatoes Seeing Sienna. Skyler hastily followed her with the spray bottle. ¡°Mom, let the servants do this kind of work.¡± Dodging her hand, Sienna said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s my garden. I should tend to it myself. That way, I can spot any nt problem and deal with it right away¡± Even though Sienna was talking about nts. Skyler felt her words had some hidden meaning She looked embarrassed and said lowly. ¡°Mom, I visited the injured guests from the birthday party again yesterday. They¡¯re mostly recovered now.¡± Sienna didn¡¯t respond Skyler continued, ¡°Mom, some friends have introduced me to eligible girls. Liam¡¯s been divorced for a while now. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time he had a girlfriend? The Reed family is small if he had a child sooner, you could rest easy¡± ¡°Fine¡± Sienna replied without looking up, ¡°As long as Liam agrees, I have no objection¡± Skyler She couldn¡¯t convince Liam, so she turned to Sienna, hoping she could put pressure on him. But Sienna just tossed the ball back into her court. Skyler wanted Liam to marry a rich girl she could control, someone who could support Liam in his career and help her persuade Liam to protect the Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Celeste had finally left and was eager to get her own person in there. ¡°Mom, you know how stubborn Liam is, but he will listen to you. If you say so, he¡¯ll agree.¡± Sienna asked without looking up, ¡°How long has Liam been divorced?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Skyler was taken aback, ¡°About two months, I guess.¡± ¡°Two months. It¡¯s been about the same time since Celeste¡¯s mom passed away The mourning period isn¡¯t even over Skyler frowned and said softly. ¡°Liam is divorced from Celeste. Her mom¡¯s death shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with him Sienna gave her a cold nce, ¡°Whether it has anything to do with him, that¡¯s his business. You should ask yourself if you¡¯ve done anything wrong¡± Skyler s face changed slightly. ¡°Mom, what are you implying?¡± Sienna didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, she asked, ¡°How long has it been since Orville left us?¡± Skyler clenched her lips and said, ¡°Sixteen years¡± ¡°Sixteen years, seven months, and nine days, Sienna said calmly. He left us on New Year¡¯s Eve Skyler looked sad and said softly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been so many years. Sienna said. ¡°As a mother, you haven¡¯t remarried in sixteen years, yet you expect Liam to find a new partner only two months after his divorce. Have you considered his feelings? Skyler¡¯s face changed. ¡°Mom, how can these be the same? You know how deep my feelings were for Orville. Liam and Celeste are divorced, and he agreed to it.¡± Sienna nced at her, ¡°If your feelings for Orville were so deep, where were you when theb caught fire?¡± Tears welled up in Skyler¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mom, are you still ming me? The olddy put down the scissors and said calmly. ¡°Orville asked me to take good care of you, so I did as he wished. You didn¡¯t want to remarry and wanted to stay in the Reed family, which I agreed to. But you¡¯d better not meddle too much. ¡°You didn¡¯t raise Liam and didn¡¯t educate him. What right do you have to interfere with his marital affairs now? Who he likes and who he wants to marry were his business Don¡¯t use his marnage to satisfy your desires.¡± ¡°Mom-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Sienna cut her off coldly. Im tired. It would help if you went home too. Don¡¯t ruin my vegetables Skyler¡¯s face turned sour Ultimately, she put down the spray bottle and stormed off. Ramona tried to console. Sienna, you guys are family after all.¡± Mr. Robinson cut her off, telling Sienna, ¡°Sienna, your tea¡¯s ready¡± Sienna acknowledged with a nod pulled off her gloves, and left the garden. Turning to Ramona, Mr. Robinson said, ¡°Don¡¯t speak for others, you can¡¯t see through Sienna¡¯s thoughts¡± Ramona sighed, Tm just worried about Liam, afraid he¡¯ll be in a tight spot.¡± Mr. Robinson gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. As soon as Skyler left the estate, she got a call from Kaylee. ¡°Mom, did you manage to set up a meeting with my brother? Mrs. Garcia and ir will be here soon.¡± Skyler¡¯s face softened, ¡°I¡¯ll call him right now. When they arrive, you entertain them and tell them I¡¯ll be there shortly? ¡°Alright¡± After hanging up, Skyler dialled Liam¡¯s number Liam had hardly sleptst night and only managed to catch some sleep in the lounge this morning. Seeing Skyler¡¯s call, he tossed his phone to Owen, asking him to answer Owen took the phone and answered the call. ¡°Hello¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Liam?¡± In a practised tone, Owen replied, ¡°Mr. Reed¡¯s in a meeting Is there something I can assist you with, Madam?¡± Skyler might not be familiar with Liam¡¯s hobbies, but she knew his temperament well If Liam were in a meeting, hed let her keep calling if he had Owen answer the phone, he likely didn¡¯t want to hear her voice. So she cut to the chase. ¡°Put Liam on the phone¡± Owen replied, ¡°If you need something, Madam, you can tell me, and I¡¯ll pass the message on Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Skyler was heartbroken at Liam¡¯s indifference towards the Barlow family. After that incident, she hadn¡¯t visited Liam anymore. Other moms, even if living in the same city and just around the corner, would drop by to check on their son, who was living alone after a divorce. They would help clean up the house and buy some grocenes But not Skyler She knew nothing about Liam¡¯s life. Just a month after Liam¡¯s divorce, she had been perpetually sending him profiles of girls from high¨Cranking families. hoping Liam could find a new lover soon. Her urgency over this matter far exceeded her concern for her divorced son. After picking up the phone twice, Liam either put his phone on silent or let Owen answer whenever she called As for the profiles of those high¨Cranking girls, Liam didn¡¯t let them go to waste He sent them all to Hiram, asking him to introduce them to Steven. Stevens recent blind date activities drove him to the brink of madness Just yesterday. Steven posted on Facebook saying Liam deserved to be single. Mr. Reed¡¯s trick of passing his troubles onto his ¡°rival¡± was brilliant! Skyler frowned, ¡°I have an emergency to discuss with him! Put him on the phone!¡± Owen smiled apologetically. ¡°Madam, Mr. Reed is busy¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned cold, ¡°Tell him to attend a dinner at seven. An old friend of his dad is in J City and has arranged a dinner¡± Owen asked. ¡°Who is the old friend?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Seemingly angry, Skyler said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s up to him whether he wants to go or not!¡± And then she hung up Liam frowned Owen asked in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Reed, do we go or not?¡± Liam hesitated. Orville Reed¡¯s old friends had a good rtionship with the Reed family. When Orville passed away they all helped with the aftermath. Sienna always said that personal rtionships are essential. If it were his father¡¯s old friend, it would be unreasonable if he didn¡¯t attend. After considering for a while, Liam stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out. You can take off once you finish processing these two documents.¡± Grandview Heights Trisha woke up from her nap and found Celeste getting dressed She asked, ¡°Letti, are you going out?¡± ¡°Mr. Javier asked me out for dinner I be back soon,¡± she replied, then turned her head and asked, ¡°What would you like to eat? I can bring something back for you.¡± Trisha thought briefly and said. ¡°Never mind, you¡¯re going out for dinner, it¡¯s not good to bring back takeouts. I¡¯ll get something myself¡± Celesteughed, ¡°I can buy it sneakily Forget it, it¡¯s too much trouble, Trisha yawned, ¡°Just enjoy yourself¡± While looking at her back, Celeste suddenly asked, ¡°Where were youst night?¡± ¡°I was up all night gaming with Naggy Nics, Trisha squinted, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush as she spoke, ¡°Getting old sucks. Back in school, I could pull an all nighter and still be energetic the next morning. Now, I can barely keep my eyes open after one.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart raced. ¡°You two spent the whole night gaming? Aren¡¯t you too trusting of Nics?¡± Chapter 701 Chapter 701 Chapter 701 ¡°What¡¯s there not to trust? I have no special feelings for him, and he feels the same towards me. We enjoy gaming together. To me, he¡¯s just like you.¡± Celeste was confused Trisha exined, ¡°What I mean is, I don¡¯t have any special feelings for him. We¡¯re just good friends, just like you and me.¡± She also often asked him to deliver meals to Dr. Ledford to maintain a good rtionship. And he was quite trustworthy apart from his high turnover rate in girlfriends. Celeste thought for a while all of Nics ex¨Cgirlfriends were beautiful and charming, totally different from Trisha She wasn¡¯t Nics¡® type at all. But were their intimate actions and the all¨Cnight gaming okay? She considered Mason, a good friend but never considered gaming with him all night Such behavior would blur the lines of friendship, and pure friendship would no longer exist. After pondering. Celeste reminded, ¡®Nics is fine as a friend, but if you¡¯re considering him as a boyfriend, you might want to think twice.¡± Trisha replied, ¡°Babe, you¡¯re overthinking it. I can¡¯t possibly have feelings for him. He¡¯s a yer, and I can¡¯t handle him. I won¡¯t go after something I can¡¯t have.¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°Whether it¡¯s him or Dr. Ledford, you should try to get to know them better.¡± She hoped Trisha could avoid making the same mistakes she once made ¡°I got it, you should get going now¡± Celeste put on her shoes, tidied herself, and left Not long after Celeste left, the doorbell rang Trisha spat out the toothpaste and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re back. Did you forget something?¡± Then she ran to the door and opened it Nics, dressed in a suit and styled hair, stood at the doorway looking charming ¡°Why are you here?¡± Trisha frowned, ¡°What do you want?¡± Nics clicked his tongue, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? I¡¯m here to take you on a date.¡± Trisha said, ¡°I¡¯m not going¡± Nics slowly said, ¡®It¡¯s a date with Jace.¡± Trisha immediately perked up. ¡°Where?¡± Nics was speechless. From being cold as ice to suddenly smiling at the mention of Jace? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Nics grabbed her cor in frustration, ¡°If you continue to treat me like this, I¡¯ll never take you to see Jace again!¡± Trisha cursed inwardly but managed to maintain a smile, gently massaging his back and shoulders. ¡°How could I? I just woke up, and am still sleepy, so I might not look too good¡± Nics looked at her pajamas, surprised, ¡°You just woke up?¡± ¡°I was up all night gaming with you I¡¯m exhausted¡± Nics suddenly noticed two little bumps on Trisha¡¯s pajama top, which threw him off momentarily. He then asked in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a bra?¡± Trisha looked down, quickly pushed him away, adjusted her top, and whispered, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t wear a bra when I sleep, it¡¯s ufortable.¡± Then she turned around and said. ¡°Wait for me; I¡¯ll change¡± With that, she went back into her room Nics looked at his hands and thought about what he had just seen. A question suddenly dawned on him. She was not embarrassed about a male friend finding out she was not wearing a bra. Was she not a woman, or did she not see him as a male friend? Obviously, thetter, Trisha did not see him as a man. This realization made Nics feel a bit ufortable Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Since she had a date with Dr. Ledford, Trisha swapped her usual wear for an A¨Cline skirt. She grabbed Celeste¡¯s curling iron and gave her hair a quick do¨Cover. She wasn¡¯t adept at intricate makeup, so she just powdered her face and dabbed on some lipstick to give herself a bit of color. Then, she slung her gym bag over her shoulder and headed out Nics was sitting in the living room, leafing through the book on the table. He, too, noticed the line: Cherish the chance to watch the sunrise with the one you love now instead of waiting until yourtter years to regret. Seeing her emerge, Nics asked, ¡°Your book?¡± Trisha nodded and asked, ¡°Do you like this book too?¡± ¡°Not really¡± Nics closed the book and set it aside ¡°Like it says in the book, how can only be one rose in my garden?¡± Trisha chuckled inwardly. ¡°You water none of them, so no matter how many there are, none belong to you¡± ¡°If others take away something I¡¯ve tamed, wouldn¡¯t I be at a loss? Nics smirked, ¡°So, I prefer to take directly instead of taming Trishaughed lightly. ¡°People like you shouldn¡¯t read fairy tales, you should read thew lest you break it one day¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Are you so confident you can control Jace?¡± Trisha shook her head, ¡®I¡¯ve never been confident, I just don¡¯t want to have regrets. At least I¡¯ve tried, even if we don¡¯t end up together. I have no regrets¡± Nics scoffed, after a while, stood up, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go ¡± Liam was held up on his way and frowned as soon as he pushed the door open to the rendezvous point. Skyler didn¡¯t lie to him, as some of his father¡¯s old ssmates were in the private room, only they all brought their families, and two even brought their grandchildren N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The get¨Ctogether seemed less like work and more like a school reunion. Due to some issues, Hiram couldn¡¯t make it, so Janis brought ir When Skyler saw Liam arrive, she called, ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you; why are you only just arriving? Come sit Liam greeted everyone coldly, then took the seat next to Kaylee. To his right was ir, and to ir¡¯s night was Janis Once Liam sat down, ir handed him a set of already rinsed utensils, whispering Liam, you can use this set.¡± Liam nced at it, then noticed the bracelet on her wrist. It seemed to be of excellent quality He muttered a thank you, then shifted his gaze away Skyler noticed his movement and felt slightly relieved. She never believed in deep affection and thought Liam¡¯s problem was that he hadn¡¯t interacted with enough women. If he interacted with more, he would realize that there were plenty of women like Celeste who only had appearances, while those like ir, who were both inside and out, were truly worthy of him Just watch, with a bit of interaction, ir would attract him. ssmate A said, ¡°ir is so thoughtful, Mrs Garcia; you¡¯ve raised a wonderful daughter¡® Janis smiled. ¡®ir has been smart since she was little. I hardly have to worry about her¡± ssmate Bplimented, ¡°So, genes are crucial when ites to having children. Good genes can produce outstanding children even if they aren¡¯t closely monitored¡± ssmate C¡¯s wife said, ¡°With Mr. Garcia¡¯s genes, there¡¯s bound to be extraordinary children.¡± Liam kept his head down and ate. Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Chapter 703 These old ssmates hadn¡¯t been in contact with the Garcia family for a long time, they didn¡¯t even know that ir wasn¡¯t Hiram¡¯s biological daughter. Skyler looked at ssmate C¡¯s family, feeling a bit irritated Janis calmly responded, ¡°ir is my daughter with my ex¨Chusband, but Hiram treats me very well and treats ir as his own daughter.¡± The old ssmates on the scene felt awkward, so ssmate A tried to ease the atmosphere, ¡°Mr. Hiram is very loving towards his daughter, I heard he moved his business abroad to give ir better treatment.¡± Others quickly picked up the conversation, ¡®I think ir has some resemnce to Mr. Hiram, their father¨Cdaughter rtionship seems deep¡± After the topic passed, the ssmates, who were all of a certain age, talked about their children. Whose daughter married a diplomat or who had a grandchild In short, these were all topics that Liam wasn¡¯t interested in He wouldn¡¯t havee if he had known this was a family reunion. Seeing Liam¡¯s indifferent expression and silence, ir proactively served him a bowl of soup ¡°Mr. Reed, this soup is delicious, you should try it Liam responded tly then picked up his phone to transfer $100,000 to Celeste. At the moment, Celeste was in another private room. She thought Mr Javier¡¯s dinner party would be the crew, but there weren¡¯t many crew members upon arrival. Most were Javier¡¯s friends in the industry Celeste didn¡¯t know most of them, which made her feel awkward. Everyone was drinking and chatting, and since she wasnt familiar with them, she just sat in the corner, barely eating, only responding when someone spoke to her Javier had a good rtionship with everyone present. They were drinking and having a good time, and after a few drinks, Javier¡¯s face was flushed Everyone joked and asked him to sing a bit, and Javier obliged after a bit of coaxing. He had the chops for it The group was in high spirits, and the door to the private room opened. Celeste was sipping the pulp from her drink, not looking up, but heard someone shout, ¡°Leo.¡± Javier turned around and immediatelyughed. ¡°Leo, it¡¯s always a challenge to see you¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. After finishing her drink, Celeste finally looked up. The neer was about 61, wearing a motorcycle jacket and ck jeans. His legs were particrly long, with the proportions of a model. He was still wearing sunsses in such a dark ce, which seemed exaggerated. His jawline was exceptionally refined, and his lips were sharp. Just looking at his lips gave off a sense of mystery Celeste noticed a slight twitch at the corner of his lips. By the time she looked again, his lips were back to normal. He was on the move, talking as he went. The shooting is about to start, how could I not be there? Javier gave him a little pat on the shoulder and had a quick chat, then, as if he just remembered something, he turned to Celeste ¡°Celeste, weren¡¯t you always asking who¡¯s ying your boyfriend in the drama? Come on, meet him.¡± Is it him? Celeste was a bit puzzled, but she kept her calm. She politely stretched her hand, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Celeste. The guy looked at her for a few seconds, lifted his hand, and removed his sunsses casually, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes. He looked at Celeste coldly and said casually Tm Leonard¡± Leonard Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Chapter 704 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The name rang a bell, but Celeste couldn¡¯t pinpoint where she¡¯s heard it. Besides the name, his face was familiar handsome would be an understatement. Celeste figured that since they would be working together, she might as well try to build a connection. But to her surprise, he turned around and sat alone after introducing himself Celeste awkwardly lowered her hand and sat back down. She whipped her phone and typed ¡°Leonard¡± into the search bar Then, she finally got why he seemed so familiar Wasnt he the lead actor in the series ¡°Mystery Lover¡®? In that series, she dubbed the voice for Sydney while Leonard used his voice Having spent a week staring at Leonard¡¯s face on the screen while dubbingst year, how could she not recognize him? Leonard, a famous young star, made his debut at the age of 21 through a talent show. His first album, released in the same year, was a best seller and even had a track nominated for the Golden Melody Awards. In his second year, he broke into the drama scene with ¡°The Immortal Path¡°, hitting viewership ratings of over 2 Since then, he had been in a hit series every year, quickly rising to A¨Clist stardom in just three years. Every actress he had worked with had seen a surge in poprity. Thanks to ¡°Mystery Lover¡± Sydney¡¯s poprity skyrocketed this year Having been dubbed for Sydney Celeste had seen Leonard¡¯s acting skills. To be honest, he was not half bad. Many idol dramas had low requirements for acting skills, which resulted in many idols having disastrous acting skills. But Leonard was one of the few idols who could genuinely portray emotions. However, he was supposedly a bit quirky and difficult to get along with. Typically, during the airing of an idol drama, the leading actors were expected to participate in promotions, sometimes even fake scandals But Leonard never stirred up scandals with his co¨Cstars. When ¡°Mystery Lover¡± was popr, Sydney tried to leverage his poprity to create a scandal and boost hers. As a result, she kept bringing up Leonard during the airing At first, Leonard didn¡¯t respond, but whether it was because of the over¨Centhusiastic fans, or something else. he unfollowed Sydney before the series even ended This caused Sydney¡¯s fans to panic andsh out at Leonard for not respecting his job, not participating in promotions, and sabotaging scandals while the series was still airing No wonder he was still just a minor celebrity. Leonard¡¯s fans were not to be outdone, they used Sydney of being an average¨Clooking woman pretending to be a beauty, trying to create a scandal every time she co¨Cstars in a drama, and throwing a tantrum when her colleague didn¡¯t y along The incident blew up at the time, and the scandal topic died down after a few days Celeste wasn¡¯t interested in these things but knew about it because Trisha kept close tabs on the incident. She never thought Leonard would be her boyfriend in the series ¡°Murder.¡± She recalled the character didn¡¯t have much screen time, probably the third or fourth male lead It was puzzling why Leonard would ept such a minor role. As Celeste was deep in thought, her phone suddenly vibrated. She nced, Liam had transferred $10,000 to her, asking if she was hungry Did this guy only know how to court someone with money? Had he ever pursued a girl before? Celeste transferred back $10 and replied Not hungry Liam immediately transferred back $100,000 What did you eat tonight? Celeste looked up and transferred back $10. I ate a hundred dishes Liam sent another $1,000,000 soon after the note read. You eat better than me Looking at her ount bnce. Celeste started feeling a headache. She transferred $10 back to him and texted him to stop transferring money Liam transferred another $10.000 note No Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Then he transferred another $10,000, I want to show off my wealth and sincerity Celeste transferred back $31 After seeing that Liam¡¯s eyes softened and a smile crept onto his face After seeing his expression. ir¡¯s heart pounded the whispered ¡°Liam, are you busy with worktely?¡± Liam was still making transfers as he replied casually. ¡°Not really Seeing him continuously entering his password, ir couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you buying something?¡± Liam replied casually ¡°Just saving money¡± ir was taken aback, then, her cheeks turned slightly red Liam was already divorced was he saving money to remarry? ir couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Liam, of course, had no idea about her excitement. He kept transferring money, the note read before you always transferred $1, why did you transfer $10 today? Can I take it that i get ten extra points? Celeste looked at the note on the transfer, and theers of her mouth twitched Wishful thinking! Il transfer however much I want, got a problem with that? Celeste ¡°You dare to have a problem?¡± After replying, Celeste took a sip of water, then looked down and almost spat it out. Liam¡¯s note My problem is $1 is enough, $10 is too much, I can¡¯t use it all. This guy used to be reserved, howe he¡¯s so talkative now? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Celeste transferred $0 1, note Satisfied? Liam transferred $10,000, note. Thank you. Quite polite Celeste transferred the money Liam sent her to another newly opened ount. The limit was increased this time, allowing more money to be transferred After transferring, she gave the new card back to Liam. During the divorce, she chose to take nothing. They shouldn¡¯t be exchanging money now that they were separated unless they got back together, otherwise, the mor her uneasy Just as Celeste finished, she felt someone was watching her She quickly looked up Leonard was drinking with Mr. Javier and the others, and no one else was looking at her Strange? Was it just her imagination? After a few rounds of drinks, Mason finally showed up fashionablyte Celeste just found out that Mr Javier had also invited Mason Upon hearing that Leonard would contest a defamationwsuit. Javier introduced him to Mason, hence the gathering tonight. But why would they invite her? Celeste racked her brains but couldn¡¯t figure out why she an insignificant person, would be invited to a gathering of big shots Everyone was taking turns toasting The atmosphere was lively and she didn¡¯t get a chance to ask. With Mason¡¯s arrival, there was one more person she knew there Sometimes he would chat with her, making the atmosphere a bit more rxed than before On the other side, Liam finally put his phone away after seeing that Celeste hadn¡¯t replied for a long time. Skyler asked, ¡°ir, you¡¯ve been back for quite a while Have you had a good time in J City?¡± Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Chapter 706 ir said gently. Tve been around the area but haven¡¯t been to ces a little further away¡± Skyler replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing but shopping malls around here, nothing particrly interesting But the suburbs have developed a lot of tourist attractions in recent years I have Liam take you to see.¡± If Liam hadn¡¯t realized the real purpose of this gathering at first, he finally understood after Skyler¡¯s frequent hints. The invitation of their father¡¯s old ssmate was just a cover. The real purpose was to set him up with ir ir was certainly willing, but she politely asked, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb Liam¡¯s work, will 17 Liam nodded and said. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll arrange it Skyler was over the moon seeing this scene Finally Liam got it! She always knew that her son wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish for a woman. ir¡¯s heart rate elerated, and she shyly said. ¡°Thank you, Liam¡® Liam didn¡¯t say anything his gaze again fell on the bracelet on ir¡¯s wrist. He asked ¡°Can I take a look at that?¡± ir was a bit stunned. ¡°You mean this bracelet?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°The color is quite nice. Can I take a closer look? ir¡¯s face turned red, she thought this was Liam¡¯s way of showing closeness to her, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little thrilled She slid the bracelet off and handed it to Liam Liam asked. ¡°You like this material too?¡± Liam said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Celeste really liked it N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Celeste loved jade, agate, and precious stones. They suited her well. This vibrant red color, she would look really good wearing it Liam didn¡¯t know much about jewelry but thought the beads were bright red, vibrant, delicate, and high quality. It was much nicer than the one Celeste bought before The one Celeste previously had broke during a cocktail party, and two beads were lost, which left her upset for a long time. Liam asked, ¡°Where did you buy this bracelet?¡± ir said softly ¡°I liked it when I was abroad, I thought it was very bright, so I bought it.¡± Liam was a bit disappointed It was bought abroad, how could he get it? Liam returned the bracelet to her. ir reached out to take it, but Liam did not let go. She tried to pull it again, but Liam still didn¡¯t let go. just frowning at the bracelet. ir paused and said tentatively, Liam, if you like it, I can give it to you¡± Liam immediately rxed his eyebrows. ¡°Thank you¡± After saying that, he took it. ir She opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end The bracelet was for women, why would Liam, a big man, like a woman¡¯s bracelet? While ir was deeply thinking, Liam suddenly said, ¡®Let¡¯s add each other on WhatsApp¡± Upon hearing this, Skyler immediately chuckled, ¡°Yes, leave a contact, it will be more convenient to contact in the future¡± ir was both surprised and shy at this moment This was not the first time a man had asked her for her contact, but it was the first time she felt so nervous Janis smiled slightly and said, ¡°When you were little, Liam always took you to y but now he¡¯s be a bit cold¡± Skyler added, ¡°After all, it¡¯s been so many years since we¡¯ve seen each other, and the kids have grown up¡± Blushing. ir passed over her QR code Liam scanned her QR code, added her as a friend, andbeled her as a bracelet seller¡® Then he sent a WhatsApp message to Owen, ¡®Check the price of this bracelet¡± Soon, Owen responded with an ¡°Okay¡± Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Halfway through the boom, everyone started to y games in the karaoke room. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol mixed together and made the air stuffy and ufotable Celeste¡¯s college next to her was a bit tipsy and kept pushing her to drink more Celeste, slightly drunk herself, waved him off and muttered,¡± need to go to the bathroom, I¡¯ll continue when I get back¡± Everyone was in high spirits, pushing her to ¡°Hurry up and get back.¡± With a nod Celeste got up a bit wobbly and went out the door Leonard turned his head to look at her then stood up and told everyone, Tm going out for a breather¡± As soon as Celeste got out, she straightened up She had been sitting at the bar feeling ufortable all over She stretched her arms and legs in the hallway Her body was very flexible, not like someone drunk at As Celeste was rxing she looked around. But as she turned, she found Leonard standing behind her with a nk expression. His face was almost emotionless, maybe because incredible tor and good at controlling his expressions, but his eyes were full of surprise as if he had seen something She coughed slowly lowered her leg, and greeted. 76¡± The surprise on Leonard¡¯s face gradually disappeared. He looked at Celeste about to speak, when the door behind him was opened. His manager ran out, handing him his mask and sunsses ¡°Don¡¯t you know your face can cause a not? Put these on Leonard frowned, ¡°Do I need to wear a mask to go to the bathroom? The manager replied. ¡°Did you forget about the time are crazier!¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°Keep a low profile outsid ?ered at the bathroom. having dinner? Do you think you only have female fans? Your male fans Leonard said nothing and reluctantly put on his sunsses and mask. Watching the manager fussing like a mother her, Celeste found it quite funny Leonard noticed her attention and looked at her with his sunsses on. Celeste immediately stopped smiling and headed for the bathroom. Leonard scowled at his manager. It¡¯s all your The manager replied. If I hadn¡¯te were you nning toThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Leonard grumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to say a word to herf His manager chuckled. Your eyes were practically glued to her in the Leonard had noeback, and after a while, he murmured. ¡°She¡¯s not like i magned¡± e fans would stander your goddess tomorrow The manager nced at him, thinking who would have thought this popr idol would be so enfatuated He was a de hard fan of Celestial Hazel The manager asked. ¡°Are you a bit disappointed after meeting her in person?¡± ¡°No¡± Leonard thought back to Celeste pretending to be drunk, only to show her true self as soon as she was out of sight, and he started tough, ¡°She¡¯s too cute, I like her even more now His manager sighed ¡°Just don¡¯t scare the poor girl Leonard shot him a disgruntled look, 1 got it.¡± Then he went to the bathroom. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Celeste just washed her hands and went over to the window in the corridor for some fresh air. She thought if she had known this ce would be full of strangers, she would have declined Mr. Javier¡¯s invitation to begin with. Too many strangers, whether eating or drinking, would make things stiff and not fun at all. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to Trisha on WhatsApp, ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll bring it home for you¡± A few minutester, Tnsha replied, ¡°I¡¯m out at a party too, just enjoy yourself, don¡¯t worry about me- Celeste asked. ¡°Are you with Nics?¡± Trisha sent a speechless emoji, then replied, ¡°I¡¯m with Dr. Ledford¡± Celesteughed, ¡°Did you two finally get together?¡± Trisha replied, ¡°I just realized how important it is for a man to be a good cook ¡± Celeste thought for a moment, then texted Liam asking if he had eaten. Liam was sipping soup when he saw the message and put down his spoon. He was going to reply. Tm eating,¡± but decided to ask Nics first. ¡°Celeste asked if I had eaten, what does that mean? Nics was in the karaoke room, watching the woman fussing over Jace. Nics had a friend getting married in a few days, and they were throwing a bachelor party tonight. He was invited Nics didn¡¯t n toe at first N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. When his friend heard him decline, heughed, ¡°Nics, do you have a new girlfriend? Every time we invited you, you nevere. Is your new girlfriend strict?¡± Nics realized he hadn¡¯t been to a gathering in a long time. He moved out long ago and lived alone, his ce was always quiet. He liked the noisy environment, so he often went out drinking with friends, oftening homete But recently, he hadn¡¯t beening home thatte Someone was cooking at home, someone to talk to during meals, much better than the drunken noise Slowly, he got used to this kind of life Nics was rational, so when he realized he was starting to rely on this lifestyle, he tried to change So he epted his friend¡¯s invitation. He knew Jace would be there, so he brought Trisha along after all, he had promised. That¡¯s what he thought. But now, watching Trisha fuss over Jace, he felt very ufortable. Trisha¡¯s smile at him was perfunctory, but her face was radiant when she looked at Jace Nics¡¯s phone vibrated, it was a message from Liam. He replied, ¡°Tell her you haven¡¯t eaten all day, y up the pity card¡± Just as he finished replying, a woman in a short skirt with curly hair sat beside him on the sofa with a drink, smiling ¡°Want to have a drink together? Nics didn¡¯t answer, he looked at Trisha not far away She was smiling so brightly that her eyes were curved. He took the drink from the woman and drained it in one gulp The babe smiled, sidled up to him, and asked in a flirty whisper. ¡°Can we go upstairs?¡± Nics knew this was a tant sexual advance He reached out, pulled Trisha into his arms, then turned to the babe and smiled at her, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m already taken.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Naggy Nics, you¡­ mmphi Nics leaned down and stopped her mid¨Csentence with a kiss. Chapter 709 Chapter 709 hapter 709 The beauty showed a hint of surprise before walking off with augh. After all, this ce is all about seeking thrills and having a wild night. There¡¯s no need to go chasing after dudes with partners and invite trouble Trisha was smacking Nics hard on his chest, her face turning beet red. Nics merely wanted to use her to fend off other women, but he found he quite liked the kiss. Especially when he saw Trisha¡¯s angry face, he wanted to tease her even more and see how she would react if he pushed her boundaries. With that thought, he parted her lips and delved in deeper Trisha froze, her eyes wide Nics was quite pleased with her reaction and was about to show off his skills when Trisha suddenly bit down hard Even with Nics quick dodge, she still managed to bite his tongue He scowled With a faint taste of blood in his mouth, he grabbed hold of her jaw Trisha¡¯s eyes were ming she looked ready to kill him. ¡°Is this your way of helping me win over Dr. Ledford?¡± She pushed him away, wiping her mouth hard with the back of her hand before storming off Nics frowned, giving chase Trisha was cursing him as she walked, annoyed at his audacity to stick out his tongue! He was just supposed to help her win someone over; she wasn¡¯t a pushover She hadn¡¯t gone far before Nics caught up and grabbed her hand. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Trisha was livid at the sight of him. She shook off his hand and continued walking. Nics caught up again, his hand barely touching her shoulder, when Trisha pulled a judo move, flipping him onto the ground ¡°I told you not to touch me Trisha looked at the man sprawled on the ground. Her anger finally subsiding a bit, she gave him a kick. ¡°You asked for it¡± The man on the ground didn¡¯t move Trisha frowned, giving him another kick. ¡°Quit ying dead.¡± Nics was still motionless. Trisha started to feel something was off Did he hit his head first? She hadn¡¯t practiced judo for years, and she didn¡¯t know how much force she used just now. ¡°Are you okay¡± Trisha called him, ¡°Stop pretending, I didn¡¯t use much force! Get up!¡± Nics remained in the same position, unmoving, despite her calling Trisha started to panic, shaking him while trying to turn him over Nics was pale as a sheet, he didn¡¯t look like he was pretending She pressed on Nics¡® philtrum, her voice shaky. ¡°Wake up, I didn¡¯t mean to Don¡¯t scare me Her voice started to quiver, she was clearly terrified. Trisha was in a panic, fumbling for her phone, and about to call an ambnce when Jace came out. Seeing the situation, he was also taken aback. ¡°What happened?¡± Trisha, as if finding someone to rely on, had tears in her eyes She choked out, ¡°Dr. Ledford, please check him. I identally tripped him, and he suddenly stopped moving Did I make him hit his head? Please check.¡± She began to cry after saying this. Jaceforted her, saying ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me check him first.¡± He came up to check, putting his finger on Nics¡® pulse and finding it strong and steady Jace looked thoughtful as he looked at Nics Trisha asked anxiously. ¡°Dr Ledford, will he be alright?¡± Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Jace said, ¡°He might have passed out from the fall, get him to the hospital for a further check.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Trisha¡¯s face was pale, her eyes red, and she nodded. Jace found the staff in the store to help lift Nics onto a taxi. Jace sat in the passenger seat, and Trisha was supporting Nics in the back. Her face was tense all the way through, she was clearly quite shocked Jaceforted her, swaying. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, he should be fine,¡± Trisha nodded but didn¡¯t look relieved A perfectly fine person was knocked out by her, how could she be calm? Why couldn¡¯t she control herself? Other girls learned piano or dance when they were young while she learned judo, often knocking boys down in school Once she hit a boy so hard his nose bled, his parents stormed into school looking for her, and her mother never let her learn it again. She hadn¡¯t fought with anyone in years, why couldn¡¯t she control herself this time? If something happened this time, how much would she have to pay? Seeing her still very tense, Jace changed the subject. ¡°I heard from the nurse on duty that she saw you in the obstetrics department a few days ago; did you go for a check¨Cup¡± Trisha was taken aback, then remembered that Jace was referring to her stalking Helen. She was originally going to bring Dr. Ledford a meal, but then she saw Helen and followed her Trisha gave a dryugh. ¡°I¡¯m a single woman who¡¯s not married, why would I go for a check¨Cup in the obstetrics department? I was apanying a friend Jace nodded, wanting to say something else. Trisha, afraid that Jace would ask too much and she wouldn¡¯t be able to lie, quickly said. ¡°Dr. Ledford, what did you think of the Szechuan chicken I made for you the other day?¡± Jace was surprised ¡°Szechuan chicken?¡± ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t eat too spicy? I specifically used pepper for the chili oil, it looks very red, but it¡¯s not spicy¡± Jace frowned, thought for two seconds, then helplessly said, ¡°I think you got it wrong. I don¡¯t know anything about Szechuan chicken, and I quite like spicy food¡± ¡°No, didn¡¯t you tell Naggy Nics you don¡¯t like¡­¡­..¡± Trisha stopped halfway through Then she asked softly. ¡°Have you been eating in the hospital cafeteria recently?¡® Dr. Ledford nodded, then added, ¡°Actually, I order takeout more often, only when I¡¯m too busy will I eat in the cafeteria.¡± Trisha¡¯s face fell She was really angry now She clenched her fists. So all the meals she had been cooking for Dr. Ledford for so long were in vain! She angrily pushed Nics away, his head hit the ss with an ¡°ouch¡°, He opened his eyes, confused, and asked, ¡°Where am I?¡± Trisha said angrily. ¡°Wee to your doom!¡± Trisha grabbed his hair, and wham! His head mmed hard against the ss. ¡°Damn it-¡± Nics held his head, swearing to vent his frustration. Trisha barked out, her face dark, ¡°Stop the car!¡± The driver, scared by her fierce demand, didn¡¯t care if it was a proper ce to stop or not and halted immediately Nics tried to grab her, but Trisha swiftly dodged his hand jumped out of the car, shut the door, and vanished into the night. Nics frowned, rubbing the spot where hed been hit, looking quite peeved Jeez all he did was sneak a few lunches Jace looked at Nics¡¯s downcast face, teasing him, ¡°Still going to the hospital?¡± *Screw you!¡± Nics snapped, ¡°Driver, take me to Grandview Heights¡° Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Let¡¯s talk about Liam now Nics¡¯s reply gave him some ideas. He looked at the message ¡°Have you eaten?¡°, pondered for a moment, and transferred 520 bucks to Celeste. He replied, saying he had an important project today and was in meetings all day with no time for food. After thinking for a bit, he added that he hadn¡¯t eaten much all day. Celeste found this amusing and a bit pathetic. He was actually ying the sympathy card now She pretended not to understand and replied, ¡°It must be tough working for a boss like you, not having dinner, and working overtimete into the night.¡± Liam replied that everyone else had left and that he was in a video conference Celeste asked him, ¡°Are you still at work?¡± Liam replied. ¡°Yeah¡± Celeste checked the time. It was nearly ten o¡¯clock. Was this dude nning on living at the office? Liam quickly sent another message, asking if the food was tasty. Celeste replied. ¡°It¡¯s alright, do you want some?¡± Liam immediately replied, ¡°Yes¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Then you can look forward to it¡± Liam She chuckled, and there happened to be a waiter passing by. She stopped him, ordered a few dishes, and then said, ¡°Please pack these up and send them to Quantum Enterprises Tell them it¡¯s for their CEO. I¡¯ll payter.¡± The waiter nodded and left Celeste looked back at her phone. Liam had sent another message. Sean¡¯s admission result was out. He got into theputer science program at C University That little brat had actually told Liam first Just as Celeste was about to reply, she heard Mason¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°I thought you were drunk¡± Celeste turned around andughed, saying. I¡¯m surrounded by big shots here. I can¡¯t drink when they toast. So, I had to pretend to be drunk.¡± She paused and asked, ¡°Why are you out here?¡± Mason replied softly ¡°Mr. Javier noticed you¡¯ve been gone for a while and was worried something might have happened. So, he sent me to check on you.¡± Celeste said, ¡®I¡¯m fine. I just want to go home¡± Mason said, ¡®Tll go back and let Mr Javier know You can leave first.¡± ¡°Will that be alright? Celeste was a bit doubtful This was a gathering of big shots, not a party among friends she knew. She couldn¡¯t just leave without saying goodbye. She figured once she went back in, she¡¯d get tied down and wouldn¡¯t be able to leave. All the people there were important figures in their circles. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend any of them as a newbie actress. Masonughed, ¡°Why are you suddenly not understanding when you should be smart?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Go back in and continue pretending to be drunk. Pretend you¡¯re too drunk to even walk. Who would want to keep you, then? Celeste thought it over. That was a pretty good idea. So she happily said. ¡°Then you have to help me act convincinglyter, make it more believable.¡± As they were talking someone walked out of the private mom next to them Celeste was a bit surprised to see that person. ire was equally surprised to see Celeste but only nodded politely before heading to the restroom. Celeste wanted to greet her, but seeing ire¡¯s reaction, she decided not to. She didn¡¯t expect ire to remember her lifesaving favor, but ire¡¯s coldness made her feel a bit ufortable. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mason said. ¡°Get ready to show Mr. Javier your acting skills.¡± Celeste happily said, ¡°Mr. Javier must be drunk by now. We could probably pull it off¡± As they walked, they discussed how to performter and soon faded into the distance. When ire came out of the restroom, Kaylee was looking worriedly at her phone. She and Liam had somehow switched seats, and now Kaylee was sitting next to her ire sat down and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kaylee grimaced ¡°Mason hasn¡¯t replied to me. He asked me earlier what I was doing tonight. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s at thew firm now, but I¡¯m thinking of going there when I return¡® ire paused ¡°I just saw him.¡± Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Kaylee was startled ¡°Here?¡± ire nodded. ¡°I saw him in the corridor. He might be partying with friends in another room.¡± Kaylee frowned ¡°When I asked him this morning, he said he had work tonight.¡± ire said, ¡®Maybe he¡¯s here discussing work with someone else.¡± Kaylee frowning, suddenly stood up and rushed out ire, eyes downcast, gently stirred her teacup with the lid and softly asked Liam, ¡®Do you like tea, Liam?¡± Liam seemed somewhat disappointed before Celeste replied He gave ire a nce and said indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s decent¡± ire thought she had found amon topic and started to discuss the taste and preparation of various teas with Liam veryfortably Liam listened quietly, his face expressionless, but he didn¡¯t interrupt her This boosted iree¡¯s confidence. She talked for a long time, but Liam didn¡¯t respond at all. ¡°So, Liam, do you prefer the taste of Twinings or Tazo? ire asked. ¡°Twinings Liam said. ire was delighted ¡°Actually, I like Twinings too. It has a strong orchid fragrance that is very pleasant, and the taste is mellow and sweet. Other teas always seem to have a stronger bitter taste Liam said inly, ¡°Mainly because the tea eggs made from it are delicious.¡± ire was stunned Tea. You mean tea eggs?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam nodded and nced at her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever tried tea eggs boiled in Twinings?* ire turned pale Isn¡¯t it wasteful to use tea that costs millions per kilogram to make tea eggs? She awkwardlyughed and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it, but maybe I will next time. Liam said. ¡°After boiling, soak it for a few hours, the taste is stronger.¡± ¡°Are you skilled in cooking, Liam?¡± ire asked. Liam leaned in slightly closer to her. ire¡¯s heart raced, and she listened carefully, only to hear Liam say in a low, deep voice, ¡°This is a trick my wife taught me. ire¡¯s expression suddenly froze. She gripped her fingers tightly, forcing augh before falling silent. Skyler had been observing their exchange. Initially, she felt hopeful seeing Liam asionally chat with ire, but ire suddenly became rigid and stopped talking. She was a bit anxious and whispered to Liam, ¡°What did you say to ire?¡± Liam said, expressionless, ¡°Nothing much, just talking about preferences.¡± Skyler was puzzled Would ire react this way to a chat about preferences? There were many people around, and she didn¡¯t want to ask directly, so she whispered to him, ¡°The company isn¡¯t busytely. Try to find time to take ire out.¡± Liam nced at her and said. ¡°Til arrange it.¡± Skyler was delighted It seemed that today¡¯s setup wasn¡¯t in vain, and Liam finally understood her intentions She picked up a piece of grilled lobster and ced it in Liam¡¯s bowl, showcasing her limited maternal affection. ¡°Eat more, this used to be your favorite when you were little * Liam didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t like grilled lobster When he was little, he just liked being around Skyler, so he would ept whatever she gave him He always thought that if he acted more sensibly and obediently, she would love him as she loved Kaylee. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Skyler was never as close to him as she was to Kaylee. Her attention to his mood was just to avoid her grandmother¡¯s reprimands or to secure her own family¡¯s interests. It was never out of genuine maternal concern Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Chapter 713 He once told Skyler what he liked, but she never really cared. Liam stared at the grilled lobster in his bowl for a while, then picked up the bowl and dumped the lobster into the trash can next to him. Skyler didn¡¯t see it, but Janis did Janis nced at Liam, her expression somewhat thoughtful. As soon as Mason opened the door, Celeste began to act drunk, swaying as if she could hardly stand. As she entered the room, she even stumbled if Mason hadn¡¯t caught her in time, she would have almost fallen. Javier was also startled by her act and asked, ¡°What happened? Mason, half¨Csupporting her, whispered, ¡°She¡¯s drunk¡± Celeste pushed him away, swaying, saying ¡°You¡¯re the drunk one I can hold my liquor!¡± Then she went to pat Javier¡¯s shoulder, her gaze blurry as she said, ¡°Javier, we have to get wasted tonight¡± Mason quickly pulled her back and whispered. ¡°She¡¯s drunk and can¡¯t recognize people.¡± Celeste continued to y crazy, struggling to say, ¡°You¡¯re the drunk one. Javier is my brother!¡± Javier was old enough to be Celeste¡¯s father! Mason held her shoulder and pulled her back, saying. I¡¯ll take her back first and thene back.¡± Javier said, ¡°You¡¯ve also been drinking. Let me call my assistant ¡± Celeste continued to pretend to be drunk. ¡°I¡¯m not going back! I want to drink with Javier!¡± Javier wanted to throw her out of the window. She was too wild when drunk! He picked up his phone to call his assistant. Celeste secretly gave Mason a thumbs up Before Javier¡¯s call went through, the door to the private room was pushed open. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Kaylee scanned the room, spotted Mason¡¯s figure immediately, and called out loudly. ¡°Mason!¡± They were all facing away from the door, so Celeste didn¡¯t see anyone but recognized Kaylee¡¯s voice She was surprised. What was Kaylee doing here? At this moment, Celeste was pretending to be drunk, half¨Cleaning on Mason for support. She knew about Kaylee¡¯s possessiveness toward Mason. If Kaylee saw them, there would definitely be a scene. If it were any other time, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of Kaylee making a fuss, but now she was pretending to be drunk and couldn¡¯t let anyone see through her act. She had to keep it up After all, it would be too embarrassing if Javier found out that she was pretending to be drunk to escape. The people in the room were all from the same circle, so they didn¡¯t know someone like Kaylee, a high¨C society heiress. When they heard her shout Mason¡¯s name, they figured she was a friend of his, so they didn¡¯t pay much mind to it ¡°Mason, I thought you were pulling an all¨Cnighter at thew firm.¡± Kaylee said, strutting up to him, only to see the person he was holding in his arms. Her face changed instantly, her voice rising in pitch. ¡°Mason, why are you with her?¡± Mason furrowed his brows, seeming less than pleased to see her, and responded coldly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± At this point, Kaylee¡¯s eyes were fixed on Mason¡¯s hand supporting Celeste, her gaze filled with jealousy and rage. ¡°Why are you with this skank?¡± Mason¡¯s face darkened, and he said sternly. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Kaylee was green with jealousy; her mind waspletely consumed by it. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± she blurted out. ¡°She just broke up with my brother, and now she¡¯s cozying up with you. My brother lost his mind over her, and now, Mason, you¡¯ve fallen for her too?¡± Her voice was loud and shrill, immediately drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Mason red at her, and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t causing a scene on set enough? Now you¡¯re here ndering people without any evidence. Is this what Mrs. Reed taught you?¡± Kaylee turned pale, and said, ¡°Everything I said is true! Now that the Campbell family doesn¡¯t consider her family anymore, she has no status in the circle. She¡¯s deliberately getting close to you to get back in, Mason; don¡¯t be fooled by her!¡± Watching Kaylee¡¯s meltdown, Celeste found it amusing. She would feel sorry for Kaylee if she hadn¡¯t experienced the feeling of being despised by the person she likes. So she gently nudged Mason¡¯s arm, slurring her words, ¡°So noisy, I want to go home.¡± Tears welled up in Kaylee¡¯s eyes, and she stormed up to Celeste, pushing her to the side. She calcted that she¡¯dnd on the floor mat; it¡¯d look dramatic but wouldn¡¯t actually hurt. N?velDrama.Org content rights. But before she could hit the floor, she was caught. Celeste¡­ Who was so out of ce to catch her? She hadn¡¯t finished her act! ¡°Are you alright?¡± A deep voice sounded in her ear with a hint of amusement, leaving Celeste speechless. It was Leonard, the one who just saw her fall outside. She couldn¡¯t stand or kneel; it was too awkward. Leonard didn¡¯t blow her cover, and Celeste had to continue to y along, ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Mason didn¡¯t manage to catch Celeste in time, but seeing she was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to Kaylee coldly. ¡°Out!¡± Kaylee was in disbelief. ¡°Mason, do you want me to leave?¡± Mason sternly said, ¡°The Kaylee I know is straightforward and innocent, not like you, twisting the truth and being overbearing. I don¡¯t want to see you right now; get out!¡± Tears welled up in Kaylee¡¯s eyes. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want her to get close to you; I didn¡¯t even push her hard. Mason, why would you rather believe her than me? What¡¯s so attractive about her?¡± ¡°Out!¡± Mason didn¡¯t want to say anything else; he just coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it again!¡± Kaylee clenched her fists, her eyes filled with anger. Mason stopped looking at her and bent down to take Celeste from Leonard, asking softly, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Kaylee watched as Mason lowered his head, his eyes filled with tenderness as he whispered to Celeste. It made her fingers tremble with anger. She saw a hot tea pot on the table near the entrance and suddenly rushed up to grab it, throwing it at Celeste. Mason immediately shielded Celeste. However, he didn¡¯t feel the expected pain, but a scream echoed in his ear: ¡°Leo!¡± The boiling water was blocked by Leonard. Leonard¡¯s agent paled and immediately helped Leonard take off his jacket. Leonard was wearing a waterproof motorcycle suit, blocking most of the water, only a small part sshed on his neck. After taking off his clothes, a burn was visible on his neck. This sudden incident left the scene in chaos. Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Kaylee stood still, and it took a while before she realized the mess she had made. She loosened her grip, and the teapot fell to the ground, adding to the chaos. People were calling for an ambnce and contacting the hospital. Leonard was taken to the restroom to rinse with cold water; no one noticed her. Kaylee¡¯s face turned pale. She took a few steps back and ran back to her private room. Celeste was no longer feigning drunkenness. She wanted to provoke Kaylee but underestimated her impulsiveness. She actually threw boiling water at people. If it wasn¡¯t for Leonard blocking it, most of the water would¡¯ve sshed on her face and body. Leonard¡¯s neck was severely burned; even though he quickly rinsed it with cold water, blisters still formed, and his back was also red and swollen, looking horrifying. As a celebrity, his face is his livelihood, and now that he¡¯s been burned, Celeste can only regret that she shouldn¡¯t have provoked Kaylee. The noise outside soon reached Liam¡¯s room. Skyler frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on outside? Why is it so noisy?¡± Kaylee¡¯s face was pale, and her hands were trembling. Liam nced at her, then suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡± Kaylee¡¯s back stiffened, her grip tightening around the cup. ire also stood up and said, ¡°Liam, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Before Liam could answer, Skyler said, ¡°Go ahead, get some fresh air; it¡¯s a bit stuffy in here.¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer, he just walked out of the room, followed closely by ire. Kaylee was restless. She always acted impulsively and only regretted it afterward. The person who was sshed with boiling water seemed to be a celebrity, and this incident may not be easy to resolve. Once Liam went out, he¡¯ll know who she was trying to ssh. She had a feeling that her brother wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. Thinking of this, Kaylee suddenly stood up. Skyler was startled by her sudden movement, frowning and asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kaylee tried to control her trembling lips, whispering, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not feeling well; I¡¯m going home.¡± Skyler asked concernedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you ufortable? Do you need to go to the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a bit dizzy; I¡¯ll be fine if I go home and rest.¡± As she spoke, Kaylee picked up her bag and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± After saying that, without waiting for Skyler¡¯s answer, she quickly left the room. Skyler muttered confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s with the rush?¡± Just as Liam left the room, he saw a crowd gathering in the hallway. They were mainly gathered around the restroom. Liam assumed someone had drunk too much; he casually nced over, then suddenly stopped in his tracks. Over by the bathrooms, Celeste was standing in the middle of the crowd, her face pale and her eyebrows furrowed. Mason was leaning in close to her, his mouth moving, but it was unclear what he was saying. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mason?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ire whispered. Liam pursed his lips, but before he could get very far, he was stopped. ¡°Are you from booth 303?¡± Liam nced at the man, who appeared to be a staff member of the hotel, then nodded his head. ¡°A woman from your booth spilled hot water on a guest from 302. The guest has called the police, and we¡¯re here to assist them in notifying you.¡± Liam¡¯s face changed slightly, and then he quickly walked over to Celeste. He tightly grabbed her wrist, anxiously looking her over. ¡°Where did she ssh you? Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Celeste was dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t Liam supposed to be at the office? How did he just pop up out of the blue? Before she could even process this, ire followed in, greeting, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, Ms. Campbell.¡± Celeste gave ire a nce, then turned her gaze to Liam, who had a nervous look on his face. Her eyes slightly darkened. Mason exined, ¡°Celeste is okay. The injured one is someone else.¡± At that moment, Liam also noticed Leonard, who had been scalded. Knowing that Celeste was unharmed, Liam felt a bit relieved. He wanted to say something, but the car downstairs was ready. Javier was asking everyone to clear the way so they could take Leonard to the hospital. Celeste let go of Liam¡¯s hand and followed in a serious manner. Just as Mason was about to follow, Liam stopped him. ¡°What happened?¡± Liam¡¯s voice was deep. ire also asked, ¡°Mr. Fletcher, what exactly happened?¡± Mason nced at them and said, ¡°Kaylee just burst into the private room and sshed boiling water on Celeste. Leonard shielded her and got scalded on his back.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned cold. No wonder Kaylee was so flustered when she came in. If it weren¡¯t for someone blocking it, the one covered in blisters right now would be Letti. Suppressing the tremors in his heart, Liam looked at Mason and asked, ¡°How did Kaylee know you guys were in the next room?¡± There were many high¨Cend restaurants in this city. The Gourmet Gallery they visited today wasn¡¯t the best one. Even if they happened to choose the same restaurant, what were the chances of picking the room right next door out of dozens of rooms? Liam wasn¡¯t good at schemes, but he understood probability. Coincidences¨Conce or twice he could ept them, but every single time, was it really a coincidence? Upon hearing this, Mason slowly lowered the hand that was blocking him, looked at him calmly, and said, ¡°You should ask Kaylee that question. I¡¯d like to know how she found our private room too.¡± ire quietly clenched her fists on the side. She never thought Kaylee would be so ruthless. She just wanted to use Kaylee to let Liam see that his ex¨Cwife had moved on, so he could let go. She didn¡¯t want to hurt Celeste. N?velDrama.Org content rights. As those heading to the hospital squeezed past her and Liam, ire¡¯s mind was a mess, and she didn¡¯t immediately follow. ¡°Leonard has reported it to the police. They won¡¯t let it slide. Of course, with your capabilities, as long as you¡¯re willing, you can still protect Kaylee, just like at the charity g when she locked Celeste in the bathroom.¡± Mason said indifferently, ¡°If the police investigate, I¡¯ll tell the truth. You have people you want to protect, and so do I.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned icy. He said solemnly, ¡°Mason, you could be more straightforward. That way I won¡¯t underestimate you!¡± Mason looked up and said, ¡°Liam, it seems you got it wrong. You were the one who let go of Celeste. No one forced you. Since you let go, you should behave like a proper ex and not condone your rtives hurting her. As for how I do things, that¡¯s my business.¡± Liam grabbed his cor, gritting his teeth, and said seriously, ¡°If you have a problem with me,e at me. If you hurt her, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Mason furrowed his brows, clearly confused by Liam¡¯s words. He slowly removed Liam¡¯s hand from his cor and said, ¡°Celeste¡¯s choice is her own. Even if she chooses you in the end, I won¡¯t hold a grudge.¡± He straightened his clothes and calmly said, ¡°But first, you have to beat me.¡± After he finished speaking, he nced at ire, who was not far away, with a mocking look in his eyes, and then he left. Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Chapter 717 Liam¡¯s face was gloomy as he watched Mason leave. Liam frowned. How could Mason possibly like Celeste? ¡°Liam¡­¡± ire approached him and called out, ¡°Should we go to the hospital too?¡± Without a word, Liam returned to the private room, expressionless. Kaylee had already left. Skyler was taken aback when she saw his tight face. Without any small talk, Liam asked directly, ¡°Where¡¯s Kaylee?¡± ¡°Kaylee wasn¡¯t feeling well; she left early.¡± Liam¡¯s face grew even colder. He picked up his phone and dialed Kaylee¡¯s number. At that moment, Kaylee had just gotten into a taxi. Hearing Liam¡¯s call, she was scared out of her wits and immediately hung up. She said anxiously, ¡°Drive now!¡± The driver asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Anywhere, just go!¡± She handed the driver some bills and said, ¡°Hurry up!¡± The driver started the car right away. Liam couldn¡¯t get through to Kaylee, so he contacted the bodyguards at hispany. The moment the call connected, he said coldly, ¡°Find Kaylee and bring her back! If she refuses to come, break her legs and drag her back!¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed drastically, and she immediately stood up and said, ¡°Why are you trying to catch Kaylee?¡± Liam nced at her coldly and said, ¡°It¡¯s time she paid for her actions!¡± With that, he stormed out, mming the door behind him. Skyler was anxious; Janis quickly held her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± then turned to ask ire, ¡°ire, what happened?¡± ire paused before saying, ¡°Kaylee scalded someone with boiling water. The victim has reported it to the police.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned even paler. ¡°Such a small matter needs police involvement? Isn¡¯t it just a money issue?¡± ire hesitated, then said quietly, ¡°The victim isn¡¯t short of money. He¡¯s a very famous star.¡± Skyler gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Just an actor, what¡¯s the big deal? Liam has gone mad!¡± With that, she rushed out after him. Just as Liam left the restaurant, the police arrived at the scene, and everyone in the private room was stopped. At the hospital. The doctor picked at Leonard¡¯s blisters on his neck one by one with tweezers and a needle. Every time Leonard was prodded, he would wince in pain. Celeste was all furrowed brows and tense looks. Leonard¡¯s agent was on the sidelines, looking like he had swallowed a lemon. He kept asking Leonard, ¡°Does it hurt?¡°and then pestering the doctor, ¡°Will this wound leave a scar?¡± The doctor was cool as a cucumber as he cleaned the blister, calmly saying, ¡°Usually it won¡¯t scar, but it depends on the individual. Some folks can recover fully in a month; others might take a year or two.¡± The agent was practically having a heart attack. ¡°This is a disaster! He makes money off his looks. Isn¡¯t this like losing his bread and butter?¡± The doctor tried to hold his tongue but finally said, ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s on his face. He¡¯s an actor, not a model. He doesn¡¯t perform with the back of his neck to the audience.¡± The agent shot the doctor a dirty look. ¡°Every inch of an actor¡¯s skin is as important as their face!¡± Leonard, feeling a bit awkward, said, ¡°Can you chill for a sec? The doctor said it¡¯s all good.¡± The agent, seething, finally blurted out, ¡°Do you have any idea how precious your body is? You were shielding someone from hot water, and this time you were lucky it only hit your back. What if it had hit your face? Do you have any idea what would¡¯ve happened?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Chapter 718 ¡°You¡¯ve got two endorsement gigs lined up recently, both for skincare products. Look at you now, how can you take on those gigs? Do you have how much loss this will cause?¡± any idea Celeste kept her lips sealed, and now she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Before she could finish, Leonard cut her off. He said to the manager, annoyed, ¡°You¡¯re spraying your spit all over my wounds. Don¡¯t you want me to get better?¡± The manager red at him and said, ¡°Why on earth did I end up with a headache like you?¡± Whenever he sees the goddess, he loses his sanity! He can¡¯t even get two words in before he¡¯s rushing to her defense! Leonard was sprawled on the bed, face buried in the pillow, his voice low. ¡°Then go find someone who¡¯s less of a pain!¡± The manager shot this ungrateful jerk a re, about to say something, when his phone rang. He stepped out to take the call. Javier looked at Leonard, burnt all over, his face full of worry. He said, ¡°Take good care of yourself these days. When the shooting starts, you don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯ll push your scenes back. Healthes first.¡± Leonard, fighting the pain, said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can still go to the shoot. The burns are on my back. They won¡¯t affect anything.¡± Javier said, ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Rest up.¡± Then he turned to Celeste, who had an apologetic look on her face, paused, and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not drunk anymore?¡± Celeste:¡­ She had been so focused on Leonard¡¯s injuries that shepletely forgot that she had faked being drunk before. Celeste opened her mouth to speak, but Leonard cut her off with a quip: ¡°You got sobered up by the hot water, did you?¡± Javier thought for a moment, then said to Celeste, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone take you home.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll stay a little longer. You go rest.¡± Javier didn¡¯t say anything more and left. He¡¯d had quite a bit to drink, and his head was spinning. Before the shoot had even begun, both male and female cast members were being rushed to the hospital. He wondered whether they had picked the wrong day to start filming. He would have to consult someone to pick a luckier day. One by one, people left the hospital room, until only Celeste was left. The doctor finished draining the blisters, used a cotton ball to wipe off the seeping fluid, and then started disinfecting. The disinfection was far more painful than the draining of the blisters. Leonard furrowed his brow, his hands clenching tightly onto the bed sheet. He was really afraid of pain. If his manager were here, he would have screamed out loud from the pain. But the only one left by his side was his goddess. He was alone with his goddess, and he couldn¡¯t lose face by crying out in pain during the disinfection. So he bit his lip, not allowing himself to make any sound. But every time the doctor touched him, he would reflexively shudder. Celeste caught on. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Leonard still kept his cool, shook his head, and said, ¡°Not at all¨Couch- Before he could finish, the doctor suddenly pressed the cotton swab down, and Leonard couldn¡¯t hold back the pain. His face turned red, and he wished he could bite his tongue off. Oh my God! How could he not hold it in? Celeste looked up at the doctor and asked, ¡°Can Ifort him a bit?¡± The doctor was a bit surprised but nodded and said, ¡°You can try. Celeste said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll press here for you; see if it helps.¡± Leonard didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. His neck was burning, and the pain was making him speechless. He nodded in confusion. Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Celeste took his hand. She ced her thumb on a certain spot in his palm and started to press and rub. Leonard was startled, almost pulling his hand away, Celeste¡¯s hand was cold and soft, but her grip was firm. His heart was beating fast, as if it were about to jump out of his chest. He didn¡¯t even dare to look up at her. His mind was filled with romantic fantasies. She¡¯s holding my hand. She must like me! Celeste pressed for a while, then asked in a low voice, ¡°How is it? Do you feel less pain?¡± He was not just feeling less pain. He even felt like he was floating on cloud nine! He paused for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll press for a bit longer¡± When the manager walked in, he was taken aback by the sight.. Leonard was lying on the bed, letting the doctor treat his wounds. His hand was held by Celeste, and his face was flushed. Celeste was chatting with Leonard while pressing his hand, and Leonard, like a tamed puppy, was a far cry from his usual self. As the manager was hesitating whether to interrupt them, the door to the hospital room was pushed open again. A man in a suit with an elegant demeanor walked in. The manager frowned. ¡°Who are you?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond to him but walked straight to Celeste. ¡°Celeste.¡± He called her name softly. Celeste nced at him and said in a t tone, ¡°Mr. Reed, we¡¯re dealing with a wound here.¡± Liam closed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to cause trouble. I¡¯m worried about you.¡± He nced at Celeste holding Leonard¡¯s hand, his expression turning serious. Celeste continued to press Leonard¡¯s hand, saying casually, ¡°Mr. Reed, weren¡¯t you workingte at the office? Howe I didn¡¯t know you could be in two ces at once? You can have a date and workte at the same time. Truly, the best of both worlds.¡± Liam lowered his head awkwardly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you about having dinner with ire just to deceive you. I just wanted you to care about me.¡± Celeste felt helpless. ¡°I¡¯m not caring about you!¡± How could he be so selfish, only considering his own feelings? Celeste was very angry at Liam¡¯s lie. But she also thought of something. If Liam really lied to her because he was having dinner with ire, then he should have felt guilty and panicked when he saw her at the restaurant. But when Liam saw her, hepletely forgot about his lie, and his eyes were full of worry. Liam wasn¡¯t very smart emotionally, and he didn¡¯t have great acting skills either. I was having dinner with an old ssmate of my dad¡¯s. I didn¡¯t know ire would be there,¡± Liam exined, then suddenly thought of something: ¡°Celeste, are you jealous?¡± Celeste¡¯s forehead twitched. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m not jealous of you! I¡¯m just angry that you lied to me.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Liam was apologizing. He took Leonard¡¯s hand from Celeste and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll massage him; you take a breather.¡± He wasn¡¯t too thrilled about the hand! Celeste looked at him, puzzled. ¡°Do you know how?¡± In all seriousness, Liarn answered, ¡°You¡¯ve massaged my headache away plenty of times. I¡¯ve got it down pat.¡± So Celeste got up and gave up her spot. ¡°His back injury is pretty bad, it must really hurt. Massage him for a little bit longer.¡± Liam replied with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Suddenly, Leonard felt a chilling sensation at the back of his neck, like a snake was eyeing him, sending shivers down his spine, He tried to pull his hand back, saying, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that painful anymore.¡± Liam forcefully pulled him back and said nonchntly. ¡°How could it not hurt with an injury this bad? You helped my wife; I owe you one. Bear with it; let me massage you.¡± ¡°What did you say, wife? Ah- ¡°What are you on about,¨C Ah- Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Before Leonard could finish his sentence, Liam¡¯s thumb was already pressing down hard, causing him to yell in pain. Celeste chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to knead and press, not just press down Liam replied softly, ¡°Alright, you sit and rest for a bit.¡± However, his pressure did not lessen. Leonard winced in pain. ¡°No need to press any more, I¡¯m already¡­¡± pain¨Cfree! He frantically signaled his agent, hoping he could promptly shoo this madman away, but the agent, upon seeing Liam¡¯s impressive demeanor, instead advised Leonard, ¡°As a man, just bear with it. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± What a weak and timid agent! The agent nced at Celeste, then at Liam. Their rtionship seemed special. This man appeared noble and arrogant, but when talking to Celeste, his words were gentle and his gaze was filled. with affection. He seemed no less than Leonard, and due to his mature and steady aura, he even appeared more outstanding. The agent dared not speak to Liam, so he turned to Celeste and asked, ¡°Ms. Campbell, are you married?¡± Leonard, forgetting the pain for a moment, pricked up his ears. Liam¡¯s movement also slowed down, waiting to hear Celeste say ¡°yes¡°. But what Celeste said was, ¡°No, I¡¯m single.¡± Leonard¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. Liam shut his mouth; this was within his expectations. The agent then asked, ¡°Then this gentleman is your¡­¡± Celeste said, ¡°He¡¯s my ex¨Chusband.¡± Liam:¡­ This was beyond his expectations. The agent¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Ex¡­ ex¨Chusband?¡± This word made Liam feel very ufortable. He gave the agent a cold look and added, ¡°And also her current boyfriend.¡± Celeste was speechless; she didn¡¯t know she had a current boyfriend. Seeing Celeste didn¡¯t speak, Liam continued, ¡°Medical bills, hospitalization expenses,pensation for lost wages¨Cawyer wille to discuss with youter, make any demands you have; don¡¯t hold back.¡± Leonard, swinging between love and heartbreak, shut his mouth and said, ¡°No need.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Go ahead, it¡¯s his sister who sshed the hot water; you should sue, you should im; don¡¯t be soft¨Chearted.¡± Leonard didn¡¯t want to say anything more; he turned pale and said, ¡°You guys go back; I¡¯m tired. So Celeste and Liam were asked to leave the ward. After they came out, Liam asked, ¡°How did you meet this little star?¡± ¡°We just met today¡± Liam said jealously, ¡°He¡¯s really brave; he just met you and dared to block hot water for you.¡± Celeste could hear the jealousy in his words. She nced at Liam and said, ¡°After all, he¡¯s an actor performing with me; he might have gotten into his role early and really treated me as his girlfriend.¡± Liam¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°He¡¯s ying your boyfriend?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Handsome, right?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam frowned. ¡°Handsome, my ass, his legs are as long as a grasshopper¡¯s!¡± Celeste looked at the man who kept backbiting and said, ¡°I think he¡¯s pretty good¨Clooking; broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs.¡± Liam dismissed it, saying, ¡°When I was twenty¨Cthree, I was better looking than him.¡± Celeste ignored this childish guy and turned to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Kaylee?¡± Liam¡¯s face became serious, ¡°Someone has already been sent to find her. Before dawn, I¡¯ll personally send her to the police station.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Will your mother agree?¡± Liam said casually. ¡°If she doesnt, she can take the me for her daughter, as long as the police agree. Celeste smiled slightly. ¡°You doted on Kaylee the most; can you bear it?¡± Liam looked at her and said, ¡°The one I love the most is you.¡± Celeste:.. She braced herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m discussing serious matters with you!¡± Liam smiled and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been soft¨Chearted and let her off the first time she made a mistake because of my mother¡¯s plea, she wouldn¡¯t have be like this. She was actually quite well¨C behaved when she was little. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s be so impulsive and domineering now!¡± Celeste chuckled softly: ¡°Impulsiveness is no excuse for hurting others. She does things solely based on her own preferences and has no moralpass. She¡¯s essentially a bad person.¡± Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Chapter 721 If it were in the past, he would¡¯ve automatically rebutted Celeste¡¯s words. He and Kaylee had a deep bond as siblings. He and his father had eagerly anticipated her arrival in their lives. As a child, Kaylee was very dependent on him. If she had any tasty treats or fun toys, she wouldn¡¯t share them with others but would save them for her big brother. After their father¡¯s death, he was raised by their grandma. After an incident where he nearly drowned, grandma took care of him most of the time. Grandma didn¡¯t trust Skyler with Liam and looked down on her judgment. Skyler only cared about the Barlow family, and grandma always feared she would lead the Reed family¡¯s offspring astray. Therefore, despite her age, grandma insisted on educating him personally. As for Kaylee, she was too young to be without her mom. Considering Skyler¡¯s firm stance back then, grandma reluctantly let Skyler raise Kaylee. After their father¡¯s death, the siblings mostly saw each other on weekends and holidays. As the days turned into years, Kaylee grew up but lost the innocence she had as a child. During the years he was married to Letti, Kaylee was decent towards Celeste in his presence. But what about when he wasn¡¯t around? Celeste never badmouthed Kaylee or Skyler in front of him. But did silence mean there were no issues? Or maybe he was naturally biased towards Kaylee and saw her disrespectful words as mere acts of petnce? Once he started reminiscing about the past, certain things began to make sense. For instance, Kaylee knowingly took the cake he had bought for Letti¡¯s birthday to a party, then told Letti he had allowed her to do so. Or when he was away on business, the essential oils he bought for Letti were spilled by Kaylee because she didn¡¯t see her own gift. Letti imed Kaylee did it on purpose, but he thought it was just a bottle of essential oil ¨C no big deal. The incident with the essential oil may not have been a big deal, but these small incidents slowly revealed Kaylee¡¯s malice and his tendency to turn a blind eye. Kaylee would act spoilt and willful in front of familiar and important people like him and Mason, but she would reveal her nasty nature to strangers. She was spoiled rotten by Skyler. Just like Letti said, she had no morals and acted ording to her whims. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. In her eyes, wrongdoing and hurtful actions could all be solved with money and the power of the Reed family. Her values had been skewed by Skyler. If she didn¡¯t face some hardship, she would truly believe that the Reed family could solve all her problems. ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe I never really understood her.¡± Liam pursed his lips and suddenly asked, ¡°Did she treat you particrly badly when I wasn¡¯t aware?¡± Taken aback, Celeste closed her mouth, and after a long silence, she finally said, ¡°Liam, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been afraid to tell you since we got married Liam looked at her, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. ¡°What is it?¡± Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Celeste lowered her head and confessed, ¡°I might not be the most forgiving person, but I wouldn¡¯t despise Kaylee just because of a few disrespectful words. She¡¯s your sister, and I¡¯m your wife. When I married into your family, I was prepared to get along with her. So, I wasn¡¯t worried about any conflicts. She is treasured by the Reed family, and it¡¯s okay if she¡¯s a bit proud and willful, but¡­¡± Celeste swallowed her difort and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive her for sending me to Wesley¡¯s bed on our wedding night.¡± Liam¡¯s face turned pale instantly. ¡°What¡­what did you just say?¡± Celeste calmly narrated the events of their wedding night. Liam¡¯s face turned ashen, and his eyes started to show signs of bloodshotness. Celeste lowered her head and slowly revealed her wounds. They said I walked into the wrong room. I had never been to that house before. Wherever she led me, I followed. Even though I had been drinking,! wasn¡¯tpletely out of it. I wouldn¡¯t wander around in a ce I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it was a prank or a nasty trick; every time I think about that night, I feel utterly disgusted and scared.¡± ¡°If I had let Wesley have his way that night, I don¡¯t know if I would¡¯ve killed him or Kaylee. I can¡¯t imagine what I would¡¯ve be.¡± ¡°You always say I¡¯m stuck on the fact you left during our wedding, and it¡¯s because I keep thinking, if only you had been home that night¡­¡± Liam¡¯s voice was choked with emotion. ¡°Why have you never told me about this before?¡± Celeste¡¯s resentment towards Kaylee and her hostility towards Wesley every time she saw him- all of it had a reason. Celeste¡¯s eyes were slightly moist, but she didn¡¯t cry. ¡°At first, I was scared. I thought it was a disgusting and shameful thing. It happened on our wedding night. We got married in a rush, and you didn¡¯t know me well. They were all your rtives, and I wasn¡¯t sure if you would believe me or them. If you believed them, our marriage would be over. What would I do? What about my mom? Their threats scared me into silence. Later, I didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. Not just because it had been too long and there was no evidence, but also because our marriage was on the brink of copse by then. Even if I had told you, you probably wouldn¡¯t have cared.¡± ¡°How could I not care?¡± Liam choked out, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head in her shoulder. She could feel Liam¡¯s whole body shaking uncontrobly. He was holding her so tight, as if trying to meld her into his body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ His voice was thick with emotion, and he kept apologizing into her ear, over and over again. Besides saying sorry, he didn¡¯t know what else to say. Every in¨Cdepth conversation with Celeste made him realize just how much he had failed as a husband. She had been wronged and bullied, and she even felt she couldn¡¯t tell him. Her husband here, didn¡¯t give her an ounce of security. She didn¡¯t believe she could rely on him for protection. He foolishly thought he could build her an unbreakable fortress with money, but beneath that fortress was a bottomless pit. ¡°Letti, Liam croaked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ really sorry¡­¡± Celeste¡¯s lips trembled slightly, and she finally choked out, ¡°Mm¡­¡± Her voice was full ofints and grievances, making Liam¡¯s heart ache. How dare they mess with someone Liam had to handle with kid gloves! The nerve of them! Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Chapter 723 The night of Caitlyn¡¯s funeral, Celeste had pretty much cried herself out. She thought that from then on, except when the job demanded it, she¡¯d never shed a tear in private again. But Liam¡¯s apologies, one after another, had her sobbing helplessly. Every day, her mind was haunted by what had happened that night. She was scared that the person lying next to her in the dark wouldn¡¯t be her husband, so she always kept a light on in the bedroom. She was afraid of being touched by Liam in the dark and of his roughness in bed. Every little movement reminded her of that vomit¨Cinducing wedding night. She couldn¡¯t stop ming Liam for leaving her on their wedding night; she couldn¡¯t stop dwelling on it. Liam¡¯s repeated attempts tofort her by rubbing her back felt like a knife cutting into her heart, slice by slice. The material things he gave Celeste were the cheapest. He hadn¡¯t given her the care, trust, and protection she really needed. No wonder she rated him in the negative. The harm he and the Reed family had done to her was so deep; how could he expect to get her forgiveness so easily? He wanted to ask Celeste why she hadn¡¯t told her grandmother at the time. He figured the olddy would¡¯ve been reasonable. But he quickly understood. Celeste was a lone outsider marrying into the Reed family. Everyone around her was a Reed, and she was the only one with a different surname. How could she be sure that the olddy would stand by her side? In the wolf¨Cpack¨Clike environment of the Reed family, she waspletely alone. The year they got married, the Campbell family¡¯spany was in crisis, and her mother was facing the dilemma of being cut off from her medication by Shawn. Under those circumstances, how could she dare make a big deal out of this? If he abandoned her because of the family¡¯s reputation or looked down on her because of it, how would she cope? Liam kept reflecting on the past, his heart aching. He let go of Celeste, leaned his forehead against hers, gently wiped away her tears, and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m definitely not going to let this slide.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Celeste pushed him away, collected herself, and, after a long while, said, ¡°That¡¯s your business. What you want to do or don¡¯t want to do is your choice. Don¡¯t impose it on me. If you go after Kaylee and your mother because of me, will you me me when you regret itter, saying I turned you into a murderer?¡± ¡°For my revenge, I¡¯ll take it myself. Your choice to protect them or to put righteousness above family is just your normal moral view, not any kind of bias.¡± Liam said softly, ¡°I understand.¡± Letti was still soft¨Chearted, notpletely blocking the road between them. She wanted him to judge those people from a moral and legal perspective, not out of guilt toward her. Celeste originally wanted to keep this a secret to give Liam a blowter and show him what kind of person Kaylee really was, but today she got carried away. This thing had been weighing on her for a long time. She used it to provoke Liam, but at the same time, she was hurting herself too. Liam gently tucked the hair on her face behind her ears and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home first.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I need to call Mr. Fletcher.¡± Liam frowned, looking a bit unhappy. ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t have time to deal with you right now.¡± Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Celeste paused. ¡°Do you know where, Mr. Fletcher is?¡± Liam smiled faintly. ¡°How would I know? I just want to take you home as soon as possible. Didn¡¯t you say staying upte is bad for your skin?¡± ¡°I still need to give him a call.¡± Celeste looked at this jealous man from the corner of her eye. ¡°Mr. Fletcher was protecting me just now; I don¡¯t know if he got scalded by the hot water.¡± Liam didn¡¯t look too happy, but then he thought of something else. If it had been Mason who blocked the pot of hot water tonight, could Letti have calmed down to listen to his exnation? Liam¡¯s eyes dimmed. Celeste called Mason, and the call was connected after a long time. ¡°Mr. Fletcher¨CMason, it¡¯s me; aren¡¯t you in the hospital now?¡± Mason¡¯s voice sounded tired. ¡°Something came up at home, I had to go. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you in advance. How¡¯s the hospital? Is Leonard¡¯s condition serious?¡± ¡°The doctor said he needs to rest for a while, but his condition is not serious, Celeste said. ¡°Is everything alright at home?¡± Before Mason could answer, there was a loud noise from his end of the phone, like something had fallen and broken, which startled Celeste. There was a buzzing noise on the phone, then Mason hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact youter,¡± and hung up. Celeste frowned and muttered to herself, ¡°Is Mr. Fletcher in a fight?¡± Liam said, ¡°He¡¯s so frail; how could he be in a fight?¡± Just as Celeste thought Liam made sense, she heard him say, ¡°He could only be getting beaten up.¡± Celeste: ¡­ Mason might not be all that upright, so he might need to resort to some tactics. Suddenly, Celeste felt a sense of sympathy. She found the old¨Cfashioned head of the Fletcher family even more adorable. After all, once he went crazy, the people of the Fletcher family couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Celeste gave Liam a dissatisfied look. ¡°You¡¯re so sarcastic, I can¡¯t believe anyone would want to be friends with you.¡± Liam didn¡¯t argue. He grabbed Celeste¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Celeste pulled her hand back. ¡°I¡¯m docking you a hundred points.¡± Liam: ¡­ ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You lied to me, held me without my permission, and held my hand.¡± ¡°Do I need your permission to hold your hand?¡± Celeste gave him a side¨Ceye and said, ¡°Of course! I haven¡¯t even agreed to date you yet, and you¡¯re grabbing my hand. Isn¡¯t this tant flirting?¡± Liam:¡­.. He grabbed her hand again and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already got a strike against me, What¡¯s a few more hand holdings?¡± He looked at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to add up.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celeste:¡­. As they left the hospital, a breeze blew by. Liam took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders. Celeste was surprised. ¡°Liam, what month is it now?¡± Liam was puzzled. ¡°August.¡± ¡°And the temperature?¡± ¡°Should be around 30 degrees.¡± Celeste quickly took off the jacket and tossed it at him, saying, ¡°Remember this! It¡¯s freaking 30 degrees out here, and you want me to wear a suit?¡± Liam: He gently bit his lip and said quietly, ¡°I just wanted to make you feel warm. They told me girls like it when their boyfriends put their jackets on them.¡± ¡°it depends on the weather!¡± Celeste softened a bit, pretending to be angry: ¡°I¡¯m already sweating buckets, and you want me to put on anotheryer? Do you want me to get a heatstroke?¡± She paused, squinting her eyes. ¡°Who are ¡®they¡®?¡± Liam bit his lip and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, not important.¡± Celeste¡¯s curiosity was piqued, and she didn¡¯t let it go. She widened her eyes and said, ¡°Do you still want to pursue me?¡± ¡°Of course, Liam answered, and then added, ¡°But that¡¯s my private matter.¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Celeste kept pressing on: ¡°If this matter involves me, it¡¯s no longer a private matter. Spill it!¡± Liam tried to divert the topic to ¡°Thirsty?¡± But the more he kept mum, the more it piqued Celeste¡¯s curiosity. She decided to use her advantage to corner him: ¡°Are you going to tell me or not? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll deduct your points!¡± Liam frowned. ¡°That¡¯s just in dirty.¡± Celeste simply yed dirty, ¡°I made the rules. If you don¡¯t tell me, I deduct points.¡± Liam¡¯s face started to tense up. Just when Celeste thought he was about to cave and spill the beans, he stubbornly said, ¡°Do what you want.¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°Then I¡¯ll deduct a hundred points.¡± Liam said, ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡± Celeste:¡­ Damn! Did deducting points not work anymore? Celeste didn¡¯t really want to deduct points. Her curiosity was just driving her nuts. The more Liam kept quiet, the more she wanted to know. Since deducting points wasn¡¯t working¡­ Celeste said, ¡°Tell me, and I¡¯ll give you extra points.¡± Liam was excited inside but maintained a cool exterior. ¡°How many points?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m going go get a bottle of water.¡± He started to walk away. Celeste grabbed him and said, ¡°Twenty points, twenty points! Twenty points, okay?¡± Liam looked at her and said, ¡°Two hundred points.¡± Celeste: ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit excessive?¡± Liam said, ¡°It¡¯s my private business; I can¡¯t be too casual, right?¡± Celeste thought about it. His current score was negative ten thousand plus. Adding two hundred was just a drop in the oceanpared to a full score. So she said, ¡°Fine, two hundred it is. Then she asked, ¡°So who are they?¡± A small smile crept up from the corner of Liam¡¯s lips. ¡°Hop in the car, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Once they got in the car, buckled up, and started driving, Liam still kept his mouth shut. Celeste frowned. ¡°Did you trick me into giving you extra points?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Liam said while pulling out a book from behind the rear seat, ¡°It¡¯s all in this book.¡± Celeste nced at the book. The title was ¡®100 Romantic Things to Do for Couples¡®. Liam said, ¡°Check out page 27.¡± Celeste turned to page 27. It was a book rich in illustrations. The title on page 27 was ¡®Coat¡®. The book talked about wrapping a scarf around him or her or draping a coat over them, looking down at their cheek or forehead, smelling the scent of their coat, snowkes fluttering outside, but warmth filling the heart. The illustration was of a boy kissing a girl¡¯s forehead, with the the girl wearing a man¡¯s coat. But¡­ N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celeste gritted her teeth and said, ¡°What does this have to do with them?¡± Liam said, ¡°Look at who the author is.¡± Celeste flipped back to the cover. The author¡¯s name was ¡®They¡®. Celeste:¡­ She wanted to curse Liam for tricking her, but he didn¡¯t seem to have tricked her. She was the one who insisted on knowing; she was the one who proposed the extra points. But who would have thought that ¡°they¡± would be the name of an author? Celeste angrily tossed the book back into Liam¡¯sp. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to read this book?¡± Liam said witi: an innocent face, ¡°It¡¯s a pretty good read¡® 1/2 Celeste scowled and chose to ignore him. Seeing his n work, Liam happily flipped through the book and said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot more in this book. You can check out whichever you like, and next time I can act it out ording to the book.¡± Celeste tried to hold back but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Does it still feel romantic if you do it ording to the book?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Liam answered, ¡°I think page 49 is quite romantic; have a look.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Liam didn¡¯t push it; he continued, ¡°This book includes some statistical data. A survey conducted on four thousand young women reveals that 78% of women find this act very romantic. It seems that the majority of people like this kind of behavior.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help herself but nce at the page. The title was ¡®Caress¡®. After making love, gently caress her, kiss her fingers, thighs, and chest, let her feel your love. Celeste: ¡­ Liam teasingly asked her, ¡°Are you one of the 78%?¡± Celeste felt he was toying with her; she shot him a look and said, ¡°Just like you, I belong to the 22%, those cold¨Chearted people.¡± Liam: ¡­ His ears turned red instantly; he widened his eyes and said, ¡°When did I be cold¨Chearted?¡± Celeste snorted, ¡°Have you forgotten? Every time we sleep together, you run off to the bathroom and take a bath for one to two hours. Do you think I¡¯ve dirtied you?¡± Liam¡¯s mouth fell open; he looked shocked. Blushing, he said, ¡°When did I ever think you were dirty? I just can¡¯t control myself! The doctor said there¡¯s a high risk of miscarriage if you get pregnant; how could I let you get pregnant?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you use a condom if you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll get pregnant?¡± Celeste thought Liam was just talking nonsense: ¡°You don¡¯t want to use condom, yet you say you¡¯re afraid of me getting pregnant. You just want to enjoy yourself!¡± Liam gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Why are you so forgetful at such a young age? Have you forgotten that you¡¯re allergic to condoms?¡± Celeste was stunned. ¡°Wha¡­what?¡± Liam wanted to use an X¨Cray to scan her brain, wondering whether she remembered these things or not. Liam said unhappily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you sneak off to the hospital for a check¨Cup after our first time? What did the report say? You can¡¯t possibly forget everything, right?¡± Celeste: ¡­ She seemed to have perhaps done that. After her first encounter with Liam, the next morning, after Liam went to work, she felt ufortable, painful, and hot. She thought she was injured or had a gynecological disease, so she rushed to the hospital. When the diagnosis came out and it wasn¡¯t a disease, she was relieved. She took the cream the doctor prescribed, applied it once, and the symptoms disappeared the next day. As for the report, it seemed to mention something about an allergy. Since the report didn¡¯t indicate a disease, she didn¡¯t take it seriously and eventually forgot all about it. Celeste found it hard to believe; Liam¡¯s exnationpletely overthrew her previous understanding. She was still a bit puzzled: ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you I went to the doctor; how did you find out?¡± Liam looked at her helplessly and said, ¡°You reek of ointment; how could I not smell that?¡± She had an anti¨Callergy cream on her bedside table, and he was a bit surprised when he saw it. He then sent Owen to find out what it was, and Owen got a hold of her medical record from the doctor. The medical record read that after sexual intercourse, there was local swelling, congestion, and a burning sensation in her lower body; there was no medical history. The doctor¡¯s diagnosis was a suspected allergy totex or maybe a lubricant. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The doctor suggested that they could try other brands of condoms, but he felt too embarrassed to bring this up with Celeste, so he decided to just ditch them altogether. And the consequence of not using them was that Liam was overly sensitive and struggled with self¨C control. Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Celeste looked at Liam, whose face flushed, even looking a bit irritated. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Liam said awkwardly, ¡°The doctor says even the so¨Ccalled safe days aren¡¯t 100% safe. I can¡¯t stop sleeping with you; I can just try to do it less.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Are you saying this just to cover up your own problems?¡± Liam was surprised. ¡°Where did you get that idea?¡± Celeste mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to have sex to achieve the goal.¡± This time, Liam didn¡¯t know what to say. He was embarrassed and said in a low voice, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Seeing Liam¡¯s awkwardness, Celeste suddenly wanted to tease him. He used to tease her all the time, and she couldn¡¯t always be on the receiving end. So she leaned in and whispered a word to Liam, ¡°outercourse.¡± He was surprised. ¡°Who taught you all this?¡± Celeste was very confident. ¡°As an adult, shouldn¡¯t I know these basic things?¡± Just when she thought she got one over on him, Liam suddenly leaned in and whispered, ¡°Your words gave me new insights into my knowledge, Ms. Campbell. Can you exin it in more detail?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. Liam was not only good¨Clooking, but his voice was also very pleasant, especially when he was talking in a low voice. His masculine charm was irresistible. Celeste, blushing, pushed him away and said, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of information online. You can learn it yourself.¡± Liam slowly said, ¡°The information online is a mixed bag. If I learn it wrong, you might feel bad. You understand more; you can teach me in detail both in theory and practice. He paused a bit. ¡°You make your demands; I will try my best to meet them.¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it! I don¡¯t know either!¡± She was the one who got the upper hand; how did it end up like this? Celeste was both shy and annoyed. Liamughed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll find some materials, and we can study together, making progress together.¡± Celeste, blushing, threw the pillow behind her into his arms and said, ¡°You learn it yourself! Dumbass!¡± Liam, holding the pillow,ughed softly. Celeste only looked tough on the outside. Just a little bit of teasing, and she would surrender immediately. The driver gripped the steering wheel, sitting in the front of the car and listening very nervously; he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. Owen asked him to drive to pick up Mr. Reed and Mrs. Reed. He was initially very happy, thinking he could leave a good impression on Mr. Reed. How did he end up hearing such explosive conversations? Was he, a small secretary, even qualified to hear such conversations? Owen indeed had the ability to be the secretary to the chairman. This job really wasn¡¯t for everyone. If the hot topics of today were leaked, Mr. Reed would take action against him, right? People in thepany were still guessing who could be Mr. Reed¡¯s new girlfriend. They guessed everyone but Owen, who predicted that Mr. Reed and Ms. Campbell would remarry.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Peopleughed at Owen at the time, but it turned out that Owen was really good at predicting. But his prediction was not entirely correct. When the car arrived at Grandview Heights, Liam held Celeste¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Go home and rest well. Don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Just as Celeste was about to speak, she felt something touch her wrist. Liam put a brightly colored agate bracelet on her wrist. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The bracelet was very simple, without any essories, but each bead was very beautiful. Celeste loved it. She wanted to take off the bracelet, but Liam immediately said, ¡°Just keep it on. Didn¡¯t you say agate can break bad luck and bring good luck? You¡¯ve been having some bad lucktely. Wear it to break the bad luck; maybe your luck will turn around.¡± Celeste looked at him and said, ¡°When I used to go to church with my grandmother, didn¡¯t you always say these things weren¡¯t practical? Now you believe in them?¡± Liam kissed her hand and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid something will happen to you.¡± Celeste was stunned for a moment, then withdrew her hand and whispered, ¡°I need to go home.¡± Liam nodded and helped her open the car door. Celeste got out of the car, walked a few steps, then looked back. Liam sat in the car, the window half¨Copen; his gaze stayed on her. It was a gentle and calm look. Celeste suddenly felt a bit reassured, turned her head around, and quickly walked towards her home. It wasn¡¯t until her figurepletely disappeared that Liam said, ¡°Go to Clyde¡¯s.¡± Owen had just sent a message that Kaylee had run to Clyde¡¯s. She¡¯s smart, knowing to go home. Her grandma wouldn¡¯t support her if she knew about this. As for Skyler, she couldn¡¯t stop him. Only to Clyde, he was a junior, so she thought Liam couldn¡¯t do anything to her. Half an hourter, the car arrived at the vi. Owen¡¯s car was parked outside the vi, and he was standing in front of the car on the phone. Seeing Liaming, he hurried over. ¡°Mr. Reed, Ms. Kaylee refuses toe out.¡± Not only did she refuse toe out, but he couldn¡¯t even get in the front door. Owen called Clyde¡¯s house, but no one answered. Kaylee running to Clyde was something Owen hadn¡¯t expected. Even though Clyde and Mr. Reed were rtives, they were alsopetitors. Theirpanies were evenly matched. Clyde was friendly to Mr. Reed on the surface, but in reality, no one would like a nephew.who was always against them in business. Kaylee ran to Clyde not because she was smart but because she didn¡¯t think it through. ording to Mr. Reed¡¯s character, he would kick her out tonight, even if it would strain his rtionship with Clyde. Liam asked seriously, ¡°Did you contact the police?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been contacted, and they¡¯re on their way.¡± Liam asked again, ¡°What about the bulldozer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the way too; should be here in about ten minutes.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything else. He whipped out his phone and dialed Clyde¡¯s number. At this moment, Kaylee was sitting nervously in the living room. Valeria handed her a ss of water and then, wearing her pajamas, sat down on another couch. She didn¡¯t exactly have a soft spot for her somewhat air headed niece, Kaylee. Every time she showed up, it meant trouble. And for whatever reason, she had actuallye over in the middle of the night this time. Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Clyde was on the balcony chatting on the phone, and the guy on the other line was none other than Skyler. Hearing that Kaylee was with him, Skyler was slightly relieved. ¡°You¡¯ve got to keep Kaylee safe, alright? Don¡¯t let anyone snatch her away, or we¡¯re all screwed.¡± ¡°I gotcha,¡± Clyde nced into the living room, ¡°What on earth did Kaylee do to make Liam want to take her back?¡± Skyler didn¡¯t spill the beans but just snorted angrily, ¡°Liam thinks he¡¯s such a big shot! Always looking out for others and forgetting about his own flesh and blood, just like his dad, simple¨Cminded!¡± She went on a rant, throwing shade at Liam for all his shorings, and then warned again, ¡°Kaylee is a piece of my heart; don¡¯t let Liam take her away. If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll never let you off the hook!¡± Clyde said, ¡°Chill, Skyler. As long as I¡¯m here, no one¡¯s dragging her away.¡± Just as they were talking, Liam¡¯s call came in. Clyde nced at the screen and said, ¡°Gotta hang up, Skyler. Liam¡¯s calling.¡± He ended Skyler¡¯s call and picked up Liam¡¯s. A cold voice came through: ¡°Uncle, let Kaylee out.¡± His tone was straightforward, there was no no beating around the bush. Kaylee heard Liam¡¯s words. She shook her head, her face full of fear. Clyde calmly said, ¡°Kaylee¡¯s been away from home for a while. Your aunt misses her terribly, so she¡¯s staying here tonight. You should head back home.¡± Liam¡¯s tone got colder: ¡°The cops want to see her about something. So she may not be able to stay at your ce tonight. Open the door.¡± Hearing that the cops wereing, Kaylee started shaking. She quickly shook her head and whispered, ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t want to go with him.¡± Clyde continued, ¡°Kaylee¡¯s already asleep. I¡¯ll exin it to the cops.¡± Liam seemed to have reached his limit. ¡°Kaylee, I know you¡¯re listening. You have five minutes toe out on your own, or I¡¯ming in!¡± He didn¡¯t even give Clyde a chance to respond, and he hung up. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Clyde frowned. This young man was getting more and more disrespectful. Kaylee turned pale with fear. ¡°Uncle, I really need your help; my brother won¡¯t let me go.¡± Before Clyde could respond, Valeria curiously asked, ¡°What the hell did you do to piss off Liam?¡± Kaylee¡¯s lips trembled for a while before she said, ¡°I sshed hot water on Celeste.¡± Valeria was taken aback, then her eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Did Celeste get hurt?¡± ¡°No, someone blocked it for her.¡± If she had really sshed Celeste, her brother wouldn¡¯t have let her off the hook. Valeria thought that Liam still had feelings for Celeste, this was good news. She was a bit upset when she heard that Skyler had invited Janis and her daughter today. She had asked Janis out a few times, but Janis always found an excuse to refuse. In fact, Janis looked down on the Reed family, which made Valeria furious. If Liam still had feelings for Celeste, wouldn¡¯t that be a good thing? This meant Wesley had a chance with Ms. Garcia! With this in mind, Valeria asked, ¡°Your brother has divorced her; she¡¯s no longer part of the Reed family. What did she do that made you want to hurt her?¡± When it came to thic, Kaylee got angry: ¡°Celeste is a cunning woman; she seduced my brother, and even Mason fell for her just because she¡¯s pretty¡± Wesley chuckled and came down from upstairs, saying, ¡°Being pretty is her biggest asset. Men are all about looks; who can resist beauty?¡± Wesley leaned against the railing and continued, ¡°I suggest you go out and sort this out. Maybe if Liam sees you¡¯re sorry, he won¡¯t punish you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Kaylee was adamant: ¡°You don¡¯t know my brother at all. He locked me in the bathroom all night because of Celeste. If he takes me away this time, he won¡¯t let me off easily.¡± Then she begged Clyde, ¡°Uncle, please don¡¯t let my brother take me away.¡± Clyde said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; how can he barge in if I don¡¯t open the door?¡± Just as he finished speaking, there was a loud ¡°bang¡°. Clyde was taken aback, and soon after, the doorman rushed in. ¡°Sir, the gate was rammed open by a bulldozer.¡± Everyone thought they had misheard. Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Valeria urgently asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± The security guard, wiping sweat from his forehead, nervously said, ¡°Mr. Liam had the front gate busted open with an excavator.¡± Kaylee¡¯s face instantly changed. Was that what he meant by giving her five minutes? Before she had time to think, the door was kicked open with force. Four muscr bodyguards walked in one by one, then lined up. Liam entered through the middle of them, with Owen following closely behind. His face was frosty as he stared at Kaylee and coldly said, ¡°Out!¡± In this situation, Kaylee would surely not go with him. She quickly stood up and hid behind Clyde, her face pale, teeth clenched, and firmly said, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Clyde protected Kaylee and seriously said, ¡°Liam, you brought a bunch of people in the middle of the night; isn¡¯t that a bit disrespectful to me?¡± Liam¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Because you¡¯re my uncle, I respect you; that¡¯s why I called ahead.¡± His words were full of implications. If he didn¡¯t respect him, he wouldn¡¯t waste time making a call but would directly destroy his home. Clyde understood the meaning of his words, and his face turned bad immediately. Liam didn¡¯t look at him anymore but stared straight at Kaylee and said, ¡°Kaylee, out! You need to take responsibility for your actions; no one can protect you today.¡± Kaylee clung tightly to Clyde¡¯s arm, resisting stubbornly. ¡°You say I have to take responsibility for my actions; it¡¯s all because of that woman! Unless you kill me, I won¡¯t go with you!¡± Liam was out of patience; he raised his hand and made a gesture, and the bodyguards behind him immediately moved forward to grab Kaylee. Kaylee panicked and ran upstairs. The bodyguards wanted to chase her, but Clyde immediately blocked the stairs and coldly said, ¡°This is my house; I dare you!¡± He finished speaking and looked at Liam. ¡°Are you nning on breaking into a private residence?¡± The bodyguards stopped, waiting for Liam¡¯s orders. The atmosphere on the scene was tense. Valeria frowned. Was Liam nning to take someone away today, no matter what? What a blockhead Clyde was. Skyler couldn¡¯t even persuade her son¨Cwhy did he have to meddle in this mess? Before she could speak, Wesley stepped forward, smiling and saying to Liam, ¡°Big brother, we¡¯re all family; there¡¯s no need for this. Let Kaylee stay here tonight; you go back and cool down; tomorrow morning we can- Before he could finish, Liam suddenly grabbed his cor and pushed him aside. ¡°It¡¯s not your turn to speak to me!¡± Wesley¡¯s back hit the coffee table, the marble top pressing against his spine, causing him to turn pale with pain. Valeria, no longer caring about anything else, quickly helped Wesley up and said with a grim expression, ¡°Liam, what the hell are you doing?¡± Clyde¡¯s face turned even colder. ¡°Liam, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Liam didn¡¯t look at hirm but directly said, ¡°Go up and drag her down for me!¡± As soon as he spoke, two bodyguardsbined their strength to pull Clyde away. The other two went straight up the stairs to grab Kaylee. Although Clyde was over fifty, he was no match for these well¨Ctrained bodyguards. Before he could react, he was restrained and pushed against the wall. Having held a high position for many years, he hadn¡¯t been manhandled like this for a long time. He felt extremely angry and embarrassed. ¡°Liam, you¡¯re being extremely rude!¡± Chapter 731 Chapter 731 Chapter 731 Owen coughed and said, ¡°Just stop him; Mr. Reed is an old man; don¡¯t hurt his hand.¡± The bodyguards were very obedient and immediately let go, but the human wall they formed in front of Clyde made it impossible for him to resist. Clyde immediately grabbed his phone and dialed a number as soon as he was released. ¡°Send me a few fighters! Right now!¡± After hanging up, he coldly stared at Liam and said, ¡°No one is getting out of here today!¡°. Liam looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re meddling too much.¡± Clyde felt tense. This tone was exactly like his brother¡¯s. Soon, the bodyguards brought Kaylee down from upstairs. One was holding her legs, and the other her shoulders. Kaylee was struggling like a madwoman; her nails scratched one of the bodyguards¡® face. She kicked and screamed, ¡°Let me go! You bastards! Let go!¡± The bodyguards were expressionless,pletely ignoring her struggles, and forcibly carried her downstairs. When Kaylee got downstairs, she saw Wesley lying on the sofa, pale¨Cfaced. Valeria was tending to him, and Clyde was being restrained by two more bodyguards. There was no one to protect her. She panicked immediately, saying, ¡°Bro, bro, I was wrong; please spare me, bro. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± Liam coldly looked at her and said, ¡°Kaylee, do you know where you went wrong?¡± Kaylee had no choice but to admit defeat: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have thrown boiling water at people.¡± She added, ¡°She was wearing such thick clothes, it didn¡¯t really hurt her. They called the cops just to extort people, right? It¡¯s all about money: we have plenty of money in our family.¡± The look in Liam¡¯s eyes was full of disappointment. This was her value system. She felt no guilt for her wrongdoings. When she said she was wrong, it wasn¡¯t because she thought she was wrong; but because he intimidated her, she was forced to compromise. ¡°Bro, I was wrong; I really won¡¯t dare to do it again. Tell them to let go; my arm hurts so much.¡± ¡°Hurts?¡± Liam said indifferently, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t hurt as much as being scalded by boiling water.¡± Then he said to the bodyguards, ¡°Put a little more pressure on her; I don¡¯t want to hear her talk.¡± Kaylee was stunned, and before she could react, the bodyguards violently twisted her arm back. Kaylee bit her lip in pain and screamed. Clyde was furious. ¡°Tell them to stop! Liam!¡± Liam looked at him disdainfully and coldly said, ¡°Take her to the car.¡± As they were about to leave, coincidentally, the people Clyde had called arrived on the scene and blocked the door. The leader was actually the captain of thepany¡¯s security team. They came in with their gear, and they ran into Liam as soon as they entered. ¡°Mr. Reed?¡± The security captain was taken aback. Liam nced at them and said, ¡°Please move.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They immediately cleared the way. Clyde was super pissed. ¡°Stupid chap! Stop him!¡± The security captain froze for a second, then quickly moved to block Liam¡¯s path again. Liam¡¯s look turned deadly. By this time, Clyde had already approached them, his face expressionless, saying, ¡°Let go of Kaylee, or no one¡¯s leaving 1/2 through this door tonight!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Kaylee, as if she had found her savior, started shouting, ¡°Uncle, uncle, help me.¡± Liam nced at the opponent, then asked Owen, ¡°How many years will I be imprisoned if I fight with a weapon?¡± Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Owen said, ¡°It depends on the circumstances. Normally, an armed fight could get you up to three years in prison. If it¡¯s serious, it could be anywhere from three to ten years.¡± Everyone fell silent. Clyde snapped, ¡°Stop spreading panic here!¡± Liam nced at him nonchntly and said, ¡°I¡¯m just educating our employees about thew.¡± He turned to the crowd and said, ¡°Three years or ten years, take your pick.¡± Silence. They had weapons, but they never really nned to use them. They just wanted to intimidate the other side. Who would¡¯ve guessed that the one they were trying to intimidate was the co¨CCEO of their company? Who would dare to take a swing? Liam, having removed his suit and rolled up his sleeves, asked, ¡°Are we doing this all at once or one at a time?¡± More silence. Who would dare touch thepany¡¯s CEO? Are they joking? Seeing the situation, the head of security tried to appease Clyde, saying, ¡°Sir, family members should get along. Disputes can be settled through discussion; there¡¯s no need for violence Furious, Clyde retorted, ¡°Did I call you here to mediate?¡± The head of security looked awkward. Clyde was the boss, and Liam was also the boss. They weren¡¯t people he could afford to offend. So they just stood there at a stalemate. Before long, they heard the sound of a car engine. Soon after, footsteps were heard, followed by a voice saying, ¡°Sorry to interrupt, we¡¯re the police. We received a report that a suspect named Kaylee is hiding here. We want to talk to Miss Kaylee about the situation.¡± He scanned the room and asked, ¡°Who here is Miss Kaylee?¡± Kaylee was in total panic. She never thought Liam would actually call the cops. Pale¨Cfaced, she tried to sneak away, but Liam grabbed her wrist and pulled her over, saying, ¡°She¡¯s the one.¡± The cop looked at Kaylee and said, ¡°Pleasee with us.¡± Clyde stepped forward and said, ¡°Officer, Kaylee is hardly a suspect. I¡¯ve already arranged for awyer. If you have any questions, you canmunicate with thewyer.¡± The two cops exchanged a nce, and one of them said, ¡°We just want to understand the situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you, thewyer will cooperate with your work.¡± After saying this, Clyde nced at Liam and said, ¡°I think what you should be concerned about now is the issue of trespassing. Our door was knocked down for no reason; I need an exnation.¡± The cops naturally noticed the knocked¨Cdown door. One of them asked, ¡°Who did this?¡± Clyde remained silent, but his gaze was fixed on Liam. Just as the cop was about to question him further, car honks were heard outside. A small truck parked at the entrance, and several workers got off and started to unload. The cop stepped outside and asked, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± One of the workers replied, ¡°We¡¯re here to install a door; weren¡¯t you the ones who called us?¡± Owen exined, ¡°Officer, my boss noticed his uncle¡¯s door had been used for many years, so he decided to rece it with a new one. Who would barge into someone¡¯s house and offer to install a door?¡± Clyde scoffed, ¡°Who brings bodyguards to rece a door?¡± Owen replied, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just show our sincerity? On the other hand, you brought a gang of people carrying clubs. Anyone uninformed might think a fight was about to break out.¡± The cop only then noticed the weapons behind the crowd, and his face turned serious. The head of security coughed, put on an awkward smile, and said, ¡°We¡¯re all family; how could we possibly fight? We¡¯re also here to help rece his door. We brought these tools just in case we needed more.¡± After saying this, he shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s all go help the workers.¡± So a group of people rushed to help install the door¨Cquite a sight. Clyde was speechless. Just as the cop was about to speak, he received a video from his colleague. In the video, Kaylee was seen pouring hot water on someone, which proved that she had deliberately harmed others. The message from his colleague read, ¡°Arrest her immediately; the victim has reported the case.¡± So the cop directly told Kaylee, ¡°Miss Kaylee, we suspect you¡¯re involved in a case of assault. We need you toe with us.¡± Just as Clyde was about to speak, the cop interrupted him, saying, ¡°You can hire awyer for her, but only after our questioning. Now, please do not hinder police duties.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org So, amidst Kaylee¡¯s screams, she was taken away by the police Listening to the pitiful screams, Clyde¡¯s face turned grim.. He red at Liam and said, ¡°Liam, well done!¡± Liam replied, ¡°Thanks for thepliment,¡± then turned to Owen and said, ¡°Send the bill for the door to my uncleter; he doesn¡¯t like owing people.¡± Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Owen agreed, thinking to himself that it seemed like Liam and Clyde had a falling out. Once they got in the car, Owen gave it some thought and advised Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, you should let your subordinates handle these situations in the future. There¡¯s no need for you to get your hands dirty.¡± He was genuinely scared by the sight of Liam getting out of his suit and rolling up his sleeves earlier. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. If Mr. Reed took matters into his own hands and something went wrong, no one could shoulder that responsibility. Liam nced at him and said, ¡°Who said I was going to throw down?¡± Owen blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡± Liam stated, ¡°If they came at me one by one, I could handle it. But if they ganged up on me,¡± Liam paused. ¡°Then I¡¯d have to trouble Owen.¡± Owen got a shock: ¡°Mr. Reed, I can¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to fight,¡± Liam unbuttoned his shirt a bit. ¡°Just get beat up. You y the victim pretty well, and I could even give you some time off.¡± Owen thought to himself, what a great boss you are. While they were talking, Skyler called. ¡°Liam, have you gone mad? You had the cops take Kaylee away; who knows what kind of people are in there? Is that a ce for humans? Aren¡¯t you afraid of her getting bullied?¡± Liam replied casually, ¡°She needs to see the ugly side of society, so she won¡¯t expect people to always give way to her.¡± His words were dripping with sarcasm, and Skyler¡¯s face turned sour immediately. ¡°You cold¨Chearted man! She¡¯s your sister! Have you forgotten how well she treated you when you were young? All because of a woman, you¡¯re treating your own family like this?¡± Liam sneered, ¡°You should be d that Kaylee and I share some blood; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to walk out of the police station!¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, and definitely don¡¯t go looking for Clyde. You wouldn¡¯t want any nasty rumors reaching Grandma, would you?¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a warning.¡± After saying that, Liam hung up before Skyler could blow his top. He then ordered Owen, ¡°Keep an eye on her; don¡¯t let her bail Kaylee out.¡± Just as Celeste got home and was changing her shoes, Nics called, ¡°Celeste, are you home?¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Nothing, Nics coughed. ¡°I just wanted to ask, is your roommate home?¡± ¡°Trisha?¡± Celeste thought for a moment, looked at the entrance, and noticed Trisha¡¯s shoes and bag were there. She should be home. She asked, ¡°You need her for something?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Nics said. ¡°We had a small argument; she left first and isn¡¯t answering my calls. I¡¯m worried she didn¡¯t get home, so I called to check. If she¡¯s home, then it¡¯s fine; I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Celeste was a bit puzzled. What could Nics and Trisha possibly be arguing about that would make him swallow his pride and ask her? Chapter 734 Chapter 734 Chapter 734 While thinking, Celeste walked into Trisha¡¯s room. The door was wide open; Trisha wasn¡¯t inside, but there was the sound of running water from the bathroom. Celeste stood at the bathroom door and knocked lightly: ¡°Trisha, are you in there?¡± The sound of water suddenly stopped, and after a moment, Trisha emerged. She had just taken a shower and was wearing a t¨Cshirt and shorts. Holding a toothbrush in her hand and a mouthful of foam, she asked, ¡°Do you need the bathroom?¡± ¡°No,¡± Celeste looked Trisha over, noticed her expression was normal, and felt somewhat relieved. ¡°Actually, Nics just called, asking about you. Did something happen tonight?¡± Trisha¡¯s face darkened instantly; she rinsed her mouth, spat the foam out, and then asked, ¡°What did Nics tell you?¡± ¡°He was just worried about whether you got home safely, so he called to ask.¡± ¡°You must be joking,¡± Trisha muttered under her breath. ¡°Ignore him; he¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°What happened between you guys?¡± Trisha was seething: ¡°That Nics, he said he would help me deliver meals to the doctor, but he ended up eating them all. If I hadn¡¯t run into Dr. Ledford today and asked about it, I wouldn¡¯t have known for a year! Is this something a decent person would do? He said he would help me pursue Dr. Ledford, but two months have passed and he¡¯s done nothing. He only knows how to eat my food!¡± Celeste was taken aback; indeed, Nics¡® behavior was out of line. But it shouldn¡¯t be enough to make Trisha this angry, right? Celeste tentatively asked, ¡°Did Nics do anything else that upset you?¡± Trisha stiffened, remembering the scene where Nics kissed her. Her face turned bright red, but not out of shyness but out of anger! Trisha dered angrily, ¡°That shameless guy, he asked me to help him deal with a girl who¡¯s chasing him. I kindly agreed, but then he kissed me!¡± She continued, ¡°The key is, this all happened in front of Dr. Ledford! If it was any other time, it would be fine, but it happened in front of Dr. Ledford! Dr. Ledford must have misunderstood my rtionship with Nics!¡± Celeste was dumbfounded. Was Dr. Ledford misunderstanding the point? The point should be that Nics kissed her! Celeste opened her mouth, struggling to say, ¡°Even if he asked for your help, he shouldn¡¯t have kissed you, right?¡± For normal people, unless they had feelings, they really couldn¡¯t do something like kiss, right? However, Trisha didn¡¯t catch her drift; she said with a face full of dissatisfaction, ¡°I suspect he just doesn¡¯t want to see me and Dr. Ledford together and is intentionally making things difficult for me! If I were with Dr. Ledford, then no one would cook for him. He just wants someone to keep providing him with free, good food. What a scheming guy!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celeste stated her point directly: ¡°What I mean is, could it be possible that he kissed you because he likes you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s even less likely; I saw him on a date with a busty girl a few days ago; he must be doing this on purpose to make me upset!¡± Hearing this, Celeste began to wonder if she was overthinking things. But she¡¯d known Nics for years, and she¡¯d never seen him smooch any female friends in public. Trisha brushed off Celeste¡¯s concerns and changed the subject to, ¡°How was your nightst night?¡± Celeste snapped back to reality, shaking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t even go there; I bumped into Kaylee, that nutcase.¡± Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Celeste gave Trisha the full rundown of tonight¡¯s drama. After hearing the whole thing, Trisha was steaming. ¡°Kaylee, that uncultured brat! She should be locked up for a while. That should teach her a lesson! She¡¯s from a reputable family, yet she acts like a total savage! Are she and Liam even from the same gene pool?¡± Realizing her words might be misconstrued as praise for Liam, Trisha quickly added, ¡°I¡¯m not saying Liam¡¯s a saint or anything, but objectively speaking, he definitely carries himself with a certain ss and manners.¡± Then she asked, ¡°And what was Liam¡¯s reaction to Kaylee burning someone this time?¡± ¡°He went to confront Kaylee himself.¡± Celeste said with a smile, ¡°He promised to have her at the police station before sunrise.¡± Trisha was skeptical. ¡°Would he really do that? Isn¡¯t she his baby sister? Didn¡¯t he always side with her whenever she took your stuff? And he didn¡¯t even reprimand her when there was trouble at homest time, did he?¡± Celeste was unsure too. She brought up the wedding night incident to provoke Liam, but she had no clue how he would react. ¡°If he still protects Kaylee this time, even if every man in the world vanished, you can¡¯t give him another chance! Leonard seems decent; why don¡¯t you just go with him?¡± Trisha suggested. ¡°Leonard?¡± Celeste was taken aback. ¡°Yeah, that actor, Leonard. He¡¯s a man of conviction. If he sees something he doesn¡¯t like, he doesn¡¯t hold back and strikes right back. Celeste was amazed. Maybe because of Sydney, she had a bias against most celebrities, so she was surprised to find a star like Leonard who was genuine and principled. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t his personality cause him a lot of trouble? Does it affect him?¡± ¡°Overall, I don¡¯t think Leonard has been too affected. I heard his family has some clout, so maybe his folks helped him out.¡± ¡°You think he might be interested in you?¡± Trisha asked, intrigued. Celeste rolled her eyes. ¡°I only met him for the first time tonight; we didn¡¯t even exchange one word.¡± Not that there was no connection at all. Leonard did help her fake her drunkenness and keep it a secret from Javier. ¡°We¡¯re just colleagues. He helped me out with some issues, and just like you said, he stands up for what¡¯s right.¡± Celeste said. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Just my two cents.¡± Trisha yawned, ¡°You should visit him when you have time and get an autograph for me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After washing up, Celeste tossed and turned in bed. Sometimes she thought about the night¡¯s events, other times about her conversation with Liam. The idea that Liam kept his distance because she was allergic to condoms and that he had been restraining himself, was mind¨Cboggling. Could he really control himself? Butst time, he didn¡¯t restrain himself. After much thought, Celeste still felt something was off with Liam, so he must have used this as a cover¨Cup. But Liam¡¯s attentiveness in certain aspects did stir her emotions a bit. She sent Liam a text, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m studying.¡± Liam replied promptly. ¡°?¡± Celeste replied. Liam then sent her a message. Celeste opened it and was so pissed that her face turned ck. It was a screenshot of a website with ¡®outercourse¡® methods typed in the search engine. The search was outrageous enough but what was even more outrageous was that there were actual answers. People dared to write, and others dared to believe. ¡°Text exnations are a bit hard to understand. I n to find some illustrated or video tutorials that are more straightforward. Want me to share them with you?¡± Liam asked, She couldn¡¯t imagine how this shameless guy, Liam, could type this out with a straight face. Maybe he just wanted to see her squirm. Was Liam always this bad? So Celeste sent him a link, ¡°This site¡¯s fast and has no ads.¡± Curious about what she sent, Liam clicked the link and was then speechless. She¡¯s watched quite a few! In disbelief, he asked, ¡°How much have you watched?¡± With an air of experience, Celeste said, ¡°Quite a bit.¡± In fact, she hadn¡¯t watched any. These trashy sites usually used explicit content to lure people into online gambling. But it did serve to get under Liam¡¯s skin, so she found it somewhat useful. Liam was indeed annoyed. ¡°Many of these sites contain viruses; you could get your information stolen just by clicking around.¡± Then he sent Celeste a software package, ¡°Install this; it will automatically scan for viruses when you visit those chaotic sites.¡± Celeste thought, is this the point? This fool! Changing the subject, Celeste asked, ¡°Have you been hanging out with Nicstely?¡± ¡°Been busy recently and I haven¡¯t seen him much. Why?¡± ¡°Does Nics have a girlfriend?¡± Liam asked nervously, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°I think Nics might be trying to woo my best friend.¡± She grumbled, ¡°Keep an eye on him for me. If he¡¯s flirting with Trisha while keeping things ambiguous with other girls, tell me right away. I don¡¯t care how he treats others, but he absolutely can¡¯t hurt Trisha! She¡¯s innocent and wouldn¡¯t be able to handle his cunning tactics. If he¡¯s not serious, he shouldn¡¯t be bothering her!¡± Afraid that Liam might collude with Nics, Celeste warned again, ¡°If you dare help him deceive me, you can kiss my forgiveness goodbye!¡± Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Switched gears right away, ¡°Even though he¡¯s my childhood friend, I¡¯m a man of principle. I can¡¯t help him do shady stuff. But¡­¡± He paused, ¡°If I help keep an eye on him, do I get a reward?¡± Celeste blinked, ¡°Are you trying to negotiate terms with me?¡± ¡°Who am I to set conditions?¡± Liam caught on quickly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do as you say. I was just wondering.¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°As long as you keep me informed, I¡¯ll reward you appropriately, in cash.¡± Liam grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll do my part.¡± In the next room, Nics sneezed a few times in a row. He rubbed his nose, suspecting Celeste of hexing him. After chatting with Celeste, the first thing Liam did was send the link Celeste sent to Gavin Rowley. ¡°Crack this website for me!¡± Gavin was puzzled. Asking someone like him to hack into such a small website. Wasn¡¯t it a bit of an overkill? After being interrogated, Kaylee was temporarily detained. Leonard¡¯swyer wouldn¡¯t be able toe until tomorrow morning, which meant that Kaylee would have to stay here until the trial. She was temporarily held in a police station in a cell with five other people, mostly women, who were arrested. Their clothes were revealing, and they often used foulnguage, making Kaylee ufortable. So as soon as she came in, she started making a fuss about leaving. The police came to quell the situation, but after that, they ignored her. Kaylee was still persistent; even if Liam didn¡¯t help her, there was still her mother, her uncle, and her grandmother. They wouldn¡¯t let her stay in such a ce. She went back and forth non¨Cstop, bragging about her wealthy, powerful family, then threatening the police who arrested her. It was alreadyte at night; everyone was sleepy. One woman told her, ¡°Kid, stop shouting. If your family really wanted to pick you up, you wouldn¡¯t be here. They just don¡¯t want to deal with you. Quiet down; you didn¡¯tmit a serious crime; you can leave in a few days.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Kaylee clenched her fists, ¡°You whore, you think I¡¯m like you?¡± The woman¡¯s face changed, ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± Filled with rage, Kaylee had no outlet, so she started to curse at her. ¡°Am I wrong? Look at your dress; who doesn¡¯t know what you do? What are you? Are you qualified to lecture me? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your child will be discriminated against because of your lifestyle?!¡± This provoked the woman to retaliate. She grabbed Kaylee¡¯s hair and pped her hard. Kaylee didn¡¯t expect the woman to hit her and was immediately dazed. She looked at her incredulously, ¡°You¡­you dare hit me? What are you to hit me? Do you know who I am?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Before she could finish, the woman pped her again, grabbed her cor, and said viciously, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. You can¡¯t speak properly and your words are filthy. Did you grow up eating garbage? If I hit you, the worst that will happen is I¡¯ll stay here a few more days, which is nothing new for me. What about you?¡± She wiped her hand on Kaylee¡¯s little dress, ¡°You¡¯re a rich girl who¡¯s locked up with a whore. How will you face people in the future?¡° Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Kaylee was scared and ready to throw a punch, but before she could even raise her arm, she was held back by two others. The woman raised her hand again, pping Kaylee twice and instantly messing up her carefullybed hair. She let out a scream, quickly grabbing the attention of the on¨Cduty cop. But he didn¡¯t open the door; he just looked through the small window and asked, ¡°What are you guys up to?¡± Someone firmly covered Kaylee¡¯s mouth, and one of them said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just ying a game.¡± The cop rapped on the door and told them to ¡°keep it down,¡± then left. They all ganged up to yank all the jewelry off Kaylee. They couldn¡¯t take them, but it was great to humiliate her a bit. ¡°The first lesson I¡¯m going to teach you today is to learn some manners!¡± The woman ripped her dress and messed up her hair, ¡°I may be a whore, but my daughter knows better than you. When someone asks her something, she shows some respect, and doesn¡¯t bark like a dog! If you can¡¯t even match up to a whore¡¯s daughter, what are you?¡± She gave Kaylee¡¯s slender thigh a hard twist. Kaylee was in so much pain that her face went pale and her eyes were wide with fear. But her mouth was covered, so no matter how much she struggled, she couldn¡¯t make a noise. ¡°What¡¯s so special about being born with a silver spoon? You¡¯re stuck in the same ce as us bottom¨C feeders. How high and mighty are you?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. As the woman continued to taunt and twist, Kaylee was both in pain and terrified, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Once her skin was bruised, the woman signaled the others to let go. She lightly patted Kaylee¡¯s face with the back of her hand, ¡°When someone speaks nicely to you, respond in kind. No one will put up with your bad attitude.¡± After that, she spat and went off to sleep. Kayleey disheveled on the cold floor, her eyes red and her fingers tightly clenched. Before daybreak, the woman was bailed out and left the police station. Once she got in a taxi, she made a call, ¡°I did as you instructed, the remaining money¡­¡± No response came from the other end. After a bit, an anonymous transfer of a hundred thousand dors was deposited inta her ount. The corner of her mouth curled into a slight smile, ¡°Boss, remember to call me if you need something like this again.¡± Leonard¡¯s injury made the news the next day. Leonard¡¯s studio imed that he was identally scalded by boiling water and that it was not serious. But it was questionable whether this response was influenced by the Reed farnily. As for Kaylee, Celeste didn¡¯t see any news about her. The Reed family was likely not going to let this be news. Celeste got in touch with Javier, asking for Leonard¡¯s address so she could send some flowers and supplements to cheer him up. Upon hearing this, Javier said, ¡°Leonard¡¯s fans and media are all keeping a close watch these days. Let¡¯s not visit him now. The team is nning a group visit once he¡¯s feeling better. It¡¯s better not to act alone to avoid unnecessary trouble.¡± After thinking for a bit, Celeste agreed. Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Perhaps Javier wanted to use this opportunity to quell the rumors of discord between Sydney and Leonard. With that in mind, Celeste asked, ¡°How is Leonard¡¯s injury?¡± Javier replied, ¡°He should be better. I haven¡¯t asked for specifics, but I¡¯ll give you his contact information, and you can ask him.¡± After hanging up, Javier sent Leonard¡¯s contact information. Celeste added Leonard as a friend and introduced herself. After waiting for a bit without a response, Celeste smiled wryly. Maybe the big star didn¡¯t remember who she was. With that thought, she put her phone aside. At that moment, Leonard, who was resting on his bed, heard his phone ping. Squinting, he picked up his phone, and when he saw the friend request, he immediately sat up. His manager jumped, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Leonard, shirtless, sat on his bed, with his eyes glowing like fire, ¡°My idol just added me on WhatsApp!¡± Leonard got off his bed, pacing barefoot around the room anxiously, ¡°What should I say after I ept her friend request?¡± ¡°Tell her you have a house, a car, good looks, long legs, you¡¯re still single, and a virgin.¡± Leonard scolded his manager, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± His manager snorted, ¡°Never thought about pursuing your idol?¡± Leonard¡¯s ears turned red, ¡°I¡¯m satisfied enough working with her; I haven¡¯t thought about anything else.¡± His manager said, ¡°That¡¯s right, do you know who your idol¡¯s ex¨Chusband is?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Leonard immediately thought of the man who treated himst night. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The CEO of Quantum Enterprises, Liam.¡± The manager shared the information he had gathered, ¡°Sincest night, the Reed family has been trying to contactwyers, asking us to drop thewsuit.¡± Leonard furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°Liam asked to drop thewsuit?¡± ¡°No, it was Clyde. He said as long as we drop thewsuit, any conditions we have could be met.¡± ¡°Did you agree?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± The manager nced at him, ¡°They nearly hurt your idol; how could I easily agree?¡± Leonard¡¯s face rxed a bit, then he heard his manager continue, ¡°Liam also contacted me, inviting you to be the brand spokesperson for the Smart Chip drone series. The condition is that we don¡¯t drop thewsuit. So I agreed.¡± Leonard retorted, ¡°You¡¯re betraying me! Do Ick opportunities for endorsements?¡± His manager replied, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to drop thewsuit, Clyde will definitely find an excuse to cause trouble. But if we agree to Liam, it¡¯s different. We don¡¯t drop thewsuit, we can take revenge for your idol, and we get an endorsement. If Clyde causes trouble in the future, Liam will surely help. Why wouldn¡¯t I agree?¡± Leonard frowned, ¡°He divorced Letti; can he be a good person? Why should I help him?¡± His manager persuaded him, ¡°You¡¯re helping your goddess and earning his money at the same time. This is also a way to take revenge for your goddess.¡± Leonard mulled it over, thinking it kinda made sense, so he begrudgingly epted it. Then he asked, ¡°Can you help me out here? What should I say after I add her as a friend?¡± ¡°No need to say anything; wait for her to make the first move.¡± His agent replied, ¡°Give her a bit of that celebrity aloofness; don¡¯t your fans dig your icy demeanor?¡± Leonard figured he kinda had a point. Just as he was about to ept the friend request, a pesky ad call popped up on his phone. He scrunched his eyebrows, tapped a couple of times, and once the ad call was disconnected, Leonard¡¯s face turned sour. He had identally hit the ¡°Decline¡± button. Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Liam walked the walk. He gave the order that no one was allowed to bail Kaylee out. Skyler yed every contact she had, trying to get help from anywhere she could, but no one could spring Kaylee. Even the cops wouldn¡¯t let the family visit. Skyler didn¡¯t sleep a wink all night. First thing in the morning, she went to find Sienna. Sienna knew what was up right off the bat. Liam figured Skyler woulde begging, so he went to Sienna¡¯s ce the night before. Heid it all out for Sienna, everything Kaylee had been up to over the years. Sienna didn¡¯t say a word for a long time after hearing it all. When she found out what Liam was nning to do, Sienna said, ¡°Let her taste some hardship. It¡¯s for the best. I regret leaving Kaylee in her care.¡± Worried that Skyler woulde knocking, Sienna had split town the night before. So Skyler couldn¡¯t find Sienna, and she couldn¡¯t get through to her, Mr. Robinson, or anyone else on the phone. Skyler finally realized that the olddy really wasn¡¯t going to help Kaylee out this time. She left Sienna¡¯s ce, looking white as a sheet. On her way, Janis called. ¡°Skyler, what¡¯s the word? Did Kaylee make bail?¡± Skyler answered in a low voice, ¡°Not yet, Liam won¡¯t let me bail her out.¡± Janis said, ¡°Liam¡¯s probably still steamed.¡± Out of the blue, Skyler asked, ¡°Could you help me bail her out?¡± Janis sighed. ¡°Skyler, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but how am I supposed to do that?¡± Skyler was at her wit¡¯s end. With Liam and Sienna refusing to lend a hand, she was out of options. ¡°But there¡¯s someone you could try.¡± Skyler blinked. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Celeste, Ms. Campbell.¡± Janis said gently. ¡°I heard it all started because of her. Liam¡¯s not letting anyone bail Kaylee out; it might have something to do with Ms. Campbell. If she can talk to Liam, there might be a chance.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned sour at the thought. Get help from Celeste? She found that idea hard to swallow. Janis said, ¡°Getting Kaylee out is the most important thing right now. Everything else can wait.¡± Skyler frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± After hanging up, ir asked, ¡°Mom, can¡¯t we really help?¡± Janis replied calmly, ¡°If their own family won¡¯t step in, why should we? Kaylee brought this on herself. Remember when she almost got you killed? Besides, if we help now, with Liam refusing bail, do you really think he¡¯ll still have a soft spot for you?¡± ir hung her head. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think Liam feels that way about me.¡± Janis took her hand and straightened her skirt. ¡°ir, if you want something, you have to go after it yourself. Whether it¡¯s a person or a thing, you can¡¯t just sit around waiting for it toe to you.¡± ir nodded. After a day of reading scripts and binge¨Cwatching TV shows, Celeste¡¯s doorbell rang in the evening. Trisha was revising a script with her headphones on, so Celeste got up to answer the door. To her surprise, it was a delivery guy. Two staff members, carrying bags and bags of food, greeted her with rehearsed smiles. ¡°Hello, your order has arrived. Happy to serve you.¡± Celeste blinked. ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything.¡± The staff checked the address. ¡°Grandview Heights, building 7, unit 901, Miss Trisha, isn¡¯t it you?¡± ¡°Trisha?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Hold on a sec.¡± She went back and took Trisha¡¯s headphones off. ¡°Did you order takeout?¡± Trisha looked puzzled. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Well, they said it was you. The address and phone number are yours.¡± Trisha lit up. ¡°Really? Great! Let them in!¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Trisha ran to the door and weed them in. The staff were efficient, setting everything up in about ten minutes. Trisha took a bite before asking, ¡°Has the food been paid for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all been taken care of.¡± The staff handed over the invoice. ¡°Please take a look.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes popped when she saw the total. Holy cow, did they order the most expensive dishes? Celeste whispered, ¡°Who ordered this for you?¡± Trisha coughed and said, ¡°Maybe a secret admirer?¡± She had no idea who it could be. It wasn¡¯t her birthday yet; could it be her mom? Trisha politely saw the two staff out, then snapped a photo of the feast and sent it to her mom. ¡°Thanks for the generous spread, Mom.¡± Her mom shot back, ¡°I¡¯m on a diet; stop sending me annoying pictures.¡± Trisha was puzzled. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you order this?¡± Her mom replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything for you.¡± Trisha was even more confused. Then who did? Just as she was wondering, someone cleared their throat at the door. Celeste turned around to find Liam and Nics standing there. Nics lifted a bottle of wine and said, ¡°Care to join us for dinner?¡± Chapter 740 Chapter 740 Chapter 740 ¡°Is this your doing?¡± Trisha asked. Nics coughed, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve treated you to quite a few meals; this is kind of your payback.¡± Trisha let out a sarcasticugh. If Liam wasn¡¯t there, she would have punched him already. Nics walked over with a ss of wine and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t this wine proof enough of my sincerity?¡± Trisha nced at the wine in his hand; it did look like the same packaging as the one she saw on set. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to trick me with fake wine, are you?¡± Trisha asked skeptically. ¡°If this wine is fake; I¡¯ll swallow the whole bottle.¡± Nics vowed. Trisha¡¯s demeanor softened slightly as she epted the wine. ¡°For the sake of the wine.¡± Then she took the wine into the kitchen, with Nics following and a small smile appearing on his face. Celeste and Liam exchanged amused nces. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk downstairs,¡± Liam suggested. Celeste replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Liam gave a soft chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to something even tastier.¡± Wanting to probe Liam about Kaylee¡¯s situation, Celeste agreed. She grabbed her small purse filled with change as she headed out. The weather was especially hot today; even after the sun had set, the ground was still sizzling, and people¡¯s legs were drenched with sweat. Despite wearing shorts and a lightweight T¨Cshirt, Celeste still felt extremely hot and even a little suffocated. The forecast predicted a shower at noon, but it never happened. Sweat dripped non¨Cstop from Celeste¡¯s nose from the moment she stepped out. She nced at Liam. He seemed to be living in a different season, dressed in a loose white shirt with sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows, khaki silk trousers, and shiny leather shoes. He was poised and elegant; if not for the close distance that allowed her to see the sweat on his face, she would have thought he wasn¡¯t feeling the heat. The market was bustling with a dazzling array of goods. Suddenly, Liam¡¯s arm was bumped and Celeste asked softly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± ¡°Hot.¡± Liam admitted. ¡°Why are you wearing so much then?¡± Celeste questioned. She mumbled something and then spotted a clothing stall. She pulled Liam along and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s pick something cooler for you.¡± As she said this, she dragged him over to a clothing stall. However, Liam was surprised to see clothes being sold at the market. Even though the stall had both men¡¯s and women¡¯s clothing, most of the customers were female. There were a few men around, mostly apanying their partners, standing at the side, not getting close. Liam was initially holding Celeste¡¯s hand, but when the stall owner pulled out arge bag of clothes, Celeste instantly let go of his hand and joined the women in the rush for clothes. Liam finally understood why those men were standing by the side and not apanying their partners. Their presence would slow down the shopping frenzy. So, he became one of the bystanders. A man next to him offered a cigarette. ¡°Want about one?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t smoke, but thanks,¡± Liam declined. The man chuckled and put the cigarette back, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t smoke much either, just trying to find a conversation starter.¡± Liam was puzzled, as he wasn¡¯t used to initiating conversations, it was usually the other way around. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for a while, holding hands with your wife in this heat, are you guys newlyweds?¡± the man asked. Liam thought to himself, actually, they just got divorced. But he just nodded. The man continued, ¡°My wife was really skinny before she had our baby; she gained weight after, but I think she¡¯s beautiful either way. You guys don¡¯t have kids?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not nning to.¡± Liam replied. The man was taken aback, thenughed, ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best; childbirth is really painful. My wife ate too much while pregnant, had a huge baby, and spent a day and night in the delivery room, which scared me to death.¡± This made Liam even more sure about not wanting kids. ¡°Liam!¡± Celeste turned to call him. Liam walked over. She held a ck mesh T¨Cshirt against him, her eyes full of excitement, ¡°This would definitely be cooler.¡± Liam was exasperated; wasn¡¯t this something a stripper would wear? ¡°And a pair of shorts.¡± She spread the shorts in her hands and Liam fell silent. The shorts matched the mesh T¨Cshirt; they were tight boxer shorts that were full of holes, and what was more disturbing was that the front was open! Celeste only noticed that after spreading them. Who in the world designed this? Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A few people started to look over, so Celeste quickly balled up the shorts. Seeing her flustered, Liam chuckled, quietly asking, ¡°You like this?¡± ¡°Who would like this?¡± Celeste red at him. She only picked it up to tease Liam, not realizing it was a set of erotic underwear. Liam drawled, ¡°If you like it, I can wear it for you.¡± Imagining Liam in this outfit, Celeste felt even hotter and her face flushed as she red at him, ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Celeste picked a set of very cool shorts and a short¨Csleeved shirt, then asked the stall owner for the price. Looking at their attire, he responded, ¡°One hundred dors for both.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit expensive?¡± ¡°You can haggle.¡± he advised. ¡°I dare not, I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll get angry if I suggest a price.¡± Celeste replied. ¡°Why would I? Give it a try.¡± The owner encouraged. Tentatively, Celeste offered, ¡°Then¡­ how about ten dors?¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The owner agreed. Chapter 741 Chapter 741 hapter 741 Celeste suddenly felt like she¡¯d been had. ¡°If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve said five bucks.¡± While Celeste just felt cheated, Liam felt like his world was turned upside down. Was this even how bargaining works? Celeste wasn¡¯t just haggling for the sake of it. She was a regr at this flea market and had a pretty good idea about the prices. She just didn¡¯t expect the guy to ask for so much. As the vendor was packing Celeste¡¯s clothes, Liam picked up a piece of lingerie and asked, ¡°How much for this?¡± The vendor nced at it and said, ¡°One fifty.¡± Thinking of how Celeste had haggled, Liam said, ¡°That¡¯s too much; cut me a deal.¡± The vendor said, ¡°Name your price.¡± Liam said, ¡°Ten.¡± The vendor was taken aback, grabbed the lingerie, and tossed it back onto the pile of clothes. ¡°No deal.¡± Liam was speechless. Celeste burst outughing. Liam felt a tad miffed. Was there anything he wasn¡¯t good at? So he imitated the haggling women and said, ¡°Just ten, or I¡¯m outta here.¡± The vendor didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°Off you go! Ten? Are you here to ruin my business?¡± For the first time, Celeste saw Liam at a loss andughed her head off. Liam, not seeding, was indignant. ¡°Then, name your price.¡± The vendor nced at him, ¡°Nothing less than fifteen dors.¡± Liam said, ¡°My two pieces use less fabric than what she bought; isn¡¯t fifteen dors a bit much?¡± The vendor said, ¡°Look at the quality, the sticity. I¡¯m just making a profit on shipping. Check out other stores; if you find the same quality for a cheaper price, I¡¯ll give you this for free.¡± Liam thought it over, fifteen dors¡­ that¡¯s almost half off. So he said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± The vendor immediately smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll pack it for you.¡± After paying, the vendor cheerily said, ¡°Come back it fits well.¡± Thinking, I just made seven dors. Once they were a bit further away, Celeste said, ¡°The vendor¡¯s over the moon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°With customers like you who can¡¯t haggle, how could he not be happy? He made at least six dors off you.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡± Celeste rolled her eyes at him, ¡°Who knew you¡¯d agree as soon as he named his price?¡± Liam defended himself, ¡°He can¡¯t have made that much. The quality seems alright, and it¡¯s handmade, plus the cost of processing and shipping and the retailer¡¯s markup. Fifteen dors can¡¯t be much profit. The vendor has to make something.¡± It¡¯s just a few threads woven into a fis. How could you tell it was of good quality? Seeing Liam looking like he didn¡¯t feel ripped off, Celeste thought he looked kind of cute. She handed the clothes to Liam, ¡°Want to change into this? It¡¯ll be cooler.¡± Liam said, ¡°No need.¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you like the clothes I bought you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Liam quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll go change.¡± He took the clothes and headed towards the guardhouse. Celeste waited outside for a bit and then Liam came out. She looked up and said, ¡°Maybe you should change back.¡± Liam had always worn clothes for someone 185 cm tall, which was what she chose, but this shirt was tighter than what Liam usually wore. It was supposed to be loose, but on him, it was tight and showed off his muscles. Liam asked, ¡°Does it look bad?¡± Celeste said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Saying this, she poked him lightly on his pecs and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s just a bit¡­ s*xy.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Liam squeezed Celeste¡¯s hand, ¡°Watch out, Ms. Campbell.¡± He nced to the side and Celeste turned her head and saw a boy with an ice cream cone looking at them. Celeste cleared her throat softly and pulled her hand back. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Just as she was about to speak, the boy was called over by his mother. Celeste heard him say, ¡°Mom, thatdy is poking that man. Is she a bad guy?¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam was in a great mood; he pinched her earlobe, ¡°Let¡¯s go, you little devil.¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You¡¯re the devil!¡± After saying that, she followed him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to change your clothes? Aren¡¯t they too tight?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°I¡¯m not a girl, and besides, it¡¯s night, and I¡¯m wearing a ck t¨Cshirt. Who¡¯s going to look as closely as you?¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least try to look decent?¡± Liam paused briefly. Did that phrase sound familiar? It¡¯s like they¡¯ve swapped roles. Liam leaned in and whispered, ¡°If I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m afraid caring too much about my image won¡¯t win you over.¡± Celeste fell silent. Liam took her hand, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I want to eat street food.¡± Liam hesitated, ¡°Isn¡¯t street food unsanitary?¡± Celeste let go of his hand, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go eat street food, and you go to a restaurant. We¡¯ll meet at the door after we finish.¡± Liam immediately grabbed her hand again, ¡°Eating it asionally should be okay.¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°You¡¯re not forcing yourself, are you?¡± ¡°As long as you can, I can too.¡± Celeste¡¯s lips curled slightly upwards, then she pulled Liam to a meat stall and ordered two skewers of roasted meat, half fat and half lean. Liam frowned as the vendor chopped the meat. Probably because he had never eaten meat this fatty in his life. Celeste found it a bit amusing to see his furrowed brow. She told the vendor, ¡°For the half¨Cfat, half¨Clean one, add some greens. For the lean one, don¡¯t add anything.¡± Liam said, ¡°I want the same as you.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look at him, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself. If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t need you to change your preferences to suit me, just as I don¡¯t like sacrificing myself to suit you.¡± Liam lightly pursed his lips, ¡°It¡¯s not about fitting in; mainly, I haven¡¯t tried it, so I want to give it a shot.¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯ll share a bite with youter, in case you don¡¯t like it; it would be such a waste to throw it away after just one bite.¡± Liam was taken aback. Did she mean they were going to share one? Liam was excited and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s your call.¡± Before long, the two skewers were ready. Celeste asked the vendor for a disposable glove, tore off a piece, and fed it straight into Liam¡¯s mouth, ¡°Give it a try.¡± Liam was speechless. He originally thought she would let him bite it directly. Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Just as Liam was about to speak, a child ran past and identally bumped into Celeste. The food she was handing to Liam shook, and all the meat fell to the ground. Looking at the meat on the ground, Celeste was heartbroken and thought the kid was really annoying! She frowned slightly and said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some more.¡± Seeing her like this, Liam couldn¡¯t help butugh. He whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you eat.¡± A food lover willing to share food with him already proved that she had him in her heart. Even if he was not her most important person. But in the end, Celeste still shared some with him, although it was actually not very tasty. The meat was too fatty, a bit salty, a bit too spicy, and totally not to his liking. But Liam didn¡¯t spit it out because Celeste said it was delicious. Nics once told him not to discourage her from what she liked, and that was the way to show her respect. After eating, Celeste took him to a store to queue for drinks. The weather was hot, and the drink business was booming. They hadn¡¯t bought their drinks yet when suddenly it started to rain. At first, everyone thought the rain wouldn¡¯tst long, but soon, the rain got heavier and heavier, with the raindrops falling densely. Celeste pulled Liam and ran into a fruit shop to take shelter from the rain. Even so, their clothes were still quite wet from the rain. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In summer, people wore less clothing, and once the clothes got wet, they would stick to the body. For guys, it was okay, but for girls, it could be a bit awkward. Celeste¡¯s white T¨Cshirt was soaked through by the rain, sticking to her body and revealing the color of her underwear. They stood at the door. When people came in to shelter from the rain, their eyes inevitably swept over Celeste. Although they immediately looked away when they met Liam¡¯s gaze, this situation was making Liam very ufortable. He pursed his lips and draped the shirt he had taken off earlier over Celeste. Celeste naturally noticed this. She pulled the shirt tighter and leaned towards Liam. This move made Liam cheer up. He lifted a hand and propped it on the ss window, perfectly forming a semi¨Ccircle, enclosing Celeste within. Before long, the small shop was packed with people seeking shelter from the rain. Seeing this, the owner quickly came up with a n. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Everyone, my shop is small, and when it¡¯s crowded, there¡¯s no air cirction. I need to take care of the customers who are here to shop first. I hope everyone can understand.¡± His meaning was clear: if you want to shelter from the rain here, you need to buy some fruit first. Hearing this, two people left. The rest gradually started picking fruit; after all, no one knew how long this rain wouldst. Celeste was displeased with the owner¡¯s behavior. She pulled Liam and wanted to leave. Liam pulled her back and whispered, ¡°Just buy a little bit; it¡¯s thundering outside; it¡¯s not safe.¡± Celeste said unhappily, ¡°Buy the cheapest ones.¡± Liam picked two peaches, only for the owner to say that he didn¡¯t allow any purchases that weighed less than five pounds. Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Anger surged in Celeste; she snatched the peach from Liam¡¯s hand, threw it back hard, and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡± She then dragged Liam out of the fruit store. Outside, the rain was heavy, and the wind was strong. They were soaked as soon as they stepped out of the door. Celeste immediately regretted her impulsiveness. Why did she have to be so stubborn at this moment? Even if she was overcharged, it wasn¡¯t a big deal ¨C how expensive could five pounds of peaches be? She turned to Liam, wanting to suggest they go back, but Liam had already used his shirt to shield them from the rain and leaned in to whisper to her, ¡°Five pounds of peaches may not be expensive, but we can¡¯t tolerate such behavior.¡± Celeste was stunned for a moment and somewhat touched. She asked, ¡°I have a lot of metal on me; aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning if you¡¯re with me?¡± Liam looked down at her, ¡°Do you want to hear the perfect answer or the real answer?¡± Celeste was puzzled, so she said, ¡°Give me the real answer first.¡± Liam said, ¡°There are many tall buildings around us. When lightning forms, it will first induce charges at the top of these buildings. This charge is much higher than that on the ground, so it attracts lightning easily. And these buildings are usually equipped with lightning rods, which will lead the lightning into the ground. So, we¡¯re unlikely to get struck.¡± Celeste fell silent. This was indeed a real answer and an urate assessment of the danger from Liam. It was so real that she didn¡¯t want to deal with him anymore. Liam moved closer, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear the perfect answer?¡± Celeste replied unhappily, ¡°Is it necessary?¡± ¡°Just give it a try, I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time.¡± Celeste, annoyed by his persistence, casually asked, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s your perfect answer?¡± Liam smiled, leaned closer to her ear, and said word for word, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll live and die with you.¡± Celeste was taken aback; she turned to look at him. Liam was looking at her; his hair was disheveled and wet from the rain and stuck to his forehead. No one could look good in such a situation. She had seen Liam looking proud and full of spirit a lot of times, but rarely this messy. N?velDrama.Org content rights. But even in this mess, his eyes were still bright like stars. Out of all his features, his eyes were the most beautiful. His eyes were deep and mysterious, stern when he wasn¡¯t smiling but charming and noble when he smiled. When he said ¡°Live and die with you,¡± he looked like a god who had given up his status for love. Seeing his eyes, Celeste¡¯s heart pounded. She looked away and coughed, ¡°That¡¯s not the best answer.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Is there a better answer?¡± Celeste chuckled softly, ¡°Your perfect answer would be, if lightning strikes, you will be hit first, and I will be safe.¡± Liam was silent for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s not a perfect answer; it¡¯s just a perfunctory answer.¡± Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Chapter 745 After some thought, Liam said, ¡°Only when a person can protect himself can he be responsible for another life. Otherwise, it was nothing but empty words. I can tell you such perfunctory words as much as you want, but in a moment of crisis, I can¡¯t guarantee what I will choose, because people¡¯s instinctive reaction in a crisis is self¨Cpreservation.¡± After a pause, he said quietly, ¡°I can¡¯t be sure what my instinctive reaction would be, but even if it is to protect myself first, I¡¯m still willing to live and die with you.¡± At first, Celeste was upset when she heard him choose self¨Cprotection first, but then she felt relieved. Liam wasn¡¯t the type to make assumptions, his serious answer showed he had really thought about it. Once, she saw a video online of a car ident. An elderly couple¡¯s car caught fire. The man managed to escape from the car, but the woman was trapped inside. The fire was so intense that the man couldn¡¯t get the woman out. He was helpless and cried like a child outside, then made a resolute decision to go back into the burning car, eventually disappearing with the woman in the ze. Could you say that just because the man didn¡¯t save his loved one at first, he didn¡¯t care about her? Escaping is instinct, but his deciding to go back into the fire was true love. Love yourself first, then love others ¨C that was Liam¡¯s view on love. If someone told her this before, she would think it was selfish and not true love. But now she thinks this view on love is healthy. Those who talk about living and dying for love and say you¡¯re more important than life, once they stop loving you, they will treat you like a thorn in their side. Love hopes for the other person to live and hate hopes for them to die. She always thought she understood love, but in reality, her concept of love was childishly absurd. Liam was a little nervous to see her fall silent and asked softly, ¡°Are you angry?¡± Actually, he could¡¯ve lied to her, just like before, pretending not to care when he did. He always thought too much, feeling he would be at a disadvantage if he admitted he cared first and the other party didn¡¯t. But how can you measure love by gains and losses? He realized this toote and didn¡¯t dare hide anything now. One wrong step, and Celeste might cklist him. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celeste came back to her senses, saw Liam¡¯s nervous look, and suddenly found it funny. He wasn¡¯t afraid of making her angry when he was talking, but after he finished, he started to worry? Celeste put on a stern face on purpose, ¡°What if I am angry?¡± Liam immediately regretted it. After a while, he said, ¡°Then I take back what I said earlier, whatever you say goes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already heard it all! Besides, you¡¯re the boss, can you take back what you said?¡± Liam pondered for a long time, then said gently, ¡°If you can¡¯t remember, then forget it. After all, you have a poor memory.¡± Celeste was speechless. She wanted to say something but noticed that Liam¡¯s back waspletely soaked by the rain. She paused, took out her phone, and texted Trisha, ¡°Hey, babe, can you bring me an umbre after your meal? I¡¯m stuck in the rain and can¡¯t get home.¡± At this moment, Trisha was already drunk. Trisha grabbed a bottle of high¨Cend red wine, sneakily stashed it away, then pulled out a cheap one to swig with Nics. Nics wasn¡¯t too pleased when he saw his pricey vino had been swapped out for some two¨Cbuck chuck. Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Chapter 746 ¡°Why can¡¯t I have some Lafite?¡± Trisha shot him a nce and retorted, ¡°The Lafite was an apology gift from you, why on earth do you think you get to drink it?¡± Nics was dumbfounded. Hiseback was nowhere to be found. Trisha ced the wine aside without opening it and started munching on her food. Although she epted his Lafite and seemingly forgave him, she didn¡¯t utter a word to him throughout the meal. Trisha was a chatterbox. Whenever she dined at his ce in the past, she would go on and on about her work woes or thetest TV shows and anime she was hooked on. In her own words, ¡°If we¡¯re not going to chat, what¡¯s the point of eating together? We might as well eat separately.¡± Nics was adopted into the J City high¨Css circle when he was 11 or 12. He was an outcast, far from the refined upbringing of the likes of Liam, who excelled both academically and in manners. Stepping into this circle in J City for the first time, he felt like a mongrel among a pack of pedigreed dogs. He was shunned and mocked. He had to ditch the ¡°low¨Css¡± habits he picked up living with his grandpa and put on a mask to fit into this circle because everyone was the same and he needed to be the same to not stand out. He sessfully integrated into the circle. Once he gained a solid footing in J City with the help of Nics Media Group, no one dared bring up his past. If anyone identally mentioned his ¡°fishmonger background¡°, others would ¡°kindly remind¡± them without him having to say a word. They all assumed his humble beginnings were a forbidden topic for him. He didn¡¯t really care, but slowly, under their constant ¡°reminders¡°, he started to feel alienated from his own background. He was surrounded by young masters and misses from wealthy families. They were all so well¨C mannered and proper. Being around them, he had to first and foremost consider whether his actions would cause any disparity. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He had been in this circle for so long that he had slowly forgotten who he was. Until he met Trisha. She would cuss, and if you ticked her off, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw a punch. She was a messy eater with a mouth bigger than his. When there was only one piece of meat left on the te, she would stop at nothing to snatch it for herself. Her demeanor was nothing like the young masters and misses from wealthy families. But being with her, he seemed to have found a part of himself that he had lost a long time ago. He felt extremely rxed while doing anything with her. He didn¡¯t have to worry about being judged for asking for a doggie bag at a restaurant. Trisha not only didn¡¯t find it problematic, but she also praised him for being thrifty. He didn¡¯t have to worry about being used of having no taste for wearing cheap stuff he liked. Trisha would say, ¡°Share the link with me; let¡¯s buy it together. We can¡¯t let good things go to others.¡± Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Chapter 747 He couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on his feelings for Trisha. He enjoyed herpany and didn¡¯t want her to ignore him. But when it came to liking her, something seemed to be missing. He didn¡¯t have a strong urge to be intimate with Trisha. Even when he kissed her, it felt more like a tease. His heart was calm and gentle, but itcked passion. However, the rxed and happy feeling he had around Trisha was something he didn¡¯t experience with his ex¨Cgirlfriends. He didn¡¯t want her to get hurt by Jace, was worried about her being treated unfairly, wanted to protect her, and wanted to have her under his protection, but he didn¡¯t have the desire to be intimate with her. Could it be? That he saw Trisha as a friend? The more Nics thought about it, the more likely it seemed. When he was on good terms with Liam, he once felt uneasy about Liam¡¯s rtionship with Mason. Mason¡¯s return to the country initially made him jealous for a couple of days. His feelings for Trisha were probably the same. She might be a bit naive, but she was very loyal, a great cook, and although straightforward, she didn¡¯t hold grudges. She was the kind of straightforward person he liked. Once he realized this, Nics felt more than ever that he needed to resolve this issue. He didn¡¯t want to lose this loyal friend who cooked delicious meals. So he took the initiative to pour wine for both of them. ¡°Trisha, about the food delivery incident, I was wrong. I let you down and betrayed your trust. This ss of wine is my apology to you. Please forgive me.¡± Trisha was surprised, then furrowed her brows, ¡°Are you up to something again?¡± Nics fell silent. He didn¡¯t me Trisha for thinking this way. Nics¡® apology was indeed too direct, making her instinctively think he was up to something. He softened his voice, ¡°I¡¯m sincerely apologizing to you. After you got off the carst night, I regretted it so much. You¡¯re so good to me, cooking for me, ying games with me. I upset you just because I wanted a few more bites. I feel really guilty.¡± As for that kiss, he was still figuring out how to exin it. Before he could say anything, Trisha said, ¡°You did more than one thing wrong. You kissed me in front of Dr. Ledford. Did you ever consider my feelings? How would Dr. Ledford see me after that? I consider you a friend, you shouldn¡¯t do this to me, should you?¡± Nics fell silent again. In her eyes, that kiss didn¡¯t mean anything. He should be happy, but Nics felt a bit uneasy. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Did she not see him as a man? Or did she treat all men, except for Jace, this way? Trisha took the wine ss, ¡°Considering your sincere apology and this bottle of Lafite, I forgive you. But don¡¯t do Ledford. We can¡¯t have him misunderstanding me.¡± Nics reluctantly agreed. After Trisha finished her wine, she began eating happily. again, and find time to exin things clearly to Dr. She didn¡¯t seem to care about that incident. While eating, she mumbled to herself, ¡°You¡¯ve dated so many girls; howe your kissing skills are so bad? You even bit my tongue.¡± Nics was dumbfounded. Trisha could hold her liquor slightly better than Liam, but her wine¨Ctasting skills were not as good as Liam¡¯s. Liam knew he couldn¡¯t handle liquor well, so he usually avoided it. But Trisha was the type who wasn¡¯t good at drinking but loved to have fun. Chatting while eating, she started to feel a bit woozy after a few drinks. Her cheeks turned rosy, and she held a fork, trying to stab some meat in the pot. After several unsessful attempts, Trisha got angry, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to apologize sincerely. The meat you brought is acting like it¡¯s got legs; it runs away every time I try to stab it. You¡¯re deliberately not letting me eat!¡± Nics was speechless. He picked up a fork, speared the piece of meat, and put it on her te. Trisha got angry again, ¡°What, my hand can¡¯t operate a fork? I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t get that piece of meat!¡± After saying this, she threw the meat from the te back into the pot and tried to stab it again. Five minutester, she decided to ditch the fork, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to grab the meat with her hand. Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Nics was taken aback when her finger barely grazed the pot before he swiftly grabbed it. ¡°Are you out of your mind? That pot is scalding hot!¡± Trisha was startled; the pain was slowly creeping up on her, and suddenly she burst into tears. Nics quickly ushered her to the bathroom to rinse her hands under cold water. As she cried, Trishained, ¡°Your apology isn¡¯t sincere; denying me meat was one thing, but now you¡¯ve burnt me¡­¡± Nics opened his mouth to retort but then closed it back up. What¡¯s the point in arguing with a drunkard? But his silence only annoyed Trisha more, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you apologizing to me?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Nics muttered dismissively, then checked her fingers. They were a bit red, but there weren¡¯t any blisters or burns. Trisha frowned, ¡°That¡¯s it? Just sorry?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®sorry¡® enough?¡± Nics grabbed some toothpaste from the sink and applied it to her fingers. He¡¯d heard toothpaste could soothe burn pain. Turning around, Trisha grabbed his cor, her eyes hazy, ¡°Of course it¡¯s not enough! You¡¯re the jerk who stole my first kiss. Why should I forgive you?¡± Drunk Trisha was surprisingly strong, pulling on his cor and forcing Nics to bend down and look her in the eyes. He sighed, ¡°What do you want then?¡± Trisha frowned, ¡°Let me think.¡± She looked so serious that it was amusing. Nics couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Two minutester, Nics asked, ¡°Have you figured it out?¡± Trisha looked up at him, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back in your own coin!¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Nics could react, Trisha yanked his cor, stood on her tiptoes, and nted a kiss on him. Nics¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He grabbed Trisha by the neck and yanked her off him. Trisha¡¯s feet dangled in the air as she squirmed and struggled, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Nics could feel a vein throbbing in his forehead. He hoisted Trisha over his shoulder and dumped her back in her room. Like a chicken on steroids, Trisha bounced right back up the moment he dropped her on the bed. She grabbed his shirt and pulled Nics down onto her, opening her mouth to bite him. Reacting quickly, Nics blocked her mouth with his hand. Trisha was so drunk she didn¡¯t care what she was sucking on; she just kept going. The sensation made Nics¡¯s palm itch, and it made his heart flutter too. As he was about to grab her neck, Trisha let go of him and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a smug smirk on her face, ¡°How was that? Am I better now?¡± Nics was speechless. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He pulled out his phone from his pocket; it was Liam calling. He answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Have you eaten? If so, bring an umbre down.¡± Liam¡¯s voice came through the phone, mixed with the sound of heavy rain. Nics nced out the window, realizing that it was raining and that it had been raining for quite some time. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the west gate, about 300 meters south.¡± ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right- shit!¡± Nics cursed before he could finish his sentence and hung up. Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Liam furrowed his brows. What? Who? Celeste quickly asked, ¡°What did he say?¡± Trisha¡¯s phone didn¡¯t respond, so Liam suggested calling Nics.. Liam put away his phone, ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± After saying that, he gently leaned Celeste against him, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Celeste shook her head. Even though the weather was warm and the rain was warm, standing in the rain felt somewhat chilly. Even though she had just shaken her head, she sneezed twice. Liam frowned and decided to turn around and hold her close. Celeste whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to protect me like this; I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± Liam lowered his head, ¡°I failed as a husband for the first time, but as a boyfriend, I won¡¯t fail again.¡± Celeste was taken aback, then whispered, ¡°You¡¯re far from perfect.¡± Liam chuckled, ¡°Can I earn points now?¡± Celeste thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll give you fifty points.¡± Liam said, ¡°Give me five hundred, I¡¯ll wear this for you when we get home.¡± He pointed at the fis shirt in the bag. Celeste¡¯s face turned bright red, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that!¡± Liam smirked, ¡°I want to wear it.¡± Celeste fell silent. ¡°Don¡¯t you think your behavior is abnormal?¡± Liam said, ¡°You took the initiative once, so I should too; it¡¯s only fair.¡± Celeste fell silent. Liam was obviously referring to their wedding night. It was an embarrassing experience that made her want to crawl into a hole every time she thought about it. She gritted her teeth, ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep score on this kind of thing.¡± ¡°This is exactly the kind of thing that needs to have a score.¡± Liam¡¯s voice was low and calm, ¡°I don¡¯t want my wife to worry that I have a physical problem and start thinking about taking me to a urologist.¡± Celeste was speechless. Her face flushed, she said irritably, ¡°Alright, I get it; you¡¯re all talk; just shut up!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. A hint of a smile shed across Liam¡¯s eyes as he held Celeste close with his head. Meanwhile, Nics was cursing under his breath, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Trisha was lying beneath him, starting to undress. Right before his eyes, she took off her bra under her shirt, tossed it aside, and then crossed her hands to pull her shirt over her head. Nics finally snapped back to reality and quickly grabbed her hands, helping her put her shirt back on. Trisha frowned, clearly displeased. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nics was flustered, ¡°I should be asking you that! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting undressed to sleep¡± Trisha looked innocently at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you undress when you go to sleep?¡± Nics was speechless. Getting undressed when drunk? What kind of habit was that? He suddenly recalled the time he introduced her to Jace. She was so smashed that she actually started undressing right in front of Jace. And then there was that time in the hotel. Both of them were so hammered that they lost their memories. Was it because she started undressing when she was drunk that he couldn¡¯t control himself? Before Nics could ponder further, Trisha grabbed his hand, cing it on her chest. She looked at him with seemingly innocent yet pure eyes, asking, ¡°Does it feel big?¡± Nics was dumbfounded. The feeling under his palm was soft and full, even though it was through her clothes, it felt incredibly hot. His jaw involuntarily tightened, and inside his chest, his heart was pounding. There was only one thought in his mind ¨C it really was big. Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Chapter 750 All of a sudden, it felt like his blood was rushing to his head, then pooling back down, making him feel unusually hot. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org His throat felt dry, so he couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Trisha mumble something about whether Dr. Ledford preferred big or small. Nics fell silent. Thatment was like a bucket of cold water dumped on his head, instantly snapping Nics back to reality. Not only was he clear¨Cheaded now, but he also felt a sense of shame, as if he¡¯d been fooled. He pursed his lips, tossed the nket on the bed at Trisha, and got up to leave with a cold expression on his face. Liam and Celeste waited for more than ten minutes before Nics finally brought the umbres. But he only brought two. One for himself and the other for them. Liam frowned, ¡°Just one?¡± Nics thought to himself, this idiot, he thinks he can woo Celeste like this? He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Ms. Colton is drunk. I could only find two umbres. Why don¡¯t you use one, and Ms. Campbell can share mine.¡± A look of displeasure crossed Liam¡¯s face when he heard this. But before he could open his mouth, Celeste said, ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Liam was speechless. Nics was delighted to see Liam¡¯s awkward expression. His earlier unpleasant seemed to vanish instantly. He continued to provoke, ¡°Ms. Campbell, the water is deep here. Why don¡¯t I carry you over?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Last time in the wild, you couldn¡¯t even carry a piece of meat. What do you think you can carry?¡± Celeste¡¯s face changed slightly as she looked at Liam. Liam was still clueless about his blunder and continued to re at Nics. Nics grinned, ¡°That¡¯s not fair topare; Ms. Campbell is so slim. How could she possibly weigh more than a piece of pork?¡± Liam,pletely oblivious to the trap he¡¯d been led into, said seriously, ¡°She weighs 120 pounds; how could she not weigh more than a piece of pork?¡± Celeste¡¯s face changedpletely, and she walked away with the umbre. Liam was stunned for a moment, then hurried after her, ¡°Ms. Campbell, wait, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Celeste scoffed, ¡°Spare me; I weigh more than a pig; I don¡¯t want to break your back.¡± Liam was taken aback; he turned to look at Nics, who was squinting his eyes and grinning like a fox. That bastard! Liam was caught between ming Nics¡¯s provocative behavior and ming his own slow reaction. ¡°Ms. Campbell, I didn¡¯t mean it that way, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re fat.¡± Celeste mocked, ¡°How could I not be fat? I weigh 120 pounds, more than a piece of pork.¡± Liam hurried to exin, ¡°120 pounds isn¡¯t heavy. Even when you weighed over 130 pounds, I didn¡¯t think you were fat. I could still pick you up.¡± Upon hearing this, Celeste¡¯s face changed even more. She stomped on his foot and while Liam was yowling in pain, she walked away with the umbre. Nics watched Liam bent over in the rain, looking awkward, and he instantly felt much better. He walked over to Liam, grinning, ¡°See, I¡¯m a good friend, right?¡± Liam nced at him, grabbed his umbre, and went after Celeste. Nics sighed and quickly followed. Despite his hurry, he was still a stepte. Celeste had already taken the elevator upstairs. Liam knocked on the door for a long time, but Celeste didn¡¯t respond. Nics watched for a while before saying, ¡°Just leave it, women are generally sensitive about their weight. She won¡¯t cool down anytime soon.¡± Liam red at him, ¡°You have the nerve to say that!¡± Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Nics shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking out for you. You used to brag about the lunches your wife made and the new clothes she bought for you. Now that you¡¯re finally single it wouldn¡¯t be fair if you got her too quickly.¡± like me, Liam¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. What kind of friend had he made? After Celeste came back, she took a shower and changed out of her wet clothes. After the shower, she checked on Trisha, who was sleeping, and then contacted the dining hall staff to collect the tableware the next morning since However, after trying to call for a while and no one picking up, she had to send a text message. After drying her hair, she got ready for bed and was about to fall asleep when the doorbell suddenly rang.. Celeste thought it was the dining hall staffing to collect the tableware, so she went to open the door. But as soon as she opened the door, her expression froze. Outside the door was, surprisingly, Skyler. She wasn¡¯t alone; at her side was a middle¨Caged man who looked somewhat like her, Skyler¡¯s brother, and Liam¡¯s uncle, Jade Barlow. Skyler looked a bit haggard, but her makeup and attire were still neat. There was heavy rain outside, but she wasn¡¯t wet at all, and her hairstyle was still in ce. Celeste stared at her for a second before raising her hand to close the door. Jade Barlow seemed to have predicted that she would do this and pushed the door open. Celeste was hit by the door and took two steps back. She looked cold and asked sternly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± was raining heavily. Skyler looked around the luxuriously decorated room with a faint smile on her lips, ¡°This is the house Liam bought for you, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s really generous to you.¡± Since Liam started limiting her ess topany funds, Skyler¡¯s life had been quite difficult. When she used to hang out with the other wives, she always had thetest jewelry and clothes. With the reputation of the Reed family, she was always a leader among the wives. But now, her monthly ie was not enough to maintain her previousvish lifestyle, so she rarely went to have afternoon tea with the wives anymore. Her life was difficult, but Celeste, a divorced woman, could still live in such a mansion. How could she not be jealous? Celeste initially wanted to say, what did this house have to do with your son? But seeing Skyler¡¯s displeasure, her retort was instantly triggered. ¡°Generous¡­ that¡¯s not the right word. This house isn¡¯t expensive; it¡¯s not even as expensive as that ne.¡± Skyler was speechless. Her face darkened, and her chest heaved as if she were about to vomit blood. Just as Celeste was thinking that Skyler might throw a fit and start spouting stuff like ¡°Get out of my son¡¯s house.¡± Instead, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Since Liam gave you this house, you can consider it a smallpensation from the Reed family.¡± Celeste was too shocked to respond. Was she out of her mind? Of course, Skyler wasn¡¯t crazy. Her main point followed, ¡°I heard you and that actor named Leonard are in the same cast. Tell him that as long as he drops thewsuit, we can meet anypensation he wants.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°The mess this time is caused by you, and no matter how you look at it, you and Kaylee are rtives. As long as you help get her out, I won¡¯t fuss about Liam giving you the house.¡± Celeste was amused by her shameless attitude, ¡°Mrs. Reed, are you pulling my leg?¡± Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Skyler¡¯s face changed instantly, ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t ignore my good intentions!¡± Celeste chuckled lightly, ¡°First off, Kaylee and I have no ties. You know very well what our rtionship was all those years. Secondly, she tried to harm me but ended up hurting someone else; why on earth should I plead for her? Also, this house is my boss¡¯s; it has nothing to do with your son. If you want to argue, at least have some evidence. Lastly¡­¡± Celeste paused and suddenly her eyes turned cold, ¡°You caused my infertility; do you really think I¡¯m that forgiving to just let it slide?¡± With each reason Celeste stated, Skyler¡¯s expression became even more displeased. She truly underestimated Celeste. She thought that after the divorce, Celeste would be discarded like dirt. But to her surprise, Celeste not only wasn¡¯t discarded, she became stronger. So strong that the once submissive and cautious Celeste now dared to confront her! Skyler clenched her fists, took a deep breath to suppress her anger, and said seriously, ¡°What do you want in exchange for your help?¡± Celeste was taken aback. After all these years, she should have a pretty good understanding of Skyler. She¡¯s extremely vain and selfish, very concerned about her social status. She would try her best to get close to anyone who could help elevate her position. But for those who couldn¡¯t, like Celeste and the Campbell family, she wouldn¡¯t even give them the time of day, let alone humbly ask for help. Her current abnormal behavior just showed her favoritism and indulgence of Kaylee. Skyler¡¯s doting on Kaylee was something Celeste had never seen her express for Liam. Two years ago, Liam went on a business trip to S City, somehow got into a conflict with the locals, and was detained by the police. They called Celeste to bail him out. Celeste took her ID and rushed to S City overnight. After bailing him out, Liam asked, ¡°Why did youe?¡± Celeste only learned from Owen that the police had originally called Skyler. Since the paperwork was with her, it would be more convenient for her toe. Celeste found it strange, as it was indeed the police who had called her. After verification, Celeste figured out the police did contact Skyler. However, after receiving the call, Skyler told the police she was out of town and gave them Celeste¡¯s number. Celeste stayed silent. At that time, when she went to get the paperwork, Skyler was at home ying with a group of friends. When she asked for the documents, Skyler didn¡¯t ask any questions and simply had the maid give them to her. Celeste had always thought that Skyler didn¡¯t know about Liam¡¯s detention because there were many outsiders at home, so she didn¡¯t mention it in front of Skyler. Unexpectedly, Skyler knew about Liam¡¯s detention from the beginning but lied about being out of town to y with her friends. When Celeste figured this out, she was amazed. Sheter thought that perhaps this was Skyler¡¯s attitude towards her children. However, she was not like this with Kaylee at all. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Thest time Celeste kidnapped Kaylee and hurt her, Skyler was so angry that she stormed into the hospital room and attacked her; this time, she humbly asked for her help because Kaylee couldn¡¯t be bailed out. The difference in treatment between her own children was too stark. Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Seeing Celeste not say anything for a long time, Skyler thought there was room for negotiation and said, ¡°Or you can make a request.¡± Celeste was brought back to reality, ¡°You can¡¯t even afford the 100 million for Sienna¡¯s precious band; you probably can¡¯t afford my demand.¡± Skyler¡¯s expression twisted instantly. Biting back her anger, she said sternly, ¡°Kaylee is still young, staying in such a ce will ruin her! If you still want to get back with Liam, don¡¯t make things so hard. You should know how much Liam dotes on Kaylee, right?¡± Celeste frowned. How dare she use this to threaten her? If Liam continued to indulge Kaylee in this matter, she would really not consider him. Celeste stared at Skyler, ¡°I can help, but I have one condition.¡± Skyler¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Speak.¡± Celeste said calmly, ¡°You turn yourself in and confess that you drugged me, causing me to be infertile. Then I will go plead with Leonard for your daughter.¡± Skyler¡¯s face froze and her expression darkened instantly, ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Celeste smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance to save your daughter. Since you love Kaylee so much, surely you wouldn¡¯t mind making this sacrifice?¡± Skyler, trembling with anger, raised her hand to p Celeste. Celeste, prepared, quickly stepped back, causing Skyler to miss. However, the next second, another p wasing straight for Celeste¡¯s face. Her ears rang, and Jade Barlow grabbed her hair, forcing her to lift her head, ¡°Sis, I¡¯ve always said that when dealing with people like this, it¡¯s quicker to use force!¡± As he said this, he raised his hand to p her again. Jade Barlow was very robust, even a grown man might not be able to withstand his blows, let alone a woman like Celeste. If this pnded, it might even knock her teeth loose. So, the moment Jade Barlow raised his arm, Celeste didn¡¯t hesitate and twisted at his lower abdomen. Jade Barlow cried out in pain, immediately bent over, and let go of her hand. Skyler was startled, ¡°Jade Barlow, are you okay?¡± In a desperate bid to escape, Celeste put all her strength into her kick. Jade Barlow felt as if his lower half had exploded, the pain turning his face pale and leaving him bent over. Celeste had already started dialing 911 on her phone. Jade Barlow muttered, ¡°This good¨Cfor¨Cnothing!¡± He picked up a nearby chair and hurled it towards Celeste in anger. wN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. * Celeste managed to dodge in time. While she wasn¡¯t hit, her phone slipped out of her hand,nding on a nearby sofa. Jade Barlow was fuming. He had found out from Skyler that it was Liam who had reported his production line, and it was all because of his ex¨Cwife. With his production line shut down, his ie had been halved. The money he had lost in Vegas had nearly gotten him beaten up because he couldn¡¯t pay his debts. With fresh anger piling onto old resentment, he was itching to tear Celeste to shreds. Cold sweat trickled down Celeste¡¯s back. The living room was small and she had nowhere to run. Seeing Jade Barlow pick up the stool again, Celeste grabbed a nearby throw pillow to defend herself. She tried to intimidate him with a tough front, ¡°I¡¯m warning you; I¡¯ve already called the cops. You¡¯ve illegally entered someone¡¯s home and tried to hurt them. If Kaylee can¡¯te, you¡¯ll be arrested!¡± Instead of being repentant, Jade Barlow was infuriated by her words and raised the chair to throw it. But the chair never came. Instead, there was a loud ¡°smack¡± as a vase hit Jade Barlow in the back of the head. Trisha stood in the doorway, her face red with anger, a bunch of flowers she had pulled from the vase still in her hand. She shouted, ¡°You jerk! How dare you hurt my Celeste!¡± Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Jade Barlow was taken aback, loosening his grip and dropping the chair. He swayed, clutching the back of his head, and seeing his hand covered in blood, he passed out. Skyler saw Jade Barlow copse and instantly turned as pale as a ghost. He rushed over, calling out Jade Barlow¡¯s name. Celeste, soaked in a cold sweat, quickly snatched the flowers from Trisha¡¯s hand, ¡°Why are you out here?¡± Snapping back to reality at the sight of blood, Trisha stammered, ¡°Did I¡­ Did I hurt someone?¡± Celeste gently patted her on the back, whispering, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything; you were drunk. I was the one who smashed the vase. Let¡¯s call the cops first.¡± ¡°Yeah, right, let¡¯s call the police first.¡± Trisha rushed back into the room and picked up her phone, but instead of calling the police, she called Nics. Liam was showering while Nics was gaming. He wasn¡¯t ying well and lost two games in a row. His gaming buddy asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with you today? You seem off.¡± Nics, who usually didn¡¯t chat with his online friends, was feeling a bit down today. After all, his gaming friends didn¡¯t know him in real life, so he decided to vent. ¡°I¡¯ve got this friend; he¡¯s been hanging out with a girl, having meals and gaming together. He¡¯s always seen her as a friend. But when he saw her chasing after other guys, he felt ufortable. What do you think is the reason?¡± His friend replied, ¡°He likes her, duh. What else could it be?¡± Nics frowned, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want to sleep with her; could that still be considered liking?¡± His friend took a while to reply, ¡°Are you a virgin or something?¡± Nics wanted to retort, then realized, ¡°I¡¯m talking about my friend.¡± His friend, ¡°So, is your friend a virgin?¡± ¡°Of course not, he¡¯s had many girlfriends.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s probably just physical attraction, not emotional.¡± Nics argued, ¡°He was really good to his ex¨Cgirlfriends. He spent money on them, and took them out for fun. Isn¡¯t that emotional?¡± ¡°Did you¨Cyour friend ever feel excited when he saw these ex¨Cgirlfriends, or anxious when he didn¡¯t see them?¡± Nics paused. It seemed¡­ he never did. Even when he was deeply in love, he didn¡¯t feel the need to see them. What about Trisha? C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He couldn¡¯t sit still when she ignored him for a day. Stubbornly, he said, ¡°Can it be called liking if I don¡¯t want to sleep with her?¡± His friend said, ¡°What¡­ What if someone else sleeps with her?¡± Nics froze, picturing Trisha sleeping with another man, his face instantly turned grim. ¡°Dude, how can you not tell if you like someone or not? When you like someone, you¡¯ll be happy just being with them, even without sex. The first thing thates to your mind when you truly like someone will never be sex.¡± Lowering his voice, Nics sounded unsure, ¡°What if I see her as a sister? I also can¡¯t bear to see others hurt her, right? Maybe I¡¯ve been spending too much time with her recently, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m feeling this way. If I see her less, it should get better.¡± ¡°Then just treat her like she¡¯s not your sister. When she gets a boyfriend or even gets married, you¡¯ll get over it.¡± Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Then he asked, ¡°Are we still ying?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Nics was about to say ¡°keep ying¡°, when Trisha¡¯s call came in. Nics immediately forgot his doubts and picked up the call. As soon as he answered, he regretted it. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Trisha¡¯s frantic voice. ¡°Nics, I don¡¯t know what to do. I just killed someone¡­¡± Nics immediately stood up, ¡°What happened? Slow down and tell me.¡± Trisha stuttered out the recent events. She said someone was bullying Celeste, and she killed the person with a vase. Celeste was trying to take the me to protect her. Nics was a little confused, but he understood one thing. Something happened in the room next door. Whileforting Trisha, he called Liam out of the bathroom. Liam was still dressing and frowned, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Your wife is in trouble! Someone broke into her house and bullied her!¡± Without even grabbing his jacket, Liam followed Nics to room 901, wrapped in a towel. When they arrived, they saw Jade Barlow lying on the floor, broken porcin pieces scattered around, and Skyler sobbing by his side. Celeste was standing nervously by the dining table, holding a bouquet of flowers. Seeing Liam, Skyler immediately stood up, with tears streaming down her face, ¡°Liam, Celeste has gone mad. She beat your uncle like this. Call the police and get her arrested!¡± Celeste was worried that Skyler would frame Trisha, but she didn¡¯t expect her to be this stupid. Liam nced at her and went straight to Celeste. When he got close, he saw Celeste¡¯s swollen cheek. Liam¡¯s expression instantly hardened, ¡°Did Jade Barlow hit you?¡± Celeste nodded, then said, ¡°He didn¡¯t get away with it; I grabbed his balls.¡± He suddenly felt that Celeste throwing a cup at him when she was angry was her being merciful. If she had really used force, he might have to visit a urologist. Liam took the flowers from Celeste and checked her hand carefully. The flowers in the vase were not roses; they didn¡¯t prick her hand. Liam gently brushed away the dust in her palm. Skyler¡¯s face twisted as she watched Liam¡¯s caring treatment of Celeste. ¡°Liam, look at your uncle now! This woman did this! And you still care for her?¡± Liam nced at him but didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he asked, ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Skyler looked a bit guilty but quickly regained her righteous demeanor, ¡°Why are you asking me? Isn¡¯t this all for Kaylee? Since you won¡¯t let me bail her out, I had to think of other ways. How could I just stand by and watch my daughter suffer in there?!¡± Liam¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Kaylee deliberately sshed water on people, which can be considered intentional harm. Not only did you, as her mother, not correct her behavior, you even helped her. If we let her go easily today, would she not be afraid to do even worse things in the future?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Skyler said, fuming. ¡°Kaylee is still a kid. How would she know what a serious matter is? If you just let her go; she will realize her mistake. Why would she repeat the same mistake?¡± Liam scoffed, ¡°Still a kid? Do you know any kid who is still not grown up at 23? Celeste was only 22 when we got married. ording to your logic, wasn¡¯t she also not grown up? When Kaylee maliciously sent her into Wesley¡¯s room as a prank, why didn¡¯t you protect her!¡± Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Chapter 756 ¡°Can you evenpare the two?¡± Skyler shot back immediately. After finishing, she snapped, ¡°Did Celeste tell you this? And you just believed her so easily? I was there too, and clearly, it was her who walked into the wrong room!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked coldly, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you let her tell Grandma?¡± Skyler clenched her hands, ¡°I just wanted to save your reputation! You were betrayed by your wife on your wedding night; don¡¯t you find that humiliating!¡± Skyler¡¯s self¨Crighteous attitudepletely shattered thest illusion Liam had of her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He said expressionlessly, ¡°I won¡¯t be shamed by her being bullied. I would feel ashamed to have a mother like you.¡± Skyler¡¯s face instantly paled, ¡°Liam, I am your mother!¡± Liam calmly said, ¡°Since you care so much about the Barlow family, starting today you must move out of the Reed family¡¯s home. The Reed family isn¡¯t as conservative as people think we are; you don¡¯t need to y the widow for my dad; whether you choose to live alone or remarry, it¡¯s up to you. I¡¯ll pay your living expenses on time. If you remarry in the future, I will represent the Reed family and send a gift.¡± Skyler was stunned, then her face turned exceptionally ugly, ¡°Liam! Do you know what you¡¯re saying?!¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to argue with her anymore; turning to Nics, he asked, ¡°Did you call the ambnce?¡± Nics waved his phone, ¡°I already called.¡± Skyler wanted to continue speaking, but Nics interrupted, ¡°you should help stop the bleeding first. Don¡¯t wait until the ambnce arrives, Jade has already fainted from excessive blood loss.¡± Actually, Jade Barlow didn¡¯t bleed that much. He wasying there with no blood to be seen and just a bit on his palms. Trisha bought the vase online. Even though it looked good, the body was thin and not heavy. No matter how strong Trisha was, she was still a girl. She threw the vase from such a far distance that the force had already lessened quite a bit. Jade Barlow might have fainted from the sight of blood rather than being hit. But hearing this, Skyler immediately became very tense. She didn¡¯t have the time to argue with Liam anymore and hurried over to check on Jade Barlow¡¯s condition. First her daughter, then her brother, all her favorites, but this son¡­ Celeste looked at Liam and asked, ¡°Do you feel neglected?¡± Liam smiled and said, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just a ticket she picked from the trash to get into the Reed family.¡± Celeste was just joking. She didn¡¯t intend to stir up trouble between Liam and Skyler, but hearing Liam¡¯s response. He seemed to have known Skyler¡¯s attitude towards him for a long time. She suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie with Liam. She had always wanted Shawn¡¯s fatherly love, and Liam was also seeking Skyler¡¯s motherly love. Shawn was stingy with his love because she wasn¡¯t his daughter. But what about Liam? ¡°You¡­¡± Before Celeste could finish her sentence, Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m her biological son; I had a DNA test done.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Chapter 757 When she found out that she had no rtion to Shawn, all her previous expectations vanished. Shawn didn¡¯t love her because she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter; this reason was enough to convince her. She might feel ufortable but not too heartbroken. But Liam? How deep was his disappointment in Skyler that he had to get a paternity test done? The blood ties between him and Skyler must be the reason he couldn¡¯t forget, right? She opened her mouth, then closed it. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°You still have Grandma.¡± Liam knew Celeste was trying tofort him. He held her hand and said, ¡°And you.¡± How could he be so understanding one moment and so clueless the next? Just a moment ago, she was angry at him for calling her fat, but the next second, he gently said ¡°And you,¡± which softened her heart. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The ambnce arrived quickly, along with the police. Jade Barlow was quickly taken to the hospital, while the police stayed to investigate. Skyler insisted that Celeste started it. While Celeste stated that they broke into her house and attacked her first. She was just defending herself. Both sides stuck to their stories, and the police couldn¡¯t make a judgment. Also, considering theplex rtionship between the two parties, the police suggested mediation. Celeste didn¡¯t really want to pursue it. On the one hand, the vase was thrown by Trisha, and she was worried about getting her involved. On the other hand, her movie was about to start shooting, and she didn¡¯t want to waste time on this. So when the police suggested mediation, Celeste didn¡¯t object. However, Skyler didn¡¯t want to let it go. She insisted that Celeste started it, acting as if she wanted to put her in jail. Just as Skyler was distorting facts, Liam suddenly asked Celeste, ¡°Has the surveince been on at home?¡± Celeste was taken aback. Was there surveince at home? She paused, then understood, and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been on.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s check the surveince footage,¡± Liam said indifferently, ¡°That way we can see who¡¯s lying.¡± After saying this, he looked at Skyler, ¡°If the surveince footage is pulled, Jade Barlow¡¯s problem is not as simple as being hospitalized.¡± Skyler¡¯s face changed, and finally, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You bastard!¡± Then she hurried to the hospital. The policepleted the incident report and left. Nics went to find Trisha in her room. Liam opened the fridge door and took out a bottle of iced water, then pulled Celeste to the couch to ice her face. His movements were clumsy, causing Celeste some pain. She frowned and took the iced water from him, applying it to her face herself. After a while, Liam quietly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t look at him, ¡°If you¡¯re apologizing for Skyler, there¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°I¡¯m apologizing for myself.¡± Liam pushed her hair back slightly, ¡°Move back in.¡± ¡°No.¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°You¡¯re dreaming. We haven¡¯t established our rtionship yet.¡± Liam sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you and your safety at home.¡± Celeste shot him a look, ¡°The property management at Grandview Heights is ster. The only reason Skyler could get in was because you own a property here, right? Without your property, how could they possibly let her in?¡± Liam gaped and fell speechless. ¡°I will arrange for a bodyguard to live with you.¡± ¡°Have you been watching too many crime dramas, thinking there¡¯s that much violence in real life?¡± And besides, if it came down to a fight, they might not even win. Of course, she let her guard down around Jade Barlow today. She hadn¡¯t had much contact with Liam¡¯s uncle and didn¡¯t really know him. Their rtionship was maintained at annual holiday gatherings, so she hadn¡¯t expected him to go for the jugr. Still, Liam was not reassured, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a butler for you.¡± When did Liam be such a nag? Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Celeste was like, ¡°Do Trisha and I really need a butler?¡± Liam replied, ¡°It¡¯s a robot butler.¡± Celeste was shocked, ¡°Wait, you mean like the NA robots?¡± Liam corrected her, ¡°The second generation.¡± NA was a high¨Ctech robot developed by Liam¡¯spany. The first prototype was brought home by Liam himself. The robot was round and cute looking. Liam asked Celeste to test it out and report any issues to him. Celeste, knowing she was the first one to try it out, was thrilled. To help Liam detect the robot¡¯s ws, Celeste took full advantage of all its features. NA turned out to be very useful for cleaning and even trimming the nts in the yard. Celeste was quite pleased with this robot butler. One day, after giving the cleaning instructions to the robot, Celeste went out. When she came back, she found NA damaged in the swimming pool. After Liam took NA back to theb and recovered the data, he found out that the instruction given by Celeste was to clean. However, due to nearby pipe maintenance that day, the water supply was cut off. Unable to find a water source, NA went to the swimming pool in the yard. It couldn¡¯t recognize the danger of water and got damaged. Because of this issue, NA was reset and wasn¡¯tunched to the public. Celeste¡¯s interest dropped by more than half, ¡°It¡¯s not going to jump into the bathtub and call for my help, is it?¡± Liam assured her, ¡°Absolutely not. The second generation has added crisis protection settings and an rm system. It¡¯s perfect for single women.¡± Seeing Liam¡¯s confidence, Celeste was slightly moved, ¡°How much?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Liam chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not on the market yet; you¡¯re still the first trial user.¡± Celeste joked, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re setting a trap?¡± Thest time she tested it, NA got damaged, and the R&D team was pretty pissed. This time¡­hopefully there won¡¯t be any issues? Liam gently ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll send it over tomorrow.¡± Liam stayed at her ce tillte. If it wasn¡¯t for Celeste living with Trisha, it would¡¯ve been awkward for him to stay. But he didn¡¯t want to leave. True to his word, Liam brought NA over the next day. The new NA had a slightly different look but overall, it was still round and cute. Liam was busy at hispany, so a colleague from the R&D department came to deliver it. The colleague exined the usage and precautions to Celeste in detail. Seeing Celeste constantly poke NA¡¯s head, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ma¡¯am, the development of the second generation wasn¡¯t easy. If you don¡¯t like it, just give us a call, and we¡¯ll take it away. Please don¡¯t let it do dangerous things.¡± As he was leaving, heined, ¡°We¡¯ve tested it thousands of times. Howe it didn¡¯t work when it got to you?¡± It was clearly a system issue; why was she to me? After the colleague left, Trisha couldn¡¯t wait to turn NA on. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m NA, your little butler. I¡¯m one and a half years old. You¡¯re so beautiful; I like you.¡± NA immediately won over Trisha and Celeste. This was Trisha¡¯s first time seeing such a robot. She was amazed and walked around NA, excitedly asking, ¡°NA, can you transform like a transformer?¡± ¡°I can! But my designer said I can only transform when you¡¯re in danger.¡± Trisha was puzzled, ¡°You have a designer?¡± NA answered, ¡°Of course, I have a designer.¡± Trisha turned to Celeste and said, ¡°This little robot is so interesting.¡± Celeste retorted, ¡°If you knew it brokest time because it jumped into the swimming pool, you wouldn¡¯t find it amusing.¡± NA quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of water anymore. My designer added a waterproof device and I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°You even go to school?¡± ¡°To better integrate into human society, I need to learn your knowledge,¡± NA answered. Liam, sitting in his office and looking at NA¡¯s feedback data, smiled. NA went to recharge. Celeste told NA, ¡°Remember to mop the floor after recharging.¡± Na replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to make you happy.¡± Trisha said, ¡°I really like it. If Liam¡¯spany mass produces it, you have to reserve one for me. I want to give it to my mom.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°You can take this one to your mom.¡± Trishaughed, ¡°This is a gift from Liam to you; I wouldn¡¯t dare take it.¡± Skyler had spent the night in the hospital. Jade Barlow¡¯s head injury wasn¡¯t serious, but his testicles were pretty much crushed by Celeste. She was irritated. After confirming that Jade Barlow was okay, Skyler went home. When she got home, Owen was already there, waiting with a bunch of people. Owen greeted her with a smile, ¡°Hello, Mr. Reed asked me to bring some people to help you move.¡± 1/2 Skyler was suddenly tense, Liam was really doing this. Her face turned ugly, and she snapped, ¡°Who said I¡¯m moving?¡± Owen politely replied, ¡°Mr. Reed is nning to sell the house you¡¯re living in now. If you don¡¯t move, how can the customerse to see the house?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned even worse, ¡°I¡¯ve lived here for over ten years. Can he just sell it because he said so?¡± Owen exined, ¡°This house belongs to Mr. Reed. So, of course, Mr. Reed has the right to decide whether to sell it or not. Mrs. Reed, you¡¯ve been living here for so long, you should know this, right?¡± Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Skyler¡¯s face instantly stiffened. She¡¯d been living in this house for a while now; it had be her home. After her husband died, Sienna took Liam under her wing, and Kaylee was raised by Skyler herself. Her affection for Kaylee was genuine. But she also chose to keep Kaylee around as a way to secure her own future. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She was well aware that if she left the Reed family and remarried, she wouldn¡¯t find another family as prestigious as the Reeds. So, when Sienna offered her a wad of cash if she decided to remarry and let the Reeds raise her kid, she firmly chose to raise her kid herself and pledged not to remarry until her kid was of age. Although the sum Sienna mentioned was not small, what she needed was not just money but also the honor and status that came with being a part of the Reed family. Thispletely satisfied her psychological needs. So, the idea of giving up a cushy lifestyle to return to an ordinary life was a no¨Cbrainer. Therefore, she chose to raise Kaylee herself. Sienna respected her decision and did not treat her unfairly. This house was bought for Skyler and Kaylee by Sienna. But Sienna was also wary of her. The house was initially registered in Sienna¡¯s name, and it was transferred to Liam¡¯s name when he came of age. Although this approach made her ufortable at first, she quickly got over it. Liam was her son. The house being in his name made no difference from it being in hers. Would Liam kick her out? At that time, she never thought that one day Liam would actually kick her out of this house. Owen, without paying any attention to her shock, turned to the people behind him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Skyler snapped out of it and quickly blocked the door, shouting angrily, ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares!¡± Owen said calmly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is Mr. Reed¡¯s order. Don¡¯t make it hard for us. If we had to use force and you got hurt, you¡¯d still have to pay for your own medical bills.¡± Owen continued, ¡°Mr. Reed said he¡¯ll pay your alimony annually from now on. Two million a year, paid every November. It¡¯s still¡­¡± He checked his phone. ¡°57 days away. You might want to cut back a little on spending until then. Medical bills might not be much, but you should still try to save up.¡± Skyler was infuriated by his words and almost passed out. She pointed at Owen, trembling, and asked, ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re nothing more than an assistant Liam keeps around. How dare you talk to me like this?¡± The people who came with Owen were all nervous for him. Owen held a high position within thepany. This was not only because he knew Liam¡¯s habits and thoughts like the back of his hand, but also because of his efficiency and excellent social skills. Liam was strict at work but inevitably overlooked some issues when dealing with employees, and Owen was just the person to make up for this. Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Chapter 760 For instance, after a major project, he would suggest Liam take a vacation; when the project¡¯s profit exceeded expectations, he would suggest a raise. Therefore, everyone highly respected Owen¡¯s character and workability. Liam also highly respected Owen. Owen wasn¡¯t angry, he just smiled and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, assuming I am Mr. Reed¡¯s assistant, I would still obey hismands. If he didn¡¯t give me orders, how would I dare to act on my own?¡± Skyler was furious: ¡°You people! Liam is my son. Even if we¡¯re not on good terms, I¡¯m still his mother! I don¡¯t believe he would do this to me! Just you wait, I¡¯ll call Liam right now!¡± Owen made a ¡®please go ahead gesture and said, ¡°Be my guest¡± Skyler dialed Liam¡¯s number, and just when the ringing was about to end, Liam finally answered. Suppressing her anger, Skyler said quietly, ¡°Liam, do you know Owen brought a bunch of people to our house?¡± Liam replied indifferently, ¡°Didn¡¯t Owen tell you? I sent them.¡± Skyler¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Liam said nonchntly, ¡°I thought I made myself clearst night. This house is the property of the Reed family. If you live here, people will assume you¡¯re still a part of the Reed family. That might affect your chances of remarrying.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Skyler was so angry she felt a pain in her chest. ¡°I raised you; was that a mistake? Now that you¡¯re grown up, you want to kick your mother out. Are you even human?¡± ¡°If you say I¡¯m not human, then I guess I¡¯m not.¡± Liam was tired of hearing the same old lines from her. She always used the favor of giving birth to him as leverage to get money. He¡¯d softened up time and time again, only to make her more and more greedy. Now, hearing these words again, his heart was as unyielding as a rock. Skyler¡¯s motherly love was always about taking, never giving. With that, Liam hung up the phone, leaving Skyler fuming. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Owen waited for her to hang up, then signaled the others, ¡°Take thedy to rest first; don¡¯t let her overexert herself.¡± Once Owen gave the word, his men didn¡¯t hesitate to pull Skyler away. Regardless of how Skyler ranted and raved, they went in one by one and cleared out everything rted to Skyler. She watched as her belongings were removed from the house she¡¯d lived in for nearly twenty years, and she was beside herself with grief. Skyler picked up her phone and dialed Clyde¡¯s number. At that moment, Clyde was visiting his father¨Cinw with Valeria after his surgery. Seeing Skyler¡¯s call, he frowned. When Valeria saw that the call was from Skyler and Clyde was about to step out to take it, she followed him out. Just as he was about to answer the call, Valeria snatched the phone from him and put it on speaker. Skyler¡¯s helpless voice came from the other end of the line: ¡°Clyde,e quickly. Liam wants to kick me out of the Reed family!¡± Clyde tried to grab the phone back, but Valeria blocked him. She held Clyde¡¯s phone and said, ¡°Sis, Clyde is with me visiting my dad; he really can¡¯t get away right now. Besides, Liam is your son. This is an issue between you two. If you drag Clyde into this, isn¡¯t that just stirring up conflict between him and his nephew?¡± ¡°Liam is a sensible and filial boy. He might just be upset for the moment. Once he cools down, he might come pick you up.¡± Hearing Valeria¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone sent chills down Skyler¡¯s spine. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Valeria just spat out her thoughts and had no intention of listening to Skyler¡¯s exnations. So, after she finished talking, she hung up the phone quickly. Skyler being kicked out by the Reed family was the best news ever! She¡¯d have to bepletely bonkers to let her husband help Skyler! Clyde seemed to be in a sour mood. He held his phone tight and frowned as he said, ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Valeria replied impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Isn¡¯t what I¡¯m saying the truth? Kaylee stirred up trouble and ran to our house. Liam busted our door in order to catch her, and he even injured your son! Why should we get involved in their family drama? Instead of solving the problem, we brought more trouble upon ourselves, and no one seems to appreciate our good intentions.¡± Clyde clenched his jaw and took some time before replying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so harsh.¡± Valeria retorted, ¡°I have been quite polite, actually. How did Skyler treat us when your older brother was still alive? Why should I repay evil with kindness? If it involves the Reed family¡¯s interests, we can help. But this is their family issue; why should we intervene?¡± ¡°A few days ago, I made ns with Janis to have afternoon tea with ire to create opportunities for the kids. But she messed up my ns with the excuse of a reunion with old ssmates! How many of your older brother¡¯s ssmates does she even know? Isn¡¯t she trying to match up Liam and ire? You are helping her now, but once she gets through this rough patch, we¡¯ll be the first ones she¡¯ll turn against!¡± Clyde was at a loss for words because everything Valeria said was true. He knew Skyler¡¯s scheming ways all too well. Liam¡¯s influence on thepany was bing too significant to ignore. If Liam formed an alliance with the Garcia family, his position in thepany would be in jeopardy. After some deep thinking, Clyde finally said, ¡°Let Wesley spend more time with Ms. Garcia.¡± Valeria¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± Skyler was left with no support. Owen and his team packed up Skyler¡¯s belongings and delivered her and her stuff to the Barlow family. The next day, Celeste was rudely awakened early in the morning by a knocking sound. She had been upte watching a show and was so tired that she called her neighbor, Trisha. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Trisha, the takeout is here.¡± Trisha, who was also upte binge¨Cwatching, was equally exhausted. But the mention of takeout immediately revived her. She replied with an energetic ¡°Okay¡± and hopped out of bed. She happily ran to the door but froze when she opened it. There were indeed people delivering something at the door, but they weren¡¯t delivery guys. Instead, they were a group of professionally dressed, good¨Clooking men and women. They were holding a pile of clothes in dust bags, and Trisha¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the Louis Vuitton logo. One of them politely asked, ¡°Is this Ms. Celeste¡¯s residence?¡± Trisha nodded. ¡°You guys are¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to deliver clothes for Ms. Campbell to try on.¡± He then asked, ¡°Is Ms. Campbell not home?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here; I¡¯ll go get her.¡± Trisha immediately went to wake up Celeste. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of people outside saying they¡¯re delivering clothes for you.¡± ¡°Clothes? What clothes?¡± Celeste was still groggy, and her hair was a mess. ¡°I don¡¯t know,e out and see!¡± A few minutester, Celeste saw over a dozen new outfits from various top brands hanging in the living room. These people were strangers to Trisha, but Celeste knew them well. Chapter 762 Chapter 762 Chapter 762 When she first married Liam, she was ridiculed by Kaylee and other socialites for wearingst season¡¯s designer clothes to a banquet. Since then, every time a new collection was released each season, her mother would have it delivered to her home. Most of the expensive clothes in her wardrobe were gifts from her grandmother; she rarely bought anything herself. This month was indeed the time for the clothes to be delivered. But¡­ ¡°Gat, aren¡¯t you aware?¡± Celeste interrupted the young man¡¯s introduction. His voice was gentle. ¡°Aware of what?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m no longer a part of the Reed family. There¡¯s no need to deliver these clothes here anymore.¡± Gat said, ¡°We haven¡¯t received any rted notices.¡± Celeste thought this might be her grandmother¡¯s idea; otherwise, Gat wouldn¡¯t have delivered the clothes to her current residence. She epted it before her divorce; after all, she was the apple of her grandmother¡¯s eye. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. But now that she was divorced, she felt embarrassed to ept. So she said to Gat, ¡°Gat, hold on a second; let me make a call.¡± Gat nodded and said, ¡°Take your time.¡± Celeste dialed a number, reaching Sienna, who was on vacation. The olddy and Mr. Robinson were fishing. When Mr. Robinson said was Celeste who was calling, she took the call. ¡°Granny, it¡¯s me.¡± The olddy chuckled, ¡°Missing your old granny?¡± Celeste smiled. ¡°Yes, when are youing back?¡± ¡°Give it a few more days.¡± At least until Kaylee returns; otherwise, there¡¯ll always be someone who can¡¯t let go. Then she asked, ¡°You need something from Granny?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something.¡± Celeste organized her thoughts before saying, ¡°Granny, Gat came over to deliver clothes. Could you contact the store and have them take the clothes back? I have plenty of clothes already, and I¡¯ve been busy with worktely, so I don¡¯t have much opportunity to wear them. It¡¯s a waste to have them just sitting in the house.¡± The olddy paused, thenughed, ¡°You might have got the wrong person.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The clothes weren¡¯t sent by me.¡± Celeste was surprised. ¡°But weren¡¯t they always sent by you through Gat before?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who had Gat deliver them before,¡± the olddy said, recing the bait that was taken by a small fish. ¡°I¡¯m an olddy in my seventies; what do I know about fashion? What¡¯s in style?¡± If it wasn¡¯t her grandma, then who could it be? The olddy said, ¡°Whoever it is from, just take it. Not using it would be a waste.¡± Mr. Robinson thought the olddy would put in a good word for Liam, but she was actually encouraging Celeste to ept the gifts. After hanging up the phone, Celeste couldn¡¯t calm down. She never expected that all the clothes in her wardrobe were gifts from Liam! Frowning, she recalled the first time Gat came to deliver clothes when Liam was also there. She didn¡¯t dare ept and called Liam down. Liam told her that the clothes were sent by his grandmother, and she believed him. Now thinking about it, grandma didn¡¯t attend that party. How could she possibly know that she was wearing out¨Cof¨Cseason clothes? Liam, that blockhead! Angrily, she dialed Liam¡¯s number. But Owen picked up the call. ¡°Hello there, Ms. Campbell.¡± Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Celeste spoke with a poker face, ¡°Let Liam take the call.¡± Owen nced at the CEO next to him and made up an excuse: ¡°Mr. Reed¡¯s in a meeting right now. If there¡¯s anything you need, you can tell me and I¡¯ll pass it along.¡± Celeste said angrily, ¡°Ask him, does he think he¡¯s done something good?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s he fooling with his show of affection? Do I not know what kind of guy he is?¡± ¡°Liam, you blockhead, you big dummy!¡± As soon as Celeste started hurling insults, Owen had already switched his phone to speaker. This was Ms. Campbell¡¯s ¡°warm greetings¡± to Mr. Reed after their divorce; how could he not let Mr. Reed hear it? Liam listened expressionlessly as Celeste finished her tirade of foulnguage. If it weren¡¯t for him pretending to be in a meeting, he would really want to retort. After Celeste had vented her anger, she was quiet for a while before she said, ¡°Forget it; don¡¯t tell him. Tell him not to send me clothes anymore; I already have more than enough.¡± Liam¡¯s face immediately brightened up. Celeste didn¡¯t want him to hear all this; he still had a ce in her heart. Owen, watching from the side, had made his judgment about their rtionship. Celeste hung up the phone and found everyone looking at her in surprise. She seriously exined, ¡°I¡¯m not usually like this.¡± Everyone¡­ Well, the customer is always right. Even if this customer is a bit hot¨Ctempered. Gat said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, why don¡¯t you try them on? If anything doesn¡¯t fit, we can rece it promptly.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Can you guys take these clothes back?¡± There must be twenty or thirty pieces; she¡¯d have to try them on for a long time. ¡°These clothes are all custom made to your measurements; we can¡¯t return them. Even if you don¡¯t ept them, we¡¯ll still have to charge you.¡± Celeste fell silent. So she obediently went to try on the clothes. With each change, Gat had the apanying photographer take pictures in order to give feedback to the designers and promptly adjust the clothes ording to her style. For the next two hours, Trisha sat at home watching a fashion show. No doubt about it, Liam has a good eye. The clothes he picked were perfect for Celeste. Of course, with a face like Celeste¡¯s, pretty much any outfit would suit her. The suitability here was mainly in terms of temperament. After all the individual pieces and sets were tried on, Gat had someone bring out two boxed sets of lingerie for Celeste to try on. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Before Celeste went into the bedroom, Gat stopped her and said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, these are our new line of lingerie; we need to take photos to give feedback to the designers.¡± Celeste frowned. ¡°You need to take photos of the lingerie too?¡± Gat nodded. ¡°Lingerie is a product that needs to fit and feelfortable; these are all things the designer needs to know. But rest assured, we value our customers¡® privacy very much, and the photos we take will not be leaked.¡± Before Celeste could say anything, Trisha was already holding up her phone to Gat and saying, ¡°I¡¯ve recorded what you just said. If Celeste¡¯s private photos get leaked, you guys are in trouble. Her ex¨Chusband has a lot of influence, enough to bankrupt you.¡± Gat¡­ Celeste¡­ She hadn¡¯t said she agreed yet, had she? But in the end, she was photographed, the reason being simple: the lingerie was designed by a Chinese designer she really liked. This designer had mentioned on social media the custom lingerie process, which indeed included taking photos and sending them back to the designer. However, what Celeste hadn¡¯t expected was that the private photos she had just taken were immediately sent to Liam¡¯s phone. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Chapter 764 After seeing off Gamett and his team, Celeste copsed onto the couch,pletely drained. On the other hand, Trisha was full of energy, using her phone non¨Cstop to take photos of clothes. While she was snapping away, she said, ¡°Celeste, Liam was pretty nice this time. Why did you have to give him a piece of your mind?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Rubbing her temples, Celeste replied after a while, I didn¡¯t want to, but I just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Have you ever had someone give you a present using someone else¡¯s name?¡± Trisha said ¡®Nics, that sneaky guy, once gave me a turtle, saying it was a return gift from Dr Ledford for eating my food I took care of it for a week before I found out it was from Nics and that he had fooled me using Dr. Ledford¡¯s name. Now that I think about it, he was probably hinting that I¡¯m slow like a turtle!¡± To which Celeste could only sigh¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± she said. ¡°Liam does good things, but either doesn¡¯t mention them or teases you about them so you forget his kindness¡± Now that she thought about it, Liam had indeed made manypromises in their marriage, but she had assumed he only had eyes for Sydney, so she didn¡¯t delve deeper into many matters Liam, being the kind of person who didn¡¯t express his feelings, led to more misunderstandings between them, and her disappointment in him grew The copse of their marriage began with Liam¡¯s silence and ended with her suspicions and the interference of others. When she med Liam, she was also ming her past self. With more patience and moremunication, how could they have ended up divorcing? Suddenly. Trisha thought of something. ¡°Celeste, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve never told you¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You know when you and Liam divorced, and you were staying with me, and Liam reported to the police saying I stole his ring?¡± ¡°After you moved out. I signed a script, and it turns out, Liam was the one who hooked me up¡± Celeste was taken aback Trisha was quick to assure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I absolutely didn¡¯t betray you I only found out long after I signed the script.¡± ¡°Liam just wanted you to go back. I asked himter if he would give you the ten billion as agreed when you divorced. He told me he wouldn¡¯t because he never wanted to divorce in the first ce¡± Celeste was stunned. ¡°I was thinking maybe he does good things but doesn¡¯t tell you because he¡¯s afraid you won¡¯t care and it would hurt his pride?¡± Celeste was silent for a moment before slowly asking. ¡°How did you think of that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something else, I had actually forgotten about it, but seeing Liam¡¯s concern for you recently reminded me.¡± Trisha continued, ¡°You remember when you just got married and used toe over to my apartment a lot? Once, after a fight with Liam, you get drunk at my ce and called Liam to pick you up When Liam came, you were drunk and told him that if he wasn¡¯t rich, you wouldn¡¯t have married him. You said his temper was bad, and who would like him? You even said your ex¨Cboyfriends were better than him and nned to find them after the divorce with the money¡± Celeste was speechless. ¡°Are you sure I said those things?¡± Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ¡°I am sure. Even though I was drunk too, I clearly heard every word you said. At the time, Liam was very angry. I was really scared he would treat you badly, but he didn¡¯t say anything and took you home. The next day, when your hangover was gone, you came to go shopping with me, and everything seemed normal, so I didn¡¯t ask ¡°Do you think Liam took the words you said when you were drunk seriously?¡± Celeste was silent. That did sound like something Liam would do. After all, when she casually mentioned she wanted a ne with a hundred and eight diamonds, he really went and bought it for her Celeste had a strange feeling in her heart, finally murmuring. ¡°He¡¯s such a fool Trisha, however, was more interested in another question: ¡°Is your ex¨Cboyfriend really more handsome than Mr. Reed?¡± Celeste could only sigh She casually said, ¡°I only had one boyfriend in high school, and we broke up after two weeks. We no longer keep in touch¡± And besides, who¡¯s more handsome than Liam? At Quantum, Liam was looking at the data feedback on his phone, seething with anger She actually had a first love! Owen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Mr Reed, why don¡¯t you just turn off the data feedback?¡± He had advised Liam not to add the data feedback feature from the beginning Apart from invading privacy, the main reason was that Ms. Campbell often spoke without thinking, and he was afraid it would make Liam¡¯s blood pressure skyrocket if he heard too much Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Thankfully, the feedback wasn¡¯t 24/7. It only activated when Celeste was within two meters of the device. Otherwise, Liam might be angry all day. Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m doing it for her safety¡± In the afternoon, Javier called to say Leonard¡¯s injury had improved a lot and the crew nned to visit him the next morning. He asked Celeste to bring some gifts, as they would be taking photos So, Celeste discussed with Trisha what to bring for a hospital visit It was because of her that Leonard was injured, but since the entire crew was going, her gift couldn¡¯t be too expensive. Trisha suggested. ¡®Why not ask Leonard what he likes and cater to his preferences?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t ept my request.¡± Trisha could only sigh ¡°Big celebrities always have to maintain some mystique.¡± After pondering for a moment, Trisha said, ¡°Let¡¯s bring some flowers and a fruit basket, and tuck a gift card in the basket. When we leave, we can tell his agent so they don¡¯t directly give the basket to someone else Celeste agreed, saying, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea¡± So, the next morning, Celeste went to pick out a fresh bouquet and a basket of fresh fruit. At the scheduled time, she headed to Leonard¡¯s residence. Celeste¡¯s arrival was right on time, and the area around Leonard¡¯s vi was already filled with luxury cars. After parking her car and grabbing her stuff, she got out. At the same time, the door of the Maserati parked in front opened, and Naomi and Sydney stepped out Sydney just got out of the hospital a few days ago, and she still looks pretty wiped out. Naomi, on the other hand, is all dolled up and visiting the patient, she¡¯s even weaning. an evening gown. As soon as they got out of the car, Naomi says, ¡°I was wondering who was the one driving that fancy Cayenne up front, turns out it¡¯s Ms. Campbell. When visitings a patient, do you really need to rent a car?¡± Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Chapter 766 which was a cheap ride for a star like Sydney Naomi had her own fancy car, a gift from someone else. She could afford to buy one with her acting ie, but she couldn¡¯t afford the upkeep So when she saw Celeste¡¯s little Porsche, she just assumed it was a a gift from someone else, too. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of jealousy The photos she leaked of Celeste¡¯s secret rendezvous with a rich man were cleared up by Quantum, clearing Celeste of the scandal But Naomi was convinced that the guy who took Celeste away that night must¡¯ve been a wealthy boss. Who would discuss a partnership in the middle of the night? What really pissed Naomi off about Celeste, aside from stealing her role was that Sydney allergy incident She was bombarded with hate from Sydney¡¯s fans for handing her that But it turned out to be a good thing Sydney had been contacting to the director of coffee Luckily, Sydney cleared things up, or else she¡¯d have gained nothing from at quite frequently recently. A few days ago, a variety show invited Sydney, and the rmended Naomi And today, when she came to visit Leonard, Sydney even en offered her a lift. On their way. Sydney posted a selfie of them, which gained her quite a few followers. Facing Naomi¡¯s two¨Cfacedness, Celeste merely nced at basket er Just when Naomi thought she was going to retort, Celeste walked past her, holding her flowers and frut She didn¡¯t even bother to respond to Naomi¡¯s stupidment. Naomi was instantly infuriated ¡°This disgusting woman! Sydney why is she so haughty?¡± Sydney almost rolled her eyes at her. Of course, she¡¯s haughty! Celeste was the daughter of the Campbell family. To her, a million¨Cdor car was nothing Sydney internallyined about Naomi¡¯s foolishness but didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Maybe Ms. Campbell didn¡¯t hear you¡± ¡°She¡¯s a neer, isn¡¯t she? She didn¡¯t even greet me, a senior in the in the industry I¡¯ve never seen such a rude person!¡± Sydney didn¡¯t want to hear her bbering ¡°Enough, everyone¡¯s almost here. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Naomi finally shut up. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leonard was a hardcore anime fan. His house was filled with anime figures he had collected Celeste didn¡¯t watch anime, so she didn¡¯t recognize most of them. There must be hundreds of figures on that wall. That wall alone must be worth millions, or maybe even more Anyone who can afford to collect these things must be pretty loaded. Celeste sighed. When would she earn that much from filming? Nine people from the crew came five were actors, and the other four were behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes staff, including the director. They arrived at ten, but after waiting for over ten minutes, Leonard still hadn¡¯te down from upstairs They were hosted by his agent and housekeeper After waiting for a while. Javier couldn¡¯t help but ask Leonard¡¯s agent, ¡°How¡¯s Leo doing? Is his wound still hurting? Why hasn¡¯t hee down yet? Should we go up and check?¡± ¡°No need, he¡¯s almost fully recovered, but The agent crouched a bit, nced at Celeste, and said, ¡°He might be a bit shy¡± Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Javier was surprised. ¡°Does he even know what shyness is?¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Javier had worked with Leonard before. Although he looked cold, he was actually shameless. During thest movie, they shot a bath scene, and he wanted to ask Leonard if he needed to clear the set. But Leonard asked him back if he needed to show his first nude scene¨Che was willing to bare his butt for the scene. Was that something a shy person would say? The agent thought to himself, Whether one feels shy depends on who they¡¯re facing He looked at the time and told Javier, ¡°Mr. Javier, why don¡¯t you guys have some tea and look around? I¡¯ll go get him Seeing Javier nod, the agent went upstairs. At that moment, in the dressing room upstairs, the agent opened the door to see Leonard in his underwear, looking for clothes The agent sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve been picking clothes since eight in the morning, and its almost half past tent Why haven¡¯t you put anything on?¡± Leonard frowned. ¡°I feel like none of them are suitable Let me pick some more ¡°Pick what? If you keep picking your goddess will leave Leonard immediately became anxious. ¡°She hasn¡¯t seen me yet, how can she leave? ¡°You¡¯ve kept her waiting too long!¡± Leonard said. ¡°But I want to dress formally and leave a good impression on her, don¡¯t [7¡± ¡°All these people came to see you, she won¡¯t notice what you¡¯re wearing You might as well dress as you usually do¡± ¡°Really?¡± Leonard was a bit doubtful The agent pulled him in front of the mirror and said, ¡°Look¡± Leonard was puzzled ¡®Look at what?¡± ¡°Look at your face! Do you still need to pick clothes?¡± Leonard instantly felt better. He touched his handsome face and patted the agent¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°You¡¯re right) The agent just smiled The agent came down ten minutester with Leonard Leonard wore a white tank top and ck casual pants As a qualified idol, Leonard was very strict about his physique management When she was in the hospital, she only cared about his injuries and didn¡¯t pay much attention Now that she saw him, his physique was really good. The muscle lines on his waist, legs, and arms were all very clear. Combined with his delicate facial features, it¡¯s no wonder he had so many crazy fans Leonard¡¯s face was calm, but inside, he was very excited When he came downstairs, he saw Celeste looking at him. He remembered the agent¡¯s advice not to make eye contact for too long to avoid giving himself away, so he deliberately looked away. But he could still feel Celeste¡¯s gaze Sweeping over him. Would she think he was dressed too casually? Leonard started to feel a bit antsy, kicking himself for not dressing up more like he had originally wanted to Of course, the others had no clue about the star¡¯s inner turmoil. As soon as he showed up, everyone swarmed around him, giving him gifts and asking about his well being with genuine concern. When it was Celeste¡¯s turn, she handed him flowers and gently said, ¡°Get well soon! Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Chapter 768 This time, Leonard Leonard was psyc to make direct eye contact with his dream girl, Celeste on the inside, but he put on a poker face to hide his excitement From Celeste¡¯s perspective. Leonard seemed a tad aloof She remembered how she tried to add Leonard on WhatsApp but got rejected. She wondered if Leonard was afraid that hanging out with an actress would upset his fans After all, as a public figure, Leonard had to consider how his fans felt. ¡°Did you buy these flowers? Leonard asked softly. Celeste was pulled back from her thoughts and nodded. Leonard¡¯s ears turned a shade of red Celeste wanted to make Leonard happy, but her WhatsApp friend request hadn¡¯t even been epted ¡°Next time I will pick up more carefully¡± Leonard was thrilled to hear this It seemed like them was still a chance to buy him flowers next time! But then he realized that Celeste didn¡¯t even have his contact info How was he going to send her flowers next time? Leonard suddenly came up with an idea Did you know about the changes in our script?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°The director already told me Leonard said, ¡°We have a lot more lines now. The director suggested we rehearse privately Are you free?¡± Celeste thought it was a great idea. She admired Leonard¡¯s dedication to his work, so she agreed Leonard continued. ¡°But I don¡¯t have your contact info.¡± Celeste was surprised: ¡°I added you on WhatsApp before, you might have missed it ¡± Leonard checked his WhatsApp messages He saw Celeste¡¯s friend request and said ¡°Sorry. I got too many messages¡± Celeste said with a smile, Tll add you now¡± Leonard¡¯s heart raced, but he didn¡¯t show it. As soon as he epted Celeste¡¯s frend request, he immediately changed her nickname to ¡°Wifey Leonard, the crazy fan, finally fulfilled his wish of bing WhatsApp friends with his dream girl, Celeste. Celeste said, ¡°Just hit me up when you want to rehearse I¡¯m mostly free¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leonard tried to hide his joy and said. ¡°Sure¡± Seeing Celeste sessfully add Leonard on WhatsApp, Naomi immediately felt jealous. She walked over with her phone, rudely pushed Celeste aside, and said to Leonard with a smile, ¡°Leonard, let¡¯s add each other on WhatsApp too. We can act together and improve¡± Celeste was shoved aside but said nothing. She just stood there with her cup. She didn¡¯t want to argue with this simple¨Cminded person on such an asion. Seeing Celeste back off, Naomi was quite pleased But watching his dream girl be offended by this overly shy woman made Leonard quite pissed. Where did this persone from? Naomi was oblivious to the change in Leonard¡¯s mood Leonard nced at her and asked, ¡°Did you read the script?¡± ¡°Of course ¡°You read the script, and you didn¡¯t realize we only have four lines together? You need to rehearse four lines, how bad is your acting?¡± Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Naomi was taken aback. She didn¡¯t want to rehearse any lines, she just wanted to add Leonard on WhatsApp Everyone wanted a piece of Leonard¡¯s poprity, even Sydney Why not her? Seeing Leonard ept Celeste¡¯s friend request on WhatsApp, she thought she could seize the opportunity to add him too, only to be bluntly rejected Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Out of anger, Naomi made an excuse ¡°We don¡¯t necessarily have to rehearse. We need to keep in touch for the film¡¯s promotion isn¡¯t it more convenient to have each other¡¯s contact info?¡± Leonard replied even more sharply, ¡°Promotion is for the lead actors. You¡¯re not the lead, do we need to keep in touch?¡± Naomi¡¯s smile froze on her face She imed to be a lead actress, but that was a title she gave herself Other than the few main actors, everyone had about the same amount of screen time. But no one else had been in the industry as long as her, so they would show her some respect when they met She debuted earlier than Leonard In theory he should respect her as his senior. But Leonard was not just any actor, and he didn¡¯t respect her After he finished speaking, he added. ¡°Back off a bit, your scent is bothering me Leonard didn¡¯t mean to insult her He was just stating the facts. Naomi¡¯s perfume was strong if she just walked by him, Leonard would find it unpleasant but wouldn¡¯t say anything But she kept talking to him, and the smell made him ufortable. He was sensitive to scents and now he felt like throwing up To Naomi, however, this was extremely embarrassing. She didn¡¯t smell How could she make him feel sick? It was clear he was deliberately humiliating her Celeste stood aside, hearing their conversation loud and clear The way he talked was quite Liam¨Clike. Thinking of Liam, Celesteughed She sent Liam a message with a picture of Leonard in a suit, along with the message, ¡°Look, Leonard is handsome too Seeing the picture, Liam looked serious. Seeing the message, he frowned. He turned to Nics and asked. ¡°Do you know Leonard?¡± Nics was sharing his game scores with Trisha on the couch when he heard Liam¡¯s question. Liam looked serious ¡°Letti sent me a picture of Leonard. I think she¡¯s saying Leonard looks like me Nics Liam was unhappy ¡°is Leonard better looking than me?¡± Nics was silent ¡®Im asking you¡± Seeing him not respond, Liam raised his voice Nics, of course, seized the chance to tease Liam ¡°Well, of course you¡¯re looking good, but then again, who doesn¡¯t fancy a bit of youth, huh?¡± Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Chapter 770 ¡°You¡¯re good¨Clooking, but aging is inevitable, youck the energy of the young Oh, Leonard is so young, his skin is so smooth. The fans of Leonard think that their lives would be meaningless if they couldn¡¯t get close to Leonard popr he is Liam Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Looking at Liam¡¯s cold face, Nics added jokingly Theard Leonard is ying a couple with Celeste in the drama I wonder if they have any intimate scenes. The fans will go crazy seeing these two attractive people acting together, won¡¯t they?¡± Whether the fans would go crazy or not, he didn¡¯t care He only wanted to see Liam¡¯s reaction Liam stared at him, then suddenly asked. ¡°Did you enjoy the meals that Ms. Colton made for you for a morth? Nics countered. ¡°What meals?¡± Liam nced at him and said, ¡°Ms. Colton got you to check out Helen, you are enjoying the fruits of my labor, does it make you happy?¡± Nics He coughed lightly and said. ¡°We¡¯re all brothers, why make distinctions?¡± Liam snorted coldly, saving the recording Nics was cunous How did you know?¡± Liam nced at him and said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want others to know, don¡¯t do it Nics How did Liam know? All thanks to Na. Trisha loved Na very much, she would either pull Na to ask this and that whenever she had time, or she would justin about people and things around her Nics had been eating her meals for a month and still hadn¡¯t figured things out, so she started comining about Nics being useless in front of his When Na heard that this involved Celeste, she fled the information back to Liam, so he learned about Nics¡® actions. Actually, he didn¡¯t care much, he was all too aware of Nics way of doing things But if he enjoyed himself while stirring up trouble, then he wouldn¡¯t let him have an easy time ¡°Speaking of which, how¡¯s your investigation going?¡± Liam said, ¡°Helen indeed has a cousin named Bart.¡± Nics frowned. ¡°So he¡¯s not her lover? Liam looked up ¡°People from Helens old hometown said that Bart was kidnapped by human traffickers when he was just over two years old After Bart was kidnapped, his family reported it to the police. Later, there was news that Bart had been found. The police asked his family to identify him. But it had been several years by then, the journey was long, and the cost was high, so they did not go to identify him. ¡°If they didn¡¯t go to identify him, how did Helen get in touch with Bart?¡± Liam tapped his fingers on the table and thought for a while before asking. ¡°If you were kidnapped and your parents didn¡¯t want to pick you up because of the high cost of travel, would you still keep in touch with them?¡± ¡°Of course not¡± Nics answered, then suddenly realized, ¡°This guy is not Bart!¡± Liam said. Tve been wondering where Shawn got the money to buy Smart Chips stocks, now I understand¡± Nics was confused. ¡°So Helen found a fake brother to get close to Krista and help Shawn?¡± Liam sneered ¡°Do you think she did it for Shawn?¡± Helen had been with Shawn for many years but had always been burdened with a bad reputation Shawn was insensitive and far less scheming than Helens. How could Helen. be devoted to such a person? Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Chapter 771 She was so thoughtful and deliberate, naturally, for her own position and her children Shawn was past his prime and preferred boys Helen had a son and a daughter for him. After Shawn¡¯s death, the Campbell family¡¯s property would naturally belong to the two children. She was paving the way for her own children. Nics had seen a lot of insider stories of J City¡¯s wealthy families, but he had never seen anyone like Helen She had endured for more than twenty years, sent her daughter to the Campbell family, and then found a man to impersonate her brother With such scheming But ¡°Why does the fake Bart let her manipte him?¡± ¡°Either he is being ckmailed by Helen, or ¡°Liam continued. ¡°Their goals are the same ¡®Goals Nics was smart and immediately understood. ¡°You mean Helen¡¯s children are this marist Liam said. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess I¡¯ll tell you after I verify it ? ¡°Will you expose Bart¡¯s identity after you verify it? Nics was a little excited ¡°No.¡± Liam said lightly. Tin¡¯t it more fun to let Shawn discover it himself?¡± Compared to Helen the one Letti hated most was Shawn. He was the root cause of Caitlyn¡¯s tragic life and the one who pushed Letti to the forefront after the divorce Nics said. ¡°You are ruthless, but I am quite looking forward to it. It¡¯s just a pity for Krista. She finally found a young husband, who is only after her money¡± Speaking of Krista, he naturally thought of Mason. ¡°Have you seen Mason in the past few days?¡± Liam said coldly. ¡°No¡± Nics didn¡¯t notice and continued, ¡°I brought some stuff to hisw firm when I came here today. Mason has a cut on his head, at least three centimeters long right on the left temple¡± Liam was taken aback and asked, ¡°How is het ¡°What can he do? Among us, isn¡¯t Mason the most obedient one? When he was a child, he had to stand as punishment if he came homete. If he fought back when bullied at school, he would also be punished at home If I were born into such a family, I would have gone crazy a long time ago.¡± Nics was the best at handling interpersonal rtionships among these young, nich people. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He had been good at socializing since he was young, he could say what people wanted to hear no matter who he met Therefore, when he transferred to J City although he was isted by some troublemakers in the school for a while, the elders liked him very much. Because he was good at pleasing people and could handle various situations, most of the elders liked children like him But the old man of the Fletcher family was an exception Back in the day when Liam and he used to hang out at Mason¡¯s ce, he met Mason¡¯s grandad for the first time. He respectfully followed Mason and Liam¡¯s lead, calling the old man ¡®Grandpa Although Mason¡¯s grandpa agreed, he turned around and gave them candy. He gave Liam imported chocte, but all he got was regr candy Liam pretended not to like it and gave the chocte to me. Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Chapter 772 But he still couldn¡¯t shake this from his mind. He initially thought Mason¡¯s grandpa, like his ssmates, despised him because of his humble background As he started his own business after graduation and achieved significant sess in his field, he began to grasp the truth Mason¡¯s grandpa wasn¡¯t a fan of his origins. Even though he worked his way up to his current status, in the old man¡¯s eyes, he was still from a lowly background and not worthy of his attention To him, aristocrats like Liam were noble, while self made people like himself, no matter how high they climbed, were always lowly The reason he wasn¡¯t as close to Mason as he was to Liam had a lot to do with Masoris grandpa. One summer he went to catch fish in the river with Mason At that time, Mason was involved in many extracurricr activities and had homework to do every day Nobody ever cared much about Nics¡¯s studies, and he was always at the bottom of his ss before high school So he persuaded Mason to skip school, and they went fishing for an afternoon When they got back to the Fletcher family, Mason¡¯s grandpa refused to let him in He asked a servant to bring a knife and said. ¡°Since you love fish so much, get a closer look at what they¡¯re really He made Mason use the knife to gut each fish they caught The sight of Mason gutting fish and crying was still etched in his memory For him, gutting fish was no big deal since that¡¯s how his family earned their living. But for Mason, it was a devastating blow Masonter developed a dislike for fish, which he guessed was probably due to that incident That was a long time ago, and with Mason spending so many years abroad for treatment, the memory gradually faded Liam clenched his fists and stayed silent for a long time Nics said again, I¡¯m having drinks with Mason this weekend,e with us! Liam replied, ¡°I¡¯m not going¡± ¡°Enough with the act, we¡¯ve been friends for years, let¡¯s just talk it out¡® Nics walked over and patted his shoulder ¡°By the way, don¡¯t tell Trisha I didn¡¯t help her investigate Helen Liam nced at him and said, ¡®Got it¡± As soon as Nics lett, Liam sent the audio he had just recorded to Trisha¡¯s WhatsApp, and then carefully typed a message. ¡°Although Nics is my good friend, I don¡¯t want you to be deceived¡± Messageposed Sent Nics getting Trisha¡¯s forgiveness so quickly made him uneasy The moment Nics got in his car, Trisha called N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Nics smirked ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I miss you!¡± Trisha looked pissed She was furious This annoying guy! He¡¯s been lying to her for the past month! ¡°When are youing home?¡± Trisha asked Nics replied with augh, ¡°What¡¯s with the question? Worried I¡¯ll be homete?¡± ¡°Tm cooking tonight. if youe homete, I won¡¯t cook for you¡± Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Nics Francis, upon hearing dinner was a go, responded immediately. Tve got nothing going on tonight, Fl be home early Trisha Colton chuckled sarcastically, her tone submissive yet cunning. Tll be waiting then.¡± On the other side, Celeste Campbell had to wait a bit for a response from Liam Reed, which came in the form of a photo A work photo of his A candid shot of him in theb was used as a news picture on thepany website He was dressed in a ck shirt, standing at ab table with a pair of frameless sses perched on his nose as he redewed data on a tablet The photo was taken at an angle showcasing Liam¡¯s chiseled (myline His ck shirt sleeves were rolled up to the albow and ten buttons were undone at the cor revealing a slight Adam¡¯s apple perfectly connecting the curve of his jaw and corbone. The sses added an air of meticulous restraint to his ab demeanor Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Leonard Hann¡¯s photos were always full of youthful energy But Liam¡¯s senous demeanor and powerful aura didn¡¯t need to y up any youthful energy. He could simply stand there doing nothing, and still be utterly captivating However this didn¡¯t seem like a photo Liam would choose Liam has always been oblivious to his own attractiveness, thinking his best photos were those where he was on the podium, holding a trophy When they were decorating a photo wall at home, Celeste had asked Liam to pick some solo shots of himself And he sent a bunch of award photos XXX Liniversity XXpetition first prize. XX best design award. XX technologypetition achievement award. He insisted on choosing those where he was hugging the trophy to his chest, as if he wanted everyone to see the award¡¯s nama At that time she thought Liam was messing with her butter realized that he really thought those photos were cool¨Che thought talent was cool The photo was nicely taken Liam was the type who got unintentionally nervous in front of the camera, so candid shots like this suited him better, although he probably didn¡¯t think they looked good. But he chose to send this photo to her, perhaps someone suggested it Celeste guessed right, the photo wasn¡¯t chosen by Liam but by Owen from the team group chat The photo originated from apany job recruitment article written by several newly hired young employees Their thoughts were erratic, their word choices bold, and they even dared to joke about the boss. They put this work photo of Liam directly in the recruitment brochure and wrote in erged bold font ¡°Enjoy the handsome boss benefit after joining! What are you waiting for? Submit your resume now!¡± Of course, this recruitment brochure was eventually sent back by Liam for revision, but it was circted among the employees. Whenever everyone was working overtime to the point of hair loss, they would joke, Who asked for the boss to be handsome and generous? Just bear with it. After all, other bosses might be ugly and stingy. Owen thought it was funny and sent the photo to Liam. Liam didn¡¯t think the photo looked particrly good, but since everyone else wasplimenting it, he sent it to Celeste After sending the message, he added, ¡°I don¡¯t look like Leonard Hann, I¡¯m way more handsome¡± This left Celeste speechless What a childish guy Those who came to visit Leonard Hann today included members of their crew and some industry people. Leonard Hann was going to the hospital for a check¨Cup in the afternoon, so everyone chose to visit him in the morning. More and more people arrived in the living room. Leonard Hann was surrounded by people and had no chance to talk to Celeste, which annoyed him. Celeste didn¡¯t know many people, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to join their conversations, so she stood off to the side. Chapter 774 Chapter 774 When it was time for a group photo, Javier called Celeste over Among these people, the most famous were Leonard Hann and Sydney Denton, so naturally, they were ced in the middle Javier, as an industry elder, also stood in the middle, with everyone else fanning out Celeste was rtively unknown in this setting, so she stood at the very edge. Because she was standing so far away, the camera could only capture half of her face Leonard Hann frowned, tumed his head, and pulled Celeste over Celeste didnt react in time and was pulled to the front After Leonard Hann pulled her over, he found the space a bit cramped, so he turned to Sydney and said. ¡°Could you move to the side a little? Sydney N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces varied, and Sydney¡¯s face was even more dissatisfied Leonard Hann hated Sydney¡¯s publicity stunts. When he had worked with her before, she had tried to link up with him twice, and Leonard Hann had unfollowed her ount The incident was big and made the hot trend news Leonard Hann¡¯s fans said that Sydney was chasing Leonard Hann. Her team contacted Leonard Hann hoping he could help nty but Leonard Hann¡¯s team deleted her teams contact information. Sydney So he cant be linked up with me, but he can with Celeste? And why should she give way to Celeste? In this circle she was the senior What was Celeste? Seeing Sydney not moving Leonard Hann frowned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving? Sydney She took a deep breath before reluctantly taking a tiny step Leonard Hann was unsatisfied, such a small space couldn¡¯t even fit a cat, let alone a person. He wanted to say something, but Celeste intervened, saying. Tll stand at the back; fm tall, and standing in front will block the camera. Maybe Leonard Hann meant well, but Celeste didn¡¯t want to stand in the middle. It was too attention grabbing Upon hearing this. Leonard Hann immediately said. Til stand at the back too; I¡¯m also tall So, everyone saw Leonard Hann sticking like glue to Celeste, moving from the center to the back in the group photo Everyone How were they supposed to pose now? So, the original triangle formation gradually morphed into a U-shape, with Celeste and Leonard Hann bing the focus of the photo, while Sydney, who was originally in the muddle, was pushed to the sidelines Celeste A phrase suddenly came to mind. I wanted to keep a low profile, but my awesomeness just won¡¯t allow it] As for Leonard Hann, he was usually so serious in photos, but today, because of his intimate photo with Celeste, he was grinning like a goofball from a noble family¨Cheavily handsome yet endearingly dorky After the photo shoot, Leonard Hann went upstairs to apply some medication. Celeste spoke to Leonard Hann¡¯s agent about the gift card for Leonard, and then she left first. When Leonard Hann came down and didn¡¯t see Celeste, he immediately started to panic. The agent handed Leonard the gift card and said, ¡°This is your Christmas present from your goddess.¡± Leonard was stunned ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She left. She must have felt awkward with all these strangers around¡± Leonard wasn¡¯t pleased ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who suggested that the whole crew shoulde over? What a spectacle! He grabbed the gift card and stormed upstairs. The agent just rolled his eyes helplessly As soon as Celeste left. Leonard Hann lost all interest in entertaining the guests. The agent had no choice but to pretend that Leonard¡¯s injury was acting up shooed everyone away As they left Leonard¡¯s house and got in the car, Naomi couldn¡¯t help but burst out, ¡°Does she even know her ce? Dare she stand in the middle of the group photo? Does she think she¡¯s that important?¡± Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Sydney fell silent. In this industry, everyone was such a realist. Back when she was a nobody she was always shoved into the corner in group photos if she identally blocked someone¡¯s face, she had to apologize meekly If the star of the photo wasn¡¯t happy, with a single word, she could be cropped out of the photo So when she finally made a name for herself, she paid special attention to her position in group photos. This was supposed to be a group photo of the cast She was the lead actress, but the one standing in the center wasn¡¯t her, it was Celeste who she didn¡¯t get along with After Celeste¡¯s divorce, she didn¡¯t lose her spirit from losing the title of Mrs Reed¡® in fact, she was no lucky easily signing with Skyline Madia Group and getting roles in big productions, and even Leonard Hann, the heartthrob seemed to be infatuated with her. All this made Sydney both envious and jealous She had no movies out yet she was just known in the circle because of ¡°Celestial Haze¡± If she did well in future wo Being in the samepany, Sydney couldn¡¯t help feeling threatened She had to suppress the nsing star before it shone too brightly Otherwise, once the new star shone, her own light would be overshadowed. Thinking about this. Sydney downyed it. It¡¯s just a position in a photo, no biggie¡± her rise to fame would just be Naomi was immediately indignant. ¡°You¡¯re just too nice in showbiz, the position of actors in a group photo is determined by their status. That¡¯s the rule. Doesn¡¯t she know this basic rule¡± She¡¯s obviously trying to steal the limelight! If this photo goes out, anyone will dare to stand in front of you overshadowing you ¡± Sydney replied. ¡°I know but we¡¯re in the samepany, and even after we finish filming, we¡¯ll see each other often I don¡¯t want things to be awkward¡± Hearing this. Naomi saw an opportunity if she could stand up for Sydney, Sydney would surely appreciate her. Then she could promote their friendship and boost her poprity So she said. ¡°You can¡¯t deal with this yourself. She wants to stand in the center, but does she even have the qualifications?¡± Sydney smirked and then said with ¡°concern¡°, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything extreme.¡± Naomi reassured her saying ¡°I just want to teach her a lesson.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When Celeste got home, as soon as she opened the door, she was hit by a strong smell of chili, making her sneeze As she sneezed her way to the kitchen, she asked. ¡°What are you making? It¡¯s so spicy?¡± Trisha was in the kitchen, wearing a gas mask, stirring the chili in the pot with a spat. Seeing Celestee over, she threw her another gas mask. ¡°You should go back to your room, I still have a while to go.¡± Celeste struggled to put on the mask, and looking at the pot of red chili, she couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Did you ever consider our stomachs?¡± Trisha replied, ¡°This isn¡¯t for us Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Celeste paused ¡°It¡¯s not for Nics, right? He can¡¯t handle spicy food¡± Trisha smirked ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m doing this.¡± Celeste ¡°I want to know What exactly did he do to upset you?¡± Mentioning this. Trisha was fuming ¡°That jerk said he would help me find information about Helen and made me cook for him for a month. I was exhausted from work every day hot 1 and had to conk for him And you know what? The information wasn¡¯t even from him it was from your ex husband Celeste ¡°He used the information from your ex¨Chusband imed it as his own, deceived me, and made me wait on him like a maid to sleep for a year?¡± Celeste was first touched, realizing that Trisha had been cooking for Nics in hopes that he could help her investigate Helen. She was indeed a good friend. Then she found it amusing Because it was not surprising that Nics would do something like this Nics yed with eagles all day and ended up getting pecked in tha aya So she said, ¡°Add some pepper and mustard to double the spiciness¡± Trisha paused ¡°Great idea?¡± Nics was already looking forward to the home¨Ccooked meal that night, he even left work early Considering this was Trisha¡¯s first time inviting him to dinner, he felt he couldn¡¯t show up empty¨C handed, so he pre¨Cordered a ck Swan caka After picking up the cake after work, he rushed home When he got upstairs he went straight to room 901 But after ringing the doorbell for a long time, no one came to open the door Trisha texted him, saying Celeste was memorizing lines and she didn¡¯t want to disturb her, so he should wait at home and she would bring dinner over. Nics replied with an OK. Half an hourter, Trisha¡¯s ¡°secret recipe for spicy stewed chicken was ready. To make it look less spicy she even thoughtfully used oil¨Cabsorbing paper to remove a lot of oil, making the color not so red Trisha grinned maliciously. ¡°After eating this, even the toughest gut can¡¯t handle it?¡± Celeste gave her a thumbs up. Never piss off a cook. After Trisha left, Celeste was bored at home alone. She was about to start filming so Celeste didn¡¯t dare to eat at night recently. After all, she was ying a dancer, and if her figure was too bad, it would make the audience feel inappropriate She drank two cups of water, felt a bit full, andy down on the sofa She opened Twitter, switched to her alt ount, and then went to Liam¡¯s page Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Histest tweet was still a reply to her previous ¡°sponsor me¡± tweet She scrolled down and found that Liam¡¯s tweets were all work¨Crted and quite boring So she opened his following list Out of the dozen or so ounts he followed, besides hers, almost all were official ounts As she was scrolling she noticed Liam was following an ount called ¡°Mr Golden¡± Celeste ??? This ount seemed familiar Thinking about it, she clicked on the ount¡¯s main page. Chapter 777 Chapter 777 It turned out this ount had its visibility to six months, and the blogger only posted one update within half a year, precisely half a year ago The only visible content was a retweet of a tech news article about core grain technology posted by a verified user, which was mind¨Cbogglinglyplex. This retweet had hundreds ofments Celeste opened up thement section. No daily life update from Mr. Golden today? Obviously they had a fight Mr Golden only shares news when they fight | To be frank, Lenjoy their fights, especially when Mr. Golden posts bonus requests for advice, he looks so cool] [You¡¯re into him because he¡¯s cool? You¡¯re into his bonus, admit it¡®] Who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d be drawn in by Mr. Golder¡¯s article Predictions for Future Tech Development and end up being a loyal fan of him and his wife?) I get it, more than half of thement section was drawn in by his review and popr science articles Who would¡¯ve thought his daily life with his wife was even more interesting? Mr Golden is absolutely a tech expert. Our tutor said the articles he writes could be used directly as thesis papers] I still prefer his daily life updates. He¡¯s a genius at writing articles, but when ites to his wife, he¡¯s totally helpless. It¡¯s both awkward and hrious] You better stopughing, or Mr. Golden will hit you with his bonus | Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. [You can criticize his articles, but if you say anything bad about his wife, he¡¯ll debate you Mr Golden will leave you speechless with his impable logic It¡¯s been almost five months without an update, did Mr. Golden get a divorce?) [Look at it from a different angle, maybe they have a new family member, that¡¯s why they haven¡¯t updated] A tech blogger Celeste originally thought the username was weird. Who would follow such an ount? It turned out it¡¯s a blogger who posted popr science articles on technology She exited the homepage to check out trending searches and found that the top topic on the entertainment list was ¡°clout chasing nobody¡± Who¡¯s the little star being questioned this time? Out of curiosity Celeste clicked on it, only to find out that she was the one being questioned. The cause was a group photo posted by the drama ount of today¡¯s visit to the sick Celeste and Leonard Hann happened to be standing in the middle. Thement section started off normal, then someone thought Leonard Hann and Celeste looked like a good match, so they created a hashtag specifically for fans of this couple. Unexpectedly, the hashtag became a huge hit and even made it to the regional trending list Leonard Hann¡¯s fans were not happy. They hated this kind of passive hype, so they naturally treated Celeste like those who used the excuse of filming to take advantage of Leonard Hann¡¯s poprity That¡¯s how the topic ¡°#clout¨Cchasing nobody¡± came about Celeste knew that when working with a pop superstar like this, she had to tread carefully. Their fans were seriously hardcore. Look, they haven¡¯t even started shooting yet, and she¡¯s already been used of chasing clout How boring Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Just as she was about to throw her phone aside, Liam called. Celeste answered the phone ¡°Letti, are you okay?¡± Liam asked. Celeste was taken aback. ¡°What could possibly be wrong with me?¡± Liam breathed a sigh of relief, then said, ¡°Stop using Twitter, just quit it Only then did Celeste realize what Liam meant by ¡°are you okay. He probably saw the maliciousments online, was worried about her, and called to check on her. Celeste asked, ¡°You saw it?¡± Liam hummed in response, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind what they say Celeste replied, ¡°I don¡¯t care They can say what they want.¡± If you don¡¯t have a strong heart, you shouldn¡¯t be in this business. That was the advice their teacher gave them when they graduated She should listen to the sincere advice from those who had seen her work, not the gossip of some bandwagoners on the inte Liam felt slightly relieved. Tve asked someone to delete those maliciousments Just don¡¯t look at them for the next few days.¡± Celeste immediately sat up and asked ¡°Why waste money on that? You might as well give me the money. They can say what they want, it won¡¯t affect me anyway Plus, isn¡¯t this free publicity for me? Why suppress it?¡± Liam helplessly rubbed his temples and said, ¡°You may not care what others say about you, but I do. You¡¯re nothing like what they say you are Why should I let them spread rumors need that Also, stop thinking about money all the time, I have money! If you want exposure, III buy it for you. We don¡¯t need that kind of malicious traffic.¡± Celeste realized Liam was suddenly being domineering and couldn¡¯t help butugh. When Liam heard herugh, he felt a lot better. He asked. ¡°Am I that funny?¡± ¡°No, Celeste tried to suppress herughter, ¡°I just thought of a plot from a web novel.¡± ¡°What?¡± Even though Liam didn¡¯t read romance novels, he listened attentively ¡°The assistant tells the CEO Thedy has been hung up on the city gate for three days. The CEO coldly asked, Has she admitted her mistake? The assistant replied. Thedy has been dried up in the sun. After saying this, Celeste startedughing first Liam was left baffled by this nonsensical dialogue. Is this what romance novels are like now? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Although he didn¡¯t quite get it, seeing Celesteugh made himugh too After Celeste stoppedughing, she wiped away her tears and said, ¡°You kind of remind me of the CEO in that novel.¡± Liam was at a loss for words. ¡°How could t Liam rejected theparison, saying, ¡°How could I leave you hanging on a city wall? After thinking about it, apart from having a simr haughty demeanor, Liam really wasn¡¯t that cruel. His grandmother once said that Liam was kind¨Chearted but a bit too soft, which wasn¡¯t a good thing for a businessman. She used to think his grandmother was just worried about her grandson, but now she realized that she knew him too well Liam was shoved into the position of heir, and every step was a real struggle Celeste was deep in thought, then suddenly asked, ¡°Liam, if you had chosen to marry a girl from a well¨Coff family would you be the big cheese of J City by now? ¡°The big cheese. Liamughed ¡°Why would you think that?¡± ¡°Dont dodge the question!¡± Celeste was dead serious Liam sighed. ¡°Lay off the overdramatic TV shows, not every rich family needs to tie the knot for mutual benefits, one¡¯s own capabilities matter too. Plus, I don¡¯t want to furn marriage into a bargaining chip, I just want to marry the one I love.¡± Chapter 779 Chapter 779 The woman he wants to marry¡­ Ah, this man, after divorce, somehow managed to touch her heart even more Celeste¡¯s heart was pounding out of her chest when a sudden thought hit her. ¡°Is your first love really not Sydney?¡± Liam: ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Liam pondered for a moment. Previously, due to Coco¡¯s frequent blood transfusions, he indeed had more contact with Sydney, and Sydney sneakily got the paparazzi to snap pictures of them together. He was livid about this. He even had a gossip magazine shut down as a warning But as Sydney¡¯s poprity grew, it became increasingly difficult to control the news like before However, the media didn¡¯t dare reveal anything about him, so he didn¡¯t realize that Celeste had misunderstood his rtionship with Sydney What surprised him even more was that she actually thought Sydney was his first love Celeste pouted, ¡°A few days before our wedding when we went to take wedding photos, I heard people talking¡± ¡°They said you liked a small¨Ctime starlet, and your family didn¡¯t approve You had to cut ties with her and reluctantly went for blind dates. Among all the blind date candidates, my family was the poorest, so you chose me to piss off your family since they were against your rtionship Liam He was silent for a while before he said, ¡°What kind of person do you think I am?¡± Celeste blurted out without hesitation, ¡°You¡¯re a two¨Ctimer, fickle, hot¨Ctempered, sharp tongued, and petty, jealous, and you don¡¯t mean what you say Liam¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your critique.¡± ¡°Oh Celeste, shut up Liam rubbed his temples. ¡°Don¡¯t you think what you just said is contradictory?¡± ¡°If my family wouldn¡¯t let me marry a starlet, it means I don¡¯t have control over my own marriage. Then how could I oppose them by marrying ydu? They probably wouldn¡¯t agree to me marrying you either, right? But I sessfully married you, which means I can control my own marriage. Therefore, the assumption that I can¡¯t marry my first love is false It doesn¡¯t hold water.¡± Celeste was stunned. Liam¡¯s reasoning had her all confused. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She pursed her lips ¡°Can you exin it in simpler terms?¡± Liam said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a first love before marriage, and after marriage, my first love is you¡± Celeste¡¯s face turned red instantly She asked him to simplify it, not to sweet¨Ctalk her ¡± N 5 Even though Liam had previously told her that there was nothing between him and Sydney, the idea of Sydney being Liam¡¯s first love had been embedded in her mind for a long time Even now, she still had a lot of doubts. ¡°Why did you call out Sydney¡¯s name when you were delirious with fever?¡± Liam: 722 ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯ve already lost enough points because of you, don¡¯t find more excuses to dock me Hearing this, Celeste got angry. ¡°I was taking care of you when you were sick, but you kept mumbling Sydney¡¯s name. If Sydney is so great, why didn¡¯t you let her take care of you?¡± Liam¡­ ¡°What did I say?¡± ¡°You said ¡®Sydney¡® Liam frowned ¡°Are you sure I said ¡®Sydney¡® and not ¡®Letti?¡± Celeste was taken aback and said doubtfully. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Why not? I was feverish and muddled, my speech was slurred, how can you be sure you didn¡¯t hear it wrong?¡± So he wasnt saying Sydney¡¯s name when he was feverish? Reality and imagination were worlds apart. Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Celeste didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or angry at the moment, but finally, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Liam paused for a moment, then said quietly. ¡°I only found out today that you misunderstood this Why didn¡¯t you ask me before?¡± It was Celeste¡¯s turn to be silent. Why didn¡¯t she ask? Because Celeste thought there was something between Liam and Sydney but didn¡¯t want to ask for rity, in case the humiliated herself, After all, the was already married to Liam, and sooner orter she would rece that first love Who would have thought that there was no such thing as first love at all? Liamforted her, saying. ¡°You were young then, too naive¡± Celeste¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep with me right after we got married? Liam: ¡°Could you refrain from asking such explicit personal questions?¡± Celeste said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask in front of others, can¡¯t we talk about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t talk about it Liam said gently. It¡¯s just that my current situation is a bit awkward. If I bring up this topic, I¡¯m afraid you might feet harassed¡± Celeste thought, Are you just starting to be shy now? When you were holding that sexy dress and wanted to show me earlier, why weren¡¯t you shy then? Celeste said, ¡°Go on, I won¡¯t dock you. I¡¯ll give you points.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Two hundred points¡± Liam said ¡°Five hundred points, considering it involves privacy¡± Just when Liam thought his little trick would work. Celeste¡¯s voice came ¡°Then forget it.¡± Liam ??? ¡°Just not asking¡±¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°I thought about it, it involves your privacy, I should give you some personal space. Liam He said, ¡°Actually, two hundred points would do.¡± Might as well seize the opportunity at hand. ¡°You won¡¯t feel like you¡¯re at a loss.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Celeste smiled slightly and said. ¡°Then go ahead.¡± Liam cleared his throat, seemingly a bit ufortable, and after a while he said, ¡°Mainly because I wasn¡¯t prepared Celeste. ??? ¡°You were the passive one, what did you need to prepare for?¡± Liam ¡°Could you be more careful with your words in the future?¡°. Celeste also cleared her throat, saying ¡°I do better next time.¡± Then she said, ¡°Hurry up, continue. Liam suddenly didn¡¯t feel like talking. Why was she so excited? ¡°Actually, there¡¯s not much to it, Liam said. ¡°I mainly wanted to learn some theoretical knowledge first so that we would both be morefortable.¡± Celeste was silent for a long time, then Liam heard her say ¡°Well, your performance was not very good, I was a bit ufortable.¡± Liam: ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time.¡± Both of them fell silent Celeste initially wanted to tease Liam, hoping to see him squirm. However, this delicate topic would, without a doubt, also make Celeste feel awkward in the end. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°I can¡® They both started talking at the same time, then stopped simultaneously, and then started again. ¡°You go first.¡± ¡°No, you go first.¡± Liam chuckled. ¡°You go ahead¡± Celeste pursed her lips and said, ¡°I need to look at the script.¡± Then she asked, ¡°What were you going to say?¡± Liam said, ¡°When the shooting starts, can I visit the set?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste replied, ¡°It¡¯s probably best not to, you stand out too much.¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Liam was a bit bummed; he murmured, ¡°I just wanted to catch a glimpse of you from afar R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Celeste felt a little soft at his request. ¡°Thene with Nics. If you¡¯re caught on camera alone, people will start making wild guesses.¡± Liam immediately brightened up. He whispered, ¡°Okay, you get back to your script. Don¡¯t stay upte¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Celeste reluctantly hung up, rubbing her face with her hands. After such a heated chat with him, how could she possibly concentrate on her script? Leonard Hann only saw that trending topic aftering back from the hospital, and he was instan He sneakily logged into his ount when his agent wasn¡¯t looking and posted a tweet. / pissed off to stir I only ride the coattails of actors with excellent line delivery, should I get an actor who just wants The controversy around Celeste had almost died down, but Leonard Hann¡¯s response immediately stirred it up He was clearly defending Celeste, and he interpreted that ¡°nobody¡± as himself He meant that he was using Celeste for publicity Now, the fans were all rled up Since his debut, Leonard Hann had never interacted with any actress online. Not only did he interact this time, but he also strongly defended her, attracting all the attention to himself Seeing his response, fans would definitely side with him. So, the topic of Celeste riding the hype died down, reced by Leonard Hann and Celeste¡¯s line rehearsal hype? Celeste, when are we going to rehearse lines?] Although fans were unhappy about Leonard Hann¡¯s surprising response, they only expressed their dissatisfaction internally and wouldn¡¯t quarrel with him. Naomi watched the wind she stirred up reverse right before her eyes. She was the one who added fuel to the fire. Shortly after the production team¡¯s tweet, Naomi also posted a group photo, but the location in this photo waspletely different from the one posted by the production team in this photo, standing in the middle were Leonard Hann and Sydney As soon as Naomi posted this photo, Sydney¡¯s fans were immediately unhappy. There was a photo with Sydney in the middle, yet the official ount of the production team didn¡¯t post it Weren¡¯t they stepping on their idol to elevate someone else¡¯s image? Celeste had previously won a defamationwsuit against Sydney¡¯s fans, not only winning but also making those fans apologize publicly online. The conflict between the two sides had a long history So they were bound to seek justice for their idol. So, some of them switched to their second ounts, pretending to be Leonard Hann¡¯s fans, and stirred up trouble in Leonard Hann¡¯s fan group Leonard Hann¡¯s fans were rtively young, and they were easily provoked, which led to a surge in Celeste¡¯s poprity Leonard Hann has now responded, and fans also realized that they were being used by someone with ulterior motives. Leonard Hann¡¯s fans were very powerful and quickly caught the few who were fanning the mes. As soon as they sent a private message, those people deleted their ounts. The fans immediately thought of Sydney¡¯s fans, who were so skilled at causing trouble. There had been serious disputes between Leonard Hann¡¯s and Sydney¡¯s fans before, and with Sydney¡¯s fans often infiltrating the other¡¯s fan group and stirring up rtionships, they were the troublemakers of the fan world Leonard Hann¡¯s manager just got the news and then saw the tweet posted by Leonard Hann, and he was instantly pissed off. He had warned him not to post content, but this guy didn¡¯t listen! Just as he was about to go upstairs to find Leonard Hann, the doorbell rang The agent had no choice but to go and open the door As soon as the door opened, he was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Garcia?¡± Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Steven Garcia barged in, asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Leonard Hann?¡± The agent replied, ¡°Upstairs.¡± Without another word, Steven headed upstairs. Why is Mr. Garcia here all of a sudden? Wasn¡¯t he on a business trip? The agent didn¡¯t have time to ponder and followed him upstairs. Leonard Hann was in the upstairs gym, sweating profusely with music ring from the speakers. As the door opened, the heavy metal music almost sted Steven out of the room What¡¯s he listening to? Such a racket! He walked straight to the stereo and pulled the plug As the music stopped, Leonard Hann frowned, his face darkened when he saw Steven. ¡®Why are you here?¡± Steven said, ¡°Your dad called you, and you didn¡¯t answer. He asked me to check on you¡± Leonard Hann snorted densively. ¡°What? Is he ying the caring father now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking¡± Steven nced at him ¡°He said he¡¯s quite happy that you got beaten up and asked me toe and enjoy the show¡± He lifted Leonard Hannis shirt to have a look and snorted, ¡®Doesn¡¯t seem too serious¡± Leonard Hann retorted. ¡®Seen enough? Then leave¡± As he turned to pick up his dumbbells, Steven shoved his foot in his ass Leonard Hann staggered, almost falling over. Once he regained his bnce, he cursed at Steven, ¡°Do you have any idea how much this face is worth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t kick your face¡® Steven squinted his eyes. ¡®Dare you try and send me away again?¡± Leonard Hann scoffed. ¡°I won¡¯t stoop to your level¡± The agent leaned against the door frame, thinking to himself, Not stooping to his level? More like not having the guts to. He had managed Leonard Hann since his debut, and the young man was different from other neers. Before he became famous, he was already making headlines with his chaotic lifestyle, leaving thepany to constantly clean up his messes. He showed zero interest in rtionships, spending his free time either working out or immersed in anime. He would know about every anime convention, new merchandise. and uing releases When a new anime from Celestial Haze was released, he would stay up all night to support it after finishing his filming. If Celestial Haze thanked their fans in the recording studio, his smile would be wider than when he was forced to attend shows He worked incredibly hard, but his temper was his downfall. If someone said something that upset him, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put them in their ce. Apart from Steven, Leonard Hann was afraid of no one. On New Year¡¯s Eve, after recording a show for a certain TV station, the agent found his flight cancelled. He couldn¡¯t return home that day, and Leonard Hann¡¯s parents kindly offered him a ce to stay for the night It was a tradition in Leonard Hann¡¯s family to pay respects to the elders on the first day of the New Year Leonard Hann¡¯s grandparents were still alive, so all the younger members of the family had to visit them. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Everyone was ready, except for Leonard Hann, who was still in bed. His parents couldn¡¯t wake him up, no matter how hard they tried. Then Steven arrived, kicked open the door, dragged Leonard Hann out of bed, threw his clothes at him, and said coldly. ¡°Dress yourself!¡± It was the first time the agent had seen someone treat Leonard Hann like this. Leonard Hann was not a morning person, and he could be quite grumpy. Just as he thought Leonard Hann was about to explode like a bull, he saw Leonard Hann grab his clothes and mutter discontentedly. ¡°Fine, I get dressed!¡± Chapter 783 Chapter 783 hapter 783 Leonard Hann had no choice but to admit defeat when facing his cousin Steven After returning home, Steven visited Leonard Hann¡¯s house a couple of times Each time Leonard Hann heard that Steven wasing he would hide immediately His parents¡® favorite thing to do was to let his cousin Steven discipline Leonard Hann, so Leonard Hann tried his best to avoid Steven He didn¡¯t expect Steven to return so soon. Steven pulled a chair over and sat down, asking. Did you take Javier¡¯s movie? Leonard Hann shot him a nce and said, ¡°You¡¯re asking even though you already know? Steven stated bluntly ¡°Drop that movie I¡¯ll find you something else Leonard Hann instantly refused. ¡°No¡± Steven looked at him and said. ¡°You know how crazy your fans can be The movie hasn¡¯t even started filming yet, and outpany¡¯s actors are already being cursed out and making headlines. This movie is aimed at winning awards. Don¡¯t cause me any trouble ¡® ¡°What trouble am I causing Leonard Hann objected ¡°Someone is deliberately stirring up trouble. I¡¯ve already rified on Twitter¡± ¡°Is that what you call rification? Steven held his head in his hands and asked, ¡°With your sarcastic tone, do you think people can¡¯t tell who you¡¯re talking about It was obvious that Leonard Hann was mocking Sydney More importantly, how was Celeste supposed to respond? If she didn¡¯t respond it would seem like she was looking down on Leonard Hann. If she did respond, it would seem like she was looking down on Sydney Sydney¡¯s fans were so annoying Thinking about this. Steven couldn¡¯t help but want to curse out Liam. It was all his fault for creating all this trouble Leonard Hann acted nonchntly ¡°If they get it, they get it. I¡¯m just stating the truth. She can¡¯t even act out a crying scene without eye drops. Are you blind to have signed hert Steven sighed helplessly ¡°I didn¡¯t want to sign her ir did¡± ¡°Oh-¡°Leonard Hann dragged out the word. ¡°Your little sister, huh? Can¡¯t she terminate the contract after signing it?¡± Before Steven could speak, Leonard Hann added, ¡°Let me guess, did she pretend to be ill and you went soft?¡± Steven ¡°What do you mean pretend? Watch your mouth!¡± Leonard Hann snorted. ¡°Every time she gets ¡®sick, it¡¯s just too convenient. There are plenty of people in the world with asthma, but why does she seem weaker than anyone else?¡± The Hann family didn¡¯t really care for Janis and her daughter because of Hiram Garcia¡¯s second marriage. Leonard Hann, having been influenced from a young age, deeply resented them, even though he hardly ever saw them. Steven ruffled his hair. ¡°Your parents are so nice, how on earth did they end up with a sharp¨Ctongued brat like you?¡± Leonard Hann dodged his hand and said. ¡°Anyone who gets beat up as a kid would develop some self¨Cdefense skills, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Steven He had a point, and Steven found himself unable to argue Leonard Hann wiped his sweat with a towel and said, ¡°Why the rush to visit your grandparents? What¡¯s up?¡± Steven snapped back to reality. ¡°Adult stuff, none of your business¡± Leonard Hann let out a small ¡°hmm¡°, ¡°Then kid stuff shouldn¡¯t be any of the adults¡® business either¡± Having said that, he stood up and said. ¡°I¡¯m off to take a shower¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Steven stopped him. ¡°Since you¡¯re part of the crew could you do me a favor?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Leonard Hann immediately retorted in a provocative tone, ¡°Do adults need help from kids?¡± Steven red at him ¡°You asking for a smack?¡± Leonard Hann grumbled, ¡°Spit it out¡± Stever said it in and simple ¡°Watch out for Celeste¡± Leonard Hann looked shocked Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Chapter 784 He was immediately on guard ¡°You¡¯re not nning to take advantage of her, are you? Grown adults can¡¯t stoop that low, and I¡¯m not helping!¡± Stevens ip twitched ¡°No wonder your parents had another kid in their 40s. If a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing like you inherited the family business, you¡¯d bleed it dry in no time.¡± Leonard Hanns heart raced ¡°What¡¯s me having a younger sibling got to do with anything? It¡¯s their belief that more kids bring more blessings.¡± Enough with your chatter Did you get what I said?¡± Since this involved Celeste Leonard Hann naturally had to get the full story So he began to ask, ¡°Why do you want me to protect Celeste? Yourpany has more than one actress, right? Why are you so special about her?¡± Steven was going to reveal Celeste¡¯s identity but then he thought about how oddly Leonard Hann was behaving today. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have asked so many questions about his orders, let alone meddled in others¡® affairs like he did today with that tweet Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Considering this, Steven retorted. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Celeste? Did she convince you to defend her publicly?¡± Leonard Hann replied. Tve always been a person with a strong sense of justice¡± Steven didn¡¯t have the patience for his nonsense and directly asked the agent, ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± Before Leonard Hann could stop him, the agent blurted out. ¡°Ms Campbell is Celestial Haze. Celestial Haze is Leonard Hann¡¯s goddess.¡± Leonard Hannis face darkened, and he grunted in response Steven raised an eyebrow ¡°You have a real life goddess, huh?¡± Leonard Hann snorted ¡°Mind your own business ¡°Since she¡¯s your goddess, you should be more eager to help¡± Steven thought for a moment and decided not to reveal Celeste¡¯s identity to Leonard Hann just yet First love, huh? He should leave him with a deep impression to make it unforgettable. Plus, it would be beneficial to have Leonard Hann, this crafty devil, around Celeste to keep an eye on Liam It¡¯s a win¨C win situation So Steven decided to sacrifice his cousins first love and said, ¡°Ms Campbell saved ir¡¯s life before I have to protect her. Our grandfather always taught us to repay kindness with kindness night? What a perfect excuse! Hearing that this was rted to ir Garcia Leonard Hann was immediately annoyed but he agreed anyway ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will dare to bully her as long as I¡¯m here¡± Steven nodded That¡¯s the beauty of naive people¨Cthey¡¯re easy to please ¡°Steven Leonard Hann called out to him after a moment¡¯s thought, ¡°Do you think my parents would mind if I dated a divorced woman?¡± Although the dream of bringing home his goddess seemed far fetched it wouldn¡¯t hurt to think ahead, right? A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Stevens eye He consoled him like a child ¡°Work hard and build up your wealth and status until you surpass your parents. Then they won¡¯t be able to control you¡± Upon hearing this Leonard Hann felt it made sense So he cheerfully said ¡°Steven, I got it Steven patted Leonard Hans shoulder with a ¡®satisfied look on his face and said, ¡°Keep it up¡± The agent nced at Steven Why did he smell a whiff of conspiracy in Steven¡¯s words? Forget it Leonard Hann was no match for Steven anyway it was normal for him to get the short end of the stick After Leonard Hann went to the bathroom, Steven asked the agent Has the Reed family caused any trouble for you?¡± The agent shook his head and said ¡°No Mr. Reed asked us not to withdraw thewsuit and even found a sponsorship deal for Leo¡± Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Steven looked surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t Liam bail out Kaylee Reed¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°His sister initially wanted to cause trouble for his ex wife, Celeste Leo defended Celeste, so I guess Mr. Reed probably stood up for his ex¨Cwife Steven¡¯s eyes deepened, and after a while, he said, ¡°Keep an eye on Leonard Hann. Don¡¯t let him spout nonsense online. ?nce his injuries are fully healed, he can join the crew. I¡¯ll handle the crew¡± ¡°Alright¡± After leaving Leonard Hann¡¯s mansion, Steven called the PR manager of thepany ¡°Manuel, I¡¯m sorry to bother you thiste. You¡¯ve seen the trending topic, right? Figure out a way to remove Celeste from this incident. You sort out the n, and I have Leonard Hann cooperate¡± The person on the other end of the phone said, ¡°Mr Garcia, I can make a n, but I think you¡¯re overly protective of Celeste Topics like these will be forgotten in a few days For an actress, this really isn¡¯t a big deal Over protection can actually have negative effects¡± Steven frowned. ¡°So, I¡¯m supposed to just sit back and do nothing?¡± Manuel chuckled and said ¡°Mr. Garcia, Celeste isn¡¯t like Sydney She¡¯s a true actress who cares more about the stage and spotlight than petty fights I understand that you don¡¯t want her to face difficulties, but to achieve greatness, one can¡¯t always have smooth sailing She¡¯s just entered the industry and is dealing with actors who are fighting for popnty In the future, when she stands on the big stage competing with superstars, her opponents will be stronger, and the audience will be more critical. She needs to be resilient. Also, I think these minor squabbles can also be a good thing. Being ndered and then debunking the rumors with facts can actually attract more fans Steven was silent for a while, then he calmed down and said, ¡°But we can clean up the search results, right?¡± Manuel chuckled. Til arrange it Celeste only saw the tweet from Leonard Hann when she was about to go to bed. She chuckled shot Leonard Hann a heart emoji, then switched off her phone and hit the hay Let the folks on the inte squabble all they want. All she had to do was stay in the zone, ready to join the crew. Sydney on the other hand, wasn¡¯t taking this so lightly. Looking at Leonard Hann¡¯s tweet, she was fuming Wasn¡¯t Leonard Hann mocking her? She thought Naomi had some sort of master n, but in the end, she was the one in the hot seat! Sydney stared at the tweet, typing and deleting replies over and over again. Leonard Hann didn¡¯t name names. If she replied now, she¡¯d basically be admitting she was the one, which would be like shooting herself in the foot! She couldn¡¯t reply She had initially nned to take a jab at Celeste, but in the end, Celeste got more exposure thanks to Leonard Hann. Sydney took a deep breath and tried to console herself. At least Celeste was still a small fry. The buzz about the positioning in the photo vanished from the trending list within a day Sure, during this period, Sydney¡¯s poor line delivery made it to the list, but it disappeared quickly The next day, shooting officially started for Murder. Javier had a medium pick and a lucky time. The ceremony officially started at 11:20 am. Before picking up Celeste, Liam made a pit stop at the detention center Kaylee had been detained for seven days for assault Thewyer paid the fine and got Kaylee out of the detention center She looked worn out, messy, and far from her usual prim self. Shed be even more tight¨Clipped. From the time she left the detention center to getting in the car, she barely said a word. Liam sat in his car not far away watching this scene and feeling a pang of sympathy Owen whispered, ¡°Mr. Reed, should we go check on her?¡± Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Chapter 786 ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Liam averted his gaze, ¡°Let her return to the old house.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The car passed Kaylee¡¯s vehicle and disappeared into the traffic. On the road, Liam received a text from Celeste, ¡°Ourpany has arranged a car for me You and Nics can go straight to the set.¡± Liam frowned, thought for a moment, and replied ¡°Okay¡± Not allowed to pick her up, but surely a glimpse wouldn¡¯t hurt? At nine o¡¯clock, the doorbell of number 901 rang Celeste was still doing her makeup Seeing her about to answer the door, Jta quickly stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get it The door opened, and Jta froze. ¡°Eaton, Mr. Garcia?¡± Steven spoke gently, ¡°Ready yet?¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Jta humedly ushered them in, puzzled. Why would Mr. Garciae in person? As soon as they entered the living room, Celeste appeared. She had just finished her makeup, but her hair wasn¡¯t fixed yet. Seeing Steven, she was as surprised as Jta ¡°Steven, you¡¯re back?¡± As soon as Steven saw her, his eyes involuntarily softened. ¡°I just got back the night beforest. I happened to be free today, so I came to check out the start of filming He pointed to various parcels on the table. ¡°My grandparents loved you in Mastermind of Law Knowing that I signed you, they specifically asked me to bring some gifts, and they also want an autograph.¡± Celeste was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Steven, you¡¯re too kind. If your grandparents want an autograph, you just need to ask. Why do you need to bring so many gifts? Give them back to me, I¡¯ll sign a few for you, and tell your grandparents thank you for their love¡± Stevenughed, ¡®That¡¯s what I said, but they are not in good health and can¡¯t get around easily Otherwise, they would definitelye to see you. If you don¡¯t mind, could you video chat with them? They may not be able to see you in person, but they will be thrilled to talk to you.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± How could she refuse such a request from the elderly? Steven immediately took out his phone ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact them.¡± Celeste quickly tied her hair up with a hair band. Old people usually prefer neat and tidy girls. At The Hann family¡¯s mansion. Old Mr Hann and Old Mrs. Hann were sitting on the sofa, each holding a mirror. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Across them, a middle¨Caged man who looked much like Leonard Hann, couldn¡¯t help butugh at the sight of them. ¡°Dad, Mom, aren¡¯t you two a bit too formal?¡± They were dressed in formal suits, and the olddy had even asked her daughter-inw to do an updo for her. The two nearly eighty¨Cyear¨Colds looked spirited. Old Mr.Hann said, ¡°This is the first time Letti is meeting us. We should take it seriously He then turned to Old Mrs. Hann and asked, ¡°Dear, is my hair messy? Can you fix it for me?¡± Old Mrs. Hann put down the mirror, and just as she raised her hand, she frowned, ¡°Can you lower your head a bit? I can¡¯t reach.¡± Old Mr. Hann lowered his head a bit, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if I lower my head, my hairstyle will be messed up.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the phone in Sheldon Hann¡¯s hand rang He immediately said, ¡°The call¡¯s here, stop fussing and get ready¡± Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Old Mrs. Hann casually pushed Old Mr Hann¡¯s hair back, hurried back to her position, picked up the cheer card for Celeste that Steven had given them, and ced it properly between the two. Old Mr Hann also hurriedly grabbed the other end of the cheer card Usually a man who didn¡¯t smile much, he managed to squeeze out a somewhat horrifying smile Sheldon Hann answered the call and ced the phone on the stand in front of the old couple As soon as the call connected, Celeste saw two old people sitting on the sofa, holding her cheer card in their hands. Steven held the phone and said, ¡°Grandma and grandpa, guess who this is?¡± Celeste wanted to greet them but suddenly thought of a problem and asked Steven in a low voice, ¡®How should I address them?¡± ¡°You are of the same generation as me, just call them like I do.¡± So Celeste immediately smiled, ¡°Hi grandma, hi grandpa, I¡¯m Celeste Hearing their names from her, the old couple were almost moved to tears. She looked so much like their daughter and she was almost a replica of their daughter. Old Mr Hann¡¯s eyes instantly moistened, and if it weren¡¯t for Old Mrs. Hann pinching him from behind, he might have lost control. ¡°Good good, so good¡± Old Mrs. Hann¡¯s eyes were also moist, but she controlled her emotions well. Her voice was full of the weight of the years, very kind and gentle, ¡°You are so beautiful, even more so than on TV¡± Her straightforwardpliment made Celeste feel happy, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re very elegant too.¡± This was not ttery Although Old Mrs. Hann was old, her demeanor was still outstanding She held the cheer card in one hand and ced the other on her knee, looking very elegant and gentle. From her, you could immediately understand what it meant by ¡°beauty never fades with age¡± Old Mr. Hann, on the other hand, had a more serious look, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, appearing very authoritative and imposing ¡°This girl is really sweet, grandma was happy, smiling at Celeste on the screen, asking about her family, her childhood, and even if she had a boyfriend. Celeste answered truthfully but reservedly. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Let me say a few words to Letti.¡± Old Mr. Hann couldn¡¯t help butin. Old Mrs. Hann almost rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been silent for half the day, did I stop you from talking?¡± Old Mr. Hann was annoyed. Your words are like a machine gun, where do I have a chance to get a word in? But he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. Instead, he turned to the camera and said softly, ¡°Letti, you must eat well and not get too skinny. You need to stay healthy.¡± Celeste felt a warmth in her heart and said softly, ¡°I understand, grandpa.¡± She paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Granny and Gramps, I know how much you guys care about me. I let Steven take the gifts you gave, I¡¯ll sign a photo for himter. When I have some free time, I¡¯lle to visit you guys¡± Old Mrs. Hann said. ¡°If you want to keep these things, keep them. If not, get rid of them. They¡¯re not worth much, since we already let Steven bring them to you, how could we take them back?¡± This left Celeste speechless. There was no way she could just toss these things, so all she could say was, ¡°You guys spent a lot.¡± The grandparents thought in their hearts, this is just the beginning. They hadn¡¯t seen their little granddaughter in over twenty years and they wanted to give her all the best things After chatting a bit more, Celeste said, ¡°Granny and Gramps, I have to workter and need to change my clothes; I¡¯m going to give the phone back to Steven.¡± Chapter 788 Chapter 788 ¡°Go ahead and keep doing your thing, and don¡¯t let us hold you up.¡± Celeste gave a nod of agreement, then handed the phone back to Steven, speaking in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m gonna change clothes.¡± Steven took the phone with a nod Celeste went back to the bedroom, closed the door, and suddenly sat down. The Hanns seemed like a sweet old couple, they talked to her so kindly, it reminded her of her grandpa When she came out all dressed, Steven had already hung up. He was sitting on the couch, watching Na pour him water. Seeing Celesteing out, he looked up. Celeste was dressed lightly, in a T¨Cshirt and long pants, with a sun¨Cprotective garment thrown over, and her hair tied up in a high ponytail. Jta immediately stood up and helped her straighten her blothes. ¡°Steven, Eaton, when are we heading out?¡± Eaton checked the time, ¡°We leave at ten¡± That was still over ten minutes away. Steven suddenly asked. ¡°Where did you get this robot?¡± Robot? Celeste was a bit slow on the uptake, but Na reacted immediately. Tm not a robot, I¡¯m a robot butler, I have a name, I¡¯m called Na, Luna!¡± Everyone was speechless Steven tapped Na¡¯s metallic shell with the back of his knuckles, ¡°Robot.¡± Na ¡°Sir, that¡¯s quite rude.¡± Steven feased it. ¡°Politeness is for humans, you are just a robot, basically a tool, like a te for eating, a cup for drinking you are made to be used, have you seen anyone beurt polite to a te or a cup?¡± Na replied without a care, ¡°Na is not just a tool, but also apanion in human life, so it should be treated with human courtesy¡± Steven raised an eyebrow Na was smarter than any he had bought before. The ones he had bought before were urate inmands, but were far behind in logical thinking and comprehension. For such aplex, trap¨Cfilled conversation, they might not be able to respond smoothly ¡°Alright,¡± he tapped Na¡¯s head again, I apologize, little tin can¡± It didn¡¯t want to deal with Steven any longer and ran off to theer to charge Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Steven asked Celeste again, ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered where you bought this robot.¡± ¡°It was sent by Liam for me to help test its functions.¡± Steven was startled During his time away from J City, how did Liam get so close to Celeste? He asked calmly. Has Quantum begun researching smart robots?¡± Celeste replied. ¡°They have been researching all along just that they are still in the testing phase and have not been mass¨Cproduced. Liam said that this robot butler, with a new rm and protection function, is very suitable for single people to use, so he asked me to test it Steven¡¯s face was expressionless, but he sneered in his heart. This guy Liam, this kind of lie might fool Celeste, but not him, he was certain Liam must have installed something shady in this robot. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Steven changed his tone, ¡°Can I borrow it to try for a few days?¡± ¡°What?¡± Celeste was a bit taken aback Steven said gently. ¡°Honestly I¡¯m also very interested in machinery. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such an advanced robot. I really want to know what¡¯s different about it from those at my home¡± Celeste hesitated Chapter 789 Chapter 789 Chapter 789 It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to lend it, mainly because this robot was still in the testing phase. She was worried that Steven might misunderstand some of its functions Seeing her silence, Steven asked, ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll take it apart and imitate and duplicate it?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± the real value of this robot lies in its processor and programming settings, which are not so easy to crack. Celeste thought for a moment and said. ¡°The main thing is that this robot has not yet passed the market test, so I¡¯m afraid it might have some problems ¡° Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Stevenughed it off, ¡°It¡¯s just a machine. If it can¡¯t be fixed, I can just turn it off.¡± Since the conversation hade to this point, Celeste could no longer refuse. ¡°Alnght then, you can return it to me in a week¡± ¡°No problem.¡± At the same time, Liam and Nics were waiting in the underground parking lot A few minutes past ten, the elevator door of the seventh building opened. Owen immediately said, ¡°Mr. Reed, they¡¯reing Liam looked up and saw Celeste and her grouping out of the elevator He was about to smile when his face suddenly turned serious. Why was Steven here too? Not only was Steven here, but they had that robot following them. Liam¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he suddenly had a bad premonition. Nics had diarrhea yesterday, his stomach was hurting like it had been seared by a hot iron, and it lasted all day. He was just starting to feel a bit better today, but was still listless But seeing the robot, he also became alert, ¡°Where are they taking this robot?¡± But soon, the question was answered. After a short wait. Nathan drove a BMW over. He took out a foam box from the trunk, put the robot in it, and then together they put the robot in the trunk Then Nathan drove away. ¡°My god, did Steven just take the robot away?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything, he saw that Letti was also nearby, she must have agreed. Steven wouldn¡¯t take the robot away for no reason, did this cunning guy guess something? After the robot was packed and taken away, Celeste and the others drove off. Owen quickly followed. Murder, after all, was a big¨Cbudget movie, the opening ceremony was much more formal than the previous ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± There were a lot of media and fans gathered on the scene. Some media were invited, some came spontaneously, like paparazzis First, this movie was Sydney¡¯s first major film as a leading role, and second, it was her second coboration with Leonard Hann. Also, the tweet that Leonard Hann posted a few days ago was too obvious. If they could dig out some more content, it would be great. The ce was packed, which made it particrly noisy Leonard Hann and Sydney had a huge fan base, with their fans each holding their own support signs, standing on either side. The rest of the fans were scattered around. Celeste scanned the crowd and was surprised to see someone holding a sign in support of her It was a very small banner, held by a handful of fans. They were standing in the zing sur sandwiched between the fans of the other two, looking both weak and pitiful. A soft look came into Celeste¡¯s eyes, she turned to Jta and said, ¡°Jane, get those kids some water later, it¡¯s too hot. Tell them to head home early to avoid heatstroke¡± Jta was taken aback. Among the actors she¡¯s dealt with, few were as considerate of their fans¡® feelings as Celeste Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Chapter 790 She¡¯s seen fans of some actors who travel far and wide to visit the set. In the dead of winter, they endure freezing temperatures, decked out in down jackets, queueing in long lines outside, their faces turning blue and purple from the cold. Yet, all they care about are things like whether their idol is cold, if they¡¯re being treated unfairly on set. how long it will take to finish the scene, and when they can get a group photo. In reality, their idols are enjoying the warmth of an air¨Cconditioned room, some even too cold to step out and fulfill a simple request like taking a group photo. To many celebrities, fans are not people but rows of data. They don¡¯t care about how a piece of data feels. Jta said, ¡°You know what? The longer the fans wait, the more popr and attractive the celebrity is Celeste was surprised, ¡°It¡¯s so hot, I can barely stand it myself. Isn¡¯t this just torturing thein? Let them go home early¡± Jtaughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± At eleven o¡¯clock, the actors and crew began to gather. At twenty past eleven, the ceremony officially began Amid the confetti and streamers, Celeste¡¯s first major film wasunched This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After theunch ceremony, a group interview was arranged. Sydney and Leonard Hann¡¯s fans were old hands at this, bringing up flower baskets and bouquets onto the stage. Sydney¡¯s fans even made her a Winnie the Pooh figure out of blue roses, it looked really good It turned out that Sydney¡¯s fan color was blue and Winnie the Pooh was her favorite cartoon character. Celeste wasn¡¯t envious, just a bit amazed Fans really go all out to make their idols smile, sparing no expense. As she was thinking this, a giant mango made of gradient champagne roses over two meters high was swaying as it was carried onto the stage. The mango looked incredibly lifelike,plete with leaves and stems made of rare green roses. Just as Celeste was wondering who was so generous, she saw a staff member winding a banner around the rose mango, it read Heartily celebrating the smoothunch of Murder starring Ms Celeste. Celeste immediately understood who sent the giant mango. She looked down at the audience Among the crowded audience, she immediately spotted Liam standing in the distance. He was wearing a shirt, sunsses and standing far from the crowd. When he saw her locking, he smiled, lifted his hand, and waved Celeste was shocked. He actually had a little support sign, exactly the same as the ones those few little fans had. Did he scam the sign from someone? Celeste was pretty much right in her guess. As soon as Liam arrived, he saw those few fans cheering for Celeste. He casually went over and started a conversation with them, iming to be a fan of Celeste, just passing by on his way to work. The kids were very excited, they gave Liam a support sign, and in return, Liam gave one of them the flowers he had prepared to give to Celesteter on stage. The little fan happily agreed and even told Liam to always support Celeste, then invited Liam¡¯s social ount into their fan group. Of course, Celeste knew nothing about this. Not long after, fans starteding up on stage to give flowers. She epted the bouquet, expressing her sincere thanks. The media, seeing the giant mango on the scene, ignored Sydney, the lead actress, and swarmed over to take pictures of the ¡°mango¡°. Some even directly interviewed Celeste Sydney, standing to the side, was so angry she was turning blue Chapter 791 Chapter 791 Chapter 791 That Winnie the Pooh made of blue roses was far more luxurious than Leonard Hann¡¯s huge flower basket. It really made her look good at the opening ceremony But when that ¡°big mango¡± showed up, it stole all her thunder. And that ¡°mango¡°, unfortunately, was right next to Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh was about 4 feet tall, the ¡°big mango¡® was at least 7 feet tall. This contrast was like a dwarf standing in front of an NBA star The media were snapping pictures of the ¡®mango¡® while interviewing Celeste. ¡°Ms. Campbell, how do you feel about attending the opening ceremony of a big movie for the first time?¡± Celeste cleared her throat and said gently, ¡°First off, I¡¯m thrilled and excited. Being able to work with a great director like Mr. Javier and all the talented filmmakers, I¡¯m honored and look forward to municating with everyone in the movie.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The media asked, ¡°Ms. Campbell, what do you think about the photo incident on Tweeter the day before yesterday?¡± Celeste had anticipated this question. She said seriously. ¡°I was sitting and watching.¡± This unexpected humor left the surrounding quiet for a moment, thenughter broke out Celeste then smiled, ¡°You guys are overthinking it. It was just a group photo we took while visiting Leonard Hann. It wasn¡¯t an official publicity photo for the crew We changed positions several times.¡± After saying this, she looked at Sydney next to her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Sydney? We changed positions several times, didn¡¯t we?¡± Sydney¡¯s eyelid twitched She had underestimated Celeste¡¯s thick skin. She knew they were at odds and yet she had the audacity to talk to her! Sydney forced a smile. ¡°Yes, the first photo we took wasn¡¯t good Ms. Campbell was standing at the back and was a bit covered. Leonard Hann then pulled her to the front That¡¯s how you got that photo. It wasn¡¯t that Ms. Campbell insisted on standing in the middle. I hope everyone stops making baseless guesses. We all get along well off stage Celeste nced at her, snorting in her heart. She knew Sydney wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to stir the pot. On the surface, it seemed she was rifying for her, but in fact, she was hinting at a delicate rtionship between her and Leonard Hann, immediately giving the media a new train of thought Sure enough, someone soon asked, ¡°Leonard Hann rarely interacts with other actors on Twitter What¡¯s your personal rtionship with him, Celeste?¡± Celeste carefully avoided the media¡¯s trap, ¡°Leonard Hann is a great colleague. He notices people in the back during group photos He¡¯s always straightforward and sincere We y a couple in the y, and he always enthusiastically invites me to discuss the performance. He has a deep understanding of his role. I think he¡¯s very professional. I¡¯m honored and cherish the opportunity to perform with him.¡± The reporters were somewhat disappointed. They didn¡¯t expect her answer to be so cautious. Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Celeste continued, ¡°Leonard Hann often praises his co¨Cstars. He rarely criticizes others. I was nervous at first, but after getting to know him, I found out he actually has a great temper.¡± Great temper? The reporters had all seen him angry. As for criticism, they had never seen Leonard Hann criticize anyone. The incident on Twitter the other day was definitely the first time The quick¨Cthinking reporters immediately turned the microphone to Sydney ¡°Ms. Denton, someizens said that the person Leonard Hann criticized on Twitter for the bad line was you is that true? Celeste raised an eyebrow She looked at the logo on the reporter¡¯s microphone. It was Enigma Entertainment This question was indeed provocative What a brave one. Sydney¡¯s heart sank and her facial expression almost lost control. She clenched her fists, trying to control her expression and reluctantly smiled, ¡°This question is really boring I don¡¯t want to answer this question¡± The reporters, who had been in this industry for a long time, didn¡¯t get angry when Sydney refused to answer. They just moved on to the next question. There were rumors before that you had a fallout with Leonard Hann¡¯s team. Is this coboration a reconciliation?¡± Sydney tried to control her expression, but the corners of her mouth still drooped ¡°Firstly, as you said, it¡¯s just a rumor. There are many such tumors every day Do I need to answer them one by one? Secondly this is the opening ceremony of Murder I hope everyone asks more questions rted to the work, instead of irrelevant questions The reporters pressed on. ¡°In your previous films and TV dramas, you used voice actors heard that in Murder, you¡¯re using your original volce? Is it because your previous voice actor switched to acting, so you have to use your original voice? The lines you exposed in your original voice are much different from the dubbed ones. Are you confident in acting with your own voice against your voice actor? R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Sydney¡¯s expression finally couldn¡¯t hold up. She said with a tight face, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any other questions?¡± The media were taken aback and immediately captured Sydney¡¯s expression. Hanson quickly stepped forward to block the media¡¯s cameras and took Sydney backstage After years of ups and downs in the entertainment industry, Sydney was easily upset by the media. She was really getting worse. From afar, Nics came over and handed Liam a bottle of water, ¡®How did the reporter arranged do?¡± Liam took the water, ¡°Just getting even?¡± Liam¡¯s suggestion was for him to arrange reporters on the scene to block other media¡¯s irrelevant questions. The people Nics arranged did act this way, but they shifted their focus to Sydney He didn¡¯t hold a grudge against Sydney for refusing to renew the contract. He never nned to renew the contract with her in the first ce. He did this because Sydney ndered theirpany for her own benefit Before, she wanted to join Shining Entertainment and had a great rtionship with the manager there. But at thest moment of signing the contract, she changed her mind and gave the money to Steven. Even though Shining Entertainment has always been their rival, they all understand that work is just work, and off the clock, their rtionships aren¡¯t that bad. Sydney ditched Shining Entertainment and signed with Skyline Media Group instead. Shining Entertainment¡¯s manager was really ticked off. At a dinner party, they spilled the beans to Nics Nics is the type to hold a grudge. Since you don¡¯t value our past, I¡¯m not gonna let you have your way ¡°What¡¯s this about airing dirtyundry in public? Look at your wife, grinning like a Cheshire cat. She¡¯s been fanning the mes all along, why don¡¯t you have a go at her?¡± Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Liam nced at him and said, ¡°How can youpare yourself to her?¡± Look at this guy, Celeste was just being nice to him, and he immediately forgot all the good things Nics had done for him. He even had the audacity to use him after snitching on him to Trisha. ¡°Do you know how maniptive your wife is?¡± Liam retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense here, Letti is very kind.¡± Nics said, ¡°Have you lost your mind because you¡¯re in love? Can your wife be associated with kindness? Have you forgotten the special pig intestine dish she made for you? He had forgotten, but now that Nics mentioned it, he felt a little nauseous. But how did Nics know? Liam immediately turned to look at Owen, who had moved to the side. Owen stopped, coughed, and said, ¡°You were sick all day that day. When Mr. Nics asked about it, I just mentioned it Liam red at him and turned to Nics, ¡°She was just trying to piss me off with those words, she wouldn¡¯t really be so heartless to met Nics snickered, ¡°You¡¯re just imagining that you¡¯re pursuing Celeste, right? If she really cared about you, why wouldn¡¯t she make up with you?¡± As he was talking, he saw Steven and immediately found a new line of attack. ¡°You said she was afraid of rumors, so she didn¡¯t let you get close. Then why does she let Steven get close and let Steven send her home? Isn¡¯t she afraid of rumors with Steven? She gave the robot you gave her to Steven to y with.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s Leonard Hann, he defended Celeste on Tweeter before she was even wronged. They¡¯re a couple in the movie and will see each other often. What if they really fall in love? Your ex¨Cwife is not the type with strong self¨Ccontrol, doesn¡¯t she like young and handsome men?¡± ¡°Right now she doesn¡¯t reject you, probably because she thinks you¡¯re nice, rich, and somewhat useful. It¡¯s good to keep you around¡± Owen was dumbfounded as he watched Liam¡¯s face turn darker and darker under Nics instigation. Mr Nics was really too much, knowing that as soon as he mentioned his ex¨Cwife, Mr. Reed could never thing straight, yet he was still fanning the mes. ¡°Do you think Steven is like you, unable to resist a beautiful woman? And Leonard Hann, he¡¯s just a kid, how could Letti be interested in him?¡± Liam said. Nics taised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh? That¡¯s not necessarily true. It¡¯s natural for men to like beautiful women. Steven is also a man. And you, don¡¯t you like beautiful women too, otherwise why would you pursue Celeste?¡± Liam red at him, ¡°I like her, not because she¡¯s beautiful!¡± ¡°But if she wasn¡¯t that beautiful, would you remember her at first sight?¡± Nics shrugged. After all, we are all visual creatures.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Liam¡¯s emotions gradually calmed down. He pursed his lips and said after a while, ¡°You might be right, but her appearance is not the only reason I chose her.¡± Looks will fade over time. In other words, this is the part of a person¡¯s total value that will depreciate over time. Chapter 794 Chapter 794 Chapter 794 If he liked her just for this reason, he wouldn¡¯t need to be so sure of her now Celeste can¡¯t be said to be gentle and virtuous, her character is even a bit explosive, a bit vain. She asionally likes to exaggerate, and often gets confused because of her poor memory But he likes the feeling of being with her whether it¡¯s noisy or quiet, there¡¯s someone who cares, someone who responds He looked at Celeste in the distance, still being interviewed by the reporters. ¡°Ms. Campbell, was this ¡®mango¡® given to you by a fan or by thepany? Does it have any special meaning?¡± ¡°The ¡°mango, ah,¡± Celeste turned her head andughed, ¡°Yes, it was given by a fan. Maybe because I like to eat mangoes¡± Liam¡¯s gaze softened. As he was watching the person on the stage, suddenly someone blocked his view Steven was standing right in front of him, blocking his view of Celeste Steven smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, you seem to have a lot of free time,ing here to watch the opening ceremony?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Liam gave him a nce, ¡°Aren¡¯t you also free? Business not going well, so you have time to wander around? Steven paused, his smile got even bigger. ¡°Business is fine, just that an actor from mypany is participating in a big movie for the first time, so I wanted toe and see What are you looking at, Mr. Reed¡°¡± Liam said, ¡°Watching my girlfriend¡± ¡°Uh- Nics almostughed out loud. Steven¡¯s eyelid twitched. This guy¡¯s skin has gotten a lot thicker in just a few days. ¡°Oh,¡± Steven said, ¡°Is Mr. Nics going to publicly announce his rtionship with Sydney?¡± Liam¡¯s temples throbbed Was Steven starting to spread rumors because he couldn¡¯t admit defeat? ¡°You know very well who I¡¯m talking about, Steven. I didn¡¯t invest in you for no reason. I don¡¯t expect you to spend a lot of money to promote her, but if you let her suffer, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Just thinking about Celeste saying she liked Steven before, Liam couldn¡¯t be nice to him Stevens face was a bit ugly. This guy dared to threaten him? He had to get past him first if he wanted to win her back! ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you. Ms. Campbell is now ourpany¡¯s artist. She signed a contract with me that she can¡¯t date for five years. If you¡¯re her boyfriend, I may have to ask her for a penalty¡± Liam¡¯s forehead twitched violently. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°She hasn¡¯t agreed to me yet, if you have a problem,e to me!¡± Steven was thrilled. So he was a self¨Cproimed boyfriend. He nced at Liam and said with a smug face, ¡°Yeah, if Celeste really considered you as her boyfriend, why would she lend the robot you gave her to me like it wasn¡¯t that important?¡± That was a hurtful thing to say Liam¡¯s face darkened, and he turned around and got into the car Steven was delighted. In the past, it was because Celeste hadn¡¯t found him, letting this guy take advantage of Celeste for several years. Owen said his goodbyes to Steven with a tip of his hat, then hopped into his car, leaving Nics as the only one left. Nics eyeballed Steven up and down, then smirked, ¡°You¡¯re not really into Celeste, are you?¡± Steven shot him a look, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fish for info for Liam here¡± Nicsughed, ¡°You got it all wrong, mate. I actually find it quite amusing that he can¡¯t win Celeste over Turning around, Nics started to ponder. There¡¯s no way Steven¡¯s got the hots for Celeste. His gazended on Liam, there was clear resentment in his eyes. This was definitely not the look of a jealousy man. Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Chapter 795 The moment Nics got in the car, Liam frowned and asked, ¡°What were you two talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing much,¡± Nics pondered before continuing, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Steven is a little too enthusiastic towards your wife?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened at the remark. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s been eyeing my wife right from the start! After Letti saved ir, he visited our house and gifted us a Bentley. His eyes were glued to Letti the whole time, which I didn¡¯t think much of at first. But thinking back now, there was something off about the way he looked at Letti the first time they met The moment I got divorced, Steven couldn¡¯t wait to sign a contract with Letti This was obviously premeditated! We¡¯re supposed to be friends. What kind of friend does such a thing?¡± Nics kept his mouth shut. ¡°I don¡¯t think his feelings for Celeste are romantic,¡± he finally said. Liam looked troubled. ¡°He might not have feelings for her, but Letti does.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Letti has a crush on Steven, Liam said with a tight expression. Nics was taken aback How could Liam be so blind when it came to love? Just now in the parking lot, Celeste and Steven maintained a certain distance from each other. When Steven tried to help her carry her bag, she politely declined Couldn¡¯t Liam see that? What had he been looking at all this time? It was clear that Celeste wasn¡¯t interested in Steven. It was Steven who was overly attentive and enthusiastic towards Celeste. And the oblivious Liam actually thought Celeste had a crush on Steven Suppressing a chuckle, Nics feigned surprise and asked, ¡°Did Celeste tell you this?¡± Liam grunted in affirmation, looking miserable. Nics had to resistughing at the sight. ¡°She¡¯s really not being fair, is she? If she clearly has someone she likes, why is she still involving you? She¡¯s just treating you as a backup option. You need to stand up for yourself, ignore her, and show her that you don¡¯t need her Once she panics, she¡¯ll definitelye running back to you.¡± Liam passed, shot him a look, and muttered, ¡°Idiot.¡± Nics was taken aback R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Had Liam suddenly became dumb? Deciding to stop messing with him, Nics sent a message to his assistant instead, ¡°Help me find out what¡¯s the rtionship between Steven and Celeste.¡± Nothing in this worldes without a reason. Steven didn¡¯t seem like a generous person Around half past twelve, people on set started to disperse. Leonard Hann took the opportunity to approach Celeste and nervously asked, ¡°Ms. Campbell, would you like to have lunch together?¡± Celeste was taken aback, then smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I already have ns for lunch. Maybe next time. I¡¯ll treat you next time She didn¡¯t dare to go out alone with a popr young male actor Leonard looked slightly disappointed, but not discouraged. ¡°When will ¡®next time¡® be? Can you give me a specific date so I can be prepared?¡± Celeste was silent Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Chapter 796 ¡°Next time, some other day.¡± wasn¡¯t that just a polite way of rejecting someone? How could he take it seriously? Since he¡¯d asked, she couldn¡¯t just say she didn¡¯t know. After a moment of consideration, she said, ¡°Tomorrow after work. Think about what you¡¯d like to eat.¡± Leonard¡¯s face immediately lit up. I¡¯m fine with anything. Whatever you choose, I¡¯ll like it His agent was speechless. You¡¯re fine with anything? You¡¯re so picky at home that we¡¯ve had to change maids over ten times! Shameless! Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh. He seemed so easygoing, contrary to the bad rumors that had been circting about him. The media really did love to stir things up This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Watching them, Liam¡¯s eyes were practically spitting fire. He quickly dialed Celeste¡¯s number. Celeste saw the iing call from Liam, excused herself from Leonard, and walked away to answer it. Nics watched as Liam¡¯s eyes zed with fury. He braced for some biting sarcasm, but the moment Liam answered the call, his voice was surprisingly gentle ¡°Are you done? Tired?¡± Nics was taken aback. Why don¡¯t you let your face reflect what you¡¯re really feeling Celeste answered, ¡°Not tired. It¡¯s just a bit hot Have you left?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve made a reservation at Cuisine Cascade Lets go there to celebrate.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s so hot outside, I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked them to prepare something light. You need to eat to have energy for work.¡± Celeste thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Alright.¡± Liam smiled slightly ¡°Tll wait for you in the car¡± Ending the call, he turned around to see Nics gawking at him. Liam blinked ¡®Are you possessed?¡± He shot Nics a re ¡°Go sit in the front.¡± Nics was speechless ¡°I take back what I said earlier. You¡¯re just nice to women and cold to your friends!¡± So that¡¯s why Celeste had been warming up to himtely. This guy had changed his strategy. With his soft and gentle demeanor, he was like a second Mason Fletcher Nics buckled his seat belt and turned to Liam ¡°Don¡¯t let your true colors show after just a few days. She¡¯ll dump you again.¡± Annoyed. Liam snapped, ¡°Shut up!¡± Owen parked the car in a secluded area Liam sent Celeste the location and soon enough, she arrived, her body fully covered in sun protection gear. Liam immediately handed her a bottle of water. Owen raised an eyebrow Mr. Reed you¡¯re learning pretty fast Celeste took the water and took a couple of sips to moisten her throat before speaking ¡°When did you guys get here?¡± ¡°We arrived a bitter than you, Liam replied, studying her expression. ¡°How did you get here?¡± ¡°Steven arranged a car for me¡± Mentioning Steven, Celeste paused. ¡°Liam, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Liam encouraged ¡°So, Steve was pretty into that robot and borrowed it from me for a week. I let him have it. But after lending it, she started feeling a bit bad. After all, the thing was quite valuable and involved patents. ¡°If you¡¯re not happy about it, I¡¯ll contact Steve and ask for it back. You don¡¯t have to worry about my feelings, just be straight with me. He knew it was that shameless Steven who had the nerve to ask for it! ¡°No worries,¡± Liamforted Celeste, if he likes it, let him use it for a few days¡± That device wasn¡¯t so easy to trust others with It had a self defence mechanism. If Steven wanted to figure something out, it would depend on his skills. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay? Celeste was afraid Liam was just humoring her. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯spletely okay, Liam¡¯s voice dropped, ¡°you gave away what I gave you I¡¯m a bit upset, you need tofort me a bit.¡± Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Upon hearing this, Celeste knew Liam didn¡¯t really care about her offensive remarks and he wouldn¡¯t try to cate her with the team¡¯s achievements. But seeing his puppy dog look, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She nced at the front row Owen was staring straight ahead, while Nics had already taken out his phone, opened the front camera, and started watching without any shame. From the screen, she saw Nics saying in signnguage. ¡°Stop spoiling him.¡± Celeste looked back and asked Liam, ¡°What kind offort do you want?¡± Liam leaned in and whispered in her ear, ¡°Two hundred more. Celeste was speechless. She held up her bag to block Nics¡¯s view. ¡°Did you and Nics bet on something? Why is he so interested in us?¡± The word ¡°interested was the best Celeste coulde up with Nics was obviously stirring the pot. Liam also lowered his voice, ¡°we didn¡¯t bet I asked him some questions when I was pursuing you, maybe he¡¯s worried I can¡¯t win you over¡± Celeste was speechless. Nics¡¯s concern was clearly not about Liam not winning her over, but rather hoping he wouldn¡¯t win her over too quickly What a dimwit! Celeste nced at Liam, I can give you another reward¡± Liam looked up. ¡°Oh?¡± Celeste pinched his chin and kissed him on the face, leaving a lipstick mark. Liam was stunned, his eyes immediately lit up and he was about to kiss her, but Celeste stopped him, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± Liam¡¯s face changed, but he was still thrilled on the inside. Celeste put down her bag and sat upright. Nics s eyes widened. He stared at the lipstick mark on Liam¡¯s face, wishing he could grind his teeth to dust. This was too much! How could they be kissing! Seeing the discontent in Nics¡¯s eyes, Celeste couldn¡¯t help but smile. She¡¯ll handle the bullying of Liam. Casually, Celeste took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to Liam, pointing to his face. ¡®Wipe it off¡± Liam took it, but didn¡¯t immediately wipe it off. Instead, he patted Nics on the shoulder. Thetter turned his head. ¡°Do you want a ride back to the office?¡® Liam asked. Though he asked this, he deliberately turned his face to show off the lipstick mark. He was like a peacock unting its victory in winning a mate. So irritating! He wouldn¡¯t y along with Liam¡¯s game. I¡¯ve been with you all morning: I¡¯m hungry too want to eat as well¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your ass hurt? Celeste likes spicy food Meaning, I wouldn¡¯t consider your eating preferences Nics barely held back his expression, ¡°Even if it hurts, I¡¯ll go! If it gets too bad, I¡¯ll just go to the proctologist! He was going to interfere with their date! R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Owen silently started the car Liam wasn¡¯t as heartless as his words suggested. He still ordered some dishes that he knew Nics liked. Nics didn¡¯t know if he was disturbing Liam, but he was definitely affected by Liam¡¯s sweet gestures Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Chapter 798 In fact, there wasn¡¯t much conversation between Liam and Celeste, nor overly sweet talk. But the atmosphere was so warm, he felt like he was drowning in it. When they were halfway through their drinks, Celeste got up to go to the restroom. Finally Liam turned his attention to Nics, ¡°Have you had enough to eat?¡± ¡°Dont show off here,¡± Nics sneered at him, ¡°She just likes your face, what does that have to do with you?¡± Liam¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, ¡°At least I attractive her with my face, unlike some people who can only deceive.¡± Nics wanted to shoot that bastard Today, Cuisine Cascade was especially busy and there was a line In the hallway, Celeste saw a staff member hanging a banner and realized it was Valentine¡¯s Day. No wonder there were more guests than usual As she entered the restroom, she heard someone outside saying ¡°Angel, Ms. Fletcher¡¯s birthday is next week; are you going?¡± Celeste stopped in her tracks What a coincidence! Sure enough, Angel Campbell¡¯s voice came through, I should be going¡± After Celeste was kicked out by the Campbell family Angel became the Campbell family¡¯s darling- She wasn¡¯t close to Molly Fletcher, but Molly¡¯s stepfather was her uncle, so they had a close rtionship. If she was going she couldn¡¯t give a crappy gift, her father had also been mysteriously giving her less moneytely. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together, our driver is on sick leave, I can use your car¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Angel looked down on her friends a bit. Before, she had to hang out with them because she was of low status, now she was a truedy of leisure, hanging out with them just to feel adored But she didn¡¯t refuse, in case she needed them in the future. ¡°Okay call you then¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± her friend immediately ttered, ¡°When I was with you and your sister, no, when I was with Celeste, she would ignore me. She was always so haughty. I can¡¯t believe she turned out to be an illegitimate child¡± Celeste was silent. She didn¡¯t even recognize the voice, did she really hang out with her? But Angel clearly loved this kind of ttery and belittlement, she couldn¡¯t wait to stomp Celeste into the mud and never let her get up! ¡°She¡¯s always been like that, so arrogant Fortunately the Reeds are wise and kicked her out. I heard she¡¯s started acting now, she used to be a Reed, and now she has to make money by acting. I really want to see her down and out¡± As soon as the words fell, the door to the restroom was pushed open from the inside. Celeste strutted out with a poker face, dressed simply with only a pair of crushed diamond earrings. Despite no overtly expensive essories on her, just standing there with her face alone made everything she wore seem incredibly valuable Those niche brands worth just a few hundred bucks, she wore them like they were top¨Cnotch designer labels. Angel¡¯s face stiffened What a crummy encounter! Celeste didn¡¯t even bother to give her a nce, sidestepping Angel, ready to take off. But Angel blocked her way. ¡°Sis, long time no see¡± Celeste halted, lifting her eyes towards her. In the past, to emphasize her discontent with Celeste, Angel would deliberately avoid wearing nice clothes and expensive jewelry in public. But this time, she had them all on Her face also had some changes, looking prettier than before. Perhaps she did stic surgerytely Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Angel was itching to pick a fight with Celeste, but Celeste wasn¡¯t giving her the chance. After sizing Angel up, she quipped, ¡°Who did your stic surgery? Aren¡¯t you nning to sue? I know a lawyer who specializes in medical disputes. I can introduce you. When you impensation, make sure to ask for a lot so you can find a better doctor to fix your face.¡± She said it with such gravity that the girls waiting nearby couldn¡¯t help but look over Their attention was all focused on Angel¡¯s face. Angel¡¯splexion shifted slightly, but her face was still stiff from the Injections. Her twitching mouth looked like she had facial paralysis, which only confirmed Celeste¡¯s insinuation about a botched surgery. Before Angel could even respond, a friend jumped in to defend her ¡°Angel meant well, your words are too harsh¡± Celeste nced at the girl defending Angel, the so¨Ccalled ¡®friend¡® who was the daughter of a senior manager in Shawn Campbell¡¯spany They had interacted so few times, she could count them on one hand. She didn¡¯t even know the girl¡¯s name. Is that what friends are? Seeing that she had an audience, Angel immediately started to put on a show ¡°Laura, don¡¯t be like that She¡¯s had a hard time since leaving the Campbeli family so she might hold some resentment towards me ¡°What night does she have to hold resentment? It was her mother who did wrong. You¡¯re the legitimate heiress who¡¯s been bullied by this illegitimate daughter for years. Has she ever considered your feelings? You can¡¯t be too kind.* Celeste nearly burst outughing Telling Angel not to be too kind was like giving terrorist a peace prize ¨C absolutely hrious Angel continued to y the part of the ¡°kind sister¡°. ¡°The past is in the past. We¡¯re still sisters. I don¡¯t want to see her struggle.¡± She then looked at Celeste, ¡°Sis, I heard you were left with nothing after the divorce The drop in your standard of living must have been hard to adjust to, right? if you¡¯re having financial difficulties, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. Even though you¡¯re not dad¡¯s biological daughter, he¡¯s still raised you for so many years. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some affection there. I¡¯m willing to plead with him on your behalf. He wouldn¡¯t stand to see you suffer¡± Looking at her insincere face. Celeste scoffed, ¡°Angel, is the gift the Reed family gave me at my weddingfortable on you?¡± Angel stiffened and instinctively covered the bracelet on her wrist N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Celeste casually nced at her, then slowly said, ¡°The gift from the Reed family is worth at least 2 to 3 million, right? Since I¡¯m not part of the Campbell family, and my mom has divorced Shawn, then I should take back these things. Go tell Shawn to count them properly for me. I¡¯lle get them when I have the time. If I can¡¯t get them, well, you know what kind of person I am. I like to go the legal route. If this gets out, it¡¯d be quite embarrassing right? Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Chapter 800 The illustrious Campbell family, actually trying to seize the assets of a deceased wife and the wedding gifts of an illegitimate daughter if this news gets out, people might think the Campbell family is poor¡± Angel¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Celeste, how can you say such a thing? For all these years in the Campbell family, all the things you¡¯ve eaten and used, do you know how much money dad has spent on you? Now that you¡¯re divorced and broke, you want to turn the tables and act like the victim isnt that a bit shameless? Celeste didn¡¯t get angry, instead, she smirked. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just offering to ask your dad to help me out? Why can¡¯t you ept it when I take the initiative to ask for my wedding gifts back? Were you lying to me?¡± Angel¡¯s face turned green at Celeste¡¯s provocation ¡°Go home and ask Shawn how much my wedding gifts were worth Let¡¯s calcte it carefully so you won¡¯t feel like I¡¯m taking advantage of the Campbell family¡± After saying that, she cast a nce at the girl next to her, ¡°You have to pick the right person to suck up to With that, she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the two with awkward expressions In one sentence, she had insulted two people without using any profanities Angel was annoyed Celeste, who had disrupted the harmony among the socialites and was now reduced to making a living through performances, still had that arrogant air about her Laura said. ¡®It seems the rumor is true. Why else would she be so brazen? Angel looked at her ¡°What? Laura leaned in and whispered mysteriously. ¡°I heard that Celeste is Involved with the son of the Garcia family. Not long after her divorce, some people saw her house hunting with Mr Garcia The agency she signed with is also owned by the Garcia family There are no such coincidences in the world, right?¡± Angel was taken aback, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Laura said. ¡°It¡¯s just gossip I heard. I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, but if she didn¡¯t have any support, how would Celeste dare to talk to you like that? She¡¯s an illegitimate child, shouldn¡¯t she keep a low profile when facing you, the real heiress?¡® Angel didn¡¯t respond If Celeste was really with Steven, then she wouldn¡¯t need to lift a finger. Molly had been pursuing Steven for so long, but she never had the chance to have a date alone with him. If she found out that Steven was interested in a divorced woman. how would her pride take it? As long as Celeste hadn¡¯tpletely failed, she wouldn¡¯t be at ease. The moment Celeste left the bathroom, Angel followed. She wanted to see who Celeste was dining with. If it was Steven, that would be a big leverage When Celeste returned, Liam noticed her troubled expression and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Bumped into two pains in the ass in the restroom.¡± Liam blinked, ¡°Hygiene issue, or someone didn¡¯t flush?¡± Celeste was taken aback, then the next second, she burst outughing. Seeing herughing, Liam was somewhat puzzled He looked at Nics, his eyes full of questions, did he say something wrong? Nics, with a senous face, said, ¡°Maybe it was a fly mama taking her kids for lunch.¡± Liam¡­ Celeste¡­ Luckily, the three of them had almost finished eating or else if the conversation continued like this, they might lose their appetite. Angel had been waiting outside for half an hour before the door of the room opened. She immediately perked up and took out her phone. Unexpectedly, the person who came out with Celeste was not Steven, but Liam. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. As soon as Celeste came out of the room and didn¡¯t walk far, Liam stepped forward and caught her wrist, hanging the sunsses in his hand on her face. Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Chapter 801 N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Angel¡¯s face was all twisted up as she watched the scene unfold. Celeste was actually having lunch with Liam! Hadn¡¯t they divorced already? Their divorce wasn¡¯t exactly a walk in the park. Liam left her with nothing, so why on earth were they having lunch together? And with that kind of intimate bodynguage? No wonder Celeste was so confident. She was a pro at navigating the sea of men even after her divorce! Bitter and full of resentment, Angel left without even touching her food After waiting for quite some time and seeing no sign of Angel, her bestie decided to go look for her. But before she could even step out, a waiter stopped her to settle the bill I¡¯m looking for my friend. We¡¯ll settle the bill when she gets back.¡± I nurs?aid. But the waiter informed her, ¡°Ms Campbell has already left.¡°¡® Laura was taken aback and her face turned sour. Angel had said she would treat her, and now she was stuck with the bill because Angel had done a dine and dash? Angel was so sly and two¨Cfaced! When Angel got home, she casually tossed her bag onto the sofa without changing her shoes, leaving a trail of footprints on the freshly mopped floor The maid quickly fetched Angel¡¯s slippers, saying in a low voice. ¡°Please change your shoes, I just mopped the floor¡± Angel was frustrated and without an outlet for her anger Not only did she not change her shoes, but she also deliberately stomped around on the wet floor a few times. ¡°Just mop it again That¡¯s what I pay you for You think this ce is a charity?¡± Angel retorted. The maid looked upset, but said nothing, quietly fetching the mop to clean the footprints Angel watched her with a sideways nce. As soon as the maid cleaned the footprints, Angel stomped on the floor again. Seeing the maid look up at her, Angel coldly said, ¡°What are you looking at? Keep cleaning The maid kept her lips tightly shut, holding the mop and walking over But before she could get much cleaning done, Angel knocked over a jar of paint that Jacques Campbell had left out on the coffee table. -Brightly colored paint sttered everywhere, some evennding on the carpet. The maid was upset and said in a shaky voice. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s difficult to clean the paint out of the cracks in the floor.¡± Angel shed a small smile, ¡°If it¡¯s hard to clean, then use a cloth and get on your knees You¡¯re paid a lot to do this job, it¡¯s not too much to ask, right?¡± On her knees¡­ That was too humiliating. The maid¡¯s eyes were red with anger. Seeing the maid¡¯s distress, Angel felt a perverse sense of satisfaction. Not everyone had the courage to quit their jobs. Ordinary people just had to suck it up, even if their jobs were unsatisfying or they were being mistreated. They had to grit their teeth and bear it for the sake of making a living When Shawn came home, he saw the maid on her knees, cleaning the floor with red eyes, while Angel was sitting on the sofa, casually throwing trash on the floor and urging the maid to clean. up better. Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Chapter 802 ¡°What are you doing? Shawn frowned ¡°I¡¯m just teaching Rhea how to clean properly She¡¯s getting old and her cleaning skills are slipping.¡± Angel replied nonchntly ¡°This is pointless!¡± Shawn responded angrily. ¡°Rhea has worked in this house for many years. How could I not know about her work ethic?¡± As he spoke, he helped Rhea up and sterly said, ¡°You should apologize to Rhea!¡± Angel¡¯s face turned sour. She threw the seeds she was eating and shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t¡® It¡¯s her fault for not doing her job properly. What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Don¡¯t you have any respect for others?¡± Ever since Angel moved back in with her mother and brother, she seemed to have lost her manners. She used to be sweet and caring, always ready to lend a hand with cleaning or serving tea. Now, she waspletely unrecognizable Rhea, womed that their argument would bring her trouble, quickly tried to mediate Sir, it¡¯s okay I¡¯ll clean it up right away¡± Angel scoffed, ¡°Dad, are you upset because Rhea was hired by your ex¨Cwife? Caitlyn¡¯s already dead, why are you still like this?¡± Shawn seemed to be stung. He raised his hand and pped Angel. ¡°Shut up!¡± Angel was stunned by the p She hadn¡¯t expected Shawn to hit her. Helen, who had juste downstairs, saw everything and quickly scolded Shawn, ¡°Why are you hitting her?¡± She then shielded Angel behind her. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Shawn was red in the face with anger, ¡°Ask her what she said!¡± Angel¡¯s eyes were red and tears were falling non¨Cstop. ¡°I just mentioned Caitlyn. Is it wrong to mention her? She¡¯s already dead!¡± Helen immediately understood why Shawn was so angry It wasn¡¯t that he had deep feelings for Caitlyn, but he had been gued by some strange events recently. His nerves were on edge, and any mention of Caitlyn would set him off Indeed, strange things had been happening in the housetely. Starting with Jacques drawing a picture of Caitlyn¡¯s ident scene, these strange urrences just kept happening For example, a newly opened carton of milk suddenly turned into blood. Caitlyn¡¯s burned photo reappeared on their bedside table the next morning. And then there was the sound of Caitlyn singing coming from the attic in the middle of the night¡­. Theat strange events had put Shawn on edge. He even started praying and donating money to temples, hoping for some peace of mind. Helen, however, didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and spirits If Caitlyn really had turned into a ghost, wouldn¡¯t she seek revenge instead of just ying tricks? Even with cameras installed in the house, they hadn¡¯t caught anyone responsible for these strange events. Helen still firmly believed that these were not caused by ghosts But Shawn clearly didn¡¯t think so. He was terrified of these strange events That¡¯s why he got so angry when Angel mentioned Caitlyn Turning around, she softly scolded Angel, ¡°Can you just keep quiet for one time¡± Then she grabbed Shawn¡¯s hand, whispering soothing words, ¡°Shawn, calm down, Angel¡¯s not usually like this. Something must¡¯ve ruffled her feathers out there, don¡¯t you know her by now?¡± Shawn¡¯s rage simmered down a bit, he said sternly, ¡°You need toy down thew with the kid. She¡¯s not a baby anymore, why is she so rude! Look at how Caitlyn raises Celeste, she never bullies the nanny at home!¡± At his words, Helen¡¯s face immediately tightened up Angel shot back, ¡°You think Celeste is some well¨Cbreddy? If she really was, she wouldn¡¯t be out there chasing after new partners, flirting with every man in sight after her divorce!¡± Shawn asked with a frown, ¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying?¡± Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Angel smirked coldly. ¡°Your so¨Ccalled well¨Cbred daughter is still clinging to Liam after her divorce and is now involved with the only son of the Garcia family. She asked me to tell you that she wants you to properly calcte the estate of Caitlyn and the wedding gift she received from the Reed family. She¡¯ll come to collect it some time, if you don¡¯t cough it up, she¡¯ll drag you to court.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Shawn¡¯s face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, ¡°Did I raise her all these years for nothing? How dare she make such a demand!¡± Angel got a p for her words, but since she had Helen¡¯s protection, she snidely remarked ¡°What¡¯s stopping her? You divorced her mother while she was seriously ill, she¡¯s been holding a grudge ever since.¡± Helen gave her a stem look, ¡°Shut up!¡± Angel huffed and closed her mouth. Helen said, ¡°She¡¯s quite something, asking for a settlement of the wedding gift? She¡¯s divorced now, what wedding gift is there to settle? it should be between the Reed family and us, what¡¯s she got to do with it? As for Caitlyn¡¯s dowry, hasn¡¯t Caitlyn¡¯s hospital bills cost a pretty penny over the years? Does she think Caitlyn left her a pot of gold?¡± Shawn certainly had no way to pay this amount, mainly because he was broke. His funds had drastically reduced due to his investment in Smart Chips stocks After Celeste and Liami¡¯s divorce, thepany lost several long-term clients, and the revenue for the second quarter was less than half of the first. The management was panicking, some were secretly selling their shares. If business didn¡¯t pick up, he could face bankruptcy He hadn¡¯t dared to tell Helen any of this. When he started making money, she had advised him to quit while he was ahead, but he was greedy and hoped to strike it rich by investing in Smart Chips, ending up losing most of his fortune If Helen knew she¡¯d definitely despise him for his rash decisions, so he didn¡¯t have the guts to tell her. He shouldn¡¯t have severed ties with Celeste so soon, If Celeste had acted as a bridge between him and Liam, no matter how bad things got, thepany could easily rake in millions in annual revenue He never expected that Celeste would still draw Liam¡¯s attention after their divorce. Thepany was in dire straits now and solving the current crisis with Liams help. Now that Celeste and Liam were back together, maybe this was his chance. After dinner, Celeste went home and took a bath. When she came out of the bathroom, Trisha told her, ¡°Letti, your phone has been ringing it¡¯s an unknown number, so I didn¡¯t pick up.¡± Celeste acknowledged her and picked up her phone just as the unknown number called again. She pressed the answer button. ¡°Celeste, it¡¯s me¡± As soon as Shawn started to speak, Celeste hung up and blocked the number Seeing her hang up without hesitation, Trisha asked, ¡°Was it a scam call?¡± ¡°Yep¡± Just saw the disgusting Angel at the restaurant, and now Shawn¡¯s calling. Is the whole family out to annoy me? But Shawn didn¡¯t give up, and over the next hour, he tried to contact her with several different numbers. Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Even slow¨Creacting Trisha could tell something was up, ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Celeste clenched her jaw, ¡°Shawn¡± Trisha snapped, ¡°That shameless jerk, how does he have the nerve to contact you?!¡± ¡°Who knows, it definitely won¡¯t be anything good¡± As they were talking, the phone rang again Trisha said, ¡°Answer it, let¡¯s see what this shameless jerk is up to Make him cough up your mom¡¯s money!¡± Celeste thought for a moment and then answered the call Shawn calling repeatedly was a first, she was curious what had him so desperate ¡°Celeste, don¡¯t hang up¡± As soon as she picked up, Shawn blurted this out. She put him on speaker, turned on the call recorder, and ced the phone on the coffee table, ¡°Shawn, if you keep calling like this, I can report you for harassment ¡°I just need to talk to you about something Shawn said gently, ¡°Nothing more¡± Celeste chuckled. ¡°What could we possibly have to talk about besides legal matters? Or did Angel ry my message and you¡¯re ready to pay up? If you want to pay we can talk Shawn¡¯s face stiffened, and he forcefully suppressed his displeasure. ¡°Celeste, I may not be your biological father, but I did raise you. We have a bond, a father daughter rtionship. Ever since thewsuit ended, I¡¯ve been upset and worried about you. Are you doing well?¡± Trisha immediately mocked him in signnguage, asking how he had the nerve to say all this? Celeste¡¯s expression was cold, ¡°Mr Campbell, just spit it out. We don¡¯t have any emotional ties anymore, why the pretense?¡± Shawn¡¯s face twisted, Celeste¡¯s biting sarcasm was just like Caitlyn¡¯s! Suppressing his anger, he said softly, ¡°Celeste, dont always think the worst of people. Angel mentioned she met you today and said you¡¯re not doing well. I¡¯m really worried. If you don¡¯t mind I¡¯d like to take you back home. After all, your mother has passed away. Whatever happened is in the past. She was my wife, and you¡¯re her child. From a sentimental and logical standpoint, I should take care of you¡± Trisha looked puzzled, had Shawn lost his mind? Celeste pressed her lips together and slowly said, ¡°And will Helen and Angel agree to you taking me back?¡± Shawn thought he had a chance. After all, Celeste was now an orphan without a father she epted him as her adoptive father, she would have a legitimate identity to enter high society. He didn¡¯t believe Celeste would refuse this opportunity. If Celeste wants to remarry into the Reed family, she needs a respectable status. As long as she keeps Celeste in check, Liam will naturally help the Campbell family as before ¡°I¡¯ve decided to adopt you, and it¡¯s none of their business. You don¡¯t need to worry about what they think. As long as you agree, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to change your household registration tomorrow. Anything Angel has, you¡¯ll have too. We¡¯re still family Celeste¡¯s eyes were cold, but her voice was so gentle, ¡°Are you really willing to consider me as your adopted daughter?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Shawn¡¯s tone was full of excitement, I¡¯ve watched you grow up, and when I found out you weren¡¯t my biological child, I was heartbroken and in pain. But after raising you for so many years, I already consider you my own daughter.¡± Celeste hesitated, ¡°The previouswsuit was a big deal, if you adopt me, do we have to announce it publicly?¡± Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Chapter 805 Trisha watched Celeste talk with that soft voice while maintaining a poker face. If she hadn¡¯t been looking at her face, just hearing her Celeste had fallen for Shawn¡¯s schemes. When it came to making it public, Shawn hesitated, ¡°How¡­how do you want to announce it?¡± she would¡¯ve thought that ¡°We at least need to go through the adoption process, get it in the papers, make a will or something. So if you pass away, I won¡¯t be left with nothing because of these two people.¡± Shawn¡¯s face stiffened a bit. He just wanted to use Celeste as a stepping stone, not give her any inheritance rights ¡°Celeste, its too early to talk about this. I¡¯m still healthy. It¡¯s not appropriate to make a will now And honestly, you¡¯re too old to be adopted now. Aren¡¯t you making things hard for me? But don¡¯t worry, even without these two things, I still see you as my own daughter in everyone else¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re still my daughter, the legitimate heiress of the Campbell family. Whether you reconcile with Liam or remarry, the Campbell family will always be your backer¡± The moment he mentioned Liam, Celeste instantly understood why Shawn had suddenly called her Shawn¡¯s the type of person who wouldn¡¯t bother if there¡¯s no benefit. Why on earth would he suddenly want to adopt her as his daughter? He probably heard or saw something With her eyes lowered Celeste said, ¡°Without any proof, how can I believe what you say? I need to see your sincerity, don¡¯t 17¡± Shawn frowned. Celeste wasn¡¯t so easily fooled. If he didn¡¯t give up something he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to convince her ¡°Of course, Daddy is sincere. After your grandfather passed away, he left a house. I had to mortgage it for business, but now I¡¯ve redeemed it. The house is still under your mother¡¯s name. After you get married, I¡¯ll transfer the house to you as an inheritance. Of course, once you¡¯re my daughter, I¡¯ll give you more than just that ¡± Celeste clenched her hand, her voice soft, ¡°Would Helen agree to such a big thing? If she gets angry about this and loses the baby, you won¡¯t me me, right?¡± Shawn was taken aback. ¡°What baby?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Helen pregnant? Such a big happy event, were you nning to keep it a secret?¡± Shawn¡¯s face hardened, ¡°Who told you she¡¯s pregnant?¡± ¡°My friend saw her going for a prenatal check, Celeste feigned surprise, ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Shown pursed his lips, ¡°She probably wasn¡¯t ready to tell me yet.¡± How good at making excuses for himself. Trisha saw Helen at the prenatal checkup over a month ago, and these two were still not ready to talk about it? Knowing about Helen¡¯s pregnancy, Shawn didn¡¯t want to keep pestering Celeste. He just said, ¡°Celeste, think about what I said. Having a status is better than being a nobody¡± Okay¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After hanging up. Trisha couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°How dare Shawn propose to adopt you? Does he think everyone is dying to be part of the Campbell family? That house originally belonged to Aunt Caitlyn. That pair of adulterers took over someone else¡¯s property, how dare they even mention it? And he wants to trick you into waiting until you get married to give you the house. Who are you marrying?¡± ¡°Liam¡± Trisha was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re getting back together with Liam?¡° Chapter 806 Chapter 806 ¡°No,¡± Celeste saved the recording and looked up. ¡°Shawn probably thinks I¡¯m getting back together with Liam, which is why he¡¯s so eager to spout this nonsense about adopting me.¡± Shawn¡¯s been in a messtely, seems like there¡¯s a problem with thepany. He was on a call at home and Rhea overheard some of it and told her These past years, with the backing of Quantum, Shawn¡¯s been raking in the dough Betting on his rtionship with the Reed family to make money, he didn¡¯t focus on product innovation or expanding the client base who really valued the product. Once she and Liam divorced and the rtionship chain broke, Shawn couldn¡¯t keep those clients Thepany¡¯s downturn was inevitable. But, the Campbell family¡¯spany has a long history, and Shawn should have umted quite a bit of wealth. Them¡¯s no need for him to be like this just because of a crisis. There must be something else forcing him to msort to such tactics Not understanding Celeste decided not to think about it. With this recording, she wondered if she could get back her mother¡¯s house She thought about consulting Mason via text, and when she was halfway through typing, she paused and deleted everything Asking Mr Fletcher would be more convenient, but if Liam found out there would probably be a fuss She looked up and asked ¡°Trisha, does thatwyer friend of yours know anything about inheritance disputes?¡± Trisha said. ¡°He does all kinds of cases, but why don¡¯t you just ask Mr. Fletcher? He¡¯s much more professional ¡°We can¡¯t always bother him. Give me yourwyer friend¡¯s contact¡® While scrolling through her phone, Trisha said, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of upsetting Liam, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re too kind to him! The two of you split up because he didn¡¯t exin things with Sydney, which made you suffer for so many years. Now that he¡¯s chasing you, you should let him experience that heart¨C wrenching feeling!¡± While adding her friend, Celeste said, ¡°We can¡¯t take advantage of Mr. Fletcher, that¡¯s deceiving people¡¯s feelings, isn¡¯t it?¡± Trisha huffed. ¡°Maybe Mr Fletcher is like you, not afraid of being fooled emotionally¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t understand Trisha said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the type who doesn¡¯t mind being fooled emotionally, but can¡¯t stand being fooled financially?¡± Celeste¡­ The Garcia family Steven stared at the Na in front of him, not taking his eyes off it for a moment. ¡°Liam, are you watching from there?¡± Steven¡¯s voice came from Liam¡¯s phone. Liam kept his poker face and continued reading the documents. Steven got up and said to the guy behind him, ¡°Tear it apart, mate. I need to see if there¡¯s any spy gear stuffed in there.¡± ¡°Tear tear it apart? The guy thought he heard wrong. He was just marveling at this high¨Ctech robot Quantum had cooked up, and then the next second he¡¯s told to rip it apart. He thought he was hearing things. Steven sat casually on one side. ¡°Yeah, tear it apart. You¡¯re from the research center, right? Isn¡¯t this what you do? Taking apart a robot shouldn¡¯t be a biggie for you.¡± The guy swallowed, ¡°Mr. Garcia, it¡¯s not about it being hard or not. I just think it¡¯s not right. We¡¯re talking patents here, I¡¯m worried if Quantum catches wind of this, they¡¯ll just find some excuse toe after you¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Just do it,¡± Steven said, his face unchanged ¡°If shit hits the fan, I¡¯ll take the heat.¡± Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Chapter 807 The boss had already given the order, even if he feltered, he had to get it done. Opening the toolbox and rummaging through various mini disassembly tools, the robot named ¡°Na¡® scanned them with its mechanical eyes. Suddenly, it piped up. ¡°Sir, I can only be disassembled in the factory If you tinker with me yourself, it could be dangerous unless you¡¯re a certified master of ¡®Na The man almost dropped the tool in his hand. ¡°Mr. Garcia, maybe we should leave it in one piece.¡± He was concerned about disassembling this high intelligence robot that could predict human behavior What if he couldn¡¯t put it back together? Steven sipped his tea casually. ¡°If I told you to disassemble it, just do it. If it talks too much, just shut it down¡± The man shut up, thought for a moment, and then switched off Na¡® After confirming the location of the control board, he started the disassembly process. Once he unscrewed the screws around the control board, the whole controller was exposed to the air His hand had just reached in when Na, which had been turned eff, suddenly grabbed his wrist. Then Steven watched as the robot¡¯s limbs began to unfold and transform. From a small thing of 1.2 meters tall, it turned into the height of an adult. A slight twist of its mechanical arm caused the man who was disassembling it to scream in pain Steven was stunned so much so that he spilled his drink all over himself without noticing What the hell was this thing? A transformer? Na had already entered defense mode, let go of the man, turned its head to Steven, and started walking towards him. When it reached Steven, it took the cup from his hand. With a squeeze of its mechanical hand, the cup shattered into pieces Then that hand reached towards Steven. Snapping out of his daze. Steven got up and ran. Na chased after him, wrecking everything in its path that got in its way. Hearing themotion downstairs, ir came down to investigate. The whole living room was a mess, as if it had been robbed. Steven was nowhere to be seen, only the sound of banging could be heard. Concerned she called out, ¡°Steven, where are you?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Na, which had been pounding on the bathroom door, stopped at the sound of her voice, and left the bathroom. Steven, who was hiding in the bathroom, just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard ir scream. Jumping up, he rushed out. ir was running circles around the coffee table in the living room with ¡®Na¡®, her face white with fear. She was grabbing anything within reach and throwing it at the robot. Seeing Steven, she shouted, ¡°Steven, what the hell is this thing? Make it stop!¡± Steven was about to call for help while ¡®Na was distracted, but as soon as ir opened her mouth, the robot noticed him and switched targets. Cursing, Steven grabbed his phone and told ir, ¡°Go upstairs!¡± Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Just as he finished speaking. ¡®Na¡¯s mechanical arm extended again, this time urately grabbing Steven and pinning him to the floor Unable to move, Steven called Liam by voice dial. As soon as the call was answered, heined loudly, ¡®Liam, the quality of this product you designed is terrible Liam yed dumb, ¡°Mr. Garcia, are you saying there¡¯s a problem with the Quantum product you purchased? You can apply for a refund. Any product sold by Quantum has after¨Csales protection¡± Furious, Steven retorted, ¡°I¡¯m talking about this robot you designed! It seems to have gone rogue, it¡¯s pinning me to the floor and won¡¯t let go!¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about ¡°Na¡®?¡± ¡°Yes! Tell it to let go now!¡± ¡°This situation has never urred in our experimental stage What did you do to 17 Steven, of course, was not willing to admit that he had someone disassemble Na, so he denied vehemently. ¡°What could I possibly do to a robot? This is clearly a problem with your development!¡± After he finished. Steven urged. ¡°Stop talking and tell me how to make it stop!¡± Liam chuckled to himself, hard¨Cheaded as ever He said senously, ¡°Hold on, let me ask¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± After hanging up. Steven could only lie on the floor. Both of his hands were held by Na¡® Robots, unlike humans, can¡¯t control their strength. Steven felt as if his arms were about to be dislocated a mix of pain and numbness ¡°Bro, is this robot made by Liam ir sat on the stairs, keeping her distance, and asked curiously Irritated. Steven replied, ¡°Who else but him could create such a piece of junk!¡± ¡°Liam is pretty impressive¡± ¡°If he¡¯s really impressive, howe this thing has gone rogue? ir closed her mouth Steven waited in that position for more than ten minutes, but Liam didn¡¯t call back, so he called again. ¡°Did you find out? How can I make it stop!¡± ¡°I just found out,¡± said Liam, ¡°My colleagues in the R&D department said it¡¯s probably triggered its defense mechanism.¡± In fact, Liam hadn¡¯t asked anyone. From the first call to this one, he hadn¡¯t left his seat. 1 don¡¯t care what kind of mechanism it is. I just want to know how to make it stop!¡± He was beginning to suspect that Liam was stalling! ¡°Oh,¡± Liam replied leisurely. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no setting for that yet.¡± Steven¡¯s face darkened. What did you say?¡± ¡°I said there¡¯s no setting for a forced stop. After all, it¡¯s still in the development stage. It¡¯s quite normal for the program to be imperfect.¡± Angrily. Steven retorted, ¡°Normal? You¡¯re giving such a high¨Crisk thing to someone else to use, are you crazy?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t attack its certified master¡± In other words, as long as it doesn¡¯t harm Celeste, it s fine. As for you, you¡¯ve brought it on yourself. Right now, Steven really wanted to strangle Liam. He said through gritted teeth, ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± Liam reassured him with faux kindness, ¡°Once its battery runs out, it will naturally shut down.¡± Steven frowned. ¡®How long will the batteryst? ¡°We use a high¨Ccapacity battery, which can stand by for up to 36 hours, he paused, then continued, ¡°If you haven¡¯t charged it recently, the battery may run out in a dozen hours or so. You just need to wait patiently¡± Stevens face turned icy Liam continued. ¡°But, I¡¯ve gotta thank you, man, for helping us spot a mistake. We¡¯ll send the product back to the factory to make it better-¡± Before he could even finish his sentence, Steven hung up. Liam clicked his tongue, thinking to himself, what a cheapskate this guy is. Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Liam definitely tricked Steven. He must have known how to disarm the system, but it would have used a lot of energy to do so when it was triggered, so the duration was set to be short, only two hours. Those two hours were a nightmare for Steven. For example, when his father got home, his first reaction wasn¡¯t to help him, but to take a photo and share it on Twitter Upon seeing the photo, Leonard Hann immediately sent it to the Hann family group chat, and it became the joke of the year After the afternoon meeting, Liam was assigning tasks to Owen. Once he finished, Owen finally spoke up ¡®Mr. Reed, it¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day Don¡¯t you want to spend it with your wife?¡± Liam was taken aback, frowning, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you remind me earlier?¡± He had totally forgotten about the holiday and hadn¡¯t even prepared a gift. ¡°I never reminded you before. It was always your wife whe did,¡± Owen said. Liam nced at Owen, as if saying. ¡°Why are you reminding me now at thest minute?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve booked two movie tickets for you. It¡¯s said to be a must¨Csee movie for couples. You can take your wife to see it and boost your feelings,¡± Owen said. Liam¡¯s frown immediately vanished. He checked the time and asked, ¡°What time is the movie?* ¡°Eight o¡¯clock. It ends in two hours. There¡¯s an art exhibition at the Danu River tonight. You can go there after the movie.¡± Not only did Liam¡¯s frown disappear, but his eyes even showed satisfaction. ¡°Where are the tickets?¡± ¡°I was a bit busy today and didn¡¯t have time to pick them up. I sent the QR code to your phone. You and your wife can collect them at the venue,¡± Owen reminded ¡°You can go home and change. You may want to dress more casually for the date, it may make you look younger.¡± Liam paused, ¡°Look younger?¡± Owen said tly, ¡°Your wife likes the way you looked in your college photos.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Liam pursed his lips, finally saying. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Actually, we employees prefer the way you look now,¡± Owen praised. Liam nced at him and stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± ¡°Sure¡± As soon as Liam left, Owen sent a message in the group chat, ¡°Let¡¯s clock out, everyone. Enjoy your Valentine¡¯s Day.¡± He immediately received a barrage of messages saying ¡°Good job, Owen!¡± Once in his car, Liam texted Celeste, ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Not long after, Celeste replied, ¡°Watching a movie with Trisha tonight.¡± ¡°Watching it at the cinema?¡± ¡°At home,¡± Celeste replied. ¡°How about going to the cinema? The experience would be better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a holiday, there will be a lot of people. I couldn¡¯t get tickets.¡± ¡°I have two tickets from work.¡± Celeste perked up at this, ¡°Then give me the tickets. I¡¯ll take Trisha with me.¡± Liam should¡¯ve kept his mouth shut! Celeste was already urging him, ¡°Have you got the movie tickets? What movie is it?¡± Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Liam pulled back a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I haven¡¯t collected the tickets.¡± ¡°Then send me the QR code for the tickets, we¡¯ll collect them ourselves.¡± Liam sent the QR code to Celeste reluctantly, then called Nics. As soon as the call was answered, he said straight away, ¡°Get Trisha out of the house, I¡¯m going to the movies with Letti¡± Nics was startled, ¡°What did you say? I couldn¡¯t hear clearly. The signal is bad¡± ¡°You can fake the Bugatti, Liam said. Nics¡® signal suddenly improved, ¡°Okay¡± So, just as Celeste and Trisha were getting ready to leave, Nics, looking sharp, knocked on the door of room 901. Tnsha saw him and was about to m the door in his face. Nics blocked it with his foot, ¡°This is too much. I knew you were messing with me, but I put up with it. Are you still mad?¡± Trisha scoffed, ¡°You deserved it! We¡¯re even now, so don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡± As she was about to close the door, Nics quickly pulled out a car key, ¡°Isn¡¯t my apology enough? I¡¯ll take you for a ride in the Bugatti Trisha¡¯s eyes were quickly drawn to the car key. To be honest, she was tempted. ¡°You won¡¯t trick me with a fake key, will you?¡± Trisha said. Nics thought to himself that these two incidents hadpletely ruined his credibility with Trisha. If he didn¡¯t drive the hell out of this car, he¡¯d be letting Liam off easy ¡°The car is in the underground parking. Why don¡¯t youe with me and see if I¡¯m lying? If I am, you can stop talking to me.¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to talk to you in the first ce! I treated you like a brother, but you treat me like an idiot!¡± Nics smiled and grabbed her wrist, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be mad. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Celeste came out in her new outfit to find Trisha gone. Not long after, Trisha called her, ¡°Letti, I¡¯m not going to the movies. I have something to do. You can find someone else to go with you or give the tickets back to Liam Celeste wasn¡¯t angry. Trisha didn¡¯t really want to go in the first ce, she was just going to apany her. She told her to e back early¡± and hung up. Celeste didn¡¯t feel like going alone, so she called Liam, ¡°Liam, I didn¡¯t pick up the movie tickets. Remember to return them before they expire.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going?¡± Liam asked ¡°Trisha can¡¯t make it, and I don¡¯t want to go alone.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Liam¡¯s smile dimmed, ¡°I¡¯m free tonight, and it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a movie. Would you like to¡­ go together?¡± Celeste paused, thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like movies?¡± Liam didn¡¯t try to change his preferences just to please Celeste. He said, ¡°The main thing is to apany you. As long as you¡¯re happy, maybe you¡¯ll give me extra points.¡± Celeste Suddenly, she felt that she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned points to Liam. Now all he thinks about is getting more points. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Come and pick me up.¡± She just didn¡¯t wanna waste the movie ticket. About ten minutester, Liam showed up, so fast that Celeste started to suspect he was already nearby. Today, Liam was rolling low¨Ckey in a Mercedes. He was wearing a white tee, ck joggers, and had his hair tidied up a bit. He looked the same, but somehow, he seemed younger. Celeste figured it might be the sses. Liam was a bit nearsighted, over a hundred degrees. Except for when he was driving, he hardly ever wore sses. And of course, he hardly ever drove. Just as Celeste got into the passenger seat and before she could say anything, Liam¡¯s phone rang She kept quiet and started buckling up. Liam hit the speakerphone button, and ir¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Liam, you freeter?¡± Celeste¡¯s movements paused for a second. Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Celeste buckled up, pretending to y with her phone but actually eavesdropping. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Liam asked, frowning. Celeste could already tell who it was But Liam seemed genuinely clueless. There was a pause from the other end of the line ¡°Liam, it¡¯s ir We¡¯ve swapped numbers before. I texted you but you didn¡¯t respond. So, I decided to call you directly I hope I didn¡¯t bother you?¡± Finally, it clicked for Liam. As for why he didn¡¯t reply, it was because he¡¯d set her mesinges to do not disturb after buying her a bracelet So, he naturally didn¡¯t see her messages. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I want to explore around J City but I¡¯m unfamiliar with the area. Can you show me around?¡± Afraid he¡¯d refuse, she added. ¡°You promised to show me around when we had dinnerst time, remember?¡± Celeste shot Liam a nce Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Liam, however, seemedpletely oblivious to ir¡¯s intentions for calling on Valentine¡¯s Day evening. ¡°You won¡¯t see much at night except for streetlights ¡°But streetlights can be pretty too I heard the streetlights in J City are beautifully designed. I can bring my drone and take some photos And it¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day, the outskirts might be bustling. I want to check it out.¡± Celeste thought to herself, knowing this was Liam¡¯s area of expertise, he couldn¡¯t possibly not lecture ir on safety, right? But he didn¡¯t. At that moment, he was just an emotionless driver ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle pick you up.¡± Upon hearing this, ir¡¯s voice softened considerably She gave him her location, gently reminding him, ¡°Liam, be careful on the road¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond, hanging up and immediately calling Wesley Reed Wesley was hardly idle, partying with a group of friends Seeing Liam¡¯s call, Wesley suddenly felt a pain in his back. He pushed the model off hisp and walked away from the crowd to answer the call. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Wesley nced at the people frolicking in the pool, I¡¯m at home¡± Liam didn¡¯t care where he was ¡°Busy tonight? If not, you can show Ms Garcia around. If you are, I¡¯ll find someone else.¡± Wesley was taken aback. This golden opportunitynded on him? Tm free tonight Where¡¯s Ms. Garcia?¡± Liam gave him the address ¡°Ms. Garcia¡¯s unfamiliar with the areas around J City You can show her around, let her see the streets and the streetlights.¡± After hanging up, Wesley was stunned. Was Liam going crazy, introducing ir to him like this? But right now, he didn¡¯t care if Liam was crazy. When opportunity knocked, he had to seize it. Celeste hadn¡¯t expected Liam to delegate this task to Wesley. It was only after he hung up that she asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe letting Wesley take ir out?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Wesley won¡¯t do anything inappropriate.¡± Wesley definitely wanted to make a good impression on ir, he wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything out of line ¡°Aren¡¯t you worned they might end up together? Then team up to kick you out of Quantum?¡± Celeste might not be business savvy, but she knew that if Wesley teamed up with the Garcia family, it wouldn¡¯t bode well for Liam. Yet Liam just handed Wesley the opportunity ¡°If marriages were useful, my father would¡¯ve been ousted by Clyde Reed long ago.¡± Liam sounded resigned. Valeria¡¯s family was more powerful than that of Skyler Reed ¡°Even if they don¡¯t kick you out, it¡¯s not going to be good for you if they get married, right?¡± Liam nodded. He admitted it would have some impact. After all, if Wesley and ir got married, Clyde would definitely have more confidence in terms of capital and connections ¡°What will you do if they end up together?¡± TII try to win you over. I can¡¯t be thest one to get married¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about thepany!¡± Liam nced at her, smiling. ¡°Unless I¡¯m really at my wit¡¯s end, I wouldn¡¯t consider using marriage to secure my position. I just want to be with you¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried¡± Celeste held her seat belt tightly, whispering. Liam looked at her tenderly, a smile on his lips. Liam drove out of the neighborhood. On the road, Celeste suddenly remembered something. ¡°Last time when I wanted to use a drone to watch the light show, you told me about the risks about causing fires, getting detained, and discouraged me from going. Why didn¡¯t you say the same to ir? ¡°What¡¯s it to me if she gets detained?¡± Even though Liam wasn¡¯t saying sweet nothings, his words made her heart flutter. It was Valentine¡¯s Day, and the cinema was packed. They had to spend nearly half an hour just to find a parking space. After they got off the car, Celeste put on a mask. While queuing for tickets, she asked Liam, ¡°Do you know what movie we¡¯re watching?¡± Liam thought for a moment, ¡°Probably a romance.¡± Since it was a must¨Cwatch for couples, it must be a romance. Celeste had never watched a movie with Liam before. She would oftene by herself Liam¡¯s company would distribute a lot of movie tickets every month, but Liam wasn¡¯t into movies, so mostly she and Trisha used the tickets This was her first time watching a movie with Liam, and it was a fomance of all things, which was quite rare. However, when she got the movie tickets, Celeste fell silent. She couldn¡¯t think of Liam as too perfect. What kind of romance was named Killer in July? Liam also realized he¡¯d been tricked by Owen, looking quite unhappy He immediately called Owen, but Owen, who usually was always on call, didn¡¯t answer this time. Chapter 812 Chapter 812 There¡¯s no way Owen¡¯s gonna pick up the phone. Trying to book movie tickets on Valentine¡¯s Day is like pulling teeth! It was hard enough for him to even snag tickets to Killer in July! Seeing Liam furrowing his brows and trying to make a call for ages without sess, Celeste sighed, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll check if we can refund or exchange the tickets.¡± They went to inquire and were told that their tickets were for a special offer screening, hence non¨C refundable or exchangeable. And all the tickets for other movies at that time were sold out, unless they wanted to book the midnight session Who would go to a midnight screening when Valentine¡¯s Day would have already ended? Seeing their hesitation, the ticket seller tried to convince them, ¡°Actually, Killer in July has a lot of romantic elements. It¡¯s perfect for couples It¡¯s been really popr today,¡± Celeste was doubtful. Who would watch a horror movie on a holiday? ¡°You could just go in and see if you like it. If you don¡¯t, you can leave halfway. It¡¯s better than letting the tickets go to waste¡± Celeste was somewhat persuaded, as she hated waste. She held the two tickets and turned to Liam, ¡°Shall we give it a try?¡± Since they were already here and had taken the tickets, it would be aplete waste if they didn¡¯t watch it. Liam didn¡¯t really care about what movie they were going to see. Since Celeste wanted to go, he naturally had no objections. So they ended up watching a horror movie called Killer in July on Valentine¡¯s night. The ticket seller wasn¡¯t lying. The upancy rate of the movie was indeed high. When they walked in, the theater was mostly full. And this was a couples¨Conly screening, the seats were all paired Owen had chosen a good spot, right in the center of the secondst row. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Just as they sat down, the lights in the theater dimmed, and the movie started. Celeste was a veteran movie¨Cgoer and had seen all kinds of horror and gore, but this was her first time watching such a film in a cinema. The movie started off with a couple getting it on in a decrepit old mansion Celeste almost spit out her drink. The actors were extremelymitted, dressed in scanty clothing, kissing passionately. The sounds of gasping, panting, and moaning filled the theater, making everyone blush. No one was talking in the theater. Thankfully it was dark, otherwise everyone¡¯s expressions would probably be pretty awkward. Celeste sneaked a peek at Liam, who was staring intently at the screen. His expression wasn¡¯t like he was watching a movie, but rather a documentary. If he had a pen, Celeste suspected he might even take notes, analyzing the pros and cons. The initial steamy scenested for five or six minutes, and then the screen finally lit up The film was about a group of film school students about to graduate, who came to an old mansion in the mountains to find materials for their graduation film. In the beginning, a group of five, three males and two females, trekked to the old mansion. After settling the rent, they moved in. Among the five, there was a couple, a pair of almost¨Ccouple, and a single guy At first, Celeste thought the film was like this: The atmosphere at the beginning of the film was particrly terrifying. The old mansion¡¯s servant warned them not to go out at night, sounding very creepy However, as protagonists of a horror movie, they never heed warnings. The girl from the couple discovered a peeping Tom while she was taking a shower at night. She put on her clothes, grabbed a shlight, and went out to find the person. She chased for a while, ending up in a church. The statue in the church looked particrly terrifying. In the darkness, a person suddenly appeared, covered the girl¡¯s mouth, and pulled her into the darkness Just when Celeste thought the protagonist was in danger, the scene suddenly changed The girl and the single guy started getting intimate in the church of the old mansion Celeste waspletely stunned. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Is this the love element the ticket seller was talking about? She was absolutely gobsmacked¡­ The plot that followed was aplete hot mess, the intricate rtionships between the five main characters, and even during their life¨Cor¨Cdeath escape, they managed to squeeze in some side shots. Celeste waspletely disinterested in the story. Instead, she focused her attention on Liam, who was engrossed in the movie next to her. Was he really that captivated by the film? His eyes not blinking even once. Celeste took another nce at the screen and realized that the female lead had quite the figure. The female lead¡¯s curves were stunning, her clothes entuating her figure. Even Celeste couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of her. Was this the type of woman Liam was into? A hint of doubt rose in her heart. She had never quite understood Liam¡¯s taste in women. She once thought he was into the pure and innocent type, like Sydney, but upon realizing she was wrong, she was clueless. Liam never showed a particr preference for a type of woman. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The women who asionally appeared in his social media follow list were all work¨Crted colleagues. Suddenly, Celeste was curious about what kind of woman Liam fantasized about during his puberty. Thinking this, she stretched out her index finger and gently scratched the back of his hand resting on his knee. Liam did not look at her, but instead held her hand in his Celeste tried to pull her hand back but failed, so she let him hold it ** ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liam asked, stroking her soft hand Leaning over, Celeste asked in a low voice, Who was your first sexual fantasy about?¡± Liam didn¡¯t know whether to praise her for her boldness in joking with a person she was not in a rtionship with, or to be happy that she wasfortable discussing such intimate topics with him Maybe this was a sign of further progress in their rtionship? All in all, Liam¡¯s emotions were a roller coaster, eventually suppressed by his rationality ¡°That was a long time ago, I don¡¯t remember¡± ¡°How could you forget something like that?¡± Celeste frowned, clearly dissatisfied with his response. ¡°Do you remember yours? Liam retorted ¡°|¡± Celeste paused, gave him a re, ¡°Why should I tell you? You didn¡¯t even tell me.¡± Liam furrowed his brows In fact, for teenage boys, their sexual fantasies are not necessarily about people they like, they may not even be about specific individuals. Before Liam got married, all his energy was focused on studying and working Love, for him, was something that could be there or not. The overly affectionate behavior between Nics and his girlfriend made him feel that being in a rtionship was a hassle He wouldn¡¯t skip ss to celebrate a girl¡¯s birthday like Nics would Moreover, because of the lessons from his parents mamage, he did not believe in the kind of love that grows through mutual help and affection. He originally thought that marrying Celeste was because he was of age and thought she was rather pleasing to the eye, and there were also some things from their Chapter 814 Chapter 814 It was onlyter that he realized, just the term ¡°pleasing to the eye¡± already indicated how special Celeste was to him. If he were to tell Celeste all this, she might find reasons to deduct points from him, so he chose not to say anything. He didn¡¯t say anything because there was nothing to say, but if Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, could it be because of her first love that ended after two weeks? Celeste was the kind of person who would stir up someone¡¯s emotions and then take no responsibility for it. She messed up Liam¡¯s heart with a few words and then went back to watching the movie. So, for the second half of the movie, Liam was not in the mood to watch at all. His mind was filled with thoughts about who her sexual fantasy might be about. When they came out of the cinema, Liam was still frowning. Celeste came back with the drinks and seeing him still in a daze, she put the cold drink against his neck. The cool sensation snapped Liam back to reality. ¡°Do you want to see it again?¡± Celeste gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam didn¡¯t understand what she meant by ¡®see it again¡°. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, who is usually so serious, to have the same taste as Mr. Francis, liking girls with good figures.¡± Liam finally understood what she meant by ¡°see it again¡°. ¡°Men, I understand.¡± Celeste felt ufortable inside, but pretended to be magnanimous on the outside. Liam rubbed his forehead, feeling helpless, ¡°Do you love to imagine things, consider your imaginations as facts, and then randomlybel me?¡± His words hit Celeste¡¯s sensitive spot and she instantly became disgruntled, ¡°When did Ibel you? You were staring at the female lead in the movie without blinking, did I see that wrong?¡± Thinking Sydney was my first love andbeling me as a cheater, hearing rumors and considering yourself as a homewrecker, and because I touch you less, unterally deciding that I am impotent-¡± Liam listed them one by one ¡°Have you lost your mind? Lower your voice!¡± Upon hearing thest point, Celeste hastily covered his mouth and red at him. Liam took the opportunity to kiss her palm, his lips against her hand, ¡°Now, just because I looked at the characters in the movie a bit more, you think I am an animal who get aroused anytime. Am I really that shallow in your eyes?¡± Celeste¡¯s palm tickled as he spoke, her heartbeat bing erratic. ¡°Then why were you watching so intently? The movie wasn¡¯t even good!¡± ¡°Are you saying I didn¡¯t study enough? I was learning, understanding more content, so I won¡¯t hurt you-¡± He was cut off by Celeste covering his mouth again. ¡°Quiet! Shut your mouth!¡± She blushed and red at him. Liam held her wrist and took the chance to kiss her palm again. ¡°When should we try it?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even got full points yet, aren¡¯t you thinking too far ahead?¡± Celeste was once again d that she suggested the points system. Otherwise, with Liam¡¯s seduction, she might be able to guard her heart but not her body. Speaking of points, Liam felt defeated again and became sullen. ¡°Did I earn any points today?¡± ¡°What makes you think you did anything worth earning points today? I got the movie tickets, I bought the drinks, I even guided you, who can¡¯t see well, into the theater. What did you do? You only parked the car, and you parked so far away, so my feet hurt walking over.¡± Liam was left speechless. His master¡¯s thesis was not as picky as Celeste. Celeste¡¯s eyes curved, her smile radiant *So, are you regretting taking me out now? Back when we were together, I was trying so hard to impress your family that I was really holding myself back. But now, you¡¯re seeing the real me. I¡¯ve got a bad temper, I¡¯m always stirring up trouble, and boy, do I hold a grudge, especially when ites to my lovers. I can be sharp and ruthless. If you¡¯re having second thoughts now, it¡¯s not toote. I mean, you¡¯re the big boss of Quantum, right? Why put up with this kind of crap?¡± Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Celeste checked the time, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; thanks for catching a movie with me today. Let¡¯s call it a night and head home.¡± Just as she turned to leave, Liam suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into his arms. ¡°You done talking?¡± Liam asked, his gaze firm. ¡°You should at least give me a chance to have my say, right?¡± Celeste looked at him, ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to try so hard to make me give up. You think I didn¡¯t know you purposely let me see it? You¡¯re constantly testing my patience, don¡¯t you trust mymitment to you?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, staying silent. She couldn¡¯t deny her feelings or the conflict in her heart, and somehow Liam had easily guessed it. ¡°I know you have many doubts about me, and I know you¡¯re troubled by the issue of having children. I won¡¯t force you to make a choice right away. If you want to date me, we can do so anytime! If not, just keep seeing each other. When we were together before, I always yielded to you. Now it¡¯s your turn to yield to me. If there¡¯s anything I¡¯m not doing well, you can tell me anytime. I¡¯ll try my best to change,¡± Liam said, gripping her hand tightly. Celeste was touched for a moment, but heard Liam continue, ¡°If you don¡¯t date me, don¡¯t date anyone else.¡± Celeste immediately widened her eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit excessive?¡± Liam nodded, ¡°I might lose my mind.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t catch his words, but noticed that Liam had be clingier and more perceptive after his divorce. He was really changing as he had imed. He could always see through her, even when she hid her feelings well in front of others. Suddenly, Liam squatted in front of her, ¡°Hop on.¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your feet hurt from walking to the parking lot? I¡¯ll carry you.¡± He was squatting in the middle of the square, his tall figure conspicuous, attracting many looks. Celeste quickly pulled him up. ¡°I was just joking, get up.¡± Liam was firm, ¡°I¡¯m serious, get on.¡± ¡°You know how much I weigh, and we still have a long way to go, are you nuts?¡± ¡°Just try. I¡¯ve never camed you before. If you don¡¯t get on, people will recognize you.¡± Seeing the growing crowd, Celeste simply threw herself onto his back, ¡°You¡¯ll be squashed!¡± Liam chuckled and stood up with her on his back. After a few steps, he said, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a bit heavy.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The distance wasn¡¯t far, but not near either. However, carrying someone in the hot summer was tiring. Even though Liam wasn¡¯t panting, Celeste could feel his heartbeat increasing the longer he walked. She held onto his shoulders tightly, burying her face in his shoulder ¡°Liam.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That doctor you mentionedst time, take me to see him. I have no family left, I really want a child of my own¡­¡± Liam suddenly tensed up. It took him a moment before he replied in a deep voice, ¡°Okay¡± Chapter 816 Chapter 816 The biggest bugbear in Celeste¡¯s life was her inability to have children. It must¡¯ve taken some guts for her to take the first step. Liam felt very emotional. He gently leaned towards Celeste, his voice brimming with emotion and tenderness. ¡°Let¡¯s make a wish under the turkishmp ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of getting caught by the cops?¡± Celeste asked instinctively. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll use Nics¡® name.¡± No wonder Nics always found a way to give Liam a hard time. Tumed out Liam wasn¡¯t exactly a straight shooter himself. There was amp festival in the neighborhood near Danu River tonight. Lamps of all sorts were strung across the whole street. The old street was bustling with energy. Celeste spotted a traditional half¨Cface mermaid mask at a stall. She held it up to her face, ¡°Does it look good?¡± Liam had already gone to pay. There were many other beautiful masks on the shelf. Celeste had her eyes on a half¨Cface metallic mask but someone else beat her to it. Before she could tum around, she heard a familiar voice, ¡°Try it on if you like it.¡± ir was actually quite fond of the mask, but hearing Wesley¡¯s voice just killed it for her. She put the mask back and was about to leave when she saw Liam approaching a masked girl, whispering. ¡°Do you want to pick a few more?¡± Caught off guard, ir blurted, ¡°Liam.¡± Liam paused for a moment and looked up to see ir and Wesley, then gave them a nod. It was hard to tell if Liam felt awkward, but Celeste sure as hell did on his behalf. Having your cousin cover for you on a date only to get busted on a date with someone else, talk about a facepalm moment. The smile on ir¡¯s face faded as she set her eyes on Celeste. Wesley recognized Celeste at a nce, and he immediately figured out that Liam ditched ir for a date with Celeste. Leaving ir hanging to chase after his ex¨Cwife, had Liam lost his marbles? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. But for Wesley, he¡¯s ying the cards dealt for him well. He immediately greeted Liam with a grin, ¡°Liam, Celeste, good evening. Are you two on a date for Valentine¡¯s Day too?¡± He even tantly pointed out Celeste¡¯s identity. Celeste¡¯s lips tightened She felt ufortable at the mere sight of Wesley. Liam held her hand. Their fingers inteced tightly, the warmth from his palm seeped into her heart and gave her a boost of courage. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to take Ms. Garcia to see the streetlights?¡± ¡°Why look at streetlights when there aremps? You guys are celebrating, so are we¡± Wesley chuckled. ¡°Wesley, stop kidding around ir frowned. Wesley shrugged, ¡°Well, Liam asked me to keep youpany. He left you with me, so I gotta make sure you have a good time.¡± Mentioning this made ir¡¯s face turn even more sour. As a woman, Celeste could empathize with ir¡¯s current feelings. ir clearly had a thing for Liam. She wouldn¡¯t have asked him out on Valentine¡¯s Day. But Liam agreed to go out with ir only to have Wesley show up instead while he was on a date with someone else. And ir busted them. Chapter 817 Chapter 817 From ir¡¯s perspective, what Liam did was absolutely uncool. The fact that she held back her anger only meant she was well¨Cmannered. Of course, as she was involved, Celeste wouldn¡¯t sympathize with others. Liam indeed had a charm that appealed to women. It was perfectly normal that girls had a crush on him. But ir was someone whom Celeste had helped. She started showing affection towards Celeste¡¯s ex¨Chusband soon after their divorce. That was unsettling While feelings couldn¡¯t be forced, there had to be a basic moral line. She didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions about someone based on one or two incidents, nor did she want to make them feel awkward Celeste gently tugged at Liam¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Liam agreed and walked away with Celeste. ir clenched her fists at the sight of the familiar bracelet on Celeste¡¯s wrist The embarrassment and humiliation hit her all at once, turning her face pale She went out all dolled up for the date, only for Liam to pawn her off to Wesley. She couldn¡¯t reach Liam and was making excuses for him, thinking he was held up. However, he was out on a date with another woman. If Liam had turned her down in the first ce, she wouldn¡¯t have felt this mortified. She was nothing more than a joke from the get¨Cgo. Her pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to confront him in that circumstance. That would only make her look more like a clown. ¡°Liam has always been stubborn. His feelings are always stable. You¡¯re too good to be wasting your time on him. Maybe you should pay more attention to the people around you.¡± ¡°Wesley, do you like me?¡± Wesley was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect her to ask so directly. He nodded without hesitation, ¡°Yes.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you didn¡¯t reek of heavy cologne, I might have believed you.¡± irughed. Wesley paused and thenughed, ¡°Just ying to the gallery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I won¡¯t choose you.¡± ir turned and left. Because of the encounter with Wesley, Celeste didn¡¯t feel like going to the wishing event they had nned. J Once in the car, she urged Liam to drive her home. Liam, feeling helpless, had no choice but to ditch the original n and drive her home. It began to rain on the way, so Liam sped up. When they reached the underground parking lot of Grandview Heights, Celeste unbuckled her seatbelt. ¡°I¡¯ll go up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you up.¡± Liam also unbuckled his seatbelt. ¡°No need, Trisha is at home.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯te home yet¡± ¡°How did you know 7¡± Celeste paused mid¨Csentence with a look of suspicion on her face, ¡°Did you have Nics take Trisha away?* ¡°I just guessed. Nics car is also missing from its parking spot.¡± Celeste turned her head to look, and sure enough, Nics¡® spot was empty. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Liam dodged a bullet and grabbed her mask, ¡°I¡¯ll escort you upstairs. Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Celeste got off the car. They entered the elevator when Liam suddenly said, ¡°I was wondering if the rain outside had gotten any heavier.¡± ¡°Probably not. The weather forecast didn¡¯t mention any rain. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s just a shower and it¡¯ll stop soon.¡± ¡°Thest time it rained, itsted for two whole hours.¡± Celeste immediately recalled the awkward situation, when they got soaked in the rainst time. ¡°Well, let it rain. We¡¯re not gonna get wet this time.¡± After finishing her sentence, the elevator door opened and Liam walked out, saying casually, ¡°Driving might be unsafe because of the rain.¡± Celeste paused, suddenly understanding why Liam kept bringing up the rain. Turned out, he was looking for an excuse to stay ¡°Just drive slowly and you¡¯ll be fine, she chuckled inside but kept a serious face, I¡¯m home now You should go too.¡± Liam looked a bit disappointed, ¡°I want to see you go in.¡± He thought Celeste would soften up because of his ¡°pitiful¡± look and invite him in for tea, but she simply said ¡°goodbye¡± and closed the door Liam sighed quietly as he watched the closed door. Celeste changed into her house clothes, and for some reason, she remembered Liam¡¯s disappointed look when he wanted to stay but didn¡¯t dare to say it loud. She walked to the door, stood there for a while, and then opened the door. Outside, Liam was crouching and daydreaming. Seeing her open the door, he looked up in surprise. Celeste¡¯s heart started racing. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± ¡°I wanted to stay a little longer ¡®I used to stay longer with you and you found me annoying.¡± Liam wanted to say he never found her annoying, but recalling his previous words and actions, he shut his mouth. ¡°That was my mistake.¡± Only then did Celeste feel satisfied. Trisha isn¡¯t back yet, you cane in and wait for a while until the rain stops.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, he stood up and followed her inside. Celeste bent down to get him some slippers. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Liam hugged her from behind. Celeste lightly patted his arm, ¡°Change your shoes first.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say a word, instead, he kissed her corbone. Celeste shivered and pushed him away. ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Her push was gentle, which to Liam, seemed like encouragement. He didn¡¯t let go Instead, he held her hand tighter and started kissing her from her corbone, up her neck, to her chin, and finally reached her lips. He paused for a moment, gave her a shallow kiss, and then deepened it, entangling with her tongue. Celeste wanted to resist at first, but she had no strength from the get¨Cgo, and it felt more like she was ying hard to get. She had to admit, being kissed by Liam like this, slowly heated things up, and made her lose control. A voice inside her told her that she must stop. What they were doing was very dangerous. Nothing was confirmed between them yet, it was irresponsible Another voice was encouraging her. They were adults, what couldn¡¯t they do? They¡¯ve had intimate contact before, what was the difference between once and a hundred times? After all, she always had a thing for him. Chapter 819 Chapter 819 Just as Celeste was tom, Liam suddenly picked her up and put her on the shoe cab in the hallway. His eyes were meaningful, his face expressionless, but his ears were red as if they were about to bleed. Just when Celeste thought that Liam was about to get intimate with her, he suddenly leaned on her shoulder and softly called her name, ¡°Letti.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say a word, her breathing became a bit rushed. ¡°Letti,¡± Liam called again. ¡°What is it?¡± Celeste leaned on his shoulder, her voice a bit hoarse. Liam gently rubbed against her and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Celeste was stunned Liam kissed her lips again. ¡°The step you took is braver than the ny¨Cnine steps I took, thank you.¡± Celeste suddenly felt, their rtionship had be pure again. Pure love Damn pure love! ¡°Letti, I Before Liam could finish, Celeste suddenly grabbed his cor and bit his lip. She didn¡¯t have the patience like Liam who was trying to show off all kinds of skills. She just kissed him roughly, let go of him, red at him and scolded, ¡°Idiot¡± Liam looked innocent Celeste got off the shoe cab with a dark face and walked away. Liam was puzzled Why was she angry? She didn¡¯t seem angry or resist when she kissed him a moment ago Just as Liam was trying to figure it out, the doorbell rang. Liam snapped back to reality and opened the door Outside was a security guard from the property management, holding a bunch of flowers Seeing a man opening the door, he was taken aback, then asked, ¡°Hello. is Ms. Campbell home?¡± Liam nced at the flowers, ¡°What do you want with her?¡± ¡°Ms Campbell had a bunch of flowers delivered to the security room. My on¨Cduty colleague said she was home, so I delivered it.¡± He then added, ¡°Could you please. have Ms. Campbell sign for it?¡± ¡°Give it to me¡± The security guard hesitated, ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Tm her husband¡± The security guard scratched his head awkwardly. Sending flowers to a marrieddy on Valentine¡¯s Day and having it received by her husband. That was certainly a dangerous task. The security guard quickly handed the flowers to Liam and fled the scene. Liam held the flowers, looked down and saw a card tucked inside He took it out and nced at it There were only a few words on the card Break a leg. Even without looking at the signature, Liam could tell at a nce that it was Mason¡¯s handwriting. ¡°Who was it?¡± Celeste came out of the kitchen with a ss of water. Liam calmly put the card in his pocket, handed her the flowers, ¡°Happy Valentine¡¯s Day.¡± Celeste was greatly surprised, ¡°You ordered these flowers?¡± Liam answered ¡°uh¨Chuh¡± without blinking an eye Celeste¡¯s anger subsided a lot. She took the flowers, and looked for a vase while saying. ¡°These flowers are much prettier than the previous ones. Your taste has improved The flowers Liam had sent before were typical, each bouquet was mainly pink. He seemed to firmly believe that women must like pink stuff. It wasughable. The flowers this time looked much fresher and different from before, not all roses. There were lilies, carnations, daisies, and many more. All color¨Ccoordinated so perfectly that you didn¡¯t even need to take them out and arrange them separately You could just unwrap it and pop them straight into a vase. It was already beautiful as it was. Listening to Celeste¡¯s praises, Liam was eaten up with jealousy and anger. He wished he could crumple that card in his pocket into dust! When Celeste finished arranging the flowers and turned around, she found Liam sulking on the couch. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t the flowers I used to give you pretty enough?¡± Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Celeste was a bit taken aback. He was upset because of this? Wasn¡¯t that a bit childish? Weren¡¯t the presents she had received, past and present, all from him? But she was in a good mood today, so she reassured him, ¡°The gifts you give are always practical. Whether they¡¯re for a soak in the tub or for making a flower cake, they¡¯re all good.¡± Liam didn¡¯t feel reassured at all. Suddenly, Celeste had an idea. There are some desserts left from Trisha, let me get you some.¡± Trisha was really good at cooking. For a while, Liam would bring a bouquet of roses almost every day It felt like a waste to throw them out, and they weren¡¯t cheap either, but she had nowhere to put them if she didn¡¯t. So, Trisha took the rose petals off, washed them, and made a flower cake. She even bought a desant and individual packaging bags to preserve it. They would eat it as a snack while watching TV dramas Ever since Nics moved in across the street, a lot of the desserts at home had been taken by him. There wasn¡¯t much left now Celeste handed a piece of cake to Liam, ¡°Try it.¡± Liam took a bite The soft cream wrapped around the scent of roses, and the taste was much better than anything you could find on the market. ¡°Tastes good, right?¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Trisha is really good at this, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bad either.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to say something you don¡¯t mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Liam emphasized. Celeste gave him a sideways nce, ¡°You think I didn¡¯t see you throwing away the lunch I made for you?¡± ¡°When did ¨C Liam¡¯s words suddenly stopped. He seemed to remember something. So there was that one time. You saw me throw away the lunch, so that¡¯s why you refused to cook?¡± The feeling of being looked down on, even after a long time, still made her feel ufortable. ¡°I¡¯m not that thick¨Cskinned I can¡¯t keep forcing myself on someone who doesn¡¯t like me.¡± So that¡¯s how it was. At first, when Celeste stopped cooking, he just thought she was bored. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Just like when she saw someone ying the guitar on TV and thought it looked cool, and brought one home. But after only two months of practice, the guitar was tossed into the storage room Her interest in things neversted long. So when she gave up cooking, he just thought her interest had reached its peak. He never thought it was because of him. So her cooking was it because of him? This realization made Liam¡¯s heart incredibly soft Celeste found it annoying to think about the past. When she looked up and saw Liam still smiling, she suddenly felt stifled. ¡°Am I that funny?¡± she was not pleased. ¡°No,¡± Liam stroked her hand, ¡°You¡¯re very cute.¡± Celeste¡¯s heart beat faster, and she pulled her hand back. ¡°Stop ying games!¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam hugged her and made her sit on hisp, looking seriously into her eyes, ¡°I only threw away the food you made for me once. It wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t like it. That day I had gone to the golf course with a client, and the car was parked outside all day in the hot sun. By the time I came back at night, the food in the lunch box had gone bad, so I threw it away.¡± Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Of course, he never thought Celeste would see it, much less that he would lose out on tasting her lunches because of this act Celeste was stunned for a moment, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. You clearly said it didn¡¯t taste good¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t particrly good, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. When you cooked well, it was better than the food in thepany cafeteria. When you didn¡¯t, I needed to drink a lot of water to eat it. Overall, it was okay, at least I never got sick from eating the food you made.¡± Celeste was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion.¡± Liam gave a littleugh and wrapped his arms around her waist, Tm not an ungrateful person. If I didn¡¯t like the food you worked so hard to make, I wouldn¡¯t bring it to thepany at all. Do you know how many people envied me when I brought a lunchbox to work?¡± Owen could vouch for this. Liam could have eaten in the office, but he insisted on bringing his lunchbox to thepany cafeteria. He would ask the staff to heat it for him while everyone watched. Whenever the boss came, everyone felt like their food wasn¡¯t as good anymore. But Liam wouldn¡¯t leave, he¡¯d even sit next to the employees and eat. They would ask, ¡°Why does Mr. Reed still bring his own lunchbox?¡± At this point, Liam would nonchntly say. ¡°My family thinks the food outside isn¡¯t healthy, so they specially prepared this for me¡± Hearing this, both the people who ate and the people who cooked would be left speechless. Celeste pouted, ¡°Why does it always seem like I¡¯m making a fuss when you talk about things that upset me?¡± Liam carefully dodged the question, exining, ¡°That¡¯s because we don¡¯tmunicate enough. You¡¯re so kind and gentle, how could you possibly be making a fuss?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Reed Celeste gave a smallugh and tugged at his hair ¡°So, is there a reward?¡± Liam nuzzled her nose with his, and Celeste looked down at him. ¡°What reward would you like?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Liam didn¡¯t say anything. He picked her up and ced her on the sofa. He then knelt on one knee by her side, and brushed her hair away from her face with his hand, staring at her as he prepared to kiss her. Just as they were about to touch, there was a sudden sound of the door opening from outside Celeste immediately pushed him away. Liam was pushed to the ground by her force, falling onto the carpet. Celeste didn¡¯t have time to look at Liam, she sat up right away. Nics and Trisha had already walked into the living room. As soon as they entered, they saw Liam sitting on the carpet with a frown, looking stern, while Celeste was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Trisha leaning on Nics, Celeste immediately stood up, ¡°Is she drunk?¡± Nics nodded, but his gaze was still on Liam. ¡°Did wee back too early?¡± Celeste pretended not to understand what he meant, ¡°It¡¯s already eleven o¡¯clock; it¡¯s not early.¡± Then she turned to Liam, ¡°You should go too, it looks like it¡¯s not going to rain.¡± Liam reluctantly agreed and was escorted out along with Nics. As soon as they were out the door, Nics couldn¡¯t help but ask Liam. ¡°Did you seed?¡® ¡°No.¡± Nics was helpless Liam sure was slow. Chapter 822 Chapter 822 After ending his call with Celeste, Shawn tumed to Helen and asked her if she was pregnant. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Helen was taken aback Where did you hear that?¡± Shawn felt her reaction was a bit off, so he decided not to spill the beans, ¡°A colleague mentioned seeing you in the hospital¡¯s maternity ward.¡± Helen had nned to have an abortion this week, but before she could, Shawn was already onto her. If she denied being pregnant, Shawn would be suspicious and definitely have someone investigate. If he found out she was lying, things would gel messy With that in mind, Helen hesitated. ¡°I am pregnant.¡± Shawn was shocked. It took them years to conceive Jacques. His sperm count was lower than average, and he didn¡¯t think he could father another child. He didn¡¯t expect Helen to be pregnant again. Thinking about bing a father again, he immediately helped Helen up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep it from you. I just didn¡¯t n on keeping the baby¡± Helen looked somewhat worried ¡°What did you say?¡± Shawn frowned ¡°When I went to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor said my fetus is unstable. My blood sugar and blood pressure are high, so childbirth could be risky¡± ¡°Which doctor said that? How many hospitals did you go to? Are their diagnoses urate?¡± ¡°It was the best hospital in town, they wouldn¡¯t misdiagnose.¡± ¡°I know a friend whose wife also had a baby at forty. They said it was risky, but the child is very healthy now. Doctors always like to exaggerate problems¡± Helen didn¡¯t actually want the baby, she was lying on purpose. But Shawn¡¯s words chilled her. In his eyes, having a baby was more important than his wife¡¯s safety All she could do was swallow her difort ¡°I really want another child, but the doctor said that older mothers have a higher chance of having babies with birth defects. I¡¯m really worried.. Sure enough, once the possibility of a baby with birth defects was mentioned, Shawn started to waver He thought for a moment, ¡°Let¡¯s go see a few specialists in a couple of days. If there¡¯s really a problem with the baby, then we¡¯ll have the abortion.¡± Helen reluctantly agreed. ¡°By the way,¡± Shawn asked her, ¡°Where did you put the property certificate for Caitlyn¡¯s old house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the safe at home. What do you need it for?¡± ¡°Nothing, you just need to keep it safe.¡± Helen responded, ¡°The payment period for Jacques trust fund ising soon. Remember to transfer the money in the next few days.¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°Another payment? What¡¯s the use of this trust fund? We might as well not pay it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been paying insurance for several years. If I stop now, won¡¯t I be at a loss? This money is for Jacques¡® future. If he gets sick or wants to start a business, won¡¯t this moneye in handy? Besides, is this money more than what you spent on treating Caitlyn? Celeste¡¯s piano alone is more expensive¡­ Chapter 823 Chapter 823 ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Shawn waved his hand in frustration, ¡°Keep it then; you¡¯re always night.¡± Helen snorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to spend money on your son than anything else? When you¡¯re old and lying in a hospital bed, won¡¯t you be relying on your son to take care of you?¡± Shawn had nothing to say, so he silently retumed to his study. His ount had little disposable funds left. If he continued to only spend without bringing in money, he¡¯d be unable to keep it a secret for much longer. He couldn¡¯t wait for Celeste¡¯s decision. Even if Celeste really ended up with Liam, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time. Shawn pulled open the drawer, took out a paper bag from the bottom, and after some thought, made a decision. The next moming, Liam went to thepany early Perhaps because his date the night before was pleasant, Liam was in a much better mood during the meeting. After the meeting, Owen joked. ¡°Mr. Reed, how did your date gost night?¡± ¡°Not bad, thanks to the great movie you rmended Liam said deadpan. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Owenughed awkwardly, ¡°Horror movies are the best for bonding couples¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Liam responded indifferently, ¡°You seem to know a lot, so why are you still single?¡± Owen was speechless. He shouldn¡¯t have helped Liam win over Celeste so quickly. Just look at his smug attitude. Just as Liam was about to head to his office, his phone rang. It was an email. He opened the email as he walked, then suddenly stopped, his face turning very grim. ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Mr. Reed?¡± Owen felt something was off. ¡°I have to step out.¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer, just put away his phone and left. ¡®Do you need me toe with you?¡± ¡°No Stay at the office. Contact me if there¡¯s an emergency¡± ¡°Alright¡± Liam rarely left during work hours. Owen had a gut feeling that something was definitely up, otherwise Mr. Reed wouldn¡¯t be so out of sorts. His intuition was correct. Liam had received a ransom email. The email contained a set of photos secretly taken in a changing room. The girl in the photos was about fourteen or fifteen, her body not fully mature yet. Almost naked, she was changing clothes under the lens. If he only looked at her face, Liam could only see some familiar traces, but the birthmark on her back confirmed that the girl in the photo was Celeste It was a voyeuristic photo of an underage girl. The sender demanded a hundred million to delete the photos, or they would be made public. Celeste¡¯s career was just starting. If these photos got out, it would be a devastating blow to her career. Most people wouldn¡¯t care about how she got photographed. They would just treat it as entertainment, and begin privately sharing and specting, then pinning all sorts ofbels on her and attacking her. Liam immediately thought of the worst oue, his anger was uncontroble but he also tried to remain calm. The sender wanted money. As long as he paid, the sender wouldn¡¯t make the photos public. Just as he was on the road, Liam received another email, demanding that he transfer the money to the provided ount before noon. If he missed the deadline, the photos would immediately be sold to various gossip media outlets. Liam practically rushed to Simon¡¯s house without a moment¡¯s dy, waking him up from his sleep. ¡°Who let you in?¡± Simon looked like he was still half asleep ¡°Me¡± Micha, leaning against the doorframe with a cup of water in her hand, asked, ¡®Do you want me to kick him out?¡± ¡°Well, if you wanted to, you wouldn¡¯t have let him in in the first ce.¡± Simon sat up and hopped off the bed. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Somebody sent me a ckmail email,¡± Liam said in a deep voice. ¡°Can you check it out for me?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be reporting this to the cops?¡± ¡°They used an overseas server, and the message is encrypted. By the time I report it and they start the investigation, it¡¯ll be toote.¡± Simon furrowed his brows. ¡°What are they holding over you that¡¯s got you all jittery?¡± ¡°My wife¡± Liam pressed his lips together. Simon¡¯s expression shifted. Without asking further, he went straight to his study to power up his computer Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Liam quickly scanned the information, zeroing in on a particr name. That person happened to be an employee in Shawn¡¯spany¡¯s secretarial office His phone buzzed. It was the fourth ckmail email. Liam nced at it. There were twenty minutes left on the countdown. ¡°We should call the cops, get them arrested and interrogated They¡¯ll definitely confess Simon suggested Liam remained silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Can you tmck the flow of money in an offshore ount?¡± Simon hesitated, ¡°Once you transfer the money into their ount, it¡¯s going to be hard to track, but since we know who the ckmailer is, we just need to monitor his domestic ounts. He¡¯ll definitely try tounder the money and bring it back We can track that, unless he ns to run off oversees with the money It was unlikely Shawn would give up everything and move overseas. He had built his life here, and he wouldn¡¯t just let go Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t resort to ckmail. Liam called Owen, instructing him to transfer fifty million in five installments to the offshore ount ¡°Why not just call the police?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want his ckmail attempt to fail¡± Simon was taken aback, looking at Liam but not saying anything. Liam was the best at following the rules in their circle. Even when he took action, he did it through the law Failed ckmail and massive ckmail have different consequences, thetter being more severe Just like that time when Celeste was drugged at a bar. Even though she was rescued, he could have left it to the police. Instead, he lured the suspect to a fruit store, gave the guy a chance to attack him with a knife, and then used that as an excuse for self¨Cdefense,nding the guy in intensive care He was not breaking thew, but he used it to its fullest extent, especially when it came to Celeste. Simonughed thinking about this. Liam looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Simon covered his mouth with his fist and coughed lightly, ¡°Nothing, was just thinking that you really got shafted in your divorce.¡± Nailing Shawn for ckmail was just one step. Now was not the time to deal with Shawn. Punishing him would be a piece of cake. The problem was Celeste was investigating a car ident from the past. Shawn wouldn¡¯t have the guts toe up with such a vicious plot The person likely helping him was Helen. If Shawn got arrested for ckmail, he might try to protect Helen for the sake of their child. Attempted murder was a more senous crime than ckmail. Without evidence, Shawn would not admit to anything, which would only make his rtionship with Shawn even more tense than before So now was not the time to deal with him. After transferring the fifty million, the ckmailer sent another email, ¡°Why did you only transfer half?¡± ¡°I want to see the process of you destroying them¡± Liam responded Transfer the money to me, and I¡¯ll show you right away.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You send it first¡± ¡°Cut the crap. If I don¡¯t receive the money in an hour, I¡¯ll release the pictures!¡± The ckmailer was obviously getting anxious. Liam coolly replied, ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ve done my duty to my ex¨Cwife. Release the pictures if you want I can definitely find you in this country.¡± Now that he knew the ckmailer was Shawn, Liam had 90% control over the situation After sending the email, there was no further action from the other side. Shawn just wanted the dough, he was not really interested in stering these photos all over the ce, because there was no gain in it for him. On the flip side, these pics were his golden goose for consistent ckmailing On the other end of theputer, Shawn was looking at that 50 million in his ount with trembling hands. He didn¡¯t think it would be such a cakewalk. Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Shawn was a mixed bag of excitement and regret. If he knew Liam cared so much about Celeste, why bother humiliating himself? Helen always said that once Angel married into a wealthy family, she could pull some strings for the company. But was it that easy to many into a rich family? Caitlyn had brought up Celeste to be incredibly talented and way more stunning than Angel. How could Angel possibly get the chance to marry into a wealthy family so easily? He had to value Celeste as a bargaining chip. On the first day of shooting. Celeste arrived early. In the film crew, only a few top¨Ctier actors had their own makeup rooms and personal makeup artists, the rest shared amon makeup room. Generally, firste, first served Even though this was the rule, not everyone followed it. Just as Celeste finished changing her clothes, the door was suddenly pushed open Naomi and her assistant marched in, making a big spectacle. Naomi plonked herself down in front of the makeup mirror and her assistant handed her a coffee, urging the makeup artist, ¡°What are you waiting for? Start doing Naomi¡¯s makeup.¡± The makeup artist had just prepped the foundation for Celeste, and Celeste was waiting after washing her face. But Naomi had connections and she didn¡¯t dare to offend her, so she said, ¡°Naomi, can you wait for five minutes? I¡¯ll finish her makeup and then do yours.¡± Naomi shot a nce at Celeste Even without makeup, Celeste standing there was enough to capture everyone¡¯s attention. Nowadays, with strong shooting lights and thick filters, anyone could look stunning on camera. But hardly anyone had such perfect skin without makeup Due to the constant filming, it was impossible to have wless skin. The so¨Ccalled ¡°bare¨Cfaced appearances on shows were actually light basic makeup. But Celeste didn¡¯t need any of that. Her skin was wless, and even the faint dark circles under her eyes didn¡¯t affect her beauty. Naomi was both envious and jealous. She gave her assistant a look, who then said, ¡°It¡¯s funny how she thinks she can make Naomi wait for her. In the entertainment industry, juniors should wait for the seniors, not the other way round. These words were clearly aimed at Celeste, but the makeup artist didn¡¯t dare to offend Naomi, so she turned to Celeste awkwardly, ¡°Maybe you can wait for a bit?!!! do Naomi¡¯s makeup first.¡± Celeste looked at the smug Naomi and then looked away, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You do her makeup first.¡± Naomi was taken aback, just as she was wondering why Celeste was being so obedient today, the next second Celeste said. ¡°ording to Miss Naomi¡¯s skin condition,¡± Celeste paused, didn¡¯t say it outright, then added, ¡°Her makeup should take a lot of time. If she¡¯s the last one, the start of the first scene might be dyed, and then everyone will have to wait¡± Naomi¡¯s face changed, ¡°Are you saying my skin is not good enough?¡± Shortly, several more people entered the makeup room, hearing Naomi¡¯s angry voice, they all looked at Celeste. Some were curious, some just wanted to watch the drama unfold. Celeste feigned innocence, ¡°Did I say that? All I meant was, you¡¯re a senior in the industry, so of course you should have your makeup done first. I¡¯m new here, I don¡¯t know the rules, I thought it was done in order. My apologies.¡± Naomi was so furious her face was beet red, her expression twisted N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. This damn Celeste, how could she do this! Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Mocking her behind her back and being sarcastic to her face, wasn¡¯t that just tantly telling everyone that she was throwing her weight around to suppress the neer? She was so angry she was shaking, but she couldn¡¯t vent her anger on Celeste, because that would just make Celeste¡¯s words more convincing She was seething with anger and turned to the makeup artist, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get on with it!¡± The makeup artist had no choice but to swallow her anger and start on Naomi¡¯s makeup. Naomi was in a bad mood because of Celeste, so she kept nitpicking at the makeup artist After the makeup was done, sheined that the eye makeup was asymmetrical and asked the makeup artist to redo it. When the makeup artist finished again, sheined that the contouring was not good and made her face look t. She made the makeup artist repeat it five or six times until someone from the director¡¯s team came to hurry her up. She then slowly stood up, gave Celeste a sidelong nce. She put on her coat, and walked out with her nose in the air The makeup artist was so angry she was short of breath and her face was pale. Celeste felt somewhat guilty because she knew she was partly responsible. But the makeup artist didn¡¯t say anything unpleasant and still did her job diligently. Celeste took the initiative to chat with the makeup artist, ¡°What brands of eyeshadow do you usually use?¡± The makeup artist didn¡¯t really want to talk to her, ¡°AC or some domestic brands.¡± ¡°So you must know a lot about makeup products.¡± Celeste said. The makeup artist was somewhat impatient, this was like asking a chef if they knew their pots and pans. It was a no¨Cbrainer and the artist said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Do you know the makeup brand herseor? Is it good?¡± Celeste asked. The makeup artist found her very annoying, but still answered, ¡°Herseor is a top¨Ctier makeup artist¡¯s self¨Ccreated beauty brand, not for sale to the public, only epts private orders. When I was an apprentice, I saw it with a leading actress, the makeup effect was amazing, the most skin¨Cfriendly I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s really good?¡± Celeste asked ¡°It¡¯s not just good, it¡¯s divine.¡± The makeup artist said. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste sighed, ¡°Such a pity.¡± She then took out an unopened box of herseor eyeshadow palette from her bag. ¡°I¡¯m not really good at makeup, this is a waste in my hands.¡± The makeup artist was staring at the eyeshadow palette, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± ¡°A friend gave it to me, but I¡¯m not good at makeup,¡± Celeste paused, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. Good things should be in the hands of those who know how to use them to bring out their value¡± The makeup artist was almost speechless, ¡°This is for me?¡± ¡°I hope you can help me look even better.¡± Celeste said. Needless to say! The makeup artist immediately forgot about their previous grievances and enthusiastically started Celeste¡¯s makeup. Celeste gave a slight smile. Everyone was just trying to make a living. After work, all people wanted was a little respect. Some small gifts can bring people closer and prevent oneself from being too isted in this environment. After all, a film set was also a workce and she needed some little strategies After Celeste finished dolling herself up, everyone was pretty much ready and in ce, with only the lighting guy and the photographer still fiddling with their gear. The moment Celeste appeared, everyone¡¯s heads swiveled her way. The first scene was a group dance by the dance ss students, so everyone¡¯s outfits and hairstyles were identical ¨C all slicked back to expose the whole face, looking fresh and neat Even though everyone was dressed the same, Celeste standing there was still a real head¨Cturner Chapter 828 Chapter 828 The makeup artist didn¡¯t really have much room to y on her face. This performance was originally a dance showcase by the dance academy. The performers were all students in theirte teens. ording to the director¡¯s request, they had to show their fresh and elegant side, so everyone¡¯s makeup was very light. The makeup artist simply applied a bit of foundation for her, outlined her eyes and eyebrow tails, and the effect was surprisingly good. She didn¡¯t even need much contouring Even Javier, the director who was used to seeing all kinds of beauties in the entertainment industry, was instantly dazzled when he saw her. He then rejoiced at his wise decision once again ¨C Celeste was perfect for the role of Nannie, noble, cold and indifferent to others. Among all the actors, he was most satisfied with this casting However, where there was joy, there was sorrow, such as Sydney and Naomi. Naomi was simply unhappy because of what had just happened, while Sydney was jealous and unsatisfied. She couldn¡¯t stand Celeste stealing her thunder in the drama she starred in. As everyone was immersed in the visual feast brought by Celeste, another handsome male star also appeared. Before Celeste saw the person, she heard the fans¡® cheers from outside the set She turned her head and saw Leonard Hann wearing a padded shoulder suit and a culture shirt popr in the 90s. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and a small and delicate face. He looked very cool in his suit Celeste remembered the group photo from Caitlyn¡¯s college days. Many of the male ssmates were dressed like this. She had joked at the time that the clothes were too out of fashion Now it seemed that whether the clothes were in or out of fashion depended on who wore them. Not only did Leonard not look out of fashion, but he also brought out a bit of a schr¡¯s temperament. In the script, his character was a top student named Oliver, a history student, Nannie¡¯s childhood friend, and her first husband. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. When Leonard saw Celeste looking at him, he subconsciously straightened his back and walked over pretending to be calm. Little did he know that the fans had caught him using his hands and feet while walking, and this video nearly made Leonard¡¯s fansugh out loud. Leopard stood next to Celeste, and Celeste gave him a thumbs up with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re super handsome¡± Leonard¡¯s ears turned red immediately. All he could think was, ¡°sheplimented me¡°. With everyone present, the director didn¡¯t beat around the bush and immediately got everyone in ce. The first scene was the highlight. During the performance at this party, Kathie fainted while dancing with Nannie on stage. She was then sent to the ICU, remained unconscious for thirty¨Cseven days. She suffered from multiple organ failure, and was given several critical condition notices. The hospital couldn¡¯t find the cause of the disease. They invited experts from all over the country. Finally, a pathologist suggested that it might be thallium poisoning. The case then turned into premeditated murder and was investigated. In this dance rehearsal, the original lead dancer was Nannie, but Kathieter reced her. This made Nannie very unhappy Just before the performance, she overheard others discussing the lead dancer being reced. Someone had written a letter alleging that Nannie¡¯s previous awards were rigged. To avoid negative impact, the school decided to rece Nannie Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Nannie suspected that Kathie wrote the letter. Before going on stage, she had a serious conflict with Kathie. Then Kathie fainted during the performance, and Nannie became the prime suspect In this scene, there was a fight. First Nannie hit Kathie, then Kathie¡¯s good friend Margarita fought back to protect Kathie. Director Javier wanted the performance to be as realistic as possible, so he discussed with Celeste, Sydney, and Naomi about not faking the fight and asked if they were willing Celeste and Sydney both said it wasn¡¯t a problem, while Naomi had long had an issue with Celeste and found an opportunity to vent. Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she knew how to use drama to oppress actors. Celeste nced at Naomi¡¯s flickering eyes. As she passed the props group, her hand gently brushed the prop tray. Leonard saw Celeste¡¯s action, paused for a moment, but said nothing With the director¡¯s ¡°Action¡°¡± the first scene began. In the restroom, two girls in dance costumes were whispering ¡°Hey, do you know why Nannie was reced as the lead dancer?¡± The other shook her head, ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°I heard that someone wrote a letter to the school, listing Nannie¡¯s family background and questioning the previouspetition¡¯s integrity. The person had solid arguments, pointing out Nannie¡¯s mistakes in thepetition and questioning the judges and the school, since Nannie was not that good at dancing but still led the team. The letter was not only sent to the school, but also to the education bureau. To protect its reputation, the school reced Nannie¡¯s lead dancer position.¡± ¡°So they reced her just because she was questioned? Isn¡¯t that revealing themselves?¡± ¡°Nannie¡¯s mistakes were obvious. Her award was already questionable. Can it withstand scrutiny?¡± ¡°Who do you think wrote the letter?¡± That person looked around and whispered, ¡°I think it was someone in our ss. You know, the mistakes were described in detail. It must have been written by a dancer Plus, if Nannie is reced, someone else will take her ce.¡± ¡°You mean Kathie?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s go. We need to do our makeup. We¡¯ll be on stage soon.¡± The two humedly left the restroom. The previously closed cubicle was followed by the sound of flushing, and then Nannie came out with a cold face. Everyone backstage was busy with makeup and changing clothes. No one noticed Nannie. She walked through the crowd with an expressionless face, suddenly grabbed Kathie¡¯s shoulder, and pped her Kathie swayed a bit from the blow, almost falling over N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The dancers nearby quickly helped Kathie up as Margarita stormed over, ¡°Nannie, why the hell did you hit her?!¡± Nannie¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, her face as cold as ice, ¡°She had iting!¡± With that, she raised her hand to hit Kathie again, but Margarita caught her wrist and pped her in return. Naomi swung out a p with all her might, a delighted grin on her face as she did so Celeste fell to the ground when she was hit, toppling over a nearby chair in the process, andnded awkwardly on the floor. A trace of blood trickled from the corner of Celeste¡¯s mouth. Suddenly, there was amotion in the room. Javier, gripping the microphone, chided, ¡°I told you to hold back! Why did you hit her so hard?!¡± Naomi looked at Celeste in disbelief. Yes, she did p Celeste, but the moment her hand touched Celeste¡¯s face, she fell backwards. Naomi hadn¡¯t used that much force, how could she possibly have made Celeste bleed?! Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Javier rushed over to check on Celeste¡¯s condition, asking her how she was doing. Celeste sat up, her face pale as she forced a smile, Tm fine. Naomi didn¡¯t mean to hurt me, she just got too into her role. It¡¯s my bad, should¡¯ve dodged faster, been more careful. Guess we¡¯ll have to reshoot now.¡± Heanng this, Naomi¡¯s face twisted in anger, ¡°It was your own damn fault for falling, what¡¯s that got to do with me? What am I now, awecking ball? One p and you¡¯re spitting blood?¡± Javier¡¯s face darkened instantly, ¡°This scene requires cooperation, you¡¯ve been acting for years and you still can¡¯t control your strength? Based on your expression just now, you were fighting back for your friend, just look at your face! If someone didn¡¯t know any better, they might think Celeste owes you something!¡± Naomi¡¯s face turned red with anger Javier tried to soothe Celeste. ¡°Take a break, when the doctor arrives, let him take a look at you.¡± Celeste shook her head, Tm fine, just bit my tongue, a rinse will do Naomi suddenly jumped up. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt at all, are you? You¡¯re trying to frame me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Celeste furrowed her brow, ¡°Naomi, let¡¯s just leave it at that, don¡¯t disrupt the filming Naomi scoffed coldly. ¡°I knew it! Are you scared now. Sir, let the doctor take a look, I bet there¡¯s no wound in her mouth!¡± Javier¡¯s expression was cold, and the others had various reactions. Sydney chimed in, ¡°Sir, let¡¯s have a doctor take a look. If the injury is severe and untreated, it might affect the filming schedule, right?¡± Celeste nced at Sydney, her expressionplex. Before Javier could respond, Leonard lost patience, ¡°The first scene is taking so long can we even finish in two months? The scene was clear, her spitting blood was captured by the camera, what¡¯s there to check? The victim hasn¡¯t said a word, but the perpetrator is so defensive. Are you nning to settle things legally after an injury assessment? Can we continue shooting now?¡± ¡°Finding out the truth is important.¡± Sydney tried to argue back. Leonard sneered, ¡°If you were as serious about acting, maybe you wouldn¡¯t have gone this many years without winning an award.¡± Hearing this, Sydney¡¯s face stiffened. Once Leonard spoke, he always hit the nail on the head. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Naomi was furious, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with getting a doctor to take a look, only the guilty would be afraid.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Javier stood up in annoyance, ¡°Shut up, either we shoot or you get lost!¡± This left Naomi speechless. Her face turned from dark to pale, then she stormed off in a huff. Jta immediately brought water for Celeste to rinse her mouth. Once everyone had left, Jta said, ¡°That was a close call, you¡¯re ying with fire She hadn¡¯t noticed initially that Celeste was using a blood bag. She only saw Celeste walk past the props, but didn¡¯t notice her actions. It wasn¡¯t until Celeste spat blood that she realized. Celeste spit out some water, her voice low, ¡°I had to show her I¡¯m not so easily pushed around, or she¡¯ll just keep hassling me.¡± Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Jta sighed, ¡°Good thing the doctor didn¡¯te, he would¡¯ve seen through it right away.¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Even if the doctor came, he wouldn¡¯t have found out.¡± if the doctor had reallye, she would¡¯ve bitten her own mouth, a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. Jta started to take Celeste seriously Despite her limited experience, Celeste was quick¨Cwitted, always a step ahead, and prepared for anything. Anyone hoping to take advantage of her wouldn¡¯t find it so easy Mr. Reed had asked her to protect Celeste. It seemed he was worrying too much, Celeste not picking on others on set was a big enough favor With Naomi storming off midway, Javier was fuming. He decided to skip the first scene and shoot Celeste and Leonard¡¯s scenes first The script setup made Nannie and Oliver childhood sweethearts Nannie was always aloof with others, but only to Oliver would she act coquettish like a girl in love There was also some ambiguous rtionship between Oliver and Kathie The script subtly mentioned that after Kathie fainted on stage, a man in a suit watched from afar, indifferently The script didn¡¯t clearly state who the man in the suit was, but Celeste believed it was Oliver. So their few romance scenes were crucial in driving the plot forward. The scene was Nannie visiting Oliver¡¯s apartment. During her shower, she found a hairpin she¡¯d never seen before. She called Oliver to look, and he said it was a gift for her, then carried her out of the bathroom and they rolled around on the bed intimately. Hearing the content of the scene, Leonard froze. This was the only intimate scene in the entire drama, and they were shooting this right off the bat. Had Javier lost his mind? He sneakily nced at Celeste. She was sitting quietly, allowing the make¨Cup artist to work on her, her eyes glued to the script in her hand, her face expressionless. Feeling Leonard¡¯s gaze, Celeste turned her head to look at him. She smiled, joking. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to touch you too much, ask your fans to go easy on me Leonard¡¯s ears reddened, he ruffled his hair, coughed, ¡°We¡¯re all professionals, fans should understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡± Celeste said Yuna secretly observed their expressions, and sent a text on her phone. Nics was spinning in his chair. He hadn¡¯t tasted Trisha¡¯s cooking for a while, and honestly, he missed it. Got to figure out a way to get some grub Just as he was thinking, his phone rang. He picked it up, instantly perked up, and with a gossiping face, he quickly typed out a text and sent it to Liam. Liam had just finished up with his work when he saw the text. [Your wife is going to film an intimate scene with Leonard today. Wannae visit the set?] When shooting the bathing scene, the director cleared the set, and Celeste entered the scene in a spaghetti strap short dress The bathing shot was done in one take. After the bath, Nannie changed into her pajamas. As she was blow¨Cdrying her hair, she noticed a light yellow hair clip on the sink She picked it up and examined it for a while, then put down the hairdryer, and called out through the bathroom door, ¡°Oliver, why is there a hair clip in your bathroom?¡± ¡°What hair clip?¡± Oliver¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Why are you asking me what¡¯s in your bathroom?¡± Nannie said, toweling her hair, ¡°Did you invite other girls over without me knowing?¡± There was no answer from outside. Nannie raised her voice, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Feeling guilty, are you? Let me tell you, if you¡¯re betraying me, I¡¯ll N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly lifted up by a pair of hands that came from behind. Chapter 832 Chapter 832 ¡°What are you doing!¡± Nannie shouted, pushing and struggling. ¡°Put me down!¡± Oliver set her down on the bed and pinned her down. Just as he was about to lean in for a kiss, Nannie shoved him away, holding up a hairpin and asking. ¡°Where did thise from? You haven¡¯t exined.¡± Oliver chuckled softly, took the hairpin and clipped it into her hair, ¡°The shopkeeper didn¡¯t have change when I went to buy cigarettes, so he gave me this hairpin.¡± He then lifted Nannie¡¯s chin, examined her closely and chuckled, ¡°Looks pretty good¡± Nannie took off the hairclip, nced at it, then tossed it aside, ¡°It¡¯s tacky and ugly¡± She then wrapped her arms around Oliver¡¯s neck and said softly. ¡°My visa is almost ready, I¡¯ll fly over to see you and spend half a year there.¡± ¡°Half a year.¡± Oliver mumbled, looking at her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too long?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one semester, it will pass quickly Nannie paused, then continued at a leisurely pace, ¡°I heard the girls there are very pretty¡± ¡°Is that so¡°¡± Oliver yed along. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to keep my eyes open then.¡± Nannie punched him lightly on the shoulder, ring at him, ¡°You dare!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Oliver chuckled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡± He was just about to kiss her when a reflector board crashed down next to their bed, narrowly missing Leonard¡¯s hand. The scene was interrupted and Javier, the director, was furious, ¡°What the hell? Can¡¯t even hold a reflector board properly?¡± The guy holding the reflector board looked awkward. Somehow, his elbow felt numb and he had inadvertently let go. While the guy was apologizing, Nics¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°It¡¯s so hot and there¡¯s no air conditioning in this room, it¡¯s normal to sweat and lose grip.¡± He handed Javier a cup of watermelon juice, ¡°Have a drink to cool down, we can continue filmingter.¡± Javier swallowed his words when he saw it was Nics. He took the juice and said, ¡°Mr. Francis, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to visit. This is Yuna¡¯s first time participating in a big budget movie, I¡¯m womed she might be nervous, so I came to cheer her up¡® Nics said Javier gave him a sidelong nce, a small supporting role and the big boss made a special trip to visit? Thinking about the gossip on Nics, it was probably less about checking on his employee and more about seeing his little lover. Before Javier could say anything, Nics was already calling out to everyone on set, Come get some juice, cool down, then we can continue working.¡± He then turned to someone and said, ¡°Liam, hurry up and distribute the drinks.¡± Liam? Celeste, who was fixing her hair, looked up when she heard the name And then her face fell Standing next to Nics was a tall guy wearing a mask, dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his wrists, suit pants and leather shoes despite the heat Celeste looked at him, and he looked back at her. Liam was holding a bunch of chilled freshly squeezed juices and started distributing them to everyone. Javier nced at the masked guy and asked Nics, ¡°Is he an artist from yourpany?¡± It would make sense for Javier to ask. Even with a mask on, Liam¡¯s eyes were too beautiful. It was likely that he was a new talent being promoted, especially since he appeared with the boss of an entertainmentpany. Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Javier was taken aback, ¡°Your driver was chosen from yourpany¡¯s artists?¡± Nicsughed, ¡°He only looks good from the upper half of his face. If he reveals the bottom half, it would scare people, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s wearing a mask in this heat.¡± Nics¡¯s words left everyone speechless, and Javier wasn¡¯t sure whether to believe him or not, so he didn¡¯t inquire further Leonard, who was still in character, blushed when he saw Celeste. ¡°Did I bump into you just now?¡± He was referring to the part where he had pushed her onto the bed and her head had slightly hit the headboard. He had been close to her, so he had heard the sound. But since Celeste hadn¡¯t cried out in pain, he had continued with the scene. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it didn¡¯t hurt that much,¡± Celeste said with a smile, ¡°If it really hurt, I would ve said so¡± Leonard was not a professional actor, but his acting skills were quite good. His understanding of the character was spot on. During the scene just now, there was no trace of his idol persona. With his hair down and sses on, he looked like a polite college student, gentle and soft spoken, without a hint of aggression His lines and expressions were in line with the character and he was able to respond well to Celeste¡¯s acting Celeste didn¡¯t consider herself a naturally gifted actor. She had seen naturally gifted actors, who didn¡¯t need to systematically learn theoretical knowledge or practice emotions. They could quickly resonate with the characters in the script and get into character. Even with some ws, if they could meet a good director and teacher, a little guidance could elevate their performance to a higher level Celeste was someone who could achieve 95 points through hard work. The remaining five points were the talent that effort couldn¡¯t make up for But Leonard was the type of person who could use 5% of talent to ovee 95% of effort. To be honest, she was a bit envious of him. Leonard sighed in relief, handing Celeste his cup of juice, ¡°You drink first, I¡¯ll go get another one. Before Celeste could say anything, a cup of mango juice appeared in front of her. She looked up to see Liam, who had somehow made his way to her. He was looking at her quietly, the mango juice already close to her lips. Celeste coughed and said to Leonard, ¡°You can drink it, I prefer mango.¡± After saying that, she took the mango juice Liam offered Leonard was a bit disappointed, but he didn¡¯t insist and took his juice to sit down. There were heaps of people around, leaving Liam with zero chance to chat with Celeste. All he could do was stand next to her, wearing a poker face. Even those not sipping juice could feel the temperature dropping. When no one was looking. Celeste sneakily gave him a kick on the leg, giving him the evil eye to get lost. Liam pretended not to notice. Celeste frowned, about to give him another kick, but heard Javier saying, ¡°If it¡¯s cooled down already, let¡¯s get started. The sooner we finish shooting, the sooner we can knock off.¡± So, Celeste retracted her foot Owned by N?velDrama.Org. In no time, everything went back to as it was. The dude who was holding up the reflector board just now was nowhere to be seen ¡°Where¡¯d that guy go?¡± Javier asked everyone Someone from the lighting crew answered, ¡°He went to the loo, he¡¯ll be back in a bit, Javier raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are we still going on?¡± Nicsughed, ¡°It¡¯s just holding a reflector, anyone can do it, right?¡® Javier was stone¨Cfaced. ¡°Can¡¯t find anyone else tall and buff¡± Oliver¡¯s bed was against the wall, a single bed that couldn¡¯t fit a reflector stand Someone had to hold it up, and the reflector was a few inches long and a bit hefty. If the person was too short or too skinny, they might not be able to hold it up. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t there someone ready¨Cmade right here?¡± Nics immediately volunteered his ¡°driver¡°, ¡°Come on, lend a hand, hold up the reflector¡± Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Celeste¡¯s heart was racing, she quickly voiced out, ¡°Maybe we should get a pro for this.¡± Before Javier could respond, Nics chimed in, ¡°What kind of special skills do you need to hold a reflector? All you need is some muscles. That¡¯s about the only thing he got as a driver.¡± Seeing that the original guy wasn¡¯ting anymore, Javier didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that. Tell him how to hold it and start as soon as he¡¯s ready¡± He said. Everyone was busy with their tasks, except for Celeste who looked a bit tense Due to the bed¡¯syout, the person holding the reflector had to stand at the head of the bed. From her position lying on the bed, she could see Liam holding the reflector, watching her. She repeated in her mind to pretend he was a wall! She ignored Liam, turned her gaze to Leonard, and got back into character, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the girls over there are all pretty¡± Leonard, lying on top of Celeste, smirked, ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll have to take a good look when I get there.¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°You dare!¡± Leonard chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡± As he leaned in once again, Celeste was fully focused. But when she nced up, she saw Liam. His gaze was on her, his face hidden behind a mask, but those wounded eyes made Celeste feel guilty. So, just before Leonard¡¯s kiss couldnd, she subconsciously turned her head away Caught off guard by her reaction, Leonard paused, taken aback. Celeste quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry, director, can we redo it? I wasn¡¯t quite ready.¡± Javier found it strange Zach Miller, who had worked with her before, had always praised her. During the filming of ¡°Phoenix Fire¡°, Celeste was the most reliable actor, quickly getting into character and barely ever causing a retake ¡°What¡¯s up, off your game?¡± Javier asked. ¡°No Celeste couldn¡¯t admit that she couldn¡¯t kiss because her ex¨Chusband was watching from above. She had toe up with an excuse, ¡°It¡¯s my first time acting with a big star, and we have to film a kissing scene. I¡¯m a bit nervous.¡± Leonard was stunned, and then, his face turned red. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Liam saw Leonard¡¯s awkward and helpless expression and felt a headacheing Hearing her exnation, the directorughed and said, ¡°I can understand that, take a moment to adjust and we¡¯ll go again.¡± ¡®Okay¡® Celeste was confident. She had faith in her professionalism. However, things didn¡¯t go as expected. She messed up three times in a row. Each time, when Leonard came close to her, she would open her eyes ording to the script, but always saw Liam first. What was supposed to be a romantic couple scene turned into a caught¨Cin¨Cthe¨Cact affair scene. How could she still kiss? After the fifth attempt, everyone was showing signs of fatigue and dissatisfaction. Celeste knew that if this kept up, her reputation might take a hit. So, when Leonard said he wouldn¡¯t dare for the fifth time, she put her arm around his neck, took off the bracelet from her wrist and threw it aside. Then she pulled the cover over her head, turned her face, and moved her hand around on the nket. Liam, standing at the head of the bed, had a clear view of everything. A smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of his mouth. Seeing the moving nket, the director was taken aback for a moment and then yelled, ¡°Cut!¡± When Celeste lifted the nket, she looked quite embarrassed, but to her surprise, Javier was very satisfied with this performance. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 The bracelet on Nannie¡¯s wrist was something that Christians would wear Although Nannie wasn¡¯t a Christian, her family was, and she had always been seen as obedient, outstanding, and understanding in their eyes. However, the real Nannie was a bit of a rebel. She took off her rosary bracelet and threw it aside, getting intimate with Oliver, going against the Christian doctrine of no premantal sex. This perfectly highlighted her rebellious character So, the director loved this symbolism and highly praised it, ¡°This design is great, really great. I felt like something was missing earlier, turns out it was the bracelet Celeste, how did youe up with this?¡± Could Celeste say she did it because she didn¡¯t want to kiss in front of her ex¨Chusband? Sheughed awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think much, just thought I¡¯d give it a try.¡± Leonard sat next to her, a bit disappointed To be honest, he didn¡¯t have any distracting thoughts while acting Celeste¡¯s acting was good, and so were her lines. Such an actress could easily draw people into the drama. In the drama, he felt that she was Nannie, Oliver¡¯s childhood sweetheart But when he came back to reality, she was Celestial Haze, the goddess he had been infatuated with for two or three years. He was the one who got to kiss the goddess on screen for the first time. Which fan wouldn¡¯t be excited? But it didn¡¯t happen, and naturally, he was disappointed as a fan. Nics grumbled, ¡°Boring¡± She didn¡¯t even kiss. He didn¡¯t invite Liam over out of kindness, he wanted to see Liam¡¯s reaction. Who knew Celeste would be so timid, just one look and she couldn¡¯t kiss anymore They filmed a few more scenes afterwards, with Liam watching the whole time. But since there were no intimate scenes, Celeste wasn¡¯t affected. By the time they wrapped up, it waspletely dark As Celeste was removing her makeup in the dressing room, Liam texted her, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside Thinking about how he had been standing at the head of the bed while she was acting, she immediately felt her anger rising. She then quickly finished removing her makeup, said goodbye to Jta and left As soon as she stepped out of the shooting site, she saw Liam¡¯s car. She walked up to the car with a stern face and the car door opened. Liam was sitting inside, telling her, ¡°Get in.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t want to talk outside either, in case they were seen, so she got in. As soon as she closed the car door and was about to speak, Liam handed her a mango pudding, ¡°You must be hungry after filming for so long.¡± The anger Celeste was about to vent got stuck in her throat. She didn¡¯t take it, her eyes wide as saucers, ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have work?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Not busy in the afternoon, thought I¡¯d drop by and see what filming¡¯s like, Liam drawled. Did he think she was a fool? ¡°Why did youe to my set?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t I helping the crew?¡± Liam asked. Celeste turned to get out of the car, but Liam grabbed her waist, pulling her back, ¡°Can¡¯t I be a little jealous?¡± Celeste paused, looking at him, ¡°it¡¯s just a show and it¡¯s my job. You know you¡¯re messing with my work, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just holding a reflector, I didn¡¯t do anything else¡± Liam said ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m unprofessional?¡± Celeste was unhappy. ¡°I¡¯m saying you have strong moral ground, a keen sense of shame. You care about your partner¡¯s feelings, and you have the right outlook on life.¡± Liam said. Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Even though his words made her happy, but¡­ ¡°Cut the crap, you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to?¡± Celeste said ¡°What if I kiss other women, would you care? Liam countered Celeste frowned, imagining that scenario made her uneasy. But she tried to exin to Liam, ¡°That¡¯s different! I¡¯m at work, it¡¯s all make¨Cbelieve¡± ¡°I know.¡± Liam murmured, looking at her, ¡°but the pain I feel is real, so is the sorrow Celeste was stunned, lost for words. Liam wrapped his arm around her waist, drew her closer, his voice muffled, ¡®Does acting always require intimate scenes? Can¡¯t you skip them?¡± Celeste was usually easy¨Cgoing Hearing Liam say that, she couldn¡¯t help but softer ¡°Not necessarily, it depends on the script. But directors usually don¡¯t like actors with too many restrictions.¡± ¡°That just shows he¡¯s not professional, relying on such sleazy stuff to grab attention His words were a bit too absolute. ¡°Not all directors are like that. How can a romance movie not have intimate scenes? Celeste asked. ¡°Why does a romance movie have to have intimate scenes? Didn¡¯t you say you loved this author¡¯s romance novels even though they¡¯re all very subtle?¡± Liam said Celeste¡¯s heart raced. ¡°That¡¯s a different story Isn¡¯t she just not wanting to write? She¡¯s afraid of being reported, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same principle. I admit I¡¯m biased, but society always scrutinizes and spectes maliciously about career women, especially those as stunning as you More than the petty jealousy, I don¡¯t want you to bebeled.¡± Liam said. Celeste was stunned. Liam, with the calmest tone, threw out the sharpest question. A beautiful actress, her intimate scenes, the degree of her acting, always attracted more attention than her acting skills. Even if she won a prestigious award, it would be mocked that the value of the award had depreciated, that she won it just by taking off a piece of clothing Just like in apany, a fast promoted female employee, people might not care about her efforts and the value she created for thepany, but pay more attention to her rtionship with the surrounding men. Once there was a ¡°handle¡± that could be grasped, people would not hesitate to attribute all her achievements to unfair means, denying her value. Celeste looked up at Liam, ¡°How much bias do you have?¡± Liam hesitated a bit and decided to tell the truth, ¡°Ny percent.¡± Celeste was a bit surprised. ¡°If your answer just now was less than fifty percent, I would have deducted ten thousand points from you¡± Liam broke out in a cold sweat on his back. That was close, he almost wasted his effort. Of course, what Liam was more worried about was whether he could persuade Celeste, ¡°So you won¡¯t take any more intimate roles, right?¡± ¡°It depends on the situation.¡± Celeste said. Liam frowned. He talked so much, and this was the result? In fact, Celeste was already moved by his words. Liam made a lot of points, but what really moved her was when he said ¡°I really feel for you, and I am really sad¡°. Acting was work which was important, but work wasn¡¯t everything, a partner¡¯s feelings were also important. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Intimate scenes were not a must, actors could choose their roles. But if she said it out loud, he might get too proud. Celeste picked up a pudding from the side, chewing while asking. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Francis?¡± Liam was still bothered by her shooting intimate scenes, ¡°He went to the restroom.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the restroom, again? Celeste asked. Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Liam vented his frustration on his friend, ¡°He¡¯s going to the restroom so much, he might have kidney problems.¡± Just as Celeste was about to say something, her phone beeped. She looked down and saw that someone had transferred fifty thousand into her ount. The sender was Shawn, with a note: [Take care of yourself, let me know if you need anything] Celeste¡¯s eyes widened Had Shawn gone mad? Since her marriage, Shawn had never voluntarily given her money. Thest time he spent money on her was when he was forced to at a jewelry show, and he reluctantly spent a million on a bracelet for her. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Seeing Celeste frowning, Liam asked Celeste came back to her senses and said, ¡°Shawn transferred fifty thousand to me Liam was silent for a moment. ¡°He called me earlier, wanted to adopt me.¡± Celeste felt nauseous thinking about Shawn¡¯s pretentious words, ¡°He wants to build a father daughter rtionship with me using money, how generous¡± Liam frowned and asked, ¡°Did you agree?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Celeste rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. He¡¯s willing to spend money on me only because he thinks there¡¯s still a chance for us to get back together and wants to maintain a good rtionship with Quantum Enterprises. He thinks that now that I¡¯m an illegitimate daughter, to marry you, I need a decent status He graciously wants to adopt me, give me the Campbell family status. He thinks I would have a hard time refusing. He¡¯s testing me now. Who would want such a terrible status? If I can¡¯t get marned, then I won¡¯t, who cares!¡± Liam said, ¡°I think getting married is better, you have legal protection.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about serious stuff!¡± Celeste said. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m also talking about serious stuff, consider it.¡± Liam grinned. Celeste chose to ignore this topic, ¡°Shawn, this stingy man, surprisingly transferred fifty thousand to me. I doubt he¡¯s defrauded someone, otherwise, why would he be so generous?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes flickered. Not long after, Nics arrived. As soon as he got in the car, he started teasing Liam, ¡°Liam, you don¡¯t want to drive anymore? Come, I¡¯ll drive.¡°. Liam retorted with just one word ¨C Scram ¡°I¡¯m living a boss¡¯s life with a driver¡¯s fate.¡± Nicsmented After saying that, he fastened his seatbelt and started the car. Liam was asked on the road, ¡°Friday is Molly¡¯s birthday party, are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going¡® Liam said. ¡°Ms. Campbell, how about you?¡± Nics asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know Ms. Fletcher well Celeste said. Nics frowned, ¡°If you both are not going, then what¡¯s the point of me going? I¡¯m not going either.¡± Liam originally nned to have a meal together, but Owen called and needed him at thepany, so the meal was canceled. After dropping Liam off at the office, Nics drove Celeste back to Grandview Heights ¡°Bang-¡± Naomi mmed her cup on the floor, barking. ¡°Are you trying to scorch me or what? It¡¯s boiling!¡± Mr. Hale just walked in, only to see Naomi ripping into her assistant The assistant, looking as pale as a sheet and pitiful, was getting a real earful Mr. Hale frowned, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Spotting her sugar daddy. Naomi immediately started to y coy, ¡®It¡¯s all his fault, he almost scalded me with hot water¡± ¡°In this weather, why would you have him pour you hot water?¡± Mr. Hale asked. Naomi wasn¡¯t about to admit that she was intentionally giving her assistant a hard time, so she replied, ¡°I¡¯m on my period¡± Mr. Hale initially came to her for some private matter, but lost interest immediately upon hearing the was on her period, he said, ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, get some rest. I¡¯lle by another day¡± No chance was Naomi letting him leave just like that. The moment he stepped out, he might go find another woman. How could she stand by and let another woman serve the man who provided for her lavish lifestyle? She held onto him, her fingers tracing down his waist, cooing softly. ¡°I might be ufortable, but I can make youfortable¡± Mr. Hale¡¯s breathing became somewhat uneven. The assistant hastily left, closing the door behind them. Soon, the room filled with sounds that could make one blush. Once the sounds ceased and the man was satisfied, he massaged Naomi¡¯s shoulders, asking. ¡°Who¡¯s been giving you a hard time? Why were you giving your assistant a hard time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bitch Celeste Mentioning her, Naomi red up. She exaggerated the incident on set, ¡°She fell to the ground vomiting blood, iming I hit her if I really did, I would¡¯ve admitted it. I didn¡¯t even touch her! Now everyone on set thinks I¡¯m bullying the newbie. I can¡¯t defend myself. Celeste stole my role and is trying to kick me out of the set!¡± Naomi was known for picking on neers during filming. This time, she didn¡¯t get a chance to bully Celeste and even got counterattacked. How could she ept this? After venting, she pleaded Mr. Hale, ¡°Please teach her a lesson, show her she can¡¯t bully me. ¡°She dared to mess with my girl?¡± Mr. Hale, feeling good after being well taken care of, said. ¡°Send me her picture. I¡¯ll have someone deal with her.¡± Naomi immediately perked up and sent Celeste¡¯s picture over. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Hale had seen his fair share of beauties, but he was still attracted to Celeste¡¯s beauty. Looking at the woman in the picture, he found her both beautiful and familiar ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen her somewhere.¡± He said. Seeing his expression, Naomi sneered, ¡°You think every pretty girl looks familiar, don¡¯t you?¡± Mr. Hale chuckled, squeezing her butt, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Naomi smiled, straddling him, her fingers slid down, then whispering into his ear. ¡°If you help me deal with her, we can y that game you mentioned earlier.¡± Mr. Hale¡¯s face instantly changed, then he whispered back, ¡°I will definitely teach Celeste a lesson¡± Once he said that, he started to make arrangements. Naomi smirked triumphantly, feeling satisfied only through revenge. Riverbend Vige on Oak Street At 9:25 PM, a Maserati pulled up at the vige entrance. Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Riverbend Vige was a new development built a couple of years ago in the old town area. It was a middle to low-end residential area, located far from the city center, hence the affordable price. So, it wasn¡¯tmon to see luxury cars here. After the car stopped, a young and attractive woman got off, waved goodbye, and tossed the bouquet she received from a man into the trash can before heading into the vige. But after only a few steps, two headlights shone from behind. Thinking she was blocking the road, she quickly moved aside. The car slowly drove up to her and stopped. The window rolled down, and a polite looking man asked, ¡°Are you Luci Preston?¡± The woman hesitated for a moment, ¡°Yes, who are you?¡± The man replied gently. ¡°Our boss wants to talk to you, are you avable?¡± Luci looked wary, ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡± The man said, ¡°Our boss was the recipient of Mr. Campbell¡¯s email today. You¡¯ve heard of him, right?¡± Luci nched, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± With that, she turned to leave The man slowly followed in his car, ¡°Luci, 23 years old. Your sister Elisa Preston was assaultedst summer. During a dispute, she unintentionally hurt the perpetrator It was a minor injury, but he demanded arge sum of money to drop the charges. To prevent your sister from going to jail, you decided to be with Shawn, which is why you dropped out of school, right?¡± Luci stopped in her tracks, her hands clenched, her face as pale as a sheet. She turned to look at the man, her voice trembling, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± The man gave a slight smile, ¡°Ms. Preston, get in the car. Maybe our boss can help you out of your predicament, so you can return to campus.¡± Luci had no other choice once her public facade was exposed. She opened the car door, looking pale. Sitting inside was a handsome man with a cold expression. Liam nced at her, speaking tly, ¡°Get in.¡± Luci climbed in nervously, huddling in theer. The man turned the car around and drove off. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Liam eyed the woman in front of him, finding her strangely familiar, but she wouldn¡¯t meet his gaze, quickly looking down. From that glimpse, Liam figured it out. This girl looked a lot like Caitlyn. When Celeste got married, she brought an album full of her photos from childhood to adulthood, including a few family portraits Luci looked a lot like the young Caitlyn in the photos. That bastard Shawn. Luci was dressed very simply, her clothes were all pretty cheap. The only expensive thing on her was her bag, but she didn¡¯t seem to care for it. When her seatbelt scraped against the bag, she didn¡¯t react If it was Letti, she¡¯d probably be fuming over this. When the car pulled up near the park, Liam popped the door open and blurted out, ¡°How many photos does Shawn have?¡± Clutching her clothes tightly, Luci stuttered in a hushed voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been ckmailing me at your sister¡¯s shop, and you¡¯re telling me you have no clue?¡± Liam asked. Luci¡¯s face turned even paler, ¡°I really, really don¡¯t know.¡± Seeing Luci¡¯s terrified face, Owen quickly jumped in, ¡°Ms. Preston, don¡¯t freak out! He then pulled out a bank statement from a bag next to him and handed it to her, ¡°Here¡¯s a token of our sincerity.¡± Luci took the paper hesitantly, then froze. Chapter 840 Chapter 840 It was a banking transfer record. The recipient was the jerk who had hurt her sister. Owen then produced another receipt hand written by the same guy. ¡°Our boss has paid off your compensation. From now on, this man will no longer bother your family. You can go back to school. If you don¡¯t want to take the exams, our boss has some connections with the principal. He can exin the situation, get you a leave of absence, and then you can resume your studies¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Luci¡¯s hands were trembling, her eyes instantly moist. From the moment she epted Shawn¡¯s proposition, she had never thought she would have the chance to continue her studies The guy who had hurt her sister had some influence. They had bribed a lot of witnenses, spinning the harassment as just horsing around among friends. Without any surveince footage, she and her sister couldn¡¯t win thewsuit. And then he had the audacity to sue them for intentional harm. Theirwyer said they had to pay reparations or face jail time. Her sister was only 20, her life had just started. How could she stand by and do nothing? But for a family of their status, such arge sum of money was impossible to handle But then Shawn offered her an opportunity, which she had to take. She had no other option. She thought her life was ruined. She never imagined she could get out of this homble mess. Luci clenched her fists and raised her head, 1 don¡¯t know how many photos he has. He came to my sister¡¯s shop to use the inte, saying he needed to transfer some files. I saw him uploading photos, but I didn¡¯t know what he was going to do with them.¡± It was obvious that it wasn¡¯t anything good. The photos were all private pictures of a young girl. ¡°Are you going to arrest Shawn?¡± Luci asked tentatively. Liam didn¡¯t answer the question, and instead asked, ¡°How often does Shawn contact you, and how much ess do you have to him?¡± Luci was taken aback and was at a loss for words. Owen chimed in, ¡°What our boss means is, can you get those photos?¡± Luci said, ¡°I can try. Do you want to take them back?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam said, ¡°Destroy them all. If you can do it, consider this money a write¨Coff. ¡®ll stick to my promise.¡± Luci was excited but also suspicious, ¡°Can I ask why you¡¯re doing this?¡± Liam said slowly, ¡°The photos are of my loved one.¡± Luci was taken aback, then it dawned on her. She was about to say something when her phone rang. was an unknown number Luci was about to hang up, but Liam suddenly said, ¡®Answer it¡± She couldn¡¯t hang up then, so she answered the call ¡°Hello, is this Miss Luci?¡± It was Celeste¡¯s voice on the other end of the line. Owen was a bit surprised, but Liam was not. He had seen that it was Celeste¡¯s number ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Luci asked ¡°I know Shawn, and there are some things I would like to ask you about. Do you have time now?¡± Celeste asked. Another person who wanted to ask her something? And knew Shawn? She asked, ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk about it over the phone. Can we meet tomorrow morning at nine?¡± Celeste asked Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Luci declined, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know you.¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how you became Shawn¡¯s mistress?¡± Luci didn¡¯t speak Owen was surprised. Ms. Campbell was faster than Mr. Reed. Luci clutched her phone, her heart pounding, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Ms. Preston, don¡¯t be nervous. I mean no harm, but it¡¯s not convenient to talk about these things over the phone. Let¡¯s meet at the coffee shop at the corner of Oak Street tomorrow. You can refuse if you¡¯re not interested in what I have to say¡± Luci looked hesitant. Liam gestured with his lips, ¡°Agree to it.¡± Luci said, ¡°Ok, see you tomorrow¡± After hanging up. Luci tumed to Liam, ¡°Why did you have me agree to it?¡± Liam said casually, ¡°The one who called was my loved one.¡± Luci was surprised. This couple didn¡¯t even coordinate and came to find her separately? Liam continued, ¡°Go on time tomorrow, agree to whatever she says. I¡¯ll make good on my promise¡± With such a good offer, of course, Luci wouldn¡¯t refuse. On the other side, at Grandview Heights. After hanging up the phone, Trisha asked eagerly. ¡°So, did she agree?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°We¡¯re meeting tomorrow morning¡± ¡°Do you want me to apany you?¡± Trisha asked. Celeste shook her head. This matter is not very honorable, more people might make her unwilling to talk to me.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The detective had brought back some news. Shawn had a mistress named Luci, who was younger than Angel. At first, Celeste wanted to use this to stir up trouble for Helen, to make Shawn and her fight against each other But after learning about Luci¡¯s situation and seeing her picture, she dismissed the idea. What she wanted was not just to pit them against each other, but also extreme revenge, and the evidence to bring them to justice. Early the next morning, Celeste arrived at the agreed ce to wait. At nine o¡¯clock sharp, a young girl in a white T¨Cshirt and light blue jeans appeared in the shop. Celeste raised her hand and called out, ¡°Ms. Preston, I¡¯m over here.¡± Luci turned around and saw a girl with a mask and curly hair waving at her. She moved forward and asked tentatively, ¡°Ms. Campbell?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Please sit down, would you like something to drink?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like coffee,¡± said Luci as she pulled out a chair, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t beat around the bush. She took a photo out of her bag and slid it across the table towards Luci, ¡°Take a look¡± Luci peered down at the photo. It depicted a girl, perched next to a bicycle, clutching a book. Her hair was done up in pig tails and she was all smiles. But the girl¡¯s face looked familiar. Like hers ¡°That¡¯s my mom, Celeste said calmly, ¡°Shawn¡¯s ex¨Cwife¡± Luci blinked. ¡°You met Shawn at a job fair, didn¡¯t you?¡± continued Celeste Luci snapped back to reality. ¡°How did you know?¡± Celeste gave a small smile, ¡°Because that¡¯s how his current wife met him, too¡± Luci felt a bit uneasy, and murmured, ¡°I never wanted to ride his coattails to sess. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Celeste said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way I was referring to Shawn¡¯s pattern.¡± ¡°Pattern? Luci was confused. Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Celeste said, ¡°Last summer, your sister got into some trouble, right? She identally hurt somebody and you guys got hit with a hugepensation im?¡± After the surprise attack from Liam and his gang the previous night, Luci was able to handle herself with calmness. ¡°Yeah, how did you know about that?¡± She asked. ¡°That¡¯s not important, Celeste said slowly, ¡°You were desperate for cash, so Shawn reached out to you. You borrowed money from him, and he put forward a proposal he¡¯ll help you out financially, but you have to be his mistress. He¡¯ll give you money each month to help you pay off your debt. With no other options, you agreed, and that¡¯s how you became his ything, night?¡± Remembering some unpleasant memories, Luci¡¯s face turned pale. She ran into Shawn at a campus recruitment event while apanying her roommate for an interview During the lecture, she felt someone watching her from the stage. When it ended, Shawn came over, asked her name, and if she was interested in working at his Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her exam results hadn¡¯t been released yet and she was nning to further her studies, so she turned him down. But because she filled out some information at the event, Shawn called her a couple of dayster, inviting her for dinner Luci was repulsed by his advances, especially because he was older than her dad it was gross, so she blocked his number But then her sister¡¯s ident happened and she had no choice but to be his mistress. The irony and embarrassment were overwhelming. So, with a touch of hostility, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Celeste slowly said, ¡°Ms. Preston, don¡¯t you find it suspicious that Shawn contacted you right when you were in dire need of money?¡± Luci was taken aback, ¡°What are you implying?¡± Celeste continued. ¡°There are no such things as coincidences. Shawn is no phnthropist. My mother was his university ssmate. She invested in him, helped him start his business, only for him to betray her when she was pregnant. He started a rtionship with a high school girl using the same tricks he used on you. I used to believe that he genuinely loved his current wife, enough to cause my mother¡¯s death. But now it seems, he¡¯s just a scumbag who¡¯s out for young, beautiful girls, stopping at nothing to satisfy his desires. He could kill my mother for his current wife, he could frame his current wife for you, and who¡¯s to say he won¡¯t ruin you for the next girl? No, he¡¯s already ruined you.¡± Celeste finished speaking and pulled out a piece of paper from her bag. ¡°This is the call record between the guy who harassed your sister and Shawn. Look at the date¡± Celeste said. Luci looked at it, the call was made before her sister¡¯s ident Shawn knew that thug This fact made Luci break out into a cold sweat The man she¡¯d given her body to was the same man who¡¯d orchestrated the harassment of her sister! He ruined her life, forced her to drop out of school, pushed her into aer, and then dressed himself up as a savior, making her feel grateful. How could anyone be so evil and disgusting! Celeste handed her a bank card, ¡°Ms. Preston, there¡¯s money in this card for you. Help me with one thing, and once it¡¯s sessful, I¡¯ll give you more. It¡¯ll be enough to pay off your debts, set up a new shop for your sister, and live a decent life.¡± Luci didn¡¯t agree. Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Instead, she asked Celeste, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Celeste looked down at the photo, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it. You look a lot like my deceased mother. It wasn¡¯t by chance that Shawn found you; he liked your simr face to my mother¡¯s.¡± Luci softly asked, ¡°He still has feelings for your mother, right?¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. He doesn¡¯t love anyone. He¡¯s selfish and only loves bimself¡± She raised her head, ¡°I want you to help me get evidence of Shawn and Helen plotting against my mother. I want them to pay the highest price, to live a life worse than death¡± Luci was shocked by the hatred in her eyes, and it took her a while to say, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Celeste¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I will teach you¡± Before parting. Celeste remembered something. ¡°Your sister is still young, you should keep her in school. She can prepare for next year¡¯s exams. I have a brother who is good at studying, if you need it, I can have him tutor your sister. It¡¯s important for girls to be educated, the more knowledge she has, the more options and strategies she will have to protect herself.¡± Luci gratefully replied. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with her After separating with Celeste, Luci immediately contacted Liam and told him everything Celeste had said. After listening. Liam casually said, ¡®Do as she says.¡± After hanging up the phone, Owenmented, ¡°Ms. Campbell is better at using people and understanding human nature than you are¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer. Not everything Celeste said to Luci was true Shawn indeed had malicious intentions, but he didn¡¯t have anyone harass Luci¡¯s sister. But the timing of the two incidents was too coincidental. With the fake call record that Celeste made up, a little guidance would lead people to the wrong conclusion Instead of simply using money and favors to win over Luci, the goal of destroying the person who ruined her life¡± was more likely to pull her into Celeste¡¯s camp. especially with the vulnerability of family. The alliance could only be solid if the goals were the same. Celeste understood these two points very well. Even without Liam¡¯s previous instructions, it would be hard for Luci to refuse such a proposal. Liam nced at him. ¡°Celeste is very pure and kind.¡± Owen was speechless Chapter 843 Instead, she asked Celeste, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Celeste looked down at the photo, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it. You look a lot like my deceased mother. It wasn¡¯t by chance that Shawn found you; he liked your simr face to my mother¡¯s.¡± Luci softly asked, ¡°He still has feelings for your mother, right?¡± Celeste sneered, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. He doesn¡¯t love anyone. He¡¯s selfish and only loves bimself¡± She raised her head, ¡°I want you to help me get evidence of Shawn and Helen plotting against my mother. I want them to pay the highest price, to live a life worse than death¡± Luci was shocked by the hatred in her eyes, and it took her a while to say, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Celeste¡¯s expression softened, ¡°I will teach you¡± Before parting. Celeste remembered something. ¡°Your sister is still young, you should keep her in school. She can prepare for next year¡¯s exams. I have a brother who is good at studying, if you need it, I can have him tutor your sister. It¡¯s important for girls to be educated, the more knowledge she has, the more options and strategies she will have to protect herself.¡± Luci gratefully replied. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with her After separating with Celeste, Luci immediately contacted Liam and told him everything Celeste had said. After listening. Liam casually said, ¡®Do as she says.¡± After hanging up the phone, Owenmented, ¡°Ms. Campbell is better at using people and understanding human nature than you are¡± Liam didn¡¯t answer. Not everything Celeste said to Luci was true Shawn indeed had malicious intentions, but he didn¡¯t have anyone harass Luci¡¯s sister. But the timing of the two incidents was too coincidental. With the fake call record that Celeste made up, a little guidance would lead people to the wrongOwned by N?velDrama.Org. conclusion Instead of simply using money and favors to win over Luci, the goal of destroying the person who ruined her life¡± was more likely to pull her into Celeste¡¯s camp. especially with the vulnerability of family. The alliance could only be solid if the goals were the same. Celeste understood these two points very well. Even without Liam¡¯s previous instructions, it would be hard for Luci to refuse such a proposal. Liam nced at him. ¡°Celeste is very pure and kind.¡± Owen was speechless He thought to himself, if Liam understood Ms. Campbell¡¯s character so well, why did he end up getting divorced? Liam put the document aside and instructed, ¡°Send a bouquet of flowers to the set, not so many roses, a bit of everything, make it look nice¡± Owen thought to himself, Ms. Campbell must have thought roses were too ugly, otherwise Mr. Reed would have sent pink roses with his taste in flowers. Naomi disappeared for a day and showed up at the set on time the next day. Whether thepany had persuaded her, or Javier had scolded her, she was much quieter when she came back. Three days after the filming started, Teague finished his job and joined the crew Teague, a forty¨Csomething Oscar¨Cwinning actor, yed a cop named Powell in the film, who is investigating a poisoning case. He and Celeste had many scenes together in the film. For Celeste, Teague was the most famous actor she had worked with since she started acting. Despite being a low¨Ckey and humble person, Teague was always willing to discuss with young actors who asked for his advice. Leonard didn¡¯t have many scenes, so his schedule was flexible. He nned to fly to another city to shoot a TV show over the weekend. Javier thought that people couldn¡¯t get together at the opening ceremony, so he decided to have a get¨Ctogether before Leonard left. The venue was the same hotel where the charity event was heldst time Almost all of the actors and crew members of the film crew were present, making the suite quite noisy with over twenty people. Chapter 844 He thought to himself, if Liam understood Ms. Campbell¡¯s character so well, why did he end up getting divorced? Liam put the document aside and instructed, ¡°Send a bouquet of flowers to the set, not so many roses, a bit of everything, make it look nice¡± Owen thought to himself, Ms. Campbell must have thought roses were too ugly, otherwise Mr. Reed would have sent pink roses with his taste in flowers. Naomi disappeared for a day and showed up at the set on time the next day. Whether thepany had persuaded her, or Javier had scolded her, she was much quieter when she came back. Three days after the filming started, Teague finished his job and joined the crew Teague, a forty¨Csomething Oscar¨Cwinning actor, yed a cop named Powell in the film, who is investigating a poisoning case. He and Celeste had many scenes together in the film. For Celeste, Teague was the most famous actor she had worked with since she started acting. Despite being a low¨Ckey and humble person, Teague was always willing to discuss with young actors who asked for his advice. Leonard didn¡¯t have many scenes, so his schedule was flexible. He nned to fly to another city to shoot a TV show over the weekend. Javier thought that people couldn¡¯t get together at the opening ceremony, so he decided to have a get¨Ctogether before Leonard left. The venue was the same hotel where the charity event was heldst time Almost all of the actors and crew members of the film crew were present, makin Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Celeste was the type who was all fun and games with friends but med up around strangers. She had been on the cast for a week now, but she still didn¡¯t really know many of the actors and crew. Unless someone stroke up a conversation with her, she was either stuffing her face or glued to her phone. Currently scrolling through Facebook, she got a text from Liam asking her out for dinner. She snapped a pic of her current meal and sent it back to him, saying she was already eating Liam quickly texted back asking who she was with She replied that Leonard was about to go on a business trip and Javier had organized a farewell dinner Upon hearing Leonard was leaving. Liam breathed a sigh of relief. But then he asked if Leonard had wrapped up his scenes. Celeste replied that he hadn¡¯t Leonard was a big star and very busy. He was just doing a cameo as a favor, and any lesser role wouldn¡¯t have attracted such a big fish He would be back on set once he had done with his other work. Hearing that Leonard wasing back, Liam¡¯s face dropped. Having one Steven was annoying enough, now with Leonard added to the mix, he couldn¡¯t rx until he settled things with Celeste regarding their marriage. Liam asked her when dinner would be over as he nned to pick her up. Celeste replied that he didn¡¯t need to, they were saying there was a second round and it was going to runte. She would hitch a ride back with Javier. After a while, Liam sent a text saying he missed hearing her voice. It had been a few days since theyst met when Liam visited the set. Celeste had been super busy since joining the team, whenever he called she was either shooting, sleeping or memorizing her lines. Liam knew she was dedicated to her job so he didn¡¯t want to disturb her, but he also couldn¡¯t stand being neglected. So he had Owen post some pictures of him on Facebook For instance, yesterday Owen posted his college graduation photo. His ss voted to take swimwear photos The reason was simple, it was all guys in the ss so they naturally chose something more fun. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Some opted for board shorts to show off their muscles, the ¡°unconventional¡± ones went straight for bikinis for a thrill. Liam was dragged along, he couldn¡¯t swim and coupled with the fact that someone leaked the info about the swimwear photoshoot, quite a crowd showed up at the beach. He refused to take off his top, which drew protest from his ssmates So, they sshed water on him and took a series of ¡°wet t¨Cshirt¡± photos. The photo Liam had Owen post was one of those He was wearing a customized ss t¨Cshirt, the seawater¨Csoaked fabric clinging to his body, entuating his muscled physique. Owen¡¯s caption was also amusing. [With a boss like this, what time would you clock out?] Any other person would just think it was a joke, not suspecting any ulterior motives Owen had posted pictures of Liam before, and almost every time Celeste would hit like But this time, she didn¡¯t even like it after a whole day. Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Liam finally got a taste of what it felt like to be ignored. So, the ¡°I miss your voice¡± message not only expressed his longing but also had a hint ofint. Celeste pictured Liam on the other end, furrowing his brows while typing on his phone, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. She opened up Instagram, preparing to follow Liam again and send him a few voice messages, only to find that he was still on her friends list. How was that possible? She clearly remembered unfollowing Liam¡¯s Instagram ount the night she proposed the divorce. She had her suspicions before, because after the divorce, he seemed to have a direct line to her emotions. Not only could he guess her mood, he even knew when she would be hungry She thought it was some kind of telepathy, turned out when Liam was taking photos for Sean Knott¡¯s exam, he used her phone to follow himself back! He had been snooping on her Instagram posts for the past two months! Celeste gritted her teeth and sent Liam a message before unfollowing him again. Seeing the message from Celeste, Liam knew he had been caught. He hurried to type a reply but failed to send it as Celeste had unfollowed him again. Liam was speechless Why did he have to mention ¡°hearing her voice¡°? Just as Liam was about to text Celeste an exnation, his phone rang. The chairman of the J City Business Association was calling, asking when he could make it. Liam didn¡¯t want to attend the business association gathering but the current chairman was a good friend of his father. He had been invited multiple times and it would be rude to refuse again, so he had just arrived at the hotel. I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll be right up¡± Liam said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. The chairman said. After hanging up, Liam sent Celeste a money transfer with a note saying. Im sorry, please forgive me.¡± Celeste saw the transfer. [read] Liam chuckled and got out of the car. As Celeste was checking her bank ount bnce, an unknown number sent her a text: [Should we do it together?] Celeste was confused She slowly replied with a ¡°?¡± The person replied it¡¯s Hertha Kelley] Celeste immediately blocked the number Hertha Mrs. Kelley, Skyler¡¯s friend, who knew what she was up to? Mrs. Kelley waited for Celeste¡¯s reply on Whatsapp, but after a long while there was still no reply. So, she called only to find that she had been blocked. She was livid! Sydney was thest one to arrive She was dressed in thetest Chanel dress, meticulously made up and carrying a handbag. She stood at the door with an apologetic smile, ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, there was some traffic.¡± Javier waved it off, ¡°We just got here,e sit.¡± Naomi eyed Sydney¡¯s handbag with envy She recognized it instantly as a limited edition from Hermes, only avable to VIP members. The paychecks of top¨Ctier actors in the entertainment industry were totally out of sync with their status. Naomi, for example, her most expensive bag didn¡¯t even hit the five¨Cfigure mark, and she only had one, the one she intentionally brought out today. She strutted around confidently with her bag, basking in the envy andpliments of others just moments ago. But when Sydney showed up, that pricey bag of hers suddenly made her feel a bit cheap, stirring up a cocktail of jealousy and unhappiness in her. However, when she looked around, she realized that the other actresses¡® bags weren¡¯t any better than hers, which kind of bnced things out a bit. Especially when she saw the bag Celeste was carrying, it was such a nondescript piece, she could barely hold in herughter Celeste didn¡¯t give a hoot about Mrs. Kelley¡¯s drama.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Mrs. Kelley only took Skyler¡¯s advice because it could benefit her hubby at work. But, lo and behold, Mrs. Kelley¡¯s husband was ying house with a mistress and had an illegitimate child. Skyler, her so¨Ccalled ¡°good friend¡°, knew about this all along, which ticked her off big time. The firework mishap at the birthday party was likely Mrs. Kelley¡¯s doing too Celeste couldn¡¯t care less about Mrs Kelley¡¯s scheme. Mrs. Kelley was as slick as snake, and she could pull off things without leaving a trace. Celeste was dead scared of being framed, so she cut her offpletely and gave her the cold shoulder ¡°Sydney, your bag is super cute The actress who spoke was Ophelia, their dormmate in the show. She was a fantastic dancer, rumored to hail from a professional dance academy Naomi chimed in immediately. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous, isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s an exclusive Herm¨¨s for VIP members. I¡¯ve only seen it at fashion shows before It wasn¡¯t just vanity that the actresses were after, but the evaluation of their fashion potential by the brands Luxury brands took this very seriously If they weren¡¯t fashionable enough, even if they were a hotshot celeb, they would have a hard time scoring high¨Cend endorsements. They were even afraid that the actress might make their brand look bad and tamish their fashion reputation During Sydney¡¯s breakout year, her style was a hot mess, and her off¨Cduty looks were unspeakable. She couldn¡¯t even borrow a couture dress for the red carpet The news at the time was all about Sydney hitting the red carpet in a regr gown, with Sydney saying that fashion wasn¡¯t defined by coutureC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Fans praised her to the skies, thinking they had found an idol with integrity who didn¡¯t care for vanity. In reality, she just couldn¡¯t get her hands on couture. But the PR team Nics set up for her was so good, they turned this ¡°w¡± into a ¡°strength for promotions After she switched to a new styling team and became more fashionable, and with her increasing fame, high¨Cend brands finally agreed to lend her couture dresses. Sydney¡¯s styling team was awesome and they¡¯ve amped up her beauty. Every time she stepped out, she had a killer outfit. Now, Sydney could be said to be one of the actresses her age most loved by fashion brands. So, her outfits were the talk of the town among other actresses. When everyone heard Naomi¡¯s introduction, they all crowded around to see. ¡°This bag is stunning. I¡¯ve never seen this model before. Is it new?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a worldwide exclusive, only seen at shows. Even Herm¨¨s VIP members need to book and queue. Even if you have the dough, you might not be able to get it Someone whispered, ¡°I think I saw someone selling this bag on a secondhand website¡± Naomi sneered, ¡°Would someone who can afford this bag sell it on a secondhand website? Did you run into a scam?¡± Chapter 847 Chapter 847 ¡°The detailed pictures she posted didn¡¯t look fake. I have a friend who wanted to rent this bag for a photoshoot, but the seller only sold and didn¡¯t rent. When my friend finally saved enough money, the seller said it was already sold. I think it was real. And the person paused slightly. ¡°I noticed that the serial number on Sydney¡¯s bag looks the same.¡± The atmosphere went a bit strange at these words. It seemed to suggest that Sydney bought her bag on a secondhand trading tform, that she was using a secondhand bag For Sydney, hailed as the new fashion queen, this was a no¨Cno. Everyone turned to look at Sydney, but Sydney just shrugged it off and evenughed. You must be mistaken. I bought it from an official source¡± Celeste nced at the girls, then went back to ying with her phone. An official secondhand source She didn¡¯t intend to expose Sydney. After all, the bag was sold, and it had nothing to do with her. F Besides, to expose her, she would have to admit that the bag was once hers. But when would a newbie actress get the money for such a bag? That would raise a lot of suspicions. She didn¡¯t want to draw attention to herself, so she didn¡¯t n to say anything Sydney probably saw thising, so she said that in front of her Naomi also quickly followed up, ¡°With Sydney¡¯s influence in the fashion circle, getting this bag should be a piece of cake, right?¡± With that, Celeste suddenly paused. She remembered selling that bag and how mad Liam was. He probably went through a lot to get it, so he was so angry to find out she had sold it She was really dumb. Liam said it was a gift from a client, and she believed him. Who would give away something so hard to get? And why would a gift for Liam be adies bag? This proud man just wanted to make her happy, but his words turned a good deed sour. In their mamed life, Liam had given her many bags. Her taste was cultivated by Liam bit by bit. Liam o gave her jewelry and handbags, and she only gave Liam discount shirts from the mall and a watch for his birthday, the most expensive thing being a few hundred bucks. So, Liam seemed to have given a lot more She smiled slightly, then texted a friend who designed jewelry [Could you help me custom¨Cmake a pair of cufflinks?) Her friend quickly replied. [Do you need customization?] Celeste replied [Yes, I will draw the design myself. You just need to help me modify it and charge me the standard price] As she was texting, the waiter slipped while serving the dishes and identally sshed oil on Celeste¡¯s phone screen. The waiter quickly apologized, and Celeste waved him off, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She took out her bag and began wiping her phone with a pack of tissues. The actresses at the table were gossiping about all kinds of topics, mostly about Sydney Naomi said. ¡°I remember in that variety show Sydney was on, she had a massive walk¨Cin closet just for bags at home, filled with ssic models.¡± Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Tve seen that reality show too! When that door swung open, I was totally blown away, that was like my dream house!¡± ¡°Which girl wouldn¡¯t dream of a house like that?¡± ¡°Sydney is really low¨Ckey. She doesn¡¯t show off much. If I had that many bags, I¡¯d switch it up every day, wouldn¡¯t even repeat one in a month!¡± Sydney smiled, ¡°Actually, many of my bags were given by the brands, I didn¡¯t buy them myself. Most of them are for work, some are out of date. I¡¯m nning to sort them out, either toss them or give them away, to free up some space.¡± Hearing this, the others felt a mix of jealousy and envy. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Even a bag worth tens of thousands, who could just casually toss it? It was clearly because of her high status and fat paycheck. Naomi nced at Celeste, who was wiping her phone, and suddenly said, ¡°Why not gift a few bags to Celeste in the future? Although bag style is a matter of personal taste, the quality shouldn¡¯t be too shabby. It¡¯s fine when we hang out privately, but what about public events? As an actress, she can¡¯t always carry a low¨Cend old bag, it would affect the image of the whole crew Celeste looked up at Naomi and said tly. ¡°Excuse me, who¡¯s got a shoddy bag?¡± Naomi feigned concern, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way, I¡¯m just looking out for you. You¡¯re new to this industry, there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know. Your image is important at public events, and you need to spend money on clothes and bags. You¡¯re just starting to act and your ie isn¡¯t much. If you spend too much on these, it¡¯s like overspending Since Sydney has bags to dispose of, why not let her give you a few? Wouldn¡¯t that save you some money?¡± Her words sounded as though she was genuinely considering Celeste¡¯s benefits and helping her save money But the real intention was to belittle and mock Celeste. Celeste was a bit confused Were all people in the entertainment industry like this, looking down on the poor? Before Celeste could respond, Sydney put on a ¡°great phnthropist face, ¡°If Ms. Campbell wants them, I¡¯d be happy to give them away. I was going to throw them out anyway, helping Ms. Campbell would be better than wasting them.¡± The actresses on the set had vanous reactions. They all knew what Sydney and Naomi meant, but no one dared to speak up for Celeste. After all, Sydney was not someone to be messed with. There were even some who chimed in, ¡°Sydney is so generous to neers, if I had met you when I first started, I could have saved so much money¡± ¡°Sydney always takes care of the newbies.¡± ¡°Celeste, you¡¯re so lucky.¡± Sydney was ttered and looked at Celeste with disdain. For the past month of shooting, she had been overshadowed by Celeste¡¯s performance. They had many scenes together, and every time it was their turn, Sydney would get a good scolding from the director. Every mistake was due to her She knew that in scenes with Celeste, in order not to be overshadowed, she made a lot of effort. However, how could ast¨Cminute preparationpare to someone with ten years of experience? Chapter 849 Chapter 849 The lines she had memorized would easily go wrong when acting with Celeste. In other words, she couldn¡¯t keep up with Celeste¡¯s performance. Javier, one second he was admiring Celeste¡¯s performance, the next he was dragged back to the mediocre script by Sydney, so he naturally wasn¡¯t satisfied with her Although he didn¡¯t criticize her, his face wasn¡¯t pleased. Sydney naturally med these annoying things on Celeste, and took any opportunity to cause trouble for her. After the praises, Sydney said somewhat confusedly, ¡°Enough, guys, she looked at Celeste, and said generously, ¡°Celeste, there are many people here, I know you¡¯m shy,e to my house tomorrow to pick what you like, you can take anything. We¡¯re in the samepany, of course I¡¯m more generous to you¡± Celeste looked at her hypocritical face, and knew that without acting, Sydney¡¯s performance was indeed good Celeste smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been so kind to me, how could I not be grateful? No need to wait until tomorrow Everyone is free now, and I remember your house is close by, let¡¯s go now.¡± Jokingly, she added, ¡°I¡¯m afraid if we wait until tomorrow, you won¡¯t give them to me Sydney was stunned, what was up with Celeste? Didn¡¯t Celeste realize she was trying to embarrass her? She actually agreed¡® Was something wrong with her brain? With a few words, Celeste left Sydney speechless. She had no choice but to ept. ¡®Everyone heard, I will definitely give them to you, but ¡°Let¡¯s go then¡± Celeste interrupted Sydney She stood up, looking very pleased, ¡°I also want to see the dream house of women Naomi sneered Celeste was actually happy about using someone else¡¯s old things? Someone who could never afford good things in her lifetime! She turned to Sydney and said, ¡°Sydney, let them have a look. That way, some people won¡¯t be so ignorant.¡± Sydney replied, Then I¡¯ll go let the director know¡± Sydney¡¯s house in Grandview Vi was very close to the hotel, just a ten¨Cminute drive The prices at Grandview Vi were not cheap. Although Sydney bought it on a mortgage, the fact that she could afford such a high down payment showed her ie was not low. Eight people took two cars and soon arrived at Sydney¡¯s house As the door opened, a luxurious European¨Cstyle decoration and a five¨Cmeter¨Chigh ceiling with a huge ss chandelier came into view. Everyone was praising theyout and decoration of the house Sydney humbly said, ¡°1 just decorated it casually, this house doesn¡¯t have a sunroom, it¡¯s not very comfortable. If it weren¡¯t for the good location, I would have sold it and bought another one¡± Everyone was envious of her ability to buy and sell a house worth tens of millions. Looking at the house, Celeste thought, Sydney really should buy a new one. This living room wasn¡¯t even as big as her dining room. Was this considered a detached vi? Soon enough, everyone was led upstairs by Sydney When she opened the door to the bag storage room, gasps of amazement filled the air. The room was filled with hundreds of ss storage cabs with lids, each neatly housing a bag. The bags varied in size and type, especially on the wall near the door, which was virtually all high¨Cend luxury bags. Someone eximed. ¡°Oh my God, how much is all this worth?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°The bags in this new color sold out immediately, and Sydney actually managed to snag one!¡± ¡°I want to live here¡± Everyone¡¯spliments had Sydney over the moon. Naomi nced at the expressionless Celeste and smirked, ¡°Sydney, any bags you¡¯re over? Let Celeste pick one out already, I can tell she¡¯s dying to.¡± Chapter 850 Chapter 850 Thest person who acted this way towards her was Mrs. Kelley, were these two rted somehow? But Mrs. Kelley was just ttering Skyler for her own husband¡¯s sake. As for this Naomi, she couldn¡¯t figure out what she was after Everything Naomi did seemed like an act. Was she expecting to split Sydney¡¯s ie? Sydney wasn¡¯t exactly top tier in the entertainment industry, just a fringe yer in the capital circle. Her influence was limited to a few somewhat famous producers. Her script choices were pretty lousy, how could she help Naomi? Perhaps Naomi didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives, and just in didn¡¯t like her Celeste shed a smile, I¡¯m not in a rush, but Naomi seems even more so. Why not ank Sydney to pick a few for you too? You guys seem pretty close, she wouldn¡¯t let you go empty handed¡± Naomi quickly caught on and shed a smile, ¡°We¡¯re about to head back to the hotel, just wanted to get this task done quick, was only joking around. You didn¡¯t have to get all worked up, it¡¯s not a big deal to pick a bag¡± Celeste gave her a nce and nonchntly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. Sydney is willing to gift me bags and I¡¯m quite happy about it. But the way you said it, it sounds like Sydney gifting me bags is some kind of insult? I don¡¯t mind, but if this gets out, it might give Sydney a bad name for bullying neers. Isn¡¯t that causing trouble for Sydney?¡± Sydney¡¯s expression changed immediately. Naomi was fuming.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. This woman was sharp¨Ctongued, shifting the conflict onto her and Sydney with just a few words. She had truly underestimated her! Naomi dropped the argument, gave her a cold nce and said, ¡°Everyone knows what kind of person Sydney is. No one can nder her: You better focus on which bag you want. Try to pick a new one, so it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re carrying a second hand bag¡± The crowd had various reactions. It was clear that her words were meant to insult Celeste Celeste, nonchnt as ever, turned to Sydney with a smile, ¡°Sydney, can I pick any bag?¡± Sydney was studying Celeste¡¯s expression. She didn¡¯t seem upset at all, instead, she seemed quite happy. This wasn¡¯t the scene Sydney wanted. She smiled softly, ¡°Some of these bags are borrowed, and I need to return them. Others are my personal bags. She gestured towards the wall on the north, ¡°You can pick any bag from there¡± The bags disyed there were all out of season, not a single ssic style in the lot and the colors were all over the ce. Someone eximed, ¡°Oh my god, are all of these going to be thrown away?¡± ¡°Sydney, it¡¯s such a waste to discard these bags. You could sell them on a second hand website to recover some costs.¡± Sydney brushed her hair lightly. ¡°These things aren¡¯t worth much. Selling them wouldn¡¯t get a lot either, so I think it¡¯s better to give them away. She paused and looked at Celeste, ¡°Celeste, you pick. Don¡¯t be shy, you can take whatever you like.¡± Celeste surprised everyone by asking. ¡°Can I take them all?¡± Everyone was shocked Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Sydney chuckled, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly take all of them, right? Besides, do you have enough space at home to store them?¡± Implying that Celeste lived in a small ce and couldn¡¯t possibly store so many bags. Celeste responded, ¡°I can¡¯t store them at my ce, I n to keep them at my friend¡¯s ce¡± Liam had been sending her clothes, shoes, and bags gradually, and she was running out of closet space But to others, it meant that Celeste¡¯s ce was so small that she had to store her bags at her friend¡¯s ce, how poor could she be? They all felt a bit sorry for her. She didn¡¯t have the means, so why was shepeting with Sydney? Naomi was less sympathetic. She teased, ¡°She said you could pick a couple.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t seem upset, she calmly replied, ¡°Since Sydney doesn¡¯t want them anymore, and she likes helping neers, it¡¯s better than throwing them away. right?¡± Sydney had noeback for that. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. While the bags were out of fashion, they could fetch a decent price if sold second hand. Many celebrities actually sold their unused luxury items in second¨Chand stores, it was not a secret. Luxury items were expensive, and not everyone could afford them. Plus, fashion trends came and left, so it wasmon to sell old items and buy new ones. Sydney imed she wouldn¡¯t sell them to show off her wealth, but Celeste took her words literally. Now, Sydney couldn¡¯t back out. Seeing that Sydney remained silent, Celeste decided to push her buttons a little more. ¡°Are you having second thoughts? Celeste feigned understanding. These things are indeed not cheap, it¡¯s normal to be a bit reluctant.¡± ¡°Ms Campbell, you¡¯re overthinking.¡± Sydney interrupted her, ¡°If you really want them, I would be more than happy to give them to you. But to me, these are just like trash. If they can help Ms. Campbell, I would be satisfied¡± Giving her trash¡­ Could Celeste tolerate such an insult? Indeed, she did. In fact, she didn¡¯t have to tolerate it because she was genuinely happy. ¡°Thank you, can I take them today?¡± Looking at Celeste¡¯s poor demeanor. Sydney felt she had overestimated her. Without Liam, she was nothing! ¡°You sure you can carry all these bags at once? Why not use ¨¤ car to pick them up?¡± Sydney asked, Celeste smiled faintly. ¡°T¡¯d rather take them today. I¡¯m afraid if I wait till tomorrow, you might change your mind.¡± Sydney almostughed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that over these things¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try to pick them up as soon as possible. That way, I can rest easy Just as she finished speaking, the doorbell rang. Celeste smiled. ¡°My friend is here, he can help me move themter. This way, I won¡¯t have to make an extra trip tomorrow¡± After saying that, she went downstairs to greet her friend. Naomi was in disbelief, ¡°Has she lost her mind?¡± Sydney gave a slight smirk. Celeste really didn¡¯t understand what it meant to be humble, the divorce had stripped her of her dignity. Her behavior was simply too shameful to see, no need for others to expose it, she could y out the embarrassing stuff perfectly by herself However, when Celeste¡¯s friends showed up, Sydney could no longer crack a smile. Chapter 852 Chapter 852 The friend Celeste mentioned was Ned, the owner of the second¨Chand luxury goods shop she¡¯d been to when she traded that bag before. Ned didn¡¯te alone He brought a shop assistant with him. They followed Celeste slowly into the room where the bags were stored Ned was well¨Cknown in the luxury second¨Chand trading market. Many celebrities and inte influencers have traded in his shop, so as soon as he appeared, some actors recognized him Everyone was puzzled that Celeste¡¯s friend was Ned. Then Celeste said, ¡°Ned, I hope you can help me check all the bags here¡± Ned nodded and immediately ordered the shop assistant to start the checking. They took out gloves, magnifying sses and other inspection tools from the toolbox and began to check the bags in the cab one by one The assistant checked first, and then passed it to Ned, who exammed it again in detail. Then he took pictures with a tablet and wrote down the estimated price. Everyone present was stunned to watch their methodical inspection process.. Naomi snapped back to reality and asked loudly, ¡°Celeste, what the heck are you doing?¡± Celeste looked up and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you give all these bags to me? My ce is too tiny to store them, so I asked Ned to help me inspect them so that I can sell them to him. The money from the sales can get me a better bag This way, I won¡¯t embarrass anyone. Isn¡¯t this what you told me to do?¡± ¡°When did I ever say anything like that?¡± Naomi gritted her teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t twist my words! I asked you to pick one from these bags, but you are selling all of them!¡± Celeste nced at her and said, ¡°Sydney gave the bags to me, so it¡¯s my business how I handle them. What are you fussing about? Is it because Sydney didn¡¯t give you any? You¡¯re close with her, so why don¡¯t you ask her directly? I¡¯m sure she will give you one¡± Naomi was so angry that she was speechless for a while Sydney also looked upset. She said, ¡°Celeste, I did give the bags to you, but is it appropriate to sell them straight away?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste chuckled, ¡°You gave them to me, so I can do whatever I want to do with it. And it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve traded with Ned. The new owner of the bag I soldst time loves it. She wears it on all asions. It¡¯s better for me to sell it than to let it gather dust here.¡± Sydney froze Celeste was obviously referring to the Hermes she bought at a high price from her. She said it was purchased at a store. Now if these actresses knew it was second¨Chand, she would definitely be ridiculed. She had no choice but to hold back her anger and let Celeste sell these bags. Forty¨Ctwo bags, with a total estimated price of 699,787. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 The quality of Sydney¡¯s bags wasn¡¯t high. Some were even second¨Chand or third¨Chand, and they were the type without potential for appreciation. Their price would get lower and lower The price Ned offered was actually quite decent Celeste sighed and said softly. 7 thought it was worth over a million.¡± Sydney¡¯s heart raced. She really wished Celeste would shut up right now! Ned said. Tl give you 700,000 Celeste shook her head and said, ¡°No need Just give me what they¡¯re worth.¡± After saying that, she sent him her bank ount info. Ned quickly transferred the money to Celeste When Celeste took out her purse. Ned paused ¡°Ms Campbell, may I take a look at your bag?¡± ¡°The purse?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ned said, ¡°I mean the one you¡¯re carrying¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Of course¡± She took off her bag and handed it to Ned Ned put on his gloves and sses again, and carefully took the bag to examine it His expression grew serious After a few minutes, he looked up and asked, ¡°Ms Campbell, where did you get this bag?¡± ¡°It was a gift from a friend. I think this bag is light and convenient, just enough for my phone and keys. Unfortunately it is not waterproof. The previous one was ruined when it fell into the swimming pool¡± Ned¡¯s face changed, ¡°Do you have any others?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Celeste blinked and said, ¡°Can¡¯t I have a few of these bags?¡± Ned was silent for a while, and then said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this bag should be personally designed by Isabe, right?¡± Celeste hadn¡¯t had time to answer before Naomi scoffed. ¡°You must be mistaken. How could the possibly own something designed by Isabe?¡± Isabe is an Italiandies¡® handbag designer She used to be the chief designer of top luxury brand and had gradually left the fashion world after resigning. However, she still asionally epted some private orders She would only ept a few private orders a year Even if they can afford her designs, most people couldn¡¯t even know how to reach her Even though Isabe was so famous, her custom¨Cmade bags only existed in legends. Very few people have actually seen one. How could a poor girl like Celeste, who sold newspapers for a living, possibly own a bag personally designed by Isabe? Ned frowned, feeling displeased by the others doubting his professional judgment He opened Celeste¡¯s bag pointed to a metal part inside and said, ¡°Isabe leaves a string of codes on every bag she makes. The first two digits represent the month and year of production, and the following digits are the birthday and zodiac sign of the holder¡± He then asked Celeste. ¡°Ms Campbell, your birthday is December 10th, Capr, right?¡± Celeste was taken aback She nodded Ned was visibly excited. I knew it was her work.¡± Sydney clenched her hands tightly Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Everyone in the fashion industry knew the rarity of a private customized design by Isabe.. Any one of those would be worth more than all of Sydney¡¯s bags. If the bag in Celeste¡¯s hand was authentic, then her brazen im of gifting her a bag would be a p across her own face Naomi loudly questioned, ¡°Can¡¯t the codes be forged? Nine out of ten Isabe bags circting online are fake. Who knows if hers is just a high¨Cquality knockoff?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ned frowned and said, ¡°Naomi, did you buy that Cartier bracelet on your wrist from Tania?¡± Naomi instinctively covered her bracelet, looking somewhat panicked, ¡°What are you talking about? My bracelet was brand new when I bought it Ned calmly said, ¡°Only two of this model has been sold in J City One is with Ms. Fletcher, and the other was bought by Tania, who has been short of funds mcently and has sold a lot of things here. I offered her 260,000 for the bracelet, but she felt the price wasnt enough, so she didn¡¯t sell it to me I see from the condition of this bracelet that she must have refurbished it before selling it to you. You must have spent more than 300,000 on it, right?¡± As he spoke, he grabbed Naomi¡¯s wrist and looked at it. ¡°The refurbished bracelet does look good, but it¡¯s hard to sell it at the original price again.¡± Naomi initially wanted to refute, but she despaired as Ned exined. He was night. She bought this bracelet from Tania for exactly 300,000. Tania quoted a price of 350,000 at first, which she felt was too expensive. After a werk of haggling. Tania agreed to sell it to her for 300,000 but requested a private transaction. She thought at the time that Tania just wanted to save on intermediary fees, but now she realized that she was just hoping to avoid being caught cheating her money! Naomi was furious. Ned was a smooth operator. His clients were mostly celebrities and people in the fashion industry. Generally he wouldn¡¯t offend anyone. For example, he saw Sydney as soon as he came in. He knew her bag was bought from Celeste, but he didn¡¯t expose her. This was his principle of dealing with people But Naomi kept questioning his judgment, which made Ned very angry. If she didn¡¯t believe in his professionalism, he would have to defend himself at her expense. The fact that he could recognize Naomi¡¯s bracelet at a nce was enough to show how sharp Ned¡¯s eyes were In other words, if he said Celeste¡¯s bag was an Isabe masterpiece, it certainly was This bag was unmistakably a priceless treasure. To think that Celeste didn¡¯t cherish it and even threw it into the swimming pool¡­. More astonishingly, after the previous bag got wet, she simply got a new one. What would that say about her? An actress asked curiously, ¡®Celeste, how did you buy this bag?¡± ¡°L..¡± Celeste hesitated, ¡°A friend bought it for me when he was on a business trip.¡± ¡°What kind of friend?¡± Everyone was curious. Apart from the giant mango on the first day of filming, Celeste has always been low¨Ckey in the crew. Chapter 855 Chapter 855 She ate and stayed with everyone. Whatever the crew¡¯s boxed lunch was, she ate it without being picky. All the other actors with some fame or affluent family background in the crew were spoiled Sydney and Naomi would never eat the crew¡¯s boxed lunch. After filming, there would always be people carrying umbres for them and escorting them into their car, where there were air conditioning and exquisite meals. Even a masseuse was hired to massage them in the car. Compared to them, Celeste¡¯s behavior was like that of an ordinary supporting actress Who would think that a bag she casually carries would be so expensive? People couldn¡¯t help but be curious about Celeste¡¯s family background. Celeste smiled and said half¨Cjokingly, ¡°You could say it was my ex¨Cboyfriend.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention immediately shifted from Celeste¡¯s family to her ¡®ex¨Cboyfriend¡± A boyfriend who could give her such a bag! Why would they ever break up? ¡°Can we know the reason for your breakup?¡± someone asked cautiously Celeste smiled, ¡°It was very clich¨¦. A woman fancied him: She couldn¡¯t break us up so she spread rumors about him cheating. I believed it and broke up with him.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After saying this, she nced at Sydney. Sydney¡¯s face changed, and she unconsciously clenched her fists. ¡®Oh my God! That woman is disgusting!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this stepping into someone else¡¯s love?¡± ¡°How could she have the courage to pursue Celeste¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name? What does she do? I have a friend who specializes in such gossip. You tell me who she is, and I¡¯ll have her expose her!¡± Sydney¡¯s face kept dropping She kept her mouth shut and didn¡¯t say a word. Seeing that the time was about right, Celeste slowly said, ¡°She is also an artist and quite famous, but I don¡¯t intend to expose her now. I want her to live in fear every day I want her to worry all the time about when I will ruin her career and her social life. How can I let such a person go so easily?¡± Sydney was so scared hearing thatst sentence that she knocked over her bag on the table.. Celeste walked over, bent down to pick up the bag, gently brushed off the dust, and handed the bag to Sydney. She smiled and said, ¡°Sydney, hold on tight. If it¡¯s damaged, it won¡¯t be worth any money, so please take good care of it. When you retire, maybe you can exchange it for some money with which you may enjoy your old age.¡± Sydney¡¯s looked very annoyed. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, cautiously took the bag, and never said a word after that. Ned had transferred the money into Celeste¡¯s ount and instructed his staff to move the goods downstairs. Before he left, he thought of something and said to Celeste, ¡°Ms Campbell, if you are ever interested in selling this bag, I hope you¡¯ll consider me first. I can offer you a very high price; I bet you¡¯d have a hard time saying no to me Celeste stroked the bag softly, smiling, ¡°I don¡¯t think that day wille.¡± It was a gift from Liam for their first anniversary. Chapter 856 Chapter 856 At that time, she didn¡¯t know much about the value of the bag. All she knew was that it was a gift from Liam and she loved it, carrying it everywhere she went. But her behavior ticked off thedies in the social circle. They thought she was all show, unting wealth she didn¡¯t understand. When she eventually found out about the real value of the bag, she hardly used it anymore. Yet, they still found other ways to criticize her Celeste slowly came to understand. What they looked down on wasn¡¯t her fashion sense or show¨Coff behavior, but the fact that she, a girl with nothing to her name, somehow managed to marry Liam. She had achieved a social leap that many people could only dream of From then on, Celeste stopped caring about what others thought. When she was happy, she would post about her jewelry on social media. When she was unhappy, she would do the same. The difort of those who disliked her made her feel good Of course, her ostentatious behavior was well known due to these incidents, and all of her showing off was indulged by Liam. He imed that the expensive bag was a roadside bargain, and that the jewelry was just gifts from clients. She, being clueless back then, believed him. After their mamage, Liam showered her with gifts. She loved the bag the most, and she could still remember the joy when she received it. It was the first time he gave her a gift voluntarily, even though he lied that it was a roadside find.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She made up her mind then that, no matter what, she would never sell this bag. Ned didn¡¯t say anything more Those who could afford such a bag probably wouldn¡¯t care about the money anyway After Ned left, Javier called. He told them to head straight to Azure Club for the next event. Sydney was funous and had no mood to attend the next event. She made up an excuse about feeling unwell The others bid her goodbye and headed to Azure Club. As a result of this incident, Celeste¡¯s status among the actors of the same age in the crew rose significantly Those who had liked her before now liked her even more, while those who disliked her didn¡¯t dare to mess with her After all, she dared to stand up to people of Sydney¡¯s status. On their way back, Celeste could feel that everyone was much more polite to her than before. She sighed. She wanted to keep a low profile, but her power wouldn¡¯t allow it. Her phone in the bag buzzed. It was a message from Liam. ¡°The food at the banquet doesn¡¯t taste good. It¡¯s a bit nauseating¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Moming sickness?¡± Liam was speechless. Celeste,ughing, replied. ¡°Stop joking¡± Liam felt wronged, Tm not joking. I feel a bit nauseous and a little dizzy.¡± Celeste replied. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± Liam replied, ¡°No. Owen wasn¡¯t around today, so I didn¡¯t drink.¡± He was well aware of his own alcohol tolerance. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, go home early¡± Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Liam stared at the phone screen, the words on it suddenly bing a bit blurry. He shook his head and replied, ¡°Okay¡± Liam, why are you sitting here alone? Come over and let me introduce you to some friends.¡± The president of themerce club warmly beckoned him. Liam mustered his energy, held his ss, and went over The president introduced him to some businessmen who had just retumed from abroad and settled in J City this year. They were likely to have a lot of interactions in the future The president proudly introduced Liam to everyone Of course, even without his introduction, these people had already heard of Liam Quantums business territory had long expanded overseas. Many of the overseas coboration projects involved them. Quantum even recruited talent from abroad with high snes every year, making quiet a name among students studying abroad. Everyone was drinking, chatting, and exchanging pleasantries. Liams difort seemed to be getting worse. His nausea eased a bit, but he felt dizzy and weak, and a burning sensation inside him made him feel thirsty His condition was somewhat abnormal. Struggling, he told the president, ¡°I need to step out for a bit As he left, he dialed Owen¡¯s number But before he could make the call, someone bumped on his arm, and the phone flew out of his hand into an ice bucket on the ground Most of the ice in the bucket had melted, and the phone was soaked in water The waiter who bumped him apologized hastily Liam frowned He pushed the waiter away, walked to the ice bucket, and picked up the phone The phone screen turned ck from the water damage and he could no longer make a call All Liam felt was his head spinning and splitting with pain. ¡°Mr Reed?¡± A female voice came from above. Liam looked up, seemingly in a daze Meanwhile, Celeste, after seeing Liams ¡°Okay¡± reply, started to worry. After a while, the sent him another message, ¡°Where are you guys? Do you want me to pick you up?¡± Liam didn¡¯t reply to her N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Celeste frowned. For some reason, she was womed So she texted Owen, ¡°Owen, Liam seems a bit unwell. He¡¯s not replying to my texts. Could you check on him?¡± Owen quickly replied, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m not in J City night now Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send someone to check on him. I will contact you once I get in touch with him.¡± Celeste let out a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°Thanks¡± After getting out of the car Celeste unexpectedly ran into Mason in the elevator Mason was with a middle¨Caged bald man. He was fat and seemed somewhat familiar She didn¡¯t notice that Naomis expression changed when she saw the man ¡°Celeste, what are you doing here?¡± Mason was clearly happy to see Celeste Celeste smiled and said, ¡°Our crew had a gathering so we came over to hang out. What about you? Are you here to talk about work again? Mason nodded, and said gently. ¡°I originally wanted to contact you these couple of days, but I didn¡¯t expect to run into you, Mason said, ¡°When you guys finish, can we have a chat?¡± Celeste was slightly stunned. ¡°Chat about what?¡± Mason chuckled, looking down, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about why you skipped asking me for advice and went straight to ourpany¡¯s internwyer¡± Chapter 858 Chapter 858 Awkward. Very awkward. Thewyer Trisha introduced to her turned out to be from Mason¡¯spany? Why didn¡¯t they tell her? If she had known earlier, she would rather ask Mason directly to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. It¡¯s embarrassing to let people know now. She tried hard to think about how to answer, ¡°It¡¯s just some small questions. I know you¡¯ve been busy recently so I didn¡¯t bother you with it. I will definitelye to you when I really want to file awsuit. Seeing her cautious look, Mason said softly, Tm not ming you. You help ourw firm¡¯s employees improve their professional skills and you help me train them.¡± Celeste let out an awkwardugh. If it wasn¡¯t for Mason¡¯s sincere expression, she would ve thought he was poking fun at her Mr. Hale was eyeing Celeste Wasn¡¯t this the woman his friend had asked him to handle? He thought Celeste looked familiar It seemed that Mason had be very gentle thest time he met her here. No wonder Mason didn¡¯t even want money and women. It turned out that he already had a sweetheart Which man could resist such a beauty? ¡°As long as there are people, there are desires If you can¡¯t impress the other party, it¡¯s just because you haven¡¯t found the other party¡¯s weakness¡± Thinking of this, he smiled. When he passed by Naomi, he squeezed her buttocks without anyone noticing. Then he exchanged pleasantnes with Mason and left. Celeste originally wanted to tell Mason that she didn¡¯t know when the party was going to end, but before she could say anything. Mason suddenly called her name. ¡°Celeste¡± Celeste raised her eyes He pointed to the top of her head, ¡°There¡¯s something in your hair¡± ¡°What?¡± Celeste reached out suspiciously. Mason took her hand first, ¡°I think you¡¯d better not touch it.¡± Celeste was confused. The actresses on the side also turned their heads to look. Someone said, ¡°Celeste, there¡¯s a bug in your hair!¡± Celeste immediately froze, her voice trembling ¡°What bug? Don¡¯t be kidding¡± She was most afraid of bugs. Seeing her frightened look, Masonforted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll help you get it off¡± After he finished speaking, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket, put it in his palm, and took off the bug on top of her head ¡°There you go.¡± As soon as Mason finished speaking, Celeste¡¯s whole body rxed, but she couldn¡¯t help but look at the handkerchief out of curiosity. Mason held the bug in his hand, and it wobbled Celeste got goosebumps all over her body Take it away!¡± Mason chuckled, and release it. Celeste was wiping her hair with some wipes that the waiter had handed her when he came back. Her complexion was still a little pale, obviously frightened. The actresses who were with her before have left, probably gone upstairs. Celeste handed him a wet wipe to clean his hands as well Mason took it, wiped his hands with it, and said, ¡°That kind of bug is non¨Cvenomous and won¡¯t bite.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 ¡°But it looks terrifying ¡°Celeste felt chills at the thought of the bug. She¡¯s most afraid of bugs Whenever a bug flew into her house, she would be so scared that she couldn¡¯t sleep, she would have to wake up Liam and ask him to help catch the bug Once, after Liam caught a bug, he brought it over to show her. He identally let go and the bug jumped onto her face. That night, she screamed at Liam and didn¡¯t let him into the bedroom for a week N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. This fear was always there, but after Liam¡¯s incident, it escted. Now, whenever she saw a bug, she got goosebumps. If Mason had let her touch the bug on her head just now, she might we freaked out and started jumping up and down on the spot. That would¡¯ve been totally embarrassing Thinking of this, she looked up at Mason, ¡°1 didn¡¯t do anything embarrassing just now, did?¡± Mason chuckled thinking of her stiff¨Cas¨Ca¨Cboard reaction, ¡°Not at all, but your reaction was quite amusing I didn¡¯t know you would be so afraid.¡± She weakly exined. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always this scared. I used to be just disgusted by bugs. But then that asshole Liam put a bug on my face once. Since then, I tremble at the sight of those things.¡± Mason went silent and took a sip of his water After a while, he said, ¡°You wanted advice on how to im your mother¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Celeste immediately became serious when they got down to business, ¡°ording to Shawn, the house my grandfather left my mother hasn¡¯t been transferred I remember it was mentioned in my grandfather¡¯s will. Shawn shouldn¡¯t have a im over this house. But my mom once mortgaged this house for a bank loan, which they paid off together So I¡¯m not too sure I wanted to know whether I can still im this house.¡± ¡°If there was a will, then the ownership of the house would be pretty clear The loan they paid off together also benefited them both, so this shouldn¡¯t affect the ownership of the house. And I¡¯ve looked over the information you sent me. It seems like the house was self¨Cbuilt, withnd ownership and property rights. If this is the case, Shawn can¡¯t legally handle the sale of thisnd. That¡¯s not allowed¡± Celeste was thrilled. ¡°So you mean I have a good chance of getting the house back?¡± Mason nodded, ¡°When are you free next? I can apany you to the housing authority to check on the ownership of the house. It¡¯s best if we also go see whether the house has been transferred and whether it¡¯s upied, like Shawn said¡± 7 Celeste said, ¡°Or why don¡¯t you arrange for one of your interns to go with me? So that I can help them improve their skills?¡± Mason looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°Hey Celeste, did I tick you off in any way¡±* Chapter 860 Chapter 860 Mason asked in a soft tone, ¡°Did you lose trust in me because I didn¡¯t help you win the case against Shawn, so that you¡¯d rather seek help from an intern than ask me?¡± Celeste denied it immediately, ¡°No, why would you think that? We didn¡¯t lose the case. We just dropped it. You can¡¯t me yourself for that. Who could¡¯ve predicted that Shawn and I weren¡¯t blood¨Crted?¡± Mason looked hurt, ¡°Then why are you avoiding me?¡± Tm not avoiding you¡­¡± Celeste was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t possibly say it was because Liam was jealous, could she? She and Liam weren¡¯t exactly on good terms right now. Even if they made up, she didn¡¯t want to share too much with others. ¡°I just feel like the money you can get from my case is just peanutspared to the divorce cases of those rich folks. I don¡¯t want to hold you back from making your bread and butter. You¡¯re helping me purely as a friend. I don¡¯t want to be a constant hassle for you¡± Mason replied, ¡°I never considered your matters as hassles. I¡¯ve always felt guilty for not being able to help you reim your mother¡¯s heritage. If I could help with this, maybe it would alleviate some of the quilt. So could you not turn me away?¡± Was this his pride as an excellentwyer? He couldn¡¯t let go because he wasn¡¯t willing to ept defeat? Mason had already helped her a lot. She couldn¡¯t say no to a friend who had been there for her in her lowest moments ¡°I¡¯ll see when I¡¯m free in the next few days. I¡¯ll contact you then.¡± Mason smiled. Tll be waiting for your call¡± Celeste also smiled, and then curiously asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you finished that divorce case yet?¡± She remembered who the bald middle¨Caged man was when she was chatting with Mason. Wasn¡¯t he the one who kept chasing Mason to negotiate somethingst time? He not only cheated with many lovers, but even had an illegitimate child. His wife was trying to recoup the money he spent on his lovers. She rerpembered all the details clearly. Looking at her cunous expression, Mason smiled, ¡°That¡¯s my client¡¯s private matter Celeste covered her mouth and quickly said in a low voice, ¡°Then pretend I didn¡¯t ask ¡°But I can tell you,¡± Mason also spoke in a low voice, ¡°ording to our current evidence, the odds of my client winning next week are very high.¡± Celeste immediately praised, ¡°Impressive, impressive.¡± Javier sent a message then, asking why she hadn¡¯te up yet. Celeste didn¡¯t want to drag it out any longer. The director is calling me. I have to go up. I¡¯ll contact you later¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Mason nodded, watching her enter the elevator, and then finally shifted his gaze Quite a few people had already left. Leonard Hann needed to catch a flight. Two actors had gotten drunk and were sent home by the others. The remaining people were also all a bit tipsy Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Celeste didn¡¯t stay there for too long. Many of the staff had families who would be worried if they returned home toote, so the second gathering ended not too long after C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Celeste helped send her drunk colleagues back home. Javier asked in a daze, ¡°How are you getting home yourself?¡± Celeste thought it was nice of him to be caring about her when he himself was wasted. She replied, Tm taking a cab home. It¡¯s quite convenient.¡± Javier said, ¡°Don¡¯t bete tomorrow.¡± Celeste smiled. After everyone had left, Celeste started to call a cab for herself. Just as she pulled out her phone, a silver Land Rover stopped by the side of the road. The driver rolled down the window and asked, ¡°Miss, are you the one who called for a cab?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t called one yet.¡± The driver took out his phone to contact his customer Celeste could hear the driverining It seemed that the customer had canceled the booking, and the driver had made a wasted trip and started arguing with the customer. After the driverined and hung up the phone, he asked Celeste again, ¡°Miss, where are you heading? How about I give you a lift?* She looked up and asked, ¡°Grandview Heights. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Get in.¡± The car was filled with the smell of smoke, which Celeste didn¡¯t like. She rolled down the window. She took out her phone to check it for new messages. No news from Owen, and Liam still hadn¡¯t responded. Not long after the car started, the driver said, ¡°Lady, I have to pick someone up ahead. He¡¯s also going to Grandview Heights. You can split the fare with himter Celeste frowned She didn¡¯t like sharing a ride with strangers. The driver should¡¯ve asked her first If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have been so eager to get in this car Soon, the car stopped at an intersection. A man in all ck with a mask on his face got in the car. He didn¡¯t sit in the passenger seat, but sat in the back with Celeste. Plus, the smell of smoke on him was even stronger than in the car. This made Celeste even more ufortable She immediately told the driver, ¡°Pull over. I¡¯ll get off here. How much is it?¡± The cab driver took a quick nce at her and said ¡°Grandview Heights is just nearby, I¡¯ll take you there¡± ¡°No need,¡± Celeste took out her phone and said, ¡°I want to take a walk.¡± The driver frowned and made eye contact with the man in the back. Just as Celeste was about to pay for the ride, he suddenly started the car Celeste was thrown back by the inertia. Fear shed in her eyes. She had just shouted ¡°stop¡± when the man next to her suddenly covered her face with a cloth. Celeste¡¯s pupils shrank instantly. She started to struggle and tried to tear off the man¡¯s mask But soon she felt weak all over and her vision began to blur. She managed to tear off his mask, but she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly Celeste, full of fear of the unknown, finally fell unconscious ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± the driver asked. Chapter 862 Chapter 862 The man in the backseat patted Celeste¡¯s face and said, ¡°She passed out.¡± The driver tidied up his clothes and grumbled, ¡°She¡¯s a tough cookie. Almost blew my cover Call Mr. Hale and tell him we got her¡± Neither of them noticed the Chevy that had been tailing them from the Azure Club. They drove straight to a hotel. Together they carried Celeste out of their Range Rover and took her up to a room via a private elevator in the underground parking garage. In the swanky hotel room, they ced Celeste on the bed. The man in ck couldn¡¯t resist touching Celestes face, earning a p from the driver ¡°Mr. Hale already warned us, ¡°Don¡¯ty a finger on her Want to get yourself killed? the driver whispered. ¡°Can¡¯t I just take a look? I¡¯ve never been with a woman so beautiful, the man in ck said, his eyes filled with lust. ¡®After Mr. Hale¡¯s business is done, you¡¯ll have more women than you can handle, the driver said. After setting her up in the room, they left hastily. The person in the Chevy watched them drive away before making a call. ¡°Sis, they¡¯ve delivered the girl to the hotel. Get someone to help me with the door,¡± he said after the call. Mason returned home after leaving the Azure Club After a shower, his housekeeper knocked on his door. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked ¡°Someone just delivered this. They said it¡¯s for you.¡± the housekeeper replied. Mason nced at the hotel card key in the housekeeper¡¯s hand, frowned, and threw it in the trash before heading back to his room. Not long after, his phone buzzed with a new message. He didn¡¯t pick it up until he finished printing out some documents. The text was from Mr. Hale Tve sent you a little gift. Hope you like it,¡± it read. Mason smirked. Then he remembered the look in Mr. Hale¡¯s eyes as he gazed at Celeste in the elevator He quickly retrieved the card key from the trash, got dressed, and headed out Seeing him leaving, his mother asked, ¡°Where are you off to now?¡± Tve got some business to take care of,¡± he replied as he put on his shoes. ¡°Why is it always in the middle of the night? You should listen to your grandfather and work at the company. At least it wouldn¡¯t be so hectic, and it would give him some peace of mind,¡± his mother said Thinking of Mason¡¯s injury, she felt a pang of sorrow ¡°If I go back, will that really put his mind at ease?¡± Mason asked calmly. His mother opened her mouth, but seemed unable to find a suitable response. After a moment, she said, ¡°At least find a girlfriend, will you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Mason replied before heading out the door. ir supported Liam, asking worriedly, ¡®Liam, are you okay?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Liam, his head pounding, recognized ir and said, ¡°Phone Lend me your phone¡± His breath brushed against ir¡¯s face as he spoke, and she quickly handed him her phone. Liam took it, but he couldn¡¯t dial. His vision was blurred and everything around him seemed to sway He closed his eyes and mustered all his strength to say, ¡°Call the police.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What did you say, Liam?¡± ir asked, not quite catching his words. The side effects of the drug were making Liam¡¯s face red, and he soon lost consciousness. ir called for him for a long time, but Liam didn¡¯t answer, so she had Liam taken to an upstairs room. Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Liam was camed into the hotel room in a dazed state and put on the bed.. ir looking at the unconscious Liam, turned to the waiter and said, ¡°You guys can leave now.¡± The two waiters immediately left ir walked over to the bed and sat down Liam¡¯s cheeks were a little flushed, his breathing was rapid, and his chest heaved. He seemed to be having trouble breathing, frowning and pulling at his cor ir grabbed his hand, ¡°Mr. Reed, how are you feeling?¡± Liam¡¯s body temperature was abnormally high. ir¡¯s hand felt cold in his He unconsciously tightened his grip on ir¡¯s hand, but the unfamiliar touch made him let go immediately Despite that, it was enough to make ir¡¯s heart race and her face blush. She softly called Liam¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t respond. She then got up and went to the bathroom She came out shortly with a wet towel and started to wipe Liam down. Her movements were slow and gentle ir clenched the towel, blushing as she started to unbutton Liam¡¯s shirt. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. But before she could unbutton it, Liam grabbed her hand ir jumped, seeing his dazed look, she cautiously called out, ¡°Mr. Reed¡± All of Liam¡¯s senses were dulled. He couldn¡¯t hear or see clearly. He only saw a blurry figure moving around, but the unfamiliar scent made him ufortable He pushed ir away, not wanting her to touch him However, he had been drugged and was weak. ir didn¡¯t realize he was resisting, and Liam¡¯s sudden ¡°touch¡± made her nervous She blushed and whispered, ¡°Mr Reed, I¡¯ll help you clean up. It will make you feel better Don¡¯t move.¡± Ar she said this, she tried to unbutton Liam¡¯s shirt again, but had only undone two buttons when she heard a knock on the door. ir stopped what she was doing, put down the towel and walked to the door, but didn¡¯t open it right away. She asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Room maintenance.¡± ir opened the door. Outside the door stood a man wearing a mask and a maintenance uniform, showing her his work ID. He said the front desk reported that there was a problem with the pipes in this room, so he hade to check and rece them Without any suspicion, ir let him in. The hotel suite wasrge The man asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± ir said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you¡± She had just turned around and taken two steps when she suddenly stopped Why would a hotel¡¯s maintenance worker not know where the bathroom is? She was about to turn around when she was suddenly gagged from behind. She felt a sting on her skin as drug was injected into her body. She fainted before she could make a sound The man then put ir aside and opened the room door. Another man appeared carrying the unconscious Celeste. The two men put Celeste next to Liam, and then cleaned up the items that had been left behind. Covered ir¡¯s face with a piece of clothing, they carried her out of the room, and then locked the door They avoided the surveince cameras and camed her through the emergency exit to the parking lot. Mrs. Kelley had been waiting in the car for a while. Seeing ir being camed into the car, Mrs. Kelley asked, ¡°How¡¯s Liam?¡± The man replied, ¡°The effect of the drug hasn¡¯t worn off yet, but he should wake up soon. However, that woman seems to have been drugged.¡± Chapter 864 Chapter 864 Ms Kelleyughed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be thanking me for saving her?¡± Of course Mrs Kelley wasn¡¯t ying this ¡°good person¡± for nothing After Sienna Reed¡¯s birthday party. Mrs Kelley went to check on her husband and his mistress. The truth was even more brutal than what Celeste had told her Skyler not only knew about her husband¡¯s affair, but she even introduced the mistress to him. She was the only fool She even thed her best to please Skyler, hoping she could help her husband in his career. After she found out the truth, Mrs Kelleypletely changed her attitude All she wanted now was to ruin her husband¡¯s life and take back her family¡¯s assets to get revenge on Skyler Mrs Kelley was smart. She couldn¡¯t hurt her husband¡¯s current position by simply exposing his private life At most, he would be used of indiscretion With a few years of keeping a low profile, he could still make aeback in the political scene. And to get revenge on Skyler means that she couldn¡¯t expose this fact either Mrs. Kelley wasn¡¯t stupid With Skyler¡¯s status, the Reed family wouldn¡¯t want to deal with her N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Reed family. She didn¡¯t want to go to extremes to involve herself in this revenge n. So the only way to do it was to stay with Skyler and keep pretending She handled the firework ident perfectly After Skyler reprimanded her a few times, she shifted the me onto the fireworks designer Mrs. Kelley even helped her to ¡®reconcile¡± with the injured people Skyler trusted her even more after that When Skyler was kicked back to the Barlow family by Liam a while ago, she sought Mrs. Kelley out to vent She belittled Celeste Skyler was always asking her for advice on how to get back into the Reed family Life wasn¡¯t easy for Skyler at home Her brother and sister¨Cinw were living on her money Liam exposed their main production line. Their ie plummeted. Jade Barlow tried to help Skyler get revenge on Celeste, but he ended up in the hospital Now, the matter was left unresolved, and the Barlow couple held a grudge again her When the first came back, her brother and sister¨Cinw treated her like a goddess of fortune. But after a week. Skyler was still there. That¡¯s when they realized she had been kicked out. Their attitude towards her changed instantly These past couple of days, her sister inw even started charging her for rent. Skyler was so pissed she couldn¡¯t eat. She racked her brains on how to get back into the Reed family Then she suddenly had an idea. She wanted to set Liam and ir upi Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Chapter 865 She thought she had a pretty good thing going with Janis. If ir became her daughter¨Cinw. With her connection to Janis, ir would certainly take care of her. Mrs. Kelley was almost amused by the idea at the time. Relying on a stranger instead of her own son? Did she forget how Liam had cut ties with her after she had tried to make Celeste infertile? N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Liam never got over Celeste. How could he possibly be with ir? She didn¡¯t know her son at all. Mrs. Kelley could never fathom how a man like Orville Reed could ever fall for a scatterbrained, dim¨C witted woman like Skyler Yet she still underestimated Skyler¡¯s stupidity. Skyler didn¡¯t mind ying dirty, even when the target was her own son She went to Mrs. Kelley with a n to drug Liam and then get ir into his room. She wanted to force a rtionship between them She didn¡¯t want to do the dirty work herself, so she needed Mrs. Kelley¡¯s help What Skyler didn¡¯t know was that the once loyal Mrs. Kelley had already betrayed her How could Mrs. Kelley let her n seed? Skyler was not to return to the Reed family Mrs. Kelley would make sure of that. The things Skyler cared about most were the things she couldn¡¯t have. This would be the best revenge against Skyler. Mrs. Kelley did not follow Skyler¡¯s instructions Instead, she had someone give Liam a sleeping pill. The pill would at most make him sleep for two hours. Meanwhile, she contacted Celeste, hoping she could lend her a hand. After all, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. She nned to use this to win over Celeste and join forces against Skyler. But her n failed. Celeste didn¡¯t even wait for her to finish speaking before she blocked her. Mrs. Kelley had no other choice but to kidnap Celeste directly. What she hadn¡¯t expected was that another group was also kidnapping Celeste, and was spotted by the people she had arranged. Mrs. Kelley wanted to call the police at the time, but the group left after sending Celeste into the hotel room. She then had another n ¨C to swag the two girls. Rescue Celeste, and help her get together with Liam. Mrs. Kelley was sure that if she could do that, Liam wouldn¡¯t refuse to help her deal with her nasty husband in the future. Of course, there was one thing she hadn¡¯t considered. She didn¡¯t expect that ir would send Liam to the hotel room herself, and ir didn¡¯t seem to be surprised that Liam was drugged at all. After all, a normal person would call the police if they saw someone pass out like that, or at least send them to the hospital, right? But none of this mattered to Mrs. Kelley and she didn¡¯t want to think about it too much. She took out some cash from her purse and handed it to one of the men, ¡°Lay low for a while, and come back when things have settled down. (1 take care of everything. I won¡¯t let you guys take the fall¡± Celeste¡¯s hands were tied in front of her, and her eyes were covered. The effect of the drug had worn off. Now she was feeling unbearably hot all over, and what frightened her more than the difort was her current situation. She didn¡¯t know where she was, but anyone who would give her such a vile drug was obviously up to no good. Was it rape, or human trafficking? For a moment, Celeste even imagined herself being violently assaulted and Liam crying over her dead body. Celeste struggled, the drug in her body making her feel hot and weak. She could hardly even turn over, let alone breaking free from the bondage Just as she was struggling, a hand suddenly touched her on the waist Celeste froze. Was there someone else around? Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Chapter 866 The hand slipped into her clothes, touching her smooth skin restlessly. Celeste, scared out of her mind, pleaded in a shaky voice, ¡°Please let me go. I can give you money, okay?¡± Liam lowered his gaze to the irresistibly sexy woman in front of him, his throat bobbing. He remained silent. Waking up to see his beloved lying next to him flushed all over, his first thought was that he was dreaming. Only when he felt the warm and familiar touch did he realize it wasn¡¯t a dream. He was a bit confused about what exactly was happening at the moment, but that didn¡¯t stop him from teasing Celeste Without a word, he continued to caress her. Ayer of goosebumps appeared on her skin, making her look adorable. Liam couldn¡¯t resist nting a kiss on her stomach. Celeste was so scared she wanted to scream. She swallowed her fear and said timidly. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m already married. My ex¨Chusband left me because I¡¯m not fun in bed. Even though I¡¯m pretty, I¡¯m as dull as a log. I have no interest in sex, so you might as well just take my money.¡± Liam didn¡¯t have the heart to burst her bubble. Would someone who has no interest in sex often wear provocative nightgowns to tease him? He was a bit curious about how she would try to escape in this situation, so he asked in a fake voice, ¡°How much money can you give me?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t as wless at faking different voices as Celeste. Under normal circumstances, Celeste would definitely recognize it was him, but right now, her nerves were on high alert. Combined with the fact that she¡¯d been drugged and blindfolded, her perception was far from its usual sharpness, so she didn¡¯t recognize him. When he asked about the money, she thought there was room for negotiation and quickly said, ¡°There is a bank card in my bag and over half a million in the ount. You can take it all as long as you let me go.¡± Liam chuckled lightly, touching her chin and said, ¡°I own more than a dozen properties, and the annual rent I collect from them is over a million. Isn¡¯t what you¡¯re offering a bit stingy?¡± Celeste cursed inwardly. He¡¯s so rich, yet he¡¯s doing this? Is he doing it just for the thrill? But she didn¡¯t dare to offend him verbally. Since he had revealed so much to her, he probably wasn¡¯t a completely heartless person. Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around. She continued to persuade him, trying to appeal to his conscience, ¡°Look, you¡¯re not short of money, so you don¡¯t need to do this. I¡¯m an artist. If my manager can¡¯t find me, they¡¯ll definitely call the police. Who¡¯s going to collect your rent if you end up in jail? It¡¯s a lose¨Close situation.¡± Liam said, ¡°I may not be short on money, but what Ick is you. I think you¡¯re a pretty, sweet talker, and you even care about whether I¡¯ll get caught! You¡¯re very kind.¡± Celeste was speechless. She had zero concern for him! She was just trying to protect her own innocence and safety. Was he crazy? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Liam countered, ¡°How much do you make from a movie?¡± Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Celeste didn¡¯t know where he was going, so she could only y along for now. ¡°Not much. The ie from TV dramas is better, about ten thousand per episode. If there are many episodes, overall I might make several hundred thousand, but then there are taxes, assistant wages, transportation, food, amodation and other expenses, so there¡¯s not much left. Movies pay even less. I¡¯m not very famous; a few tens of thousands would already be considered high ie.¡± Liam said, ¡°Working so hard for so little? You might as well be my mistress. Just stay at home doing nothing, and collect millions of rent every year. I also own apany, with an annual turnover of over ten million. As long as you¡¯re with me, the money is yours to spend. Isn¡¯t this much easier than being an actress?¡± Was this jerk crazy, or did he really like her? Celeste¡¯s mind raced, ¡°If you really like me¡­it¡¯s not impossible.¡± Liam paused, his eyes shing with caution, his expression unreadable, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Celeste said, ¡°As a woman, all we want is to find a reliable man to spend our lives with. What does reliable mean? Trusting me with his money is what it means for me. My ex was a miser. We were married for so many years, but I never got to manage our finances. If it wasn¡¯t for that, we wouldn¡¯t have been divorced.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°I thought you guys divorced because you were frigid?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Celeste was taken aback, quickly searching for an excuse, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. He didn¡¯t let me manage the money, so I was unhappy and turned frigid. If you let me manage the money, I¡¯ll definitely be full of passion for you.¡± While she was talking, Celeste¡¯s right thumb managed to free itself from the rope binding her. Then, without making a sound, she continued to pull out the rest of her fingers. ¡°Really?¡± Liam gritted his teeth, ¡°Then show me some of your passion.¡± Celeste blushed as if she were shy. She spoke quietly, ¡°Take off my blindfold. I think I¡¯ll feel more when I see your expression Liam reached out and lifted her blindfold with his index finger. Just when Celeste thought she was about to see the face of this viin, he let go of the blindfold and put it back on her, then began to unbutton her shirt, and said in a low voice, ¡°I still think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t see.¡± As he began to undress her, Celeste turned pale and began struggling desperately. ¡°You bastard! Let me go!¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She used all her strength and almost broke free. Liam quickly straddled her, grabbed her wrists with one hand and raised both her hands above her head. ¡°Why are you cursing now? Weren¡¯t you just saying you wanted to be with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with you! If you dare touch me, I¡¯ll castrate you!¡± No sooner had she spoken those words than she felt a kiss on her face. That horrible voice said in a low tone, I¡¯ve already touched you, so what are you going to do about it?¡± Celeste¡¯s hand suddenly broke free from its bonds andunched a sudden attack on his lower abdomen. Liam narrowly escaped her surprise attack, his back breaking out in a cold sweat. He then sighed quietly. ¡°You¡¯re still as feisty as ever.¡± Feeling utterly defeated, Celeste felt the drug¡¯s effects growing stronger. Now, still pinned down, she has no more strength to fight back. In fact, she was starting to crave his touch. The thought of being raped, or even murdered, by some unknown scumbag choked her up with sorrow. ¡°You¡¯d better get off me now, or I swear I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Hearing this, Liam immediately realized shit just got real. He let go of her and promptly removed Celeste¡¯s blindfold. She kept her eyes closed, her cheeks flushed, but she looked defeated, as if she had just been rolling with the punches. Liam¡¯s heart ached. He quickly called out to her, ¡°Letti, don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s me.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Celeste¡¯s eyshes quivered slightly, wondering if she was hallucinating under the influence of some drug. How else could she hear Liam¡¯s voice? ¡°Letti,¡± the voice drew nearer, ¡°Letti, open your eyes. It¡¯s just me and no one else.¡± Slowly, Celeste opened her eyes. The figure in front of her gradually came into focus. It really was Liam. Her tense nerves rxed all at once, and then her tears started to fall. She first held Liam tight, then started to hit and kick him, crying and cursing at the same time, ¡°You jerk, how could you scare me like that!¡± Liam knew he had messed up. He didn¡¯t try to argue, just held her tight no matter how much she struggled, whispering soothing words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just messing around. It¡¯s all fake, okay? Don¡¯t cry.¡± Celeste was truly frightened. From being drugged in the car to waking up and realizing she had been drugged, the unknown fear had been tearing at her nerves. For a moment, she even thought of dying together with the criminals. When Celeste¡¯s crying gradually subsided, leaving only soft sobs, Liam finally asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Celeste paused for a moment, ¡°Aren¡¯t your people the ones who put me in the car?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Why on earth would I have someone kidnap you as a joke?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Celeste immediately retorted, ¡°Weren¡¯t you just messing with me?¡± Liam fell silent ¡°I just woke up too. When I woke up, you were tied up next to me.¡± Celeste was puzzled, ¡°What do you mean you just woke up?¡± Speaking of this, Liam¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Someone drugged me. I passed out without even leaving the venue.¡± Thest person he saw was ir When he woke up, ir was gone, leaving only Celeste tied up next to him. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then who tied me up?¡± Celeste tried to recall the events of the evening, but she was at a loss. Liam gently patted her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it if you can¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯ll have someone look into it.¡± As he was about to get up, Celeste clung to him like an octopus ¡°I need to check the surveince.¡± Liam exined. Flushing, Celeste managed a small ¡°Oh, you go ahead.¡± Even though she said that, she still clung to him tightly. With a helpless sigh, Liam said, ¡°Let me go.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t I let you go?¡± Liam¡¯s gaze dropped. Celeste followed his gaze down. Not only was she clinging to Liam¡¯s waist, but her hand was also unbuckling his belt. Coming back to her senses¡­ *¡­Maybe wait a bit before you go.¡± Celeste¡¯s face was beef red, ¡°My hand seems to be uncontroble.¡± Finally, Liam noticed something was off with Celeste. Her face was flushed, her breathing was rapid, and she was uncontrobly tugging at her clothes. Although she wasn¡¯t sweating, her skin was hot enough to burn someone, and her eyes were full of a captivating allure. Liam¡¯s expression turned serious. He pulled Celeste up, grabbed a coat, draping it over her shoulders as he said, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± Upon hearing that she was being taken to the hospital, Celeste immediately started to resist, ¡°No! How can I go to the hospital in this state? What about my dignity?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°What¡¯s more important, dignity or life?¡± Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Chapter 869 ¡°My dignity,¡± Celeste adamantly refused to go to the hospital, ¡°I¡¯ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac. What use is going to the hospital? To let doctors stare at me? I can¡¯t handle that kind of humiliation!¡± She was trembling, and Liam felt a pang of heartache watching her, ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Curling up, Celeste held her knees, ¡°It¡¯s just an aphrodisiac. I¡¯ll take a cold shower, and it¡¯ll wear off.¡± She was very stubborn, leaving Liam with no choice but to run the bath. He thought about Celeste on the bed, tormented by the drug, and pursed his lips slightly. Once the bath was ready, Liam came out to call her. Celeste was lying on the bed, already somewhat delirious from the drug. Hearing Liam call her, she weakly sat up. After looking at her for a couple of seconds, Liam bent down, picked her up, and carried her to the bathroom. As her body was submerged in the water, Celeste immediately frowned, ¡°Why is it hot?¡± Liam said, ¡°The cold water pipe is broken. There¡¯s only hot water it¡¯s okay, itll cool down after a while.¡± Celeste started to feel ufortable, ¡°How long is it going to take?¡± Liam took a cup and sat down by the tub, ¡°I¡¯ll help you. It¡¯ll cool faster this way.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Under normal circumstances, Celeste would have realized how ridiculous Liam¡¯s suggestion was. How long would it take for a tub full of water to cool down if you were scooping it up and pouring it out with a small cup? But now, she didn¡¯t think it was unreasonable at all. In fact, she even thought Liam was being more considerate than usual. She was soaking in the tub fully clothed, while Liam sat on the edge scooping up water with a cup. The steam from the bath filled the room, and before long. Liam¡¯s shirt was soaked through. With his shirt sticking to his body, Celeste felt as if her vision had improved, as she could clearly see the muscle definition on Liam¡¯s body through his shirt. Beautiful and well¨Cbuilt The heat inside her didn¡¯t decrease, but instead red up even more. She averted her gaze, reminding herself of the church¡¯s teachings, the desire for beauty is animalistic, but she still couldn¡¯t calm down! Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked at Liam His shirt waspletely soaked through, and his hair was half¨Cwet as well. He had brushed his bangs back at some point Seeing her staring at him intently, Liam asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Watching his Adam¡¯s apple bob as he spoke, Celeste felt her mouth go dry. She turned her head away, but soon found herself looking back at him. ¡°Liam, are you¡­are you hot?¡± Liam said, ¡°A little.¡± It was a tub full of hot water, plus it was summer. Sitting by the tub, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t feel hot ¡°Why don¡¯t you take off your shirt?¡± Liam paused, looking down as he said, ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be proper.¡± Celeste¡¯s rationality had flown out the window. She said, ¡°Just take off your shirt. Won¡¯t you feel cooler that way? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen you shirtless before.¡± Liam said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Once the effects of the drug wear off, I¡¯ll just take a shower.¡± Celeste was speechless. He was wearing a shirt soaked to transparency, making her feel even more ufortable than if he waspletely bare. It was like she was starving for three days, and there was a te of mouth¨C watering barbecue in front of her, but she could only look and not eat. ¡°Liam¡­¡± Celeste called his name again, her voice soft and fluffy. Liam grunted in response, not lifting his eyes. a good bath.¡± Celeste murmured an ¡°oh,¡± and after a short while, she spoke again, ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t get pregnant, and you won¡¯t have to take responsibility, so let¡¯s just do it once. I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± A single sentence instantly cooled down Liam¡¯s fiery passion. Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Chapter 870 He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying?¡± Celeste simply responded with a nod. Liam bit his lip in anger. ¡°You even dare to agree!¡± The pain made Celeste frown. ¡°Don¡¯t you men just like women who don¡¯t need to be responsible?¡± Liam paused, ¡°Who told you guys like that type of woman?¡± Celeste lost control, tried to touch him, but Liam held her hand, seducing her in a low voice, ¡°Tell me, and I¡¯ll let you touch.¡± Hearing that Liam would let her touch, Celeste immediately confessed. ¡°It was on the inte, in a forum.¡± ¡°How did they say it?¡± Liam unbuttoned a button, continuing his seduction, ¡°Speak clearly, and I¡¯ll let you take a peek.¡± Celeste, who wasn¡¯t exactly known for her strong will, was being tortured by the drugs. Liam, her human antidote, was swinging in front of her,pletely shaking her rationality. She spoke out the details intermittently. She had never mentioned that she couldn¡¯t have children. But how could she not care? Especially when Liam started his onught, the fact that she couldn¡¯t have children was like a thorn piercing her heart. She was afraid that it was incurable, and she couldn¡¯t be sure of Liam¡¯s sincerity when he said he didn¡¯t want children. When she was alone, overthinking, she couldn¡¯t help but search for simr situations on inte forums to see what people thought During her search, she found a post. The author said his girlfriend couldn¡¯t conceive due to congenital factors, and she confessed this fact before their engagement. He was now indecisive. On one hand, he and his fiancee had been in a rtionship for three years, they were verypatible, and he wasn¡¯t particrly fond of children On the other, his family really wanted a grandchild It was a serious issue, but thements below were a mess. One of thements with the highest praise was, ¡°Isn¡¯t not being able to get pregnant mean you don¡¯t have to use protection? Isn¡¯t this a perk with no responsibility? If you¡¯re a man, go for it!¡± Celeste was disgusted and immediately closed the page. She didn¡¯t pay attention to this issue initially, but now, in order to sleep with Liam, she started talking about it. She said it just to get Liam¡¯s attention. After hearing this, Liam was speechless. *Try to avoid such messed up information in the future. It¡¯ll affect your IQ.¡± Celeste nodded, her eyes fixed on his damp shirt. ¡°Can I touch now?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything, just raised his hand and unbuttoned another button. Celeste¡¯s eyes were mist, following his fingers. Liam unbuttoned half of it and then buttoned it back. He touched the water temperature, ¡°It¡¯s cooled down a lot. Hold on a little longer. I¡¯ll go check, or we can switch rooms. He was about to get up. but Celeste wouldn¡¯t let him go. She pounced on him with a ¡°pop¡± and grabbed his hand. She held on tight but couldn¡¯t speak out the words of love But Liam was alreadyforting her, ¡°Good girl, let me go. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Celeste closed her eyes tight, yanked his cor, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Enough with the bullshit! I want to sleep with you! Do you agree?¡± Liam clenched his fists, no matter how excited he was inside, he maintained a terrifying calmness on his face. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. He said, ¡°Letti, calm down. You might regret it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Celeste said, and kissed him eagerly. Liam stood still, letting her kiss all over his face. Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Not until Celeste tried to unbutton his shirt did Liam grab her hand. He pulled some distance between them, staring into her wet eyes, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you really want to sleep with me?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Celeste nodded quickly. ¡°Who am I?¡± Celeste was a bit confused, she whispered, ¡°Liam.¡± As she said it, she tried to continue kissing him. Liam dodged, saying in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t ever say what you said just now in front of anyone else, okay?¡± Celeste¡¯s rationality was out of control. She couldn¡¯t understand what Liam was saying, but subconsciously, she knew that if she did as Liam said, she would be rewarded. So she nodded and eagerly said, ¡°I understand.¡± Liam seemed very satisfied. He lifted her hand, kissed her fingertips. Celeste¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. A strange sensation ran from her fingertips directly to her heart, and her heart was about to jump out of her chest Liam started kissing from her fingertips, along her arm, and her hand was unconsciously ced on his chest. Then Liam stopped kissing, his voice seductive, ¡°Help me unbutton.¡± Celeste obediently did, blushing, and tremblingly helped him unbutton. Due to nervousness and the effect of the drug, it took her a while to unbutton five buttons. ¡°You did well Liam praised her with a smile It was just unbuttoning, but his praise felt like she had aplished something amazing, making her blush. Liam leaned in, kissing her eyebrows, nose, lips, and then corbone. Celeste felt extremelyfortable, making a strange noise. When she realized what she had done, she immediately covered her mouth in panic. Liam was amused by her adorable reaction. He kissed her earlobe, whispering. ¡°If you feel ufortable, tell me. You can say stop at any time.¡± Celeste responded in a daze, and then she was lifted by Liam. At first, Liam was very rational. Butter, he was so enchanted by Celeste that he was slightly out of control. His proud self¨Ccontrol waspletely lost in front of Celeste. He wanted to help her alleviate the pain, but he was the one who ended up being addicted. He wasn¡¯t sure who was affected by the drug. Long periods of abstinence, coupled with the effects of the drug, made their first time quite intense. Late at night, Celeste¡¯s consciousness became blurry. She felt like a small boat in the ocean, being tossed around by him.. She wasn¡¯t sure how many times it happened, but she realized one fact having sex seven, eight, or nine times a night was impossible. It was just a lie to deceive inexperienced young girls. ording to Liam¡¯s rhythm, seven, eight, or nine times would probably take till breakfast No, maybe before seven, eight, or nine times finished, his waist might already be worn out. On the flip side, Mason was hustling to the hotel. He was standing at the door, card in hand, gripping it tight. Then he swiped the card and the door swung open. Stepping past the entrance, the first thing he spotted was a pair of slender legs on the bed. Mason paused, then moved closer The woman on the bed had her upper body covered with a sheet, leaving her legs exposed. Only on closer look did he realize she was wearing stockings Mason stared at those legs, his expression going from tense to puzzled. Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Chapter 872 He lightly pursed his lips, pulled back a corner of the sheet for a peek, and his face immediately darkened. Without a word, he let go and turned to walk away. As soon as he left the room, he tried to contact Celeste, but no one answered the call. Mason quickly dialed Trisha¡¯s number. Half¨Clying on the sofa, Trisha was yawning away, looking beat, while the man beside her just wouldn¡¯t leave. Upon hearing her phone ring, she picked it up Nics stole a nce at her caller ID, pausing briefly The caller ID read: Bentley Hottie ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ms. Colton, I am sorry to bother you. Is Celeste home? I need to contact her about something, but no one answered her phone.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Letti¡¯s out partying. Probably not over yet. She said she¡¯s going to have a few rounds tonight.¡± Mason frowned. ¡°Could you try reaching her? It¡¯ste and I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, all right. I¡¯ll let you know once I get hold of her.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± Mason replied. After hanging up, Nics asked, ¡°Who was that?¡± Trisha ignored him and dialed Celeste¡¯s number. No one answered the first call. Called a second time, still no answer. After seven or eight attempts, someone finally picked up. Trisha let out a sigh of relief,ining. ¡°Letti, why did you take so long to answer? Are you guys done yet?¡± There was no reply from the other end. A few secondster, Liam¡¯s deep voice came through. ¡°She¡¯s noting home tonight.¡± Trisha was stunned. ¡°Wha¨Cwha¨Cwha¨Cwhat¡­¡± she stammered for a long time, and finally said, ¡°Where¡¯s Letti?¡± Liam hung up Trisha was speechless. She tried calling again, but the phone was switched off ¡°I¡¯m starving¡± Nics turned to ask her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to cook for you again!¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been going to the office these days? Nics asked. As Trisha was typing a text to Mason, she replied, ¡°We¡¯ve wrapped up shooting, I¡¯m on vacation now.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Two months¡± Nics said, ¡°You¡¯re a small¨Ctime showbiz employee with a meager sry. Are they nning to starve you to death by giving you a two¨Cmonth break? Or maybe, they just don¡¯t want you anymore?¡± His words really got to her. She was a script assistant, but her job included not only helping writers modify scripts but also dealing with misceneous tasks. But something had happened recently. Earlier this year, she found some inconsistencies in a script she was polishing. She thought some plotlines were unreasonable. Having been in the industry for years, she wouldn¡¯t just step in and change things. Instead, she delicately suggested a few adjustments. Surprisingly, they handed her the job. Polishing a script was one thing, but rewriting it was another. Trisha was hesitant to take on the task. But they praised her and said if she did well, she could be a co¨Cwriter. This intrigued her cript cript and handed it to the writer. Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Chapter 873 She figured they didn¡¯t like her work because she wasn¡¯t good enough. If it had ended there, it would have been fine. But what happened next really upset her. Less than two months after she finished the script, a filmpany bought it. Trisha knew many small¨Ctime actors from chatting in groups. A few days ago, one of them shared some good news He was going to y a role in a TV series and his pay was 30% higher per episode. Everyone was happy for him and they decided to celebrate at his ce. They drank quite a bit. The actor was so happy about his pay raise that he took out the script and excitedly said he would perform a scene for them. At first, Trisha was just having fun with everyone else. But as she listened, she felt something was off The familiar lines, weren¡¯t they the ones she had rewritten? She took the script andpared it, the script the writer had sold was the exact version she had modified, without a single letter changed This angered Trisha The next day, she confronted the writer. At first, they denied it. Then they said they sent the wrong draft. Then they offered topensate her. When she insisted on having her nan the script, they even threatened her with the actor leaking the script. Trisha was furious and publicly exposed the incident in several writers¡® groups. The incident stirred a lot ofmotion in the writers¡® circle, but it did not resolve the way she had hoped. The script was made into a TV series, the writer still made money, and the actor who had shown her the script lost his role. Thepany didn¡¯t punish Trisha publicly. But after thest episode wrapped up, they told her to take a break. Trisha knew she was being sidelined. She was probably going to be asked to resign for some other reason after her vacation ended. She didn¡¯t want to work for this money¨Cgrubbing, heartlesspany anymore. But she felt guilty for getting her friend in trouble N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Seeing Trisha¡¯s upset face, Nics knew his guess was almost correct. ¡°So they really got rid of you?¡± She gently pushed away his approaching face and said listlessly, ¡°Just shut up.¡± Nics hummed in response, ¡°Who else could work six days a week, 12 hours a day, with insufficient rest, and still be ready to jump off the bed in a second even if woken up by the boss in the middle of the night? Is your boss nutty? How could he even think of firing you?¡± Thinking of all those years she had spent working overtime, all the effort she had put into her work, only to end up in this mess, Trisha couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°He¡¯s such a moron!¡± Nics chimed in, ¡°A total moron.¡± Having vented her feelings, Trisha felt a bit better, but as soon as she thought of work again, she started to worry. ¡°He¡¯s not firing me now, just leaving me hanging Clearly, he¡¯s forcing me to quit voluntarily. If I quit, I won¡¯t get any severance pay. But if I don¡¯t quit and he keeps me hanging like this, I won¡¯t earn much sry either, I can only waste time with him. He¡¯s got money, he can afford to y this game, but me, a wage ve, how long can Ist?¡± Moreover, the whole thing was nowmon knowledge in their circle. Finding another job as a scriptwriter might be tough, because no one wants an employee who is such a trouble ma ¡°Quit, then. If this kind of boss isn¡¯t firing you, what are you waiting for?¡± said Nics, leaning back on the couch, ¡°Come work at mypany.¡± Chapter 874 Chapter 874 Chapter 874 ¡°Ever thought of bing a celebrity?¡± Nics asked. Chin in hand, phone in the other, Trisha stared at her reflection on the screen. ¡°Not a bad idea. Look at this face. I could y a king¡¯s pet consort or a pure intern who the powerful CEO falls for. That¡¯d be a hit. Isn¡¯t this kind of look popr now? Loads of inte drama actresses have gotten famous with this look in the past couple of years. Some of them have even be new generation sweethearts. Who knows, I might be this year¡¯s brightest star.¡± Nics, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go take a look in the bathroom?¡± Trisha looked at him, puzzled. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Nics said seriously. ¡°So you can see what you really look like.¡± Trisha kicked him off the couch with one swift move. ¡°I¡¯m way prettier than you!¡± Nicsughed for a while, sitting on the rug. Then, elbow on the couch, he looked up at her with those gorgeous eyes, ¡°Come work for my company. Be my secretary. All you need to do is cook for me. I¡¯ll give you 10 grand a month, weekends off, holidays andmercial insurance. What do you say?¡± ¡°No.¡± Trisha rejected him without hesitation, ¡°If you need a maid, go hire one from a housekeeping service.¡± Nics was incredulous, ¡°Did you make that much as a drama assistant?¡± ¡°Definitely not ¡± Nics frowned, ¡°Then why won¡¯t you do it?¡± While scrolling on her phone, Trisha said, ¡°My life¡¯s worth more than just cooking. If that¡¯s all I wanted, I might as well open a restaurant. Thave dreams¡± ¡°And what are those dreams?¡± At this, Trisha¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°To write the best script, win the best awards, and date the best guy.¡± Nics was speechless. ¡°You can cross thest one off. You¡¯ve found him.¡± Trisha paused, then kicked straight at his face. Nics caught her foot in time. After struggling for a bit, Trisha fumed, ¡°Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just a jerk!¡± Nics smirked at her, her ears red with anger ¡°I guess that¡¯s close enough?¡± ¡°It is far way, Okay? The best man, whether it¡¯s career, appearance, or figure, is the best. And you¡­¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Trisha looked at Nics¡¯s face and was at a loss for words. Although she despised his lifestyle, when it came to career, looks, and physique, Nics was indeed quitepetitive. Nics looked smug, pressing her foot with both hands, sitting on the rug, looking up at her confidently, ¡°Am I not good enough?¡± Trisha gritted her teeth. Even if it was the truth, she wouldn¡¯t admit it. She just couldn¡¯t stand his smug face. ¡°What do you think you are? Not to mention anything else, but even your sexual skills are boring. You have the nerve to say that?¡± ¡°My sexual skills¡­¡± Nics¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°What¡¯s boring about them?¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡°Have you seen that ad about the painless minimally invasive surgery?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one where the girl gets surgery, asks the doctor nervously if it¡¯s started yet, and the doctor tells her it¡¯s already over.¡± Nics furrowed his brow, ¡°Why are you bringing that up?¡± Trisha said, ¡°That¡¯s how I felt that night.¡± Nics froze. Has it started? It¡¯s already over. She was implying that he was not only fast, but also small. Nics couldn¡¯t believe it, he even felt a little embarrassed. This was about a man¡¯s pride. He couldn¡¯t make fun of Liam and then get exposed Trisha red at him, ¡°I may not have experience, but I should feel something, right? Even a shot leaves a pain for a few days. But I didn¡¯t feel anything those days, doesn¡¯t that Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Chapter 875 She paused, deliberately ncing at his lower body. The hint was obvious. Nics¡¯s face turned red, then green. He couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. Trisha loved seeing him embarrassed, she said in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t know about your problem? You¡¯ve had so many girlfriends, hasn¡¯t anyone mentioned this to you?¡± Without waiting for Nics to answer, she continued, ¡°I get it. They must have been considering your pride, so they didn¡¯t say it directly. They might have evenplimented you on purpose, giving you a false sense of self¨Csatisfaction¡± After saying this, she pped Nics on the shoulder, ¡°You should thank me Without me, you would never know about this problem in your life¡± Nics gritted his teeth and pushed her hand away. ¡°Thank your head!¡± He then stood up, grabbed his phone and walked out Trisha didn¡¯t move, calling out loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t go, cant you take a joke? Being quick has its advantages, it¡¯s painless¡­¡° Before she finished, ¡°Bang!¡± The door was mmed shut. Trisha immediatelyy down, one leg bent at the knee, her toes wiggling happily She picked up her phone and saw that someone in the work group had sent a red packet link. She immediately clicked to grab a share and got a few bucks Just as she was happy about getting tomorrow¡¯s coffee money, she realized that the link was sent by that annoying scriptwriter. She scrolled up and found out that the scriptwriter was celebrating the start of his new drama in the group. The one that Trisha¡¯s work was giarized for She suddenly felt the few bucks had dirtied her hands. Before she could return it, the scriptwriter sarcasticallymented, ¡°People on vacation have it good, so quick even at thiste hour. Unlike us, still at thepany revising scripts in the middle of the night, really envious.¡± Thisment made Trisha nauseous But she held it in, mainly because the group had colleagues and there was no need to make a scene here. So she pretended not to see it, opened Paypal, got the scriptwriter¡¯s ount from her colleague, and prepared to transfer the money back. She didn¡¯t want him to think she was desperate for money. As she was transferring, a colleague in the group said, ¡°If you¡¯re envious, you can take a vacation. The boss didn¡¯t refuse your vacation.¡± The annoying scriptwriter said, ¡°I actually want to take a vacation too. But I have too much work. If I take a vacation, who can help me finish these tasks?¡± The colleague said, ¡°Can¡¯t you just let your assistant do it?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Assistant? Oh, forget it Young people these days, they might not be superpetent, but they have a lot of scheming. Before you even ask them to do something, they¡¯re already plotting against you. The moment things don¡¯t go their way, they¡¯re publicly disclosing the news in various groups. Did I hire an assistant or did I just sign up for more trouble?¡± Trisha held her tongue for a while, but she finally had enough. She whipped out her phone and started typing furiously, ¡°So you¡¯re not grateful, huh? Who was it that asked me to help him make corrections? | said I wouldn¡¯t do it, but you tricked me by saying you would credit me if I did a good job. That¡¯s the only reason I agreed to help you. You imed you weren¡¯t satisfied, yet you took the corrected version I made and made money off of it, not even changing a single punctuation mark. And when I found out, you med me, using me of not doing my job¡± Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Chapter 876 ¡°How many problems have I solved for you over the years? You don¡¯t have any creative talent or literary taste, yet you insist on writing scripts. Shouldn¡¯t you have some sort of literary and artistic background? Are you illiterate?¡± No one in the chat group dared to reply. The screenwriter fumed, ¡°Trishal Watch your tone!¡± ¡°Screw you! Do you even deserve my respect? If you can¡¯t write a script, you can hold a meeting with us and ask our little assistants to help you think about the plot, and then you mix everyone¡¯s ideas together and make us do the editing¡± ¡°We can ept editing the script, because that¡¯s our job. But you should at least respect us, right? When we¡¯re burning the midnight oil editing your script, you¡¯re out watching movies with your wife. You promised half of your ie as a bonus for us, but when you sold it for 5 million, you only gave us 20 thousand. What, do you think we¡¯re beggars? One of our coworkersined about how stingy you are, and the next day you transferred her to another department. What¡¯s the deal with that? Can¡¯t we voice our opinions?¡± ¡°You always call for a meeting at 5:50 when we get off at 6. I don¡¯t mind workingte, but many of us have kids at home. They were looking forward to getting home early to be with their kids, but you made us stay in a meeting till 9 at night. Then you expect us to send you the edited script within three hours. Do you think we don¡¯t have personal lives?¡± The screenwriter responded with a smiley emoji, ¡°I¡¯ve taken a screenshot. Adults need to take responsibility for their actions.¡± Trisha scoffed, ¡°I would never be scared of you!¡± A brief silence followed, then someone chimed in with ¡°You¡¯re our role model,¡± and soon the entire chat was filled with messages of support. Although venting her frustrations felt good, it would likely cost her her job. After this incident, the company would certainly not keep her around. She didn¡¯t feel particrly attached to thepany, but she had worked there for three or four years since graduating and had made many friends. If she really had to leave, she would feel a bit lost. Trisha lounged on her couch and posted, ¡®I¡¯m unemployed, along with a picture of herself looking destitute. She set the privacy settings so her mother couldn¡¯t see it. It wasn¡¯t that she was afraid of her mother worrying, but rather that she was afraid of her mother mocking her. When she was about to go to bed after showering, she noticed a message from Jace Ledford. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s opening a studio and needs a scriptwriter. Do you want to join in?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Trisha sat up in bed, excited. Is my luck finally turning around? She quickly picked up her phone and started chatting with Jace. The next morning, Celeste woke up groggily and saw that it was already 8:30. She sat up in shock, then fell back onto the bed. Once she got her bearings, she slowly turned to look at Liam lying next to her, naked, with his left arm under her head as a pillow and his right arm draped over her waist From this angle, she could clearly see the scratches and hickeys on his body. Pictures fromst night flooded her mind, and she blushed. She gently removed Liam¡¯s arm from her waist and tried to slip out of bed quietly. But just as she got his arm off, he pulled her back into his arms. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Liam¡¯s sleepy, husky voice asked. Her face turned even redder with his hot body pressed against her. I¡¯m going to the set.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Liam said, still with his eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked for leave for you. We¡¯ll go to the hospitalter to see if there are any otherponents in that medicine and get a check¨Cup.¡± Relieved that Liam had asked for leave for her, Celeste felt a bit awkward about their current situation. She hadn¡¯t been drunk and her memory was clear. She remembered clearly how she had begged Liam to sleep with her and how he had repeatedly refused, only to finally agree reluctantly Liamy there for a while, then sat up and started getting dressed. Celeste nced at his back, and then closed her eyes. She was a bit ashamed of her behaviorst night. She pulled her clothes under the covers and started to get dressed. Meanwhile, Celeste was thinking about how to bring up the fact that she didn¡¯t take any responsibility for what happenedst night. Just as she was trying to figure out how to exin it, the door to the room was suddenly flung open and a group of people came barging in, all of them taking photos of Liam with their phones. Chapter 877 Chapter 877 Chapter 877 Before Celeste could get dressed, Liam yanked the nket over her the moment he heard the door open. As people entered the room, their attention immediately gravitated towards Liam, who stood by the bed. Scattered on the floor were a few articles of women¡¯s clothing, and underneath the nket on the bed, it was evident that someone was concealed. Despite being fully clothed, Liam couldn¡¯t hide the conspicuous marks on his neck and corbone, leaving little to the imagination regarding the events that had transpired within the room. The morning brought a flurry of phone calls, informing others that Liam had spent the night with a woman at the hotel. Due to Liam¡¯s undisclosed divorce, the public was unaware of his marital status, and the media still considered him married. Tabloid journalists not only relished in celebrities¡® personal lives but also delighted in sensational gossip, particrly when it involved individuals from high society. News of this nature held far greater potential for explosiveness than that concerning an unfamiliar actor. Hence, the moment these reporters entered, they wasted no time in capturing photographs and videos of Liam using their phones and cameras. Simultaneously, they bombarded him with inquiries, asking, ¡°Mr. Reed, did you and thedy on the bed spend the night together in a hotel room?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between you two, does she know you¡¯re married?¡± ¡°Did your wife know you were in a hotel room with another woman?¡± Unlike the young socialites who seemed to thrive on scandal, Liam preferred to maintain a low¨Ckey approach to his personal life One only needed to look at his cousin, Wesley, to witness the constant rumors surrounding him and his alleged involvements with celebrities, wealthy heiresses, and supermodels. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. The media always had a field day with stories of two beautiful women vying for Wesley¡¯s attention, which generated significant public interest year after year. However, Wesley had gained a reputation as a notorious yboy, and over time, people grew weary of his scandals. These tales became all toomonce, failing to capture the attention ofizens and leaving them disinterested. It seemed that the public no longer feltpelled to pay attention to Wesley¡¯s escapades. On the other hand, Liam stood apart from his cousin. As the chairman of Smart Chips, he was a highly intelligent and aplished young businessman, leading a sessful professional life that garnered admiration and respect A scandal involving him would be a bombshell piece of news. That¡¯s why, when they got the call, they all rushed here despite the risk of being warned by their industry, hoping to get an exclusive scoop and make a fortune. Facing these sharp questions, Liam¡¯s face turned cold. He was trying to control his temper and said in a deep voice, ¡°My wife knows it.¡± As soon as they heard him start talking, they began to question him, ¡°Are you and your wife in an open marriage? Does your wife allow you to date other women while you¡¯re married?¡± Liam nced at the most aggressive female reporter, ¡°Are you married?¡± The female reporter was stunned and felt her face turning red. A handsome man like Liam suddenly asking her if she¡¯s married would naturally make a woman blush. She shook her head and said softly, ¡°Not yet.¡± Liam said lightly. ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re asking such boring questions. Who told you that you can¡¯t stay in a hotel with your lover after getting married? Doesn¡¯t your marriage have any spark?¡± Everyone was confused. Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Chapter 878 So Liam was implying that the woman he was with at the hotel was his wife? That¡¯s different from the information they received? The reporters couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed with Liam¡¯s response, and some of them harbored doubts about his ims. After all, his word alone couldn¡¯t confirm whether the woman under the nket was truly his wife. Throughout their presence in the room, the woman remained covered, her face concealed, leaving room for uncertainty. Who could say for sure if she was indeed his wife? One of the reporters quickly pondered the situation and realized that catching Liam cheating might not be the only potential scoop. If the woman turned out to be his mysterious wife, that would be significant news as well Four years ago, Liam had announced on social media that he was married, but he had never disclosed his wife¡¯s identity. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Over the past four years, Liam had fiercely guarded her personal information, and anyone attempting to pry into her life would face strong warnings from the industry. Rumors had circted, specting that his wife might be the popr actress Sydney. There had even been a photo of Mr. Reed with her, but the person who captured the image was reportedly asked to delete it, adding fuel to the spection. They even called Quantum to seek the truth, the answer they got was nonsense. This made everyone more curious about the identity of this mysteriousdy, if they could dig out the identity of his wife this time, it would not be a wasted trip. Hearing this, Celeste was shocked. Were these reporters out of their minds? Who Liam stayed with at the hotel was none of their business! She should refuse and kick them out! But the next second, hiding under the nket, she heard Liam say, ¡°I need to ask my wife first.¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam leaned over and lifted a corner of the nket, crawling in. Celeste was nervously biting her finger, when she saw him crawl in, she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°Get rid of them!¡± Seeing that she was already dressed, Liam was a little disappointed. Looking at her nervous face, he couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°If I kick them out, will I get bonus points from you?¡± Celeste red at Liam, threatening him with the meanest look she could muster. Liam seemed to understand her meaning, he sighed, wrapped her in the nket, handed her bag to her, and said in a low voice. ¡°Cover your face well, don¡¯t let anyone take a picture of you.¡± After making sure that Celeste was well covered, he stood up, looked around, and said lightly, ¡°My wife said she doesn¡¯t want to be interviewed, and she¡¯s very disgusted with people prying into our lives, please leave¡± This answer was too perfunctory, it wasn¡¯t convincing at all. Doubts started to arise among the onlookers, questioning whether the person concealed beneath the nket was truly Liam¡¯s wife. With no one taking action, Liam spoke up slowly. ¡°My wife seems to be in a forgiving mood today. I¡¯ll let it slide that you trespassed into my room and invaded our privacy. You have one minute to leave.¡± The reporters felt disappointed as their hopes for sensational news were dashed, but Liam¡¯s warning also instilled fear in them. They hade here with determination, seeking exclusive stories, but now they had gained nothing. If Liam decided to sue them, their losses would be even greater. Consequently, one by one, they began to depart. Just as they were leaving, an unsatisfied reporter seized the opportunity while Liam was momentarily distracted. They grabbed a corner of the nket and pulled it off, exposing the woman on the bed to the shing cameras. Everyone else was stunned and quickly picked up their equipment to start filming. When the camera was aimed at the person on the bed, everyone suddenly fell silent. The woman on the bed had a silk scarf wrapped around her head, and the two eyes that were revealed were still wearing sunsses. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 Chapter 879 ¡°What¡¯s up with that freaky getup?¡± Celeste was both shocked and scared. Luckily, Liam reacted quickly and gave her a bag that contained stuff she could use for disguise. Otherwise, if the nket was pulled off, her face would be exposed to the media cameras, and that could mean the end of her career Before the crowd could recover from the shock of the bizarre attire, Liam swiftly seized the hand of the person who had exposed the woman on the bed and forcefully twisted it behind his back. A piercing scream of pain escaped the man¡¯s lips as he crumbled to the ground, his face drained of color. Liam surveyed the onlookers with a dark expression. I¡¯ve been too lenient with all of you, haven¡¯t 17¡± His fury and intimidation were palpable, a stark contrast to his earlierposed demeanor while answering questions. The transformation was downright terrifying The faces of the reporters underwent a drastic change. Liam was not like Wesley. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate the fabrication of rumors by these entertainment journalists. Liam had a history of taking legal action against an entertainmentpany renowned for its paparazzi, driving it into bankruptcy Even the editor¨Cin¨Cchief met a grim fate. These small entertainmentpanies dared to test his patience? Risk their own necks for a mere scoop? If only they had known, they wouldn¡¯t have dared toe in the first ce. With grumbles all around, the woman wrapped up like a mummy suddenly spoke, ¡°Get them out of here, or I¡¯ll dock your points!¡± Everyone watched as Liam, who was just fuming with rage, immediately put his aura away upon hearing the woman¡¯s words. He frowned unhappily. ¡°How is this my fault?¡± ¡°Are you talking back?¡± Liam closed his mouth, grumbling. ¡°Got it.¡± He then turned his face with an indifferent expression and let go of the man in his hand, coldly saying, ¡°Get out, all of you!¡± The crowd quickly rushed out of the room and even after they got on the elevator, their backs were still covered in cold sweat. Unbelievable, they actually escaped safely? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. And who the hell was thisdy? Shw just said two sentences and made Mr. Reed obedientlyply? They all looked at each other, and after a while, a newbie reporter asked, ¡°Do we still expose this news?¡± A senior reporter gave her a nce, ¡°You don¡¯t want your job anymore? Who dares to expose with Liam¡¯s attitude?¡± ¡°Just write about him and his wife.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even get a shot of the woman¡¯s face. You want us to write blind?¡± The inexperienced reporter fell silent, contemting Mr. Reed¡¯s evident affection for his wife. With the restriction on writing gossip, she wondered if she could please him by showcasing the couple¡¯s loving rtionship in an article. It seemed like a promising idea, didn¡¯t it? Little did this neer realize that her decision to start a column about Mr. Reed and his wife would lead to her promotion as the deputy editor¨Cin¨Cchief within just two years, all because Mr. Reed was genuinely pleased with it. As themotion in the room subsided, Celeste cautiously removed the scarf covering her face and inquired, ¡°Don¡¯t you lock your door? How did these reporters manage to get in?¡± Despite not being photographed, Celeste couldn¡¯t shake off her fear entirely Liam replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what they said? They were here to capture news of me cheating.¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°How did they know you were in a hotel with me Liam said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, I¡¯ve asked Owen to investigate. We should have results soon.¡± He paused before adding. ¡°Go freshen up, don¡¯t stay here. Let¡¯s head to the hospital first.¡± With so many reporters able to barge in directly, who knew what else might happen? It was better to leave first. Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Celeste nodded in agreement, attempting to stand up, only to have her legs give way, causing her to stumble. Liam was taken aback and swiftly supported her, whispering, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Feeling a bit flustered, it took Celeste a moment before she finally managed to say, ¡°Do I walk in an ugly and embarrassing way?¡± Liam¡¯s mind raced, reminded of the intimate encounter they had shared the previous night, and he too felt embarrassed. He replied, ¡°If you cover your face, no one will recognize you.¡± Celeste fell silent, already aware that the answer was a resounding yes. With no cold water avable in the bathroom, Liam arranged for a room next door to be opened. After both of them freshened up, they found Owen¡¯s arranged car waiting for them. As the car started moving, Celeste began to contemte their next course of action. The unexpected turn of events between them had caught her off guard, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed. In her ns, she wanted to discuss their feelings only after her career was stable. Liam¡¯s career was skyrocketing, and even if she couldn¡¯t reach his status in the industry, she didn¡¯t want the gap between them to be toorge Their first marriage failed not only because of suspicions but also because of their economic disparity. The vast discrepancy between them always made her uneasy, questioning her own abilities and confidence to stand by his side. However, life often throws unexpected curveballs. They had now found themselves in bed together,pletely unprepared, and had even taken things to the next level. Should she inform Liam that she was drugged, causing her to sleep with him? Should she reassure him not to worry? She scolded herself for even considering such thoughts. This was a terrible situation to be in! Regret flooded her as she wondered why she didn¡¯t resistst night. If she had known it would lead to this, she would have allowed Liam to take her to the hospital instead. The embarrassment would have been preferable to her current predicament. ¡°Last night¡­ that was an ident,¡± Before Celeste could figure out what to say, Liam spoke first. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Just consider me as an antidote, and don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself,¡± Liam looked at her gently, ¡°I know you were druggedst night, that¡¯s why you did that with me. If it were someone else, you would do the same. It doesn¡¯t mean anything special. But I¡¯m still d it was me. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. I won¡¯t make any demands of you because ofst night. Whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll respect you.¡± Celeste turned silent What should she do? She felt even worse now. She was the one who had slept with him, and now he was making excuses for her. Celeste ruffled her hair, and after a while, she blushed and said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the same with anyone else. I wouldn¡¯t do that with anyone else.¡± Liam paused, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes. He carefully asked, ¡°Letti, did you do it because it was me?¡± Covering her face in embarrassment, Celeste didn¡¯t want to answer, ¡°Can you stop asking so many details? My mind is a mess right now.¡± Liam looked at her tenderly and said softly, ¡°Alright, as long as you don¡¯t avoid me, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll think I¡¯m using you and then despise and alienate me.¡± Liam talking to her in this intive tone made her ufortable. She said quietly, ¡°I haven¡¯t lost my memory.¡± Liam had been turned down a bunch of times already, even though this time it was her who insisted on it. Liam gently tousled her hair and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, you can use me however you want, emotionally or physically, I¡¯m game. So don¡¯t feel burdened, I won¡¯t use this to pressure you into epting my advances.¡± Celeste turned her head, her ears red, and after what felt like forever, she finally said, ¡°How about¡­ we give it a shot and try dating for six months?¡± Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Liam was taken aback, doubting what he just heard. what He held his breath and asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡± Celeste was straightforward and couldn¡¯t deny her feelings for Liam. Witnessing Liam¡¯s sincere efforts to repair their rtionship, she realized she couldn¡¯t leave him guessing. No matter how intense her emotions were, they couldn¡¯t be treated casually. Considering how far they hade, she decided to take another step forward. Turning her head towards him, she proposed, ¡°You know, trial marriages are a thing now. So, let¡¯s give dating a try. I¡¯ll give you a trial period as my boyfriend. If you impress me, we can make it official. If not¡­ Liam interrupted her swiftly, saying, ¡°No need for that option. I promise Ill be the best¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch. I haven¡¯t finishedying out my terms yet.¡± Liam grasped her hand, his expression serious, and urged her to continue, ¡°Please, go on.¡± ¡°I only have one condition. During the trial period, we don¡¯t spill the beans about us. In public, we keep our distance. Got it?¡± Upon hearing this, Liam frowned. ¡°Is dating me that embarrassing?¡± Celeste gave his leg a swift kick, ¡°Isn¡¯t remarrying you embarrassing?¡± Though a bit upset, Liam swallowed his discontent hearing the term ¡®remamage¡°. He asked, ¡°What about after I be an official boyfriend?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. Let¡¯s see how the trial period goes first.¡± Liam thought for a moment, ¡°During the trial period, can we do couple y stuff?¡± Celeste nodded her head. Liam leaned in, lowering his voice, ¡°Like what we didst night?¡± Celeste shot him a nce. ¡°What percent of a full¨Ctime employee¡¯s sry does an intern at your company make?¡± Liam answered, ¡°The same.¡± Celeste. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Interns and full¨Ctime employees earn the same?¡± Without hesitation, Liam said, ¡°Yeah, if an intern¡¯s skills are on par with a full-time employee¡¯s, they naturally get the same sry.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth. He¡¯s already testing the waters and he¡¯s not even an official boyfriend yet? She red at him, coldly replying. ¡°Ah, in that case, in mypany, interns get 60% of a full¨Ctime employee¡¯s sry. So, you¡¯re only allowed to hold hands.¡± Liam, ¡°That¡¯s againstborws, right?¡± The corners of Celeste¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°You can always quit. We¡¯re not short on applicants.¡± Liam was speechless. He instantly sped Celeste¡¯s hand, his voice barely audible as he whispered, ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t interested.¡± A smile spread across Celeste¡¯s face, unexpectedly lightening her mood. Meanwhile, the hotel¡¯s maintenance crew arrived at room 1307 in response to reports that the cold water wasn¡¯t functioning. The repairman diligently tested the faucet, the shower, and the bathtub, but no water flowed out It didn¡¯t make sense. How could all of them stop working simultaneously? Could there be an issue with the main pipe? However, no other guests hadined about cold water problems in their rooms. Scratching his head in confusion, the repairman essed the maintenance panel, located the valve, and gave it a twist. Suddenly, all the cold water in the bathroom began to flow again. Who in their right mind would shut off the main cold water valve! Meanwhile at the Barlow¡¯s¡­ Sincest night, Skyler had been unable to sleep. She wanted to go to the scene multiple times but was afraid of being caught by Liam if things went south. Skyler immediately got excited, thinking her n had worked, and started contacting the media. Now all she had to do was wait for the news to break and confirm Liam¡¯s rtionship with ir. But after waiting for a long time, there was no news. Skyler started to get anxious and began pacing the living room. Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Jade Barlow¡¯s wife just got back from picking up the kids from tutoring and found Skyler pacing the living room. The table was still littered with leftover snacks and dinner from the night before, untouched. Feeling irritated, she ushered the kids upstairs and headed straight to Skyler, struggling to contain her anger. ¡°Skyler, didn¡¯t I specifically ask you to clean this up before I left? Why does it still look like this?¡± Skyler harbored a deep dislike for her sister¨Cinw. If the Barlow family weren¡¯t facing financial difficulties, her brother would never have married such a petty woman. Not only was she excessively critical, but she also constantly tried to persuade Jade Barlow to kick Skyler out Wasn¡¯t it Skyler¡¯s financial support that allowed the family to livefortably now? However, she couldn¡¯t retaliate in that moment Skyler extended her hand, stating, ¡°I identally hurt myself and can¡¯te into contact with water Let¡¯s wait for the maid to clean it up¡± Her sister¨Cinw caught sight of the minor wound and couldn¡¯t help but snicker. Indeed, a wound like that shouldn¡¯t be exposed to water What if it was revealed that the wound had already healed? Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We need the maid to rest too. Without her, do we just stop living?¡± Skyler said, ¡°We can hire two maids to work in shifts.¡± ¡°Two maids?¡± Sheughed and looked at her, ¡°Who¡¯s gonna pay the second maid¡¯s sry, you?¡± Skyler frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you money a few months ago? Shouldn¡¯t that be enough to hire another maid?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just a few months ago?¡± Her sister¨Cinw chuckled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you consider using the money you gave usst year to hire a maid? Let me break it down for you. You previously gave Jade Barlow $200,000. When your daughter was traveling, she contacted Jade Barlow who transferred her $50,000. Then, for your birthday celebration with your wealthy friends, Jade assisted in booking the restaurant, which cost $137,000. You mentioned that you would reimburse us once your ounts were settled, but we haven¡¯t received a single penny yet. Remember when you insisted on buying an expensive gift for your mother¨Cinw¡¯s birthday to avoid embarrassment? We ended up spending over $300,000 on a painting, but you never reimbursed us for that either. Since you returned, it feels like you¡¯ve been relying on our money. Your daily consumption of pricey health supplements, costing hundreds each time, is happening twice a day. Your living expenses for these ten days exceed our family¡¯s monthly expenses. Can you please exin where the funds for hiring a maid are supposed toe from?¡± The more Skyler heard, the worse her expression became. ¡°Is it about money? The Reed family is loaded, do I need your money?¡± Her sister¨Cinw gave her a look, ¡°Ha, what does the Reed family¡¯s wealth have to do with you? You¡¯ve been kicked out, don¡¯t you get your predicament yet?¡± Skyler was infuriated, unable to keep her cool. She raised her hand and pped her, ¡°Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to criticize me? Isn¡¯t every penny you spend given by me?¡± Her sister¨Cinw was stunned by the p from Skyler, she didn¡¯t expect Skyler to p her. In that moment, she too was seething with anger, and started to fight back Her family used to run a ughterhouse, so she was pretty strong. Compared to a pampereddy like Skyler, they weren¡¯t even in the same league. It didn¡¯t take long for Skyler to be pinned on the ground and beaten up by her. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. She ranted and raved, pping Skyler as she spoke, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? What did you give? The deal you introduced to Jade Barlow, you¡¯re still trying to squeeze a profit out of it. You¡¯re taking nearly half of thepany¡¯s annual ie. We¡¯re keeping tabs on various projects round the clock while you¡¯re sipping afternoon tea with richdies. You didn¡¯t dare to say a word when your daughter¨Cinw hit Jade. Do you even see us as humans? Have you no shame saying these things?¡± Skyler was trembling with rage. ¡°Damn it, have you lost your mind? Try touching me again!¡± Her sister¨Cinw dlyplied and pped her again. She¡¯d been tolerating Skyler for too long. Although her husband was weak, a gambler, and indecisive, his sister, Skyler, wasn¡¯t any better. If it weren¡¯t for her bad influence, would Jade have developed a gambling addiction? Just because she threw them a bone, she expected the whole family to worship her Did she think she was God? When Jade came back, he saw his wife beating Skyler on the floor. He quickly stepped in to break them up. Skyler¡¯s disheveled hair, dirty clothes, and slightly swollen face didn¡¯t deter her from shouting and demanding that Jade kick his wife out. In response, the other woman brushed off the dust, her voice turning cold as she dered, ¡°Jade Barlow, if you dare to let her stay, you can leave with her!¡± With those words, she ascended the stairs, leaving the scene Jade was a husband who often found himself under the thumb of his dominant wife. However, their rtionship was genuinely strong. Nevertheless, Skyler¡¯s presence in their home added to their financial burden, as her extravagant lifestyle was unsustainable in the long run. When his wife asserted her authority, Jade reluctantly yielded. He leaned in closer to Skyler and whispered, ¡°Sister, I have a ce in the northern suburbs I¡¯ll clean it up in the next few days, and you can stay there. I¡¯ll also find you a maid¡­¡± Skyler found herself in a state of disbelief at his words. Her beloved little brother, actually taking sides with others, not protecting her. She was so angry she was shaking, pushing Jade Barlow away to stand up. ¡°You¡¯re all the same, I don¡¯t need you to kick me out, I¡¯ll leave on my own!* She stood up and pointed at Jade, ¡°You ungrateful wretch, all these years I¡¯ve wasted on you! From now on, I don¡¯t have a brother!¡± With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out. Jade took a few steps to follow her, but ultimately gave up. He was in no position to worry about Skyler right now. After all, she was Liam¡¯s biological mother, even if she couldn¡¯t return to the Reed family, her life wouldn¡¯t be too bad. After leaving the Barlow family, Skyler finally saw a rted news article Skyler was taken aback by the headline, prompting her to click on the news article. However, there were no apanying pictures, only a description of how Liam was treating his wife exceptionally well and how their romance was still flourishing even after four years of marriage. The article was inconspicuously ced among other news pieces and didn¡¯t generate significant attention or reaction. Undeterred, Skyler persisted in her search but couldn¡¯t find any additional news about Liam. Theck of information left her feeling puzzled and uncertain, so she swiftly dialed Mrs. Kelley¡¯s number Chapter 884 Chapter 884 Chapter 884 At that moment, Mrs. Kelley was engaged in a conversation with her friends, Spotting Skyler¡¯s iing call, she chose to ignore it, silencing her phone and cing it face down on the table. Curiosity got the better of her friends, and they inquired, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer that?¡± With an expressionless face, Mrs. Kelley replied, ¡°Just telemarketers, they¡¯re so bothersome¡± Celeste and Liam both had blood tests, thankfully the drug content was normal and didn¡¯t cause any harm to their bodies. The doctor advised them to drink more water in the next few days to speed up their metabolism The OB¨CGYN specialist Liam had contacted also arrived, and gave Celeste a number of tests for a comprehensive check¨Cup Liam stayed with her throughout the process When they were doing the ultrasound, Celeste was a bit nervous, but seeing Liam¡¯s more anxious face, she suddenly found it funny She joked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get checked too, to make sure you don¡¯t have any problems. What if I¡¯m okay and then you have a problem?¡± Liam replied, ¡°Do you want me to have a problem?¡± Celesteughed for a while, ¡°When I used to hate you, yeah, I did.¡± Liam was speechless. ¡°No need to curse yourself like that.¡± The medical staff overheard their conversation and exchanged strange butforting looks. Despite their #narky demeanor, the couple seemed to live harmoniously Once the check¨Cup was over, they patiently waited for around thirty minutes until the doctor finally called them in. Celeste initially wanted to enter the room alone, but Liam had already taken her hand and guided her inside. Without protesting, she followed Liam obediently into the consultation room, The doctor, a middle¨Caged woman in her fifties with an average build and sses, had a kind and gentle appearance After reviewing the report and observing Celeste¡¯splexion, the doctor began asking numerous detailed questions. Like whether her menstrual cycle was regr, the duration and flow of her periods, the color, etc. Celeste answered all of them. The doctor was making notes and asked, ¡°How often do you two have sex?¡± Celeste hesitated, then said quietly. ¡°Maybe once every few months.¡± The doctor asked, ¡°Are you experiencing a decrease in sexual desire, or unwilling to have sex?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯ve recently gotten divorced.¡± The doctor asked, ¡°What about before the divorce? How often then?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Celeste was silent for a few seconds, ¡°The same.¡± The doctor asked. ¡°So, you had symptoms of sexual coldness before the divorce?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything. Liam finally spoke, ¡°It was my issue before.¡± The doctor was surprised, ¡°Both of you have issues?¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything Liam said, ¡°She had a car ident before, her womb was damaged, and the doctor said she had a high risk of miscarriage, so I didn¡¯t want her to get pregnant, so we didn¡¯t have sex very often¡± The doctor asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re not against having sex, right?¡± Celeste said somewhat reluctantly, ¡°Yes¡± The doctor asked again, ¡°Do you experience any pain or dryness during sex?¡± Celeste was taken aback, wondering if the doctor¡¯s question was overly detailed. Feeling quite embarrassed, Celeste deflected the question to Liam, saying, ¡°You answer that.¡± Liam happily took on the task, replying, ¡°Initially, there might be some difort, but with proper preparation, it improves significantly. However, she¡¯s neverined about pain. By the way, does post¨Ccoital leg and back pain count?¡± Celeste blushed intensely, ring at him in anger. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± she snapped Liam innocently responded, ¡°The doctor needs to know everything, so I thought I should be honest!¡± The doctor nced at the couple, letting out a small chuckle before jotting down her diagnosis. Seeing the doctor¡¯s silence, Celeste asked softly. ¡°Doctor, is there a cure for my condition?¡± Without looking up, the doctor replied, ¡°Premature ovarian failure is irreversible.¡± Chapter 885 Chapter 885 Chapter 885 Celeste turned pale, and the doctor continued, ¡°But this is manageable, and your symptoms aren¡¯t that bad. Your endometrium is functioning normally, and you¡¯re still releasing eggs, just not as many.¡± Celeste was stunned, ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that with timely treatment and the control of ovarian decline, you still have the chance to get pregnant naturally. Even if you can¡¯t, you could choose to freeze your eggs and have an embryo transntter.¡± The doctor¡¯s exnation gave Celeste a glimmer of hope. She sat there, dumbfounded, ¡°Are you saying I can have my own child?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± the doctor smiled, ¡°Premature ovarian failure is irreversible, but embryo transnt technology is very advanced now. As long as patients produce eggs, having a baby isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Overwhelmed with emotions, Celeste felt a lump forming in her throat, and tears began welling up in her eyes. This was the best news she had received since her divorce Liam, sensing her distress, gently squeezed her hand and turned to the doctor, inquiring. ¡°So, how should we proceed with the treatment?¡± The doctor responded, ¡°I will prescribe some medication for her to take for a while. In the meantime, both of you should be mindful of your living environment, including your daily routine and diet. Maintaining a normal and healthy sex life is also important.¡± Liam asked in aposed manner, ¡°What is considered a ¡®normal¡® frequency?¡± Celeste¡¯s mind raced, finding Liam¡¯s question oddly suggestive. She remained silent, waiting for the doctor¡¯s response The doctor exined. ¡°Once or twice a week is considered sufficient. It¡¯s important not to overdo it and to be attentive to your partner¡¯s physical and psychological well¨Cbeing.¡± Liam nodded, affirming. ¡°We will strictly follow your advice.¡± Celeste was speechless By the time they got the medication, it was already noon. Once they got in the car, Liam opened a bottle of water and urged her to take her medicine. After she took it, Liam said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat those crappy meals from the set anymore. I¡¯ll arrange for two nutritionists to follow you around and take care of your diet.¡± Celeste almost choked on her water, ¡°Isn¡¯t that overkill?¡± Even top¨Ctier actors and actresses didn¡¯t have such treatment. Was Liam trying to give her a big¨Cshot reputation before she even made it big? Liam said seriously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the doctor said? Diet is very important, you can¡¯t be so careless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just lunch I¡¯ll eat better when I get home.¡± Just as Liam was about to retort, Celeste said, ¡°If you¡¯re not busy tonight, we can have dinner together.¡± Liam instantly changed his tune, ¡°Alright, that works Just then, Celeste¡¯s phone rang. Liam took a nce at the caller ID- Steve He clenched his jaw, on high alert Celeste didn¡¯t notice Liam¡¯s expression and answered the call. ¡°Celeste, are you feeling unwell?* As soon as she picked up, Steven¡¯s voice came from the other end, concerned, ¡°I heard from Eaton that you took the day off?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Celeste was nervous. How did her boss find out? She coughed, ¡°I¡¯ve got a bit of a sore throat, probably caught a coldst night¡± Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Chapter 886 ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯lle pick you up and take you to the hospital.¡± A vein on Liam¡¯s forehead twitched, he really hated bosses with no boundaries! ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, I just came back from the hospital. They gave me some medicine, I just need some rest.¡± Steven was still worried, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Don¡¯t push yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m really strong, you know. I can even carry Liam on my back.¡± Liam almost choked. How did she have the nerve to bring that up? Because she lost a game of truth or dare and had to carry him around, almost throwing him off the second floor. But what Steven said was even worse, ¡°Is Liam so incapable that he needs a woman to carry him?¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, but before he could retort, Celeste covered his mouth. ¡°Steve, my ride¡¯s here, I¡¯m hanging up now, we¡¯ll talkter¡± She didn¡¯t wait for Steven¡¯s response and quickly hung up. Liam said angrily, ¡°Break your contract with him. I¡¯ll pay the penalty!¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Save your money. If you¡¯re going to marry me, chum change won¡¯t cut it.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Liam was instantly convinced by the doctor¡¯s advice Shortly after Celeste ended her call, Liam received a call of his own, from Owen. After dropping Celeste off at home, Liam promptly returned to thepany. Meanwhile, upon arriving home, Celeste found Trisha working on her resume Celeste greeted her and retreated to her room. Trisha paused her work, perplexed by Celeste¡¯s sudden change of clothes, and stared at Celeste¡¯s closed door in confusion. Curiosity piqued, she leaned against the doorframe as Celeste emerged from her room. With a hint of surprise in her voice. Trisha asked, ¡°Why did you change your clothes immediately upon coming home? Where were youst night?¡± Remainingposed, Celeste calmly walked past Trisha and replied, ¡°I attended a party with some friends, drank excessively, and ended up staying at a hotel.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Trisha followed her, ¡°I called youst night, and Liam answered. Were you with Liam?¡± Celeste, ¡°We ran into each other¡± Trisha didn¡¯t believe her friend¡¯s story, but she decided not to dig deeper. She took a seat on the sofa and began to speak, ¡°I came across a post on a gossip site this morning. ording to it, a female celebrity invited another celebrity over to her house. The guest admired the star¡¯s collection of bags, so the generous host allowed her to choose one as a gift. However, the quest took advantage of the situation and ended up taking all the bags from the wall,ter selling them. Sydney happened to like this post in the middle of the night, and now everyone is specting about the identity of the guest star it has be quite a scandal.¡± Celeste took a sip of her water and said casually, ¡°It was me.¡± Trisha said, ¡°I knew it! Tell me everything!¡± So Celeste told Trisha all about what happenedst night. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be so ruthless, but Sydney was asking for it, wasn¡¯t she?¡± After failing to act all high and mighty, she even liked the post. That was crossing the line. Celeste directly split the money she got from selling the bags into two and donated it all to a charity. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Chapter 887 A whopping donation of 700,000 was made, and the charity foundation immediately posted their gratitude online. Netizens noticed that the donation details released by the foundation were split into two transactions, which made them curious as to why the 700,000 donation was divided in that way, with one part being 13- a rather odd number so theizens started asking Celeste if there was any special meaning behind splitting it into two transactions Celeste forwarded the post and responded that there was no specific meaning, just a coincidence Then she expressed her gratitude to all the actors who were presentst night, including Sydney, the person involved. Looking at the number 13, Sydney felt like she was seeing Celesteughing coldly at her, mocking how stupid she wasst night. It was a tant sarcasm! It made her so angry that she smashed everything on the table! In the Garcia family, Steven had just hung up the phone when he saw Hiram standing behind him, looking at him with a puzzled expression Startled, Celeste furrowed his brows and replied. ¡°Howe you don¡¯t make a sound when you walk?¡± Hiram red at him. ¡°You were just on the phone, why do you seem so guilty?¡± ¡°When am I guilty?¡± Steven was reluctant to admit Hiram frowned, ¡°I might have been urging you to get married, but you can¡¯t go around breaking up other people¡¯s rtionships just for that You have to have a moral bottom line, you know?¡± Steven was stunned, ¡°Who told you that I was breaking up other people¡¯s rtionships?¡± ¡°Do I need someone else to tell me?¡± Hiram looked disappointed, ¡°You¡¯ve been calling Liam¡¯s wife all day, I¡¯m not blind! I recently met Liam and he always seemed to have something to say but couldn¡¯t get it out. He frequently asked about your love life and kept introducing me to a lot of youngdies from prominent families, insisting on introducing a girlfriend to you. Turns out he knew all along. What are you doing messing around with that? It is his wife, he can take good care of her. Do they need your concern? Look at what you¡¯ve done, how am I supposed to face Liam in the future?¡± Steven was getting angrier. Liam was really stupid! What was inside his head? ¡°Liam is divorced, what does my concern for Celeste have to do with him?¡± Hiram had a ¡°I knew it¡± look on his face. ¡°Liam told me that he wants to remarry and asked me to be the witness. He already said he wants to remarry, what does that mean? It means their divorce is only temporary, probably because they just had an intensive argument.¡± ¡°An intensive argument?¡± Steven sneered, ¡®Ms. Caitlyn just passed away, and he immediately divorced Celeste. Is this what you call an intensive argument? Did his brain get damaged from all those intensive arguments?¡± ¡°That¡¯s their business as a couple, how could we possibly know the details? You¡¯re not the one sleeping on their bed, how do you know their rtionship isn¡¯t good?¡± The corner of Steven¡¯s mouth twitched. Liam, he was really good at manipting people¡¯s thoughts. He was even able to make his clueless father defend him. Steven pursed his lips, took out his phone, opened a file and put it in front of Hiram, ¡°Look carefully.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hiram frowned, took a closer look, and his expression began to look painful He stared at the file, reading each letter over and over again. After finally confirming what the file was saying, his voice changed, ¡°What does this mean?¡± Steven pursed his lips, ¡°Didn¡¯t you find her familiar when you first saw her?¡± Of course! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so startled when he first saw Celeste. But how could this be possible? This was a serious matter, Hiram looked serious, ¡°Who gave you this?¡± ¡°I personally went to get samples and had people do it, not just once. Otherwise, why do you think I care so much about Celeste?¡± Steven said solemnly. ¡°I told you back then, the baby who died in the delivery room was not my sister, but no one believed me.¡± When his mother died in childbirth, he was too young and his memory was very vague. He knew his mom was gone, but he couldn¡¯t understand that everyone said his sister was gone too. Because he remembered hearing his sister¡¯s cry, and even remembered a nurse carrying a baby out of the delivery room, who had a red butterfly¨Clike birthmark on her back. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He had mentioned this incident to Hiram more than once, but the adults thought that his memory was distorted because he couldn¡¯t ept the simultaneous death of two loved ones. After all, who would take a five or six¨Cyear¨Cold child seriously? He trembled, ¡°Have you two already recognized each other?¡± ¡°No, when I found out about this, Caitlyn had just passed away. I was afraid that if I told Celeste all at once, she wouldn¡¯t be able to ept it. After all, she and Caitlyn were very close Hiram calmed down, ¡°Yes, yes, we can¡¯t be too impulsive. Can¡¯t scare the child.¡± Steven nced at Hiram, ¡°Are you still willing to let Celeste and Liam remarry?¡± Hiram immediately changed his expression, ¡°Is he worthy?¡± Steven¡¯s lips curled up in satisfaction, that was right, Liam was nowhere near good enough for his little princess! Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Chapter 888 ¡°Dad,¡± Steven hesitated for a moment, ¡°If Celeste didn¡¯t look like my mom, if I hadn¡¯t done the DNA test out of curiosity, we might never have known she was still alive. The birthmark on Celeste¡¯s back is identical to the one in my memory, which means I wasn¡¯t wrong. Celeste was healthy then, but the medical staff told us she was stillborn. Even if there was a mix¨Cup, can they also make a mistake about whether the baby survived or not?¡± Hiram also cooled down from the joy of finding his lost daughter, ¡°You mean someone deliberately switched Celeste?¡± Steven pursed his lips, ¡°The medical staff who delivered the baby that year, some have passed away, some have immigrated, some have changed careers after resigning. It¡¯s as if everyone has disappeared, and everything has been handled so neatly. It¡¯s difficult not to have doubts in such circumstances.¡± Hiram frowned, ¡°Celeste is with the Campbell family, could it be the Campbells who did it?¡± Steven shook his head, ¡°Caitlyn discovered that Celeste was not her child a few years after raising her. The baby we buried back then was probably her daughter¡± After Caitlyn found out Celeste was not her child, she also contacted the hospital, but nothing came of it afterwards. Caitlyn was already dead, and it was impossible to verify what happened back then, but from these clues, it could be concluded that the person who switched the babies was not Caitlyn, and that she was also one of the victims. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t the Campbells, then who could it be?¡± Hiram was at a loss for a moment.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Steven pursed his lips, did not know how to respond. If someone intentionally switched babies, it was usually to exchange the lives of two children. The child from a regr family, swapped into a wealthy family, even if it was discovered that the baby was switched, the wealthy parents had cared for the child for years, and it was natural for them to have developed an emotional bond. Even if things were restored to the original state, the child from the regr family would always have the advantage. But Celeste was switched with a stillborn baby, which was strange because the other party didn¡¯t want to exchange the children¡¯s lives. They wanted everyone to think the child was dead; they wanted the Campbell family to lose this child. If that was the case, what was the purpose, was it revenge? Only if the Garcia family knew about it, could it be called revenge. But the Garcia family had no idea what was going on, how could it be called revenge then? If it was not revenge, then there must be some benefit to be gained. But who could benefit from Celeste¡¯s existence? Almost instantly, Steven thought of ir But this guess was obviously illogical, because ir was only a few months older than Celeste, and Hiram didn¡¯t get to know Janis until two years after Steven¡¯s mother died, the timing didn¡¯t line up. Steven sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll continue to look into the medical staff, and you should also consider if you may have offended anyone back then.¡± Hiram nodded, then suddenly felt a pang of sadness, ¡°If your mother knew her daughter was still alive, that would be great.¡± Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Steven sighed. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s been looking after Celeste all along.¡± Although he had manyints about Liam, if he hadn¡¯t married Celeste, If their lives hadn¡¯t intersected, he might never have known his sister was still alive in this world. Round and round, twenty¨Cfive yearster, they met Celeste again. Maybe it was fate. ¡°You just talked to Celeste on the phone, how is she, is she feeling unwell? Is it serious?¡± After learning Celeste was his daughter, Hiram¡¯s attitudepletely changed. Steven said, ¡°She said she has a cold, and got some medication. She¡¯ll be fine after some rest¡± ¡°How can rest solve the problem? She needs nutrition too, you go order some nutritious meals for her, and buy some fruits, ask what she likes to eat, buy everything, no, I¡¯lle with you, you can¡¯t even pick a fruit.¡± Steven was speechless. He knew it would be like this. When his mother was pregnant with Celeste, Hiram would go to the baby store almost every week to buy things. little dresses, little hairpins, little toys, he hoarded a room full of stuff before Celeste was even born. He was very much looking forward to the birth of a little girl just like his wife, but then tragedy struck. Now, he found his long¨Clost daughter How could Hiram possibly keep calm? Steven casually said. If you go, I bet Celeste will be so scared she¡¯ll pack up and move immediately.¡± ir didn¡¯t return until noon. As soon as Janis heard the sound, she went downstairs. The moment she got downstairs, she saw ir sitting on the couch looking distressed. Nana was standing next to her pouring water ¡°ir,¡± Janis called out to her and quietly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ir pursed her lips, looked a little grim, and shook her head after a long while. Janis frowned and whispered, ¡°Did he touch you?¡± ir clenched her fists and finally said after a while, ¡°Not long after I entered the room, I was drugged and woke up in another hotel.¡± Janis¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Did Liam find out?¡± ir shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, the surveince was deleted, I couldn¡¯t find anything. Mom, if it really was Liam¡¯s people, would he suspect me¡­¡± Before ir could finish, Hiram¡¯s voice came from upstairs, ¡°Nana, find grandpa¡¯s blood pressure medicine.¡± Nana¡¯s indicator light shed once and obediently responded, ¡°Okay, grandpa.¡± Then she ran off with her short legs to get Hiram¡¯s medicine. Janis made a silence gesture to ir Steven, under Hiram¡¯s strong request, changed his clothes and came downstairs with Hiram, ready to visit Celeste Steven was speechless, ¡°Don¡¯t you even know where your medicine is? I cannot believe you¡¯re getting the little Nana to do such a small task for you?¡± Hiram nced at him, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Ever since he saw Nana transform and overpower Steven, Hiram had been curious about this little robot, and after witnessing nana¡¯s high intelligence, he simply can¡¯t get enough of it. Nana was also a real smooth talker. Every time she saw Hiram, she would call him ¡°grandpa¡°, which made Hiram, who¡¯d never had a grandkid, extremely happy Hiram would often say things like, ¡°Nana, pour grandpa a cup of tea,¡± ¡°Nana, read grandpa the news,¡± ¡°Nana, go for a walk with grandpa¡°. Now, even when he needed his blood pressure medication, it was the little Nana who got it for him. Steven said sarcastically. ¡°Are you not afraid that your friends willugh at you when they find out you having a robot call you grandpa?¡± Hiram shot him a nce, ¡°If you weren¡¯t so useless, at your age without even having a girlfriend, would I need a robot to call me grandpa?¡± Steven: ¡°Do you know who created it?¡± Hiram froze Steven squinted his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right, your ex¨Cson¨Cinw.¡± Hiram said, ¡°Grudges should not extend to the children, Nana is still my good granddaughter.¡± Steven said, ¡°Well, you better say your goodbyes to your granddaughter then, ¡®cause I¡¯m going to pack it up and take it away soon.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Hiram frowned, ¡°Where are you nning to take my precious granddaughter?¡± ¡°This little robot was a gift from Liam to Celeste. She only lent it to me for a few days, and she¡¯s been asking when I¡¯m going to give it back. Even though the robot Liam made isn¡¯t much to look at, it¡¯s really good at protecting its owner. You don¡¯t have to worry about your daughter being bullied with it around¡± Steven paused, then whispered, ¡°Plus, returning it gives you a chance to get to know Celeste better.¡± Hearing this, Hiram¡¯s eyes lit up He whispered, ¡°Then you need to talk to Celeste about this as soon as possible. We didn¡¯t know before, but now that we do, we can¡¯t let the child suffer anymore. We need to acknowledge her as soon as possible. Also, find some time to take me to pay respects to Ms. Caitlyn, we should help her family as much as we can.¡± Steven was about to say something, but seeing Janis approaching, he swallowed his words and greeted her instead, ¡°Hi Janis.¡± Janis walked over, smiling, ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Steven grinned, ¡°Nothing, just discussing about sending the little robot away.¡± Looking at his meticulous attire, Janis asked. ¡°You¡¯re leaving now? Why not go after having the meal?¡± ¡°No, I need to send the little robot away ASAP, I have a client meeting at noon,¡± Steven passed by ir, noticed her sickly look, and asked, ¡°ir, are you feeling okay?¡± ir shook her head, murmuring. ¡°Probably because I hung out toote with friendsst night.¡± Steven gently ruffled her hair, ¡°Rest a bit more, don¡¯t stay out toote next time.¡± ir nodded in response. Without saying anything else, Steven had someone load the little robot into the car and left. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Janis banded Hiram his blood pressure medicine, asking softly. ¡°You and Steven always end up arguing when you talk in the study. Why are you so cheerful today? Did Steven get a girlfriend?¡± Hiram took the medicine from Janis, happily saying. ¡°Even better.¡± Janis paused, smiling, ¡°What could be better?¡± Hiram said mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees, it¡¯ll be a big surprise.¡± Janis yfully said, ¡°Still ying guessing games with me?¡± Hiram just smiled, not saying anything more. ¡°Letti, can you take a look at my resume?¡± Trisha brought theputer over to Celeste, ¡°Let me know where I need to improve, help me modify it.¡± Celeste paused, ¡°You¡¯re such an aplished screenwriter with such good writing skills, and you want me to help you modify your resume?¡± Trisha exined, ¡°Since graduation, I¡¯ve been working as a generalborer at thepany. The only time I got to sell copyright was thanks to your ex¨Chusband. I¡¯m afraid my resume isn¡¯t impressive enough for others.¡± Celeste put down her cup, looked at the file in her hand and said, ¡°You can add that you were the deputy nner for a promotional video of a Quantum series product. I can have Liam be your referrer. Even if they check, they¡¯ll find the same thing you wrote on your resume. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Trisha was shocked! ¡°That would be fantastic, but would Liam agree?¡± As Celeste was helping her modify her resume, she said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small favor. Won¡¯t hurt their company¡¯s interests. Why wouldn¡¯t he agree?¡± Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Trisha was a bit conflicted. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be deceiving the hiringpany?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± said Celeste, ¡°At most, it¡¯s an exaggeration. Liam once received a resume from a young graduate, iming he hadpleted projects worth hundreds of millions and participated in commercialunches worth tens of billions Liam thought he had potential, so he took him to negotiate a major project soon after hiring him. The project was signed sessfully, and Liam asked him what the big project he had participated in before was. Do you know what he said?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Trisha was curious and surprised How could a fresh graduate possibly participate in such a big project? Celeste said, ¡°The project worth hundreds of millions was a user event for an app, and themercial launch worth tens of billions was a creative incentive for another app¡± Trisha was shocked. She couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Did Liam fire him?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Celesteughed. ¡°In fact, he got promotedter¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Liam mad about being deceived?¡± ¡°I asked Liam, and he said that a resume is just a reference for thepany, and the employee¡¯s actual work ability is their main focus. The guy did a great job during the negotiation, so even if his resume was a bit exaggerated, it didn¡¯t stop Liam from continuing to use him. Ability is mom important than a resume, employers aren¡¯t idiots. And you have Liam backing you up, who would dare say your resume is fake? Celeste looked up. ¡°So, do you want to add it?¡± ¡°Sure! Trisha was immediately ¡°persuaded by Celeste¡¯s words. Besides, if Liam could help her, then so could Nics Nics¡¯spany had produced many dramas over the years, there must be some that hadn¡¯t been broadcast yet. She could add her name to one of those, and that would be a ready¨Cmade ¡°project experience¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Thinking about this, Trisha immediately clicked opened the supermarket app on her phone and ordered a lot of fruits and vegetables, nning to cook something delicious and talk to Nics about it. Just as she finished cing the order, her phone rang. Trisha answered it, heard a few words, then passed the phone to Celeste, They want you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Celeste was confused, but still took the phone. ¡°Hello, this is Celeste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me¡± Mrs Kelley¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. Celeste pursed her lips, ready to hang up. ¡°Don¡¯t rush to hang up on me now. Even if you do, I¡¯ll find another way to reach out to you. A few words won¡¯t take up much of your time, night? You don¡¯t want me to bother your friends every time I need to talk to you, do you?¡± Celeste paused, furrowing her brows, ¡°I¡¯ve told you I can¡¯t help you with your problems and I don¡¯t want to cooperate with you. What do you want exactly?¡± Mrs. Kelley pursed her lips lightly. ¡°Celeste, if it wasn¡¯t for me saving you from those menst night and sending you to Liam, do you think you¡¯d be sitting at home safe and sound?¡± Celeste¡¯s face darkened instantly, ¡°Did you drug mest night?¡± ¡°Of course not, quite the contrary, I saved you from a bunch of unknown guys,¡± Mrs. Kelley paused, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me delivering you to Liam, and switching the drugs that Skyler originally nned to give Liam, you might be seeing headlines about Liam and ir getting a room in a hotel at this moment. I propose we team up, this is my sincerest offer to you¡± Celeste was bbergasted Had Skyler gone mad? She actually resorted to such a despicable tactic against her own son? If Mrs. Kelley hadn¡¯t betrayed Skyler, then Skyler¡¯s n would have seeded, and she would have seen news of Liam and ir in a hotel room. Could she not have doubts about Liam then? Would the Garcia family not coerce Liam to take responsibility? Every time she thought about this, Celeste felt a sense of dread. She took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who were the people that kidnapped mest night?¡± Chapter 892 Chapter892 Mrs. Kelley said, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about that either, those two guys left as soon as they dropped you off at the hotel. By the time my people got there, you were already drugged.¡± Mrs. Kelley¡¯s family used to run a hotel, so she¡¯d seen all sorts of things. Those two guys drugged Celeste, but didn¡¯t do anything to her, probably nning to offer her up to someone for some kind of benefit And these sorts of people, they usually had some clout in society. Mrs. Kelley didn¡¯t want to stick her nose where it didn¡¯t belong, and she didn¡¯t want to stir the pot, afraid of pissing people off, so she didn¡¯t voice her suspicions. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. She said. ¡°My dash cam probably caught their license te. I can get you a copy if you need it¡± Mrs. Kelley¡¯s stance was crystal clear, Celeste snapped back to reality, asking, ¡°I don¡¯t quite get it, why are you choosing to team up with me? You already have evidence of your husband¡¯s infidelity, you could just divorce him, even get a bigger piece of the pie.¡± ¡°Divorce?¡± Mrs Kelley chuckled, ¡°He got to where he is today because I was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Why would I give up thefortable life I fought so hard for, just to let someone else rise to the top? I¡¯d rather be a widow than get a divorce.¡± Celeste was speechless. What was Mrs. Kelley thinking? Did she just casually toss out the word ¡°widow¡°? Didn¡¯t she consider her an outsider at all? Mrs Kelley said, ¡°You¡¯ve been wanting to find evidence of Skyler drugging you, right? I can help you with that. Skyler is hell¨Cbent on making Miss ir her daughter¨Cinw, her nst night failed, but she¡¯ll definitely have other ns, I can be your mole, keeping you updated on her movements. Skyler¡¯s tactics are way more intricate than you think, and you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡± Celeste went silent for a while, then asked, ¡°What do you want in return? Mrs. Kelley said, ¡°I can handle my own enemies, but I might need Mr. Reed¡¯s help from time to time, hope you can put in a good word for me Celeste chuckled, ¡°Your targets are not just your husband, but also Skyler, right? Why do you think Liam would listen to me, to help you out? We¡¯re already divorced.¡± ¡°He ratted out the Barlow family¡¯s production line for you, he kicked Skyler out of the Reed family for you.¡± Mrs. Kelley paused, ¡°We¡¯re both adults here, no need to y dumb. You and Liam had a good timest night, didn¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t give Liam any heavy¨Cduty drugs, if he wasn¡¯t willing. nothing would¡¯ve happened between you two, right? Celeste would really like to ¡°thank¡± her! Celeste was still on guard with Mrs Kelley. But having a mole close to Skyler was a good thing. If Skyler¡¯s n worked just once, no matter how understanding she was, she wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the betrayal. After thinking for a while, Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯ll put in a good word for you, but whether Liam will help or not, I can¡¯t guarantee that.¡± Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Chapter 893 ¡°Alright,¡± Mrs. Kelley gave a small smile, ¡°Looking forward to working with you.¡± Celeste stopped her, ¡°Can I ask, how do you n on getting back at your husband?¡± Mrs. Kelley used to always unt her husband, always going on and on about him at gatherings with otherdies, showing off her love life, which made here off as a bit immature. When she told Mrs. Kelley about her husband¡¯s affair, Mrs. Kelley didn¡¯t react She thought Mrs. Kelley was going to just swallow her pride and live with it, who knew Mrs. Kelley was plotting revenge all this time. Every time the matter was brought up, Mrs Kelley¡¯s face would darken, ¡°Im going to make him completely trust me, depend on me, can¡¯t live without me, and then I¡¯ll personally push him into hell¡± Mrs. Kelley really was going all out with her love and hate. Just as she hung up the call with Mrs. Kelley, the doorbell rang. Trisha ran to open the door in her slippers, soon after, footsteps could be heard Celeste didn¡¯t look up, continuing to edit Trisha¡¯s resume, ¡°Who is it? ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± a gentle voice came, Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Mr. Fletcher?¡± Mason was holding flowers, smiling gently, ¡°I came unannounced, I hope I didn¡¯t disturb you.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Celeste quickly stood up, clearing the clutter on the sofa, ¡°Have a seat, I¡¯ll go make you something to drink.¡± Trisha, who had a good impression of Mason, volunteered, ¡°You chat with Mr. Fletcher, I¡¯ll prepare the drinks.¡± Mason handed her a bouquet, ¡°No need to be so formal. There were some things I wanted to discuss with you after we partedst night, but I couldn¡¯t get through your phone, so I was a bit worried. I happened to be in the neighbourhood today and thought I¡¯d drop by to check on you¡± Celeste took the flowers, joking. ¡°You bought flowers on your way here?¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s my first time at your ce, I couldn¡¯te empty¨Chanded, right? I saw a flower shop on the way, so I bought a bouquet, you have so many flowers at home, I figured flowers would be a safe choice.¡± Celeste was touched by his thoughtfulness, she gently said, ¡°Thank you, I love them.¡± ¡°Have a seat, I¡¯ll find a vase for the flowers.¡± Mason nodded. He looked around the room, his gazending on the ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± poster on the wall. He stared at Celeste¡¯s picture for a while before finally looking away. He turned to see Celeste on her tiptoes, reaching for a vase on the shelf, but she was too short and couldn¡¯t reach it. She was just about to move a chair when the light above her dimmed, a hand reached over her head and took down the vase This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Why is it so high up?¡± Mason put the vase on the table, gently saying. ¡°This shelf isn¡¯t secure yet, if someone bumps into it, it could fall and hit someone. It¡¯s quite dangerous.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Nope, it wasn¡¯t me who ced it. Liam did it when he camest time.¡± As she spoke, she took out the withered flowers from the vase. Mason paused for a moment, then chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s still as clueless as ever, isn¡¯t he? Putting it so high, you have to grab a stool every time you water it. What a hassle.¡± That was just how Liam was, but Celeste didn¡¯t like hearing negativements about him from others. So, she didn¡¯t continue the topic. Possibly sensing hisment was off, Mason quickly changed the subject. ¡°This bouquet. Have you kept it this long?¡± ¡°Yeah, too pretty to let go,¡± replied Celeste. Then, a thought suddenly crossed her mind, ¡°Did Liam ask for your advice when he bought these flowers?¡± The bouquet Mason brought, wasn¡¯t it quite simr to the one Liam had given before? Mason paused for a moment, looking at the dried flowers. He asked, ¡°Are you saying this bouquet was from Liam?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°Yes, the one he gave before. It¡¯s all withered now. When he first brought it, it was very simr to yours. I thought his taste had improved a lot, turns out he asked you¡± Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Chapter 894 ¡°I had no idea Liam sent you flowers. He didn¡¯t run it by me,¡± Mason said, eyeing the bouquet. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s ¡®cause we have simr tastes. These flowers look like the ones I had someone send to you on your first day of filming.¡± Celeste Campbell blinked, ¡°You sent me flowers on that day?¡± Mason nodded. Celeste frowned, ¡°Did you send them to the set?¡± ¡°No, I was worried you wouldn¡¯t get them, so I had them delivered to your home. There was a card inside too,¡± Mason saw her frown deepen and ventured, ¡°Did you not get them?¡± Celeste thought back to that day. She had juste back with Liam, who insisted on having tea. When she had gone to her room to change, Liam hade in with a bouquet, saying it was specially ordered for her She had praised Liam¡¯s improved taste at the time, but he didn¡¯t seem happy about it, rather he looked upset. He was usually the type that would be on cloud nine when beingplimented, so why wasn¡¯t he happy? If the flowers weren¡¯t actually from him, it would make sense Tossing the card from someone else¡¯s bouquet and pretending it was from him was totally something he would pull off ¡°Celeste¡°¡± When she didn¡¯t respond, Mason called out her name. Celeste snapped back to reality and saw the concern in Mason¡¯s eyes. It was incredibly awkward. Even though it was something Liam had done, she felt embarrassed She cleared her throat and defended Liam, ¡°I remember now. I think the security called me that day about a delivery. But I was super busy those days and totally spaced.¡± She apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to overlook it.¡± Mason watched as she apologized sincerely. His fingers tightened unconsciously before finally saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a bouquet. There¡¯s no need to apologize for not receiving it.¡± Even though he said that, Celeste felt incredibly awkward knowing that Liam had almost been exposed for passing off someone else¡¯s gift as his own Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll check with securityter,¡± Celeste muttered as she began trimming the flowers. Mason didn¡¯t continue the topic and instead picked up a few roses, asking. ¡®Why the rose stems were cut diagonally?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure, I just noticed that other flower enthusiasts do it that way. Perhaps it increases the cut surface area for better water absorption and longer freshness? Speaking of which, how¡¯s your nt doing? Are there still ck spots on the new leaves?¡± She turned her head and smiled at him, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of her skin through the neckline, where the distinct red marks on her corbone were clearly visible Mason froze In an instant, a flurry of images shed in his mind ¨C a messy apartment, endless arguments, culminating in a kiss, shattering into countless pieces. The world was reduced to ck, white, and red. Seeing his silence, Celeste turned to him with a puzzled look. Mason¡¯s lips were tightly shut, his face pale and his condition seemed off. Celeste paused, then asked, ¡°Mason?¡± Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Mason snapped back to reality. He stared at Celeste and after a few seconds of silence, then replied, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t look so good, are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Mason managed a weak smile. He put down the roses and touched his temple, ¡°I think it¡¯s just some side effects from my new meds. Sometimes they make me dizzy¡± Just as Celeste was about to speak, she noticed blood on Mason¡¯s temple, She gasped, ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mason looked puzzled and reached up to touch it, but Celeste grabbed his sleeve, ¡°It¡¯s your hand that¡¯s bleeding¡± Mason looked down and saw his right palm smeared with blood, several small cuts still bleeding The roses he had put aside were also stained with some blood. Clearly, he had been pricked by the rose thorns. ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± Celeste sat beside him, cleaning his wounds and counting the number of cuts. Finally, she eximed in surprise, ¡°Sixt Six puncture wounds, didn¡¯t you feel it?¡± Mason shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m kinda numb to pain.¡± Celeste prudently closed her mouth and chose not to speak further. She had asked about this during her grandmother¡¯s birthday party and Mason had exined that his burns made him insensitive to pain. She couldn¡¯t ask again. But she was still a bit confused. His arm had been burned and was therefore a bit numb to pain, but his palm wasn¡¯t burned. Six puncture wounds and he didn¡¯t feel any pain at all? With this thought, Celeste¡¯s gaze softened and filled with confusion The wounds weren¡¯t deep, but the blood wouldn¡¯t stop flowing. She wiped it with a cotton swab, and immediately new blood beads appeared. Celeste found it strange and casually remarked, ¡°Your blood flows really fast, almost like a hemophiliac.¡± Mason paused, then slowly said, ¡°Really? That obvious? I¡¯m a mild hemophiliac Celeste froze¡­ Why did she always speak before thinking? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t making a joke about the condition.¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not that sensitive, and my condition is mild Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He pulled out a small bottle of medicine from his pocket and handed it to Celeste, ¡°Could you open this for me? Sprinkle some in my palm.¡± Celeste hurriedly took it, opened the bottle and sprinkled the powder into Mason¡¯s palm. He pressed the powder onto the wounds with a cotton ball. After about half a minute, the bleeding stopped. Celeste was surprised. ¡°This is like that magical ointment we see in sci¨Cfi shows, the one that heals wounds instantly.¡± Masonughed at herment, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just thrombin.¡± Mason had already experienced burns, headaches and now he had hemophilia. His life was really one hurdle after another. In Celeste¡¯s mind, if it were her, she¡¯d be whining non¨Cstop about life¡¯s unfairness. Yet, here was Mason, still incredible and with such a good temper. This gentle and brave soul was truly admirable. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you mention you had something to tell me?¡± At that, Mason paused a bit before saying, ¡°It¡¯s about that house you mentioned. I had someone check it outst night. Turns out, someone¡¯s already living in it. The neighbors say the family¡¯s been there for years. The owner¡¯s name is Daniel Campbell. Does that ring any bells?¡± Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Chapter 896 ¡°Yes¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°That¡¯s Shawn Campbell¡¯s younger brother, my uncle, Are they still living there?¡± Mason quickly picked up on the key word in her question, ¡°You said ¡®still¡¯, does that mean they previously lived there?¡± Celeste nodded. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°When Daniel¡¯s kids came to town for school and didn¡¯t have a ce to stay, my mom gave them the keys to the old house. She said the house would fall apart if no one lived in it, and since we¡¯re all family, we should help each other. So, my mom let them live there. Counting from my second year of junior high, it¡¯s been about eleven or twelve years now Their family¡¯s situation has improved a lot over the years. They bought a house in the city a few years ago, and i even attended their housewarming party I thought they had moved out already¡± Mason said in a deep voice, ¡°They didn¡¯t just stay, do you know that the backyard of that house has now be a kindergarten?¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°I remember that the backyard was just an open space, with no house¡± Thend owned by Celeste¡¯s grandfather was veryrge, spanning several thousand square meters. Although the house was notrge, the yard was expansive ording to Caitlyn, thend was originally owned by the grandfather and his two brothers, but after the two brothers joined the army, there was no further news from them. The grandfather built a wall around thend to prevent it from being upied by others. On therge open space, there were only two small houses which were used to store the grandfather¡¯s gardening tools and fertilizers How could it be a kindergarten? ¡°Of course, an open space can¡¯t be a kindergarten, but there are now buildings constructed on it, and after renovation, the neighbors said that this kindergarten has been there for at least four or five years.¡± Celeste tumed pale, ¡°You mean they built a house there and opened a kindergarten?¡± ¡°Whether the kindergarten was opened by them or not, I need to continue investigating,¡± Mason paused, ¡°Celeste, in all these years, you¡¯ve never been to this house?¡± Celeste shook her head with a grim expression, ¡°The house is quite a distance from the city, my grandfather passed away early, and I have hardly ever been to that house I was not clear about the ownership of the house then either. It was always my mother who dealt with it. After she had an ident, I forgot about this house. It was only when I was sorting out her belongings that I found out she owned property and vehicles.¡± Celeste paused. ¡°So what should we do now? Is there a way to get them to move out immediately?¡± Mason said, ¡°You just said that two¨Cthirds of thisnd belonged to your grandfather¡¯s two younger brothers, both of whom have no family, right?¡± Celeste nodded. ¡°Then you are their only heir, and that two¨Cthirds of thend has nothing to do with Shawn. The other one¨Cthird, both you and Shawn have the right to use, so your dispute with Shawn only involves this one¨Cthird of thend. As long as you have the proof of ownership, you can definitely ask them to leave.¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°No need to go to court?¡± Mason nodded. But before Celeste could rejoice, Mason began to advise again. ¡°However, don¡¯t celebrate too early. I¡¯ve dealt with a lot of property disputes before. These types of cases are not difficult to handle, as long as there is sufficient evidence, the issue ofnd ownership is very clear. But these cases are often the ones thatwyers are reluctant to take on.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because even if you win the case, you may not be able to get your house back. People are always greedy. They¡¯ve lived in this house for more than a decade, upying thousands of square meters of land. Who wouldn¡¯t want to own it? Although the court¡¯s ruling is simple, implementation is very difficult¡± Celeste thought of her aunt¡¯s fierce and unreasonable attitude, which made her feel a headache and annoyed, but she was still very confident ¡°Fine, as long as thew says it¡¯s mine, I¡¯ll find a way to get it back. If I really can¡¯t get it back, I won¡¯t let the person who illegally upies it get away with it¡± Seeing her fighting spirit, Mason suddenlyughed. ¡°I will help you reim this house.¡± Celesteughed, ¡°I¡¯ve already received my acting fee, so I can pay you even morewyer fees this time.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Um¡­ probably six figures.¡± Mason nodded, ¡°Not bad, that¡¯s enough to support me.¡± Celeste took it as a joke andughed, ¡°Supporting you is really expensive.¡± Masonughed softly, ¡°You could also choose to buy me for zero dors, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Chapter 897 The conversation between the two made Trisha Colton¡¯s heart race from the sidelines. Could this be¡­ a confession to Celeste? She knew it! She knew this handsome Bentley boy had a thing for Letti! Who would give up an easy big¨Cmoney job to deal with such a trifling dispute? Letti was just too slow, saying she was overthinking it. Was it her overthinking, or was she just blind to other men, only seeing Liam? She just didn¡¯t get it, what was so great about Liam, other than his face? Such a sharp tongue, such a schemer Based on that time he had her arrested, causing her emotional trauma, she always felt that if one day he stopped liking Letti, he might send her to jail in a fit of anger. He¡¯s just a yboy Mr. Fletcher, on the other hand, waspletely different. Handsome, gentle, polite, knowledgeable aboutw, with a stable career as awyer. He cares about Letti¡¯s safetyte at night and keeps calling to confirm. What a safe boyfriend! Way better than that sharp¨Ctongued bad boy Liam, right? She was totally focused on Celeste¡¯s response, and Mason had already hinted so much, wouldn¡¯t she get it? Trisha perked up her ears, observing secretly All she heard was Celeste serving tea to Mason, saying, ¡°Nics Francis said you don¡¯t have a girlfriend because you¡¯re too blunt and not good at talking to girls. How misunderstood he is about you. You¡¯re clearly skilled at sweet talking, aren¡¯t you?¡± Liam, that dummy, definitely couldn¡¯t pull off such smooth talk. If she told Liam. ¡°It¡¯s so expensive to keep you.¡± Liam would probably retort, ¡°Are you too poor?¡± Trisha Feeling all the ups and downs, Letti really did not disappoint, she was not at all swayed by his sweet talk! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Mason also lowered his head and asked, ¡°Did I sway you, though?¡± Celeste gestured a distance with her finger, jokingly saying, ¡°Almost. As someone who¡¯s been married and knows the essence of marriage, obviously money is more effective in moving me.¡± Mason paused, thenughed. ¡°So, how much money would it take to move you?¡± Celeste got more and more excited, ¡°At least a few billion, right? If he¡¯s handsome, has a good body, lets me manage the money, and listens to me, that would be even better.¡± She finished, propping her chin on her hand and squinting, ¡°Are my requirements too much?¡± Trisha was speechless¡­ In her heart she thought: Might as well just say Liam¡¯s name, your demanding requirements can only be fully met by him. Masonughed for a long time before he said, ¡°Not at all, you deserve to be loved by such a perfect man.¡± Celeste felt Mason¡¯s high emotional intelligence and ability to sweet talk. She thought, if it were Liam, he¡¯d probably say, ¡°Go to sleep, dreams have everything¡± Even though he would eventually do it silently, his sharp tongue really put people off But thinking from another angle, even if he had some charm, his own words would ruin it. What¡¯s wrong with her today, she just left him alone for a while, why does she always think of Liam? Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Celeste rubbed her ears, coughed and said, ¡°After your case is over, I¡¯ll take a leave of absence from the director. We should deal with the house issue to prevent endless problems.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mason paused for a moment, took out two boxes of pastries from his bag and put them on the coffee table, ¡°These are pastries from thepany, they taste pretty good, I brought two for you.¡± Hearing there was food, Trisha immediately ran over ¡°Wow! Basque cake!¡± She nced at the box and immediately recognized that it was a particrly authentic brand, ¡°Their Basque cake is really delicious! It¡¯s just a bit pricey, yourpany is really loaded¡± Mason smiled, ¡°A female colleague ordered it, if you like it, next time I¡¯ll have her order more and bring it to you.¡± Before Celeste could speak, Trisha nodded in agreement, ¡°Bring some cheesecake next time too, that¡¯s also delicious.¡± Celeste was speechless¡­ Are Trisha and Nics rted? How can they not control themselves when they see food? After saying all this, Mason didn¡¯t stay too long, after receiving a text message, he said goodbye and left. Only after Celeste had sent him to the elevator did shee back, by this time, Trisha had already opened the pastry box. There were two Basque cakes in one box, beautifully packaged, apanied by a cake¨Cpatterned keychain. Trisha excitedly shouted, ¡°This keychain is a limited¨Ceditionmemorative item from their brand this year, only given when spending over two thousand I have a colleague who has one, I¡¯ve always been envious! Mason is such a good guy, not only bringing desserts, but also this collectible¡± Celeste joked, ¡°Compared to your Dr. Ledford, who is more handsome, Mason? Should I introduce you to each other? Mason is single too.¡± Trisha immediately put down the keychain, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I don¡¯t approve of your choice of Liam, and I don¡¯t expect you to help me choose a boyfriend.¡± She and Trisha perfectly illustrated what true friendship is they just didn¡¯t approve of each other¡¯s choice of boyfriend. Trisha picked up the other box of pastries and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s one in this box. I¡¯ll open it for you.¡± Celeste agreed Sure enough, there was another cake keychain in the other box. Trisha was very happy. She originally thought there was only one and nned to give it to Celeste, but now there were two, one for each of them. She took out both of their keys, reced them with the cake keychains, then took a picture with her phone, posted it, and couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°Finally my turn to show off, my friend and I have matching keychains, let them all be jealous!¡± Celeste was tying her hair, and sheughed, ¡°So childish.¡± Just as she finished tying her hair, Liam sent a message, ¡°Why do you and your friend have matching ones, but we don¡¯t have couple ones?¡± This guy is even more immature than Trisha She replied, ¡°I have a question for you.¡± Liam sent a well¨Cbehaved emoji. Celeste texted, ¡°Were you the one who sent the flowers on the night of Valentine¡¯s Day?¡± Liam was taken aback She suddenly asked this question, she must have found out something. He deleted the ¡°yes¡± he had just typed and retyped: ¡°No, I just signed for you at your apartment door¡± Celeste was taken aback, she hadn¡¯t expected him to just admit sa straightforwardly that he hadn¡¯t ordered the flowers. This immediately weakened her initial n to get angry about the matter ¡°Why did you say it was you then? Today Mason asked me about it, I said it was you. Do you know how embarrassed I was?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°Just ignore him.¡± ¡°I should be ignoring you! Who uses other people¡¯s flowers as a gift? Is this your way of wooing me?¡± Liam scoffed, it was a coincidence that someone else¡¯s flowers had been delivered to her door, he was already kind not to just throw them away. But he still sounded a bit unsure, ¡°I was in a hurry to see you and forgot to buy flowers. I¡¯ll remember next time.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Liam paused, then said, ¡°Are you still feeling unwell? Do you want me to take a few more days off?¡± Celeste was taken aback, she understood immediately what Liam meant. Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Celeste chuckled, ¡°Mr. Reed, don¡¯t be so sensitive.¡± A glint of delight shed in Liam¡¯s eyes as he responded, ¡°I have some time offing up, are you nning to spend it with me?¡± Celeste was taken aback. She lowered her head and said, ¡°We¡¯ll see when the timees. You should spend some time with your grandma now that you have some free time.¡± Liam wanted to suggest that they could visit his grandma together. But then he thought that their rtionship was still a secret, so Celeste might not befortable going public. Besides, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Reed family and would probably prefer not to see them during her vacation. Liam didn¡¯t voice these thoughts, instead he went back to the initial topic. ¡°I want us to have matching outfits too.¡± Celeste was surprised, then she giggled. This issue hadn¡¯t been resolved. She said, ¡°I bought so many matching outfits at home before, and you hardly wore any.¡± Liam quickly replied, ¡°You expect a man like me to wear pink pajamas?¡± Celesteughed. Couples outfits were usually pink and blue. But she didn¡¯t like pink, so she always gave the pink ones to Liam. Being a macho man, Liam naturally didn¡¯t want to wear pink. Celeste teased. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with pink? Don¡¯t assume only women can wear pink. Many men wear pink nowadays. And your fair skin makes pink look sexy on you.¡± Liam pondered for a moment and then asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? You know, I bought all those pink clothes for you because I thought they would look good on you, but you never wore them.¡± Liam¡¯s mood was instantly confused by Celeste, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll give it a try next time.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t force yourself, Celeste imitated Liam¡¯s tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be with me just to please me. I want you to be with me because you want to¡± Liam sighed. ¡°Sometimes I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re being serious or just being sarcastic.¡± Celeste raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh, losing patience with me so soon?¡± Liam chuckled softly, pressed his phone, and sent a voice message, ¡°Even though you¡¯re always stern when you talk, as soon as I kiss your earlobe, your tone bes soft, and your voice bes tender I like that, I like that you¡¯re like this only with me.¡± After hearing this, Celeste blushed and pulled her phone away from her ear, replying with a cold smiley face ¡°Letti, do you want some cake now?¡± Trisha, munching away, handed her a slice of Basque cake, ¡°I¡¯ve cut it for you.¡± Celeste put her phone away and smiled, ¡°No, thanks, these cakes are all yours. The doctor suggested that I adjust my diet, so I should eat less of these high¨Ccalorie foods.¡± Trisha swallowed the cake in her mouth and asked, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Celeste nodded, ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°What did the doctor suggest you eat? Tell me, I don¡¯t have much going ontely, I can cook for you.¡± Celeste hugged her tightly, ¡°Babe, thank you, you just rest up, I can handle this¡± ¡°Then if you¡¯re not eating this, I¡¯ll give it to Dr. Ledford¡± Celeste paused slightly, asking ¡°You and Dr. Ledford haven¡¯t made any progress?¡± As soon as she mentioned this, Trisha got excited, ¡°There¡¯s been some progress recently. The job I¡¯m about to apply for was introduced by Dr. Ledford.¡± ¡°Then one box of cake might not be enough.¡± ¡°This is just a small gift. If I really get the job, I¡¯ll definitely prepare another gift.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Why not invite him over for dinner? I can also help you gauge his character.¡± Trisha paused, ¡°Your taste¡­ nevermind.¡± Celeste pretended to hit her, stared at her and said, ¡°Though Liam is a bit blunt, at least his character is reliable.¡± ¡°He called the cops on me.¡± Celeste¡­ ¡°So are you going to invite him over or not?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Trisha hugged her tightly, ¡°If you¡¯re there, I won¡¯t be nervous about eating with him. Otherwise, it would be so awkward.¡± After putting the box of cake for Dr. Ledford in the fridge, Trisha stuffed another box she had eaten into her pocket and went out. Celeste saw her action and called out to her, ¡°So eating out doesn¡¯t make you gain weight?¡± Trisha snorted and exined, ¡°I¡¯m taking it to Naggy NicsText content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Chapter 900 for Mr. Francis? Are you ying Santa us or something?¡± Celeste looked genuinely surprised, ¡°You¡¯re getting one for Dr. Ledford and Trisha looked helpless. ¡°Nics and I are just friends, okay? I need his help with something I can¡¯t just go to him empty handed, can 17o Celeste made an ¡°Oh sound. ¡°These are your favorite desserts. It¡¯s one thing to Nics Are you guys close enough to share your favorite food now?¡± them with Dr Ledford, but you¡¯re also sharing them with Trisha was taken aback and took a while to respond. Tve already opened them, they¡¯re not brand new She seemed reluctant to dwell on this topic. After she finished speaking, the opened the door and left. I¡¯m leaving first ¡® And then she disappeared behind the door As Mason started his car to leave the parking lot, he saw a familiar Maserati pull in As the cars passed each other Mason immediately spotted Steven Garcia sitting in the back seat Mason watched thoughtfully for a while then drove away Trisha quickly reached door 902 She thought for a while in her mind trying to figure out how to use her eloquence to persuade Nics to add more content to her resume Having organized her thoughts, she rang the doorbell After waiting for a while without seeing anyone, she frowned and pressed the bell a few more times Nics should be home, why isn¡¯t he answering the door? She took out her phone, just about to call Nics, when the door of 902 suddenly opened. A woman¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Trisha was stunned Looking up, she saw a stunning girl wearing only a man¡¯s shirt, with her lower body bare The door wasn¡¯t fully open, just partially, she was leaning on the doorknob, tilting her head to size Trisha up Trisha was also looking at the girl, she was very tall, even taller than Celeste, with incredibly long legs. Her hair wi features were very pronounced, and she was oozing charm from every pore casually tied to one side, Trisha recognized her, she was Cindy, the reigning queen of film and television this year, one of Nics ex¨Cgirlfriends, and the most sessful of all his ex¨Cgirlfriends Seeing Trisha silent, Cindy asked impatiently. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Trisha snapped back to reality. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Nics Cindy took a good look at the girl in front of her whose head only reached her chin, and only after a few seconds did she ask, with him?¡± Trisha pressed her lips together, didn¡¯t answer, but asked, ¡°Is he home?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Cindy replied bluntly. ¡°No¡± As soon as she finished speaking. Nics voice came, ¡°Who¡¯s there? As he spoke, he walked to the door opened it fully, and saw Trisha. Nics was taken aback for a moment, then asked a little awkwardly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Trisha looked at Nics He was wearing a bathrobe, his hair still dripping wet, as if he had just taken shower Trisha stared nkly at him, feeling a bit uneasy She felt a tingling repressed sensation, a feeling of difort. Maybe it was because she was jealous of Nics rapid progress in love After all, some peoples love lives we were still single As a single girl she was naturally a little jealous you want like a house on fire, while others Trisha took a dessert out of the box and handed it to him. ¡°This is a Basque cake i brought for you, it tastes really good ¡± Before Nics could reply. Cindy said. ¡°Just a dessert? is that really an appropriate gift?¡± Nics snapped, ¡°Shut up, it¡¯s not for you!¡± Chapter 901 Chapter 901 Chapter 901 Cindy pouted but didn¡¯t retort, she let go of the doorknob and turned to walk back into the room. Trisha felt a little awkward, not sure whether to give him the dessert or take it back. Nics took the dessert and whispered, ¡°Did you buy this?¡± Trisha replied, ¡°Someone gave it to me, there were two in a box, I ate one and brought the other one for you.¡± Nics¡® eyes lit up. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, then tried to suppress it, he put his fist to his lips and coughed lightly, ¡°Did youe all the way here just to give me this dessert?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something else I wanted to ask for your help with,¡± Trisha paused for a moment, ¡°but it seems like now isn¡¯t a good time, we can talk about it some other day.¡± As she spoke, she turned to leave. Nics quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm, ¡°I¡¯m not busy,e in and talk¡± He then pulled her into the room. Trisha wanted to refuse, after all, they were a couple who were currently enjoying their sweet time together, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for her to interrupt But before she could resist, Nics had already pulled her into the room. She stopped and gave up resisting. Nics put the dessert on the coffee table, then walked into the kitchen. Trisha looked around, there was a woman¡¯s bag on the single sofa, two high heels were scattered on the floor, and there was a box of unfinished instant noodles on the coffee table. It must be Cindy¡¯s, because Nics was picky and didn¡¯t like instant food. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± Nics¡® voice came from the kitchen. Trisha snapped back to reality and replied, ¡°Just water.¡± Nics hand, which was about to open the fridge, paused, then he closed the fridge door, picked up a cup and went to get hot water. Trisha leaned back on the sofa and suddenly felt like she was pressing against something. She looked down and was startled, it was a woman¡¯s bra She stared nkly at the thing in her hand, then Cindy¡¯s voice came, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s pretty?¡± Trisha looked up to see Cindy leaning against the wall, she had changed into a vest and a pair of tight pants, her hair was let down, she was holding a cigarette in her hand, the smoke was curling around her, she was alluring. She said, ¡°This type of bra is veryfortable.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Trisha silently moved her hand away, not responding. She stared at Trisha for a while, then suddenly said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before?¡± Trisha thought to herself, she has a good memory, they only met once, and that was two years ago She was temporarily assigned as an assistant to an artist in thepany, and she stayed with the crew for half a month. At that time, Cindy was the leadingdy Once, she forgot her umbre and was harshly scolded by the artist Cindy happened to pass by, handed them an umbre, then coldly said, ¡°Stop nagging,¡± and left, solving her problem. Trisha had met a lot of arrogant and rude stars in the entertainment industry, but very a few people made her feel respected, and Cindy was one of them. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I used to be an assistant on some set ¡°Oh.¡± Cindy stopped talking and continued smoking. The smell of the smoke wasn¡¯t strong, but Trisha was sensitive to the smell of tobo and soon couldn¡¯t help but cough. The moment Nics came out, he saw the scene, furrowed his brows, snuffed out the cigarette in Cindy¡¯s mouth, and sternly said, ¡°I told you not to smoke in my house¡± Cindy was a little angry, ¡°Weren¡¯t you smokingst night too? What are you pretending now?¡± Last night¡­ Trisha bit her lip, her fingers unconsciously clenching tight. Nics frowned, ¡°This is my house. If you¡¯re not happy, leave.¡± Cindy red at him, taking a while before saying. ¡°I won¡¯t leave!¡± Having said that, she went back to her room. Nics ced a ss of water in front of Traha, turned on the venttion system, then sat down next to her, ¡°You said there was something you Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Trisha wet her lips slightly, ¡°You have a guest. Perhaps I shoulde another time.¡± She started to get up when Nics gently held her shoulder and guided her back to her seat. ¡°No worries, just spit it out. She won¡¯t disrupt us, and even if she overhears, she won¡¯t bber¡± Trisha sat back down, pondering for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m nning on doing some interviews these days. I¡¯ve been working on my resume, but I feel like my experience doesn¡¯t stand out I was wondering, do you guys have any unaired shows that I could co¨Cwrite? And if so, can we list my name there?¡± After finishing her sentence, she added, ¡°If this request puts you in an awkward spot, just forget I ever said it.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Nics chuckled ¡°I thought it was something serious.¡± Seeing his rxed demeanor, Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So, can I join?¡± Nics looked at her eager face, and couldn¡¯t resist teasing her, ¡°Sure, but you gotta give me something in return.¡± Without missing a beat. Trisha responded, ¡°How about I bring you another box of pastries?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Nics snickered, ¡°I have plenty of money. Those things money can buy, I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± Somewhat perplexed, Trisha asked, ¡°So what do you want?¡± Nics didn¡¯t hesitate to exin his condition. ¡°You¡¯ll cook for me for a year.¡± Trisha was taken aback, ¡°You have a girlfriend, and you want me to cook for you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ¡°Nics started to answer, but stopped abruptly, then cleared his throat and said, ¡°Does she look like she can cook?¡± Trisha elbowed him. ¡°Are you saying I look like I do grunt work?¡± Nics ducked in time to avoid getting hurt, but he pretended to flinch and sighed, ¡°I was complimenting you on being adaptable.¡± Trisha snorted, ¡°A year is too long. At most, one month, Nics clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s a steep discount, don¡¯t you think? This is about your job, I can ept at least half a year.¡± Trisha stood up and said, ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Nics grabbed her quickly. ¡°Negotiation requirespromise. You can¡¯t just bail because I made a condition¡± Trisha red at him. ¡°I ask you for a favor and I have to be your nanny for half a year? I might as well be your nanny outright. Why the hell am I wasting my breath?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. We¡¯ll stick to the previous sry agreement, you just take care of my meals, and you can use the rest of the time as you please You¡¯ll also have time to work on your script and who knows, you might write a hit.¡± Trisha struggled, ¡°Let gol¡± Nics helplessly said. ¡°Three months, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m offering you so much help, you just have to cook for me for three months. That¡¯s a fair trade, isn¡¯t it?¡± Trisha stopped struggling, she shot Nics a nce, ¡°I¡¯ll cook on the odd days of the week and rest on the even days. Take it or leave it. Nics gritted his teeth, ¡°Fine, I¡¯llpromise¡± Trisha gave a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re so generous.¡± Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Chapter 903 She Instinctively reached out to pat his arm in appreciation, but her hand stopped halfway and fell back. Nics didn¡¯t notice her hesitation, he grabbed his phone and said, ¡°Hold on. I need to make a call.¡± He walked out on to the balcony. Trisha sat on the couch, her eyes falling on the lingerie again. For some reason, she pulled out a cushion to cover it. Nics finished the call and returned to see Trisha sipping on hot water. Her round face, with a bit of baby fat, moved with each sip, like a hamster stuffing its cheeks, irresistibly cute Nics walked over and asked, ¡°You usually drink beer or coke when youe here. Why are you drinking hot water today?¡± Trisha replied. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, I¡¯m on my period.¡± Nics was taken aback and blurted out. ¡°You have periods?¡± Trisha paused, her face darkening. She gritted her teeth, ¡°If I don¡¯t have period, am I a man?¡± She pulled out an unopened sanitary pad from her pocket, dropped it into his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t need this, you keep it!¡± With that, she stormed off. Nics rushed after her, but it was toote. Trisha had mmed the door behind her and disappeared. He opened the door, but she was long gone He held the sanitary pad in his hand, feeling a little uneasy. He was just joking, was it really that serious? He turned around to see Cindy sitting at the dining table, her slender eyes slowly sizing him up, then she smiled, ¡°So that¡¯s your little chef, quite interesting.¡± Nics stiffened, shooting her a cold look, ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± Cindy ignored his warning, leaning in to whisper in his ear, ¡°Have you two slept together yet?¡± Nics looked at her, their faces too close, quite intimate, but his eyes were devoid of any emotion. He pushed Cindy¡¯s hand away and said tly, ¡°None of your business.¡± Cindy justughed. Ignoring the lunatic, Nics pushed her away. ¡°Better call your agent to pick you up. If you stay longer than an hour, I¡¯ll throw you out.¡± Cindy rolled her eyes, ¡°If you throw me out, tomorrow¡¯s headlines will be about our reunion. I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m single anyway. It might be nice to rekindle some old mes¡± Nics grimaced. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m easy? Just go¡± Cindy just brushed off his words and went back to her room. Quantum Enterprises Liam looked at the information Owen had found, his face growing serious. Seeing Liam¡¯s anger, Owen remained silent Last night¡¯s were too bizarre. So bizarre that if one step had gone wrong, Mr. Reed and his wife wouldn¡¯t have been safe today. Mr. Reed asked him to investigate this matter, but he received a call from Mrs. Kelley early in the morning. Mrs. Kelley sobbed over the phone and exined that she had no choice but to drug Liam as per Skyler Reed¡¯s orders. But she didn¡¯t dare to piss off Liam for real, so she just slipped him a mickey. She went to find Celeste, hoping to sort out this mess, only to stumble upon her being kidnapped. So, she swooped in, yed hero and whisked Celeste off to Liam¡¯s room. He followed the breadcrumbs Mrs Kelley left and tracked down a hotel. He kept digging and finally found the two goons who had his wife. From their loose lips, he got the lowdown on his wife¡¯s kidnapping Mrs Kelley wasn¡¯t just a bystander to the whole debacle, but her saving of Celeste was her get out of jail¨Cfree card with Liam. She owned up to her mistakes, a real click move. However, the truth was a real downer. The mastermind behind the wife¨Cnapping was Ramsey Hale, a big shot in the business world He had his wife kidnapped, just to get her into bed with Mr. Fletcher, just to get him to back down in the divorce proceedings. The nerve of that guy!Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. If it weren¡¯t for Mrs. Kelley stepping inst night, who knows how things would¡¯ve turned out Holding the documents in his hands, Liam pondered for a moment before asking. ¡°Does Mason know about this?¡± ¡°Mr. Fletcher was at the hotel and even called the police that night. He probably doesn¡¯t know this, but the one at the hotel was Ms. Garcia. She might¡¯ve dropped the case to save face¡± ¡°Unaware¡­¡± Liam repeated, deep in thought. He then ced the documents on the table and said with a serious tone. ¡°The two underground casinos in East Town, we need to help the police investigate them. It¡¯s almost the holiday season, let¡¯s give everyone a boost in performance Owen got his drift. The two underground casinos in East Town were Ramsey¡¯s. The gamblers there ranged from high¨C ranking officials to ordinary people, all sorts were present Every year, gamblers ended up taking their own lives after losing everything, making the casinos a cancer on society Who owned the casinos was no secret in the business world, but their locations often changed Every gambler had to be introduced and vetted before they could enter The gamblers didn¡¯t want to divulge any information about the casinos, and those who knew about them but weren¡¯t addicted didn¡¯t want to invite trouble After all, the casinos had been in operation for years and Ramsey hadundered so much dirty money Without inside help, it wouldn¡¯t have been so smooth Liam had a friend, a college ssmate, who jumped off a buildingst year due to gambling debts He used to be a manager in an investment bank, earning millions a year and was a standout in his field. But he got hooked on gambling, becamezy at work, and was eventually sacked after several unsessful talks with thepany. He spent all his time at the casino At the start ofst year, he came to Liam for a loan, saying his family member had a terminal illness and that he had lost all his money in the stock market Without saying much, Liam gave him two million. Less than a monthter, he came back to borrow more money, iming it wasn¡¯t enough. Liam found it strange at the time and had it checked out, which revealed the problem. This once upstanding man had be addicted to gambling, lost everything, and didn¡¯t want to change. The loaned money wasn¡¯t used to pay off his debts, but for gambling. Liam didn¡¯t loan him any more money and called the police instead. Gambling is a bottomless pit. There¡¯s no quitting and no getting the loaned money back. His friend was detained for a month and then released. Liam wrote him a letter of rmendation and found him a new job. But within two months, he ran away and took the clients¡® money. Thepany reported him to the police, who searched everywhere for him. Two weekster, his body was found on the west side of a building. The cause of death was a high fall, and a suicide note was left on the roof. The note exined that he was tens of millions in debt and couldn¡¯t pay it back and that he felt extremely guilty Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Chapter 905 When Liam attended the funeral, he saw his friend¡¯s sixty¨Cyear¨Cold father suddenly turn grey and his newborn baby waiting to be fed. Because he had jumped off a building due to gambling debts, almost none of his friends came to his funeral. The scene was deste. His old father handed Liam some valuable items left by his son and promised to pay off his son¡¯s debts in his lifetime. Owen attended the funeral with Liam. After they returned from the funeral home, Liam looked particrly sombre. He described how his ssmate had been extremely frugal at school. He carefully recorded every expense. If he had an extra te at one meal, he would only have porridge at the next. All his living expenses were spent on study materials How could such a person develop a gambling habit? Gambling habits are like drug addiction. In most cases, it¡¯s due to bad friends who gradually lead one astray. Liam felt a mixture of emotions. The objects felt unusually heavy in his hands. He had always thought that quitting gambling was simple and had overestimated people¡¯s willpower After this incident, he started investigating The ssmates who had lured his friend into gambling were all caught within two months of the funeral. But what good did that do? The person was already dead and couldn¡¯t be brought back. And the punishment for gambling was usually only two or three years. The real culprits were those who manipted everything. Liam had already found out the locations and entry rules of Ramsey¡¯s two casinos at the beginning of the year. Because many people were involved, he hadn¡¯t acted. If he did, he would make enemies. If it hadn¡¯t been for what had happened to his wife, Liam might have waited for a more suitable time to deal with him. But he couldn¡¯t tolerate what had happened to his wife. Not long after Owen left, Liam received a text message from Luci Preston on his cell phone. ¡°Ive got all the photos Shawn had. He doesn¡¯t have any negatives, and I¡¯ve cleaned out his phone.¡± Liam replied, ¡°Thanks¡± She sent another message, ¡°Your wife asked me to pretend to be pregnant to provoke Helen. Should I pretend?¡± Liam chuckled and replied, ¡°Like I said, just do what she tells you. You don¡¯t have to keep asking me. Contact me if you need help. I promise you won¡¯t miss out on what I promised you.¡± Luci felt somewhat relieved. She then opened a pregnancy test, faked the result, and threw it in the bathroom trash can. Then she came out of the bathroom looking pale. Shawn was on the phone. After he hung up and saw Luci¡¯s pale face, he asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Luci shook her head, ¡°Maybe I ate something bad I feel a bit nauseous.¡± Shawn didn¡¯t ask any more questions and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to use the bathroom, then we can go out to eat.¡± Luci¡¯s face was slightly strange as she whispered, ¡°Maybe you should use the one outside. The cleaner didn¡¯te today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Shawn didn¡¯t notice her strangeness and said, ¡°Go get changed.¡± Having said that, he went to the bathroom. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He had been very happy recently. That fifty million could be transferred to his ount in two months through legal channels. How could he not be happy? That money solved all his urgent needs. In his mind he was nning how to sweet talk Celeste again, how to get her to agree to his previous proposal. He looked down and saw the pregnancy test in the trash can¨Ctwo red lines. Shawn was a little stunned. He looked again to make sure, and indeed, there were two red lines. Luci¡¯s house, usually she¡¯s the only one living there Only he would pop in from time to time, giving her financial support. Afraid she¡¯d use his money to support other men, he even installed surveince in the house. ¨C¡°I know for sure that Luci only has I as her man. If she gets knocked up, the kid¡¯s definitely mine!¡± Shawn got pumped up instantly This year¡¯s been wicked, two surprises in a row. Things he couldn¡¯t get when he was young were now coming his way one after another as he got older. He pulled up his pants, didn¡¯t even wash his hands, and ran out to ask Luci, ¡°Are you knocked up?¡± Luci¡¯s face instantly turned to panic, ¡°No, no.¡± Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Shawn furrowed his brows, ¡°What¡¯s with the pregnancy test in the bathroom?¡± Luci kept her mouth shut. Shawn frowned, ¡°I¡¯m asking you, what¡¯s going on?¡± Luci¡¯s eyes welled up, she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve been feeling sicktely, and a coworker asked if I was pregnant. I was scared, sol bought a test¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡± she cried, her face streaked with tears, ¡°Mr. Campbell I¡¯m scared.¡± Shawn watched her teary¨Ceyed, his heart pounding She looked just like Caitlyn did when she cried back in school. It softened his heart. Would they be where they were now if Caitlyn had depended on him like this girl does? He loved her the most, so why did she betray him? Shawn hugged Luci tightly and patted her shoulder gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s go to the hospital and have a check¨Cup. If you are pregnant, we¡¯ll have the baby.¡± ¡°How can I have a baby? You have a wife, how can I raise a child? I don¡¯t want to bebelled as a home¨Cwrecker, I don¡¯t want my child to be born out of wedlock.¡± This put Shawn in a tough spot Helen was also pregnant, and if he let Luci keep the baby, Helen would throw a fit. But he didn¡¯t want Luci to have an abortion either With Luci looking so much like Caitlyn, this child seemed like a chance to fill the void of not having a child with Caitlyn. Luci looked at Shawn, sobbing softly, ¡°Mr. Campbell, I know where I stand, and I never thought I could keep this baby, I¡¯m just scared of the operation, I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult spot.¡± Shawn¡¯s heart softened. He held Luci andforted her gently, ¡°Just give me some time to think. Let¡¯s get you checked out first, confirm if you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Luci nodded obediently, snuggling into Shawn¡¯s arms and whispered, ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s a boy or a girl.¡± Shawn blinked but didn¡¯t answer. Celeste returned to the set after a day off Unexpectedly, she hadn¡¯t seen Naomi that day. Javier said she had taken a leave of absence, and everyone discussed during their breaks that Naomi was being audited by the tax department. ¡°Naomi really has guts, after the industry¨Cwide tax self¨Ccheck a few years ago, everyone coughed up over 10 billion. It was a warning, and she stil dared to evade taxes, doesn¡¯t she care about her career?¡± ¡°She relies on her sugar daddy. As long as he¡¯s okay, money isn¡¯t a problem. Even if she¡¯s caught evading taxes, there¡¯s someone to take care of her We should be more concerned about our own bonuses this month.¡± ¡°I really hope her bad deeds get exposed. She¡¯s always the most troublesome when ites to makeup. I¡¯ve never seen anyone so picky.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Keep your voice down, if she hears, she¡¯ll make trouble for you.¡± Celeste sipped her water and thought, ¡°This is karma.¡± But soon, she found out that things were even worse than just rumors. Before the whispers on the set had died down, news broke online about Naomi being kept by a man. Then, less than two dayster, an official notice dered someone had evaded over 10 million dors in taxes and had to pay up. While everyone was still guessing if it was Naomi, the brands she endorsed announced they were severing ties with her, and then her Twitter ount was suspended Chapter 907 Chapter 907 Chapter 907 Only three hours had passed between the official announcement and the Twitter suspension, leaving Celestepletely dumbfounded. Throughout the day, news about Naomi was flooding Twitter and various short¨Cvideo tforms. She had finally be the centre of attention, a hot topic, but the focus was mostly on her illegal activities. Bad news about Naomi wasing in waves. For instance, she was known for bullying neers on the set, exploiting her assistant¡¯s wages, meddling in other people¡¯s marriages, and worst of all, the news of her sexy photos and long¨Cterm use of illegal drugs was exposed The matter of the illegal drugs wasn¡¯t officially announced, so its authenticity was unclear, but her sexy photos were wildly spreading on the inte The crew of ¡°Murder¡± also fired Naomi, effectively putting an end to her acting career. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Shortly afterwards, the authorities announced the busting of tworge¨Cscale gambling dens and the arrest of several drug¨Cinvolved individuals, and the alleged organizer of the gambling operation turned out to be the well¨Cknown businessman, Ramsey Not long after, news broke out about Ramsey being involved in a murder case. He had run a coal mine over twenty years ago where a mine disaster had urred. In order to evade responsibility, he concealed the number of people in the mine, which dyed the rescue operation, resulting in seven people being buried alive underground. The families of the victims were unable to find their loved ones or receivepensation, and for over twenty years, theirints fell on deaf ears. After Ramsey was arrested, the matter was somehow brought up again. This time, a survivor from that year stepped forward to testify that there were in fact sixteen people in the mine at the time of the ident. After the ident, Ramsey, in coboration with local thugs, put pressure on everyone, and everyone was afraid of reprisals, so they chose to remain silent at the time. Subsequently, more and more survivors joined the ranks of whistleblowers. The families of the seven victims had been seeking help for over twenty years, some had already passed away, some had grown old, and having lost the main breadwinners of their households, almost every family had been living in hardship for over twenty years. This incident attracted massive attention on the inte, almost to the point of national attention. Netizens were very emotional, and everyone was voting for a retrial of the case. Under pressure from public opinion, the authorities quickly set up a special task force to investigate the site of the coal mine disaster from that year. The local police and fire rescue team, twenty yearster, once again began to dig at the site of the ident, but this time, they were looking for the remains of the victims Due to the attention of the whole nation and the supervision of various parties, two dayster, the first set of remains was dug up from the site of the mine disaster from that year, followed by the second set, the third set¡­ Of the seven sets of remains, only five were found, the other two couldn¡¯t be found within the search area. Several officials involved in the mine disaster case were brought to justice, and Ramsey was prosecuted. The case shocked the entire country. The local government rebuilt the gravestones of the seven victims and held a memorial service. Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Chapter 908 On that day, many media outlets also rushed to the scene to broadcast the memorial service live. During a break in filming, Celeste caught a glimpse of the live broadcast. In addition to thepensation provided by the government, the families of the seven victims also received donations from all sectors of society One individual, who wished to remain anonymous, donated ten million dors to establish an education fund for the children of the victims, which could provide up to fifty thousand in schrships annually to students upon presentation of their student IDs. The donor also wrote an elegy and had it delivered to the scene. The camera focused on the elegy ¡°May the deceased rest in peace, and their souls return to their hometown¡± Upon seeing this scene, Celeste quickly took a screenshot. She stared at the words on the elegy in the photo, her eyebrows furrowed. The handwriting why did it look so much like Liam¡¯s handwriting? As she thought, Liam sent her a message, ¡°What time do you get off work?¡± Celeste snapped out of it and replied, ¡°The director says six, but he¡¯s usually not punctual.¡± ¡®I¡¯lle to see you then.¡± Celeste felt a little nervous. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯te, you might distract me.¡± Liam chuckled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be standing by the bed this time.¡± ¡°Just wait for me outside, I¡¯ll talk to the director and shoot my scenes first.¡± Liam agreed When Celeste finished filming, changed her clothes, and came out, she saw Liam¡¯s Mercedes blocked by a Maserati. The windows of both cars were rolled down, Steven was wearing sunsses, his elbow resting on the window, smiling at Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, is yourpany so idle? Youe to the set every now and then, what, you want to make a cameo?¡± Liam nced at him, ¡°As a boss, I have to see how far the movie I invested in hase, right?¡± Steven frowned, ¡°When did you invest, why don¡¯t I know?¡± Liam sarcastically said. ¡°Did you take the two hundred million I invested in yourpany? Isn¡¯t the money invested by Yavision my investment? I have toe and see what you¡¯ve made with my money.¡± Steven¡¯s mouth twitched, he had forgotten about this He was about to speak when he saw Celeste avoiding his gaze. He immediately ignored Liam, waved his hand and called out, ¡°Celeste, off work?¡± Celeste paused, turned around andughed awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Garcia, what brings you here?¡± Steven smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s a brand that wants you to shoot amercial, I brought you here to check it out, see if you can sign.¡± Celeste fell silent The day before yesterday he had used the same excuse, and the day before that, and the day before that. If it wasn¡¯t about shooting amercial, then it was about an endorsement, or script reading¡­ Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Every time the reason was different, but every time the business partner was absent for various reasons, turning what should have been a business dinner into a two¨Cperson meal between her and Steven Liam had asked her out several times, but she never epted, thinking that she could spend more time with Liam after work today. Who knew she would run into Steven as soon as she stepped out the door, making it impossible for her to avoid him? ¡°Mr. Garcia, how about some other day?¡± Steven was taken aback, ¡°You have something on today?¡± Celeste pursed her lips. Her contract stated that she wasn¡¯t allowed to date during the contract period, would Steven demand a penalty for breach of contract on the spot if she said she was dating Liam? She naturally said, ¡°I have an appointment with Mr. Reed to discuss some matters.¡± Steven¡¯s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them as he slowly said ¡°Apart from reallocating the divorce assets, what other matters do you have to discuss with him?¡± Liam¡¯s forehead twitched slightly, ¡°What we want to discuss is our business, you don¡¯t need to interfere too much!¡°/ Seeing Liam a bit on edge, Steven immediately felt smug. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s none of my business? I¡¯m her boss now, I need to keep tabs on her life, whether it¡¯s her day¨Cto¨Cday or work or her marriage. If something goes wrong, who¡¯s gonna help me rake in the dough?¡± Liam sneered, ¡°So without Letti, you wouldn¡¯t even know how to make money anymore? You are already thirty and all you do is waste time?¡± Steven¡¯s face changed, shooting back, ¡°Still better than those who seem to be all about the Benjamins, but leave his wife high and dry when ites to divorce, right?¡± Liam was speechless. Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Celeste watched as the two men aired each other¡¯s dirtyundry and suddenly felt a headacheing on. Howe she felt that Steven had a bone to pick with Liam, even more so than her? This was definitely crossing the line for a boss In fact, since she signed with Steven, he seemed to have given her special treatment, and recently, he¡¯s been visiting her frequently. If it wasn¡¯t bringing her food, it was clothing, all in the name of the company, so she couldn¡¯t refuse However, ording to what Celeste learned from other artists signed with topany, they also receivedpany perks, but not as much as she got, and none of them had the boss personally deliver them. Steven¡¯s attention to her had already exceeded the usual rtionship between a boss and an artist. Usually, in this situation, the implication would be obvious ¨C he had ulterior motives. But Steven made no demands on her. Each time they met, he would take her out to eat, or for drinks, and they never visited the same restaurant twice. He would always order a bunch of dishes and insisted she try each one In just over a week, following him around eating all that food, she had put on three or four pounds, even Javier asked her today if she looked a bit puffy She even started to wonder if Steven was trying to make her gain weight so she wouldn¡¯t be able to act anymore, and then have her pay a penalty for not making money for thepany? But thinking about the vast wealth of the Garcia family, and then her own small penalty, Steven wouldn¡¯t do that But what he was after, Celeste really couldn¡¯t figure out. Liam didn¡¯t want to argue with Steven anymore, and turned to Celeste, ¡°Letti get in the car.¡± Before Celeste could move, Steven said, ¡°Celeste, your career is just starting to take off, don¡¯t let an insignificant person hold you back. The pay for thismercial isn¡¯t low, it¡¯s six figures. Think it through.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Celeste was speechless Seeing her silent, Liam suddenly felt a bit anxious, and sure enough, Celeste¡¯s expression started to waver. When ites to money, she has no bottom line Liam gritted his teeth. They had been married for many years, and he had spent a lot on her. Why did she act like that at the mention of money? Did money have a stronger hold on her than he did? Liam cleared his throat, drawing Celeste¡¯s attention She nced at him and caught his gaze and immediately felt guilty ¡°Actually I had made ns with Mr. Reed a long time ago.¡± Celeste decisively chose Liam, which made Liam feel a lot better. Steven nced at Liam and suddenly sighed, ¡°This ad, Eaton and I have done a lot of preparation, spent a lot of money and effort, just need to meet tonight and sign the contract. If you don¡¯t go tonight, I don¡¯t know if we can arrange another meeting.¡± Celeste She looked at Steven, then at Liam. Liam seemed to know that she might ept Steven¡¯s invitation, his eyes were a bit lost Celeste found it a bit funny, did he have no faith in her? She said, ¡°Steve, it¡¯s not convenient today. I have a younger brother, Sean, who¡¯s about to start school. Liam once tutored him, and his family want to have Liam over dinner. They know him through me, so I have to go¡± Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Liam was stunned, his entire being filled with joy. Only one thought filled his mind: she chose me. Steven pursed his lips and although he didn¡¯t show his feelings, Celeste could sense his displeasure Celeste sighed. Steven¡¯s inexplicable kindness, honestly, scared her a bit. Mason was also good to her, but she would reciprocate or pay him back, which he wouldn¡¯t refuse. The difference was that Mason was like a good friend who could help her out, and Steven was giving her gifts and resources for free, asking for nothing in return, who would dare to ept that lightly? After all, free things oftene at the highest price. She feared that she couldn¡¯t pay for what she wanted. Celeste bowed to Steven, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Garcia.¡± Mr. Garcia¡­ Their rtionship, which had just be a little closer had gone back to the beginning, calling him Mr. Garcia? He didn¡¯t want to be her Mr Garcia! Steven held back his displeasure and put on a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for You do what you have to do, we can arrange another time Celeste breathed a sigh of relief and got into Liam¡¯s car. Steven watched them leave quietly, until their Benz was out of his sight, he said resentfully, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she learn from past lessons!?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing this, Nathan said softly, ¡°Well, you can¡¯t really say that. The best partner is always the original one. I think Liam and Celeste actually match quite well.¡± Steven stopped in his tracks and said with a disdainful face, ¡°When did you go blind? Where do they match? Is Liam that idiot worthy of Celeste?¡± Nathan held back, but finally couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Mr. Steven, I¡¯ve been holding this back for a long time. There are so many good girls out there. why do you have to chase after Liam¡¯s ex¨Cwife? You get rejected and then nder him. That¡¯s not like you.¡± Steven was speechless. Looking at his dense assistant, his anger surged. He asked quietly, ¡°Do you know why Owen, who isn¡¯t as educated as you, makes more money than you?¡± Nathan felt his heart tighten. Owen was the benchmark in their industry, although his sry was confidential, everyone had heard the rumors. He had been with Liam for three years and had bought a 100 square meter t in the city centre. Who couldpare with that? Not to mention all cash, even if it was just a down payment, ordinary people would be ecstatic and brag about it everywhere. Nathan said, ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s good at brown¨Cnosing?¡± Steven chuckled contemptuously Nathan was speechless As they left the movie city, Celeste felt a little more rxed. Owen nced at the fine sweat on Celeste¡¯s face, and while driving, he said gently, ¡°Madam, do you feel hot? Would you like me to lower the air conditioning a bit more?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°This is fine.¡± Owen shot a nce at Celeste¡¯s exposed knees under her skirt and indicated to Liam, ¡°Feeling chilly, mate?¡± Getting Owen¡¯s drift, Liam quickly grabbed a nket from nearby and draped it over Celeste¡¯s knees, ¡°Don¡¯t catch a chill.¡± A soft ¡°mm¨Chmm¡± escaped from Celeste, a small smile ying at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Did you see Steve as soon as you got here? What time did you arrive?¡± Liam nodded, the mention of ¡°Steve¡± irked him. His mood soured even more when he thought about Celeste¡¯s past crush on Steven. But then he considered how Celeste had turned down the guy she fancied to be with him and his mood lifted a little. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of jealousy, ¡°Your crush is always trying to win you over, don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Celeste could almost instantly sense Liam¡¯s irritation. Did he still think she had a secret crush on Steven? Rolling her eyes, Celeste quickly put on an act. She let out a soft sigh and said, ¡°If I said I had absolutely zero feelings for him, that would be a bald¨C faced lie. How could you have a real crush on someone and then just not feel anything?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Liam said queitly, ¡°Then why did you reject him and hop into my car instead?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Celeste dragged out the word, then whispered in his ear, ¡°Because it looked like if I didn¡¯t go with a certain someone, he¡¯d burst into tears right on the spot. I couldn¡¯t bear it.¡± Liam was taken aback, then his spirits soared. He wrapped an arm around Celeste¡¯s waist, gripped her chin and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Who was about to burst into tears?¡± Celeste giggled and pinched his ear. ¡°Were you scared I¡¯d go with him?¡± Liam kissed the back of her hand and said, ¡°If you really did go with him, it would be for work and I¡¯d understand.¡± He paused and then added, ¡°I suddenly understand how you felt when you were waiting for me but I couldn¡¯te because I suddenly got work. How you felt¡­¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°What did I feel?¡± Liam said softly, ¡°Excited, then disappointed. Hot and cold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite eloquent when you talk about mncholy,¡± Celesteughed, ¡°Waiting isn¡¯t the scary part, it¡¯s waiting without knowing the oue that¡¯s scary¡± Liam¡¯s eyes went wide as he held her tight, ¡°I won¡¯t make you wait any longer.¡± Celeste said, ¡°We¡¯ll see how you perform. You¡¯re still on probation, if you¡¯re not good I can still fire you.¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Liam asked her. Celeste thought for a moment, ¡°Shall we fulfil our promise? Sean is about to go back to school, let¡¯s buy some gifts and go see him and the Dean, what do you think?¡± Liam nodded, ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Celeste picked up her phone and texted Sean Knott, saying they wereing over for a BBQ tonight and he should tidy up the yard. They would bring the ingredients. Sean quickly replied with a ¡°Okay¡°. Owen drove them to the nearest mall. They bought the ingredients at the supermarket first, then Celeste dragged Liam to the mall upstairs for shopping. They were dressed very casually. Celeste¡¯s clothes had been bought by Trisha from a live stream but they were too small for her. It wasn¡¯t worth sending them back, so she gave them to Celeste. Even though the clothes only cost $7, the fabric was very soft and cool. Celeste initially nned to wear them as pajamas, but they looked nice when she put them on, so she wore them outside. Liam was also dressed simply, shirt and trousers, all bought by Celeste. The prices were not expensive, affordable for ordinary wage earners. But when he wore them, he looked extremely ssy, mainly because he¡¯s handsome. Celeste had originally nned to buy gifts for the Dean and the children in the orphanage, but somehow, she ended up in a women¡¯s clothing store Just like every woman¡¯s wardrobe was always missing a piece of clothing. Celeste was no exception. As she passed by the store, she was instantly attracted by the mannequin in the window. Liam was in the middle of a conversation with her, but after talking for a while, he realized she wasn¡¯t paying attention. He finally noticed that her attention had shifted. ¡°Do you want to go in and have a look?¡± Liam asked. Celeste hesitated a little, ¡°I should go buy stuff for the kids first.¡± Liam said, ¡°The big one hasn¡¯t had any new clothes for a while either.¡± Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Celeste wanted it deep down, but she acted reserved, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just send me some clothes a while ago? I haven¡¯t even worn them much, shouldn¡¯t we buy new ones?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°I was talking about me.¡± Celeste was speechless. Liam finished and walked into the fashion store with a slight smile. Biting her lip, Celeste followed him. Liam¡¯s performance during the trial period was not up to par. Points deducted! As soon as she entered the store, Celeste immediately put the deduction behind her. The store had a dazzling array of new clothes. Celeste liked this one, then that one, but every time she saw the price, she put it back. Liam rarely went shopping with her. One reason was that he was busy, and the other was that Celeste was too indecisive when shopping. She¡¯s the kind of person who¡¯s decisive when ites to buying big things, but indecisive when it comes to buying small things. When buying daily clothes, she had topare and choose the most cost¨Ceffective ones. Liam, on the other hand, was the type who didn¡¯t waste time on small expenditures After all, he could be making more money in the time it took to make these decisions.¡°. He used to not understand Celeste¡¯s behavior, but now he¡¯s starting to get it. The life of two ordinary people was not a royal life, the mundane daily life was the norm. The expensive items she bought were only worn on important asions. After all, in their social circle, a wife¡¯s appearance was very important to her husband¡¯s reputation. If she dressed up beautifully and delicately, it also helped him gain a good reputation. In daily life, she preferred to be frugal. For instance, the flower shelf on her home¡¯s second¨Cfloor patio. After she ordered it online, she found that the assembly fee could buy another flower shelf. So, she bought tools and asked him to help assemble it. From N?velDrama.Org. Liam was handy, but he usually assembled machinery, so assembling a flower shelf was a first for him. He thought assembling such a thing was a waste of time, so Celeste used sweet talk to coax him. She would say, ¡°Honey, do you remember Mrs. Simon? She loves cats. Her husband built a cat mansion for her in the backyard, it¡¯s very delicate.¡± As she spoke, she showed him pictures, ¡°This cat mansion is way moreplicated than our flower shelf. Her husband is so capable.¡± ¡°Also Mrs. Smith, she¡¯s pregnant. The doctor says she needs more sunlight because she¡¯s a bitcking in calcium. Her husband, fearing she¡¯d get bored while sunbathing, installed a swing in their yard. It¡¯s handcrafted with pure wood, sturdy, and beautiful! Her husband is not tall, but he managed to nail such a big piece of wood. He¡¯s so capable.¡± ¡°And Mrs. Leonardo ¡± She gave examples one by one, adding ¡®so capable¡± after each one. Men hate beingpared, especially when their womanpared them to other men. Celeste had completely captured Liam¡¯spetitive spirit. Not only did he assemble the flower shelf for her, he even designed and installed an automatic lifting awning. Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Chapter 913 When he was immersed in Celeste¡¯s praises, he suddenly realized he had fallen into her trap. She just wanted a freeborer. He worked an entire afternoon just to save a few hundred bucks of assembly fee. At the time, he couldn¡¯tprehend it and even resented her for wasting his time. But now, looking back, all he remembers was Celeste circling around him like a squirrel while he was assembling, wiping his sweat, asking if he was tired, helping him remove splinters from his fingers¡­. Her every act of frugality showed her love for life. The sense of aplishment of assembling the flower shelf far outweighed the few hundred dors she saved. If Celeste knew that Liam thought so highly of her frugality, she would probably be surprised. Her habit of being frugal had been entirely influenced by Trisha, and after her divorce, her expenses had increased, so she had be even more cautious in this regard. ¡°Which one looks better, this one or this one?¡± Celeste asked Liam, holding up two skirts. Liam took a nce. They were both cored, patterned, and the only difference was just the color. One was dark, the other light. Liam decided, ¡°The light one.¡± Celeste thought Liam had a good eye. She said, ¡°I also think the light one looks better, but it¡¯s twice as expensive as the dark one, and they¡¯re made of the same material.¡± Then buy the dark one.¡± Celeste paused, ¡°So I¡¯m only suited for cheap clothes?¡± Liam nced at his girlfriend and said leisurely. ¡°You look good in anything. The value of the clothes is not in them, but in who wears them.¡± Celesteughed and asked, ¡°Did Owen teach you these sweet nothings? Did you pay him tuition?¡± Liam replied seriously. ¡°It¡¯s included in the bonus I gave him.¡± She tossed him her bag. ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll try on a size.¡± Celeste asked a female store clerk for a size. The clerk looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to buy this?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I need to try it on to see if it fits and decide whether to buy it.¡± The clerk said, ¡°If you¡¯re not sure about buying, I won¡¯t bother getting it from the warehouse. As you can see, the store is busy, I have other customers to attend to¡± Celeste was angry. She hadn¡¯t encountered such a clerk in a long time. ¡°Where¡¯s your store manager? I want to ask if only those who are sure to buy can try on clothes?¡± The store manager came over quickly, apologised several times, and then scolded the clerk, ¡°If a customer wants to try it on, you go get it. Isn¡¯t that your job?¡± The clerk was defiant, ¡°Look at how she¡¯s dressed. Does she look like she can afford it? If she tries it on and doesn¡¯t buy it, I have to put it back. Isn¡¯t that a waste of time?¡± The manager got angry, ¡°Do you still want your job?¡± Only then did the clerk reluctantly bring the clothes. When Celeste received the clothes, the clerk warned her again, ¡°Please be careful, these clothes are expensive. If you dirty them, you mustpensate.¡± Celeste nced at her,ughed, and then pointed to the most conspicuous skirts in the store, ¡°Please get me my size for those skirts, I want to try them on too.¡± The female clerk frowned, ¡°Are you deliberately causing trouble?¡± The manager gently nudged her, ¡°Stop talking and go get them!¡± She reluctantly went back to the storage room with a disgruntled expression. Liam returned from a phone call to see Celeste trying on clothes in the fitting room. She¡¯s tall, has long legs, and a good frame, looking great in every piece. Each one looked exceptionally beautiful. From N?velDrama.Org. Every time Celeste threw on a piece of clothing, she gave herself a once¨Cover in the mirror. But she didn¡¯t make anyments or utter a word. Chapter 914 Chapter 914 Chapter 914 The store manager stood nearby, asking in a gentle tone, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this color really suits you, don¡¯t you think?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste nodded, asking, ¡°How much is this one?¡± ¡°$788, but we have a 5% discount for members.¡± Celeste checked the tag. ¡°Polyester fabric, doesn¡¯t quite match up with the price.¡± The female clerk nearby seemed to see an opportunity to mock Celeste, mocking, ¡°If you think it¡¯s too expensive just say so, if you can¡¯t afford it, why make excuses?¡± Liam was about to say something when Celeste grabbed his wrist With their years of tacit understanding, he instantly knew that Celeste didn¡¯t want him to interfere. Liam stared at the clerk, his face tense, his lips sealed, and said nothing. The store manager scolded the clerk a little, and then turned to Celeste with a smile, ¡°This is the price in all our stores. If it¡¯s beyond your budget, you can check out the discounted clothes by the entrance, they¡¯re more affordable.¡± The clerk was even more blunt, urging, ¡°If you can¡¯t afford it, change quickly, I have to attend to the next customer, can you not waste time?¡± Liam red at her, ¡°Who said we can¡¯t afford it? Pack it all up for me.¡± The manager was stunned, ¡°You.. you mean pack it all up?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Yes, everything I just tried on, pack it all up.¡± The clerk¡¯s face was full of astonishment, and the manager urged, ¡°What are you waiting for, go check out for thisdy!¡± The clerk hurried off to fetch the clothes. Celeste stopped her, ¡°Wait¡± The manager reacted quickly, ¡°Do you want me to get you another clerk?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°No, she¡¯s fine.¡± She picked up a box of socks from the disy next to her and asked, ¡°How much are these?¡± The clerk replied, ¡°$9 for two pairs¡± Celeste picked up two pairs of socks and followed her to the checkout. As the clerk scanned the barcodes, Celeste leaned over to y with her phone. Seven pieces of women¡¯s clothing, totaling over six thousand dors, the clerk finished checking, looked up and asked, ¡°Cash, credit card, or PayPal?¡± Celeste looked up, ¡°Do you think six thousand dors is expensive?¡± The clerk hesitated for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Yes, expensive.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s expensive too, so let¡¯s not.¡± Celeste handed her the two pairs of socks, ¡°Just check these out for me.¡± The clerk was taken aback, her face changed. ¡°Are you joking?¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Your performance was really good, better than your manager¡¯s, you just picked the wrong target. I can ept a slightly higher price when I go shopping, but I don¡¯t like to be trapped and treated like a fool. My partner doesn¡¯t look like a fool, does he? Why do you think his money is easy to fool?¡± Both the clerk and the manager were stunned, this was not what they had expected Celeste tapped on the counter, ¡°Can I check out? If not, can you, the manager, help me with it?¡± After paying the bill and leaving the store, Liam was still a little dazed. Celeste picked up a pair of socks and examined them carefully, thenplimented, ¡°The quality of these socks is not bad.¡± She took out a pair of men¡¯s socks and handed them to Liam, ¡°Here are the matching ones you wanted¡± Liam was speechless. Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Chapter 915 He took the socks and put them in his shopping bag, then expressed his confusion, ¡°How did you know they were acting?¡± Celeste answered, ¡°1 wasn¡¯t sure at first. When I go shopping, I sometimes encounter salespeople who don¡¯t respect their customers. But this salesperson¡¯s attitude was really too much. Even when the manager came, she didn¡¯t think she had done anything wrong. She kept provoking me, in front of the manager, emphasizing that I couldn¡¯t afford the goods, and I felt something was off. The manager¡¯s reaction was also strange, although he verbally scolded her, he didn¡¯t give her any substantial punishment. Have you noticed, these two people kept looking at your wrist, the most expensive thing you¡¯re wearing is your watch I guess they thought you were a rich man, and I was a stupid woman kept by a sugar daddy. They probably wanted to provoke us, make us impulsively buy all the goods.¡± She said, looking very smug. ¡°You really are rich, but I¡¯m not the woman they thought I was, how could I let them take advantage of me?¡± Not only did Celeste not want to be taken advantage of, but she also wanted to y them a little Business should be conducted openly and honestly, there¡¯s no need for tricks. Liam ruffled her hair. ¡°If you like it, just buy it, no need to get upset about this. The time you wasted on them is also a loss, isn¡¯t it?¡± 1 haven¡¯t lost anything, after all, there¡¯s nothing to do tonight.¡± Liam paused, ¡°I did lose, the time we can spend together is already short, you still spend ten or twenty minutes on others, I don¡¯t know when I can make another appointment with you¡± Celeste was taken aback, then she startedughing. She wrapped her arm around Liam¡¯s and whispered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go home a bitter today, we can stay a bit longer.¡± Liam was instantly reassured Sean had been epted at the University of S, a school located out of town, and was taking the train there next Thursday He had originally wanted to apply to a university in J City, but apart from the University of T, none of the other schools offered the major he wanted. He ended up applying to the University of S on Liam¡¯s advice He was going to a far away ce, the old Dean was very reluctant, and had been busy preparing new quilts for him and buying living supplies everywhere. Sean took Celeste and Liam to look at therge luggage bags over a metre high, and sighed, ¡°The Dean probably wanted me to carry two baskets of farm eggs to replenish my body, with so many things, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be denied boarding before I even get on the train.¡± Celeste nudged him a little, ¡°You should be grateful that someone cares about you so much¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with my hair.¡± So, Celeste deliberately cradled his head and messed up his hair until it was all dishevelled. Just as Sean was about to fight back, Liam pulled him back by his cor, ¡°Boys and girls are different, do you understand?¡± Sean was speechless He thought, ¡°When your wife was messing with my hair, why didn¡¯t you say boys and girls are different? You¡¯re just protecting your own, double standards.¡± Celeste, having found a good deal, ran off to help the Dean with the barbecue. Liam was just about to follow when Sean stopped him. ¡°Mr. Reed, I won¡¯t be in J City anymore, so you¡¯ll have to look after the orphanage and Letti.¡± Liam paused, ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Sean was stunned and quickly corrected himself, ¡°Liam, my brother¨Cinw¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. A satisfied look crossed Liam¡¯s face, ¡°We¡¯re family. It¡¯s only right.¡± ¡°Have you and Letti made up yet?¡± Sean asked in a low, timid voice. Liam corrected him, ¡°We just had an argument, you get me?¡± Liam spoke with such casual confidence. Sean continued, ¡°Oh, by the way, some guy came by to donate to the orphanage a while ago. I heard him asking the Dean about Letti and Aunt Caitlyn.¡± Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Liam suddenly turned alert, ¡°What¡¯s this guy like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a short dude. I¡¯d guess he¡¯s in his 40s or 50s. Didn¡¯t get a good look at his face, he was all masked up and wearing a hat. His eyes, though, had some wrinkles around them. He said he was here to donate but kept asking about Aunt Caitlyn and Letti. Looked kinda sad when he found out that Aunt Caitlyn had passed away. He then donated a hefty chunk of change and asked the head about Aunt Caitlyn¡¯s grave before leaving. Had the vibe like he knew Aunt Caitlyn, but denied it when asked.¡± Liam frowned, a short middle¨Caged man? He mulled it over for a while but came up empty. ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± Sean thought for a moment, ¡°Nothing else. He just looked at some pictures of Aunt Caitlyn and Letti. Said he¡¯de back in a bit.¡± Liam paused, a thought crossed his mind. Could it be Letti¡¯s biological father? From N?velDrama.Org. While he was deep in thought, Celeste¡¯s voice echoed from afar, ¡°Come help us, we¡¯re swamped!¡± Liam snapped back to reality, gently patted on Sean¡¯s arm and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go lend a hand.¡± Celeste was ying Santa, promising gifts to the kids for a good performance. They were shy at first, but soon, they were hamming it up on stage. Liam watched Celeste¡¯s awkward performance, her denials even as the kids called her out. A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Mr. Reed.¡± The head¡¯s voice came from the side Liam turned to see the head holding a ss of wine and smiling kindly at him, ¡°May I propose a toast?¡± Liam hurriedly took the ss. ¡°You¡¯re my elder, I should be the one to toast you you.¡± The head shook his head, ¡°Without you, I couldn¡¯t have kept this ce running.¡± Liam was taken aback, then he smiled. The head may be old, but he¡¯s no fool. Who else in J City could make such a massive anonymous donation than someone connected to Celeste? He didn¡¯t say anything, just took the ss. The head clinked sses with him, ¡°Cheers.¡± He downed his ss in one go. Liam didn¡¯t really want to drink, he knew his limits. He didn¡¯t want to miss out on time with Letti because he was drunk. But it would be disrespectful not to match the head¡¯s toast. With that thought, he downed his ss too. The head refilled his ss. This one¡¯s on behalf of Caitlyn.¡± Liam paused, guilt washing over him. He hadn¡¯t really helped much with Caitlyn¡¯s funeral, his negligence had left Letti in a lurch. I¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± *You¡¯ve taken good care of Celeste. She had hardly smiled in the two years since losing her mother. Even her asional smiles were filled with sadness. Since she¡¯s married to you, she¡¯s started to smile again. I believe Caitlyn¡¯s greatest wish was for Celeste to have a good husband and a good life, unlike her own unfortunate experiences.¡± Liam didn¡¯t say anything, just downed his ss The head matched him, then refilled his ss, ¡°This third one, it¡¯s about a secret concerning Celeste. Can I ask you for a favor?¡± Liam tensed, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Chapter 917 The head nced at Celeste, who was ying with the kids, then said in a low voice, ¡°Celeste isn¡¯t Caitlyn¡¯s biological daughter, she¡¯s not illegitimate.¡± Liam was stunned, his expression turned serious, ¡°How do you know?¡± The head lowered his head, ¡°I was with Caitlyn when she had the DNA test done. This is something I should take to my grave, but now that Caitlyn¡¯s gone, the only thing left for her to worry about is Celeste. As her friend, I can¡¯t help her in work or marriage. I know your family values lineage. I¡¯m telling you this so that Celeste¡¯s ¡®illegitimate¡® status won¡¯t be a hindrance between you two, even if you don¡¯t end up together, I hope it won¡¯t be for that reason. She¡¯s innocent in all of this.¡± Liam was momentarily flustered Birth certificates, everything was in order, how could Celeste not be Caitlyn¡¯s biological daughter? He asked in a low voice, ¡°Who are her real parents?¡± The head shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t know, she was switched at the hospital. Caitlyn was too weak to have another child, so she poured all her energy into raising Celeste. So, when she found out the truth, she didn¡¯t want to give Celeste to her biological parents. On one hand, even though the blood rtion is false, her feelings for Celeste are real. She couldn¡¯t bear to part with the child she raised with her own hands. On the other hand, there were no clues to her biological child. If she couldn¡¯t find her biological child and had to give up the child she raised, she couldn¡¯t bear it, so she didn¡¯t go looking. She did try to find her own biological child, but to no avail ¦§ Liam rubbed his temples, the alcohol was hitting him hard. He had many questions for the head, but his mind was spinning The head added, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Celeste about this. If she knew but couldn¡¯t find her real parents, it would only cause her more pain.¡± Liam thought of Celeste¡¯s distraught appearance at Caitlyn¡¯s funeral, his heart ached. After a while, he managed a soft ¡°Mm.¡± After the Dean left, Celeste finally detached herself from the kids and sat down next to Liam ¡°What were you and the dean chatting about?¡± Liam, elbows on the small table, palm against his forehead, opened his eyes to look at her when he heard her voice. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She had been having a st with the kids, her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkling. Liam gently stroked her hair. ¡°The Dean said you have a bit of a temper, asked me to cut you some ck¡± Celeste¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°Are you sure he wasn¡¯t talking about you?¡± Liam shed a grin, his chin resting on her shoulder. Then how about you put up with me a little?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Haven¡¯t I put up with enough? Who cleans up your mess every time you get drunk?¡± Then she handed him a cup of water, ¡°You know your limits when ites to drinking, but the moment someone eggs you on, you re all in. You¡¯re good at spewing ufortable words, can¡¯t you just say no for once?¡± Liam took the cup of water, smiled softly and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re really something, sweetheart.¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± Liam appeared a bit worn out. He took a sip of water and continued to lean on her shoulder, listening to her. Suddenly, he said, ¡°The doc said that getting busy once or twice a week is normal. It¡¯s been more than a week since ourst time.¡± Celeste:.. Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Celeste¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She nudged Liam with her elbow. ¡°Are you pretending to be drunk?!¡± Liam winced. ¡°Doctor¡¯s orders, babe. We gotta do the deed right now.¡± Before he could finish, Celeste mped her hand over his mouth in shock. She red at the man who seemed to have no filter at the moment. What else would this guy have blurted out if she hadn¡¯t stopped him?! Liam was miffed at being silenced. He tried pulling her hand away, wanting her to let him speak. But Celeste held firm, silencing him while signaling Sean to call Owen. Once Owen pulled up, she quickly ushered Liam into the car, keen to avoid causing a scene. In the car, she finally let go and leaned back in her seat. Owen started the car and asked, ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am, where to?¡± Before Celeste could respond, Liam blurted out, ¡°Go home and make¡­uh¡± Her face burning, Celeste mped her hand over his mouth again. ¡°To Pinecrest Manor,¡± she ground out Seeing the couple in the rear¨Cview mirror, Owen couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you need to swing by the pharmacy for some protection?¡± Celeste: What the hell was with Liam¡¯s crew?! Blushing, she snapped, ¡°No need! Absolutely not!¡± Drunk as Liam was, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Owen was taken aback by the apparent progression of their rtionship to a level where protection was unnecessary. Struggling for breath with his mouth covered, Liam squirmed. Celeste warned him, ¡°Keep your mouth shut, got it? Or I¡¯m kicking you out of this car!¡± Liam blinked understandingly. Only then did Celeste let go. Liam was noticeably quieter now, but he held on to Celeste¡¯s hand tightly, as if afraid she would leave. In no time, he had her hand soaked in sweat ¡°You don¡¯t find this hot?¡± Celeste was at a loss for words. Liam shook his head. After a while, he said, ¡°There¡¯s still me.¡± Celeste: ?? ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Liam stroked her back soothingly, repeating, ¡°There¡¯s still me His words were cryptic, but the deep,forting voice felt like a warm current washing over her. Following his lead, Celeste ruffled his hair affectionately and muttered, ¡°Dumbass.¡± Liam soon fell asleep, and they arrived at Pinecrest Manor.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. With Owen¡¯s help, they managed to take Liam to his bedroom. Drenched in sweat, Celeste looked around at the familiar surroundings, feeling like she was in a dream. As Owen was about to leave, Celeste stopped him, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll get things sorted here and we¡¯ll leave together.¡± Owen seemed surprised but didn¡¯t ask any questions. She had no idea how much Liam had drunk. But knowing him, he would definitely be throwing upter in the night. As usual, she had him lie on his side with a pillow under his back to prevent him choking on his vomit. Sheid out a small nket by the bed and ced a spittoon on the carpet, just in case he threw up After getting everything in ce, Celeste gently stroked Liam¡¯s hair. Looking at his peaceful face, she couldn¡¯t help but soften. Just as she was about to leave, her wrist was grabbed. With a tug, Liam pulled her down onto him. ¡°Can we do it now?¡± Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Liam¡¯s lips were close to Celeste¡¯s ear, his breath tickling her cheek and the back of her ear Her ear began to heat up, and she pushed his chin away, pushing his face a little further away from hers. Liam seemed to sense that she wasn¡¯t really resisting, so he moved closer to her ear again and nted a kiss on her earlobe. ¡°I must follow the doctor¡¯s advice,¡± he said. ¡°Since when did you start following the doctor¡¯s advice?¡± Celeste retorted, ¡°You don¡¯t even take the medication the doctor prescribes when you¡¯re sick.¡± Liam furrowed his brows, as if he couldn¡¯t remember ever not following the doctor¡¯s advice. But that excuse wasn¡¯t enough for him to give up on her, so he said, ¡°From today, I will follow the doctor¡¯s advice¡± With that, his lips fell to the corner of her mouth, kissing her bit by bit, moving from the corner of her mouth to her lips. He tentatively licked her lips, then suddenly stopped, furrowing his brows and sniffing the air around her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste asked, seeing his peculiar expression. Liam looked conflicted, and after a while, he finally said, ¡°You stink a bit?¡± ¡°You stink!¡± Celeste retorted, then suddenly realized what Liam meant by ¡°stink¡°. She had eaten garlic! Liam hated the smell of garlic, especially raw garlic, and Celeste liked to pair her barbecue with garlic. In the past, whenever she had garlic, Liam would avoid her like the gue, as if the garlic smell would suffocate him Seeing his puckered face, Celeste suddenly felt like teasing him. ¡°Do I stink?¡± she asked deliberately, then added, ¡°I can¡¯t smell anything.¡± Liam immediately turned a shade paler at the smell of the garlic. Celesteughed, ¡°You must be the stinky one. How could I possibly stink?¡± Liam sniffed himself, then sniffed her, and dered, ¡°It¡¯s definitely you¡± Celeste pretended to be angry. ¡°Are you disgusted by me?¡± Liam was taken aback, his lips tightening. After a long pause, he said, ¡°I can tolerate it.¡± A small smile tugged at the corner of Celeste¡¯s mouth, ¡°You look so reluctant.¡± Liam didn¡¯t know how to exin, so he grabbed her in a fluster and kissed her again, proving that he wasn¡¯t lying to her. From N?velDrama.Org. Liam initially just wanted to show her that he wasn¡¯t disgusted by her, but when their lips actually met, they both got a little carried away. Somehow, in the heat of the kiss, Liam had pressed her down onto the bed. After a long while, Liam finally let go of her, panting. Celeste¡¯s ears were red, and so were her cheeks. She turned her head away, trying to calm her racing heart. She cleared her throat and said softly, 1 should go now¡± Liam buried his face in her neck, ¡°Can¡¯t you stay?¡± Celeste¡¯s heart pounded, ¡°Trisha is still at home alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home alone too, Liam said. Was he acting childish? Celeste chuckled, pinched his face yfully and said, ¡°You¡¯re all grown up, you should learn to sleep by yourself.¡± Liam didn¡¯t let go of her, and after a long while, he said, ¡°Then leave after we do what the doctor told¡± Celeste¡­ How obsessed was he with this? He still remembered it even when he was drunk. Celeste tried to reason with him. ¡°The doctor just mentioned it casually, he didn¡¯t stress that we had to do it,¡± Celeste said. It was at times like this, Liam¡¯s mind was particrly sharp. If it was not necessary, why would the doctor bring it up explicitly?¡± Celeste¡­ ¡°How can there be an explicit mention if it¡¯s casually said?¡± Liam disagreed, picking up his phone from the table. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°I¡¯m calling the doctor to ask if we can do it,¡± Liam answered. Celeste¡¯s eye twitched, and she snatched his phone away immediately, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night! Have you no shame asking such a thing?¡± the nced at her, Did you hear the doctor? Even though my chances of getting pregnant are very slim, there¡¯s still a possibility. We cant use protection, what if I identally get pregnant? I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t get pregnant.¡± Liam suddenly said. This upset Celeste, and she pushed Liam away. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m so sick I can¡¯t get pregnant?¡± ¡°No,¡± Liam said, I had a vasectomy. Even without protection, you can¡¯t get pregnant.¡± Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Chapter 920 First, Celeste was shocked, and then she thought Liam must be drunk, spouting nonsense. She gently pinched his face and asked, ¡°Are you just saying anything to make me happy?¡± Liam said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding; I really got a vasectomy; I did it years ago.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You had a vasectomy, where¡¯s the scar? We weren¡¯t divorced yet a few years ago, howe I didn¡¯t notice any scars? Are vasectomies so advanced these days that there¡¯s no trauma?¡± Liam paused for a moment and whispered, ¡°There is a scar.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam let go of her and started undoing his belt. Celeste was dumbstruck to watch him blush and unbuckle his belt She had always dreamed of sitting on the couch like a queen and watching Liam undress in front of her. After all, he was always the one to undress her first, leaving her butt¨Cnaked while he was still in his suit. She was flooded with embarrassment and wanted to switch ces and let Liam feel the embarrassment too Now that she was actually seeing it, her heart was about to leap out of her throat. To be honest, it was incredibly sexy. With a shred of sanity left, she grabbed a nket and threw it over Liam. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get away with anything just because you¡¯re drunk.¡± Liam pulled the nket off and whispered, ¡°The scar is here, take a look.¡± Celeste thought to herself, I don¡¯t believe you, but her eyes were drawn to it. And then she saw the scar Liam was talking about. About two centimeters long, perfectly hidden. After all, who would examine someone¡¯s private parts that closely? So she never noticed it. Celeste¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°You really had a vasectomy?¡± Liam mumbled a response and whispered, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Celeste remembered how impatient Liam was when it came to kids and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t want kids?¡± Liam shook his head and, after a while, said, ¡°The doctor said your chances of getting pregnant were slim, and even if you did, the chances of miscarriage were high. I thought we could wait until you fully recovered to have kids. You¡¯re allergic to condoms, I couldn¡¯t touch you. Having a vasectomy seemed safer, if you got pregnant and couldn¡¯t carry to term, you¡¯d be more heartbroken.¡± Celeste¡¯s throat tightened. She was filled with emotion and pain. Liam had made such a huge decision that she couldn¡¯t imagine it, but for the sake of her health, he chose to get a vasectomy. It was crazy, she never thought Liam would go that far for her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°How long did it take to recover?¡± She whispered. Liam said, ¡°The scar healed in a month, but the doctor said it¡¯s best to wait three months before having sex¡± Celeste was taken aback, suddenly, it all made sense. Liam¡¯s coldness towards her started during that period of time years ago. The vasectomy perfectly exined his past behaviors. She closed her eyes and whispered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about something this big?¡± Liam seemed to sense her anger, he rubbed his temples and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m tired, I want to go to bed.¡± Celeste¡¯s reaction was: ¡°What do you mean? Exin!¡± Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Liam leaned on her shoulder, his eyes already closed. Then, very quickly, his breathing became steady. Celeste thought to herself¡­ He fell asleep so quickly, is he joking? Celeste looked at the man on her shoulder and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to sleep with me anymore?¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond Celeste gently kissed his chin. ¡°We¡¯re ignoring the doctor¡¯s advice, are we?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes twitched. Celeste squinted. ¡°Your trial period is over, you¡¯re fired.¡± Liam immediately opened his eyes and said, ¡°I just fell asleep, I didn¡¯t hear what you said. What?¡± Celeste thought to herself¡­ Sometimes she seriously doubts Liam¡¯s state when he¡¯s drunk. You think he¡¯s stupid, but he¡¯s ying mind games with you. You think he¡¯s not stupid, but he says thingspletely out of context¨Cthings he would never say when he¡¯s sober. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about such an important decision like getting a vasectomy?¡± Liam frowned and, after a while, said, ¡°You always ask about this.¡± Celeste countered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with asking? How would I know if I didn¡¯t ask?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You always have to dig to the root of things¨Cwhy and what I did, for whom, you obviously know¨Cwhy do you need me to say it out loud? You never said you liked me, I don¡¯t want to be the first to admit it He buried his face deeper. ¡°You obviously like my money more; if I admit to the things I did for you and you don¡¯t care, I¡¯d feel like a fool.¡± Celeste was stunned ¡°Who told you I liked your money more?¡± Liam immediately used her, saying, ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Celeste thought to herself¡­ When did I say that? Where did I say that? Why did I say that? Why can¡¯t I remember? Celeste felt wronged and retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who always say I have nothing besides my looks and zero IQ?¡± Liam responded, Those were angry words during a fight, they don¡¯t count. You said that to someone else, it means that¡¯s what you really think.¡± Celeste decided to have a serious talk with him: ¡°Who did I say that to? Don¡¯t just frame me because I have a bad memory.¡± ¡°Trisha.¡± Liam whispered, ¡°You called her, I heard everything.¡± Celeste suddenly remembered that there seemed to be such a thing, even more than once. Sheined about Liam to Trisha on the phone, saying if Liam wasn¡¯t rich, his personality would never get him a wife. When Trisha asked her why she didn¡¯t divorce, she was too embarrassed to admit she still liked him, so she made up excuses, saying if it weren¡¯t for his money, she would¡¯ve divorced him long ago, etc. She didn¡¯t know how many times she said these things to Trisha. Almost every time, after an argument or a cold war with Liam, she vented to Trisha. As her best friend, Trisha naturally advised her to divorce, not reconcile But Celeste herself didn¡¯t want to divorce, so every time Trisha advised her to divorce, she had to find reasons to say Liam was still good to her. For example, he let her use his bank card freely, and although he didn¡¯t give in during arguments, he always had Owen send her a small gift afterwards as a peace offering Liam said it must¡¯ve been hearing all this that made Trisha confess to her that she was only interested in his wealth. She found it somewhat amusing and said to Liam in a soft voice, ¡°If you¡¯ve heard all this, why haven¡¯t you divorced me yet?¡± At the mention of divorce, Liam furrowed his brow, hugging her even tighter. ¡°So you like money, so what? I¡¯ve got plenty ¡°What if I¡¯m only interested in your money, not you?¡± Liam paused, his fingers tightening, and after a while he finally said, ¡°You¡¯re not like her. Even if you don¡¯t like me, you wouldn¡¯t ignore me.¡± Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Celeste frowned, asking, ¡°Who is she?¡± Liam was silent for a moment. Just when Celeste thought he might have fallen asleep, he whispered, ¡°My mom.¡± Celeste was stunned. When Liam was sober, he never criticized Skyler in front of her. He deeply respected his elders, and even if they had any faults, he would never discuss them in front of others. Skyler¡¯s favoritism was something Celeste could feel as a bystander. For Liam, the direct party involved, it was impossible not to notice. Takest year¡¯s European trip that Skyler took, for example. She and her friends went for over a month, and all the expenses were put on Liam¡¯s credit card. Liam was a valued client of the bank, and they would send someone to deliver his monthly statement Celeste usually signed for it, as she had a habit of keeping a record of expenses She would note down everything, from her luxury spending, food, and household expenses to the money she gave for friends¡® weddings or funerals. This way, if a certain category of spending exceeded the budget, it was clear at a nce, and she could cut back next month to maintain overall bnce. The month Skyler was ying around, Liam¡¯s bill almost exceeded the budget. That month, for the European trip, Skyler spent over a million. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The bank statement was very clear she spent most of the money in luxury stores She even bought many things repeatedly, like twenty or thirty bottles of La Mer cream, just like she was buying wholesale. Celeste found it odd but didn¡¯t feel it was her ce to confront Liam about it. So instead, shepiled the monthly spending and sent it to Liam. The next morning, when she came downstairs, she heard Liam on the phone with Skyler. She didn¡¯t know if Liam had asked about what Skyler had bought with that million, but she saw him talking to her for a while, then asking her what gifts she wanted. Skyler was about to return home and wanted to bring them some gifts. Celeste just said anything was fine. Then, Skyler did bring gifts back for both her and Liam. For Liam, it was a brand¨Cname belt worth over ten thousand. For her, it was a ne. When she was opening the gift, Liam was sitting next to her. Seeing the poorly made ne, both of them fell silent. To protect his mother¡¯s dignity, Liam forced out apliment: ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice.¡± Not long after, the family went to the old house for a gathering. In thete September weather, wearing short sleeves was a bit chilly, but that day, Kaylee Reed oddly wore a sundress The bracelet on her wrist and the ne around her neck were very eye¨Ccatching, and Valeriaplimented them. Then, Kaylee proudly said, ¡°My mom brought it back for me from her trip abroad¡± Celeste looked at Liam¡¯s belt, then thought of her cheap ne, and couldn¡¯t eat. Liam¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good either, but as her son, he didn¡¯t say anything in the end. Later, Celeste realized what all those expensive cosmetics that Skyler had bought were for¨Cher birthday party wasing up, and the cosmetics were gifts for her friends Chapter 923 Chapter 923 Chapter 923 She used her son¡¯s money, and the gifts she gave to her son and Celeste weren¡¯t as expensive as the ones she gave to others; that was Skyler. Everyone depended on their parents, but Skyler depended on her children Celeste always felt that, in Skyler¡¯s eyes, Liam was her ATM. Whether it was when Liam was sick or when Liam was summoned by the police due to conflicts, she always found various reasons to exin her absence. Only when she needed money would she asionally show some affection and perfunctorily treat Liam. Celeste wanted toin in front of Liam many times, but each time she swallowed her words before they came out. At that time, Celeste and Liam¡¯s rtionship was not stable, and saying these things would drive a wedge between him and his mother Liam was like a man who didn¡¯t like to talk, usually saying nothing, but his heart was clear as a mirror, seeing everything clearly Celeste lightly poked his brow. ¡°So you¡¯re saying your mom only likes money, not you?¡± Liam closed his eyes and took a long while before whispering. ¡°She doesn¡¯t love anyone, whether it¡¯s me or my dad Celeste was stunned, then half¨Cjokingly said, ¡°She¡¯s pretty good to your sister, though. Her set of jewelry was thousands of times more expensive than my ne.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Liam seemed to think of something and startedughing. Celeste pinched his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Liam said, ¡°So you wore the ne I gave you to piss her off?¡± Celeste was stunned, then realized he was referring to the incident on the day of the birthday party. Celeste also startedughing, obviously remembering Skyler¡¯s ridiculous expression at the time, and she gently tapped his nose, saying, ¡°You must have nned to give it to me on that day, didn¡¯t you think about the scene at all?¡± Liam chuckled and leaned in close to her ear to whisper, ¡°I did it on purpose.¡± Celeste murmured ¡°childish¡± Liamughed for a while, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t care if she doesn¡¯t like me or treats me badly, but she shouldn¡¯t have tried to drive you away from me like that. I will never forgive her for that.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, just asionally patting his shoulder. After a while, Liam asked again, ¡°So you really don¡¯t like me at all?* Celeste came back to her senses, sighed, and said, Is this topic not over yet? ¡°Maybe a little bit. Her voice sounded like she was humoring him. Liam frowned, clearly not satisfied with her answer Tell me what you don¡¯t like about me, and I¡¯ll work harder Celeste looked at his serious face and teased him, ¡°You¡¯re willing to spend money on me.¡± Seeing his heartbroken expression, Celeste stopped teasing him and pulled him over for a passionate kiss on his face. ¡°If I didn¡¯t like you, would I be dating you? Am I out of my mind? If I liked money, wouldn¡¯t it be better to find a rich man to take care of me?¡± This was a rare confession, but Liam only focused on the second half ¡°How much money do you need to keep?¡± Celeste chucked a pillow at Liam¡¯s face and said, ¡°Go hit the sack already.¡± It took some effort for Liam to roll off her, still clinging to her waist like glue and not letting her go. With no other choice but to think about Owen waiting outside, Celeste grabbed her phone and sent Owen a text. Owen, you better bounce first Owen quickly texted back, message received. He then tossed his phone onto the couch and hit the shower. Owen had seen thising from a mile away and hadn¡¯t been waiting downstairs from the get¨Cgo. Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Chapter 924 The next morning, Liam woke up from his drunken stupor with a killer headache. He tried to rub his temples, but his hand was pushed back down as soon as he lifted it. He stopped moving, turned his head, and found Celeste lying beside him, her head resting on his arm. Liam¡¯s expression softened a bit, his thumb gently rubbing against her cheek. Celeste felt a tickle and reached up to scratch. Liam easily dodged her hand, and when she fell asleep again, he continued his rubbing. Celeste, annoyed by her unsessful attempts, opened her eyes in frustration. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Then she and Liam locked eyes. The atmosphere instantly became awkward and charged. ¡°Last night, you were drunk and wouldn¡¯t let go, so I had to stay, Celeste exined. Liam hummed in response, seemingly epting her exnation, but his expression didn¡¯t show it. His smirk seemed to say, ¡®Keep fooling me ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Owen, Celeste retorted. ¡°Oh.¡± Liam gently stroked her hair, watching her. Celeste couldn¡¯t stand the way Liam was looking at her. She covered his eyes with her hand and said, ¡°Believe what you want!¡± Liam chuckled, pulling her hand down to kiss it. ¡°Were you afraid that I¡¯d vomit in my sleep and choke to death?¡± From the setup by the bed, it seemed like Celeste had done this more than once. Every time Liam got drunk, she¡¯din, but she took care of him better than anyone else. Celeste paused, then seriously said, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have any standing now. If anything happened to you, I couldn¡¯t even inherit your property. I¡¯m not in a rtionship with you for nothing.¡± Liam was not mad at all; he evenughed for a while, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get our marriage certificate then. If I really die, at least that would protect you from-¡± Celeste quickly covered Liam¡¯s mouth, ring at him and asking. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about in the morning?¡± Celeste was just joking, but she didn¡¯t expect Liam to respond that way Liam kissed her palm, then removed her hand, whispering, ¡°I really want to get married again.¡± Celeste ignored him Liam continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t finish the ceremony the first time:¡± Celeste nced at him and said, ¡°I finished; you didn¡¯t.¡± Liam¡­ ¡°So, let¡¯s make up for it.¡± He sat up, then suddenly paused. Why were his pants down to his legs? He looked up at Celeste, his eyes shifting from confusion to a heated gaze. ¡°Letti.¡± Liam called her. Celeste turned around and asked, ¡°What?¡± Liam coughed a bit, his eyes s dodging the question, ¡°Last night¡­ were you willing?¡± Celeste??? Liam seemed to struggle a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much aboutst night, did I hurt you?¡± Celeste¡­ ¡°Do you think we¡­ you know,st night?¡± Liam¡­ He was puzzled by Celeste¡¯s reply, so he decided to ask directly, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Celeste denied it promptly. Liam was skeptical: ¡°I¡¯m not wearing any clothes.¡± pointed towards his lower half. He said embarrassingly. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Owen. You were running around the room with your pants offst night.¡± Liam was stunned, ring at her. ¡°Owen knows about this too?¡± Celeste blinked ¡°How could I have gotten you into bed without Owen¡¯s help?¡± Liam felt extremely embarrassed Celeste bit her lip, trying hard not tough. She tried tofort him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Owen is one of us. He won¡¯t tell anyone. Besides, he won¡¯t care even if he saw you. He¡¯ll just feel inferior.¡± Liam nced at her embarrassingly. He didn¡¯t find thisforting. After teasing Liam, Celeste happily went to wash up She really liked the drunk Liam, with his beautiful eyes revealing innocent stupidity. He never got mad, no matter how she teased him. If he pretended to be mad, he would immediately try to appease her. Although his words were clumsy, they were irresistible. She wanted to get Liam drunk more often. His secrets would spill out after a few questions. Nothing could make him more talkative than alcohol. Alcohol is a wonderful thing. When Owen came to pick them up, he found Liam¡¯s face was very grim, as if someone owed him a fortune; especially when he looked at Owen, it was even more intense Owen didn¡¯t understand why and was more careful than usual After getting in the car, Celeste started checking Twitter. Then she saw the news on the front page: Naomi is critically ill. Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Celeste frowned. What¡¯s the scoop? She clicked on it out of curiosity and was immediately shocked Naomi had overdosed on some illegal stuffst night and was rushed to the ER, still critically ill Wasn¡¯t she arrested by the cops for questioning? How did she still manage to overdose? Was she released yesterday? A million questions buzzed in her head, and she turned to Liam. Liam had been brooding over how Celeste had ratted him out for running around without clothesst night and being spotted by Owen. He was taken aback when she suddenly looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked. Celeste replied, ¡°Naomi overdosed; she¡¯s been in the ER for hours and is still critical¡± Liam just grunted, showing no real concern. Celeste couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Is someone out to get her? First, she¡¯s caught for tax evasion, and in less than two days, she overdoses. That¡¯s some bad luck, right?¡± Naomi had some serious financial backing, but there was no sign of her sugar daddy protecting her this time. Maybe she got dumped by her sugar daddy, or maybe he¡¯s in trouble too. If her sugar daddy isn¡¯t protecting her and thepany doesn¡¯t care, she must¡¯ve pissed off some big shots. Liam frowned slightly. Is she famous?¡± Celeste thought for a moment ¡°Somewhat, but not that famous.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Who would bother targeting a not¨Cso¨Cfamous celebrity?¡± Liam said casually. ¡°It¡¯s too costly. I¡¯d say she messed up and gave someone the perfect opportunity.¡± Owen raised an eyebrow. Costly? Yeah, it wasn¡¯t cheap digging up those tax records. Using connections for stuff like this was a bit over the top Liam rarely dabbled in the entertainment industry. If it weren¡¯t for Celeste, he wouldn¡¯t even give people like this a second nce on the street. Ramsey, Naomi, and the mastermind behind the previous incident, were all in his sights. But the overdose was surprising. Mr. Reed wasn¡¯t nning topletely ruin her, just to make her disappear from the industry forever. Would Naomi choose to overdose at this time? This also puzzled Owen Did Naomi have more enemies who used this opportunity to add to her crimes? But it was impossible to know now Liam had gotten what he wanted. As for whether this person lives or dies, it didn¡¯t matter to him. Despite Liam¡¯s reasoning, Celeste still found it odd. After much thought, she couldn¡¯te up with any other exnation. Was it just a coincidence? After dropping Celeste off at the shooting site, Owen turned the car around to head back to the company. Liam loosened his tie and asked in a low voice, ¡°Find out who did this to Naomi.¡± Owen was taken aback. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Liam said calmly, ¡°I need to know who¡¯s using me.¡± Owen said, ¡°Naomi has made many enemies. It might take some time to narrow it down.¡± ¡°Just take your time.¡± Liam paused, then added, ¡°Also, check on Mason¡¯s recent activities.¡± Owen was a bit puzzled, Mr. Reed had been particrly wary of Mr. Fletcher recently, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. If it was because of Celeste, that was impossible. Mr. Reed¡¯s jealousy was clearly directed at Mr. Garcia. If Mr. Fletcher had feelings for Celeste, then her divorce would be the best opportunity for him. But he didn¡¯t make a move. Owen wanted to ask but felt it wasn¡¯t appropriate. Mr. Reed and Mr. Fletcher grew up together. There were many things that he, as an outsider, couldn¡¯t understand and shouldn¡¯t ask. So Owen could only reply. ¡°I understand.¡± The car drove smoothly, and Liam said slowly, ¡°Aboutst night, forget it all.¡± Owen was confused. He had no idea what he was talking about. Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Owen mulled it over and kind of got it. Liam was probably talking about the crap he spouted in the carst night when he was hammered. Yeah, he did go a bit overboard Owen cleared his throat, jokingly saying, ¡°I get it, lovey¨Cdovey stuff between a husband and wife.¡± Liam¡­ What do you get? Thinking about these twoughing at his silly antics, Liam wished he could shut them up His face fell as he clenched his jaw. ¡°Did you finish the minutes from yesterday¡¯s meeting?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Owen replied, ¡°I can have them to you by noon.¡± Liam finally found an outlet for his anger. He shot a nce at Owen, coldly saying. ¡°Weren¡¯t you able to get it done on the same day before? Are you getting old? Your work ability has dropped so much. The young guys in thepany are about to surpass you, better step up your game Owen¡­Wasn¡¯t it he who asked me to go to the welfare housest night and said I could do the recordingter? I¡¯m efficient enough to not drag it out until today. Mr. Reed¡¯s memory shouldn¡¯t fail him on this. The only exnation was that he¡¯s just nitpicking. Just because I was present when he was acting all cutesy and wanted to share a room with Celeste? Over such a trifle? Owen was filled with confusion. He carefully said, ¡°Mr. Reed, aboutst night, it¡¯s no biggie, Celeste doesn¡¯t mind, it¡¯s natural between a husband and wife¡± Upon hearing this, Liam¡¯s face darkened even more. ¡°You better hand in the minutes by ten!¡± Owen¡­ Naomi died in the hospital that night after failed resuscitation efforts. Celeste learned about it from the news after work. Some reporters even rushed to the hospital to take pictures of her body. The photos were deleted by the authorities shortly after they were posted online. Celeste saw the pictures taken by the reporters. In just over a week, Naomi had be extremely thin. In the photos, she was lying on the hospital bed, her face pale and her lips purplish. She was not at all the proud woman people remembered. She was lying there, with no dignity, being photographed at will by reporters eager for news. Public opinion about Naomi was prized. Some people thought she got what she deserved, while others felt that since she was dead, people should let her rest in peace. She hadn¡¯t done anything terrible; she just didn¡¯t know how to take care of herself and had let down her fans. There was no need to defame her after her death. People who were close to Naomi¡¯s assistant found out that Naomi¡¯s body was left unimed in the hospital for three days. Her parents were ashamed and didn¡¯t want to collect her body. In the end, it was said that her former assistant helped cremate her body. During a break on set, Celeste sat in a corner looking at the script, overhearing people on set discussing. ¡°Naomi was pretty pitiful. I heard her parents divorced a long time ago and both have new families now. No one wanted to take care of her. Because of her good looks, she was introduced to the modeling industry. Although she didn¡¯t be super famous, the money she made was enough for her to live a carefree life.¡± Someone interjected, ¡°How is she pitiful? I didn¡¯t think she was pitiful when she was oppressing others on set. You can say she had a hard life that was beyond her control. But people can¡¯t always wallow in their hardships, right? She became a model at 19, attending car shows and making thousands a day. She was already much luckier than many people who came from a difficult background. Chapter 927 Chapter 927 Chapter 927 ¡°It¡¯s all her own doing. She wasn¡¯t satisfied; she didn¡¯t take care of herself. Was she forced into being a kept woman? Not only did she not feel ashamed, but she even bragged about it in public. She got herself into this mess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Naomi was just disdainful of us, the staff, who couldn¡¯t help her much. But she was pretty good to those who were more famous than her. Last time Sydney Denton was in the hospital, Naomi paid a visit and brought expensive gifts. Naomi promoted Sydney¡¯s show the most. But what¡¯s the use? Now that Naomi¡¯s in trouble, everyone avoids her like the gue. The mere mention of her name makes people change color. They wish they¡¯d never met her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to keep a distance in this situation. Anyone who has a connection with Naomi will be smeared on the inte and criticized.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to smear? Mr. Javier even attended Naomi¡¯s funeral out of old friendship. Sydney was so close to her on set, but she didn¡¯t even show up at the funeral. So much for being sisters. Fake sisters are more like it.¡± Sydney had juste out of the restroom when she heard this group of people discussing her expression turned awkward immediately After Naomi¡¯s incident, she was the one everyone pointed fingers at. She had interacted frequently with Naomi before. When Naomi got into trouble, people immediately thought she was in the same boat as Naomi. Some even went crazy and reported her to the police, demanding a blood test and a tax investigation. These past few days, Sydney¡¯s Twitter was sted with criticism, she even had to close her private messages andments Naomi, the idiot, screwed up herself and dragged her into this mess. It was already quite decent of her not to kick her while she was down! Sydney was full of resentment. She looked up and saw Celeste sitting in a corner reading her script. She was looking down at the script in her hand; her skin was delicate, her eyebrows were long, and she looked very calm At the party that day. Naomi excitedly told her that she had arranged for someone to teach Celeste a lesson to help her vent her anger. Sydney verbally said that the crew should be harmonious but didn¡¯t actually stop it. She was excited thinking about Celeste being disgraced and couldn¡¯t sleep all night. But after waiting for two days, the news that came was about Naomi being investigated. From N?velDrama.Org. If this had nothing to do with Celeste, she would eat her hat Skyline Media Group cancelled several of her filming appointments and endorsements because of this. Thepany¡¯s idea was for her to keep a low profile What did she, an innocent person, do wrong to deserve this? Why was Celeste, the instigator, still living so peacefully? Thepany¡¯s favoritism towards Celeste was tantly obvious. She was thepany¡¯s top signee, why did all the good resources go to Celeste? Sydney stared at her with her eyebrows furrowed, anger and jealousy umting in her heart. She walked up to Celeste and stood in front of her, asking. ¡°Are you enjoying this?¡± Celeste? She spoke calmly: ¡°What are you referring to? If you¡¯re talking about being cyberbullied, I can understand. You should¡¯ve thought of this day when you incited your fans to cyberbully others.¡± Sydney said, ¡°Are you ying innocent? Naomi¡¯s situation has nothing to do with you?¡± Celeste¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Howe you don¡¯t know what happened to your best friend, yet youe using me? Have your wires crossed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to confront you because I know the truth. You think hiding behind Liam and letting him take the heat can keep you out of the mess?¡± Celeste¡¯s expression shifted slightly ¡°What are you babbling about? Who are you pushing these out¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cblue Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Sydney Denton sneered, ¡°Who else could pull off such a scheme other than Liam Reed? Naomi yed a little prank on you, and you set Liam up for some dirty work, trying to get Naomi killed. Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯lle after you in your dreams as a ghost?¡± Celeste Campbell was a bit lost. She didn¡¯t understand what ¡°yed a little prank on you¡± meant, but it didn¡¯t stop her from getting pissed off. She tossed the script aside, stood up, grabbed Sydney by the cor, and red down at her. ¡°Are you mad because your love quest failed? Your fan base has left you high and dry. Didn¡¯t Liam throw you a bone with some work opportunities over the years? How could someone of your caliber have made it this far without him?¡± Celeste leaned in closer to Sydney¡¯s ear and said word by word, ¡°The police have made a public statement about Naomi¡¯s incident. If you have a bone to pick, you can fight for your friend at the police station. But if you continue to scream bloody murder and pin the me on Liam here, I guarantee that you¡¯ll be the next one kicked off the team.¡± Her fierce look turned Sydney pale as a sheet. A male voice called out from the sidelines, ¡°Celeste.¡± Celeste was taken aback. She let go of Sydney, put on an innocent face, and asked in surprise, ¡°Mason, what brings you here?¡± Mason Fletcher, dressed in a brown suit with a white shirt buttoned all the way up, looked as proper as ever. He was carrying something and strolling towards Celeste 1 came to see you.¡± As he spoke, he arrived at Celeste¡¯s side. Noticing the pale¨Cfaced Sydney, he nodded politely and said, ¡°Hello, Miss Sydney¡± He lifted the thing in his hand and said, ¡°This is coffee. Would you like some?¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°coffee¡°, Sydney¡¯s face changed drastically. She had been terrified of it since herst allergic shock. Especially since thest cup of coffee was also brought by this seemingly polite gentleman, which brought an unspoken fear to her. She declined with nervousness, ¡°No, thank you.¡± After speaking, she swiftly departed. Mason shifted his gaze back to Celeste, offered her the coffee, and asked, ¡°When do you get off work?¡± ¡°Probablyte, around five or six. Do you need something?¡± Mason smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been invited to a wedding tonight by a client. He wanted to set me up with a girlfriendst time, but I told him I already had one. He didn¡¯t believe me and insisted I bring my so¨C called girlfriend to his wedding. I¡¯ve already told this lie; now I must keep it up.¡± He paused and then asked gently, ¡°Could you do me a favor ande with me to this wedding, y along with my little charade?¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Why did you tell people you have a girlfriend? Shouldn¡¯t you be more proactive when someone wants to set you up?¡± Mason lowered his head and said, ¡°I know he wants to set me up with his cousin. I¡¯ve met the girl¡± Realization dawned on Celeste. ¡°So you don¡¯t like the girl and didn¡¯t want to refuse directly, so you lied about having a girlfriend?¡± Mason paused momentarily and then nodded with a smile, ¡°We aren¡¯t that close. If I refused him directly, it would be awkward the next time we meet.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But you can¡¯t keep lying like this. Don¡¯t the people around you know whether you¡¯re single or not? This kind of thing will be found out sooner orter.¡± Chapter 929 Chapter 929 ¡°I¡¯ll cross that bridge when Ie to it.¡± Chapter 929 After saying this, Mason asked again, ¡°Can you help me?¡± Celeste gave a wry smile, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, I¡¯m just worried that people will recognize me and ruin your n. Don¡¯t you have many female colleagues in yourpany? You can ask them for help¡± Mason replied, ¡°He¡¯s been to thepany many times and has seen all my female colleagues.¡± He paused and added, ¡°If you¡¯re worried about being recognized, I can introduce you to a makeup artist. His makeup skills are top¨Cnotch, even your friends won¡¯t recognize you.¡± So he has thought it all out before telling Celeste, huh? She would have definitely agreed if Mason had asked her for help with other things. After all, he has helped her a lot, whether it was the issue with Caitlyn or somewsuits with the Campbell family Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. But pretending to be his girlfriend¡­ she felt somewhat hical about it. The hical part referred to her, as she already had a boyfriend. ¡°I still think this isn¡¯t quite right. How about I find someone online to help you?¡± She originally wanted to ask Trisha Colton for help, but considering Trisha¡¯s recent good rtionship with Dr. Ledford, Trisha definitely wouldn¡¯t want to do such a thing. Besides, her acting bes overly dramatic when she gets nervous, and she might identally blow her cover Mason paused momentarily and said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you help Nicsst time? Why can you pretend to be his girlfriend to help him but not me?¡± Celeste was stunned and finally understood that Mason was referring to the singles party at the barst time. That was a job. He hired me. Otherwise, why would I do such a trouble¨Cseeking thing?¡± ¡°How much?¡± Mason asked in a low voice, ¡°Can I hire you to help me? Name your price.¡± Celeste could trick Nics Francis, but considering all the help Mason had given her in the past, she couldn¡¯t do that to him. Celeste hesitated momentarily and said, ¡°Hold on a second. I¡¯ll call my agent to see if I have any ns for tonight.¡± Mason nodded. Celeste stepped aside with her phone and immediately called Liam. Liam was on a neing back from a business trip at the moment. His flight was dyed, and he hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so his phone was still off. After making two or three calls without an answer, Celeste decided to send him a text exining the situation. Before she could finish, Mason walked over ¡°How did it go? What did your agent say?¡± Celeste put away her phone, ¡°I can help you, but I might not be able to stay for long.¡± Mason sighed in relief and said gently, ¡°Just your appearance would be enough to make him give up the idea.¡± After wrapping up her work, Celeste left with Mason. First, he took her to a fashion design center, finding the makeup artist he had mentioned before, who gave Celeste apletely new look Post¨Cmakeover, Celeste was practically unrecognizable, even to herself. The woman in the mirror had elongated eyespared to hers, and while her features weren¡¯t as delicate, they were quite distinctive Her sharp jawline was transformed into an oval face, making her features more rounded and feminine. Notably, the mole at the corner of her lip added an extra dose of allure. Celeste had never tried this kind of makeup before, so she was totally blown away by the makeup artist¡¯s skill. It felt like she was given a brand¨Cnew persona. With this skill level, couldn¡¯t she change her face every day? Raising her head, Celeste was about to ask Mason what he thought of her new look. But as she did, she saw Mason staring nkly at her reflection in the mirror. Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Chapter 930 He looked a bit dizzy, with his eyes revealing a mix ofplex emotions that left Celeste puzzled. ¡°Mason? Mr. Fletcher?¡± She called his name a few times before he finally escaped it. Realizing he¡¯d been out of line, he cleared his throat and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m a bit taken aback, you look like apletely different person.¡± Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Celeste nodded, ¡°Indeed, I was startled myself too. It¡¯s my first time seeing makeup thatpletely alters one¡¯s appearance.¡± The makeup artist cleaning the brushes chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re just taking photos, you can¡¯t really tell you¡¯re wearing makeup. But in person, it¡¯s pretty obvious you¡¯re wearing heavy makeup. Fortunately, you have good skin, so it doesn¡¯t look too over the top¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Then he jokingly asked Mason, ¡°Can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s the real deal or not, can you?¡± Mason didn¡¯t respond. He just stood behind Celeste, resting his hand on the back of her chair, looking at her reflection in the mirror before chuckling. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Celeste asked, puzzled. ¡°I was just wondering what to call you, then I remembered when we first met, you lied to me that your name was Selena Colton¡± Celeste said, ¡°Let¡¯s not bring that up again.¡± How embarrassing. Masonughed, ¡°It¡¯s a good name, though. I¡¯ll call you Selena tonight. What job should we say you do so people won¡¯t see through us?¡± Celeste responded, ¡°Human skin surface cleaning and beautifying engineer.¡± Seeing his confusion, the makeup artist chimed in. ¡°She means a nail artist.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± Celeste initially wanted to crack a joke but felt it wasn¡¯t funny if the other person didn¡¯t get it. ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Mason said, even forcing a couple of chuckles, ¡°Sounds professional.¡± Celeste smirked, ¡°No need tofort me. I think the joke has turned colder.¡± Mason was taken aback before softly saying. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard this job, so I was just a bit surprised.¡± Celeste was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you surf the web?¡± Mason responded, ¡°Not often, because sometimes the public opinion on some cases might affect me, so I don¡¯t really keep track of those social tforms Celeste suddenly realized that Liam had a better sense of humor than Mason and his elite friends. In the past, when she argued with Liam, she would grab her suitcase and threaten to leave. Liam wouldn¡¯t try to stop her, he¡¯d just stand in the bedroom, arms crossed, watching her coldly. Only when she was ready to leave would Liam stop her and ask, ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± She thought Liam would try to persuade her to stay and snorted, ¡°Should I stay here and put up with you?¡± Liam said, ¡°Think about it; without me, you¡¯ll have to earn your own money. You married me right after graduation, you¡¯re out of touch with society, with no work experience. What good job can you find?¡± Hearing this, Celeste was even more furious. She thought he would try to persuade her to stay, but instead, he was just fueling the fire. Angry, she snapped, ¡°I¡¯d rather starve than ask for your help. If ites to that, I can just be a cleaner.¡± Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Liam slowly suggested. ¡°You could learn how to perform surgeries on unnecessary body parts, then open a shop equipped with the most advanced scissors andbs. You might be financially independent in a few years if you work hard enough It took Celeste a moment to realize that the bastard Liam suggested she be a hairdresser. She was initially furious, but when he mentioned ¡°surgeries on unnecessary body parts¡°, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Liam walked over, joking. ¡°Do you need me to rent a shop for you, hairdresser Celeste?¡± Celeste red at him, tossed her suitcase at him, and went to freshen up Her anger had long been reced byughter. It seemed that the only person who could understand and respond to her was Liam. Celeste stood up and asked, ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Mason checked the time, ¡°Now.¡± On the way to the hotel, Celeste checked her phone a few more times. There was still no reply from Liam. He said he would arrive at five, but it was past six now, and there was still no news ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mason noticed her constantly checking her phone and asked softly. ¡°Nothing,¡± Celeste gripped her phone tightly and asked, ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Celeste paused for a moment and immediately looked out the car window. She had no idea who Mason¡¯s client was, but the wedding venue was one of the best hotels in the city, so the client was definitely not ordinary. The parking spaces near the hotel were filled with all kinds of luxury cars, indicating the grand scale of the wedding. Mason got out of the car, walked around to her side, opened the car door, and said gently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Celeste touched his hand and got out of the car, holding her dress In the elevator, they bumped into Simon Rowley and his wife, Micha Sanders. Celeste instinctively wanted to greet them, but she heard Simon say, ¡°This is the girlfriend you mentioned to Lyman Rowley?¡± Celeste immediately shut her mouth. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Mason chuckled. ¡°He already told you.¡± From their conversation, Celeste gathered some information. The groom tonight was Simon¡¯s cousin, Lyman Rowley. When Lyman started hispany, Mason had been his legal consultant for a year, free of charge. Their rtionship was definitely not just that of client and consultant, probably more simr to Mason and Liam¡¯s. After exchanging pleasantries with Mason, Simon turned to Celeste, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce her?¡± Mason casually pulled Celeste closer and introduced. This is Selena Colton, Then he introduced the Simons to Celeste. Celeste, who had been a voice actor, changed her tone and greeted them. She was used to performing in ys, but now she had to perform in front of acquaintances in reality Although her acting was wless, it felt weird. She suddenly regretted agreeing to help Mason. She definitely wouldn¡¯t havee if he had told her that these were all acquaintances. ¡°Ms. Colton, what do you do?¡± Micha suddenly asked. ¡°I¡¯m a music teacher¡± Celeste replied. Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Micha gave a faint response and didn¡¯t say anything else. As they went upstairs, Micha said she needed to go to the bathroom, and Simon offered to apany her ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Micha said, rolling her eyes at Simon, who didn¡¯t mind her coldness and followed her anyway. When Micha exited the bathroom, she found Simon waiting for her at the door. ¡°Your standing here might scare people off,¡± she said while washing her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s kind of a security measure?¡± Simon chuckled. ¡°If we really run into any trouble, you¡¯ll probably need me to protect you,¡± Micha retorted, shaking the water off her hands. Simon thought for a moment,ughed, and handed her a towel. ¡°That works too¡± As the two were heading to the wedding venue, Simonmented, ¡°Mason¡¯s girlfriend looks alright, just a bit too much makeup¡± Micha stopped. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice?¡± ¡°Notice what?¡± ¡°She is Celeste,¡± Micha stated slowly Simon was taken aback ¡°Are you okay? You seem a bit off.¡± Micha shot him a re ¡°Are you questioning my professional skills?¡± After thinking for a while, Simon had to admit that Micha had never misidentified anyone before, her job was to recognize faces. He recalled the woman he had just met. Her figure resembled Celeste¡¯s, but her facial features were completely different. Was this possible? The bone structure of her face is exactly the same as Celestes. Despite the makeup, you can see the resemnce in the parts where the light doesn¡¯t hit,¡± Micha said. ¡°But her voice was different,¡± Simon still seemed confused. Micha rolled her eyes again. ¡°Did you forget that Celeste is a voice actor? Changing her voice is a piece of cake for her.¡± Simon paused ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Mason¡¯s current girlfriend is Liam¡¯s ex¨Cwife?¡± ¡°My guess is that Lyman Rowley has always wanted to give Leah Rowley to Mason He couldn¡¯t refuse, so he let Celeste pretend to be his girlfriend. No one would suspect a face they ve never seen before, Micha spected. Simon put his arm around her shoulder. ¡°But you would, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a professional habit,¡± she shrugged. Things are getting interesting, Simon chuckled ¡°Do you think Liam will recognize his ex¨Cwife?¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Micha shot him a re. ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious. Do you think his ex¨Cwife would be mad if he didn¡¯t recognize her?¡± ¡°I think he will recognize her.¡± ¡°You mean Liam can also distinguish the differences in facial bone structure?¡± Micha rolled her eyes at him again. ¡°How could he not recognize someone he spent every day with?¡± Simon paused and asked, ¡°Can you tell the difference between me and Gavin Rowley?¡± ¡°How could I not? You two havepletely different personalities, Micha chuckled. Simon just laughed and didn¡¯t continue the topic. He took out his phone and called Liam. Liam had justnded and turned on his phone when Simon¡¯s call came in. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked as he picked up the call. ¡®Aren¡¯t you rushing back for Lyman Rowley¡¯s wedding? Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve justnded. Il be there soon.¡± ¡°Are you alone? Did Celeste note with you?¡± Simon asked Liam had betually wanted to bring Celeste with him. He wanted everyone to know they were together, but since Celeste wanted to keep it a secret, he could only reply, ¡°We¡¯re divorced. Why should I bring her?¡± Simon was confused. This was not what he had said when he asked Simon to delete Celeste¡¯s private photos. After all his actions, had he still not sessfully be her ¡°boyfriend¡± or ¡°husband¡°? Thinking of how Celeste had looked a while ago, Simon couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Indeed, there are quite a few famousdies here today. You might want to take a look around. By the way, Mason has found a girlfriend. You should catch up.¡± Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Chapter 933 Liam was taken aback, ¡°Who did you say got a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Mason,¡± Simon said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two buddies? Howe you didn¡¯t know?¡± Liam fell silent. He had attended a party organized by Nics before, but Mason couldn¡¯te due to work. They hadn¡¯t hung out since. Actually, they hadn¡¯t been in touch for quite a while. Did Mason get a girlfriend? Why didn¡¯t Nics tell him right away? Liam was confused; he asked, ¡°Do you know who the girl is?¡± Simon paused before slowly answering, ¡°Didn¡¯t ask for details, but she seems like a fresh face, probably not from our circle. She¡¯s quite elegant and is a music teacher.¡± Liam tried to think of anyone who fit the description, but couldn¡¯t He found it hard to believe that Mason would date a girl without a strong family background. His family wouldn¡¯t ept that Liam didn¡¯t say much, justmenting, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good thing.¡± Simon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle Liam was puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Nothing, just Micha joking around with me Micha nced at him, her eyes seemed to ask: Could your acting be any worse? Simon wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed lightly, then said to Liam, ¡°Hurry up, the wedding is starting soon.¡± Liam acknowledged and hung up the phone He checked his phone, there were a few missed calls from Celeste. He tried to call back, but her phone was off. There was a message from Celeste on WhatsApp telling him to get some rest. Liam replied. ¡°Will catch up with youter,¡± then pocketed his phone and left the airport. At that moment, Celeste was handing over her switched¨Coff phone to the event staff. Mason said that Lyman Rowley¡¯s new bride had a sensitive status, and photography was not allowed. All guests were required to switch off their phones and hand them over to the staff They would seal the phones on the spot, and the owner would write their name on the sealing bag, so there was no need to worry about privacy issues. The first time Celeste had seen such strict rules at a wedding, she was curious and asked Mason as soon as they arrived, ¡°Who is the bride?¡± Mason smiled, ¡°She¡¯s not a big deal, just a state official¡¯s daughter¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°And that¡¯s not a big deal?¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s alright. My grandpa was a national official before he retired.¡± No wonder he didn¡¯t think a state official was a big deal.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Mason didn¡¯t mention that even his father had reached the national level. So, to him, a local official naturally didn¡¯t seem high¨Cranking. Only then did Celeste realize that Mason was quite a well¨Cconnected guy. Not only was he aplished, but he also had a powerful background. But this power was somewhat intimidating ¡°I think the bride might not want photos because she¡¯s worried about unttering pictures getting out. She¡¯s pregnant now, and her figure has changed. After all, every girl wants to look her best at her own wedding, right?¡± That made sense Mason was well¨Cconnected in the circle, and people kept greeting him along the way After exchanging greetings, people would naturally ask about his femalepanion Mason introduced Celeste as Selena. Her face was getting stiff from all the smiling. Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Chapter 934 She suddenly missed attending these parties with Liam. Liam was like a walking iceberg, especially when dealing with strangers. Even though many people greeted him, he always remained aloof, and people would awkwardly walk away after saying hi. This saved her a lot of socializing She used to think Liam¡¯s coldness made him hard to approach, but now she realized that his aloofness saved her from much pointless socializing. The wedding venue was set up very romantically, and all the flowers were real, which made it quite luxurious. At her wedding to Liam, they also used real flowers. Even the wedding favors were a pair of delicate bracelets, each custom¨Cmade and costing a few hundred bucks. In theory, wedding favors should be prepared by the bride and groom together, but Liam was busy with work, Skyler Reed wasn¡¯t interested in their wedding, and the grandmother was too old to overwork. So the Reed family gave a high bride price with the intention that the bride¡¯s family would prepare the wedding favors Shawn Campbell was more than happy. The favors he prepared were just some candies and choctes. The only slightly more expensive items were two boxes of cigars It wasn¡¯t until the day before the wedding, when she and Liam went to rehearse at the venue, that they found out what Shawn had prepared as wedding favors. Sienna Reed didn¡¯t say anything, but her expression revealed her dissatisfaction. Shawn was still trying to promote how much thought he put into the wedding favors. Celeste felt incredibly awkward stuck in the middle, as she had no say in the Campbell family matters. Sienna asked Liam for his opinion, to which Liam replied, ¡°Whatever¡± The next day, he had the wedding favors re¨Cprepared without informing Shawn Shawn¡¯s face was grim on the wedding day when he saw the wedding favors prepared by the Reed family At the time, she just thought Liam was too concerned about appearances, but now she realized that a man who wouldn¡¯t even celebrate his own birthday in a big way wouldn¡¯t care about these things. What he gave was just to maintain her good reputation. Perhaps Liam didn¡¯t like her back then, but he gave her the respect and dignity she deserved in public. She always said she liked Liam¡¯s face, but his thoughts and beliefs truly moved her. Of course, his face was also important. And his physique. His voice too. Except for his sharp tongue ¡°Celeste¡­ ahem, Selena, sit here¡± Mason called her, Celeste snapped back to reality, acknowledged him, walked past his chair, and sat beside him. Soon, Simon and his wife also arrived, taking the seats opposite them. Mason and Simon were chatting casually, and guests were slowly arriving Nics popped in pretty quickly, and his eyes lit up when he saw Mason with a girl. ¡°You, you finally got yourself a chick?¡± Celeste was sipping her water, avoiding any eye contact with him. Nics was too slick for his own good. She was worried he¡¯d recognize her and stir up some trouble here. Mason just gave a cool smile and didn¡¯t continue the conversation. ¡°Are you going to introduce her?¡± Nics nodded, ¡°What¡¯s thedy¡¯s name?¡± Mason answered, ¡°She¡¯s Ms Colton.¡± ¡°Ms. Colton?¡± Nics seemed amused, ¡°I know another Ms. Colton. You two aren¡¯t from the same n, are you?¡± Celeste gave a small smile. She and Trisha indeed lived under the same roof. Chapter 935 N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Mason exined to her, ¡°Probably not; she¡¯s local. I remember Trisha isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nics nced at Celeste again, feeling like she looked familiar. A thought popped into his head, ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you¡­.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Jace Ledford¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Is this spot taken?¡± Nics turned around to see Jace and Trisha behind him. Trisha had put on makeup today and was wearing a pretty dress. Her eyes were naturally big, and she looked youthful and energetic,pletely different from her usual tomboyish demeanor. Nics was surprised, but his expression changed when he saw her holding Jace¡¯s hand. He nced at Jace and then at Trisha, ¡°Why are you here? Do you know Lyman Rowley?¡± Trisha obviously didn¡¯t know him. The people she knew were the bride, a friend from high school. She came because she received a wedding invitation And she ran into Jace in the lobby Trisha nced at him. ¡°If you can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± For some reason, she felt irritated whenever she saw Nics these days. He didn¡¯t do anything, but just looking at his face annoyed her. She was actually quite pleased when she ran into Dr. Ledford downstairs, but her mood instantly changed when she saw him. Nics frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t even know the groom. Are you just here for the food?¡± Trisha immediately got angry, ¡°Who are you calling a freeloader? I brought a gift, okay? Who told you I don¡¯t know anyone? Do I have to report to you who I know? So annoying! She then pulled Jace and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± Jace said, ¡°Those are the bride¡¯s rtives over there. We don¡¯t know them. Let¡¯s just sit here, it will be less awkward.¡± Trisha pouted and muttered, 1 can¡¯t eat with Nics around.¡± Jace chuckled, That¡¯s just how Nics is, he¡¯s just messing with you.¡± Trisha didn¡¯t say anything and sat next to the Simons, with Jace blocking Nics¡® view of her. Nics felt ufortable and troubled. Trisha had been cold to himtely, and he was no fool. How could he not notice? She agreed to cook for him in return for his help, but she said she didn¡¯t need it the next day because she still had some work to hand over at thepany, and her resignation process was not yet completed He waited for two whole weeks, and during that time, he definitely felt that Trisha was not as close to him as before. Before, she would ask him to y games at night. But now, whenever he invited her to y online, she always declined, saying she had other things to do. She was clearly jobless; what could she possibly be busy with? If all this was just him being overly sensitive, then her avoiding him when she went out for a walk confirmed his suspicions. Even if they bumped into each other in the elevator, she would just nod and leave before he could even open his mouth, as if she had encountered something terrifying This made Nics very ufortable This feeling had been going on for a while, and it reached its peak when he saw her all dolled up and showing up with Jace today She never dressed up like this for him. Was he not worth it? Nics was filled with questions and decided not to talk to her anymore in anger And he hadpletely forgotten what he was about to say to Selena. Celeste breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them recognized her, which gave her more confidence She picked up her ss and was about to take a sip when a familiar male voice came from behind, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Chapter 9351 Mason exined to her, ¡°Probably not, she¡¯s local. I remember Trisha isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh Nics nced at Celeste again, feeling like she looked familiar. A thought popped into his head, ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Jace Ledford¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Is this spot taken?¡± Nics turned around to see Jace and Trisha behind him. Trisha had put on makeup today and was wearing a pretty dress. Her eyes were naturally big, and she looked youthful and energetic,pletely different from her usual tomboyish demeanor Nics was surprised, but his expression changed when he saw her holding Jace¡¯s hand. He nced at Jace and then at Trisha, ¡°Why are you here? Do you know Lyman Rowley?¡± Trisha obviously didn¡¯t know him. The people she knew were the bride, a friend from high school. She came because she received a wedding invitation. And she ran into Jace in the lobby Trisha nced at him, ¡°If you can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± For some reason, she felt irritated whenever she saw Nics these days. He didn¡¯t do anything, but just looking at his face annoyed her She was actually quite pleased when she ran into Dr. Ledford downstairs, but her mood instantly changed when she saw him. Nics frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t even know the groom Are you just here for the food?¡± Trisha immediately got angry. ¡°Who are you calling a freeloader? I brought a gift, okay? Who told you I don¡¯t know anyone? Do I have to report to you who I know? So annoying! She then pulled Jace and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there¡± Jace said, ¡°Those are the bride¡¯s rtives over there. We don¡¯t know them. Let¡¯s just sit here, it will be less awkward¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Trisha pouted and muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t eat with Nics around¡± Jace chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s just how Nics is, he¡¯s just messing with you.¡± Trisha didn¡¯t say anything and sat next to the Simons, with Jace blocking Nics¡® view of her. Nics felt ufortable and troubled Trisha had been cold to himtely, and he was no fool. How could he not notice? She agreed to cook for him in return for his help, but she said she didn¡¯t need it the next day because she still had some work to hand over at thepany, and her resignation process was not yet completed He waited for two whole weeks, and during that time, he definitely felt that Trisha was not as close to him as before. Before, she would ask him to y games at night. But now, whenever he invited her to y online, she always declined, saying she had other things to do. She was clearly jobless, what could she possibly be busy with? If all this was just him being overly sensitive, then her avoiding him when she went out for a walk confirmed his suspicions. Even if they bumped into each other in the elevator, she would just nod and leave before he could even open his mouth, as if she had encountered something terrifying. This made Nics very ufortable This feeling had been going on for a while, and it reached its peak when he saw her all dolled up and showing up with Jace today She never dressed up like this for him. Was he not worth it? Nics was filled with questions and decided not to talk to her anymore in anger. And he hadpletely forgotten what he was about to say to Selena. Celeste breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them recognized her, which gave her more confidence. She picked up her ss and was about to take a sip when a familiar male voice came from behind, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Isn¡¯t this dude supposed to be on a ne? Did he parachute down or something? Did he see my messages? Does he know Selena is me? Before Celeste could think, Nics asked, ¡°Why did youe alone? Where¡¯s your other half?¡± Liam hesitated before correcting. ¡°I¡¯m single¡± Probably afraid of being set up with a girlfriend like Mason, he added, ¡°I¡¯m trying to date! So, he¡¯s actually living up to his promise to keep their rtionship under wraps But it doesn¡¯t seem to make much difference Sure enough, everyone at the table had an ¡°I knew it look on their faces: All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Nics wanted to mock him, but then he remembered that when it didn¡¯t work out before, Liam always said they just had a lovers¡® spat, proving that he and Celeste hadn¡¯t broken up Today, he actually admitted he was single. There was only one exnation ¨C he had won Celeste over Senously! Why can¡¯t he suffer a little? Nics was dissatisfied. Especially when he saw that Mason also had a partner, he felt even worse. He nced at Trisha, who was whispering to Jace, sometimes widening her eyes and sometimes laughing softly, he felt a pang of jealousy. He turned to Celeste and said, ¡°Ms. Colton, are there many female teachers at your school? If suitable, could you introduce me to one?¡± Trisha paused and looked at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s got a girlfriend? Nics shot her a look, ¡°I¡¯m single.¡± ¡°But you Trisha stopped mid¨Csentence, realizing this was a public setting. Some words are better left unsaid. She red at him and told Celeste, ¡®Don¡¯t listen to his gibberish, His ex¨Cgirlfriends could fill a train. Be careful if you introduce a girlfriend to him, she might get dumped, and you guys might not even be friends anymore¡± ¡°Ms Colton?¡± Liam looked at Celeste curiously When he saw her face, he was taken aback and then frowned. He looked a bit strange, nced at Mason, and then at Celeste. Just as Celeste thought he recognized her, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She suddenly felt that it was more annoying that Liam didn¡¯t recognize her than not seeing her message. She stood up, reached out her hand, ¡°Hello, you can call me Ms. Colton.¡± She cleverly avoided the name Selena, she wanted to see how long it would take for this idiot Liam to recognize her Liam was slightly stunned, feeling something familiar about her voice and breathing rhythm. Their hands were already shaking by the time he snapped back to reality Celeste raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about Mr. Reed, you¡¯re indeed a gentleman with outstanding temperament.¡± Her words were normal, but her hand quietly scratched his palm. Liam immediately pushed her away as if he had been electrocuted, his face instantly turned very ugly. Seeing his insulted look, Celeste immediately felt a sense of mischief. She pretended to rub her fingers and said softly, ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re so strong.¡± Sure enough, Liam¡¯s face turned uglier and seemed a bit angry. But maybe because she was a woman, and she was a friend Mason brought, he just clenched his lips, gave her a cold look without saying anything, and then sat down Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Nics raised an eyebrow, thinking that Mason¡¯s girlfriend seemed a bit restless. Mason nced at Liam, then asked Celeste, ¡°Would you like a drink or juice?¡± ¡°TII have juice.¡± Mason carefully wiped the ss in front of her and poured her a ss of pomegranate juice Celeste frowned; she actually wanted mango juice¡­¡­.. ¡°Mason, let¡¯s chat.¡± Nics propped his chin on one hand and curiously asked, ¡°How did you meet thisdy? With that, everyone else also looked over curiously Among these people, Mason had been single the longest. Surprisingly, he suddenly brought a woman to a friend¡¯s wedding. Mason paused and looked at Celeste They hadn¡¯t discussed this question beforehand. Celeste, however, seemed very calm. She took a sip of her juice and said, ¡°We met on a local dating app¡± Trisha almost spat out the water in her mouth. She nced at the woman across from her, her way of speaking was reallyughable, just like Letti¡¯s At previous ss reunions, when people asked Celeste how she met her husband, she would say, ¡°We were matched on a matchmaking website.¡± Nics noticed a problem. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Colton working at Middle School? That¡¯s far from Mason¡¯s office, how did you meet on a local app?¡± Celeste calmly replied, ¡°I had previously engaged aw firm near Mason to handle a divorce case, so I stayed there for a long time.¡± Everyone was stunned for a moment. So was Mason. He thought Celeste would feel ufortable because of these familiar faces, but she seemed to have found her stage and let herself go. ¡°Divorce divorce case?¡± Nics couldn¡¯t believe it, how did Mason persuade his parents to date a divorced woman? Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste casually replied, ¡°Not mine, someone in my family.¡± Is there a more surprising way to speak? After sitting down, Liam didn¡¯t say much, just asionally ncing at Celeste for a second before quickly looking away. His expression was strange as if he was thinking or confused. When Celeste intentionally waited for him to look over before meeting his gaze, he would immediately look annoyed Out of the blue, Celeste figured that her taste in men wasn¡¯t actually bad. It was probably the guys she picked who needed their eyes checked. The wedding ceremony started in no time The bride and groom looked like they were made for each other. Even though the bride was a bit plump due to pregnancy, the groom had a round face too. His facial features even resembled Simon¡¯s. Despite the chubbiness, he was quite a looker After the ceremony, the bride switched to her reception dress. She and the groom started going around, toasting to express their gratitude to the guests At their table, Mason was busy introducing Celeste to everyone. Lyman Rowley looked at him, surprise all over his face. ¡°I thought you were pulling my leg. You¡¯re actually in love?¡± Mason shed a little smile. ¡°No joke¡± Lyman Rowley studied Celeste, suddenly saying. ¡°She kinda looks like that person, right? Nics paused, finally understanding why the woman across the table seemed familiar Her facial features bore some resemnce to Mason¡¯s first love. He shot a surprised nce at Liam Liam looked tense Clearly, he had realized it earlier Could it be that Mason remembered? However, Mason seemed genuinely surprised, ¡°Looks like who?¡± Nics let out a small sigh of relief But Liam still looked tense He kept an eye on Mason, observing his reactions. Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Lyman Rowley seemed to have an idea, grinning. ¡°Nah, probably cause Ms. Colton¡¯s face rings a bell and gives me a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡± The bride murmured. ¡°Good thing I stopped you in time, or it would¡¯ve been a real foot¨Cin¨Cmouth situation.¡± Lyman Rowley chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re quite the smart cookie¡± The bride yfully jabbed at him, and Lyman Rowley didn¡¯t retort anymore. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the crowd, he turned to attend to other guests. Just as the newlyweds left, someone came over and whispered something to Mason Mason turned to Celeste and said, ¡°I gotta lend a hand and be right back.¡± Celeste nodded, her hand tracing her face. Why did people look at her so strangely after she put on makeup? Though she didn¡¯t understand, it didn¡¯t stop her from joking around with Liam. After the toast, everyone began eating Liam, having traveled all day was actually starving. So while everyone else was chatting, he didn¡¯t join in much, instead picking up his utensils to eat. Just as his knife and fork touched a steak, another set beat him to it. Liam frowned Celeste blurted out in surprise. ¡°Oops, my bad¡± Liam didn¡¯t respond, instead turning his attention to another dish. Celeste transferred the steak to Liam¡¯s te. ¡°You go ahead.¡± Liam looked at her utensils, his brows furrowing Didn¡¯t this girl understand personal space? Didn¡¯t she know to use everyday utensils when serving others? Liam didn¡¯t touch the steak, instead opting for something else. Trisha red at the made¨Cup Celeste, thinking. This shameless woman, daring to snatch her best friend¡¯s man, does she have a death wish?¡± She wanted to confront her, but then recalled that she¡¯d left her phone outside. So she could only re at her in frustration. Nics gaze swept over the two women, revealing a knowing smile. This woman had guts, boldly showing her interest in another man in public. And Mason, such a smart man, actually took a liking to her A normal person, faced with such disdain, would¡¯ve left of their own ord, but not this woman. After Liam avoided her, she brazenly started another conversation, ¡°It¡¯s surprising that a catch like Mr. Reed is still single¡± ¡°Uh Nics almost spat out the water in his mouth. Aside from Celeste, nobody dared to tease Liam like this. Was she out of her mind? Did she really think Liam would remain gentlemanly towards women? Liam nced at her, ¡°How old are you?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Twenty¨Cfive Liam said indifferently. ¡°Still unmarried at twenty¨Cfive, can¡¯t find a suitable partner? Is it because guys at your age don¡¯t want you?¡± Nics knew it would turn out like this. Why did that woman insist on provoking Liam? When Liam was joking and teasing her, Celeste suddenly realized he was actually being lenient. He was already being nice to the opposite sex, considering he didn¡¯t know who she was N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Liam lost his gentlemanliness entirely because she was intentionally flirting and provoking him. Liam might be a joker, but he knew his limits, he wouldn¡¯t make others ufortable on purpose ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re overthinking. I simply prefer mature men. Older men are more caring. What kind of partner do you prefer, lively or gentle?¡± Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Liam paused, ¡°I respect all orientations but prefer to be with someone normal.¡± Celeste¡­ Simon was trying hard to suppress hisughter across the table; his facial muscles were almost cramping. He nced at Micha, his eyes questioning. ¡°See, I told you he wouldn¡¯t recognize her¡± Micha took a sip of her tea and whispered, ¡°Liam¡¯s nearsighted The wedding venue is dimly lit, and he¡¯s far away, he probably can¡¯t see clearly. Then she added, ¡°Celeste¡¯s disguise is quite good¡± Celeste¡¯s constantly changing voice made it hard for ordinary people to recognize Micha wasn¡¯t wrong Liam¡¯s eyesight wasn¡¯t great He didn¡¯t take a close look at Celeste. His sight brought back a heavily made¨Cup face with deep features. His mind was full of thoughts about whether Mason had regained his memory, he didn¡¯t have the mood to look at Celeste closely Celeste was feeling down. Half a day had passed, and that idiot Liam still hadn¡¯t recognized her! Wasn¡¯t he the one who imed that he¡¯d never mistake her for someone else? What a load of bull! Celeste nced at the man, who was focused on his meal, and yfully hooked her foot around Liam¡¯s leg. Liam shot up as if he¡¯d been electrocuted. His reaction was so big that even the table shook a bit. Celeste looked at him with an innocent face Liam looked grim, seemingly fuming but not knowing how to vent. Finally, he said coldly, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± After saying that, he pushed his chair away and stormed off. Celeste¡¯s eyes sparkled, she stood up and said, ¡°I need to use the restroom too¡± Then she also left her seat. Trisha immediately stood up, but before she could move, Nics grabbed her wrist, ¡°Come with me, I¡¯ve got something to ask you¡± Trisha instinctively tried to pull her hand away. Nics held her tighter, hooking her shoulder and threatening in a low voice, ¡°Do you still want me to help you pad your resume for a job hop?¡± ¡°No need¡°¡± As Trisha spoke, she tried to shake him off. Nics squinted. Then should I tell thepany you¡¯re job¨Chopping to that you forged your resume?¡± Trisha froze, then red at him, ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡± Nics smirked, ¡°How else am I going to make big bucks?¡± Jace saw the two shoulder to shoulder and asked. ¡°Trisha, you guys up to something?¡± Before Trisha could even speak, Nics chimed in, ¡°Keep the chit chat between us two, yeah? No need for outsiders¡± With that, he dragged a protesting andining Trisha away On the other hand, Liam had juste out of the bathroom when he bumped into Celeste in the corridor He furrowed his brows, trying to sidestep her But Celeste swiftly moved to block his path ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re not just going to bail on me like that, are you?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Liam didn¡¯t even bother to look at her. ¡°Move!¡± But Celeste didn¡¯t budge, instead leaning into him ¡°My feet are killing me. Can you help me out?¡± Liam held back for a moment, then couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He pushed her away. ¡°Get a grip!¡± Celeste was pushed into the wall, letting out an ¡°ouch¡± that exposed her actual state Liam¡¯s movements suddenly halted, and he turned to look at her, his face full of shock. Rubbing her arm, Celeste didn¡¯t catch Liam¡¯s expression She pretended to be unaffected retorting, ¡°Mr Reed, you always this rough with thedies?¡± Liam marched up to her with a stern face, finally taking a good look at her. The mole at her earlobe was in the exact same spot as Celeste¡¯s! Her eyes were twinkling with mischief. Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Liam pursed his lips, ncing casually at her, ¡°How long have you been with Mason?¡± Oblivious to her exposure, Celeste replied calmly, ¡°About a month or two, maybe.¡± Liam chuckled softly Celeste paused, sensing his scoff Indeed, Liam was scoffing¨Cthey hadn¡¯t even been together for a month! Even the fabrication of lies annoyed him! But when Celeste turned to him, he quickly resumed his cold demeanor He raised an eyebrow. ¡°A month or two. Seems like you¡¯re not that into him. Otherwise, why the constant flirting with me?¡± Celeste continued to provoke, ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡¯re smart and handsome. I¡¯m just an ordinary woman, I can¡¯t resist a man like you,¡± she whispered, ¡°and don¡¯t you think it¡¯s more fun for me to flirt with you behind his back?¡± Liam gave her a dangerous look, she had changed her face and was even talking without restraint Liam¡¯s eyes were deep, ¡°What do you want?¡± Celeste squinted her eyes. ¡°Mr. Reed, why y dumb?¡± She moved closer, whispering in his ear. ¡°I want to sleep with you.¡± Having said that, Celeste was waiting for Liam to explode. However, Liam suddenly gripped her wrist tightly after her words, ¡°I¡¯ve never tried doing it in the bathroom, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Celeste was stunned, and the next second she was dragged into the bathroom, the door mming shut. He gripped her hands tightly, pushing them above her head, looking at her with deep eyes, and loosening his tie with one hand. No way! He can¡¯t lose his self¨Ccontrol like this, can he? Is he trying to break up? Just as Celeste was lost in her thoughts, Liam pinched her chin, ¡°Even though you are not my type, but since you¡¯re offering, how can I refuse?¡± He then kissed her lips before she could react and began to French kiss her Celeste¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. She could no longer hold back, struggling to push him away However, Liam pinned her hands, he was too strong for her to break free. His kiss was provocative; just a few made Celeste¡¯s body go soft Liam lightly pinched her earlobe. ¡°Celeste, have you wanted to do something with me in the bathroom?¡± Celeste blushed and unconsciously retorted, ¡°Nonsense!¡± Liam was as audacious as ever. Only after she finished speaking did Celeste react, ¡°When¡­ when did you recognize me?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Liam was a bit irritated, ¡°You really think I¡¯d kiss someone else?¡± He pinched her chin, wiping off the lipstick on her lips with his thumb, saying. ¡°You even made up like this. What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡®Ouch, don¡¯t rub it so hard You¡¯re smudging my makeup!¡± Celeste lightly tapped his hand, red at him, and said, ¡°I sent you a WhatsApp Didn¡¯t you see it?¡± ¡°You told me to rest well, didn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Celeste was taken aback, ¡°I sent several messages. I said I was going to help Mason with some issues, and we would date after you rested well.¡± Liam frowned, ¡°I only saw the message about resting well¡± Maybe because his phone was off, the messages were dyed. Celeste then exined the whole situation to Liam, ¡°He said someone had been introducing him to several potential partners, and he couldn¡¯t refuse, so he lied that he had a girlfriend Lyman Rowley urged him to bring his girlfriend to the wedding he couldn¡¯t find anyone else, so he asked me for help I was afraid you would overthink, so I called you, but your phone was off¡± Can¡¯t find anyone else? Liam snorted. ¡°So you¡¯re too dishonest? You¡¯re already someone¡¯s girlfriend. Could you help with this? ¡°It¡¯s a trial penod boyfriend Celeste corrected, then paused and added. ¡°Mason handled all the affairs after my mother¡¯s death. How could I refuse? After finishing, seeing Liam¡¯s face still looked bad, Celeste hooked his palm with her little finger and whispered. And I didn¡¯t hide it from you I called and texted you.¡± Naturally, Liam was not angry with her What made him angry was the favor Celeste owed Mason. He regretted his actions before and after the divorce enormously. If he hadmunicated more and lost his temper less, how could he have allowed Mason the opportunity to take advantage and let Celeste owe him such a big favor so that every time he used these favors to soften her heart? Liam took a deep breath suppressed his emotions, pinched her earlobe, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who made you look like this?¡± Celeste said, ¡°It was the makeup artist that Mason found, he designed it and said it would guarantee that people who know me wouldn¡¯t recognize me After finishing, sheined a bit. ¡°I thought you would recognize me at a nce!¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Liam said ¡°I¡¯m not wearing my sses¡± Celeste forgot that Liam was nearsighted He didn¡¯t like wearing sses or contact lenses unless it was an important asion. ¡°Do you want to go home¡± Liam hugged her, ¡°Shall I take you home first?¡± He didn¡¯t want to see Celeste standing next to Mason, even if it was just pretending. ¡°No, let¡¯s not go back, Celeste whispered, ¡°You¡¯re here; I¡¯d be alone if I went home, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Liam softened immediately He reminded her again. ¡°You have to keep your distance; you can¡¯t have any physical contact with him¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I was only nning to leave after he met the bride and groom, I didn¡¯t expect you to show up¡± Heughed. ¡°So this is what you look like when you¡¯re teased, you have quite a reaction. He paused, then leaned into her ear. ¡°Do you really not like me ying the little cheetah? Liam¡¯s eyes grew senous, ¡°You still nning on leaving this bathroom in one piece?¡± Celeste immediately mped her mouth shut While fixing their clothes in the bathroom, Celeste looked at the mirror and said, ¡°Did it feel like an affair when you kissed me?¡± Liam said. ¡°If you got nothing to say, then don¡¯t say anything, sweetheart Celeste was taken aback, ¡°What did you call me?¡± Liam pretended hear, turning around to say, ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Liam again pretended not to hear Celeste grabbed his arm, insisting ¡°Say it again, will you? Liam rarely said overly affectionate words, especially those lovey dovey nicknames couples use For instance, he never called her ¡°wife, the most intimate he got was calling her ¡°Letti¡°. He never used terms like ¡°babe¡± or ¡°darling¡± So, it was quite a shock for Celeste to hear a nickname she¡¯d never heard before Back when she used to watch short videos, seeing those male inte sensations call out ¡°sweetheart¡± to the camera always made her feel sick, like she wanted to wash them with dish soap But when Liam called her, she felt no such thing instead, she felt a little flutter in her heart. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Especially when he said it casually, it made her heart melt Turns out whether something is nauseating or not depends on the person But no matter what she said, Liam refused to repeat it ¡°Are you going to say it or not? Celeste pretended to be angry. ¡°If you don¡¯t say it, I¡¯m ending the trial period now. I¡¯m going to fire you!¡± Liam nced at her, I said a lot that day Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Which day?¡± Had Liam said it before? How could she got remember at all? Celeste furrowed her brows, looking at him in confusion, ¡°Are you lying to me? Liam leaned in, whispering ¡°We did it several times that day at the hotel I called you many times, don¡¯t you remember Celeste pushed Liam away her ears turning red as she red at him, it took her a while to say, ¡°Shut up before storming out. Liam chuckled quickly following her Just as they turned the corner, they saw Nics kissing a girl in amer Celeste was stunned, she wanted to steer clear, but curiosity got the best of her so she took a peek. Then her eyes nearly popped out, and she opened her mouth to scream, but before she could make a sound, Liam covered her mouth, pulling her aside Celeste¡¯s eyes widened, smacking his hand, motioning for him to remove it Liam whispered. Do you want to draw everyone¡¯s attention? Celeste was taken aback, of course, she didn¡¯t want to attract attention, it¡¯s just that the scene was so shocking she couldn¡¯t help but want to scream ¨C Nics was actually kissing Trisha! When did these two start? How did she not notice at all? She smacked Liam¡¯s arm again, signaling him to let go, promising she won¡¯t scream. Once Liam was sure, he finally let go Celeste poked her head out, sneakily looking Liam¡¯s head also peeked out over hers Holding someone much shorter than him. Nics finally let her go after a lengthy kiss Trisha¡¯s face turned red she raised her hand and pped him Knowing Trisha, Celeste knew she didn¡¯t use all her strength, otherwise, with her power, even if Nics didn¡¯t bleed, he would definitely scream Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Nics turned his head, his tongue touching the side of his cheek that had been pped, he looked down at Trisha with a mischievous grin on his face, ¡°Your lips have also been touched by me. Do you want to cut them off and throw them away?¡± Trisha rubbed her lips hard with her elbow, her eyes turning red as she cursed, ¡°You bastard¡± I treat you as a good friend. Do you treat me as a toy? You think you can bully me?¡± ¡°Good friend?¡± Nics sneered, ¡°Whenever you see me, you avoid me like the gue. Is this what you call treating me as a good friend? You want me to help you, but you also hate me. Why don¡¯t you admit you¡¯re two¨Cfaced?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Trisha stiffened, gritting her teeth, ¡°When did I hate you?¡± ¡°When I pull your arm, you can¡¯t wait to avoid me, when we meet in the elevator, you can¡¯t wait to walk against the wall¡± Nics became angrer as he spoke, especially when he thought of her appearing with Jace, the negative energy reached its peak. ¡°Whenever you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯m more annoying than a stone in a cesspit, huh? Now that you¡¯ve found Jace, you think I¡¯m useless to you, right? You think Jace is really interested in you, I tell you, even if he looks at you more, he just wants to flirt with you¡® *p- This time. Trisha used all her strength. Nics immediately felt numbness on half of his face. He was irritated, no one had dared to p his face since he became an adult. He turned his head, about tosh out, but saw Trisha¡¯s tears falling down like rain. Her eyes were big, and so were her tears. When she cried, it truly felt like ¡°tears falling like broken beads¡°. Nics anger was instantly halved, seeing those big teardrops, he became flustered ¡°Why why are you crying?¡± Usually eloquent, he was suddenly at a loss, even reaching out to catch her tears, ¡°I didn¡¯t even hit back. You¡¯re the one who hit me. Why are you crying?¡± Trisha cried while pushing him away. ¡°Go away! You bastard, why do I avoid you? Do I dare to look for you? You used to be single, I could look for you to y and ask for help without worrying about anything, but now you have a girlfriend. Can I still be the same as before? What would your girlfriend think if she saw? What would others say about me? Be a third party in someone else¡¯s rtionship? Do I still have a face?¡± Nics was stunned, ¡°Who told you I have a girlfriend?¡± Upon hearing this. Trisha became even angrier, she stepped on his foot, ¡°You scumbag! Cindy lives in your house; her underwear is on your sofa. You still won¡¯t admit it Nics lifted his foot in pain, shaking it a few times, ¡°Who¡¯s denying anything? I have nothing to do with her! She just came to stay at my ce that day; she had a conflict with her team and didn¡¯t want to take jobs¡± Tnsha obviously didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°Are you the type to not eat meat even when it¡¯s delivered to your mouth?¡± Nicsughed and countered, ¡°What do you think I am? Am I picky? I¡¯m not interested in her type of woman.¡± Trisha had a skeptical expression, ¡°You¡¯re not interested, but you dated her before?¡± Nics expression was a bit strange. He struggled to say. I¡¯ve never dated her!¡± ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t see the news back then? You drove a car full of flowers to her drama group to confess your love, it even became a hot topic for several days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cause I lost a bet, she made me send it, I¡¯ve never really dated her,¡± Nics paused, ¡°but she did try to reel me in, yet I stayed sober as a judge, didn¡¯t waver for a bit. Trisha had a sarcastic look on her face Nics sighed, ¡®I never dated her, but we did have some beef.¡± Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Trisha furrowed her brows slightly, giving him a puzzled look as she asked softly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Nics paused for a moment, seemingly finding it hard to speak. After a while, he finally said, ¡°I used to have a girlfriend who was a model. She pursued me first, and I thought she was pretty good¨Clooking so we dated for a while.¡± Trisha asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guysst long together?¡± ¡°No! Nics shot her a re. ¡°I date for the enjoyment of the dating process. Who told you I would sleep with every girlfriend I had? Besides, the girl was the one who pursued me. She was decent¨C looking and had an upbeat personality, so I dated her for a while. But what I didn¡¯t expect was- He suddenly changed his tone ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that girl to be Cindy¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend! That annoying Cindy thought I stole her girlfriend, so she came after me on purpose, hoping to split me and her ex up. This way, she could get revenge on her ex and put me in a tight spot.¡± Trish was dumbstruck¡­ She asked in a daze, ¡°Cindy¡¯s ex¨Cgirlfriend? Isn¡¯t Cindy a girl? Her girlfriend¡­ she, she is. Trisha widened her eyes in surprise and let out a helplessugh. Her novel was alreadyplicated enough, but reality turned out to be even moreplex. Nics spoke quietly, ¡°Not many people know about this. I¡¯m telling you because I consider you a friend. Don¡¯t go around bbing about it. Her hometown isn¡¯t that progressive yet¡± ¡°I know,¡± Trisha replied in a low voice ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± Then she asked again, ¡°So why did you confess your feelings to her with flowers?¡± Nics exined, ¡°She was after me when I already had a girlfriend, and I wasn¡¯t interested in her, so I didn¡¯t interact with her much. But she always showed up at the pool club looking for me. Even when I told her to leave, she wouldn¡¯t. She kept challenging me to a game, saying that if I won, she¡¯d never appear before me again. But if I lost, I would have to confess my feelings to her with flowers in public and be her boyfriend for a day.¡± ¡°So you lost?¡± Trisha looked at him as if to say: you actually lost to a girl? How ipetent are you? Nics defended himself angrily, ¡°Cindy, that annoying girl, she was a pool whiz and had won competitions. No one at the club could beat her! if I had known, would I have challenged her? Trisha spoke softly. ¡°So what happened after you confessed? Did your ex break up with you?¡± ¡°The news covered it, so naturally, she saw it. She thought I had moved on and betrayed her to be with Cindy. So she came to me and told me that Cindy didn¡¯t even like men and was only with me to get back at her¡± Trisha was speechless She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking slightly Nics said in annoyance, ¡°If you want tough, justugh. Why are you pretending?¡± Trisha couldn¡¯t help but startughing As sheughed, she teased, ¡°So even someone like you can be used by others?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me? I put my heart and soul into each rtionship Is that a bad thing? Having a rich love life doesn¡¯t make me a bad guy. Only those who only know how to enjoy themselves and shirk responsibility are real jerks. If I don¡¯t experience love, how would I know what kind of person is right for me? Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Thehe asked softly. ¡°Would you mind if your future girlfriend also has a rich love life like you?¡± Nicoles replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m not the kind of person who only cares about my own happiness and then chooses a girl who hasn¡¯t experienced any love when ites to marriage What matters most is whether we are a good match. If we are not suitable, I wouldn¡¯t choose her even if she was a fairy¡± After saying this, Nics looked at her and asked, ¡°What about you? Would you mind if your future boyfriend has a rich love life?¡± Trisha thought for a moment. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a bit concerned¡± Nics¡¯s heart sank ¡°But¡­¡± Nics felt a glimmer of hope again and listened quietly ¡°But I think that if two people truly love each other, these things don¡¯t matter What I care about is his present and future. As for the past as long as he didn¡¯t break anyws or have no unclear rtionships with his exes, that¡¯s fine. If he has a bad character, then even if he¡¯s a virgin, he¡¯s still a jerk!¡± Nics asked curiously, ¡°Did a virgin hurt you?¡± ¡°He hurt my friend!¡± Liam felt a bit nervous. He nced at Celeste, who was eagerly watching their conversation, wondering if she had said anything bad about him to Trisha Turns out, Liam was overthinking it. The friend Trisha was talking about wasn¡¯t Celeste. ¡°I have a friend whose husband only had one rtionship with her, from their student days until they got married. But what happened? Less than two years into their marriage, he started having an affair with his female boss. My friend was six months pregnant at the time. Because her jerk husband asked for a divorce, she had to choose to abort¡± ¡°This man was a virgin when they got married, but he still changed, still became a jerk. This incident made me realize that whether a man is reliable or not has nothing to do with how many rtionships he¡¯s had.¡± Nics agreed, ¡°We seem to have simr perspectives.¡± Trisha continued, ¡°Being a virgin doesn¡¯t necessarily have any advantages. Like my friend¡¯s husband, he had no experience in bed, couldn¡¯t satisfy her, and even caused her pain The worst part was she had to pretend to enjoy it to save his ego. What¡¯s so good about such a person? That¡¯s the true face of a virgin.¡± Nics was a bit surprised Watching Trisha talk passionately, he agreed softly. ¡°Indeed, men with experience can make both parties morefortable.¡± Trisha suddenly stopped, ¡°You¡¯re an exception¡± Celeste was shocked. What did she mean by that? What were they doing behind her back? Before Celeste had a chance to think, a waiter came over, eyeing them curiously, ¡°You guys need a hand?¡± The waiter¡¯s words grabbed Trisha and Nics¡¯s attention straight away. They turned around and saw Mason¡¯s ¡°girlfriend and Liam standing together, gaze intimately fixated on them. Trisha immediately resumed her interrupted mission. She gave Mason¡¯s ¡°girlfriend¡± a stern look, strutted over, and sted, ¡°What the heck are you two up to?¡± ¡°-¡± Celeste was about to respond, then realized that she was still Mason¡¯s ¡°girlfriend¡± in Trisha¡¯s eyes. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After messing with Liam, she didn¡¯t even spare her own best friend. She quickly switched her tone, asking innocently, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Is there a problem?¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes shed with fury. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything? Then why are you holding onto him?¡± Celeste nced down at her hand, softly uttered an ¡°oh¡°, but didn¡¯t let go. Instead, she shot back, ¡®Can¡¯t I hold onto him?¡± Trisha¡¯s heart was racing Did this woman even know the meaning of respect? ¡°You¡¯ve got a boyfriend, night? Why are you still hanging onto other men?¡± Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Celeste replied in a soft voice, ¡°I just slightly helped him, Ms. Colton. Are you overthinking this, Mr. Reed?¡± Liam nced at her and gave a nonmittal grunt of agreement What can you do with a wife who loves to show off? Just let her be This infuriated Trisha Usually, she wouldn¡¯t dare to openly confront Liam, but this time she was fearless and directly scolded him, ¡°Liam, can¡¯t you see this woman is flirting with you? I thought you were different from other men, but I was wrong! You¡¯re all the same! You lose all principles when a pretty woman shows you a bit of attention. Are you trying to win Letti? In your dreams-!¡® Before Trisha could finish her sentence, Nics, who had just arrived, covered her mouth and pulled her aside. ¡°You¡¯ve had too much to drink and are talking nonsense You two carry on,¡± he said, ncing at Liam before adding, ¡°Handle it yourself. I can¡¯t control her mouth¡± Then, he picked up the struggling Trisha and left ¡°Let go of me!¡± Trisha shouted as Nics, not too far away, let her go Angrily, she said, ¡°Why did you pull me away? I was about to confront this indecent pair! Nics replied ¡°She just helped him a bit. The situation isn¡¯t as serious as you think. Liam isn¡¯t the type to lose control. He was just being polite.¡± ¡°Why should we be polite to such a frivolous woman? They¡¯re obviously smitten with each other! I¡¯m calling Letti right now to warn her to stay away from this worthless mani¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Nics grabbed her waist and dragged her back. ¡°You haven¡¯t even rified the situation Aren¡¯t you causing trouble if you¡¯ve misunderstood?¡± ¡®I see very clearly, Trisha red at him. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one with the problem, covering up for your buddy, right?¡± Keeping a straight face, Nics replied. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I just like to stir the pot Taken aback, Trisha snapped, ¡°You troublemaker!¡± She then turned to leave, but Nics grabbed her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Where can I go? To eat!¡± Trisha retorted impatiently. ¡°I paid for it!¡± Surprised, Nics said, ¡°You¡¯re not here to freeload?¡± Trisha¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You¡¯re the freeloader! The bride is my ssmate; she invited me. How could I come empty¨Chanded? I¡¯m not that impolite.¡± thought crossed Nics mind, ¡°Did youe alone?¡± Irritated, Trisha replied, ¡°Who else? Did you bring me here?¡± Smiling, Nics wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ¡°I can take you home.¡± Trisha pped his hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t need your ride! You just insulted me; I haven¡¯t settled the score with you yet!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already pped me twice. Aren¡¯t you satisfied?¡± Trisha red at Nics, I¡¯m mad! You owe me an apology!¡± Nics was sincere, ¡°Why don¡¯t you p me again to cool down?¡± With that, he leaned his face in Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Trisha promptly raised her hand, but seeing the handprint on his face, she hesitated. She gently touched the imprint on Nics face and asked softly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± A pang of bitterness hit Nics as he quietly replied, ¡°It hurts, but it hurts more that you don¡¯t care.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Was I wrong?¡± Trisha frowned. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who didn¡¯t exin properly? I was distancing myself from you for your own good¡± ¡°It seems it was my mistake.¡± ¡°It was your mistake¡± Trisha wanted to say how dare you kiss me without warning, but thought better of it and kept it to herself Because he shouldn¡¯t have kissed her She was a bit confused Why was she angrier at Nics words than his kiss? Was it because she didn¡¯t see Nics as a man, so a kiss didn¡¯t matter? Trisha¡¯s thoughts were whirling but her mood was inexplicably lifted She figured it was probably because Nics didn¡¯t have a girlfriend, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about overstepping boundaries and could ask for his help, which made her happy ¡°Alright, it was my fault¡± Nics words were particrly pleasing when he was in a good mood. Trisha nced at him and said quietly, ¡°Maybe you should put some ice on your face, it looks ufortable.¡± Nics said seriously ¡°No need. Didn¡¯t you say I have thick skin?¡± Trisha couldn¡¯t help butugh. Nics smirked and leaned in, whispering. ¡°Can we make a deal, Trisha?¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡°What deal?¡± ¡°I want to eat oxtail stewed in red wine this weekend¡± Trisha¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a chef, capable of cooking anything?¡± Nics grinned, ¡°In my heart, you¡¯re better than a chef. You¡¯re the goddess of cooking¡± Trisha was delighted by his words She responded, ¡°That dish isplicated. It requires a lot of ingredients and takes days to make.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m not asking to eat it immediately. I¡¯ll get the ingredients, you just cook¡® He turned his face, ¡°Look at my injury. Since we became friends, you¡¯ve tripped or hit me you don¡¯t make it up to me, I might not be able to get up next time.¡± Nics would say anything for food. However, his words sessfully evoke Trisha¡¯s guilt. Despite the hassle of cooking, she readily agreed, ¡°III list the ingredients, you buy them.¡± Nics smiled. ¡°No problem ¡°Did you run into Jace on the way? After discussing the main point, Nics casually asked. Trisha thought nothing of it and responded directly. ¡°I bumped into him downstairs, then we came up together.¡± Nics felt a sense of relief. So, she didn¡¯t dress up especially to meet Jace On the flip side, when the two of them had left, Celeste turned her head to see Liam¡¯s moody face and burst outughing. Liam gave her an annoyed look, ¡°You have the nerve tough?¡± After hooking her arm into his, Celeste whispered, ¡°If we act now, they¡¯ll forget about us eavesdropping¡± With that, she casually brushed her hand over his chest. This is where you¡¯ll have to take one for the team.¡± Liam hummed softly. ¡°And how do you n to make it up to me?¡± Celeste leaned in close, nibbling his ear as she said, ¡°How about behaving as the doctor ordered tonight?¡± Feeling that the scolding was worth it, Liam was ready to go for it right then and there, ¡°Then let¡¯s head home now.¡± Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Celeste threw him a punch, ¡°I came with Mr. Fletcher, I at least owe him a heads up.¡± Liam seemed pretty cheesed off but begrudgingly followed her back to the venue. There were games for the newlyweds at the wedding that was already set in stone, and all their buddies were supposed to join in. Liam couldn¡¯t take off, and she felt it would be a drag to leave alone, so they ended up deciding to stick around. Mason had just been called out to prep game props with the groom¡¯s buddies. Mason saw that Celeste wasn¡¯t thrilled and gently said, ¡°The games are fun, you won¡¯t be bored. If you really don¡¯t want to go, I can tell Lyman Rowley to take you home first ¡°No need,¡± Celeste nced at Liam and said, I¡¯ve already agreed to help you. I can spare the time. Let¡¯s go together¡± Mason smiled and wanted to pat her hand, but Celeste suddenly reached for a ss of water. Mason was momentarily taken aback, pulled back his hand, and murmured. ¡°Thanks¡± Liam watched this scene, a small smile ying on his lips. Everyone was boozing and chatting only Trisha kept a hawk eye on them, afraid they¡¯d do something out of line, ready to spill the beans for her friend at any time Although it was the newlyweds game session, it was still held at the hotel since the honeymoon suite was quite a hike away, and everyone had been drinking. It was more convenient to y here. There were two games in total. One was Truth or Dare, the rule of which was if you lost, you had to answer everyone¡¯s questions truthfully Celeste thought, these newlyweds sure like to goof around, ying Truth or Dare on their wedding night. Weren¡¯t they afraid of some personal questions affecting their rtionship? But as it turned out, she was overthinking it because these games were probably more about making the attendees squirm. Like her boyfriend. When others spun the bottle to choose someone, it was all normal odds, but it was abnormally high when it came to Liam, His luck was rotten to the core; the first spinnded on him. Liam was typically quite serious in front of his friends, so everyone got excited when the bottlended on him. Hearing Liam choose truth, Nics even volunteered to draw a question for him. He randomly drew one from the box, nced at it, and said, ¡°When was the first time you had sex?¡± The room burst intoughter at this question. Clearly, this question was of great interest. Naturally, the questions would be more spicy Liam nced at Nics. ¡°Let me see that paper Nics was about to crumple and toss it, ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Liam grabbed his hand, took the paper, and the question on it was clearly, ¡°When was your first love?¡± Liam looked at him, ¡°Is that the same question you asked?¡± Nics wasn¡¯t fazed even when his lie was exposed, he chuckled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty much the same?¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to deal with this troublemaker, he tore off the question and calmly said. ¡°After marriage.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded! Someoneined. ¡°That¡¯s too vague! After marriage? When after marriage, with who? Can you be more specific?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Liam said. ¡°The game rule is one question at a time, I¡¯ve answered.¡± What he meant was he wouldn¡¯t answer any other question. Everyone griped about the questioner, the way the question was asked was toox, but it didn¡¯t damper their enthusiasm for the game. However, the next roundnded on Liam again, he drew his own question, but his luck seemed even worse than Nics¡± The second question he drew was, ¡°Was your current partner the first person you had sex with?¡® What kind of question was that? But the audience was even more thrilled Nics chuckled and said, ¡°You might as well have answered my previous question¡± Liam lowered his eyes, slowly tore the paper, and under everyone¡¯s expectant gaze, said, ¡°I choose to drink.¡± A wave of disappointed sighs filled the room Everyone thought they could hear some juicy secrets. Celeste, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, she didn¡¯t like airing their private business in front of everyone; it¡¯s a matter of respect for your partner, regardless of gender. But the light¨Chearted atmosphere didn¡¯tst long. Liam, the guy with rotten luck, got picked for the third time. Now everyone was silent They¡¯d seen bad luck, but never this bad. So, the third question was drawn by him, Nics took a nce and couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, he¡¯d never seen someone with such rotten luck. Trisha was very curious and hurriedly asked Nics, ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡± Nics took the paper from Liam¡¯s hand and spread it out; everyone saw, ¡°Are you 18+ or 18-?¡± Trisha didn¡¯t get it, ¡®Age or height?¡± Nics leaned over and whispered something in her ear, Trisha¡¯s pupils dted instantly, and her face turned beet red. Everyone there was an adult, they all knew what the question was asking and shared a knowing smile, waiting for Liam¡¯s answer. Celeste silently poured a ss of alcohol on the side, Liam immediately understood her meaning and said, ¡°I choose to drink.¡± Nics said, ¡°Choice invalid, the game rule doesn¡¯t allow skipping questions two times in a row, so, spill the beans.¡± Liam nced at Celeste Celeste had an ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn¡± look on her face. With luck this bad, even a genie wouldn¡¯t help. Liam bit his lip lightly and said, ¡°Eighteen plus.¡± The room instantly erupted, and Nics seized the opportunity to probe, ¡°Did you measure it yourself, or did Celeste? Was it in a rxed state or an excited state? No exaggeration, right?¡± Celeste looked at Liam¡¯s distressed face, wanted tough but held it in, almost burst outughing. After three rounds, Liam¡¯s luck finally turned around, the next four spinsnded on the newlyweds Even though the questions were somewhat embarrassing, the couple handled them smartly, and their answers were quite clever Then it was Simon¡¯s turn. His question was, ¡°Where did you have your first kiss with your partner?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Before Simon could answer, Lyman Rowley interrupted, ¡°Hang on, we gotta let Micha jot down the answer first. How else are we gonna know if Simon remembers who he had his first kiss with? ¡°Lyman Rowley, are you trying to get me divorced?¡± Micha nced at him, ¡°Surely your memory can¡¯t be that bad?¡± Simon chuckled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s try it then, Micha said. Chapter 950 Chapter 950 A pen and paper were handed to her as soon as the words were spoken. After Micha wrote down her answer, she folded the paper and ced it on the table, then looked up at Simon, ¡°Your turn.¡± Simon replied, ¡°It was the night of our senior year graduation party, I was downstairs of your dorm¡± Micha paused momentarily, then looked up at Simon withplex emotions flickering in her eyes. Lyman Rowley unfolded the paper on the table with one word written on it ¡°Cinema¡± Heughed and said, ¡°Looks like your memories don¡¯t match, who got it wrong?¡± Simon smiled gently at Micha, ¡°Did you write about that day in the cinema on your birthday?¡± Micha said, ¡°Do you know you got it wrong?¡± Simon replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t get it wrong, our first kiss was after the graduation party; you were drunk that day; you might not remember. The cinema was actually our second kiss, but it might be the first for you, so both of our answers are correct Micha¡¯s lips were tightly pressed, her fingers clenched together. On her birthday night at the cinema, they didn¡¯t kiss. Simon just gently kissed her face. Their first kiss was on Valentine¡¯s Day in the cinema the year they confirmed their rtionship As Micha closed her eyes, she couldn¡¯t quite recall the details of the person who had held her after the graduation party, despite her best efforts to remember It was only after some time she found out it was Simon. Butter, when she asked Simon, he also seemed to have no memory of it Micha opened her eyes, looking at her husband beside her. When he first pursued her, he was full of romance and passion, but after they confirmed their rtionship, his attitude towards the rtionship seemedzy, whether it was dating or daily life, she couldn¡¯t feel the passion when he was pursuing her She once thought he got bored after sessfully pursuing her, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would propose to her. Actually, when they got married, she didn¡¯t have strong feelings In those three years of hot and cold interactions, her feelings for Simon had been worn down until there wasn¡¯t much left. She had considered breaking up in her heart, but Simon unexpectedly proposed before she could say it Her parents liked Simon, her friends thought their rtionship was stable The Rowleys had someints about her, but they still respected Simon¡¯s choice. Persuaded by friends and family, she also felt that pursuing passionate love was unrealistic; life should be peaceful. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Their marriage was arranged swiftly, and the wedding preparations were done quickly. However, she was mostly alone in handling the preparations. The Rowleys were not very enthusiastic, only Gavin would invite some friends over to help It was interesting that Gavin, the least promising of the Rowleys, seen by others as wild and having bad habits, was the only one who treated her like family at their wedding. His expression always seemed indifferent, but only when he wasughing, the coldness in his eyes would disappear this reminded her of the first time she saw Simon But that wedding eventually turned into his funeral After Gavin¡¯s death, Simon¡¯s behavior also changed. He rarely sweet talked her before, but now he was full of sweet words. In the year of their marriage, he was more considerate than before and knew better how to take care of people, even during arguments, he was always the first to apologize He was like a perfect husband, thoughtful, even asionally bringing her some unexpected romance and surprises Chapter 951 Chapter 951 Her heart, which had been silent for a long time, ignited again because of him. However, some strange things followed. For example, he always couldn¡¯t remember some small things from their past but could mention some details she had forgotten. Or, the food he used to like, he was now indifferent to Or, he was always emotional when being intimate, but always stopped at thest moment He exined that because the Rowleys had a tradition, there should be no new life born within three years of a death in the family, he was afraid if he touched her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself But this reason couldn¡¯t convince her at all. They could take contraceptive measures, and there was no need topletely prohibit sex. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She was full of doubts but didn¡¯t ask Maybe maybe she was overthinking. Simon had just changed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Simon asked her, leaning closer. Micha returned to her senses and said in a low voice, ¡°You never told me about the night of the graduation party.¡± Simon smiled, ¡°A stolen kiss, how dare I brag about it?¡± Nics waved his hand, ¡°Alright, no more PDA He wanted to see others embarrassment, but the next one turned out to be him. Nics luck was as bad as Liam¡¯s The moment he drew the question, the whole room burst intoughter. Nics question was, 12+ or 12¡± This question made Nics¡¯s face turn dark, ¡°Who wrote this question? Stand up! Why is Liam eighteen, but I¡¯m only twelve? Liam was gloating. As long as it¡¯s not a twelve¨Cfold reduction, the difference is not significant. Why are you so excited? Are you subtracting?¡± Nics¡¯s mouth twitched, he flipped Liam the bird, and for the sake of his dignity, he decided to drink instead. He didn¡¯t want to pick twelve plus! Liam and Nics pretty much drew all the indecent questions, and finally, it was Mason¡¯s turn. Mason chose Truth or Dare, if you didn¡¯t want to tell the truth, you could choose a dare, which meant you had toplete a task. He was the only one in the whole room who chose a dare. His task was to kiss the person on your left for one minute. Everyone looked at Celeste as soon as they saw the task. Liam¡¯s face turned green instantly, ready to object. But before he could open his mouth, Celeste said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it, but the child¡¯s parents might not agree.¡± When she said that, everyone turned to look and realized a little boy, about four or five years old, was sitting between her and Mason. The boy was munching on a cupcake. his little face looking up curiously at all the weird adults around him. She gently stroked the boy¡¯s hair, speaking slowly. And thew wouldn¡¯t allow it either¡± Lyman Rowley, upon seeing the little boy, immediately felt a headacheing on. He shouted out, ¡°Sis, why is the kid here?¡± Shortly after, someone came in and took the boy away Taking advantage of this, Celeste announced that he was going to the bathroom and hastily excused himself. Mason watched as she left, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth Nics was seated opposite them. As Mason unfolded his napkin, he noticed the woman across the table coaxing the child into her arms with a cupcake. This woman was as cold as ice to her boyfriend, but she was all warm and smiles when it came to Liam What a peculiar woman As he watched her leave, a thought suddenly shed through his mind. My God Was her body proportionally simr to Celeste¡¯s? He nced sharply at Liam, who was looking dark and stormy as if he was about to grind his teeth to dust. Considering Liam¡¯s earlier leniency towards this woman in the hallway, if she really was Celeste, then all of Liam¡¯s reactions would make sense. His eye twitched slightly. What the hell were these two ying at? Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Celeste hung around outside for a good while before going in. No idea how Mason got past that hurdle, but it seemed like Liam lost another round of the game after she left his face was redder than before, probably downed a few more drinks. Liam didn¡¯t have a clue about his own tolerance for alcohol. Celeste texted Owen to pick up Liam, worried he¡¯d get wasted and start talking gibberish. ¡°Draw one¡± Mason handed her the box of cards, whispering. I¡¯ll take you home after this round¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re having fun, I can just take a cab Celeste said while drawing a card. Mason chuckled, ¡°If I let you go alone, all my efforts tonight will go down the drain.¡± # Celeste wanted to say that nobody would notice such a small detail, but the new round started before she could. She decided to bring it up after the game In the game ¡°Who¡¯s the Spy¡°, the rules were simple. Everyone drew a slip of paper and described the word written on it. One person had a different word from the others Everyone tried to guess who that person was, and if they guessed right, that person lost. If they guessed wrong, that person won. The loser of the game had to cover all the hotel expenses for the night for the wedding guests, excluding the wedding itself.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. And this was a high¨Cend hotel, so the stakes were quite high. Upon hearing the game¡¯s penalty, Trisha immediately wanted to bail Nics grabbed her, ¡°What are you scared of? If you lose, I¡¯ll foot the bill.¡± Trisha didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°You¡¯ll probably bolt if I lose, won¡¯t you? Nicsughed, pulled out a car key from his pocket, and handed it to her, ¡°Here¡¯s my car key. Is that good enough?¡± Trisha quickly pocketed the key. ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll sell your car to pay.¡± Nics chuckled, whispering, ¡°Okay, then you owe me ten years of cooking¡± Trisha retorted, ¡°How about a lifetime of cooking for you?¡± Nics immediately replied, ¡°Deal¡± Not only was Trisha afraid to lose, but Celeste was too. A normal suite for one night in this seven¨Cstar hotel was over a grand, and if it was fully booked, just the room cost would be tens of thousands Making money was hard, and Celeste was debating whether to drop out. Mason seemed to have read her mind, smiling. ¡°Rx and have fun. If you lose, I¡¯ll cover it Liam gave Celeste a dark look, clearly meaning, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Celeste found it amusing- he hadn¡¯t even started pursuing her yet and was already showing such strong possessiveness. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let Mason pay if she lost. She valued money too much to let herself lose. When Mason said this, she just smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how it goes.¡± A dozen people sat around a table, starting with the groom and ending with the bride Lyman Rowley said, ¡°It¡¯s thin Simon said, ¡°It¡¯s amon item.¡± Micha answered, ¡°Methyl methacrte is one of itsponents.* Everyone stayed silent Chapter 953 Chapter 953 Simon cleared his throat, ¡°Dear, use words that are within the range of basic education, don¡¯t be so professional.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Micha answered, ¡°You have to put it on to use it.¡± Nics said, ¡°You can put it on yourself.¡± Trisha nced at him, then said. ¡°Others can also help you put it on.¡± Jace said. ¡°They sell it in hospitals Mason said. ¡°They sell it in department stores too.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Everyone may need different sizes.¡± Liam gave Celeste a look, then a slight smile. Celeste was puzzled Did he figure out what it was? Liam said seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t need it now Celeste was puzzled She looked down at the words on her paper¨Ccontact lenses Didn¡¯t he always wear them for important asions? The first round revealed too little information, so everyone gave up guessing and went straight to the second round. Because there were only three chances to verify, the targeted person would be eliminated if the verification failed. So when they weren¡¯t sure, everyone was very cautious with their verifications. The second round started. Lyman Rowley said. ¡°The ce where it¡¯s stored should be kept humid.¡± Simon said, ¡°It¡¯s morefortable not to wear it.¡± Liam nced at Simon, silently agreeing Micha said, ¡°I prefer to wear it.¡± Nics said, ¡®I never wear it Trisha said. ¡°There are different colors. I prefer ck.¡± Liam was taken aback, looking very surprised. Jace said, ¡°You should wash your hands before using it.¡± Mason said, ¡°Not everyone needs it ¡± Celeste said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wear it for too long.¡± Liam said, ¡°You might need to change it midway.¡± Everyone was puzzled Did it need to be changed midway? Celeste was silent She seemed to have a vague idea of what was written on Liam¡¯s paper She was about to remind Liam, but he looked so confident, even nodding at her What was he up to? When no one was looking, Celeste pointed at her eyes with two fingers. Liam got it and gave her an OK sign Celeste sighed with relief As long as he understood But his description might raise suspicions. However, the bride¡¯s description soon disrupted everyone¡¯s guesses. She said, ¡°I change it at most three times a day.¡± So in this round of guessing, the bride got the most votes. But after verification, she wasn¡¯t the spy and was eliminated A new round started. Perhaps Celeste¡¯s reminder worked. For the next two rounds, Liam¡¯s descriptions were very vague. -Trisha and Simon, and others were eliminated Almost all the descriptive words had been used at this stage, so every answer needed to be very cautious. in this round, Liam was the first one to describe. He said ¡°The thinner, the better.¡± Nics¡® eyes widened in surprise. Everyone else was wearing weird expressions Celeste looked utterly bummed Micha went on with her description, ¡°Usually used in pairs.¡± Nics stifled augh, ¡°Can be reused after cleaning.¡± Celeste, ¡°Used on the eyes.¡± Mason, ¡°Contact lenses¡± Liam was speechless. Chapter 954 Chapter 954 They had talked it all out, and it was pretty clear who the undercover agent was. The game host asked everyone to start painting fingers. Nics took a sip of his tea, grinning. ¡°Do we really need to point fingers? Mr. Reed is picking up the tab tonight.¡± Trisha hadn¡¯t quite caught on, ¡°What? Who¡¯s the undercover agent?¡± Nics nodded to Liam, ¡°It¡¯s Liam.¡± ¡°Huh? Why him?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Liam is short¨Csighted. How could he possibly use contact lenses only once?¡± Trisha began to get it, but not entirely, still full of curiosity. ¡°So what is he?¡± Nicsughed, ¡°We¡¯re ordinary daily necessities, but he, he¡¯s special items¡± As a married woman, Celeste already knew what ¡°special items¡± meant. But Trisha, the innocent girl, kept asking, ¡°What special items? Can you be clearer? Nics whispered, ¡°Condoms ¡± Trisha blushed and remembered what Liam had said about ¡°only used once, instantly widening her eyes. So he and Celeste have always been unprotected? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Should she be hearing this? Looking at Liam¡¯s nervous face, Celeste suddenly felt d that she came as someone else today. Otherwise, she¡¯d be embarrassed along with him. Aside from being smart at work, Liam was kind of dumb in his daily life. When she hinted at him just now, he confidently gestured to her. She thought he really got it, but it turned out he didn¡¯t have a clue. He probably thought he was the same as everyone else This dummy Thinking about it, Celeste found it funny again Liam became the star of someone else¡¯s wedding night. Simon joked. ¡°Liam, what does it say on your paper? I¡¯m really curious, what kind of thing is better the thinner it is, needs to be changed halfway through, and yet you only used it once? Why don¡¯t you open it up and have a look?¡± Liam expressionlessly tore up the note in his hand with a ¡°noment¡± Which led to another round of teasing from everyone Celeste suddenly realized that Liam was actually quite popr among these friends. Even though he was not very talkative, and his expression always seemed senous, he didn¡¯t really get angry when people joked about him. She didn¡¯t have much contact with his friends before, and her few unpleasant encounters with them had made her instinctivelypare these people to Kaylee Reed¡¯s friends She always thought that his friends didn¡¯t like her and looked down on her because of their different backgrounds, so she didn¡¯t want to interact with them. But in fact, not one of his friends gloated after her divorce from Liam. Whether it was Simon, Nics, or Mason, they¡¯ve all been helping her. If they used to look down on her, then there would be no need to help her after the divorce. Even if it was because of Liam, there would be no need to cater to his ex¨Cwife after the divorce Maybe she was somewhat prejudiced, but the real problem was Liam didn¡¯t let her interact with his friends. Otherwise, how could she have such thoughts? Nics excitedly urged ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, time to pay up.¡± Liam was a bit dizzy from the alcohol. He took a card out of his wallet and put it on the table, saying in a deep voice, ¡°Again, if I lose again, I¡¯ll pick up the tab for the whole wedding.¡± Celeste was a little nervous. Is he drunk? Chapter 955 Chapter 955 Before anyone else could speak, a voice came from behind, ¡°What are you guys doing that¡¯s got Liam so fired up?¡± The voice was familiar, and Celeste instinctively looked over. A man in a white suit, arm in arm with Molly Fletcher, appeared on the scene. Celeste knew the man, he used to be in Liam¡¯s circle of friends and attended their wedding, but in the last couple of years, it seemed like he and Liam hadn¡¯t had much contact Thest time she saw him was at Simon and Micha¡¯s wedding. He came over with a drink to chat her up, Liam replied coldly a few times, then took her and left. Celeste¡¯s attention shifted to Chester, and suddenly she felt someone watching her. She looked up and saw Molly looking at her. Seeing her look back, Molly gave a slight smile. ¡°Mason, why haven¡¯t you told the family about such a big thing as having a girlfriend?¡± Mason responded indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡± ¡°You should at least let your family know beforehand. Otherwise, when it¡¯s time to talk about marriage, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of time if your parents don¡¯t approve? Celeste frowned This Molly, she¡¯s really arrogant Mason is her cousin, but judging from her tone, she doesn¡¯t seem to respect her cousin very much. Her words were ufortable. Mason nced at her, ¡°Just mind your own business, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Molly looked down at Celeste as if she didn¡¯t hear his words, asking, ¡°What¡¯s your name? What do you do?¡± ¡°Selena, a music teacher¡± ¡°Pit Trisha sprayed out a mouthful of water. She immediately looked at the woman next to Mason; the more she looked, the more familiar those eyes seemed. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. By the time she saw the mole on Celeste¡¯s earlobe, she was about to shout out loud, but Nics, quick as a sh, stuffed a piece of watermelon into her mouth, hooked his arm around her shoulder, and whispered, ¡°Keep eating, don¡¯t talk ¡°A music teacher? Mollyughed, ¡°Looking at your demeanor, you don¡¯t seem like a music teacher. What does your family do?¡± Celeste alsoughed, ¡°Are you a cop?¡± Molly shrugged, ¡°My cousin Mason¡¯s social circle is simple, he¡¯s easily deceived. I have to know who he¡¯s dealing with, right? Otherwise, if he brings just anyone home. people might think our Fletcher family epts anyone. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Celeste paused, looking at her deeply. Before she could speak, a contemptuousugh came from the side. Everyone stopped in their tracks, turning their heads to look at Liam, but he didn¡¯t give a damn, leisurely pouring himself a ss of water. ¡°Even a bartender can worm his way in, it¡¯s not that impressive¡± Nics couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter Liam was taking a jab at Molly¡¯s stepfather, Bart. Bart initially worked as a bartender at the Azure Club,ter became a fitness trainer, and then started taking up artmissions online, but his business was always in the pits He would show up asionally, and thanks to his decent looks, he gradually became a minor inte celebrity in J City. He¡¯d usually spend his time online, mediating disputes and iming to be a rtionship advice broadcaster, but it was all scripted. Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Chapter 956 After he hooked up with Krista, he deactivated his own ount, Krista set him up with a gallery using her own money and invested a ton to turn him into a young painter. Everyone knew that Bart used to be a waiter at the Azure Club, but no one dared to bring it up, mainly because they didn¡¯t want to piss him off. But Liam didn¡¯t have such concerns. Would he tolerate someone badmouthing his wife? Hell no. So he deliberately exposed Bart¡¯s past identity When he blurted these words out, Molly was instantly ufortable. And Mason had no intention of defending her She snapped back angrily. ¡°That¡¯s not the same at all. Bart graduated from a prestigious art school and is a second level artist. He worked at the Azure Club to learn while earning Liam swirled his wine ss leisurely and said, ¡°Do you know how much the waiters at Azure Club make? Why do you think they work there? You¡¯re a regr, you should know, night? To study while working? You¡¯ve told so many lies that you¡¯ve started to believe them yourself, haven¡¯t you?¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions vaned. Liam wasn¡¯t usually so blunt, but maybe he had a bit too much to drink today? Only Nics knew what was going on. He coughed and tried to ease the tension, ¡°He¡¯s drunk, don¡¯t mind him, guys. Please sit down.¡± Molly suppressed her annoyance and sat down next to Mason with a hardened expression Being humiliated by Liam, she was annoyed. She didn¡¯t even want toe to Lyman Rowley¡¯s wedding in the first ce. But then someone posted a picture of Mason with a girlfriend on instagram, and Kaylee saw it When Kaylee called to ask her about it, her mother overheard and urged her to go. After Mason returned home, his family introduced him to a lot of socialites, but he always used work as an excuse to avoid them. Now that a girlfriend suddenly appeared, his family definitely wanted to know about her She was already unhappy about being called to check out this woman, now she was even more irritated by Liam¡¯s insults and this woman was even more displeasing to the eye Moreover, this woman¡¯s appearance was not satisfactory She casually asked. ¡°Which school do you teach at?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°d Middle School¡± Molly nced at her ¡°What a coincidence, I have a friend who works there too. He¡¯s quite famous, his name is Peter Lo, he¡¯s the grade director. You should know him, right?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Are you sure you didn¡¯t get it wrong? We don¡¯t have a teacher named Peter Lo at our school.¡± Molly looked at her expression and said, ¡°Oh, perhaps it¡¯s another middle school then Celeste chuckled to herself If she dared to pretend to be a teacher, she would definitely choose a school she knew well to impersonate The kids from the orphanage all went to d Middle School. She had represented the head of the orphanage at a few parent¨Cteacher meetings, she knew the grade director¡¯s name like the back of her hand Did Molly really think she could fool her? Molly continued, ¡°Ms. Colton, since you¡¯re a music teacher, why don¡¯t you perform something for us? To liven up Lyman Rowley¡¯s wedding and let me see how talented my future sister¨Cinw is¡± Mason frowned, ¡°Enough, Molly What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Molly smiled slightly and whispered, ¡°Mason, how can you call this a big deal? I¡¯m just giving your girlfriend a chance to show off¡± Celeste gently tugged at Mason¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to stay silent. Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Chapter 957 It seemed that Molly was targeting her. If she didn¡¯t ept the challenge, Molly would find other ways to embarrass her. She was not afraid of troubleing her way So Celeste smiled and said politely. ¡°There will be plenty of opportunities for performances in the future. Today is the Rowley family¡¯s big day, I¡¯m a guest, I can¡¯t steal the spotlight from the bride and groom. But since Miss Molly has proposed it, I can¡¯t embarrass her, so¡­ how about I perform a little magic trick for everyone? As entertainment, and also as my wedding gift to the newlyweds.¡± Nics immediately showed interest, ¡°Can you pull a babe out of a hat?¡± Celeste raised an eyebrow, ¡°I can make living things appear Everyone was immediately filled with anticipation, only Liam frowned when he heard ¡®make living things appear¡± Soon, the waiter brought the props, a few soft balls and two small bowls. She first performed a simple magic trick This trick was very simple, Celeste had learned it in high school and had even shown it off at the school talent show before. She yed with the balls and the bowls, making the performance very exciting. Molly scoffed, ¡°You call that magic? That¡¯s just child¡¯s y.¡± Trisha taunted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you perform a magic trick for us, show us what real magic looks like.¡± Molly red at her The bride, however, was very curious, ¡°Do you know any other tricks?¡± Celeste smiled slightly and said gently, ¡°May I borrow your hand?¡± The bride generously extended her hand. Celeste tucked two balls into her palm and told her to squeeze them. Then she covered her hand with a handkerchief As she chanted, the handkerchief began to bulge When she lifted the handkerchief, a beautiful parrot appeared in the bride¡¯s palm. Its little head was moving around, looking very lively ¡°Oh my god,¡± the bride was thrilled, ¡°that¡¯s so amazing.¡± Molly sneered at the trick, ¡°You just put a parrot in her hand, right? The color is the same.¡± Celeste looked at her and said, ¡°If Miss Molly thinks Mrs. Rowley is my confederate, why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Molly stood up and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to see how you can create a living thing in my hand¡± She extended her hand to Celeste. Just like before, Celeste gave her two balls and told her to hold them. Molly arrogantly said. Tll just keep my hand like this, you can just do the trick. You can¡¯t be picky about the pose for a magic trick, can you?¡± Celeste said gently. ¡°It¡¯s a living thing after all, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to hold it Mollyughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of exposing yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Celeste smiled and said, ¡°As you wish.¡± With that, she covered it up with a handkerchief. Molly¡¯s face was etched with pure disdain. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that Celeste could pull anything off in front of her. She was simply waiting for her to mess up so she couldugh at her expense. Celeste looked up and asked, ¡°Miss Molly, do you like animals?¡± ¡°They¡¯re ainght¡± ¡°Do you have any pets?¡± Molly shot her a nce, ¡°Trying to distract me so you can switch out what¡¯s in my hand, are you?¡± Celeste chuckled. ¡°Just making conversation. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to. Spatial discement does take some time, after all. I wouldn¡¯t want the atmosphere to get awkward while we wait.¡± ¡°Well, I have a question for you,¡± Molly shot her another nce, ¡°What do your parents do for a living? Why do you know so many cheap tricks?¡± The question was too direct, too demeaning. It was practically the same as saying ¡°I look down on you¡± Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Celeste didn¡¯t get angry, instead, she said slowly. ¡°My parents run a pet sterilization business, Miss Molly. If you¡¯re interested, we can offer you a 20% discount. No anesthesia required, three minutes per pet. Don¡¯t worry about them being wild. Once they¡¯re neutered, they be docile and won¡¯t dare to bark at people.¡± Everyone was taken aback. Was she implying something with that? It seemed Molly got the hidden message and got pissed off. But before she could retort, Celeste said, ¡°Here it is.¡± She then opened her handkerchief, and in Molly¡¯s palm was a tiny, fluffy and gray thing munching on a peanut. It was a little mouse Molly was so scared she nearly lost her mind, she shrieked and threw the mouse away Unfortunately, itnded on the bride, who got startled, tripped over a chair while stepping back. The groom rushed to catch her, but they both fell over This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise. They quickly rushed over to check The groom reacted quickly enough to shield the bride, she wasn¡¯t hurt, but she was shocked. When she got up, she was pale as a ghost, and her stomach started to hurt. Lyman Rowley was scared shitless, ready to rush his wife to the hospital. Simon quickly stopped him, ¡°Let Jace check her first, he¡¯s a doctor.¡± Jace immediately checked on the bride. Molly was also stunned by the sudden tum of events. When she regained her wits, she pointed at Celeste and said, ¡°It¡¯s all her fault! if she hadn¡¯t conjured that mouse, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten scared!¡± Celeste ignored her, her brow furrowed, worrying about the bride She only intended to punish Molly, not expecting Molly would throw the mouse onto the bride. If anything happened to the bride, she would definitely me herself Molly was trying her best to shirk responsibility, ming Celeste non¨Cstop. ¡°You should apologize! You knew there was a pregnant woman here, why would you conjure a mouse? Now I¡¯m implicated too!¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Simon frowned, ¡°Miss Molly, if I recall correctly, Ms. Colton warned you multiple times to squeeze your hand, but your overconfidence made you ignore her. The bride was scared into the hospital because of you. If anything happens to her, you owe us an exnation!¡± Molly was pissed, ¡°How is this my fault? How was I supposed to know she¡¯d conjure a mouse.¡± ¡°Enough¡± Mason grabbed her wrist harshly, causing Molly to wince in pain Mason said in a low voice, ¡°Apologize to the Rowleys on my behalf. We¡¯ll visit them another time.¡± Then he looked at Celeste, but before he could say anything. Celeste said, ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll take a cab back¡± Mason clenched his jaw. ¡°Wait for my call.¡± Celeste didn¡¯t reply, just watched silently as he left with furious Molly As people started to leave, Celeste whispered to Liam as she passed him, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom, wait for me.¡± Liam gently patted her hand in understanding. Liam didn¡¯t drink much nor was the alcohol strong, he wasn¡¯t drunk, but he didn¡¯t feel well. He remembered Celeste¡¯s words and waited for her in the corridor Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Chester came out of the guest room and saw Liam standing at the end of the corridor. He walked over to greet him, ¡°Liam, long time no see.¡± Liam stopped and didn¡¯t reply. Chester didn¡¯t find it awkward and continued. Tve been busy and couldn¡¯t attend your grandma¡¯s birthday party. How is she doing?¡± Just as Celeste wasing out of the bathroom, she heard Chester¡¯s voice. His greetings were outdated, after all, the birthday party had been a while ago. She didn¡¯t want to interrupt them, so she stayed out of sight and listened Liam answered simply. ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Chester continued, ¡°A few days ago, my mom had coffee with your mom. She told my mom that she had a cyst ording to her medical check¨Cup. She¡¯s lost a lot of weight and kept mentioning you, as if she¡¯s womed about you not having anyone to take care of you¡± Celeste¡¯s expression becameplicated She¡¯d been busy with work and hadn¡¯t heard from Skyler for a while. She knew Skyler had moved out of the Reed family¡¯s house, but she hadn¡¯t asked Liam about it. She¡¯d heard from Mrs Kelley that Skyler had rented a house in their neighborhood, apparently because she¡¯d been kicked out by the Barlow family She was busy at the time and hadn¡¯t asked for details. Now it seemed Skyler was desperate and was trying to y the sympathy card to get Liam to take her back And Chester was obviously here to help Skyler. When Liam heard this, he twitched his mouth and looked at Chester, ¡°If she¡¯s worried about me, why doesn¡¯t she tell me directly instead of telling an outsider like you?¡± Chester exined, ¡°I heard it from my mom. She¡¯s also concerned about your mom¡¯s health. If you have time, you should care more about her, it¡¯s not easy for her to be alone after your dad passed away.¡± Liam was already feeling dizzy, and hearing the sermon immediately turned him cold. ¡°I know what I should do, I don¡¯t need you to lecture me. If you¡¯really can¡¯t stand it, you can take her to your house and take care of her for me.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Chester was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect Liam¡¯s words to be this harsh, and he was left speechless. Liam didn¡¯t bother with him anymore and turned around with a cold expression and left Celeste looked at the message Liam sent on her phone waiting for you in the car By the time Celeste got in the car, Liam was already dozing off in his seat. He didn¡¯t even open his eyes when Celeste got in the car, as if he was asleep. Owen whispered, ¡°Madam¡± Celeste made a quiet gesture and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Owen immediately started the car. Celeste took out a makeup remover wipe from her bag, using the small mirror to clean the makeup off her face. When she was almost done removing her makeup, she put down the mirror and saw Liam tilting his head, staring at her. ¡°Awake? Celeste whispered Liam gently closed his lips, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep.¡± ¡°So you heard me getting in the car and ignored me?¡± Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Liam said, Tve got a bit of a headache.¡± Celeste motioned him over, ¡°Come here Liam walked over, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Celeste made himy his head on herp and pressed her fingers against his temples, ¡°Just gonna give you massage¡± With the scent, Liam buried his face in her embrace and closed his eyes Celeste¡¯s fingers worked their magic, her massage skills were top¨Cnotch and it didn¡¯t take long before Liam¡¯s headache eased ¡°I overheard you talking with Chester¡± Celeste brought it up Liam simply grunted, ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him.¡± Celeste touched his chin, stubbly with facial hair, ¡°Are you upset because of what he said?¡± Liam was taken aback, thenughed. Celeste was puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Liam said, ¡°You think I¡¯m upset because I¡¯m torn between her and you, don¡¯t you?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Liam took her hand and ced it on his forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t know her at all. This isn¡¯t some pity trick, she¡¯s forcing my hand. This time she involved Chester¡¯s mother, next time she might disturb Mason or Nics¡¯s family. She¡¯ll use everyone close to me who¡¯s unaware of the truth to put pressure on me it¡¯s not something to be proud of to let everyone know about family problems, she¡¯s just betting I¡¯ll take her back for the sake of saving face.¡± Skyler was selfish, vain and arrogant. Even if she¡¯s unwilling, she wouldn¡¯t beg Liam after being kicked out of the Reed family. What she wanted was for Liam to take her back himself, giving her the respect she craved. Liam knew her too well, just like when his father refused to help her family out of a mess, she quarreled with his father and left home in anger No matter how much the Reed family pleaded, she refused to return, but kept hinting through his father¡¯s friends that her baby was unstable and she had severe morning sickness. A pregnant woman, about to give birth, not staying with her husband but wandering outside, once this news spreads, regardless of the reason, the me would ultimately fall on the Reed family. And this matter eventually ended with his father giving in. Now the same trick was being used on him, Liam found it both pathetic and ridiculous. Ever since she treated Celeste harshly, Skyler¡¯s love for him had disappeared from his heart. He didn¡¯t expose the matter and be absolutely ruthless, just to leave her dignity. No matter if her illness was real or fake, it won¡¯t change his decision. If he cared about how others judge him, he wouldn¡¯t have personally kicked her out in the first ce. Celeste rubbed his head, ¡°So why are you upset?¡± Liam said. ¡°Just seeing Chester put me in a bad mood, that¡¯s all.¡± Celeste was a bit surprised. She was puzzled, ¡°Why? Weren¡¯t you guys on good terms before?¡± ¡°We were just okay, I guess ¡°Would you invite him to your house if you were just okay? Celeste caught him off guard, ¡°When we first got married, he used toe over quite a bit.¡± Celesteughed. ¡°They evenplimented my desserts.¡± Hearing this made Liam even more downcast, ¡°What does he know! He doesn¡¯t deserve to eat my wife¡¯s desserts!¡± Celeste was speechless. She was certain, Liam must have had too much to drink, if he were sober, he wouldn¡¯t say such harsh words. Chapter 961 Chapter 961 Chapter 961 But his angry face was kind of cute. Celeste found it amusing, she yed along. ¡°What on earth did he do to piss you off this much?¡± Liam mped his mouth shut, it took him a while to stutter out the answer Celeste picked out the key point from his incoherent words¨Cbecause of her. This reason was unexpected for her Upon further questioning, she found it both funny and heartbreaking When she first mamed Liam, she didn¡¯t know him very well. To understand his preferences, she could only start with his friends But they didn¡¯t know her well either, so she often made little pastries to get on their good side, with the goal of learning more about Liam through Liam¡¯s friends were all happy to cooperate, they epted her gifts and mostly told her things about Liam Liam didn¡¯t know about this at first, but when he found out, he had a big fight with her. She always thought Liam didn¡¯t like her trying to ¡®suck up to his friends and felt it was embarrassing It wasn¡¯t until today that she found out that the reason he fought with her was because he heard Chester¡¯s remarks about her at a party Superficial, sweet¨Ctalking sucking up to vanity unscrupulous, etc. Liam only mentioned some of the less offensive words, in fact, the descriptions were much more unpleasant. And Chester¡¯sments, to a certain extent, represented the views of a part of the circle when she marned Liam How could Liam not be angry? His wife was polite and considerate, but in the eyes of others, she was seen as sucking up to vanity. All these nastyments were attributed to his wife, and he had a falling out with them on the spot. Being annoyed, he came home and saw Celeste burn her hand making desserts, still talking about bringing some desserts to his friends tomorrow. He couldn¡¯t hold back and angnly told her not to make such futile efforts anymore. Celeste was originally full of joy, but was doused with a bucket of cold water, she was heartbroken at that moment. She was angry and hurt, after the fight that night, she threw away all the dessert molds at home and didn¡¯t talk to Liam for several days. It was from that time that she began to have a subconscious aversion to Liam¡¯s friends. As she listened to Liam rambling on about this, she suddenly asked, ¡°So you actually don¡¯t mind me interacting with your friends, do you?¡± Liam was stunned, frowning. ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who don¡¯t like interacting with them? I always invite you to parties and you always look unhappy¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°When did you invite me?¡± Liam said, ¡°You forgot?¡± ¡°Give me a hint, Mr. Reed¡® Liam chuckled softly. ¡°When Nics¡¯s newpanyunched, I asked if you wanted toe with me. You looked like you had swallowed a sour lemon and told me to invite anyone I damn well pleased¡± She remembered that. But it was not like how Liam described it. It was because Liam didn¡¯t just casually ask her if she wanted to go What he actually said was, ¡®Nics¡¯spany isunching today, and he wanted to know if you¡¯d like toe. If you do, I won¡¯t invite my secretary since theres limited seating.¡± Who would be happy hearing that? He¡¯d already set up his secretary and then asked Celeste if she wanted to go? Celeste¡¯s response was firm¨CI won¡¯t go, invite whoever you want! Celeste pinched his ear, gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Was that an invitation? You¡¯ve already set up your femalepanion, your secretary, and then you ask me if | want to go?¡± Liam winced, his eyebrows knitted in pain, and said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t invite any other woman, I said that on purpose, just to make you notice and care about me. Celeste kept silent.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Liam¡¯s never been in a rtionship before, and Celeste just couldn¡¯t wrap her head around hisplex way of thinking. She was so mad she could spit, how could she consider his feelings? She was beyond pissed! She asked softly. ¡°So, you stopped me from delivering food to those friends just because of what Chester said?¡± Liam pulled her hand from his head, kissed it, and then looked at her, his voice full of emotion, ¡°Letti, sometimes I struggle with expressing my thoughts. That day, I wasn¡¯t mad at you for giving them gifts, I was mad that the treats you worked so hard to make and sincerely gave out were trashed like that, and you even hurt your hand. That made me even madder, but not at you. I bought you bum ointment and even left a note, but you threw it away without looking at it¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see any bum ointment¡± ¡°I bought it.¡± Liam was taken aback, then defended himself helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you¡® Celeste believed him, because Liam didn¡¯t usually lie when he¡¯s drunk. If Liam bought it and she didn¡¯t throw it away, then there was only one possibility, the previous nanny at their house must have thrown it away The nanny was following Skyler¡¯s orders, so it was likely that Skyler had made her do it, just like when she had the nanny leave the box of contraceptives on the table on purpose for Sienna to find Skyler didn¡¯t want Liam and Celeste to get along from the beginning. Liam was not good at hiding his emotions, so seeing Chester again would remind him of his unpleasant past, making him unhappy. Celeste sighed, ¡°If you had talked about it earlier, our kid would be in kindergarten by how.¡± Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh, Celeste¡¯s unexpected remark was more impressive than Mr. Reed¡¯s. Celeste gave him a look, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± As Owen drove, he teased. ¡°Mr. Reed probably doesn¡¯t want kids so soon, he¡¯s just started dating, he should enjoy the couple¡¯s world first.¡± Celeste was speechless Halfway through the drive, the road was blocked. The usual route had an ident today ¨C a big tree on both sides of the street unexpectedly fell, hitting passing vehicles. Although there were no casualties, the big tree was blocking the road, so the vehicles couldn¡¯t pass and the road had to be temporarily closed, waiting for people to deal with it Since vehicles couldn¡¯t pass, they had to turn around and take a detour. 1 Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Liam was starting to feel ufortable now. He sat up, pulling at his tie, frowning. ¡°Do you feel like throwing up?¡± Celeste asked as she pulled out a stic bag Liam shook his head, then suddenly said, ¡°I feel really itchy¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scratch his wrist Celeste was stunned, pulled his hand, and rolled up his sleeve to see a lot of small red bumps densely packed. She frowned, ¡°What did you eat?¡± Liam shook his head, he couldn¡¯t remember, and could only keep scratching. The red bumps quickly spread to his neck, and Celeste was all too familiar with this scenario. He had the same reaction when he had an allergic reaction to mangoes before. Instead of choosing to go home, Owen immediately drove to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor prescribed two bottles of medicine, which needed to be given through an IV Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Owen lived with his parents, and it wasn¡¯t convenient for Celeste to ask him to stay overnight, so she let him go home and stayed to take care of Liam herself Liam¡¯s body was itchy, and if no one was watching, he couldn¡¯t help but scratch. Sometimes Celeste couldn¡¯t control him and threatened him, if you scratch again, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Liam would tightly hold on to her, and when he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he would roll around on the bed Celeste simplyid on the bed, holding his hand down, saying, ¡°Hang in there, once the medication kicks in, you won¡¯t itch anymore Withforting words, Liam gradually fell asleep When Celeste heard his breathing stabilise, she couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep as well The next moming when the doctor came for rounds, Liam was already awake and Celeste was still sound asleep Liam pulled the nket up to her shoulders, signalling the doctor to keep quiet The doctor quietly finished his rounds and left. Celeste didn¡¯t wake up until almost nine in the moming When she opened her eyes, she saw Liam¡¯s handsome face close at hand. Celeste reached out and pinched it, asked hoarsely, ¡°Why were you so restlessst night¡± This was somewhat misleading to hear in the morning. Liam thought of her saving ¡°follow the doctor¡¯s orders¡® yesterday and couldn¡¯t help but get lost in thought He said softly. ¡°You still haven¡¯t given me the reward you mentioned yesterday, when are you going to make good on it?¡± Celeste was still a bit dazed, ¡°What reward?¡± Liam¡¯s eyelid twitched, she stirred up the fire and now she wasn¡¯t taking responsibility to put it out? Liam didn¡¯t say anything, he pulled her hand, ced it on his chest, and slowly moved it down. Celeste was stunned and immediately sobered up She quickly pulled back her hand, red at him, and said angrily. ¡°We¡¯re in hospital Behave yourself!¡± Liam chuckled, no longer teasing her, kissed her hair, and said softly, ¡°Get up and clean up. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Celeste hummed in agreement, pulled open his clothes to check, and seeing that the red bumps had faded a lot, she felt much more at ease. They packed up, and Liam went to queue up toplete the procedures, while Celeste waited in a corner of the hall Her hair wasn¡¯t tied up, it fell over her shoulders, and a mask covered most of her face. If people weren¡¯t familiar with her, they wouldn¡¯t recognise her. Celeste watched Liam, he stood out in the crowd of people queuing. He was tall and handsome, and she couldn¡¯t resist the way he looked when he was drunk and The thought that this man was hers filled Celeste with satisfaction. ¡°I can¡¯t dy any longer, the gestational age keeps increasing, if I don¡¯t do it now it¡¯ll be even harder.¡± A familiar female voice came from beside her Celeste was taken aback and sneaked a nce to the side. Helen, dressed low¨Ckey, walked past her, ahead of a handsome young man. Both were busy talking and didn¡¯t notice her Celeste pulled her mask up a bit and followed them. Helen knew her very well and would easily recognise her sa Celeste didn¡¯t dare to follow too closely. The two seemed to be arguing about something, and Helen didn¡¯t look good. The guy was holding her tight around her waist, almost as if he was trying tofort her Then they hugged it out real tight, but soon they let go and hopped on the elevator together Suddenly, a tap on her shoulder made Celeste jump. She turned around to see it was Liam and let out a sigh of relief ¡°All sorted?¡± she asked him. ¡°Yep.¡± Liam responded, ¡°What were you looking at?¡± Pulling him aside, Celeste said, ¡°I saw Helen and her fake¨Carse brother Bart showing up at the hospital They just took the elevator¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She looked a bit down as she continued. ¡°I was afraid she¡¯d recognize me, so i didn¡¯t follow too closely Couldn¡¯t catch what they were talking about Liem nced at the elevator, ¡°It¡¯s a double¨Cdecker one Any floor above twelve is for wards, anything below four is for surgenes. The eighth floor is for men¡¯s health, tenth for orthopedics, and sixth for obstetrics and gynecology¡± Celeste was taken aback, then connecting the dots with what she¡¯d just heard, she made a shocking guess. Is she here for an abortion? Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Liam didn¡¯t respond Celeste immediately buckled up, quickly getting in touch with Luci Preston. She urged Luci to figure out a way to bring Shawn over. They couldn¡¯t let Helen end the life of this child. She carefully exined a series of things. After hanging up the phone, she saw Liam staring at her. ¡°Got a problem?¡± she asked ¡°I thought you wanted her to bring Shawn over to catch them in the act,¡± Liam said. Celeste¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Helen is very cautious. She¡¯s using her rtionship with Bart as a smokescreen. I don¡¯t have any concrete proof. Shawn is a suspicious person, he wouldn¡¯t believe it easily. The child she¡¯s trying to abort is the best evidence. How can I let her have her way easily?¡± ¡°She was with Shawn while my mother was pregnant, made my mother raise her bastard child, and then wanted to kill my mother. She has to taste the bitter fruit of her own doing, only then can I let go of my hatred¡± Liam gently held her fist, intertwining his fingers with hers. He whispered, ¡°Leave the dirty work to me. Revenge is fine, but don¡¯t dirty your hands¡± Celeste¡¯s face softened slightly. She asked quietly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m scary?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Liam thought for a moment, then said, ¡°The worst you¡¯ve done to me is just a p. Is this another form of favoritism?¡± She lightly scratched the palm of his hand, whispering. Your standards are too low. Aren¡¯t you afraid I might really hurt you?¡± Liam chuckled, his eyes bright and firm. ¡°You won¡¯t. You can¡¯t bear it.¡± Celeste also smiled, ¡°If you fall for someone else, I can¡¯t promise anything. I¡¯m very jealous and vengefull. So think carefully during the probation period. Once you choose me, there¡¯s no turning back¡± Liam leaned closer, whispering in her ear. ¡°Do you know what | regret the most about our divorce?¡± ¡°Leaving me penniless? Celeste asked. ¡°You should think bigger, not always about money¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°So what is it?¡± Liam looked away, ¡°Not destroying our marriage certificate night after getting it. Without the certificate, how could you divorce me?¡± She wanted to say that they could reissue it, they could get a certificate. Nowadays, divorce didn¡¯t necessarily requireplete documents. But she swallowed the words before they could escape her lips. Liam knew these things. He was just confessing his feelings to her. He was telling her that he never contemted divorce Divorce was his biggest regret She didn¡¯t contradict him for once, cleared her throat and said, ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, we¡¯ll destroy it together¡± Liam immediately pulled out his phone. ¡°Say it again, for the record¡± Celeste initially nned to let Liam leave first while she waited for the uing ¡°drama¡°. However, Liam insisted on staying with her, worrying she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it alone His words made some sense to Celeste, so she went along with his n. On the other end, after hanging up the phone, Luci immediately called Shawn, lying that she had fallen and was feeling unwell. When he heard it might be a miscarriage, Shawn immediately dropped his son off at school and rushed over in his car Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Shawn had nned to take her to the nearest hospital, but Luci insisted on going to City Hospital because she felt that their obstetrics and gynecology department was the best in J City. Being eager to have children, Shawnplied with her wish About twenty minutester, Shawn helped Luci to City Hospital. As soon as the two got into the elevator, Celeste and Liam followed in another elevator At this time, Helen had just finished prepping for surgery and was about to go to the operating room. However, she suddenly ran into Shawn, who was hurriedly leading a young woman towards the outpatient department. He was softly reassuring the woman, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡± Seeing this. Helen¡¯s mind went nk. She was furious andpletely forgot about her own situation She shouted, ¡°Shawn, what the hell are you doing?¡± Shawn was startled, seeing Helen, he hesitated, clearly embarrassed, ¡°Helen, what are you doing here?¡± The woman he was holding stiffened as soon as Helen called Shawn¡¯s name. She quickly turned her face. Helen stormed over with a cold face, ring at him, ¡°What am you doing here? Who is she?¡± Shawn stammered. ¡°She¡¯s an employee from thepany, she¡¯s not feeling well, so I brought her here for a check¨Cup¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her that she needs to see a gynecologist? And why do you have to bring her personally?¡± Helen was not one to be easily fooled She had gone through countless hardships to climb to her position as a wealthy wife today. How could she tolerate someone trying to push her down using the same tactics? Shawn was at a loss for words. He hadn¡¯t expected to run into Helen in such a situation His mind was in chaos. All he could do was try to appease her. Tll exin when we get home Let her see the doctor first¡± ¡°What kind of sickness? Helen nced at the young woman, her eyes immediately drawn to her belly. She screamed, ¡°Did you get her pregnant?¡± Her scream drew the attention of people in the hallway. They all turned around, curiously watching them. Shawn¡¯s face turned red. He whispered, ¡°I told you we¡¯ll talk at home. Don¡¯t make a scene here, okay?¡± Seeing this dramatic situation in the obstetrics and gynecology department in the morning, some curious people couldn¡¯t help but take out their phones to take pictures and share them with their friends. ¡°You¡¯re worried about dignity now? Helen was livid, her face pale ¡°She looks younger than your daughter Not only did you sleep with her, but you also got her pregnant! Do you have any dignity left? Does she have any self¨Crespect? I¡¯m still carrying your child!¡± While speaking, she reached out to grab Luci¡¯s hair, angrily saying. ¡°You little bitch, you can¡¯t even keep your legs shut at this age. Were you raised like this?¡± Helen didn¡¯t finish her sentence. When she saw Luci¡¯s face, she froze. It was too familiar. This face looked just like Caitlyn when she was young. The striking resemnce had Helen, for a split second, thinking Caitlyn had returned when she looked at Luci. Her legs went weak, and she felt a cold chill run All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. down her spine With a sudden shove, she pushed Luci away, demanding sharply, ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± Luci lost bnce and ended up on her butt on the floor This caught Shawn off guard. He shot Helen a dirty look before turning to help Luci up As he assisted her and tried tofort her, his face was filled with concern and worry, just like he used to look at Caitlyn, all puppy¨Ceyed. And all the efforts Helen had put in paled inparison to that face! Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Chapter 966 ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Helen was shaking from head to toe with anger, feeling a bit of pain in her stomach. She was swaying, unable to stand straight when Bart, who had juste back. from downstairs with some documents, immediately rushed forward to support her ¡°Helen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Helen¡¯s face was pale and she fainted without uttering a single word Shawn heard Bart¡¯s shout and looked up to see Helen passed out, her skirt stained with blood. Shawn got anxious right away Both pregnant women were quickly rushed to the emergency room Liam had some connections at City Hospital and had made arrangements in advance. Therefore, Luci¡¯s fake pregnancy was not discovered. The doctor only prescribed some medications to help stabilize the pregnancy, advising her to rest at home. Shawn immediately felt relieved After Helen was treated, the baby was saved. The doctor said it was due to her extreme emotional upheavalbined with the fatigue from being an older expectant mother that had caused the bleeding However, the baby was healthy, with all the vital signs perfectly normal. Just as Shawn was beginning to rx, a nurse came in with some documents that required a family member¡¯s signature. Bart was about to take it, but Shawn beat him to it. Seeing that it was an abortion confirmation form, Shawn¡¯s face infmediately changed. ¡°What paperwork is this? An abortion consent form? Who¡¯s getting an abortion? You¡¯ve got the wrong person, right?¡± The nurse, not wanting to make a mistake, quickly checked the information, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Helen? It is her, right?¡± Shawn frowned, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her, but we never talked about an abortion!¡± The nurse replied, ¡°We have her signature here, stating that she wants to terminate the pregnancy,¡± she paused, then asked quietly. ¡°Did you guys not discuss this?¡± Seeing Helen¡¯s signature on the paper, Shawn¡¯s face turned sour. Helen had said she was going to the church in the morning to pray for the kids, but instead, she showed up at the hospital for an abortion She had kept her pregnancy a secret from him and the abortion too. If he hadn¡¯t happened to be at the hospital that day, his child might have been gone and he wouldn¡¯t even know! Thinking about this, Shawn was very angry. Just then, Helen woke up. Shawn, holding the document, walked up to her bed, ready to p it onto her, but was stopped by Bart Bart, despite being tall and skinny, was a young man and naturally stronger than Shawn Bart sternly said, ¡°Shawn, Helen is still carrying your child. Are you nning to hold a funeral for the baby in her belly today?¡± Upon hearing this, Shawn immediately let go. He didn¡¯t dare to offend Bart. So, he angrily questioned Helen with the document ¡°You lied to me about going to the church, but actually came here for an abortion. You made such a big decision on your own, who do you think I am!¡± Helen, who could only see Luci¡¯s face in her mind, felt nauseous at the sight of Shawn and started throwing up. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Bart quickly grabbed a bucket and put it next to the bed. Helen retched for a while but didn¡¯t vomit anything. She just looked paler than before. Seeing her look so sick, Shawn softened his attitude. He sat on the edge of the bed, took Helen¡¯s hand, and said softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to have this baby? Why did you do this?¡± Helen coldly pulled his hand away and asked directly. ¡°How long have you been with that woman? How long has she been pregnant?¡± Shawn was a bit upset at her question, but considering Helen¡¯s condition and her recent difort, he patiently exined, ¡°She¡¯s an intern at thepany I took her to meet with clients a few times, and one time after drinking too much¡± He didn¡¯t finish, but everyone could understand what happened next ¡°I felt extremely guilty when I woke up, and I wanted to tell you several times but didn¡¯t know how to. I thought about firing her and that¡¯d be the end of it, but who knew she would get pregnant from just that one time¡± The more Helen heard, the more disgusted she felt, but she forced herself to ask, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, and you just let her keep the baby? And treat her like you treated Caitlyn before, and let her rece me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shawn was not happy, ¡°I didn¡¯t want this to happen, I¡¯m older than her father, am I shameless? She¡¯s a young girl who contacted me in a panic when she found out she was pregnant. I haven¡¯t even figured out how to handle this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? Let her abort T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Caitlyn didn¡¯t care when he and that woman got together, what she cared about from the beginning was the child Why would she allow someone else to share her children¡¯s inheritance? Shawn hesitated, ¡°Helen, you know I don¡¯t have many children, and I really like kids. How about this, let her give birth to the child and we¡¯ll give her some money to leave We¡¯ll raise the child, who will be around the same age as the one in your belly. We can tell others we had twins, no one will know. And when you¡¯re old, you¡¯ll have one more child to take care of you.¡± Helen almostughed at the absurdity, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Caitlyn, raising your child with another woman? I can have children, why the hell would I want to raise someone else¡¯s? You better handle this woman¡¯s business, or I¡¯ll handle it and I won¡¯t be as gentle!¡± ¡°Why did youe for an abortion?¡± Shawn was losing his patience. ¡°You never wanted to give me a son, didn¡¯t you think I would find out?¡± Helen was always neglecting their mantal life. How else could he end up with another woman? It was all her fault! Helen was funous. ¡°I¡¯m not young anymore, and you still want me to have kids? Have you ever considered my health? We already have Angel and Jacques, a boy and a girl Aren¡¯t you satisfied?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a daughter? In the end, doesn¡¯t she just get marned off to someone else? How could I possibly let my massive fortune go to a daughter? Jacques is like a man of few words, can¡¯t even string a sentence together at the age of seven. Do you know what people are saying behind my back? They¡¯re saying I¡¯ve got a kid with special needs!¡± Shawn ranted angrily. Celeste and Liam, outside the ward, heard all this loud and clear Shawn¡¯s obsession with procreation hadn¡¯t changed one bit over the years Chapter 968 Chapter 968 Chapter 968 Thinking about his intense infatuation with Angel Campbell, to the point where he wasn¡¯t even willing to leave her a portion of his inheritance, Celeste suddenly felt a lot better. He clearly loved his daughter, but was unwilling to leave his estate to her. Celeste really regretted not being able to see Angel¡¯s reaction when she heard this news She tumed to Liam and asked, ¡°Are you nning to only leave your estate to your son in the future and not your daughter?¡± Liam responded, TII give it to you You¡¯ll enjoy it with me. If they want some, they can earn it themselves¡± Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Didn¡¯t you inherit your wealth from your father? Howe you¡¯re so strict when ites to your own children?¡± Liam replied seriously, ¡°1 did receive quite a bit from my family, but I could have what I have now just by myself. It might just have taken a bit longer. My father¡¯s inhentance has always been managed by my grandmother and I¡¯ve never touched it if I can¡¯t keep it, even if it¡¯s given to me, I¡¯ll lose it ¡± He paused for a moment, then continued. ¡°The same goes for them. If they want anything from me, they have to show me they have the ability to take it¡± Celeste thought that Liam¡¯s educational philosophy must have been leamed from his grandmother because that¡¯s how she always educated him in contrast, Kaylee was heavily influenced by Skyler, so her failure was no surprise. It made Celeste chuckle, thinking about how she had a good eye for picking Liam ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Liam took her hand. Celeste looked up at him and murmured, ¡°I was just thinking, aren¡¯t you afraid that I ditch you for some young guy when you get old and lose your charm, after you leave your estate to me?¡± Liam frowned, actually beginning to seriously consider this After all, Celeste was the dream of many inte celebrities A momentter, Liam said, ¡°I think a trust fund would be best, with long¨Cterm investments Celeste rolled her eyes and elbowed him hard, ¡°You fickle guy! I don¡¯t even want to marry you!¡± Liamughed and pulled her into his arms, whispering seductively, ¡°You canvish them with gifts, but they won¡¯t strip for you. I will, though. You can watch me strip however you want Liam was very good at self¨Creflection. When he realized that he needed to adjust his strategy to achieve his goals, he would precisely y to his strengths For Celeste, his greatest strength was his looks. Seduction was naturally the best method and it never failed. Just like the night she was drugged. Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking. Celeste¡¯s ears turned red She cleared the chaotic images from her mind and nced at Liam, ¡°Did you know that being too sweet can actually decrease someone¡¯s attractiveness?¡± Liam immediately shut his mouth, returning to his usual aloof demeanor Celeste couldn¡¯t help butughAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He usually looked like a leading wolf, tall and handsome. But when he did something silly, he was as adorable and foolish as a husky. He thought he was noble. but he was actually cute and silly This extreme contrast was irresistible Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Celeste whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever tipped them once. They were doing a lottery in their live stream. I just wanted to try my luck, so I recharged to send gifts and enter the lottery. Of course I lost. The hosts are never going to run a loss¨Cmaking business. if they¡¯re willing to give out a million today, they¡¯ll eam back ten million or more. They¡¯re banking on everyone wanting to test their luck. If you win, it¡¯s like going from riding a bike to driving a Maserati overnight. The hosts are always guiding, telling you the more times you participate, the higher your chances of winning. With hundreds of thousands or even millions of viewers participating, you can imagine what the odds of winning are Liam was speechless after hearing this. She spent more than a hundred thousand on a bag He suddenly realized that Celeste always had high hopes for these pie¨Cin¨Cthe¨Csky situations Like every time they went out, she¡¯d always buy a couple of lottery tickets at a store near the mall on the way back. He remembered one time when she won three hundred yuan, she was so excited that she dragged him to go eat French food. She won three hundred yuan, but the bill ended up being over three thousand Thinking about it, it seemed like she didn¡¯t really care about the amount of the prize he liked the thrill of getting a bargain more. She didn¡¯t act like a properdy at all. She was petty and worldly, tough on the outside but soft on the inside. This real and flesh¨Cand¨Cblood version of her was irresistible The argument in the hospital room continued. Helen was very angry at Shawn¡¯s words, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having a daughter? Isn¡¯t a daughter also your child? Jacques is just introverted What¡¯s the problem that you¡¯re so eager to find someone to rece him? How do you know that woman will definitely give you a son?¡± Shawn was determined to have a child. No matter what she said, he wouldn¡¯t be swayed Especially when he thought about how she had had an abortion behind his back, he was even more resolute. If you don¡¯t want to give birth, cant I find someone else to do it? I¡¯ve decided to have this child, he warned her ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas If anything happens to Luci and her child, I¡¯ll me you!¡± Helen was so angry that she turned pale. She had indeed snatched Shawn away from Caitlyn When he was with Caitlyn, he didn¡¯t dare to rebel, but with her, he was ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . full of machismo They¡¯d been together for so many years, but Shawn hadn¡¯t given her full control of the finances. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so passive and aggrieved Helen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said solemnly. ¡°Fine. Let her give birth for you. I was blind and foolish to have trusted the wrong person. Prepare yourself. We¡¯re getting a divorce. I don¡¯t want a penny of your money I only want Angel and Jacques.¡± Then she said, ¡°Help me pack. I want to leave the hospital¡± Shawn was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected Helen to propose a divorce. He wanted another child, but that didn¡¯t mean he would abandon his existing ones. He¡¯d already lived for so long, and his past divorces and remarriages had caused quite a stir. Even if Luci gave birth to his child, he had no ns to divorce again. Helen was his right¨Chand woman and the mother of his two kids. And they had some secrets between them that no one else knew about. There was no way he could divorce her. Shawn started to panic and hurriedly grabbed her ¡°Don¡¯t even think about divorce, you¡¯re pregnant! Stop being dramatic! ¡°I don¡¯t want this baby,¡± Helen shook off his hand, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone else to have your baby? Do you even care about him? If he¡¯s going to have to share his father¡¯s love with another child as soon as he¡¯s born, I¡¯d rather he not be born at all!¡± Chapter 970 Chapter 970 Chapter 970 Shawn tried to persuade her, but Bart stepped in, stemnly saying. ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s gone through hell and back and never once said a bad word about you. How much more do you want her to bear?¡± Shawn was lost for words. Bart said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll hire the bestwyer to fight for her. We¡¯ve decided to fight for custody of Jacques and Angel. You¡¯d better get yourwyer ready At this, Shawn started to sweat bullets Bant¡¯s situation was nowpletely different from before. Joining the Fletcher family was definitely a game¨Cchanger if he and Helen got divorced, he didn¡¯t really fancy his chances of keeping their past secrets under wmps. That was a seriously big problem With that in mind, he didn¡¯t give a hoot about anything else. He humed up to Helen and said softly, ¡°I know I messed up Don¡¯t be mad I was just acting on impulse. my mind was all over the ce¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been with me since you were seventeen, silently supporting me all these years. I didn¡¯t even give you a proper wedding, and now I¡¯ve put you through all this I really owe you¡± Helen¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Enough with the sweet talk. I know I¡¯m old and cantpete with those young chicks in their twenties. This is my karma for wrecking someone¡¯s family. I ept it. Let¡¯s just end this mamage with some dignity, okay? Shawn sounded mournful ¡°What are you talking about? I won¡¯t divorce you. Angel, Jacques, you and the baby, no one is going anywhem. Just focus on your pregnancy and stop thinking about giving up this baby This babying into our lives is fate Whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, I¡¯ll love it. As for Luci, I¡¯ll give her some money for the operation and I won¡¯t see her again Helen asked softly. You¡¯re not just feeding me a line, are you?¡± Shawn said ¡°Tligo to her now and arrange for the operation.¡± Helen snorted inwardly but on the outside she yed as a fragile woman. Just make sure you clear things up with her and don¡¯t create a sc¨¨ne. It¡¯ll tamish your image at the office. She¡¯s just a fresh grad looking to climb the socialdder. Just give her what she wants Shawn nodded, holding her hand gently ¡°You rest. I¡¯ll sort this out.¡± Helen said. Try to handle it peacefully¡± As soon as Shawn left. Helen¡¯s face turned cold. She said sterly, ¡°Go and see if he¡¯s trying to y me for a fool.¡± Bart nodded and followed Shawn out. Just as Shawn walked out of the room, he saw Luci on the phone in the corridor Seeing him, she froze, then tumed and walked away. Shawn quickly caught up and grabbed her arm. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say you have to stay for more tests? Where are you off to?¡± Luci dodged his hand, her lips quivering it took her a moment to say, ¡°Did she ask me to have an abortion?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Shawn was taken aback and couldn¡¯t find words to respond Seeing his reaction, Luci¡¯s expression turned sorrowful. After a few seconds, she whispered, ¡°Can you wait a couple of days before I do it?¡± Shawn felt a pang of sympathy but thinking of Helen, he hardened his heart. The sooner, the better.¡± Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Chapter 971 Lucilia¡¯s face turned pale, she blinked back tears but didn¡¯t let them fall. 1 She spoke in a hoarse voice, 7 know I didn¡¯t intend to use this baby to threaten you. I just want to say goodbye to him. I was scared when I found out I was pregnant but now, I can¡¯t help but get attached. I yeamed for someone who didn¡¯t even belong to me¡± Her voice grew choked up. ¡°Mr. Campbell, I don¡¯t want anything I can get the operation like you asked, but can it not be today? The doctor just checked me and said the baby might already be conscious I want to say goodbye, to tell him that I¡¯m not giving him away because I don¡¯t love him¡± Luci¡¯s tears were like a key, unlocking Shawn¡¯s softer side Her crying reminded him of Caitlyn. And strangely enough, he thought Luci sounded more and more like Caitlyn too Seeing her cry, he was reminded of when Caitlyn was in her twenties, her eyes welling up with tears whenever he got injured ying ball Shawn zoned out for a moment, his heart softened He¡¯d never gotten over Caitlyn¡¯s betrayal. He¡¯d always thought their rtionship turned sour because Caitlyn was too domineering Yet, he had always been proud to marry her ¨C she was beautiful, capable, and the dream girl of many guys. His ssmates that looked down on him all wanted to chase this goddess, and she chose him. This greatly satisfied his vanity But Caitlyn was always a strong character, always restricting him. She wouldn¡¯t let him smoke, drink, or stay outte. Sometimes, he thought she chose him just so she could control him She never asked for his opinion onpany matters and always acted on her own. This put Shawn, who graduated from the same school, off bnce As time passed, he couldn¡¯t remember the details of their rtionship After Caitlyn passed away, he frequently dreamt of her when she was young, either acting cute or upset, always relying on him. Now, Luci looked just like Caitlyn in his dreams. They even had simr voices and expressions, which tugged at Shawn¡¯s heartstrings. He forgot all about his promise to Helen and gently wiped Luci¡¯s tears ¡°Stop crying, if you don¡¯t want the operation, then don¡¯t do it. It¡¯s just one more kid, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford it.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Luci asked quietly. ¡°But what about your wife? How will you exin it to her? I don¡¯t want to put you in a tight spot because of me Shawn furrowed his brows, his head throbbing just thinking about it. He muttered. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ve got my tricks.¡± Helen had just been called over when she heard this. Her face instantly turned sour. Shawn, that rascal! His antics were so annoying! Just as Helen was about to lose her temper, Celeste¡¯s voice echoed from not too far away. ¡°Mr. Campbell, Helen fancy seeing you here¡± Both of them froze, turning to see Celeste standing coolly not too far away, with Liam, who they hadn¡¯t seen in a while, by her side They stood at arm¡¯s length, neither too close nor too distant, their expressions indifferent. Chapter 972 Chapter 972 Chapter 972 This family drama was all witnessed by Celeste, and both of their faces were a bit ¡°Celeste, why are you in the hospital?* Shawn was the first to snap back to reality, quickly asking, then turning to Liam, ¡°Did youe with Mr. Reed?¡± Celeste shook her head, ¡°I came to see a patient, ran into him downstairs, so we came up together¡± She nced at Shawn, then at Helen, her gaze falling on the woman cradled in Shaw¡¯s arms. And who is she?¡± ¡°She is ¨C¡± Just as Shawn was about to speak, Helen cut him off, ¡°His secretary Shawn shut his mouth Helen was the mistress who stole Caitlyn¡¯s husband and was arrogant at the time Now, not even a year after their marriage. Shawn found someone younger. What a karma Helen could turn a blind eye to Shawn¡¯s outside affairs, but she couldn¡¯t afford to be aughing stock in front of Celeste. So her first reaction was to cover L identity Celeste said nothing, eyeing Luci After a while, she said, ¡°Your secretary looks familiar Considering how deep Celeste¡¯s feelings for Caitlyn were, how could she not recognize who she resembled? Helen was vexed Shawn had not only been sneaky, but also found someone who looked like Caitlyn to provoke her Celeste wasn¡¯t a fool Bumping into them hann. how could she not make connections? ¡°When I first saw this girl, I also thought she looked familiar. Look at her eyebrows and eyes, quite like Caitlyn¡¯s Helen said and sighed, ¡°Unfortunately, Caitlyn had bad luck and died young Otherwise standing next to her, they would look more like mother and daughter if it wasn¡¯t for her kind face, we wouldn¡¯t have hired her in the first ce She¡¯s sensible and is good at reading people when serving coffee to guests.¡± Her malicious words made Celeste¡¯s blood pressure skyrocket She scoffed. ¡°Having someone like that around to serve coffee, how can you stomach it?¡± Helen chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I actually find it very friendly if it wasn¡¯t for Caitlyn¡¯s financial aid, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave my hometown. I am quite grateful to her¡± Celeste clenched her fist tightly ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Liam coughed lightly, and his voice finally brought Celeste back to reality. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Clearly, Helen was trying to provoke her if she fell for it today¡¯s n would be wasted. Her face pale, she feigned a wounded look and questioned Shawn, ¡°Is this your idea of sincerity? My mother is already gone, and she still has to endure this kind of insult?¡± Shawn, who had been silent all along, finally reacted and hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense Today is the first time she met Luci Helen¡¯s face changed After exining. Shawn turned the focus back to the two, ¡°Liam, long time no see His voice sounded a bit unnatural. When he asked Liam for fifty million online, he was calm, but seeing him in person, he inevitably felt a bit guilty. Liam¡¯s gaze was always calm and sharp, as if he could see through everything Anyone 20-30 years older than him would inevitably feel nervous in front of him. Chapter 973 Chapter 973 Chapter 973 Liam nced at him. ¡°Mr Campbell, it¡¯s best not to address me like this to avoid misunderstanding.¡± Shawn replied. ¡°Even though you and Celeste are divorced, in my heart, we are still a family. Besides, over the years, I¡¯ve gotten used to calling you this way¡± Liam raised an eyebrow, Then this habit of yours might need to change. You¡¯re not Letti¡¯s father. Strictly speaking, I have no rtionship with you. If you call me this. I¡¯ll have to waste time exining to others. So, you better change¡± Shawn¡¯s eye twitched slightly, clearly a bit embarrassed. At the same time, he realized that Celeste might have deceived him before, and it seemed that she still maintained contact with Liam This made him more determined to adopt Celeste as his daughter because the benefits the Reed family had brought him over the years were too many. How could he give up? Shawn quickly adjusted his expression, ¡°Although I¡¯m not Celeste¡¯s biological father, I¡¯ve raised her since she was little. I¡¯ve already talked to Celeste about adopting her, and she agreed. Anyway, I¡¯m her father in name¡± Helen was immediately upset when she heard this, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You want to adopt Celeste as your daughter? Are you out of your mind?¡± Shawn suddenly got angry. ¡°Mind your own business¡± Helen was about to explode Not only did her man cheat on her and get another woman pregnant, now he also wanted to adopt Celeste as his daughter? Had Shawn gone mad? Celeste hated them deeply. Having such a dangerous person around was simply madness! When she got angry, she felt a stomachache, subconsciously wanted to grab Shawn, and whispered. ¡°My stomach hurts.¡± Shawn thought she was deliberately causing trouble, wanting to ruin his n, so he impatiently said, ¡°If you¡¯re in pain, go back to your room and rest. Who asked you toe out?¡± After saying that, he turned to Celeste with a concerned look, ¡°Celeste, how have you been recently? Was the money I gave youst time enough? If not, I can give you some more Helen, who was already feeling unwell, fainted when she heard that Shawn was still giving Celeste money Bart, who was not far away, saw that Helen was not feeling well and hurried over to support her His brows were furrowed, his face full of worry. ¡°Helen, are you okay? Helen weakly said. ¡°My stomach hurts.¡± Only then did Shawn realize that Helen was really not feeling well. Thinking that the baby might be in danger, he immediately med her. The doctor said you need bed rest, why did you have to run out here? Always causing trouble¡± Helen got a taste of what her mother went through, and karma was a bitch All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Helen was in too much pain to even utter a word Bart didn¡¯t dilly¨Cdally, scooped her up in his arms and took off looking for a doctor. Shawn didn¡¯t have time to kiss up to Liam anymore. He just waved a quick hello and was ready to follow Bart. Liam asked. ¡°Mr Campbell need a hand?¡± Shawn was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect Liam to offer help voluntanly Before he could even process it, he instinctively asked, ¡°Help with what?¡± Liam replied coolly. I know a damn good OB¨CGYN I can put you in touch with him. For an older expectant mom like Helen, she¡¯ll be in good hands with him. The risks would be significantly lower¡± Shawn was a bit surprised, ¡°You know an obstetrician?¡± Liam replied, ¡°Letti and i were thinking about having a baby before. So, we asked him how to increase the odds of having a boy¡± Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Before, Celeste was worried that Liam might not be good at acting and that his stiff performance would give him away. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Now it seemed her worries were totally unnecessary, Liam¡¯s acting was really good He performed so seriously, so deeply, that no one could see through him Even she almost believed his lies. As soon as Shawn heard about having a baby boy, he was immediately excited, but still skeptical ¡°Isn¡¯t it impossible for anyone to determine the gender of the baby?¡± Liam said, ¡°With today¡¯s advanced technology andmon gene engineering and modification, how could it be difficult to control the gender of the baby?¡± Shawn was immediately intrigued. Then, could you give me the contact information of that doctor? Liam replied, ¡°No problem, just mention my name when you contact her Shawn was grateful, but he didn¡¯t have time to say much He just said to Celeste, ¡°Celeste, I always keep my word You¡¯re a woman fighting out there on your own. and if you ever need it, the Campbell family will always be your safe haven ¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes trembled slightly but she didn¡¯t respond Like a father. Shawn instructed Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, please take care of Celeste¡± Liam pursed his lips and nodded. Only then did Shawn hurriedly leave, of course, without forgetting to take Luci with him. Once they were gone. Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. You really exaggerated there, controlling the gender of the baby? Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll see through your bes?¡± Liam shrugged,¡± just said the probability is high, not that it¡¯s a definite thing. If he doesn¡¯t, then he¡¯s just a low¨Cprobability event it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry¡± Saying that, he picked up her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go, the show is over, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± She grabbed his hand and held it boldly. Owen was already waiting outside the car. As soon as the two got in, he started the car ¡°Mr. Reed, I¡¯ve brought you the documents. They¡¯re on the seat.¡± After starting the car, Owen said. Liam responded, picked up the file from the passenger seat and nced at it. He turned to look at Celeste, about to speak, but saw her chatting away on Twitter Liam put on his sses and nced at her phone screen, feeling displeased Celeste was on Twitter having a heated chat with someone named ¡°Fifty Million¡°. Who else could ¡°Fifty Million¡± be besides Mason? Thinking that the fifty million was Celeste¡¯s onginal divorce settlement, he felt even more annoyed ¡°Who are you chatting with?¡± Liam¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ear, his breath was very close, making her jump. Celeste pushed him away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk so close to my ear¡± Then she said, ¡°Mason told me that Lyman Rowley¡¯s wife is out of danger and her baby is fine¡± Liam said, ¡°is that all you¡¯ve been chatting about for so long?¡± ¡°We chatted about some other topics I mainly wanted to find out what he knows, but he doesn¡¯t seem to know much Liam sneered, ¡°It would be strange if he did. His parents don¡¯t get along well with Krista, they don¡¯t see each other often. Especially Krista¡¯s husband, the people of the Fletcher family are all dissatisfied with him. They just got a marriage certificate, the Fletcher family didn¡¯t even allow them to hold a wedding. Mason has hardly ever seen his young uncle¡± Celeste was surprised, ¡°At thest jewelry exhibition, I saw Mason¡¯s mother and his aunt seemed to get along well. How can you say their rtionship is not good?¡± Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Liam casually said, ¡°For the sake of outsiders, they naturally have to appear respectable¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Mason used to have a younger brother, two years younger than him. He died of suffocation at just over a year old after swallowing a small part of a toy¡± At that time, Mason¡¯s parents were out shopping. Because Krista came back from abroad, Mr. Fletcher was very happy and held a grand wee banquet. He insisted on holding it at home. Mason¡¯s parents needed to prepare for the banquet As a result, both of them were sent to prepare for the wee of the younger sister. The whole family was busy taking care of Krista. The two children at home were neglected, and an ident happened With no adults present, no one knew that the child was suffocating from the toy Mason was only three or four years old at the time and didn¡¯t know why his brother was having trouble breathing He tried to seek help from adults, but they thought he was just making a fuss and ignored him By the time the nanny went upstairs to check, the child was already blue in the face and his heart had stopped beating By the time they got to the hospital, the doctor immediately told them to prepare for the worst Upon hearing the bad news, Mason¡¯s mother fainted on the spot The shopping could have been done by the nanny, but Old Mr. Fletcher felt that would be disrespectful to Krista, so he insisted that they go Mason¡¯s mother was still nursing and worried that her baby son would be hungry or need a diaper change She basically called the nanny every half an hour to ask about the situation The nanny verbally said the child was fine, but then this happened. Mason¡¯s parents went to question the nanny, but she said she had been sent by Old Mr. Fletcher to do other things and told Krista to look after the children But Knsta said, she didn¡¯t know anything about it The child died at home due to the negligence of the adults, and no one in the Fletcher family was held responsible for it. Mason¡¯s mother finally called the police but all they could do was determine the cause of death. As for ming, that¡¯s a matter for the court. Old Mr Fletcher felt that the matter was very disgraceful, so he fired the nanny and forbade anyone in the house to mention it again. The matter of ming was eventually dropped Liam said, ¡°Regardless of who was negligent, the cause was because Krista came back, causing the nanny who was supposed to be looking after the child to leave Can Mrs. Janis forgive her?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Just hearing these stories. Celeste felt a chill run down her spine No wonder Liam said their rtionship was just for show. The agony of losing a child, it¡¯d be weird if Mason¡¯s mom didn¡¯t hold a grudge against Krista. Any mother would find it hard to forgive in such a situation. Celeste let out a sigh and murmured, ¡®Poor Mason. He was with his little brother at the time. I wonder if his parents me him for not looking after his sibling. He was just over three, he must have been scared.¡± Liam took a pause, turned her face towards him and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you feeling sorry for another man?¡± Celeste snapped. Tm just expressing my feelings, okay? Don¡¯t you know who I care about? Last night was a nightmare. Had it not been for your rash all over | would have walked out!¡± Amused, Liam retorted, ¡°You pretty much hogged the entire bed, while I, the patient, was squished into aer.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth and said, ¡°If Ie to take care of you again, I¡¯d be outta my mind!¡± Liam chuckled softly, handing her a document, ¡°Here, the thing you¡¯ve been asking for Taking it, Celeste asked, ¡°Is this the property transfer contract? ¡°It¡¯s a contract for organ trade.¡± Celeste was speechless Chapter 976 Chapter 976 Chapter 976 Celeste flipped open the file, and it was Bart¡¯s info. Bart¡­ no, it should be Zachary, his background is shockingly simr to Helen¡¯s. He¡¯s also a small¨Ctown boy, started hustling in J City when he was just a teenager. He¡¯s been a waiter, a nude model, a hair salon clerk, a car mechanic¡­ In short, he¡¯s tried all kinds of job. The two jobs he held the longest were modeling and being a waiter at Azure Club. His parents passed away early, and the folks from his hometown, including his two brothers, haven¡¯t seen him in years. Many thought he was already dead, and a couple years back they even filed a death certificate for him. And that¡¯s why Helen had him take over Bart¡¯s identity, it was pretty much bulletproof. Zachary was pretty much a nobody, taking over for the long¨Cmissing Bart¡¯s identity, no one would suspect a thing. Turned out, he and Helen actually met over a decade ago, but Helen kept a low profile, so there was little info to dig up But Helen did pay for Zachary¡¯s art school tuition, that much was verifiable. Key point was, Zachary had stic surgery once, he didn¡¯t always look like this. Celeste looked at his pre¨Csurgery photo, her eyes widened in shock ¡°He looks like Jacques!¡± Liam wasn¡¯t surprised, he¡¯d had a hunch before the investigation, and the investigation just confirmed it. He asked, ¡°And what¡¯s your n?¡± Celeste snapped back, closed the file, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for the pregnancy to get a bit further along, things will get more interesting. three months¡­ we might not even need to wait that long, Helen will be more anxious than us.¡± She¡¯d already set Zachary up with Krista to pave the way for her own child, Jacques, she can¡¯t possibly want another baby now, she doesn¡¯t have the energy and she doesn¡¯t want to blow her cover. After all, ording to the info, Zachary seemed pretty loyal to her. Helen¡¯s pretty sharp, Celeste can bet, this Zachary was just a pawn in Helen¡¯s game for power, she¡¯s got kids. All she needed was to pave the way for them, and she could live the high life. She¡¯s even nning on cutting ties with Zachary, after all, Krista¡¯s no pushover. This game, if you seed, you¡¯ll enjoy a good life, if you fail, you¡¯re left with nothing. Celeste¡¯s social circle was too simple, she¡¯s never met anyone like Helen, who¡¯d stop at nothing for power. Helen wasn¡¯t after men, but wealth and status in J City, achieving a ss leap that¡¯s unimaginable for many. Celeste respected her ambition, but despised her ruthless means. Her mother, Caitlyn, had always wanted their family to join the high society of J City, but only because she wanted her children to do well, her husband to be healthy, and her family to be harmonious. As long as there¡¯s money, any major problem can be solved. She¡¯d even tried to fit into that circle, enduring the cold treatment from thedies, but in terms of real value, Caitlyn was much stronger than those women who live under their husbands¡® value. Every time she thought of Shawn Campbell harming Caitlyn because of a woman like Helen, Celeste¡¯s resolve to get revenge ¨C intensified. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Soon, the car arrived at Grandview Heights. As Celeste got out of the car, she asked Liam, ¡°Are you heading straight to the office?¡± Liam nodded. Celeste noticed his clothes, ¡°You haven¡¯t changed yet.¡± Liam paused, then said, ¡°I won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Your coworkers might talk about it.¡± Liam responded, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Celeste turned to Owen, who immediately said, ¡°They might not say it to your face, but they¡¯ll gossip behind your back.¡± Liam was silent. Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ve got some men¡¯s clothes at my ce. Do you want to change it?¡± Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Liam was alert as he repeated her words, ¡°You got men¡¯s clothes there?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I shot an ad for a local clothing brand before, they have a pretty nice men¡¯s line. I got you a couple of sets, soft fabric and not too pricey. If you don¡¯t like it, no biggle.¡± Liam paused, ¡°You¡¯ve never bought me expensive clothes before, why sugar¨Ccoat it?¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°Who says I never got you fancy stuff? Your socks, they cost a fortune, while mine are dime a dozen!¡± Liam responded, ¡°Other than socks.¡± ¡°What about underwear? Those cost a pretty penny too, some even broke the bank!¡± Liam was helpless ¡°Other than underwear.¡± Celeste opened her mouth, finally defending herself, ¡°I don¡¯t buy cheap not because I¡¯m stingy, it¡¯s all about if they are worth it. You know, big brands charge an arm and a leg for stuff that costs peanuts to make. Why be the sucker who pays top dor for everyday wear?¡± The more she spoke, the more she convinced herself, ending up somewhat indignant, ¡°I always shop around. Do ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . think that¡¯s not tiring? I¡¯m just trying to save you money, and you¡¯re giving me grief?¡± you Liam was helpless again, ¡°Shop around to pick a swim trunk that bleeds dye?¡± Owen couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Everyone knew that Liam couldn¡¯t swim, but sometimes business negotiations took ce in recreational venues, with a bit of ball game or swimming on the side. Liam had to be there the whole time, but he usually stayed dry. However, once he met a client who was a good swimmer. The client knew Liam couldn¡¯t swim and insisted on teaching him, iming that the contract was a done deal if he learned to swim. At that time, Liam¡¯s position in thepany was not stable. He needed such a big order to boost his influence. So, despite his fear of water, he agreed to learn to swim from the client and asked his wife to bring him a pair of swimming trunks. His wife, Celeste, knowing that he was going to learn to swim, enthusiastically picked out swimwear for him. But her taste was truly questionable. All she got him were swimweats with a Superman design, a farting pattern on the rear, or a giant elephant trunk or banana on the front All in all, designs that were not fit for public exposure. The key point was, Liam and the client had set a time, waiting for her to bring the swim trunks. She was even confident over the phone, saying Liam would definitely like it. As expected, Liam¡¯s face fell at the sight of the garish swim trunks. But the client was waiting for him, and he had no time to buy new ones. He picked a ck and red striped design, which looked somewhat normal at least on drynd. When the negotiations were almost done, the client called him into the water to teach him how to breathe. Liam braced himself and got in the water. Everything was fine at first, but as the lesson proceeded, the client¡¯s face turned somewhat odd. Finally, the client couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sir, should you see a proctologist first? Your hemorrhoids look severe. The water has turned red.¡± Liam looked down in confusion, seeing the red stream around him, the scene looked like a hemorrhoid re¨Cup, quite shocking. Liam¡¯s face turned ck. Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Although Owen and the client tried to exin that it was just the swim trunks bleeding dye, the client always looked at Liam a bit oddly, even though he verbally agreed and understood. Liam had a fresh memory of this embarrassing incident, even after two years. Looking back now, Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh again. His wife really knew how to stretch a dor. When Liam brought it up, Celeste naturally remembered this embarrassing incident, and after a long awkward silence, she said, ¡°That was a gift from the boss, the ones I bought don¡¯t bleed dye, how was I to know you¡¯d pick the free one.¡± Liam arched an eyebrow, ¡°Is it my fault then?¡± Celeste gritted her teeth. ¡°Then don¡¯te to my ce to change clothes. I¡¯ll leave now!¡± Liam grabbed her wrist, chuckling softly. ¡°You said you¡¯d give them to me, you can¡¯t back out now.¡± Celeste red at him, ¡°Then why did you say all that just now?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Liam gently tickled her palm, ¡°Got to y hard to get, or it¡¯d look like I¡¯m too eager, and cheap¡± Celeste was speechless. What a character. Trisha wasn¡¯t home. She must¡¯ve gone to thepany. Celeste opened the door, took out a pair offy slippers and handed them to Liam, ¡°Change your shoes first, I¡¯ll get the clothes.¡± Liam acknowledged, and after changing his shoes, he walked into the house. He looked around at the furnishings, not much had changed since hisst visit. The robot, Nana, had been returned and was charging in the corner. Liam called out, and the robot walked over and called him ¡°Daddy¡°. Liam opened the operation port on its chest, upgraded the system, and reset the safety mode. When Celeste came out with the clothes, Liam was transferring data on his phone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liam said, ¡°Sending back some data, for adjustments.¡± Celeste gave an ¡°Oh¡± and sat down to wait. ¡°Does the robot eavesdrop on me?¡± Celeste suddenly asked. Liam¡¯s hand almost shook, he calmly said, ¡°Impossible. The robot will be on the market, if it can¡¯t even protect basic user privacy. who would dare to use it?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t say anything, after a while, she said, ¡°Liam, do you know you can¡¯t look me in the eye every time you lie?¡± Liam was speechless. Her eyes narrowed slightly, she casually said, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m naive?¡± Liam was speechless. *It does transmit some data, usually when the security setting is triggered. I have to make sure you¡¯re safe, and,¡± Liam paused, ¡°sometimes I just want to hear your voice.¡± Saying that, he sneaked a nce at Celeste. She wasn¡¯t angry, she stroked her chin and asked, ¡°There¡¯s no surveince camera in it, right?¡± Liam said, ¡°You don¡¯t live alone.¡± The implication being, if you were alone, I wouldn¡¯t mind installing a surveince camera. Celeste was speechless. Now that he was her boyfriend, he seemed to have gained confidence in his speech. ¡°Have you set it up yet? If you¡¯re done, try the clothes on as soon as possible I can e Liam responded and started undressing once he finished updating the system Celeste turned and headed for the kitchen to get a drink ham # they don¡¯t fe While the coffee was brewing her agent called He told her that her short viderunt had reached the must followers and urged her to post a special video for the milestone to finner her priprity. The short drama ¡°Mastermind of Law had been huge hit ran tha Munni Burningang Catasta Eaton, her agent was very obrinut helped her filme a special video ihnut managing therea parterna (t hich ended up tranding. To har porpraa Feeling a bit overwhelmed the naked Extan for uzemna Ulest on whan kant of undan na ?¨¢m He quickly sent her a challenge viden and suggested the find After seeing the content of the video. Celeste was immediately excittad Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Chapter 979 The video featured a model couple. Thedy had big wavy hair and was wearing a ck mini skirt and an unbuttoned bra top She walked down from a higher level and sat on the guy¡¯sp, her back facing the camera. The guy helped her button up her bra, then lifted her foot in the high heels onto his shoulder, and gracefully tied her shoces. Even though there was no intimate contact between the people in the video, the sexual tension was palpable, making it incredibly captivating. This video had sparked a lot of discussion on social media. Many inte influencers and celebrities had followed suit, and many videos had gone viral. Whether they were serious or humorous, they were all well received. Clearly, Eaton hoped to ride on this trend to increase her poprity. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t very interested in these inte influencer challenges before. She thought they were boring. As long as having a sexy body, anyone can do it. On the other hand, she preferred challenges with a fresh touch, like Al dance challenges, cross¨C dressing video challenges, men dressing as women, women dressing as men, etc. ¨C content with a strong visual impact. As for couple videos, most of them are just showing off their affection. She usually wouldn¡¯t click on these videos. But this video had changed her view on these types of videos. If filmed well, couples can also create videos that are both noble and sexy. Eaton sent her a message, ¡°I have a few male models here who can partner up with you. I¡¯ll send you their photos, pick one.¡± Celeste replied with an ¡°OK¡± emoji. When she came out with a hot coffee, Liam had already changed. He was facing the wardrobe mirror, adjusting his cor. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He habitually buttoned his shirt up to the top. The ck shirt, ck trousers, monochrome outfit looked very elite on him. As Celeste replied to Eaton¡¯s message, she said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t button it up so high, loosen two buttons. It¡¯s not like you need to wear a suit, there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡± Liam stopped his hand, undid two buttons, then turned his head to look at Celeste, waiting for her evaluation. But Celeste was looking down at her phone, oblivious to him. Liam called her twice, but she didn¡¯t respond, so he walked over. But just as he was about to speak, he saw Celeste staring at a photo of a muscr man on her phone. Liam was speechless, and he suddenly snatched her phone away, grabbed her wrist, pushed her against the wall, lowered his head, his voice hoarse and low, ¡°Am I not as attractive as the guy in the photo?¡± Celeste was taken aback, thenughed, teasing. ¡°In terms of image you are definitely more attractive, but,¡± she leaned into his ear and whispered, ¡°you can¡¯t work with me, can¡¯t I pick a colleague to help me film?¡± Liam paused, ¡°Colleague?¡± Celeste pulled her hand away, took back her phone, then beckoned him over, showing him the video Eaton had just sent. ¡°My agent asked me to make some videos for my fans, to film this type of content. The model photos were sent to me by him for me to choose from.¡± Upon hearing it was a colleague, Liam¡¯s guard dropped significantly, but when he saw the video Celeste was talking about, his face turned serious. Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Celesteughed, ¡°I won¡¯tpletely imitate this video challenge. The main thing is to create that sexy atmosphere, people like to watch that kind of stuff.¡± Liam didn¡¯t understand what a sexy atmosphere was, but thinking of another man helping her button up her bra, he felt like killing that person. Steven Garcia, that bastard, what kind of crappy agent did he assign to Celeste? Acting is okay, but why does she have to create videos to cater to fans? Liam paused, lightly tapping his knee with his finger, and calmly asked, ¡°Is it easy to film this kind of video?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just a few moves, one minute is enough. It¡¯s mainly about the filters and background music, creating the atmosphere.¡± Liam said, ¡°I haven¡¯t filmed a short video before.¡± Celeste was confused. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Liam said, ¡°I want to try.¡± Celeste was even more confused. Liam added, ¡°Let Simon Rowley do the post¨Cproduction, no one will recognize me, and you won¡¯t have to feel awkward about filming with someone else.¡± Celeste thought, I wouldn¡¯t feel awkward, I¡¯m professional. She knew exactly what Liam was thinking. Even if this guy is jealous, he would never admit it, always finding various excuses to cover up his true intentions. If it were before, she would definitely tease Liam a bit, but after carefully considering Liam¡¯s proposal, she found it quite interesting. After all, she could step on Liam¡¯s chest with high heels! Thinking of that scenario, she got excited. Isn¡¯t this the queen and her puppy, oh no, the queen and her alpha wolf she¡¯s been anticipating? So Celeste merely thought about it for a moment, then agreed to Liam¡¯s proposal. She took out her phone tripod, quickly set up the scene, then went back to her room to change. Liam sat down on a single¨Cseater sofa, sending a text to Owen, ¡°Wait for me for a bit.¡± Then he started watching the video Celeste was talking about. Not long after, he heard the sound of high heels approaching. Liam looked up to see Celeste with her slightly curled hair loose, wearing a ck bra top, punk¨Cstyled ck shorts, and strappy high¨Cheeled sandals. She had a diamond¨Cstudded lip ring on her lower lip, her makeup was heavy, her lips red as fire, she looked sexy and hot. This was the first time Liam had seen Celeste in this style. He was both surprised and amazed. Celeste was usually quite bold, but when he stared at her for a few seconds, she suddenly felt a bit shy. Even though nothing was exposed, being stared at like that made her blush. She flicked her hair, coughed and said, ¡°Shall we start then?¡± Liam answered with a ¡°Mmm¡°, and ording to Celeste¡¯s instructions, faced her sideways to the camera. Celeste hit the record button, took a deep breath, and strutted over to Liam, plonking herself down on hisp with her back to the camera. Liam gently brushed her hair to the side, grabbed the straps of her top, looped them around her neck, then leaned down to tie them for her. His fingers casually brushed against the skin of her back, causing a slight shiver to run through her. A task that usually took Celeste a mere second felt like it dragged on for ten minutes with Liam. Celeste was already on edge, and his sluggish pace was about to make her freeze up when Liam suddenly asked, ¡°How should I tie this?¡± Celeste,¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Liam said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a bit nervous. Forgot my lines, let me try again.¡± Celeste, in disbelief, retorted, ¡°You? Nervous?¡± Liam smiled, looking down, whispered, ¡°I¡¯m just a regr guy, babe. Seeing the one I fancy all dolled up and in my arms, of course I would be nervous.¡± Liam really had a knack for this. One word from him could make hearts flutter. That was his brand of romance. Celeste blushed, gave a little cough, and said, ¡°In my memory, you¡¯ve never been nervous about anything. Techpetitions, national award ceremonies, in front of thousands of people, you¡¯d give speeches without even preparing notes. Yet, you never seemed nervous, you could just talk and talk.¡± Liam was taken aback, ¡°You saw the award ceremony?¡± Celeste gave a slight nod, then added after a second, ¡°I was there¡± Liam¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Celeste cast him a nce, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were receiving an award, why should I tell you? I don¡¯t want to seem desperate, do I?¡± Liamughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I wasn¡¯t even sure I¡¯d win the first prize.¡± Thepeting team had previously won another award, their research was ground¨Cbreaking, and they had a lot of publicity, so Liam was not certain he would win. When he was invited to the award ceremony, he only brought Owen and two key team members. Everyone else had no clue But then he surprisingly won, he didn¡¯t even have an eptance speech prepared and was called on stage. After the initial shock, he quicklyposed himself and thanked everyone for their hard work over the past months. In fact, Liam couldn¡¯t even remember what he said, he only remembered wanting to show Celeste his award. When he got home, he ced the trophy at the front door, where she would see it right away, but he pretended not to care. He really hoped Celeste would see it, praise him, and look at him with admiration. But he was disappointed. Celeste didn¡¯t even see the trophy when she got back. The trophy sat there for two days, and Liam¡¯s excitement cooled down, until Celeste finally asked about it. She said, ¡°You still want this trophy? If you do, find a ce for it. The maid almost broke it while cleaning today.¡± Liam was speechless. The news of Quantum¡¯s team winning the award was everywhere, but Celeste didn¡¯t ask him once. Liam¡¯s excitement cooled down. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org If the person he wanted to share his joy with couldn¡¯t feel the same happiness, no matter the prize, he would feel dejected. Celeste¡¯s indifference made him think his wife was just pretty but shallow,cking a deeper connection. Looking back now, their misunderstandings were ridiculous. Celeste thought he didn¡¯t care about her, not even telling her about his award. Heined that Celeste didn¡¯t care about his honor. He wanted her to see his trophy, but she was indifferent. Actually, Liam didn¡¯t mean not to tell her. His low¨Ckey style made Celeste miss his excitement. Celeste knew he and his team were going to the award ceremony. She even secretly bought a ticket for the same flight, quietly apanying him through his proudest moment. Celeste nced at him, ¡°When you were giving your speech, I didn¡¯t notice any nervousness. With thousands of people watching. you weren¡¯t stage fright, your speech was smooth, and you won over the audience. You¡¯re not nervous in such a situation, so why would you be nervous in front of me?¡± Her words were sarcastic, as if asking, who are you trying to fool? Liam chuckled softly for a while, then moved closer to her, forehead against her shoulder, whispered, ¡°It¡¯s different. On the award stage, I wasn¡¯t nervous because I have deep knowledge of our achievements, I have confidence, and I have strength. But in front of you, I have nothing. Once, I had a marriage certificate tofort myself, but now¡­ I¡¯m just a sultor. I¡¯m no different from other men. I would also be nervous standing in front of the woman I like, hoping she would like me too.¡± Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Celeste¡¯s emotions were all over the ce, as if a deer was running around in her heart. She tried to stay calm, saying, ¡°Have you been sneaking off to sses again? The way you¡¯re pouring out sweet nothings¡­¡± Liam gave a softugh, took her hand, gently kissed the back of her hand, ¡°I spent a lot of money, and attended a few sses¡± Celeste, ¡°Did you really attend sses to learn how to make girls happy?¡± Liam said, ¡°There¡¯s this inte sensation, she¡¯s helped over a hundred divorced couples remarry in a year. I was curious about how she did it, but to watch the follow¨Cup sses, I had to pay, so I followed a few episodes.¡± Celeste,¡±So, what did you learn?¡± Liam said, ¡°I saw the female lead in that story, the day after she got back with her ex¨Chusband, she went on another blind dating show, saying she was single and unmarried. I asked for a refund, but got blocked instead.¡± Celeste was startled, then burst outughing. Liam watched herughing heartily in his arms, and felt incredibly happy He wrapped his arm around her waist, whispered, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Celeste stoppedughing, it took her a while to ask, ¡°What is it?¡± Liam said, ¡°Fm about to start a big project.¡± Celeste was confused. Why would she want to hear about his work? She didn¡¯t understand his work. Liam continued, ¡°This project should be done in about three months. By the end of the year or early next year, we should see a return on investment, probably in the tens of millions.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Celeste? Was he flexing? Liam said, ¡°If we remarry within these three months, the tens of millions will be our marital property. If we remarry after three months, the tens of millions will only be my premarital property.¡± Celeste squinted her eyes, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Liam spoke earnestly. ¡°To maximize your benefits, I think it¡¯d be better to cut short the trial period a bit.¡± Celeste rolled her eyes, ¡°You mean I should remarry you right after the trial period?¡± Liam paused, then said after some thought, ¡°Well, I¡¯d need two months to prepare for the wedding.¡± Celeste stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll find someone else to shoot for me.¡± Liam immediately pulled her into his embrace, ¡°I¡¯m just making a suggestion, the choice is yours.¡± Celeste hummed lightly, and after a while, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to rush into marriage this time. If we get the marriage certificate and neither of our temperaments change, we¡¯ll just go back to square one when we argue. I¡¯d rather not get married at all. I don¡¯t want to cater to you, nor do I want you to cater to me. Dating is the best time to adjust our temperaments. It¡¯s never toote to get married when we find the best state for us.¡± Celeste paused, then whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a three¨Ctime loser in marriage.¡± Liam was stunned, then said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too hasty¡± Celeste didn¡¯t me him, she felt ufortable when he apologized. So she changed the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s wrap it up. Owen¡¯s waiting for you.¡± With prior experience, the shooting process went much smoother this time. Liam didn¡¯t need to act at all. When Celeste¡¯s high heels stepped on his chest, he gracefully raised his hand to tie her shoces, then stroked her ankle, and suddenly bent down to kiss her ankle. Just then, there was a ¡°snap¡°, something fell to the ground. Both of them froze, turning around to see Trisha standing at the door in shock, with an equally stunned Hiram Garcia next to her. Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Celeste froze for a beat, quickly shaking off her shock, she pulled her foot back in a rush, fumbled to adjust her clothes and coughed to clear her throat, then greeted, ¡°Hey, good morning.¡± Liam, on the other hand, was surprisingly cool as a cucumber. No trace of awkwardness on his face after being caught kissing Celeste¡¯s ankle, he even greeted Hiram naturally, ¡°Mr. Hiram, what brings you here this early?¡± Hiram¡¯s face went from surprise to shock to disbelief, then finally settled into a clear scowl. ¡°I came to see my granddaughter,¡± he grumbled. Liam was confused. Celeste whispered, ¡°He means Nana.¡± Liam was speechless. Hiram had been dropping by to see Nana recently, but Celeste was always busy. Whenever he came by, it was mostly Trisha who entertained him. Their brief interactions were only when Celeste just got home and Hiram was leaving, barely managing to exchange greetings. Celeste was baffled that a little robot could attract the CEO of a listedpany toe by every now and then. Just a few days ago, she was considering discussing with Liam about selling a few roberts to Hiram¡¯s family once they start mass production, considering Hiram¡¯s apparent fondness for Nana. It could make a nice profit for Liam.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Of course, she didn¡¯t expect Hiram toe by early in the morning to see Nana and stumble upon such an awkward scene Liam was a bit puzzled. Hiram came by early in the morning just to see Nana? That just didn¡¯t sit right with him. Given Hiram¡¯s close ties with the Reed family, shouldn¡¯t hee to him if he¡¯s interested in Nana? Come to think of it, Hiram seemed very happy each time he sent him some profiles of socialites to help Steven find a girlfriend. But recently, Hiram seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder. A few days ago, Hiram even returned the gift he had given him, as if he wanted nothing more to do with Liam. Now, looking at Hiram¡¯s clearly annoyed eyes, Liam became more and more convinced of his suspicions. Did he offend Hiram? Or did Steven badmouth him in front of Hiram? As Celeste put on her coat, she greeted, ¡°Hiram, you¡¯re here early today.¡± Hiram was ring at Liam, but when he heard Celeste, he instantly beamed, ¡°I was going to contact you first beforeing up. but I ran into Trisha downstairs and she invited me up, I hope I¡¯m not being rude?¡± ¡°Of course not! You¡¯re always wee,¡± Celeste said, then turned to Hiram, ¡°Nana is charging. Have a seat, I¡¯ll get you some coffee.¡± Hiram declined, ¡°please don¡¯t trouble yourself. I¡¯ll be leaving soon,¡± he turned to look at Liam and asked, ¡°What are you doing here instead of being at work this early?¡± Liam nced at him and slowly replied, ¡°Dropping her off.¡± ¡°Dropping¡­.¡± Hiram paused, ¡°Dropping who off?¡± Celeste pursed her lips, the answer was as clear as day. So, when Trisha said Celeste didn¡¯te homest night, it was because she was at Liam¡¯s? Hiram instantly felt his blood pressure skyrocket. He finally understood why Steven would lose his cool every time Liam was mentioned. He was about to lose his cool too! Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Before he knew Celeste was his daughter, he thought highly of Liam in every aspect, even more so than his own son. But the moment he found out Celeste was his child, Liam¡¯s ws became ringly apparent. Liam was too tall, always making him look up when they spoke, too handsome, appearing like a yboy, too focused on work, neglecting his own family. The most unbearable thing was that he divorced Celeste, leaving his precious daughter with nothing! Ever since he found out about Celeste, just hearing Liam¡¯s name annoyed him. He not only rejected Liam¡¯s holiday gifts but also returned the wines he previously sent over. He wanted to cut ties with Liam completely He was ready to give Liam a piece of his mind if Celeste wanted, but instead, he found them spending the night together! As a father, how could he keep his cool? Feeling awkward about the topic, Celeste coughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get some drinks.¡± With that, she hurriedly left the room, dragging a still shocked Trisha along, leaving Liam alone to deal with Hiram. Hiram nced at Liam, about to sit down, when he heard Liam say, ¡°Make yourselffortable, have a seat.¡± Hiram instantly stood back up, ¡°I prefer standing. It¡¯s good for my knees.¡± Liam paused, picked up a leg stretcher from beside the sofa, and bent down to ce it at Hiram¡¯s feet. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Hiram, give this a try. It¡¯s good for the knees.¡± Hiram thought to himself, is this guy thick¨Cskinned or what? Can¡¯t he tell I¡¯m just messing with him? Liam continued, ¡°Celeste uses it for stretching, but it¡¯s actually very beneficial for the knees.¡± He stepped on it to show Hiram, ¡°Want to try?¡± Hiram was originally nning to snub him, but upon hearing that Celeste often uses it, his interest was piqued. The leg stretcher is a device that allows people to stand on it to stretch their calves. If a person who doesn¡¯t exercise regrly stands on it, they will feel pain after a while. Hiram stood on it and instantly felt the pain, his face turning pale. He thought, this kid Liam, is he trying to make me embarrass on purpose? Liam, however, was encouraging him. Three minutes each time, five or six times a day, to keep your legs healthy.¡± Hirampletely forgot his original intention of giving Liam a hard time and immediately asked, ¡°How many seconds left? Isn¡¯t- the time up yet? Why does it feel so long?¡± As Liam kept saying time wasn¡¯t up yet, he took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Hiram, why didn¡¯t you tell me you like Nana? I could¡¯ve made a custom one for you. There¡¯s no need for you to travel this far every day.¡± Hiram¡¯s face was so red from the pain that he had no energy to think about robots, he simply answered, ¡°I didn¡¯te for Nana.¡± Liam was taken aback, pressing on, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were here to see her?¡± Hiram suddenly realized he¡¯d slipped up, quickly correcting himself, ¡°I dide to check on Nana.¡± Liam chuckled lightly without saying a word. But his eyes looked a bitplicated. This shameless bloke, Steven, couldn¡¯t win over Celeste by himself, so he got his dad to step in? Apart from this, Liam couldn¡¯t think of any other reason that would make Hiram change his attitude towards him. He must see Letti as his future daughter¨Cinw, which is why he¡¯s giving him, the ex¨C husband, the cold shoulder. No wonder he hasn¡¯t been allowed to y matchmaker for Steven recently, turns out they¡¯re nning to invade his territory! ¡°Hasn¡¯t three minutes passed yet?¡± Hiram couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and asked again. Liam nced at the timer showing three minutes and fifty¨Ceight seconds, he casually said, ¡°Only a minute and a half has passed, hang in there a bit longer.¡± Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Hiram¡¯s face turned ugly in an instant. *Just a minute and a half? Feels like five or six minutes to me, are you trying to pull a fast one on me?¡± Liam replied calmly, ¡°How long a minute feels can depend on whether you¡¯re counting it before or after going to the loo, so your perception might be a bit off.¡± Hiram¡¯s face turned beet red. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore, get me down.¡± Liam took a step back, ¡°Just one more minute. No pain, no gain.¡± Hiram stayed silent. In the kitchen. Trisha finally snapped out of her shock, her eyes were practically glued to Celeste. Celeste felt ufortable under her gaze, ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Trisha blurted out, Liam kissed your foot.¡± Celeste corrected her, ¡°It was my ankle.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Does Liam have a foot fetish?¡± Celeste retorted, ¡°What are you thinking? We¡¯re shooting a video!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to kiss feet for a video, do you?¡± ¡°It was the ankle.¡± Celeste insisted. Recalling the scene, Trisha blushed, ¡°He seemed so devoted when he kissed your¡­ ankle.¡± To be honest, Trisha herself was shocked when Liam kissed Celeste¡¯s ankle. Besides shock, she also felt a rush of excitement and bashfulness Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After all, kissing an ankle is a humble act in romantic rtionships, subtle yet a clear deration of deep affection. For a proud man like Liam, Celeste never thought he would lower himself in such a way to express his love. This thought made her ears hot. She tugged at her earlobe, whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare b about this, got it?¡± Trisha responded, ¡°Don¡¯t you know me? I won¡¯t tell a soul!¡± Celeste thought to herself. It¡¯s exactly because I don¡¯t trust you that I¡¯m warning you. ¡°Go wash the cups, I¡¯ll bring out the fruit.¡± Trisha nodded. As soon as Celeste was gone, she whipped out her phone and sent a voice message to Nics Francis, ¡°Did you ever kiss your ex¡¯s foot?¡± Nics replied instantly. ¡°Of course not.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just curious,¡± Trisha couldn¡¯t help her curiosity, ¡°Under what circumstances would you kiss someone¡¯s foot?¡± Nics cringed at the thought of ¡°kissing a foot¡°, all he could think of was his own stinky socks. ¡°Maybe if I have a foot fetish.¡± Trisha quickly retorted, ¡°Other than that!¡± Other than that? Who would kiss a foot if not for a foot fetish? Is this some kind of sick joke? He pondered, then he abruptly stopped, scenes from some porn popped into his head. He murmured, ¡°If it¡¯s not for thrills, then it might be out of deep love, putting oneself in a humble position.¡± Trisha muttered to herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Liam had such deep feelings for Letti 11:06 Nics faltered, ¡°What did you say?¡± Trisha quickly shut her mouth, ¡°Nothing.¡± Nics heard it all! He initially wanted to press further but then thought it was better to keep others out of it. He changed the subject, ¡°When are you nning to quit your job?¡± ¡°Any day now, if I don¡¯t start working soon, I¡¯ll be broke.¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°It won¡¯te to that, you cook for me. I wouldn¡¯t let you starve, would I?¡± Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Trisha cracked a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t just settle for the basic necessities, can I? I want to pursue a better life too.¡± Nics looked at her, chuckled, and asked, ¡°So, should I apany you to resign?¡± ¡®Stop joking.¡± Trisha said, ¡°I¡¯m going to resign, not to have fun. And I¡¯m supposed to take you with me?¡± Nics leaned back on the sofa, and said slowly, ¡°If you bring Nics Media Group¡¯s President to resign, people will think you¡¯re eaving thepany for a better job. And your new employer values you so much that he even apanies you to quit. That boss who¡¯s been giving you a hard time will probably be pissed. Don¡¯t you want to teach him a lesson?¡± Trisha was moved by his words. Her boss was ipetent, always causing trouble for his subordinates and stealing their credit. Thinking about resigning and not having the chance to teach him a lesson anymore, Trisha felt a bit reluctant. If Nics could help her, it seemed quite nice. But considering her past experiences, Trisha became more cautious. She asked, ¡°Why do you want to help me? What¡¯s your agenda?¡± Nics sighed, ¡°You really break my heart. Can¡¯t I just be altruistic? Trisha chuckled. ¡°You help me unconditionally?¡± She continued, ¡°Spit it out. What do I have to do for you to help me?¡± Nics thought for a while and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet. I¡¯ll tell you when I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but if you make an unreasonable request, I won¡¯t agree.¡± Nics smiled, ¡°So tell me, what¡¯s an unreasonable request? So I know the boundaries.¡± Trisha thought for a moment and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make me look ugly, don¡¯t ask me to cook, and no¡­¡± she paused, ¡°No excessive physical contact.¡± Nics was stunned. ¡°Excessive physical contact¡­ what do you mean?¡± Thinking about the kissst night, Trisha¡¯s ears turned red and her heart raced. She cleared her throat and said in a low voice, ¡°Just, things friends wouldn¡¯t do!¡± Nics was confused, ¡°What wouldn¡¯t friends do?¡± ¡°The thing you did to me yesterday!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Nics said, ¡°You mean the kiss?¡± Trisha corrected him, ¡°That was a forced kiss!¡± Nics cracked a smile, ¡°I sacrificed myself to let you experience what it¡¯s like to have a boyfriend, aren¡¯t you grateful?¡± ¡°Quit joking! Your behavior, to put it nicely, is a forced kiss. If it were anyone else, it would be sexual harassment!¡± Nics asked. ¡°Did you consider suing me?¡± Trisha was taken aback and defended herself, I¡¯m not being lenient on you, you¡¯re Liam¡¯s friend after all. I don¡¯t want to cause trouble for Letti by suing you, but-¡± she warned, ¡°Don¡¯t let it happen again!¡± Nics thought to himself, we¡¯ll see about next time, at least I got a kiss this time. Thinking aboutst night¡¯s kiss, Nics¡¯s lips curled into a smile, ¡°Are youing over to y games tonight?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Trisha said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve been ying games with you for a while now, and I¡¯ve been eating a lot ofte dinners at your ce. I¡¯ve gained a lot of weight, I need to lose weight.¡± Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Chapter 987 ¡°You¡¯re not a celebrity, why do you need to lose weight? Look at Celeste. She¡¯s so skinny, does she look good?¡± Trisha said, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t smart, I would¡¯ve been fooled by you!¡± Celeste was not skinny among female celebrities. She¡¯s average height but heavier than other actresses. Any other actress wouldn¡¯t dare to be like her, but Celeste did, because her face was small and her limbs were slender, with plump chest and butt, which madepeople jealous at a nce. Even in real life, you wouldn¡¯t think she¡¯s too thin. Nics was obviously trying to bad¨Cmouth her. When this didn¡¯t work, Nics said, ¡°I just got a new collector¡¯s card, but I¡¯m not skilled enough, I want you to help me try it¡± Trisha was surprised, ¡°You spent money on games again?¡± Nics said, ¡°I want to collect them all.¡± Trisha shook her head¡­ It¡¯s nice to be rich and carefree! ¡°Are youing or not?¡± Nics invited again, ¡°I want to give you a new couple card. When we y this game together, we can trigger a special effect. I haven¡¯t seen what the effect looks like yet, I¡¯m a bit curious.¡± Hearing about the card gift, Trisha immediately wavered. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll try toe over tonight, but you¡¯re not making dinner again, got it?¡± Nics nodded with a smile, ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Meanwhile, Celeste brought out a fruit tter and saw Hiram standing on the calf stretcher, with Liam cheering him on. ¡°Hold on a little longer, you¡¯re almost there. Mr. Garcia, don¡¯t give up halfway.¡± Hiram¡¯s legs were shaking, and he grimaced, ¡°Not there yet? How many more seconds?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Just half a minute left, almost there.¡± Hiram nearly fainted. How could there be half a minute left? Celeste put down the fruit tter, saw Hiram¡¯s bitter expression, andforted him, ¡°Mr. Garcia, you don¡¯t have to stand so long the first time you use this device. Take it slow, I¡¯ll help you down.¡± Hiram waved her off, ¡°It¡¯s only half a minute more, I¡¯ll hold on.¡± He¡¯s really stubborn Celeste helplessly stood aside to wait. She watched the time on her phone tick by. Just as she was about to say something, Liam said, ¡°Ten seconds left, you¡¯re almost there, hold on.¡± Celeste was confused. Liam even started to count down, Ten¡­ nine¡­¡± His pace was clearly slower than normal counting. Celeste suddenly realized Liam was messing with Hiram. She gave Liam a kick in the shin and red at him. Liam finally sped up his counting. After the countdown, Hiram finally staggered off the exercise equipment. Sweat was dripping from his forehead. He sat on the sofa, panting heavily, and after a while, he finally managed to talk, ¡°That was exhausting for just three minutes. Celeste, how do you stand for half an hour at a time?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to say. Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Chapter 988 She shot Liam a questioning look, ¡°What kind of tall tale did you spin to Mr. Garcia while I was out? When have I ever been able to stand for half an hour?¡± Liam coolly replied, ¡°She used to dance, so she¡¯s flexible. She could stand for hours if she wanted to.¡± Upon hearing that Celeste used to dance, Hiram quickly forgot about his aching leg and eagerly asked, ¡°You used to dance?¡± Celeste could only respond, ¡°I took a few years of dance lessons when I was a kid, but I never really stuck with anything. My dance skills are pretty average.¡± Hiram took note of this and asked, ¡°I heard from a friend that you yed the piano at a cruise party once. You were pretty good¡± Celeste modestly replied, ¡°Thanks, I can only y a song or two well. I¡¯m nowhere near as good as Ms. Garcia¡± Normally, when parents hear someoneplimenting their daughter, they would immediately be modest. However, Hiram¡¯s response was, ¡°Being able to y a song or two is already impressive. No one can be good at everything, right?¡± That¡¯s true ¡°Celeste, is there any particr food you like?¡± Hiram asked. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste was taken aback. Hiram quickly noticed that his question was too abrupt and hurriedly exined, ¡°Steven¡¯s grandparents are your fans. They want toe and see you. We want to have a gathering, meet up, but we¡¯re not sure what you like to eat, so we¡¯re worried that the food might not suit your taste.¡± Their family¡¯s elders had been living abroad for many years, they wereing to J City just to see Letti? That seemed like a stretch. If they wereing to see Steven¡¯s girlfriend¡­ that might make more sense. Were they trying to steal his girlfriend with the whole family? Thinking about this, Liam¡¯s guard was up. Before Celeste could answer, Liam interjected, ¡°Mr. Garcia, when are they arriving? I haven¡¯t seen them in years. If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯d like to meet them as well, as a show of hospitality.¡± Hiram frowned, finding Liam¡¯s interruptions annoying, and casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s a family gathering, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for you toe.¡± ¡°A family gathering?¡± Liam repeated, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a fan meeting?¡± Celeste also didn¡¯t want to go and quickly replied, ¡°Mr. Garcia, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to attend your family gathering. When I have time, I can make a special trip to visit them and take some photos.¡± Hearing Celeste¡¯s refusal, Hiram became anxious. He had promised them that he would bring her. If Celeste didn¡¯te, wouldn¡¯t the elders¡® trip be in vain? Their purpose was clear. They wanted to acknowledge her as their grandchild. He quickly exined, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. They were nning to stay in J City for a short while anyway, they miss Steven. You¡¯re in J City too. Can you help Steven keep thempany? Aren¡¯t you two close?¡± Liam looked puzzled. Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Chapter 989 He calmly said, ¡°Mr. Garcia, Letti and Steven are just superior and subordinate. You can¡¯t insist on Letti attending the gathering because she¡¯s dependent on thepany. It¡¯s her freedom whether to go or not.¡± Hiram frowned, ¡°Can you just shut up when I¡¯m talking to Celeste?¡± Liam¡¯s so annoying! How did he never notice how annoying Liam was before? Liam remained expressionless and calmly said, ¡°Letti is an artist under Skyline Media Group. If you really force her to go, it means that if she doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ll cklist her. Can she refuse then?¡± Hiram¡¯s face changed, ¡°When did I say I was going to cklist her? Aren¡¯t I discussing it with her now?¡± Liam turned to Celeste, ¡°Do you want to go?¡°. Celeste didn¡¯t want to attend other people¡¯s family feasts, she carefully said, ¡°Mr. Garcia, if it¡¯s a family feast, I won¡¯t go. I¡¯m not part of your family, it would be awkward for you too. If they really want to see me, we can set another time, and I¡¯ll go visit them.¡± How could that work? Hiram said, ¡°It¡¯s not really a family feast, it¡¯s just a casual gathering among friends.¡± Celeste whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it was a family feast, so Liam can¡¯t go?¡± Hiram quickly said, ¡°1¡­ I was afraid he was too busy, that he wouldn¡¯t have time.¡± Liam immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m not busy recently, I can make time when theye.¡± Hiram reluctantly said after a while, ¡°Then if you have time, you cane too.¡± Liam said, ¡°Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Garcia.¡± Hiram didn¡¯t say anything. Although he was not satisfied with Liam¡¯s participation, it didn¡¯t affect Hiram¡¯s joy in seeing Celeste. Especially with Nana¡¯s involvement, the conversation between Hiram and Celeste can be said to be quite enjoyable. He was eager to understand Celeste¡¯s life, hobbies, school, parents¡­ over the past twenty years or so. But these questions became irrelevant after he saw Celeste¡¯s radiant smile. The fact that she could stand in front of him in good health was the greatest blessing from heaven. As for the past hardships, he would make up for her doubly in the future. Most of Hiram¡¯s topics were about Nana. Through these days of understanding, and with Liam¡¯s guidance, Celeste was almost familiar with Nana, and she introduced various functions in detail. Seeing her talking eloquently, Hiram felt even more affectionate. After talking about Nana, Celeste began to inquire about Hiram¡¯s lifestyle and personal preferences. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She asked him about his wake¨Cup, sleep, eating, working, and exercise times, asking in great detail. Hiram was very happy, he answered whatever Celeste asked, hoping tomunicate more with his daughter. Celeste said, ¡°Once you set up these daily routines, it can double as an rm clock, a nanny, even a secretary. Last time I forgot to bring a document when I left, it was this gadget that scanned and sent it over remotely.¡± Seeing her look a bit tired, Hiram quickly handed her the water ss next to her. Taking the cup, Celeste drank some water and asked, ¡°What do you think, Mr. Garcia?¡± Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Hiram hadn¡¯t really paid attention to the device, so he casually said, ¡°It¡¯s great, better than any robot I¡¯ve seen before Celesteughed and said, ¡°Liam¡¯s team has put a lot of effort into it. Its high level of intelligence is probably leading in the global robotics industry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Hiram lost interest when she mentioned Liam. However, Celeste seemed to be brimming with excitement, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Do you want to reserve one?¡± Hiram looked surprised. ¡°It¡¯s a world premiere, one of a kind. Liam hasn¡¯t started mass production. If you want, we can prioritize yours. The price is negotiable, but we¡¯ll definitely give you the best deal,¡± she paused, then asked tentatively, ¡°Are you in?¡± Hiram didn¡¯t respond. He hadn¡¯t expected that Celeste¡¯s long talk was to promote Liam¡¯s product Hiram felt a mix of emotions. How could his daughter be so gullible? She lost everything in her divorce, but she¡¯s still bringing business to this man? Seeing Hiram¡¯s silence, Celeste thought she might have been too obvious. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m just asking casually, you don¡¯t have to answer seriously.¡± Not wanting to make his daughter ufortable, Hiram quickly said, ¡°No problem, I¡¯m just thinking about how many I should order.¡± Celeste looked delighted. ¡°Are you going to use it somewhere else?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hiram said, ¡°One for home, one for Steven¡¯s grandparents¡® ce, and one for the office. It looks cool, so at least three.¡± Celeste¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you sure you want three?¡± Seeing her happy, Hiram also smiled and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s start with three.¡± Celeste gently nudged Liam, ¡°You heard him, get on it.¡± Liam nced at Hiram and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have someone contact you for a deposit.¡± Hiram paused, looked at Liam, his smile fading slightly. The deposit is a small matter. I want to ask, does Celeste get amission for the business she brings you?¡± Liam hesitated, then slowly said, ¡°If she¡¯s willing, she can be the boss.¡± Neither Hiram nor Celeste said anything. Celeste wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her imagining things, but she felt that Hiram¡¯s face looked even worse after Liam¡¯s words. He left not long after. Once Hiram had left, Liam said, ¡°Do you think Mr. Garcia doesn¡¯t like me?¡± Celeste nced at him, ¡°Who asked you to talk so much? He was asking me, but you kept interrupting. Can¡¯t he be a little upset?¡± This made sense, but it didn¡¯t apply to Hiram Hiram wasn¡¯t good at hiding his emotions. His dissatisfaction with Liam seemed to stem from Letti. The two elders of the Hann family wanted to personally visit Celeste in J City, which might be their chance to resolve their doubts After resting in the morning, Celeste returned to the set in the afternoon. As for Trisha, she finished her resignation report in the afternoon and sent it to thepany¡¯s email. Soon after, her resignation was approved, and she was asked toplete the departure procedures as soon as possible. Considering the speed of approval, Trisha even suspected that the other party was sitting in front of the computer waiting for her resignation report. After sorting everything out, at 8 p.m., she knocked on the door of room 902 across the hall, with her pillow and nket, ready to pull an all¨Cnighter with Nics. But after a long time of knocking, no one came to open the door, so she called Nics. He said he was taking a shower and would be out soon. Trisha asked, ¡°What¡¯s your door code?¡± Nics replied, ¡°You don¡¯t know? You¡¯ve been here so many times, haven¡¯t you seen me enter the code? You should even know my bank card password, right?¡± Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Trisha said, ¡°I need to rify something. What if you me me when your stuff goes missing?¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°If it really goes missing, I¡¯ll just sell you topensate.¡± Trisha replied, ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯d have to empty your house first,¡± then she hurried him, ¡°Hurry up, I have to go to work tomorrow morning, I can¡¯t hang out with you for too long.¡± ¡°Got it, juste in.¡± Trisha hung up the phone and punched in the code to open the door. His home was filled with a light fragrance, with a pot of flowers ced at the entranice Tender green leaves and snow white flowers made for a pleasant sight As she was changing shoes, she nced at the shoe cab. It was filled with men¡¯s shoes, except for the pair of slippers she was changing into, which was fordies. The slippers had a pink bunny on them and were fluffy Thest time Trisha hade over, she¡¯dined about his slippers being too big for her feet. Nics had then bought this pair for her She had criticized Nics¡¯s taste at the time, but grew to like it after a while Realizing that this was the only pair ofdies¡® slippers, she felt oddly at ease. She walked in carefully His home was impably clean, with an aromatic candle lit on the table. There were two roses in the vase on the dining table, one red and one white, looking very tasteful Nics indeed loved enjoying the materialistic life. Even though he lived alone, his home was always clean and tidy. Initially, Trisha thought he had a maiding in daily to clean, but after getting familiar with him, she found out that the maid only came over on Wednesdays and Saturdays Nics cleaned up the rest of the time. He had a peculiar habit of keeping his home neat and tidy. Whenever she came over to read his collection of ssics, she¡¯d flip through them while he¡¯d organize them The tilt angle of every book had to be consistent. She tucked a pillow behind her back, sat cross¨Clegged on the sofa, and started ying games on her phone. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Just as she logged into the game, Nics¡¯s voice came from the bathroom. ¡°There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself. And bring me two beers.¡± Trisha agreed, put down her phone, and walked over to the fridge. The fridge was stuffed with alcohol, drinks, and water. The only food was a packet of bread slices shoved in one corner who knows how long it¡¯s been there. It¡¯s only been a week since shest visited, but his fridge was already this empty. There¡¯s a supermarket downstairs, wasn¡¯t it convenient to buy some stuff? How was he living like this? She took out the drinks and beer, closed the fridge, thought for a moment, then took out her phone to contact the supermarket owner downstairs. Soon, an employee from the supermarket downstairs came knocking at the door with lots of stuff. Nics came out after his shower, grabbed a towel to dry his hair, and wore his bathrobe. The sofa was empty, only her frequently hugged panda cushion and a small nket were curled up on it. Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Just as he was wondering where she¡¯d gone, he heard noises from the kitchen. Nics, towel in one hand, walked towards the kitchen. A slim figure was busy cing food in the fridge by the kitchen. All kinds of fruits, vegetables, snacks, as well as some frozen foods. Nics was stunned, watching her skillfully fill up the previously empty fridge. He came from a big family, and even though he was the youngest, he didn¡¯t receive any extra attention. Having not grown up with his parents, he was distant with his elder siblings. His parents often scolded him for his ¡°bad habits¡± from growing up in the countryside So when he got into university, he moved out. He¡¯s been living alone all these years, only going back home for a few days on asional holidays. But even those short few days would make him feel unbearable. His parents were proud of his achievements and bragged about him in front of their rtives and friends. But they didn¡¯t care about the hardships he¡¯d gone through, or how he ate or slept during busy work periods. Whenever they visited him, they¡¯dment on his lifestyle and urge him to get married, introducing him to their friends¡® daughters. They never noticed that his fridge only had alcohol. Maybe they did notice, but they didn¡¯t care Even his ex¨Cgirlfriends might have expressed concern verbally, but they didn¡¯t really care. Trisha was the only one who stuffed his fridge full every time she came over. Even though she used his money After thest item was ced, Trisha looked at the full fridge and finally felt satisfied. Just as she was closing the fridge door, she saw Nics, who¡¯d been standing in front of the fridge at some point. She got a fright and felt her heart race. ¡°You could¡¯ve said something when you came out, you scared me!¡± Looking at her angry face, Nics suddenly felt cheerful. With his arms crossed and leaning against the fridge door, he smirked, ¡°You little rascal. I find that even though you¡¯re not that delicate, you¡¯re quite domestic. You can cook, clean, and even game with me. You¡¯re quite a goodpanion.¡± Hearing him say ¡°not that delicate¡°, Trisha frowned. ¡°You have pretty lips, yet you don¡¯t know how to praise someone.¡± After saying that, she picked up the shopping bag on the floor, pushed him aside, and left the kitchen. Nics, rubbing the spot where she¡¯d bumped into him,ughed softly and followed her Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I said lots of nice things, but all you remember are the things you don¡¯t like.¡± Trisha retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t think you praising me as domestic is apliment. Do you think that I can only cook and do nothing else? How would you feel if I called you that?¡± Sitting next to her, Nics said, ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding me. I was sincerelyplimenting you. A gentle and elegant girl like you, isn¡¯t that what men dream of in a wife?¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡°You mean a housewife, right? One who can do household chores, provide companionship, and bear children?¡± Nics didn¡¯t say anything¡­. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too generalizing? I like girls like that, but it doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t have their own careers. They can like cooking, but not necessarily have to cook. I didn¡¯t have anyone cooking for me when I was young. I just love the family atmosphere when cooking and eating together.¡± Trisha was surprised and took a while to respond, ¡°I thought you liked those heavily made¨Cup club girls?¡± Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Nics wanted to exin, but when he thought about it, his ex¨Cgirlfriends did have amazing bodies. So he said, ¡°Apart from being gentle and caring, they all have great figures. That¡¯s a big bonus.¡± Trisha red at him, ¡°You¡¯re such a yer!¡± Nics just chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a bit biased, don¡¯t you think? Don¡¯t you also watch those muscle¨C showing videos on TikTok? Don¡¯t you like people with good bodies, too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like you! I¡¯m just looking for creative inspiration, you¡¯re actually chasing after them!¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Nics retorted. ¡°You¡¯re looking for creative inspiration from muscle videos? So are your novels about sex then?¡± Trisha looked at him with disdain, ¡°You think I¡¯m writing that kind of novel? I¡¯m just observing and researching¡± She proudly said, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that the opening of my new screeny has been epted. They said if there are no issues once I finish, it¡¯s straight to signing the contract Seeing her excited, Nics felt happy for her and casually asked, ¡°What kind of screeny are you writing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a city workce drama,¡± Trisha said, ¡°The script mainly writes about the profession of being a doctor. Dr. Ledford has given me a lot of inspiration and materials Nics¡¯s smile faded, his expression slowly bing serious, ¡°Writing about such a professional job like a doctor isn¡¯t easy. It¡¯s easy to make mistakes. There have been too many problems with workce dramas in recent years.¡± Tnsha wasn¡¯t worried at all, ¡°Dr Ledford has agreed to be my professional consultant. If I don¡¯t understand something or if there¡¯s a potential misunderstanding. can just ask him¡± ¡°You¡¯re not basing this on him, are you?¡± ¡°Yes, Dr. Ledford was a deputy director when he was young, so he has the charisma of a protagonist, making him a perfect model¡± Nics¡¯s face darkened even more, ¡°I was also a boss of severalpanies when I was young You¡¯re better off writing about me. My entrepreneurial experience is much nicher than his.¡± Trisha nced at him, ¡°I considered you, but you look too much like a yboy. All I can think of is your complicated love history. The current trend is pure love, yourplicated love history makes you unfit to be the protagonist of a modem drama ¡± Nics furrowed his brows. ¡°A yboy?¡± *Like those high¨Cend bar waiters, very attractive, always wanting to lure women into bed¡± Nics said, ¡°A detestable man?¡± Trisha immediately denied her thought, ¡°That¡¯s what you said, not me.¡± Nics¡¯s face became even darker. She actually thought he was a yboy! Seeing Nics¡¯s reaction, Trisha felt she might have gone a bit too far, so she immediately shook his arm and said, ¡®Ohe on, don¡¯t be mad. I just couldn¡¯t find the night words to describe you. You¡¯re actually quite handsome, it¡¯s just, you give off this bad boy vibe, like you¡¯d hook up with women and then break up.¡± Nics said, Thanks, but I don¡¯t feelforted¡± Seeing him frowning and looking upset, Trisha couldn¡¯t help butugh. Nics red at her. ¡°Are youughing?¡° Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Trisha said, ¡°Lighten up, Nics. You said Ick feminine charm, I didn¡¯t get mad, did I? You seem selfish on the surface, but you¡¯re actually quite loyal. Anyway, I¡¯m not your girlfriend, how you treat others is none of my business. As a friend, you¡¯re pretty great.¡± Nics froze, the phrase ¡°Tm not your girlfriend¡± sounded rather harsh. He suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You want to date me? I think you¡¯re not good enough!¡± Tnsha didn¡¯t catch his anger, she just thought he was being his usual self, so she happily said. ¡°Of course, you, Nics, have a lot of demands. I¡¯m so short, how could I match up to you?¡± Hearing her self¨Cdeprecating words tofort him, Nics didn¡¯t feel better, but rather worse He thought to himself Yeah, why did I fall for someone as short as you, who doesn¡¯t even consider me boy friend material. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be mad. Once I get the copyright fee, I¡¯ll treat you to a nice meal. I¡¯ll take you to that new restaurant downtown, and you can order whatever you want! Let¡¯s show the owner I¡¯m capable! Nics suppressed his anger and asked, ¡°How did the restaurant owner offend you?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t really offend me, it¡¯s just that whenever I walk past their restaurant, the way he looks at me¡­¡± Trisha said, and started to imitate the look ¡°He looks down on me¡± Hearing this, Nics forgot his previous unhappiness and started tough, ¡°You think he looks down on you, yet you still want to spend money in his restaurant, are you trying to increase his ie? Did he save your life in a past life?¡± Trisha was taken aback, ¡°L. I just want to show him that I can afford it.¡± Nics suddenly leaned in, his wet hair dripping water, and slowly said, ¡°That¡¯s not making him look bad, that¡¯s giving him money. He might think you¡¯re a fool¡± Hearing this, Trisha was a bit upset, ¡°Then do you have a better idea?¡± Nics¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°If it were me, I¡¯d build a cemetery right next to their restaurant. Before long, his business would go down the drain. His restaurant lease is for five years, costing over thirty thousand dors a year, with decoration costs in the tens of thousands, plus other expenses, he¡¯d be bankrupt Even if he wanted to transfer the restaurant, with a cemetery next door, he wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± Trisha said, ¡°You¡¯re so evil¡± She just wanted to make him ufortable, but Nics wanted to bankrupt him. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°But building a cemetery, thendlord might not agree. If they rent to you, how will they rent the other houses?¡± Nics said, ¡°Rent them all. As long as the restaurant owner is forced to vacate, I think thendlord would be quite happy.¡± The revenge tactics of rich people Trisha thought for a while and said, ¡°If I ever offend you one day, you wouldn¡¯t leave me with no way out, would you?¡± Nics gave a slight smile and gently pinched her face, ¡°That¡¯s yet to be seen. So you better show me some respect in the future.¡± Trisha quickly changed her tune, ¡°How dare I disrespect you? You¡¯ve been bathing for so long, tired? Want me to give your back a massage?¡± Nics gave her a nce and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± Then he shrugged off his bathrobe, showing off his strong muscles, turned his back to her and said, ¡°Put some muscle into it, my back¡¯s been feeling a bit stifftely¡± Chapter 995 Chapter 995 Chapter 995 She just casually made ament. And he didn¡¯t treat her as a stranger at all. Trisha¡¯s heart was racing as she looked at his ripped back. Nics was as tall as Liam, a bit thinner but muscr, looking like someone who¡¯s been hitting the gym all year round. Trisha, having worked on set for years, had seen many big events and all sorts of actors Especially since herpany had been focusing on web series in recent years, most of the actors she met were heartthrobs. They all have handsome young faces, but once they take off their clothes, most of them have no muscles, with only a few having some Even those with muscles would look skinny in the crew¡¯s clothes, their narrow shoulders and thin waists making them look like kids wearing adult clothes,pletely unable to fill them out. What¡¯s worse is that fans blindly praise their idol¡¯s good physique This made her question her own aesthetics for a while in the past years. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org In the past, whenever a male actor needed to shoot a topless scene, everyone would rush to watch. But now, well, there¡¯s not much to see with muscle¨Cless male actors Nics was also thin, but he had a solid figure. Just by looking at him, one could tell his body fat was low. You could see the texture of each muscle. He could totally serve as a specimen for med school teachers exining human muscle Now that¡¯s a good physique by normal aesthetic standards, something both men and women could appreciate ¡°Come on, why are you dilly¨Cdallying?¡± Nics urged Trisha. Cleaning her throat to cover her elerated heartbeat, Trisha said, ¡°Coming¡± She then flexed her fingers, ced them on his shoulders, and started massaging. ¡°Mr. Nics, how¡¯s the pressure?¡± Trisha asked. Nics squinted in pleasure and hummed in approval. After a while, he said, ¡°Go a bit harder.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Trisha increased the pressure, asking while massaging. ¡°Are we going together tomorrow?¡± Nics, eyes closed, said, ¡°No, you go first, I¡¯ll goter¡± ¡°Why? How am I supposed to criticize them if you¡¯re not with me?¡± Trisha asked. ¡°You need to let them feel smug first, let them think their n to force you to quit has seeded, then I¡¯ll appear to help you counterattack. Makes for a more interesting twist, Nics said. Then he scornfully added, ¡°You¡¯re a screenwriter, how do you not know such basic plot?¡± Trisha chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t write that kind of drama.¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but touch Nics back muscles, admiring. These back muscles are perfect for cupping I would have given you a session if I had the equipment Nics shivered at her touch, coughed, and asked, ¡°You know how to do cupping? Isn¡¯t that a specialty of the East?¡± Trisha instantly replied, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me. Is there anything in this world I can¡¯t do?¡± Nics paused, turned around and said, ¡°I have cupping equipment at home, I¡¯ll bring it for you.¡± Trisha was speechless In fact, she didn¡¯t know how to do cupping. She bragged about knowing how just to touch Nics muscles but didn¡¯t expect him to actually have the equipment. Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Nics quickly brought out a full set of cupping tools, ced the toolbox on the table and said, ¡°Look, it¡¯s aplete set¡± The toolbox not only had cupping tools but also tools for massaging the back and essential oils. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. It wasn¡¯t surprising for Nics to have these things at home since he sometimes preferred to get treatment at home instead of going to the shop. Having bragged about knowing how to do cupping, Trisha had to y along and said. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you run a massage shop Nics told her, ¡°Enough chit¨Cchat,¡± and handed her a lighter. ¡°Come on, show me your skills¡± He theny down on the couch, exposing his entire back Trisha looked at the lighter, then at the toolbox, recalling the therapists¡® techniques when she tried cupping before, feeling like it wasn¡¯t that difficult. Just do this first, then that, finally cover it up Shouldn¡¯t require much skill. Nics urged her, ¡°Hurry up, I still want to y games¡± Tnsha decided to give it a try. She dipped arge cotton swab in alcohol, lit it, swirled it inside a cup, then quickly attached the cup to the center of Nics¡® back. Seeing no reaction from Nics, Trisha felt that cup was pretty firm and suddenly felt like a genius. Nics grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and leisurely enjoyed Trisha¡¯s service, The TV was showing the trailer of Peaceful Land. This series is going to be aired on a popr channel next week. For the past half month, hashtags about the series have been all over the inte. The series hasn¡¯t even aired yet, but the marketing has already made it well¨Cknown. The series once stirred upizens anger due to giarism scandals of the original work. But now, the matter has faded away Trisha was no stranger to these capitalists tactics. They either paid to suppress the giarism heat or created the giarism controversy from the get¨Cgo to boost the series poprity Using the giarism controversy to draw attention to the series has be amon tactic for many capitalists As long as they can make money, they don¡¯t care about reputation. What¡¯s annoying is that due to the heavy promotion of this senes. Celeste¡¯s debut work, Phoenix Fire, hardly got any attention. Despite the good reputation of his series, director Zach Miller has average connections and isn¡¯t good at hype. He tends to choose actors who aren¡¯t that popr so Phoenix Fire only made the news when it first started shooting due to a controversy to do with the second female lead. The only somewhat hot topic is the rumor that Sydney Denton¡¯s role was reced by an actress who brought her own capital to the crew. Even though the official exnationter was that they never invited Sydney to begin with, the news of rifying the matter wasn¡¯t as hot as the news of the role recement Now that this series is airing on the same day as Sydney¡¯s Peaceful Land, it¡¯s inevitable that audiences willpare the two. Especially when the promotion for ¡°Phoenix Fire¡± wasn¡¯t exactly setting the world on fire, it was like throwing a party for Sydney¡¯s fans. So, when Trisha saw the promotion for this show, she was pissed off, ¡°Such a crappy rip¨Coff, and it¡¯s actually going on air? A giarized show can be filmed and aired? What the hell is happening¡°¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°Aren¡¯t all money¨Cmaking shows like this? It¡¯s nowhere near ¡®Phoenix Fire Why do you even care?¡± Trisha retorted. ¡°The problem is they re airing it on the same day. It¡¯s bound to steal viewers from Phoenix Fire. If the ratings are bad, it might affect Letti¡¯s future work. After all, everything is about results now¡± With that, she started to rant about Sydney, This Sydney, she surely is impossible to ignore. Then it hit her that Sydney¡¯s former boss was Nics, and he was the one who made her a sess, which pissed her off even more Nics, clueless about what was going on in her mind, just said. ¡°The jar on the left seems a bit loose, adjust it a bit.¡± Trisha, poker¨Cfaced, took it down, ready to readjust, when the doorbell rang She got startled, the lit cotton swab in her hand fell onto Nics¡¯s shorts, and mes instantly shot up. Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Trisha screamed in disbelief, ¡°Holy cow, your pants are on fire!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Nics looked confused, only feeling the heat on his bum a moment toote. He turned around to see mes sprouting from his pants. He quickly jumped off the sofa, humedly stripped off his burning pants and tossed them aside. Coming back to her senses, Trisha rushed forward and stomped out the mes on the pants. Still in shock, she looked up to ask Nics if he was burnt, only to see him standing there stark naked by the sofa, wrapping her nket around his waist Trisha asked in astonishment, ¡°Why are you using my nket?¡± Nics fastened the nket and looked at her. ¡°So, should I take it off?¡± Thinking about his naked body beneath the nket Trisha blushed and shut her mouth. After a while, she whispered, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing underwear?¡± Nics calmly replied, ¡°Just like you don¡¯t wear a bra at home, it¡¯s morefortable Trisha was speechless Nics couldn¡¯t help but tease, Didn¡¯t you say you could handle it? How did you manage to set my pants on fire? If I hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, you could¡¯ve burnt me.¡± Feeling guilty. Trisha said in a small voice. I¡¯m not good at cupping therapy, it¡¯s my first time. Wasn¡¯t I doing well just now? I got startled when the doorbell rang and I identally. you know¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Your little ident nearly cost me my fertility. If I had gotten burnt, how would youpensate me?¡± Trisha hung her head in guilt, expecting a scolding, then whispered. ¡°If you really got burnt, I would take responsibility.¡± Nics paused, then calmly asked, ¡°And how do you n to do that?¡± Trisha stated matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°By marrying you.¡± Nics heart skipped a beat, a tingling feeling spreading from his chest, his heart pounding. But the next second, Trisha¡¯s words smashed his excited mood. She said guiltily, ¡°That way, except for me, no one would know you can¡¯t have childrent. I¡¯ll keep this secret forever¡± The corner of Nics¡® eye twitched helplessly. The next second, his face turned pale, and he almost fell over Luckily. Trisha was right there and quickly caught him, ¡°Nics, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Nics looked pale. The area that was burnt is starting to hurt.¡± Trisha panicked immediately. ¡°It was fine just now. Why is it suddenly hurting?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it before, but now it hurts a lot must be dyed pain perception.¡± Hearing this, Trisha got even more worried, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re burnt? What should we do? Let¡¯s go to the hospital¡± Nics awkwardly refused, ¡°Leave my some diginity. If the doctor asks what happened, what am I supposed to say? That I burnt my butt while cupping? I¡¯d die of embarrassment before the disease gets me.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t just ignore it¡± If something really happened, how could she take responsibility? Seeing her guilt and anxiety, Nics startedforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go to the bathroom and rinse it with cold water first, then we¡¯ll see.¡± With no better ideas, Trisha could only help him to the bathroom. Nics was rinsing in the bathroom while Trisha waited outside. Apart from the sound of running water, she didn¡¯t hear anything from Nics. Trisha couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Nics, how are you? Any better?¡± After a while, Nics said, ¡°You go check the door, someone was knocking¡± Trisha had to run to the door The doorbell rang two or three times and then stopped Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Chapter 998 When she opened the door, there was no one there, just a cardboard box by the door. Trisha ran to the elevator to check if anyone was there, then brought the box inside. As soon as she got back, she saw Nics limping out of the bathroom. Trisha quickly put down the box and asked, ¡°How are you doing, does it still hurt?¡± Nics leaned on a chair, looking pale, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good¡± Trisha¡¯s face turned even paler than Nics¡® She felt like she had caused a huge mess Without a second thought, she rushed Nics to get dressed and hurried him to the hospital. On the way. Trisha¡¯s expression was extremely tense. Nics couldn¡¯t sit because of his injury and was lying sideways on the back seat, his head resting on Trisha¡¯s thigh. From his angle. Trisha looked really worried. Her usually round chin was tense, showing her nervousness. Nics couldn¡¯t help but poke herer of the mouth and chuckled, whispering, ¡°Why so nervous? Are you afraid that if something serious happens, you¡¯ll have to marry me to make up for it?¡± ¡°Just be quiet, I¡¯m really nervous Trisha was in no mood for jokes, she was genuinely worried about Nics¡® injury. Nics looked really painful, he closed his eyes and stopped talking after that. They arrived at the hospital soon, and walked into the emergency department The doctor was incredulous when he heard it was a burn caused by cupping therapy, but he immediately asked Nics to take off his pants to examine the injury Nics hesitated, then turned to Trisha and said, ¡°You should go out.¡± Trisha was really worried and reminded him, ¡°Call me if you need anything¡± Then she temporarily left the emergency room. Once the door was closed, the doctor said, ¡°Lie down so I can take a look.¡± Nics didn¡¯t move, he just pulled a chair and sat down in front of the doctor. The doctor looked confused Didn¡¯t he say his butt was burnt? Could it be so severe that he lost sensation? Nics nced at the doctor and calmly said, ¡°Doctor, can you prescribe some burn medication for me?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The doctor looked puzzled but still asked professionally, I need to first check your injury to know what medication to prescribe Nics said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not burnt at all. You can prescribe any medication, I¡¯ll pay the full registration fee and emergency fee, as long as you don¡¯t disclose this.¡± The doctor was helpless. ¡°Well¡­¡± Nics, pen in hand, ticked off ¡°extremely satisfied¡± for every item on the satisfaction surveyid out on the table. He then lifted his head and said, ¡°Whether or not my bachelor days are over, it¡¯s all up to you now¡± The doctor was speechless Suddenly, the pressure felt even more intense than curing ailments. Trisha was pacing up and down the corridor, one moment thinking that the situation couldn¡¯t possibly be that bad, the next moment freaking out about what if it really was that serious. Her anxiety wasn¡¯t about the amount ofpensation she would have to pay. After all, if she truly hurt him, selling herself wouldn¡¯t even cover the damages. In a sh, Trisha considered seeking help from her mom, just when the emergency room door swung open. It wasn¡¯t Nics who came out, but the doctor Trisha quickly approached the doctor, urgently asking, ¡°Doctor, how is he doing? Is it serious?¡± Chapter 999 Chapter 999 Chapter 999 The doctor avoided Trisha¡¯s gaze, adjusted his sses, cleared his throat and said. ¡°The situation is actually pretty serious. It¡¯s not just the skin on his butt that¡¯s damaged but the pennaum and the area around the genitals have significant burns.¡± Trisha mmediately froze Doctor are you certain? He could walk at home, how did it get so serious?¡± The doctor looked at her. ¡°Are you questioning my professional judgment as a doctor?¡± Trisha quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit confused. He was fine at home, didn¡¯tin about pain, could even walk. Howe he can¡¯t even get up in the hospital The doctor replied. ¡°In cases of severe burns, pain can sometimes be dull. It¡¯s quitemon.¡± Before Trisha could ponder over the logic of this statement, the doctor continued. If not taken care of properly, it could affect his manhood. Using fire cupping therapy without professional guidance is risky You guys didn¡¯t go to a proper therapy center and did it at home instead, it¡¯s like a practical joke! Trisha, still trying to make sense of the earlier part, got freaked out by the doctorsst words. Upon hearing such serious news, her face turned pale instantly, eyes started to well up, and her nose twitched as if she was about to burst into tears the next second ¡°So what do we do, does he need to be hospitalized, does her surgery, how much money do I need to prepare?¡± The blood vessels and nerves are rich in that area if conservative treatment can be used, we will use it. After all, surgery also cames a lot of risks, and he is still so young if the situation doesn¡¯t improve after conservative treatment, we will consider surgery The doctor said avoiding Trisha¡¯s gaze somewhat guiltly Even though there were many loopholes in the doctor¡¯s words, Trisha was too womed to think about it. All she could think about was the phrase ¡®may affect his manhood Did she really screw him up this badly? Her mind was a mess Looking at Nics lying on the bed, she was swamped She said softly. Doctor you must cure him¡± The doctor looked at her innocent face wanted to say something but stopped, finally reluctantly said, T¡¯ll try my best.¡± Looking at this kind¨Chearted girl, how did she get tangled Being lied to and still worrying about that person. is dating soplicated among young people these days? They have to resort to schemes just to pursue a girl After giving her instructions, the doctor left Trisha walked in her face tense She wanted to apologize, but felt that any apology would be too light for the situation, After all this happened because she was careless Her mom always said that she was ident¨Cprone, but she never believed it. But now, it seems her mom was right, she always causes idents. It was like this since she was a kid in kindergarten, she yed on the seesaw with a friend. The teacher didn¡¯t allow her to y alone, but she insisted on ying with a frail friend. As a result, she levered her friend into the air with her own weight and he couldn¡¯te down, crying all afternoon In elementary school, she started learning how to climb trees and insisted that the little boy next door teach her. Though she learned how to climb, she got stuck up there Her pants got tom by tree branches and she had to sit awkwardly on the tree, crying. The boy next door was very kind and stood under the tree to catch her when she jumped down. She gathered her courage to jump, only to break his arm. Her mom found out and chased her around the streets to scold her C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org After so many lessons, why couldn¡¯t she remember? Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 A fortune teller once said that she would face a big disaster when she was 25 and needed to find someone with a special star chart to help resolve it, which would then smooth out her life Her mom believed in this wholeheartedly and arranged blind dates for her with such people If it wasn¡¯t for running away from the arranged marriages, she wouldn¡¯t have left home Seeing her 26th birthday just two weeks away, and not having experienced any disaster, she felt comcent She even texted her mom a few days ago criticizing her superstitions about horoscopes and fate, only to be mocked by reality so soon The big disaster indeed came at thest moment of her 25th year It might even lead to a prison sentence The more Trisha thought about it, the more scared and upset she felt, thinking it would be better if she was the one hurt instead Nics heard here in but there was no sound for a long time. His back was starting to stiffen from lying down just as he was about to move he heard. Trisha say. ¡°I will cover the medical expenses and your food and nutritional costs during your recovery, as well as your loss of work She paused, her eyes reddened. 1 might not be able topensate for the loss of work right now, could I write you an iu? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Nics nced at her but didn¡¯t answer Instead, he asked, ¡°What did the doctor tell you? Trisha was surprised ¡°Didn¡¯t he tell you?¡± Nics said. ¡°It was too painful when they were applying the medication, so I didn¡¯t listen carefully Trisha was speechless. What should she say? That he might have suffered burns? That he might have issues with his manhood in the future? Seeing her not saying anything Nics tentatively asked. ¡°Is it very serious?¡± Trisha reluctantly nodded Nics gave a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can tell me. I¡¯m prepared¡± Trisha felt even more guilty, thinking no matter how prepared you are, you can¡¯t ept being sterile, right? She took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, and said softly, ¡°The doctor said, you were injured there and it could affect your manhood before it heals. Nics was taken aback, his fingers involuntarily clenched, his expression tensed, and after two seconds, he asked, ¡°What about after it heals? Can it recover? Trisha strained to say. The doctor said, it¡¯s uncertain.. Nics¡¯s face darkened Trisha felt extremely guilty and quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely find the best doctor for you. If we can¡¯t treat it domestically, I¡¯ll take you abroad. Even if i bankrupt, I¡¯ll help you get better¡± Nics closed his eyes as if he had already given up and asked in a low voice, ¡°What if it can¡¯t be cured? Will I really be impotent?¡± Trisha felt even more upset, her heart full of pain and a desire to cry, she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°You don¡¯t always have to assume the worst. Even d can¡¯t recover it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re worthless. There have been famous eunuchs in history, being impotent doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t contribute to society Nics got all worked up, coughed, and almost gave himself away Does Trisha even know how tofort someone? Trisha quickly started patting his back. It took Nics a while to stop coughing, then he looked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m scared that if this gets out, I¡¯ll be aughingstock.¡± Trisha immediately reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t spill the beans. If you hear any rumors, you can me me Nics sighed and said. ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying things Even if you don¡¯t talk, how could I possibly find a long¨Cterm girlfriend with my situation? How Could people not suspect? How could this be kept under wraps for long?¡± Trisha thought about Letti marrying Liam, and people always specting if she¡¯s pregnant, so when Nics said that, she immediately bought it. ¡°So what should we do?¡± Thaha started pondering ¡°How about hiring an actress, pay her to pretend to be your guifmend, then they¡¯d stop gossiping night? Seeing Trisha¡¯s reaction, Nics sighed and said. ¡°Hiring an actress is no biggie, but what¡¯s fake is always take especially if it¡¯s someone you don truth ever gets out one day, I¡¯d be exposed if I can never recover, who would act with me for a lifetime, without finding their own true love?¡± Trisha frowned, conflicted in her heart for a long time, then finally murmured. Then, then fi be your grifiend, okay?¡± Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Nics was all jazzed up inside, but yed dumb on the surface, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Thinking about how she was the root of all evil, Trisha psyched herself up and said resolutely. ¡°Can I y your girlfriend?¡± Nics was taken aback and gave her a once¨Cover, ¡°You? Maybe not the best fit Trisha, thinking he was dissing her, immediately got a bit peeved. What¡¯s with that look? Yes, I don¡¯t have a body like your ex¨Cgirlfriends, but isn¡¯t this an emergency measure? Who else can you find now who can keep this a secret and y along with you?¡± Nics sighed, ¡°that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m worried it¡¯ll affect you¡® He paused, lowered his head and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been trying to date Jace Ledford? You¡¯ve made some progress recently. If you be my girlfriend wouldn¡¯t that be the end of you and him? I¡¯d feel guilty¡± Mention of Jace made Trisha hesitant indeed Nics quietly observed her expression When Trisha was in a big dilemma, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about it I can see you¡¯re in a tough spot. This is going to affect your whole life. I brought this on myself I mean, why would Ie to you for cupping therapy when I was bord Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Trisha was still hesitating, but Nics¡¯s words filled her with guilt Each sentence precisely hit her moral bottom line, repeatedly tugging at her conscience If Nics really couldn¡¯t be cured, how could she have the nerve to pursue true love? She was about to be drowned in guilt. Also, her pursuit of Dr Ledford had been pretty obvious for a while, but Jace had not given her a positive response, although he didn¡¯t explicitly reject her ether Maybe he didn¡¯t like her, he just didn¡¯t want to hurt her, so he didn¡¯t directly reject her Even though she had been chasing Jace, to be honest, she hadn¡¯t thought about what would happen if Dr. Ledford agreed to date her one day Maybe, she didn¡¯t even hold out hope for herself With these thoughts, Trisha¡¯s choice became clearer in her heart. She said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. You got hurt because of me, how can I just stand by and do nothing? And don¡¯t say those negative things about it affecting your whole life. You¡¯re not incurable. I¡¯ll cooperate with you properly during this time before you recover. If you need medical treatment, get it if you need to recuperate, do it. I¡¯ll make sure no one hears any nonsense.¡± Nics was very happy, but his expression became even more calm. He reached out and ruffled Trisha¡¯s hair Trisha wanted to dodge, but thinking of her promise just now, she didn¡¯t move Nics¡¯s hand was warm, gently touching her head, like¡­ like a cool breeze For some reason, her ears were a bit hot Looking at her reddened eyes and slightly protruding lips, Nics couldn¡¯t help but want to kiss her. But he quickly reined in this dangerous thought The bunny had just entered his den, he couldn¡¯t scare it away too eagerly He took back his hand, put it on hers, and said in a low voice, Tm sorry for putting you in this situation Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 Trisha wasn¡¯t used to him talking to her like this. She was more used to Nics being tough. When he became gentle, it always made her feel like he was up to something. She withdrew her hand, rubbed her hair, and said ufortably, ¡°Um, does your wound still hurt?¡± Nics said, ¡°I can bear it.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Before Trisha could continue, Nics asked, ¡°Will you post on ins or should 17¡± Trisha was stunned, ¡°Post what on Ins?¡± Nics paused, looked up at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to tell everyone we¡¯re dating?¡± Trisha looked at him in surprise, ¡°Are we going public so soon?¡± Trisha waspletely unprepared She hesitated and said. ¡°The doctor said you still need further treatment. Should we wait until after you¡¯ve had some treatment? It seems too pessimistic to say this now. What if you recoverter?¡± Nics seemed very negative. ¡°If I could recover, the doctor wouldn¡¯t have said that He paused, ¡°Are you regretting agreeing to me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Trisha wanted to exin, but felt like anything she said would be an excuse. She struggled to say, ¡°You should post on Ins then.¡± Nics was more than happy to Afterposing the text, he nced at Trisha¡¯s troubled face, cleared his throat and said, ¡°Give me your hand C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Huh?¡± Trisha was confused, but still extended a hand to him. Nics took her hand, and his fingers intertwined with hers Before Trisha could react, Nics had already snapped a photo of their intertwined hands with his phone. Then he let go of her hand, edited the text again, and hit post Celeste had just taken a shower, was lying in bed with a face mask on, and had her phone next to her ying a roast video of a recent acting variety show on some website These roasters were savage, they knew the rules of the entertainment industry very well, and they used brilliant and sharpnguage to roast every detail of the show Celeste was the typical person who only followed roast videos, not the actual shows If even Sydney could be a guest on this show, you could imagine the level of the show Eaton had asked her before if she wanted to go on the show to make an appearance Celeste thought it was arranged by thepany She subtly expressed that she didn¡¯t really want to go, but if thepany needed her, she would cooperate Eaton said he understood, and then he didn¡¯t ask her about it again. Onlyter did Celeste realize that she actually had the right to choose whether to ept a job Thepany gave her a lot of choice in this matter Thinking about Hiram inviting her to dinner, she started to consider whether she should bring some gifts to thank Hiram¡¯s son Steven for his care at thepany. As she was thinking about it, her phone beeped. It was a new update from Ins She picked up her phone and saw that Nics had posted something new. Late at night, this guy wasn¡¯t going to waste time in a bar again, was he? He wasn¡¯t going to drag Liam along, was he? Celeste had Nics on her special radar for a while now. The guy was a social butterfly, super active on both Facebook and instagram. She followed him mainly to spy on Liam¡¯s updates from time to time. After all, Liam barely posted anything on his social media, so she had to get her intel from Nics Worned that Nics might be dragging Liam to some bar, Celeste quickly fired up her app The next second, she sprang up from her bed. Nics had posted a picture of holding hands, with the caption ¡°Guys, I¡¯m officially off the market. Moving forward with @Trisha Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Celeste was shocked. What happened? Did Nics get drunk? She refreshed quickly, the post was still there, with even morements Simon said: Congrats, can you guys beat the two¨Cmonth rtionship record this time? Mason Fletcher was a bit surprised ts Celeste your matchmaker? Miss Trisha is a good person Jace Aren¡¯t you two rted? Celeste was puzzled, how could she, as a close friend, have no clue about such a big event! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. What the hell was Trisha up to? Didn¡¯t she like Jace? How did she end up openly in a rtionship with Nics? She removed her facial mask and immediately called Trisha Trisha was anxiously sitting on the edge of her bed, and when she saw it was Celeste, she felt a bit scared. She didn¡¯t dare to hang up, nor to answer It must be because of the post Nics just made that she specifically called. But right now, her own thoughts were in a mess, she didn¡¯t know how to exin Seeing her not moving. Nics said softly, ¡°Shall I answer it for you?¡± Trisha immediately handed over her phone: ¡°You exin it gently.¡± Nics answered the phone Celeste¡¯s voice immediately came from the other end of the phone ¡®Trisha¡® Exin to me, what does Nics¡¯s Instagram mean? Did you guys lose a game, so that¡¯s why you posted it?¡± She had previously probed Trisha, who obviously had no feelings for Nics, suddenly being together was just too strange. ¡°Your imagination is quite rich, the voice on the other end of the phone was Nics¡¯s. ¡°We are really dating.¡± Celeste was speechless Heaning it was Nics, Celeste immediately became cautious, she frowned and said: ¡°Trisha didn¡¯t mention anything before, how are you together?¡± ¡°When fatees, we naturallye together, he said in a low voice, ¡°You and Liam didn¡¯t you also keep it from us?¡± Celeste was speechless again. This cunning fox, Nics! Nothing can escape his eyes! She frowned and said, ¡°Where¡¯s Trisha, let her answer the phone, I have something to ask her.¡± When Trisha heard that she had to speak, she quickly waved her hand to refuse She knew that with her own IQ and acting skills, her lies would be exposed in front of Celeste. She hadn¡¯t figured out how to exin herself yet, and she was afraid that a few words from the other party would reveal her secrets. Seeing Trisha¡¯s refusal, Nics said tly, ¡°She¡¯s asleep, you can tell me anything.¡± Celeste was puzzled, Trisha must be there, she just didn¡¯t dare to answer her call! She took a deep breath and said seriously ¡®Nics, Trisha is not like your ex¨Cgirlfriends, her social circle is simple, and her thoughts are pure. If you¡¯re dating just for the novelty, I hope you don¡¯t look for her. Whether it¡¯s out of sincerity or pretense, as long as someone is good to her, she¡¯ll take it as real. People like her can¡¯t handle emotional losses, and it¡¯ll be hard for her to move on Nicss face became serious, his lips tightly closed, and after a while, he said ¡°Celeste, not only people with simple emotional experiences can be sincere. Love is essentially a process of trial and error, and the more I experience, the better i understand what I really want. If I just wanted to y with her, I wouldn¡¯t have waited until now to act. If you¡¯re willing to bless us, I¡¯d be very grateful. If you want to criticize, I don¡¯t want to hear it Then he immediately hung up the phone Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Trisha¡¯s phone was shut off by Nics. Trisha was a bit taken aback, ¡°Why did you turn it off?¡± Nics nced at her, ¡°Do you want to tell her that I got hurt down there and might never be able to get it up, and that you¡¯m pretending to be my girlfriend to protect my dignity?¡± Trisha was at a loss for words Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to do that Letti is just looking out for me, she doesn¡¯t want me to get duped by you¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°And what exactly have I duped you with?¡± Trisha opened her mouth to retort, but then closed it Nics didn¡¯t force her into anything It was her own quilt that made her offer to pose as his girlfriend Everything seemed fine, but it felt a bit odd. Tnisha thought it over and decided not to overthink Right now, the most important thing was to get him healed, so she wouldn¡¯t have to y his girlfriend anymore With that thought. Trisha felt less confused Ti go and arrange for your hospital admission then¡± Nics said. ¡°No need for hospitalization, I¡¯ll recover at home¡± No way he would agree to stay in the hospital! It¡¯s the emergency room at night, the doctor could cover for him, but once he¡¯s admitted, the doctor would do rounds and his real injuries would be exposed Trisha was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re senously injured and you won¡¯t be admitted?¡± ¡°If I get admitted, those people would surelye to visit. They¡¯d find out where I got hurt and I don¡¯t want to lie in a hospital bed listening to their taunts Trisha frowned, ¡°But who¡¯s going to treat your wounds at home?¡± Nics replied matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡®Til have a doctore over Trisha closed her mouth. It must be nice to be rich, even having a personal doctor making house calls. As she was lost in her thoughts. Nics gently pulled her hand, ¡°Hey, Trisha babe, I¡¯m feeling a bit peckish.¡± Trisha snapped back to reality. ¡°What do you want to eat? I can go get it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get takeout Nics said pickily. The food outside might affect my wound recovery. I want your pork chop and chickpea stew Trisha was speechless. He was injured and still wanted to satisfy his pte But Trisha felt she owed him, so she agreed, ¡®I¡¯ll make it for you once we get home Upon hearing the words ¡®get home, Nics felt a lot better. ¡°And the pickled cucumber and baby carrots you madest time were really good. Can you make again?¡± Trisha was silent ¡°Aren¡¯t you not supposed to eat pickles while recovering from a wound? It can affect the wound healing.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Nics looked a bit disappointed. Til just have the chickpea stew then, but remember to make the pickles once I¡¯ve recovered.¡± Trisha thought to herself when did agree to that? Trisha was quite puzzled Impotence is a big deal for men, especially for a yboy like Nics. Why did he seem to ept this misfortune so quickly? ¡°You-¡± ¡°I need to rest for a bit, I¡¯m in pain, his face suddenly paled, and he said softly. ¡°Wait a bit, we¡¯ll leave after.¡± Trisha¡¯s doubts disappeared Maybe, she was overthinking Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 On the other end of the hung¨Cup call, Celeste was fuming. She immediately dialed Liam¡¯s number Liam was in a meeting at thepany. Seeing Celeste¡¯s call, he paused, stood up and said, ¡°Discuss the points I just raised, we¡¯ll continue the meetingter¡± He took his phone and left the meeting room. The team looked at each other and eventually tumed to Owen, who looked calm Someone joked, ¡°Mr Assistant, can we knock off early today?¡± Every time that special ringtone rang. Mr Reed would be particrly lenient Not only do they get to leave early, but they also get a rare holiday, and the bonus didrit decrease. This past month felt like a vacation. For a research team like theirs there¡¯s almost nopany in the industry that doesn¡¯t have overtime. Because experimental data needs continuity and uracy. If the data is about toe out when everyone is about to clock out, who will record and analyze there¡¯s no one in theb, who knows if the data will be tampered with So, during the crucial stage of research and development, their overtime bes even more severe. Theb needs to be manned 24 hours a day When the dataes out in the middle of the night, a group of people gather to discuss strategies. This ismon. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Because of this contrast, the past month with almost no overtime felt like heaven Especially every time Mr. Reed was ¡°lenient,¡± it was after this special ringtone So now, everyone gets excited whenever they hear this ringtone. This time was no exception Owen was indifferent, checking the documents while saying, ¡°Work more, dream less.¡± Owen was popr in the team, and no one was afraid of him They joked, ¡°Last time Mr. Reed received this call, he let us leave early. The time before that, he was fuming after seeing the experimental results, but he held it back after the call. And the time before that, I saw Mr. Reedughing on the phone with this person when I went to deliver some files Owen, Mr. Reed seems to really like his girlfriend.¡± Owen nced at him, ¡°Just focus on your work and stop prying into Mr. Reed¡¯s personal life.¡± ¡°Ohe on, Mr. Reed isn¡¯t here, we can chat a little¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Mr Reed¡¯s new girlfriend? She¡¯s super low¨Ckey, no news at all. Last time I went to negotiate with Mr. Francis from Gxy Games, he didn¡¯t know either Owen, you re always with Mr Reed, you must know, right?¡± Owen said tly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Ugh, never mind. Owen is the best at keeping secrets. If he doesn¡¯t want to say it, no one can make him.¡± ¡°I really have no idea what Mr. Reed¡¯s current partner looks like, ¡®cause his ex was such a knockout. I mean, if Reed was willing to divorce someone like that, his current partner must be a real head¨Ctumer¡± Owen rolled his eyes, but he didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Ah, I really liked Mr. Reed¡¯s ex, you know Only met her twice, but she¡¯s such a sweet talker, not the least bit snobbish. She even helped me with directions once and tossed me an orange. I swear, when she smiled, I blushed like a schoolboy.¡± Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 1 heard she became an actress after their divorce, even has a showing up. Looking forward to it. With her looks, it¡¯d be a shame if she didn¡¯t give showbiz a shot¡± ¡°Rumor has it she was a love child and all sorts of nasty stuff after their divorce, but I never heard Reed say a bad word about her. Even as her ex, he¡¯s a real gentleman¡± 1 heard a while back, when she started filming for a movie, a crazy fan sent her many roses shaped like a giant mango to congratte her. It even made the hot news She didn¡¯tck admirers after the divorce, which is nice.¡± Owen found this all very amusing if everyone knew that those roses were from Reed himself, their faces would be a sight to see. Meanwhile, the moment Liam stepped out of his office, he picked up a call. As soon as he answered. Celeste blurted out, ¡°Liam, I told you to keep an eye on Nics, what did you find out?¡± Liam frowned, confused. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Huff! Nics got my best friend Celeste vented. ¡°Trisha?¡± Liam, just hearing the news, pressed, ¡°What happened?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Nics¡¯s Instagram? He posted that he and Trisha are together!¡± Caught off guard, Liam quickly checked Nics¡¯s Instagram and saw the post from half an hour ago. ¡°I knew he had a thing for Trisha. I told you to watch him, is this how you¡¯ve watched him? If I didn¡¯t know Nics¡¯s Ins, I probably wouldn¡¯t even know if they got married¡± Although Liam was taken aback by the post, he quickly recovered, ¡°I asked him before, he said they were just friends¡± Celeste scoffed, ¡°Now they¡¯re a couple. He¡¯s a big fat liar. And you believed him¡± Liam was still making excuses for his friend, maybe they were drunk and joking? Or maybe it was a game?¡± ¡°I called Trisha, and Nics picked up Told me to mind my own business. Does that sound like a joke to you?¡± Liam thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Well, maybe they really did fall in love ¡°Fall in love my ass! Nics changes girlfriends faster than you change clothes. I don¡¯t care who he deceives, but deceiving Trisha is a no¨Cgo! I¡¯m totally against Liam felt quite troubled, ¡°What good is your opposition? They¡¯ve already made it public. And although Nics is a bit flippant, he¡¯s not as irresponsible as you think Besides, it¡¯s their business. We can¡¯t fully understand the truth, so don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him for you.¡± ¡°You keep an eye on him for me?¡± Celeste, thinking of her friend Trisha being deceived by Nics, couldn¡¯t help but vent her anger on Liam, ¡°A few more days with you watching, and he¡¯ll have his way with my friend¡± ¡°So, what do you suggest?¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know what to do either Worried, she tossed the problem to Liam, ¡°You make Nics break up with Trisha.¡± Without hesitation. Liam refused, ¡°No¡± Celeste was just saying it off the top of her head, but he refused so firmly that it made her unhappy ¡°Why not? Is it that hard to ask for your help? You always say you¡¯ll listen to me in the future, but now I just make a small request and you refuse. How can I trust your promises?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°That¡¯s a different matter Don¡¯t mix them up. I can listen to you about home affairs, but this is someone else¡¯s love life. How can we interfere? Don¡¯t make a fuss¡± Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Celeste was pissed off by his words. She immediately put on a stern face and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m making a fuss. Did you just meet me today? I¡¯ll make a fuss to the end! Let me tell you, Liam Reed, if Nics Francis doesn¡¯t break up with Trisha, we¡¯re done!¡± She hung up the phone without waiting for Liam to reply. Liam looked upset. He wanted to call back, but when he thought about what Celeste had saidst, he was deeply hurt The word ¡°done¡± was said so casually by Celeste, as if she didn¡¯t care about their rtionship at all. Liam clenched his phone, but in the end didn¡¯t call back He put on a straight face and returned to the meeting mom Everyone was still gossiping about Liam and his gorgeous ex wife when they heard the door being pushed open Seeing Liam, everyone immediately quieted down. Liam sat down at his seat with a tight face Just as he picked up the documents, a male colleague asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, can we wrap up early today?¡± Liam¡¯s face was expressionless While flipping through the documents, he asked. Got something urgent to do?¡± The male colleague joked, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything. I just want to know if you have something? If you have a date, we can also wrap up early.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liam paused, looked up at him calmly, ¡°wrap up early?¡± Owen was getting more and more nervous looking at Liam¡¯s eyes. The male colleague obviously didn¡¯t notice Liam¡¯s mood change In fact, Liam¡¯s mood didn¡¯t fluctuate much, but his eyes cold, showing his displeasure at the moment The male colleague continued to joke, ¡°If Mr. Reed has a date, we can also share the luck and leave early¡± Owen, seeing Liam¡¯s half¨Cclosed eyes, was more and more sure of his judgment and timely stopped saying, ¡°Stop the irrelevant talk, project your data. Let¡¯s continue to analyze and finish as soon as possible, so we can leave early¡± The male colleague didn¡¯t understand Owen¡¯s hint. He thought they could leave early as usual and continued to probe. This work doesn¡¯t have to be finished today, it can be done tomorrow. We can¡¯t dy Mr. Reed¡¯s date¡± Owen shook his head¡­ This guy, apart from having some talent in R&D, really doesn¡¯t understand anything else and can¡¯t get a hint Liam¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He said calmly, ¡°Do you want to leave early?¡± ¡°Of course, haven¡¯t we been working 9 to 5tely? Mr. Reed, we can keep this schedule in the future, so everyone won¡¯t be so tired and will work more energetically.¡± Liam paused, looked around, tapped the table, his voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was very forceful, ¡°Did I assign too much work to everyone before?¡± Everyone looked at each other It¡¯s actually okay. Every team is like this during the R&D stage. At least they gotpensated in terms of remuneration and didn¡¯t endure involuntary mandatory overtime¡°. After the trial phase, the work wasn¡¯t so busy. Liam even allowed them to take turns off. This was a mandatory leave apart from the annual leave. If they don¡¯t take the leave, they will be fined Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 So even if it¡¯s overtime, everyone actually doesn¡¯t have much resentment. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No big deal. Myst job only gave me three days of wedding leave and my sry is only half of what it is now¡± ¡°Thinking about the holiday after the project ends, I don¡¯t feel tired¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Liam pulled his gaze back from the window and looked at the male colleague who just spoke, ¡°Are you tired?¡± The male colleague was stunned and hesitatingly replied, ¡°A a little bit Liam said calmly. ¡°Everyone is okay. It seems that your physical condition can¡¯t adapt to our work intensity In that case, you should go home and rest. After you rest, find a time toe to thepany, go to the HR department to settle your sry, and then find a less tiring job and have a good rest That male colleague was speechless. Why did his attitude suddenly change Liam stopped looking at him, put down the pen, and asked with his eyes raised. ¡°Let¡¯s continue the analysis, what¡¯s the next report?¡± The male colleague was a little embarrassed, not knowing whether to stay or leave Owen coughed and said to the male colleague, ¡°Hurry up and show the analysis results! Are you really going to change jobs tomorrow?¡± The male colleague suddenly realized, humedly projected hisputer, and began to stammer the data analysis, Liam, although expressionless, didn¡¯t interrupt him. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief Liam¡¯s mood swings were really unpredictable. On Celeste¡¯s side After hanging up the phone, she was actually a little regretful. She used to hate people who casually mentioned breaking up, but now she has be such a person. She knew that Liam couldn¡¯t decide whether Nics would break up. What was her behavior just now if not making a fuss? But the words were already out. She didn¡¯t want to apologize proactively, because that would make her feel embarrassed At least wait until Liam proactively gives her a chance to apologize She had been waiting for Liam to call her, but after waiting for an hour, there was not even a single text message! Celeste was tossing and turning. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became Damn man! Annoying man! Will it kill him to coax her a bit? She didn¡¯t expect his call anyways, whatever! Thinking about it, she threw her phone to the side to charge and pulled up the cover to sleep Liam¡¯s meetingsted nearly two hours. Everyone left, Liam unbuttoned his coat, took off his sses, and rxed leaning on the chair. Owen packed up his things, turned his head and nced at Liam, and asked him, ¡°Did you argue with your wife?¡± Liam raised his eyelid. You want to vacation¡® early too?¡± Owen chuckled, ¡°Even a phone call can turn into an argument?¡± Liam was also quite frustrated. When Owen mentioned it, he couldn¡¯t help but say. She argued with me! And then she hung up my call.¡± Owen sat next to him, all ears, ¡°What was it about?¡± Liam frowned and briefly mentioned why they had argued Owen¡¯s speechless Just because of this? ¡°How can we interfere in other people¡¯s private affairs? She¡¯s simply unreasonable!¡± After he finished, Owen chimed in, ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t actually want you to ruin their rtionship. She¡¯s probably just worried about her close friend being taken advantage of She can¡¯t directly criticize Nics, so she came to you forfort. All you had to do was agree with her and criticize Nics. Why get mad at her?¡± Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Liam was stumped. Despite it making sense, he couldn¡¯t help saying. ¡°But she shouldn¡¯t just casually mention breaking up.¡± Owen responded, ¡°People often say things they don¡¯t mean when they¡¯re angry. Didn¡¯t you just tell an old colleague to take a vacation because you were mad? But you didn¡¯t actually want to fire him, you were just angry¡± Liam frowned, then after a while he said, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re always defending her?¡± Owen thought to himself, if I badmouth her now, then when you two make up. I¡¯ll be the first one in trouble But he still said very objectively¡°, ¡°Your wife is a poor girl. She has no parents, no one to rely on Regardless of who is wrong, after a fight with you, she has no one to vent to orfort her I just hope you guys can avoid fights if possible She¡¯s a rational person. She must regret it and is waiting for your call Hearing ¡°no parents, no one to rely on¡°, Liam¡¯s displeasure vanished, leaving only regret and worry He took out his phone and immediately called Celeste. After two rings, the call was hung up Liam was taken aback and called again, only to be hung up on again Celeste was not picking up his calls. He looked at Owen, full of doubt. This wasn¡¯t what he said would happen, was it? Owen coughed. ¡°Right after a fight, you should call her immediately. Now it¡¯s been two or three hours. She was just a little angry before, but now she¡¯s really angry It¡¯s normal that she¡¯s not picking up. When apologizing to your girlfriend, don¡¯t procrastinate. The longer you wait, the less they want to wait.¡± Liam, So what should I do?¡± ¡°Go see her in person tomorrow morning and apologize¡± Liam thought about it and didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer. After all, it waste and he couldn¡¯t exin clearly over the phone without causing another fight. So he transferred 500,000 to Celeste with the note ¡°Have a good sleep¡± Celeste was still waiting for Liam¡¯s call When she saw the transfer, she was surprised. She transferred back a penny with the note ¡°I can¡¯t sleep¡± Liam quickly transferred another amount, with the note ¡°How about now?¡± Celeste bit her lip to hold back augh and replied, ¡®Getting sleepy¡± Liam transferred another million, ¡°How about now?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste replied, ¡°Already asleep, don¡¯t disturb.¡± Liam chuckled. Owen leaned in, ¡°Did your wife reply to you?¡± Liam put away his phone, nced at him and said. ¡°Your guess was not urate.¡± Owen was confused. Liam calmly said. ¡°She was easier to console than you said. By the way, have you checked on Steven Garcia¡¯s recent activities? What did you find?¡± Owen snapped back to reality, ¡°Steven hasn¡¯t been doing anything special. He¡¯s either working or ying He does frequently visit your wife, but he never stays long. He always brings gifts¡± ¡°Gifts? What kind of gifts?¡± Liam was on alert, Jewelry?¡± ¡°Well actually no. Mostly just food and drinks. The most expensive thing was a massage chair It¡¯s a promotional product from one of theirpany¡¯s contracted artists. He personally delivered it to her Owen frowned, ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s raising a daughter¡± Liam¡¯s eyelid twitched involuntanly. They re not that far apart in age¡± ¡°True, but overall, Steven¡¯s behavior is very father like,¡± he paused, then added, ¡°By the way, I heard Steven is looking for someone.¡± ¡®Looking for someone? Liam frowned, ¡°Who is he looking for?¡± Owen frowned. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s a hospital worker, someone who was present when his mother gave birth to him years ago. He¡¯s keeping it very secret. I didn¡¯t even notice until a friend saw his picture and told me. Someone is paying him to help find them¡± Liam found it strange Why would he want to find the midwife from over many years ago? is Steven suspecting something about his biological mother¡¯s death? ¡°Here are the files on those people¡± Owen handed him the files. Liam flipped through a few pages, then suddenly saw a photo of a child He frowned, ¡°Why is Letti¡¯s photo in here?¡± Owen was taken aback, ¡°I didn¡¯t put a photo of Letti in there he looked over and was even more surprised, ¡°Mr. Reed, this is a photo of Steven when he was young.¡± Liam abruptly paused, his face tuming serious Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 He picked up the photo, scrutinizing it carefully The kid in the picture, around four or five years old, wore a little dress, a frown stered on her face. Her hair seemed long, but it looked like a wig from a hat She clutched a pink leopard doll, standing by a pool. The pool tiles were in an old¨Cfashioned grid pattern, and there was a little duck by the pool that squirted water Liam froze, the memory hitting him. This was the old Garcia family house. He¡¯d been there countless times as a kid, following his father. Steven had told him that the duck would spin around, coaxing him to sit on it. He fell for it and ended up soaked to the bone That guy had always been a mischievous prankster since childhood The ¡°girl¡± in the photo bore an uncanny resemnce to Celeste¡¯s childhood photos. Only the furrowed brows hinted at a slight difference Because Letti never frowned when her picture was taken. Whether as a child or an adult, even if she was crying, she would always put on a smiling face for the camera The kid in the photo with the furrowed brows could not possibly be Letti Liam closed his eyes, mulling over Steven¡¯s peculiar behavior, Hiram Garcia¡¯s excessive concern for Letti, one clue after another. Finally, connecting it all with the information about the OB¨CGYN staff in his hand, a hypothesis formed in his mind, exploding like fireworks. He suddenly opened his eyes, asking ¡°When did Steven¡¯s biological mother die from childbirth complications?¡± Owen flipped through the documents, looking up to answer, ¡°December 20th, 1997 He then paused, finally adding. The same day as Celeste¡¯s birth?¡± The coincidence of Celeste¡¯s and Steven¡¯s childhood photos looking simr, and Celeste sharing the exact birthday with the Garcia family¡¯ste daughter was too uncanny Considering the Garcia family¡¯s actions and Steven¡¯s paternal love for Celeste, the Garcias must have confirmed it. So, Celeste wasn¡¯t rted by blood to Ms. Caitlyn at all? She was the Garcia family¡¯s long¨Clost daughter? This was mind¨Cblowing Even theposed Owen was so shocked that it took him a while to snap back to reality. Thinking about it. Steven did resemble Celeste, but male features are often more pronounced, and it¡¯s harder to spot simrities in people you¡¯re familiar with. Who could me Mr. Reed for not noticing? Owen himself would¡¯ve had a hard time making the connection had it not been for today¡¯s revtions. He looked at Liam, whose expression showed that he too had realized this. Owen opened his mouth, finally saying ¡°Didn¡¯t you grow up with Steven? Haven¡¯t you ever thought about this when looking at your wife¡¯s face?¡± Liam frowned, ¡°How would I remember what Steven looked like as a kid?¡± Owen thought, thank God he doesn¡¯t remember, otherwise he might assume Liam had a crush on Steven and chose Celeste because she looked simr, due to societal pressures After all, Liam¡¯s sexual orientation pre¨Cmamage had been the talk of the town, until his mamage put an end to the rumors If the Garcia¡¯s daughter was Celeste, how could Caitlyn not know? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. How could a mother not know her own child¡¯s identity? How the Garcia¡¯ste daughter ended up being a Campbell is probably what Steven¡¯s trying to investigate, right? ¡°Does Celeste know about this?¡± Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 Thinking of Hiram¡¯s cautious demeanor, Liam said in a low voice, ¡°She might not know at all.¡± Celeste firmly believed that Caitlyn was her biological mother. She wouldn¡¯t have any reason to doubt that. Moreover, she had no idea that the Garcia family had ate daughter Only a few families close to the Garcias knew about this. Owen thought for a bit, saying. This could be a good thing. It¡¯s better than Steven actually pursuing your wife, right?¡± Owen paused, suddenly adding. ¡°Steven isn¡¯t holding a grudge because of the dates you arranged for him, is he? Or the fact that you used your power to get back at him? Liam¡¯s face darkened Apparently, he had considered this. Owen sighed inwardly His boss might not have to worry about romantic rivals anymore, but his rtionship with his uncle might be beyond repair Owen had seen people with bad luck, but never this bad. Just when he thought he had it all, he realized it was just the tip of the iceberg, with bigger problems looming Liam had not only got on his uncle¡¯s bad side, but also his future father¨Cinw, Hiram. Despite his old age, he messed with Hiram using a leg stretcher The Garcia family had a tradition of favoring daughters. Maybe after discovering Letti¡¯s identity, he¡¯s been cklisted by the Garcias. After all, he had decided to divorce Letti, leaving her penniless. Liam closed his eyes, feeling both happy and worried. Happy that Letti had other family members, womed that their marriage might not be so easy to mend. Owen looked sympathetically at Liam, coughing to console him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s still a chance. The newly coted socialite data is pretty good. If Steven finds someone he likes, it might resolve the previous misunderstandings.¡± Liam gritted his teeth telling him to leave Owen left, chuckling Trisha didn¡¯te home all night and only returned at six the next morning The curtains were tightly drawn at home, making it dark. She was a bit guilty and didn¡¯t even turn on the lights, carefully cing her bag and keys at the door Just as she was about to step inside, the living room lights flicked on. Celeste was sitting cross¨Clegged on the sofa, arms folded, tilting her head to look at her Feeling her gaze, Trisha felt a little uneasy. She coughed, greeted with a smile, ¡°Hey, Celeste You¡¯re up early.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste red at her ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep at all!¡± Trisha nervously turned away from her gaze, Then you should get some sleep. I¡¯ll go to my room.¡± She was about to leave when ¡°Get back here!¡± Celeste yelled after her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you owe me an exnation aboutst night?¡± Trisha froze, reluctantly taking back the step she was about to take, gently ying with her hair by her ear, and said quietly, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it all. That¡¯s what happened¡± Celeste asked sternly. ¡°Are you really dating Nics? Do you like him?¡± Trisha kept her head down, not daring to meet Celeste¡¯s eyes, and answered softly, ¡°Well of course I like him, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be with him.¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°You¡¯ve only known each other for four or five months. Do you even know him? You just jumped right into a rtionship?¡± Trisha tried to list Nics¡¯s good points. Well, I think I know him. He can be a bit sharp¨Ctongued at times, but he¡¯s a good person. He¡¯s not stingy with his friends. he¡¯s given me lots of gaming stuff, and when our pipes broke, he came over to help fix them. He¡¯s reliable.¡± ¡®But that¡¯s how he treats frends. Do you know how he treats his girlfriends?¡± Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 Trisha was thinking to herself, she definitely knew about Nics ex¨Cgirlfriends, she¡¯d even had interactions with them through work. She knew more than just their names, she also knew how things ended between them and Nics. Being a gossip lover, Trisha was always intrigued by such matters of the heart within their circle Cleaning her throat, Trisha put on an air of understanding about rtionships, ¡°Yeah, he has had quite a few girlfriends, but he¡¯s never been a yer or had two girls at the same time. It¡¯s normal for a sessful guy like him to attract girls, you know¡± Celeste was speechless. Was this the same Trisha she knew, the one who always advocated for tonic love? When did she be so open¨Cminded? Celeste asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you at all?¡± Trisha wanted to say it didn¡¯t, but when the words were about to leave her mouth, she felt a difort What made it hard for her to say was not the fact that she was going to lie, but the thought of Nics ex¨Cgirlfriends, which suddenly made her feel uneasy She looked down and admitted. ¡°Of course it bothers me a bit, but we can¡¯t always dwell on the past. How can I demand him to remain unchanged during the time! wasn¡¯t even in his life? If I like someone, I should care more about their present and future, right?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste was taken aback, unable to find words to argue Liam was night, matters of the heart were not something outsiders could butt into. Whether they¡¯re happy or not, only the ones involved would know She was womed that Trisha might get hurt, but rtionships are meant to go through various stages to help both parties understand each other better Was there a guarantee that Trisha wouldn¡¯t get hurt if she was dating someone else? If getting hurt was a possibility either way, then Nics would be a safer bet. At least if he dared to hurt Trisha, she could have Liam teach him a lesson! Celeste sighed, asking. When did you guys start dating?¡± Trisha hesitated for a second If she tell Celeste it wasst night, Celeste probably wouldn¡¯t believe her She looked down, vaguely answering. ¡°Just a few days ago, I guess. We had some feelings, and he confessed to mest night. So, it¡¯s just as you saw She didn¡¯t lift her head, so Celeste assumed she was just being shy. It was her first love after all, blushing was only normal ¡°So how far have you guys gone? Did you guys spendst night together?¡± Trisha was taken aback, her face turning red instantly, ¡°What are you thinking? I was at the hospitalst night!¡± Celeste frowned, ¡°Why were you at the hospital?¡± ¡°I was¨CI was taking care of him. He had a hemorrhoid re¨Cup and I apanied him to get it treated.¡± Celeste nced at Trisha and sighed, ¡°Well, since you two are together now, all I can do is to wish you well. If Nics dares to hurt you, tell me, I¡¯ll have Liam teach him a lesson. Also, you can¡¯t sleep with him until you guys are married. He has aplicated past, I can¡¯t trust him.¡± Tnsha was speechless She had already slept with Nics on the first night they met, although she couldn¡¯t recall the details. Blushing. Trisha retorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to marry him, you¡¯re thinking too far ahead. We¡¯re just dating, if we don¡¯t like each other anymore, we¡¯ll break up. He¡¯s already so old¡± Celeste bit her lip Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Nics was even year younger than Liam Maybe she was womed about the wrong person, in reality. Nics might be the one being manipted. Yawning. Tnsha said. Tm going to sleep, you should too. Didn¡¯t you stay up all night?¡± Celeste paused. Tve already slept. I was just kidding earlier Tosha was totally speechless. Once back in her room, Trisha immediately called Nics, ¡°Celeste just asked me, I told her I was with you at the hospitalst night for your hemorrhoid surgery. Make sure you don¡¯t mess up the story¡± Nics, who was just taking a sip of water sprayed it out upon hearing this. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have thought of a better excuse?¡± ¡°Your injury is on your butt and thighs, what else should I have said? That you went to see a urologist? Nics thought, that really sounds worse than saying I had hemorrhoids surgery. ¡°You didn¡¯t mess up, did you?¡± Trisha snorted, ¡°You¡¯ve said so much, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°Did Celeste say anything?¡± Celeste was cunning, he was womed that she might trick Trisha into spilling the beans unknowingly. ¡°She didn¡¯t say much, just wished me well and said if you ever hurt me, she would have Liam teach you a lesson!¡± That does sound like something Celeste would say Trisha added, ¡°We re not really dating, I¡¯m just covering for you Do you dare to hurt me?¡± Nics couldn¡¯t help but smile, answering senously. ¡°Even if we were really dating. I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Why does it feel like he¡¯s getting better at sweet talking? Did she say anything else? Isn¡¯t she against us anymore?¡± Snapping back to reality Trisha said. ¡°She also told me not to sleep with you, who¡¯s known for being a yboy She¡¯s worried you might y me.¡± Nics twitched his mouth, defending himself. ¡°She¡¯s holding a grudge against me for our past confrontations, deliberately ndering me.¡± ¡°Celeste is nothing like that isn¡¯t it because you have so many past rtionships?¡± Nics thought, before he could officially win Trisha over Celeste has already be his biggest competitor This woman¡¯s influence over Trisha was much stronger than Jace Ledford¡¯s Whatever she said, Trisha would believe Nics thought for a moment Given his and Celeste¡¯s rtionship, it was unlikely that she would speak well of him So, it was very important to boost his likability Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. in front of her Tneed to go now, gonna take a nap before I go sort out my resignation, Trisha yawned, ¡°Remember to get in touch with the doctor to change your dressing.¡± Around eight oclock, just as Celeste was about to leave, the doorbell rang She went to answer the door in her slippers, and as soon as she opened it, a tall figure had her pinned against the shoe rack, bent down to kiss her lips and casually kicked the door shut Celeste was taken aback at first, but then wrapped her arms around his neck and responded passionately Liam¡¯s kiss was intense, his lips and tongue burning hot, making Celeste¡¯s heart race. She could hear hisbored breathing, deep and sexy She thought she might have a weird fetish hearing Liam¡¯s breathless sounds turned her on more than his touch. Liam kissed her for a long time before pulling away from her lips, then he held her tightly in silence, his chin resting on her head, slowly catching his breath. Celeste could hear his heart beating, as fast as hers After a long time, she whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m making a fuss anymore?¡± Liam chuckled softly, his voice a bit hoarse. ¡°Been a whole night, are you still mad?¡± Celeste hummed in response. Two million just got me to sleep, it didn¡¯t make me forget, you know?¡± ¡°Should I transfer another two million then?¡± Celeste said. ¡°I¡¯m not after your money, she paused, then added, ¡°but if you insist on giving me money, I won¡¯t say no.¡± Liam pinched her cheek. What a money grubber Still with his chin resting on her head, he murmured, ¡°I was too impulsive yesterday, I should have calmed down and discussed it with you instead of using you directly Forgive me Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Celeste was a bit taken aback She had not expected Liam to apologize straight up, especially since this issue wasn¡¯t entirely his fault. If anyone heard her rude demands, they would probably talk back too. Someone as principled as Liam wouldn¡¯t apologize easily unless he was in the wrong Did he abandon his principles because of her? Celeste couldn¡¯t help but crack a small smile She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I can¡¯t pin this all on you. I messed up too. I can¡¯t control other people¡¯s feelings. My demands were a bit over the top.¡± Then they both reflected and their rtionship grew stronger, a happy ending that¡¯s how Celeste imagined it But after she finished talking, Liam said, ¡°I get you. When you¡¯re nervous, you don¡¯t think things through. You act on impulse, that¡¯s a habit you need to break¡± Celeste choked Wasn¡¯t he supposed to apologize? Is he criticizing her ws now? Liam continued, ¡°Also, don¡¯t suggest breaking up so easily. It hurts the rtionship.¡± That was indeed her fault, Celeste had to admit But when she thought about how he came to apologize but started pointing out her mistakes, Celeste felt a bit ticked off. She looked up and asked. ¡°Anything else you think I need to fix?¡± Liam paused, ¡°Other small issues I can bear with No need to change.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth. She was just testing the waters and he really thought she had a lot of issues! Keeping her emotions in check, Celeste tried to be gracious, ¡°Isn¡¯t honesty important in a rtionship? I will listen and if I really have issues, I¡¯ll ept it openly¡± Even though Liam knew Celeste, when she really put her acting skills into y, Liam couldn¡¯t tell. Just now, she looked at him with her soft, big eyes and sincerely said, ¡°Go on, I want to know what I¡¯m like in your eyes. Don¡¯t hold back, I won¡¯t get mad Liam couldn¡¯t resist Celeste¡¯s charm. Not only did he not sense anything wrong, he actually felt that Celeste had grown after their divorce, being able tomunicate calmly with him So, Liam honestly spilled all his thoughts. There¡¯s not much, just a bit vain, sometimes penny¨Cpinching You know when you¡¯re wrong during an argument, but you¡¯re always reluctant to admit. And¡­¡± Celeste¡¯s face had already fallen halfway, and there¡¯s more? Liam thought for a moment, ¡°When you have a partner, you still watch male streamers online, not giving your partner enough attention¡± Celestes face fellpletely, she forced a smile and said, ¡°Quite an objective assessment¡± Liam sensed something off in Celeste¡¯s tone, he quickly said, ¡°You told me to say it, you said you won¡¯t get mad.¡± Tm not mad Celeste squinted her eyes, ¡°Am I that petty? I will take your advice seriously It¡¯s not fair to have only you make sacrifices¡± Her words were full of sincerity, leaving Liam unable to tell if she was being truthful or not. Liam sighed, hugged her and said softly. ¡°As long as you think this way, that¡¯s enough. These aren¡¯t big issues, it¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t want to change. I¡¯ve gotten Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. used to it.¡± *I will definitely change¡± She patted Liam¡¯s shoulder, her voice gentle, but her eyes were filled with determination for revenge. ¡°You came early. Have you had breakfast? You should eat breakfast since your stomach is not good¡± Upon hearing this, Liam was stopped in his tracks. He whispered, ¡®I¡¯ll eat after I drop you off at the set.¡± Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 Celeste said, ¡°By then it¡¯ll be lunchtime. Just in time, I haven¡¯t had breakfast either. I didn¡¯t eatst night and I¡¯m starving. You go to the brunch ce downstairs and get something, we¡¯ll head to the set after¡± When Liam heard that she hadn¡¯t eaten, he was immediately persuaded. He asked softly, ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡± Celeste was particrly gentle, ¡°Get whatever you like, surprise me.¡± Liam was flustered by her sweet talk. He hugged her and whispered, ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm¡± Celeste watched Liam leave with a smile but her expression tumed cold the moment he was out of sight. She picked up her phone and dialed the property management¡¯s mumber The one who answered was the youngest security guard in the property management team, also a fan of Celeste. ¡°Hello, Will?¡± The young security guard was thrilled. Ms. Campbell.¡± Celeste said in a gentle tone. ¡°It¡¯s me. I need a small favor¡± Will immediately responded, ¡°You¡¯re too polite, just tell me what you need *Recently, a crazy fan has been stalking me. He sends me flowers and breakfast every day. As you know, it¡¯s just two girls living here and we¡¯re a bit scared. Can you help us out?¡± Will was instantly funous, ¡°What kind of fan is that? That¡¯s a stalker Should I call the police?¡± Celeste was startled and quickly said, ¡°Calling the police might be a bit much because he hasn¡¯t caused any harm. Plus if the policee and he gets detained, it won¡¯t be good for him in the future. As long as he doesn¡¯te anymore, it¡¯s fine.¡± Will said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, you¡¯re too kind. He¡¯s clearly harassing you and you¡¯re still considering his future Can you describe what he looks like?¡± Celeste coughed nervously and said, ¡°He¡¯s quite tall, handsome, always in a suit. Celeste also told Will his license te. Will noted the characteristics and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for him. He won¡¯t be able to harass you anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you so much¡± Will chuckled, ¡°I hope Phoenix Fire bes a hit Celeste smiled and said. ¡°Thank you.¡± There was only one brunch ce downstairs and it was rush hour, a lot of the food was sold out and there was a long line. So, Liam decided to drive a bit further to get breakfast When he returned with the breakfast and parked the car, he heard a loud shout from behind, ¡°Freeze!¡± Liam¡¯s movements abruptly halted as he turned to see a young man in a security uniform pacing towards him. The young man was all business, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Tall, handsome, suited up, breakfast in hand, and a car with the license te the same as that Celeste said ¨C wasn¡¯t this the exact stalker Ms. Campbell had described? Liam closed the car door, nced at the young man, and said, ¡°can I help you?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The young man was as cool as cucumber With a stern face, Will said, ¡°Do I need your help? This is textbook stalker behavior. You¡¯re good¨C looking, so why stoop to this level?¡± Liam¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°stalker behavior?¡± Will shot him a re, ¡°You didn¡¯t go through the proper channels to meet your idol You even stalked Ms. Campbell to her home. Isn¡¯t this ssic stalker behavior? Ms Campbell is kind and didn¡¯t want me to call the cops. But if you harass her again, I won¡¯t hesitate to let the police deal with you!¡± The more Liam heard, the weirder his expression became, until he couldn¡¯t reach Celeste on the phone. That¡¯s when he finally realized what was going on. Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Liam finally got it. When a woman says she¡¯s not mad, it actually means she¡¯s really pissed When she starts saying I¡¯m not mad, that means she¡¯s already ticked off big time She might be a bit vain, love to snag a bargain, or enjoy a good looking man, now and then, but none of this really matters Deep down, she might be a grudge holder She can ept her own ws, she knows she has them, but you can¡¯t just point them out to her Especially when she¡¯sughing and discussing these ws with you, she doesn¡¯t actually want to hear you list her faults, she just wants to hear how you¡¯ll put it But Liam, the fool, didn¡¯t get it. He really spilled out all her ws, and no doubt, Celeste Campbell was going to be steaming She even called him a stalking fan of hers and had securitye to shoo him away, Liam was so pissed he could onlyugh helplessly The security guard saw him still standing there, and continued to shoo him away. Stop daydreaming, get in your car and leave Liam snapped out of it, nced at the guy. Who¡¯s Ms Campbell?¡± The security guard red at him. What are you ying at? You followed her here, how could you not know who Ms. Campbell is?¡± Liam replied nonchntly. ¡°Stalking? Did Ms Campbell say that?¡± ¡°Quit ying dumb, I checked the surveince You¡¯ve been frequently appearing in building seven and even in the elevator of building nine Ms Campbell lives on the ninth floor Liam looked indifferent. The owner of 902 on the ninth floor is my friend, and also I am an owner here.¡± Saying this he took out his phone, opened the Grandview Heights owner¡¯s app, and handed it to the guard The security guard took a look and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. This guy owns two condominiums and threemercial spaces in Grandview Heights! Considering the current market price, that¡¯s worth tens of millions of dors! While the owners in Grandview Heights are all rich, very few own five properties here The security guard hastily reconfirmed the owner information and found itpletely matched. Liam said. ¡°I don¡¯t know this Ms. Campbell, is she a celebrity?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be lying, and the security guard suddenly felt like he might¡¯ve jumped to conclusions He awkwardly said ¡°Ms Campbell is an actress and also an owner here. She called saying a fan was stalking her, and the person she described looked a he quickly added. ¡°But we¡¯ve cleared things up now, my apologies for the misunderstanding, Mr. Reed.¡± you Liam scoffed, what a diplomatic way of putting it H ¡°using another owner of being a stalker without proper investigation, and a simple misunderstanding is supposed to cover it?¡± The security guard, looking embarrassed, rushed to apologize, Tm sorry, I didn¡¯t investigate properly- Liam cut him off, ¡°Please contact Ms. Campbell for me. If she¡¯s going to use someone out of the blue, she should at least apologize to me in person, ng The security guard hesitated Liam continued. ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, contact your supervisor, I¡¯ll exin it to him myself¡± The security guard quickly said. ¡°Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll contact Ms. Campbell night away¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. He took out his phone and dialed Celeste¡¯s number Celeste was already on her way to the shooting site. Seeing the security guard¡¯s call she picked up instead of the security guard¡¯s voice, she heard Liam¡¯s soothing voice. ¡°Ms Campbell, do you find it fun to randomly use me of being a stalke Celeste was speechless She was about to hang up, but Liam quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up, let me finish.¡± Celeste stopped Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Liam said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send some food to the shooting siteter, eat up before work. I don¡¯t care how the other actors need to keep their figures, unless the role you¡¯re ying is supposed to be skinny, you can¡¯t diet. It¡¯s okay to earn a bit less, health is the most important thing.¡± He paused, then gently said, ¡°I want to spend countless three¨Cyear cycles with you, neither of us can drop out first¡± Celeste was speechless for a moment. She suddenly felt. Liam was a bit too indulgent towards her He wasn¡¯t even mad that she had the security guard kick him out, he was still worried about whether she had breakfast or not. Liam¡¯s consideration made her feel especially capricious Celeste cleared her throat, whispered, ¡°Howe you¡¯re not mad?¡± Liam said, ¡°I was mad at first, but ¡°he paused, ¡°I can¡¯t expect you to be both beautiful and magnanimous, that would be too greedy. As long as you have one of those qualities, that¡¯s enough. Your body used all its nutrients on your appearance, it couldn¡¯t focus on both appearance and personality, that¡¯s normal¡± Celeste¡¯s guilt instantly evaporated This jerk, after saying so many sweet words, just to ¡°insult her when she felt quilty! She was even moved by him! He¡¯s such a jerk! She thought he had changed! No, he did change, he no longer bluntly mocks people, but mocks them while praising them. Celeste hung up the phone angrily, not wanting to hear this jerks voice for another second. Jta held back herughter on the side Celeste said with a straight face, ¡°If you want tough, justugh.¡± Jta chuckled, then said, ¡°Mr. Reed is quite interesting.¡± Celeste, ¡°Hmph Jta said gently, ¡°He¡¯s not entirely indulging your temper, you see you kicked him out and he must¡¯ve been really mad, but he didn¡¯t choose to argue with you, he chose a different way to interact with you, although well, he¡¯s quite blunt, but it¡¯s much better than arguing. I think not blindly indulging the other person is a very healthy way of emotionalmunication.¡± Celeste pouted, ¡°Mocking me is considered good?¡± Jta smiled, ¡°But you¡¯re not really mad, are you?¡± Celeste paused, then said, ¡°I¡¯m just used to it if I got mad at this, I would¡¯ve been pissed off hundreds of times by him.¡± Jta smiled and said nothing Liam is not all talk and no action. The moment Celeste amved on set, Liam had already had breakfast sent to her, full of bnced nutrition. One look and you could tell it was prepared ording to a diet n rmended by a doctor. Any annoyance Celeste had felt was now gone with the wind. Having a boyfriend who¡¯s easy on the eyes, good with money, and knows how to sweet talk can make up for a little bit of snark. The Campbell family Angel Campbell, carrying a bowl, knocked on Helen¡¯s door. ¡°Mom, the nutrition soup is ready.¡± Helen was forced by Shawn Campbell to stay in her room and rest, with the best nutritional supplements provided every day. Her spirit seemed pretty good, but herplexion was not so hot, especially when she saw that delicate nutrition soup, she was even more annoyed. ¡°Take it away, just the smell of it makes me want to puke.¡± Stirring the spoon, Angel said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything, mom. Are you having severe morning sickness?¡± Helen kept her mouth shut, not saying a word. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Seeing her belly growing bigger by the day, her anxiety was also ramping up. Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 If they didn¡¯t deal with this kid now, itwas gonna be toote and she could only be able to give birth to the childter Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Back when she had Jacques, she did it in a private hospital which was quite convenient, but that¡¯s not an option now Shawn had already set up a file for her at the public hospital, so she was gonna have to give birth there. Not to mention, the blood type of the baby would be nowhere to hide. Shawn is type A, she is type 0, how the hell could they have a kid with type B blood? If this baby got bom, even an idiot like Shawn would figure out what¡¯s up. How could she not worry? Angel didn¡¯t know about this yet. She just put the bowl on the table and came to sit by Helen¡¯s bedside. ¡°Mom, you gotta take care of yourself, how else are you gonna fight that little bitch? Helen paused, ¡°Did they deal with her kid yet?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Angel got pissed off at the mention of it, ¡°I got some people to forcibly take her, but my dad put a bunch of bodyguards around her ce. I can¡¯t even get close.¡± Helen clenched her fists. That bastard Shawn, she knew his words were bullshit! ¡°Where¡¯s your dad? Get him over here!¡± Angel snorted, ¡°Even if he came, it wouldn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s carrying a boy. Don¡¯t you know my dad yet? How could he possibly abandon a boy?¡± Helen sat up in surprise, ¡°What do you mean? A boy?¡± Angel said with a stem face, ¡°She went to some clinics to check the sex of the baby. Why else would my dad suddenly change his mind, not let her abort, and even send so many people to watch her? Didn¡¯t you notice he¡¯s been avoiding you these past few days?¡± Helen looked awful. A boy. It¡¯s a boy! If this kid is bom, he would be Shawn¡¯s only son. Then all her hard work and scheming would be for nothing, wouldn¡¯t it? Angel wasn¡¯t too pleased about Helen being pregnant either Even though Shawn favors boys, he wouldn¡¯t be too unfair to her. But if there¡¯s another little brother, that could change. So she secretly didn¡¯t want Helen to have another child. But before it¡¯s even certain if Helen is gonna have a baby. Shawn¡¯s mistress is already definitely carrying a son, which is pissing Angel off. She tried to get Luci Preston¡¯s baby taken care of, saying it¡¯s for Helen, but it¡¯s really more for herself. But now that she can¡¯t deal with it, she could only snitch to her mom and let her take action. Sure enough, when Helen heard that Luci was carrying a boy, she was so mad she was about to explode. She gritted her teeth, ¡°Call your dad. Tell him I have a stomach¨Cache and he needs toe back ASAP¡± Angel was waiting for this. Sheforted Helen not to get angry and upset her pregnancy, while dialing Shawn¡¯s number Shawn was over the moon when he found out Luci was carrying a boy. While he said he was at the office, he was actually spending most of his time at Luci¡¯s ce, guarding his ¡°precious son¡± At this moment, while Helen and Angel were frantically looking for Shawn, he was cooking in Luci¡¯s apartment. Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 Shawn¡¯s phone rang on the table, Luci nced at it but didn¡¯t call Shawn to answer, Instead, she picked up her own phone and took a picture of Shawn busy in the kitchen, then sent it to Celeste Celeste was surprised when she saw the picture, ¡°What is he doing?¡± Luci replied, ¡°He¡¯s cooking. I told him my pregnancy symptoms were severe and I had a poor appetite, so he got really worried that not eating would be bad for the baby, so he brought a bunch of food over¡± Celeste didn¡¯t know how to respond. Shawn has never cooked before. He was very smart when he was young and his family doted on him a lot. Despiteing from a small town, Shawn was treated like a prince since he was little, always getting the best resources in the family first He¡¯s not only never cooked, he even has his own set of ideas. When Celeste was little, during his fights with Caitlyn, he would often say, ¡°Women should stay home and take care of the kids, men should be the ones earning the money. You always try to do everything, making people think your husband is useless!¡± Isn¡¯t it weird for someone like that to cook? However, when she thought about him doing all this because he knew Luci was carrying a boy, suddenly it all made sense. Celeste asked, ¡°He hasn¡¯t questioned the results of the test, has he?¡± Luci replied. ¡°He trusts the resultspletely. These past few days he¡¯s been looking at my belly, saying it looks a bit pointy, definitely a boy. I think he can already imagine what the child would look like when he grows up.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Helen is very crafty, if she finds out you¡¯re carrying a boy, she will definitely take action. Be careful and contact me right away if anything happens.¡± Luci nced at her, then replied, ¡°I think she already knows. Angel came to bother me but was stopped by Shawn¡¯s people. Now that she can¡¯t handle me, she would definitely tell Helen¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Celeste thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Post the picture you took on social media, but only let the people at Shawn¡¯spany see it. Luci did as she suggested. Angel couldn¡¯t get through to Shawn, she was getting really anxious. Just then, Helen¡¯s phone buzzed. She picked it up and took a look Her informant at thepany sent her a screenshot. In the picture, Shawn was busy in the kitchen, and Luci¡¯s caption read, ¡°Men who can cook are so attractive¡± Helen was so mad She felt a profound sense of crisis like never before. During her pregnancy, Shawn was indeed very good to her, but it was only material care. He didn¡¯t give her the more detailed attention andpanionship she needed Looking at Luci¡¯s face that resembled Caitlyn¡¯s, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Shawn was still hung up on Caitlyn. If that was true, then once this child is born, her position might be threatened. The more Helen thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. She decided that this child couldn¡¯t be born without a hitch. Thinking about this, she didn¡¯t hesitate and dialed Shawn right away The phone rang thrice before Luci handed it over to Shawn, ¡°Mr. Campbell, your wife¡¯s on the line¡± Shawn¡¯s hand shook, nearly slicing his finger Taking the phone, Helen immediately asked, ¡°What are you up to? Why did it take you so long to pick up?¡± Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 Shawn seemed a bit guilty, mumbling, ¡°I was in a meeting and didn¡¯t hear the phone ringing. What happened?¡± His words rang a bell. Back when Shawn was having a fling with her, whenever Caitlyn called, Shawn would always divert the conversation, even if they were in bed together. The way he spoke, his lying tone, all the same. Helen was so furious she was shaking. She cut to the chase and asked, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she had the surgery yet?¡± Shawn beat around the bush. The doctor said her current physical condition isn¡¯t suitable for an abortion. It could be life¨Cthreatening.¡± Helen sternly asked. ¡°When can she have it then?¡± Shawn replied, ¡°Once her health improves a bit, let¡¯s see what the doctor says If the doctor says no, we can¡¯t force her to do it.¡± Helen clenched her fists, scoffing internally Since when did he be so moral? When she initially suggested taking action against Caitlyn, he pretended to be hesitant, but as soon as he realized he might end up in prison, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all Helen swallowed her anger, keeping her voice steady, ¡°Shawn, do you really want to keep the baby?¡± Shawn was taken aback and quickly denied, ¡°How could that be? I¡¯ve already promised you that as long as you take care of your pregnancy, I¡¯ll handle things with Luci I do like kids, but we¡¯ve been together for so many years, I have to consider your feelings. Don¡¯t overthink things, just focus on your pregnancy Helen sneered internally but spoke gently, ¡°Shawn, if the risk of the abortion is so high, we won¡¯t do it.¡± Shawn was stunned, thinking he misheard, ¡°What what did you say?¡± Helen said, ¡°If you really want this baby, keep it. But you have to promise me that once the baby is born, this woman will leave J City forever I¡¯ll treat her child as my own, as long as you can assure me of this. I¡¯m willing to ept the child.¡± Angel eximed in shock, ¡°Mom, have you lost your mind- Helen shot her a stern look and Angel shut up Had her mom gone mad from anger? Willing to raise someone else¡¯s child? Had pregnancy made her stupid? Shawn was left dumbfounded by Helen¡¯s sudden change, even feeling a bit wary Based on his understanding of Helen, she wasn¡¯t this forgiving. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You why the sudden change of heart?¡± ¡°What else can I do if I don¡¯t? Helen said, her voice choked with tears. ¡°If I keep pushing you, one day you¡¯ll leave me just like you left Caitlyn. I¡¯m notpromising. I just don¡¯t want to lose you¡® Shawn was touched and regretful hearing her sobs. He knew very well how Helen felt about him after two decades together. In fact, Shawn knew Luci was too young to settle for being someone¡¯s mistress. If she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant, he had nned to keep his distance. But the existence of this child made him hesitate. Recently he had been quite troubled by this, but now that Helen had figured things out, it was the best oue for him This eased Shawn¡¯s mood a bit, he said gently, ¡°It¡¯s great that you think this way. Don¡¯t worry, once the baby is born, I¡¯ll make her leave We¡¯ll never see each other again Helen suddenly said, ¡°We should have a wedding ceremony¡± Shawn was startled by the suggestion, frowning, ¡°Why bring this up all of a sudden? Helen had brought up having a wedding ceremony more than once, especially during the few months after they got their marriage license. But because they chose to marry in secret, she lowered the frequency of her suggestions after understanding the situation. But now she was suggesting it again, and clearly, Shawn wasn¡¯t thrilled Ever since the news broke that Angel was his illegitimate daughter, almost everyone knew about his rtionship with Helen, his affair, his second marnage. Shawn always felt ashamed So every time Helen suggested having a wedding ceremony, he would just brush her off. Helen knew what he was thinking, she said softly, ¡°Shawn, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. We can announce my pregnancy at our wedding ceremony, saying I¡¯m expecting twins. So when we bring that child home, it won¡¯t raise suspicions. I can ept this child, but I can¡¯t ept people poking their noses into our mamage Do you understand what I mean?¡± Helen¡¯s intentions were pretty clear. Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 She was willing to raise Shawn¡¯s love child, but Shawn had to respect her marriage She had been the other woman once, now her husband was stolen again. She would be theughing stock The only reason she wanted to have a wedding ceremony again was to prevent more scandals of Shawn¡¯s love children froming to light. She didn¡¯t want to be the butt of all jokes in J City This reason, it made sense to Shawn right off the bat Preserving her own dignity is way more effective than saying ¡°I love you¡± a hundred times. Even though Helen always yed nice in front of Shawn, Shawn knews that Helen was capable of scheming. If she fully epted him, Shawn would be on guard But if she just wanted to save face and avoid bing aughing stock, that made sense. He pondered for a bit, then said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re really thoughtful¡­ But you¡¯re pregnant now, nning a wedding is a lot of work, I¡¯m worried it will tire you out Helen sighed. Tm just doing this to give this kid a name, the wedding can be simple, I really couldn¡¯t care less¡± Hearing Helen say that, Shawn immediately felt guilty about how he had treated her He was silent for a while, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that I know this situation has been hard on you. You¡¯ve had to put up with a lot during our time together. You used to always say that a wedding dress is every woman¡¯s dream, but you¡¯ve never worn one. I couldn¡¯t provide that for you when we were younger, but now I can. Since we¡¯re having a wedding, we should go all out. You don¡¯t have to worry about the nning, you just rest at home and take care of the baby. I¡¯ll handle everything¡± Helen¡¯s face was expressionless, but her voice was soft. Thank you, Shawn.¡± Shawn¡¯s gaze softened slightly Tm heading home soon, tell me what you want to eat, I¡¯ll bring it over.¡± As soon as she heard about food, Helen thought about Shawn cooking for another woman right now, and she suddenly felt like throwing up. ¡°okay, Shawn I¡¯ve been having a bad appetite these days, don¡¯t feel like eating anything¡± Tll bring you some fruit then, we can¡¯t let our son go hungry¡± Helen snorted coldly. Of course, in his mind, it¡¯s always about the son After hanging up the phone. Angel next to her finally couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°Mom, are you out of your mind? You¡¯re going to let her have the baby and then you raise 117- Helen put her phone aside and looked at Angel, ¡°Do you have a better solution?¡± ¡°Just have someone keep an eye on her Her bodyguards can¡¯t be perfect all the time. When we find the right opportunity, we can take her to the hospital.¡± Helen looked at her like she was an idiot. ¡°You think the hospital is your yground, that you can just bring anyone in and the doctors will perform an abortion for you? Use your brain! You can¡¯t even get close to her now, otherwise why are youing to me?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Angel was taken aback and felt annoyed ¡°Mom, what are you implying?¡± Helen kept her face expressionless. She knew perfectly well what her daughter was thinking. Ever since she found out about the pregnancy, Angel had been upset. One more person to split the inheritance, no way she would be happy about it. In front of Helen, she still showed some restraint, but when she found out that Luci was having a boy, her twisted expression gave her away Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Helen didn¡¯t want to call her out. As long as they presented a united front to the outside world, she didn¡¯t mind her children being ambitious Helen said in a serious tone, ¡°If I didn¡¯t say I wanted to have a wedding, how would we get close to that woman?¡± After that, she leaned in close to Angel and whispered something to her. Angel was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood ¡°Mom, are you nning to¡­¡± ¡°n the wedding.¡± Helen nced at her and said casually, ¡°You should show some concern too, instead of spending all your time shopping and having afternoon tea with those rich girls ¡± Angel was still a bit dazed, but nodded at Helen¡¯s reminder. I understand, mom.¡± Shawn left shortly after hanging up the phone, and Luci quickly ryed the information to Celeste Celeste frowned, deep in thought Before she could figure out Helen¡¯s intention, the crew of Phoenix Fire sent a message. Peaceful Land was released earlier than nned, the premiere dates of the two dramas were only one day apart, now it¡¯s on the same day, and the broadcast time is exactly the same, both at prime time eight o¡¯clock. In order to premiere first, Peaceful Land¡¯s first broadcast station directly cut off the ending of the previous drama, controlling the time to coincide with Phoenix Fire¡¯s release date. This move was very unkind The premiere data is very important, it directly affects the intensity of post advertisement investment, as well as online exposure and topic heat. The premiere dates of the two dramas were very close, but now the other party has moved theirs to the same day. The intention was very clear. They wanted to seize the initiative in the premiere data. It was a controversial adaptation. The production team was not the kind that seriously made dramas. They just wanted to take a shortcut, used these topics, andunched a popr drama that made money. Although the publicity of Phoenix Fire was very low¨Ckey, Zach Miller¡¯s reputation was too good, his dramas were almost always good. If Phoenix Fire was broadcast first, those who have watched this drama would mostly not ept Peaceful Land¡¯s money¨Cmaking drama, so they must seize the same day, first press Phoenix Fire down from the data, and seize the audience share In this way, even if someer found out that Phoenix Fire was better than Peaceful Land, but the broadcast had finished, and they had made the money. cares? Only Phoenix Fire will be a drama that only has a good reputation and no data This is the phenomenon of bad money drives out good in the film and television industry Some colleagues in the crew group forwarded the news of Peaceful Land¡¯s early broadcast Everyone¡¯s reaction is surprise. They have worked hard for several months, but this fiercepetition may ruin the beginning of this drama, which makes them very ufortableText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Zach sent a promotional temte to the group, and he asked Celeste, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you released the promotional copy yet?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°I forgot¡± Zach nudged, ¡°Come on, hurry up. You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t posted yet.¡± Celeste quickly edited her tweet and sent it off pronto. Then, she dialed Zach¡¯s number. As soon as the call connected, loud noises came through from the other end. She could faintly make out the sounds of drinking and gaming. Celeste whispered, ¡°Mr. Miller, already drowning your sorrows and the battle hasn¡¯t even begun?¡± Zach retorted, ¡°Zip it, don¡¯t jinx it. I¡¯m at a friend¡¯s gathering¡± Celeste shot back, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got some nerve. The premiere is tonight and you¡¯re still in a mood for partying?¡± Zach responded with nonchnce, ¡°Did you ever go to school? Ever took exams? Ever seen a top student still hitting the books right before the exam?¡± Celeste paused for a moment, then casually said, ¡°Well, not necessarily. Those who aren¡¯t doing well don¡¯t study before the exam either, knowing it won¡¯t make a difference Zach Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 Zach grumbled, ¡°Did you call just to pick a fight with me?¡± Celeste chuckled softly before saying, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you to feel stressed about all this, so I called to check in.¡± Zach snorted. ¡°Just do your job, don¡¯t worry about trivial things. Stay true to your duties, ept what fate throws at you, and as long as you have a clear conscience, that¡¯s all that matters¡± ¡°Our duties we haven¡¯t fully fulfilled them,¡± Celeste paused before continuing. They can hype up their shows, we can dig up their dirt. They love exploiting giarism to promote their shows, don¡¯t they? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Let¡¯s reheat that topic, the more publicity the better It¡¯d be great if the giarized authors could sue now, exposing all the shows that have profited from giarism. We need to stand up for original authors¡® rights, especially against those who say ¡®the show has nothing to do with the original work¡® and ¡®the actors have nothing to do with the original work. They¡¯re the ones benefiting, and their actions are even more despicable! If they want attention, let¡¯s destroy their reputation Better yet, let¡¯s clean up the industry of any wrongdoing. If we¡¯re not living well, they shouldn¡¯t either.¡± Zach was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Who taught you this?¡± ¡°My sense of justice.¡± Zach twitched at the corner of his mouth. ¡°This idea of yours seems a bit personal, is it because Sydney Denton stole your dog?¡± Celeste was speechless. Zach still remembered that? Celeste coughed, ¡°I got the dog back.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zach raised his eyebrows, ¡°Does it still recognize you as its owner?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°It¡¯s even more clingy now.¡± Zach made a nomittal noise. After a moment, he said, ¡°Keep this idea to yourself, don¡¯t spread it around. You¡¯d piss off more than just a few people, half the entertainment industry and their fans. You think you¡¯re doing the night thing, but in the eyes of these fans, you¡¯re hindering their idols¡® progress. How could they let you off?¡± Celeste responded, ¡°I¡¯m not nning on doing it, I¡¯m saying you should. I¡¯ll just retweet it from an anonymous ount. After all, if their fanse after me, it¡¯ll affect my money¨Cmaking¡± Zach ¡°Shut up, get lost.¡± And with that, he hung up. He thought she called tofort him, but she was just mocking him! She seemed like a good person, but the things she did were inhumanel At Quantum Enterprises. Liam handed the edited document to Owen, ¡°Check this. If there¡¯s no issue, print it out and distribute it. We¡¯ll go by this standard¡± He extended his hand, but no one took the document. Liam furrowed his brow, and saw his assistant engrossed in Twitter. Liam pursed his lips, put the document on the table, and tapped it lightly, ¡°Do I need to give you a break so you can focus on your phone?¡± Owen quickly handed his phone to Liam, ¡°Mr. Reed, Peaceful Land¡¯s air date has been moved up to tonight, the same day as Phoenix Fire¡¯s premiere. Your wife¡¯s show ratings might be affected¡± Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Liam responded and then asked, ¡°That¡¯s your excuse for not concentrating on your work?¡± Owen,¡®Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Liam capped his pen, ¡°Just go and print the document.¡± Owen shut up, his concem ignored. Was Liam now indifferent to it? Once Owen left with the document, Liam called Nics. He got straight to the point, ¡°I need your help¡± Nics was lounging on his sofa, munching on fruit, while Trisha was busy preparing food in the kitchen He was livingfortably, except for the asional backache from lying down for too long Upon receiving Liam¡¯s call, hezily asked. ¡°What do you need help with? Liam stated his purpose sinctly, and Nics immediately refused, ¡°Do your own dirty work Liam didn¡¯t get angry, he just calmly stated, ¡°Ms. Colton hasn¡¯t seen your medical records yet, has she? As your girlfriend, she has a right to know¡± Nics You bastard, didn¡¯t I help you get Celeste back?¡± Liam sneered. If you hadn¡¯t interfered, we might already be remarried.¡± Nics coughed, unable to retort, and negotiated with Liam in a brotherly tone. ¡°I was just joking earlier. It¡¯s just a small thing. I¡¯ll definitely help you. But watch yourText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. words, don¡¯t make me single¡± Liam grunted, ¡°Just a reminder feelings built on lies won¡¯tst Be careful not to get burnt ying with fire¡± ¡°Do you have any room to talk?¡± Nics couldn¡¯t help but argue back, ¡®How did you trick Celeste into thinking she willingly slept with you? Have you forgotten? Anything goes as long as you get her, as long as you treat her well for a lifetime, right?¡± At that moment, Trisha came out of the kitchen with a pot. Nics whispered. ¡°I gotta go, bye¡± Then he changed his attitude from earlier and weaklyid on the sofa. Trisha put the pot on the coffee table and asked Nics, ¡°How are you feeling, is it still hurting?¡± Nics ¡®weakly nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve beenying down for too long, my back is stiff.¡± Then he sniffed, ¡°What did you make?¡± ¡°Pasta Trisha paused, ¡°If it really hurts, you should take a rest Nics replied. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve gone through all this trouble to make it. If I don¡¯t eat it, it would be a waste of your effort¡± So Trisha helped him up, put a cushion on the sofa, and then helped him sit back down. To make his injury seem more real. Nics kept his back tense, mimicking a stiff posture. Trisha picked up the waist belt, saying in a low voice, ¡°Let me strap this on for you, it might make ya feel a bit better.¡± Nics gave a nod Trisha, holding the belt, put her hands around his waist, helping him put it on She stood quite close, so close that all Nics had to do was look down to spot a mole just below her neckline. Her hair was kinda light, even the tiny hairs on her body almost transparent Her neck bent down, each vertebra disappearing into her T¨Cshirt. Nics closed his lips slightly. He embarrassingly found,pared to the overtly disyed feminune allure, this unintentional reveal of a bit of skin made his mouth dry and his tongue tied Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Trisha¡¯s heart was doing somersaults. She identally bumped lips with Nics¡® chin as she looked up, catching both of them off guard. It was super awkward. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. But it was Trisha who was more embarrassed, Nics didn¡¯t let any special expression slip on his face. Tnsha coughed to break the awkward silence. ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± ¡°Ainght¡± Nics replied, quietly observing Trisha¡¯s reaction ¡°Good,¡± Trisha said, then asked, ¡°What did Liam call you for?¡± Nics hand twitched, almost losing his bnce ¡°Nothing in particr¡± Trisha seemed to ask casually, served him some soup and then sat next to him, ¡°Does yourpany have a chat group?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Can you get them to watch Letti¡¯s new show? Sydney¡¯s bitch show and Letti¡¯s are airing at the same time, I¡¯m worried about the premiere ratings¡± Nics chuckled. ¡°There are just over 100 people in my group. Even if they all watched, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference to the ratings.¡± Trisha slumped her shoulders in disappointment. Seeing her dejected look, Nicsforted. ¡°The show hasn¡¯t aired yet, it might not be as bad as you think.¡± Trisha wasn¡¯t hopeful Competing with a popr show for ratings was too tough. Despite this, she still sat in front of the TV that night to support her friend. Trisha had connections and could see the real¨Ctime data for all channels. She watched the drama while keeping an eye on the numbers. As expected, the premiere of Peaceful Land had high ratings, while Phoenix Fire was meh. She thought the premiere was set, but then the ratings for Phoenix Fire unexpectedly skyrocketed for the second episode By the time she checked Peaceful Land, the second episode hadn¡¯t aired. Instead, a provincial channel had aired an interview with the Quantum research team. In the meantime, both dramas dominated the popr trends. Trisha watched helplessly as the topic of who yed the queen in Phoenix Fire slowly climbed to first ce Liam managed to turn the tide for the premiere of Phoenix Fire In the following days, the ratings of Phoenix Fire consistently ranked in the top three and were still slowly rising The trend for Peaceful Land was generally downward, maintaining its poprity mostly through the lead actors¡® kissing and intimate scenes. The most discussed aspects of Phoenix Fire were the plot and the actors¡® performances, with topics featuring Celeste¡¯s name gradually increasing The industry seriouslycked morous actresses with acting skills. Trisha had a hunch Phoenix Fire was very likely to explode in poprity, Letti was likely to be a sensation, and the era of capital¨Cdriven aesthetics might be reshuffled. Thepetition between the two dramas made the atmosphere on the set of Murder a bit weird. The leads of the two dramas, one a lead actress and the other a supporting actress, naturally drew comparisons Celeste didn¡¯t want to interact too much with Sydney, usually avoiding her after filming. Their scenes together were almostplete. After today¡¯s scene, only the wrap¨Cup scene remained. Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 Zach¡¯s assistant posted some good news in the group, and Celeste checked it out before lining up for makeup touch¨Cups. The next scene was a group scene with her, Leonard, Sydney, and others. Since no costume change was needed, makeup touch¨Cups were done on location. The lead actors had their own makeup artists, while Celeste queued with the other actors for the same makeup artist. There were supposed to be two, but one had taken leave due to personal issues With only one makeup artist, the wait was lengthy Leonard¡¯s makeup artist was applying contour to his face with a brush. Leonard¡¯s face was always tilted to one side, and the makeup artist had to follow his movement to apply contour, repeating the process several times. The makeup artist wasn¡¯t happy about it but didn¡¯t dare say anything. The agent looked in the direction Leonard¡¯s face was tilted and sure enough, Celeste was standing there, checking her phone. Since they were getting touch¨Cups on location, everyone was standing Celeste was in heels because of the scene and her feet were starting to ache from standing too long. She had to change positions now and then to give her feet a break The agent turned back to the makeup artist, ¡°Are you done with the touch¨Cups?¡± ¡°Almost¡± Leonard had a perfect face shape that required little enhancement. But because his character was in his forties for this scene, they used contour to create the look of age. The director originally wanted to cast an age¨Cappropriate actor for the middle¨Caged period of Leonard¡¯s character But Leonard insisted on performing it himself. Javier praised his passion and conviction, which the agent foundughable! He just wanted more scenes with Celeste. After this drama, he would move on to the next project and who knew when they would meet again. However, while his motive was to have more scenes with Celeste, his performance as a middle¨Caged man was impressive. That¡¯s star power, right? The agent wasn¡¯t worried about Leonard and Celeste sparking any rumors. From his observation, his goddess probably didn¡¯t fancy him. If she had to choose between Liam and a young, handsome idol, he knew what her choice would be. But helping Leonard establish some rapport with his goddess was always good. If Mr. Reed was pleased and gave Leonard more endorsements, his sry would also increase, right? So, he asked Leonard, ¡°How about we call over Ms. Campbell and let Andie give her a makeup touch¨C up?¡± Leonard gave a ¡°Meh, saying, ¡°Whatever.¡± The agent raised an eyebrow, thinking Leonard was being a bit prissy. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine. After all, she¡¯s your personal makeup artist¡± Leonard¡¯s heart raced and he flipped the agent the bird. The agent chuckled and said nothing, then turned to find Celeste Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The high heels were killing Celeste¡¯s toes. Her weight kept shifting between her feet as she waited, bored out of her skull, she couldn¡¯t help but text Liam for some entertainment She found a picture online of toes squished out of high heels and sent it to Liam with a message, ¡°Check out my new shoes.¡± Liam was discussing some improvements for the blueprint with Owen when Celeste¡¯s message popped up on his phone Owen tried to look away but Liam beat him to it and opened the message. Then Owen saw the picture of the squished toes sticking out of the high heels and almost burst out laughing. Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 After reading, Liam started to reply seriously. ¡°Did you take off the mole on your foot? Liam inquired Owen¡¯s heartbeat sped up abruptly, and he hurriedly stopped Liam from sending the message. ¡°Mr. Reed, that¡¯s not Ms. Campbell¡¯s fool.¡± Liam paused his action and looked at him, ¡°How do you know?¡± Owen quickly exined, ¡°Because this picture was popr before, it was meme.¡± Liam nced at it and asked with confusion, ¡°Why would she send me a picture of someone else¡¯s foot?¡± After thinking for a while, Owen guessed, ¡°Maybe the shoe doesn¡¯t fit, or she just wanted to joke with you.¡± ¡°How do you figure it out?¡± Liam asked. Owen found a picture of a chubby foot in high heels and sent it to Liam, suggesting. ¡°Send this to your wife.¡± And Liam did Upon seeing the picture of the shoe stretched out, Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh for a long time. When no one was paying attention, she took out her phone and secretly sent a yful voice message. ¡®The shoes in the crew are so small that they hurt my feet terribly.¡± When Liam saw the reply, he opened the voice message Then, Celeste¡¯s voice came through the headphones. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, the two men on the scene went silent. Owen couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Looks like the shoe doesn¡¯t fit.¡± Liam shivered and replied. ¡°If you talked to me like this the first time we met, we probably wouldn¡¯t have a future.¡± Celesteughed for a long time after seeing the reply Liam had been single until he got married, and that was definitely because of his personality. One year during a ss reunion, a ssmate asked her for help at the dinner table, saying that he was looking for a job in J City recently and hadn¡¯t found a ce to live yet, asking if she could stay at her house for a few days Their rtionship during school wasn¡¯t particrly good, and Celeste was somewhat reluctant when she suddenly asked to stay over But at the time at the dinner table, many ssmates were present. When that person opened her mouth, the other ssmates also helped to speak for her. if she agreed, Liam might not be happy. If she didn¡¯t, with so many people watching, a direct rejection might seem very unkind So she had to contact Liam and nervously told him about it. She thought Liam would disagree, but after he heard about it, he didn¡¯t say anything, just asked her to tell the housekeeper to tidy up the room. Since Liam didn¡¯t object, everything else was easy to handle. So that night, Celeste brought the ¡°ssmate¡± home. The housekeeper had already cleaned up the room, and Celeste nned to let her go to bed early. But her ssmate was very interested in her house and insisted on meeting her husband to thank him personally At that time, the giant wedding photo in the living room hadn¡¯t been installed yet, and there was no picture of the two of them on the first floor The ¡°ssmate¡® kept saying with a tone of ¡°regret that she had such good grades in school, why did she get married early, she also said that marriage should not only look at financial conditions, but also whether the two parties havemon topics, arge age gap would causemunication problems. Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Listening to this, Celeste gradually understood that the other party thought she was after money and married an old man. This misunderstanding made her a bit angry, but out of politeness, Celeste didn¡¯t directly point it out, and her attitude became cold afterwards. Her ssmate probably felt that she had said too much and didn¡¯t continue the topic. If it was just like this, she would only think that her ssmate didn¡¯t know how to speak in different situations. But when Liam came back and she saw Liam and knew that Liam was her husband, her attitude completely changed She kept calling Liam by his name and even exaggeratedly said ¡°Liam looks handsome when he drinks water¡± Her ssmate was petite, average¨Clooking, but she had a lot of male friends in school, the kind that didn¡¯t have to lift a finger to move chairs to the yground for school activities, there would always be boys taking the initiative to help. Celeste, the school beauty, never enjoyed this treatment. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. She once told Trisha about this and was frustrated why her poprity with boys was so bad, why didn¡¯t boyse forward and move chairs for her? Trisha bluntly said, ¡°They know how to act cute, men are all the same. They can¡¯t resist when they hear a girl acting cute. And you, besides having a pretty face, you talk like a man. When asked if you¡¯re hungry, you always say you just ate, when asked if you¡¯re drunk, you tell them to mind their own things. With you like this, who dares to pursue you? Who can catch up with you?¡± At first, Celeste didn¡¯t believe it, but gradually, she found that the girls who were pursued the most in school were not the prettiest ones, but those who were not very pretty, but were very sociable, either got along well with boys, or were the kind that would act cute to everyone. Her old ssmate was one of them. When Celeste heard that ¡°Liam¡°, she felt ufortable all over, and when she looked at Liam, he didn¡¯t seem to have any special expression. She was very dissatisfied with her ssmate, but after Liam left, she said that she deliberately called him that way to help her test her husband Celeste was filled with questions. Her old ssmate said emotionally. ¡°Men who have money are all unfaithful, especially those who are handsome, they can¡¯t resist the temptation. You see, I just called him Liam in front of you, he didn¡¯t reject me, which shows that he still enjoys the admiration of other women for him, you have to be careful.¡± This made Celeste feel ufortable. On the one hand, she felt that it was just a close way to address someone, what could be seen from that? On the other hand, she also felt that since Liam didn¡¯t reject her, maybe he does like girls who act cute. During those days, the caregiver had to take care of things at home, so Celeste spent most of the time in the hospital, only seeing other people briefly in the morning and evening at home. Her old friend said she would only stay for a few days, but a week had passed and there was no sign of her moving out. Having an outsider at home was very inconvenient. Sometimes when she wanted to have some intimate time with Liam, her old ssmate would knock on the door outside, using reasons of either the bathroom was blocked or she didn¡¯t know how to use the dryer. Their moodpletely vanished, and Liam even moved directly to the study. When Celeste asked about her job hunting situation, she said there was nothing suitable. The jobs Celeste introduced through her friends, she eitherined about long working hours, low wages, or not wanting to travel. Wanted to give a hand, she ended up stirring up a ho¡¯s nest. Just as Celeste was racking her brains on how to politely hint at the old pal to move out, one morning, she woke up to find the friend had vanished into thin air. Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Celeste asked Liam, who retorted, ¡°You really want her to stay here for a whole year?¡± Of course, Celeste didn¡¯t want that She¡¯d rather that girl left sooner. She justined that the girl didn¡¯t tell her when she left and didn¡¯t ask any more questions That incident had already passed, but two monthster, the old ssmate posted a long article on Twitter, recounting her experience of being ¡°harassed¡± by her host¡¯s husband during her stay. She imed she didn¡¯t tell her ssmate out of ¡°good intentions, and kept it hidden for a long time. But when she saw the husband flirting with other women again, she couldn¡¯t resist exposing him. Since many people knew about the old ssmate staying at her house, everyone knew who she was referring to. Celeste was furious. She immediately called her, but she didn¡¯t answer. The news that Celeste had mamed a yboy spread wildly among the ssmates, even her high school ssmates started asking her about it Celeste couldn¡¯t sleep for several nights because of this. Eventually, Liam noticed something was wrong and asked her about it. Unable to hide it, Celeste told Liam what had happened. If it was said that he and his ¡®ex¨Cgirlfriend¡± were still entangled, Celeste might believe it. But if it was said that Liam harassed that woman, Celeste would never believe it. Although Liam was not good at speaking, he was a man of good character and would never do such a thing as hooking up with his wife¡¯s ssmate. Sure enough, when Liam heard it, he was shocked. Then he didn¡¯t say anything, just picked up his phone and sent her a video. Liam¡¯s study was filled with materials, so he had installed a camera in his study. The video Liam showed her was the incident that happened the night before the ¡°old ssmate¡± left.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. In the video, Liam was working when the door was knocked. The old ssmate, wearing very thin nightgown and holding a cup of coffee, came in. It was past midnight, and she was resting upstairs. The old ssmate handed Liam the coffee. Before he could even touch it, she let go, and the coffee spilled on Liam¡¯s pants. Then the ¡°old ssmate¡± very ¡°kindly took out a handkerchief and kneeled down to wipe Liam¡¯s pants Liam pushed her hand away, and said angrily. ¡°Get out.¡± The old ssmate seemed to have never been so defeated in front of a man. Her face turned pale, and she moved out that night. This incident was very disgraceful, and Liam¡¯s rejection made her embarrassed The incident should have ended there. However, a few dayster, she ran into Liam when she was apanying her boss to meet a client. She assured her boss in front of him that she knew Liam and could certainlynd this deal. But Liam acted as if he didn¡¯t know her at all. She couldn¡¯t answer any of his questions, and the deal was lost She was severely criticized by her boss. Out of venting her emotions, she made up this story to provoke Celeste Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 The truth finally came to light, and Celeste was furious. After failing to reach her, she edited the video and posted it in several ssmate groups. Liam was even more ruthless, hiring awyer to sue her for defamation. She didn¡¯t pay attention to the final verdict, and she never saw this ¡°old ssmate¡± in any group again. Afterwards, Celeste teased Liam, ¡°How did you resist when other men couldn¡¯t stand her coquetry?¡± Liam said, ¡°I didn¡¯t resist. I just cursed her¡± Celeste was stunned, then burst outughing. What Celeste didn¡¯t know was that Liam cursed not only because of this incident, but also because the ¡°old ssmate¡± had more than once spoken ill of Celeste in front of Liam She called Celeste too materialistic and vain, said she bullied ssmates in school, and even brought up Angel¡¯s incident, saying she had no sympathy, and couldn¡¯t even ept an orphan At first, Liam didn¡¯t respond out of respect for Celeste. But when it happened too many times, Liam no longer gave her any face. He knew very well what his wife was like, and didn¡¯t need anyone to talk nonsense in front of him. Seeing Liam so disgusted with such people, Celeste couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I bet you secretly enjoy it when I act coquettishly with you, yet you still dare toin?¡± Liam replied, ¡°I prefer you begging for mercy, especially¡­ when it¡¯s with a crying voice, it¡¯s very attractive.¡± Celeste Was speechless ¡°Bad guy Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Liam said seriously, ¡°I mean your acting skills when you beg for mercy from the viins in movies, what are you thinking?¡± Celeste was speechless While they were chatting, Leonard¡¯s agent came over, ¡®Ms. Campbell, is it your turn yet?¡± Celeste put away her phone and politely replied, ¡°It should be soon, there aren¡¯t many people left¡± The agent smiled and said, ¡°Leo is done with his makeup, let Andie help you guys¡± Celeste was about to refuse when the agent added, ¡°Leo has an event tonight, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t have enough time if it ends toote So it was to save Leonard¡¯s time Celeste swallowed the refusal and said instead. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you.¡± Celeste, along with another male actor, followed to Leonard¡¯s side. Leonard¡¯s location was very close to Sydney, and to go to Leonard¡¯s side, they had to pass by Sydney Sydney¡¯s image in the crew had plummeted before, and she had been acting very carefully until Peaceful Land¡¯s ratings exploded, when she regained some of her arrogance After all, in this circle,mercial value far outweighs a little negative news. However, it was annoying that Phoenix Fire¡¯s ratings were also very good. Being in the same crew, it was inevitable to bepared, especially since Celeste had dubbed for Sydney before This time, Sydney boldly used her own voice in her new drama. Her lines,pared to the new generation of idols, still had their unique highlights. But her rival was Celeste, who had many years of voice acting experience, andpared to her, Sydney¡¯s performance seemed a bit subpar Some snarkyizens even came up with topics like ¡°Did the queen of Phoenix Fire steal Sydney¡¯s dubbing?¡± and ¡°Some money should be left for voice actors to earn, mocking her line delivery skills, which really pissed Sydney off So, when Celeste walked by her, Sydney, who had been keeping a low profiletely, suddenly opened her mouth in a sarcastic tone, ¡°People with resources are really something, having such achievements in their first drama, congrats, Ms. Campbell * Celeste¡¯s actions came to a halt, full of displeasure. Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 The crew around her also tumed their gaze towards Celeste due to the remark Generally speaking, in this industry, when someone says an actress has a backer, it often implies she¡¯s trading her body for roles and resources. After all, those from prominent families choose to enter the entertainment industry are a minority If an actress is not lucky enough, it¡¯s extremely hard tond a big production right from the start without someone backing her So, when Sydney made thatment, many people believed it Even if she herself doesn¡¯t want to, there are many ways to force her toply as long as someone in this industry takes a fancy to her In fact, among the crew, there have always been rumors about Celeste and Mr. Garcia of Skyline Media Group Every time Celeste was filming. Mr. Garcia from Skyline Media Group came to visit from time to time. He imed it¡¯s because he¡¯s concerned about his artist. But his gaze didn¡¯t linger on Sydney, who had the mostmercial value, but always on Celeste. Once, during a conflict scene, a male actor squeezed Celeste¡¯s wrist too hard, turning & red. Mr. Garcia didn¡¯t say much, but his eyes looked as if he was about to tear the guy to shreds. During Sydney¡¯s previous hospitalization due to shock, it¡¯s said that Mr. Garcia only went once to handle public rtions and never went again. Such double standards inevitably make people question their rtionship Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. So, when Sydney said Celeste had a backer, everyone naturally thought of Mr. Garcia from Skyline Media Group Sydney¡¯s resentmentes from the differential treatment by Skyline Media Group Competition among artists ismon. Celeste nced back at her, and suddenlyughed Sydney was baffled by theughter and frowned, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Celeste shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing that well, only ranking third in ratings. But it¡¯s kind of funny to be envied by the person who¡¯s number one. I mean, it¡¯s my first time seeing someone doing well being jealous of someone doing worse. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think number one can¡¯t beat number three Sydney¡¯s face turned sour What a sharp tongue she has. ¡°All I did was making a joke. Don¡¯t get upset, Ms. Campbell.¡± Celeste raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. You¡¯replimenting me, I should be happy.¡± She paused, then continued. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about backers, Sydneys backer is even more powerful. I remember Sydney¡¯s first drama was with the hottest male actor at the time, and the strongest production team. That drama¡¯s ratings, if I remember correctly, were the highest in the past decade for a historical drama, a record that still stands unbeaten.¡± Hearing Celeste mention her backer, Sydney was initially a bit pissed, but when she heard how well Celeste knew her achievements, she immediately felt smug. The more Celeste knew about her, the more it meant she cared about her presence. Making her feel uneasy made Sydney feel pretty good about herself She gave a slight smile. ¡°Ms. Campbell, you know so much about me. Did you look it up yourself or did someone tell you?¡± Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 She deliberately emphasized her words. How could Celeste not understand her implication? They had no intersection. Celeste researching Sydney could only be because of Liam Even though she knew there¡¯s nothing between Liam and this woman, Celeste was provoked by her words. If that man couldn¡¯t give her a reasonable exnation, he could handle this wedding himself! Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Suppressing her anger, she put on a smile, ¡°Who needs to tell me? That drama was a hit on all major tforms. I¡¯m a fan of it too¡± Someone chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s that Regal Ambitions, right? That drama is amazing, I re¨Cwatch it every year ¡°That drama has been airing for four years now, and they say the annual copyright lee still earns tens of millions, it¡¯s really popr.¡± Sydney smirked, her eyes full of pride. Such an achievement would make anyone proud. At this point, a female actress who had finished her makeup also came over and continued the conversation, I remember this drama was Cindy¡¯s breakout role and her first nomination for best actress. Before that, everyone thought she could only do small budget dramas, but it turns out she¡¯s great at serious dramas too If thepetition hadn¡¯t been so fierce that year, she would¡¯ve won the best actress award long ago. But this drama indeed opened a wider market for her. While other actresses who debuted with her are still doing low budget dramas, she¡¯s a familiar face in serious dramas. As soon as her drama airs, my parents tune in every night.¡± Sydney¡¯s expression stiffened a bit. That phrase ¡°other actresses who debuted with her are still doing low budget dramas¡± made her feel like it was directed at her. She red at the actress, but thetter waspletely oblivious to her gaze and was still chatting enthusiastically with others. ¡°My grandma too! She doesn¡¯t know any of the young actors, but as soon as I mention Cindy, she knows right away. The peanut oil that Cindy endorses, my grandma stocked up on five barrels! The character Cindy ys in the drama is so influential, my grandma always feels she¡¯s not doing well in real life and wants to contribute to her ie it¡¯s crazy¡­¡± ¡°The male lead is also amazing, now he¡¯s focusing on movies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the male lead who¡¯s good, this drama was a huge hit back then, and all the actors are now big shots in senous dramas. The director and scriptwriter are amazing, the whole drama was a hit.¡± Sydney went from feeling smug to not wanting to participate in the conversation at all. Though she didn¡¯t want to bring it up. Celeste had other ns. Since the topic was raised, how could the protagonist not participate? So, she followed up with, ¡°Do you have any other serious dramas? I thought you only had that one, I couldn¡¯t find any others when I searched. Did google forget to update?¡± Everyone froze, exchanging nces Sydney¡¯s got two dramas under her belt, one¡¯s Regal Ambitions and the other¡¯s Whispers of the Roses. In the former, she wasn¡¯t the star of the show and with the director¡¯s guidance, plus the novelty of being new to the scene, she didn¡¯t do too bad. In fact, you could say that was her acting peak. But in Whispers of the Roses, without the backup of other big¨Cname actors, her acting chops just couldn¡¯t carry the role. And by the time she was filming this drama, Sydney was hot stuff, so no one on set dared to cross her If she wasn¡¯t happy with something, she¡¯d demand the scriptwriter to make on¨Cthe¨Cspot changes to the script, or if she wasn¡¯t pleased with the set, she¡¯d demand a do¨Cover. What was supposed to be a serious spy drama ended up being over the top. Once the drama aired, it was hit with a ton of criticism, with the scriptwriter taking the biggest beating. And most of the folks throwing shade at the scriptwriter were Sydney¡¯s fans Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 When the screenwriter couldn¡¯t take the criticism anymore, he went public with the original script and tweeted about it. He hoped one day the creative control over the scripts would truly lie in the hands of the writers themselves, instead of being swayed by the audience¡¯s hype. Professionals should be the ones to handle professional matters, not letting random people make changes and then having others take the me. His tweet immediately sparked a heated discussion online Many screenwriters shared his post, causing quite a stir. Even some official media outlets expressed their views. The online controversy was fierce, but the hype onlysted for half a day before it was suppressed Since this incident, the ratings for Whispers of the Roses continued to plummet. By the time it reached its finale, it didn¡¯t even make it to the trending charts. Half a yearter, Sydney was named the most disappointing actress of the year for her role in this drama. Of course, she didn¡¯t show up to ept the award. Whispers of the Roses was a failed attempt at a career change for Sydney After this drama ended, she went back to doing low budget dramas. Whispers of the Roses was also removed from her Wikipedia page by her fans. Her works list didn¡¯t include this drama, and her fans even locked the page to prevent others from making changes. Now, whenever Whispers of the Roses is mentioned online, it is bound to be attacked by Sydney¡¯s fans, even if the person has no ill intentions. Sydney herself remained silent about the drama, so when Celeste asked her about it, her face tumed sour Failing to change careers isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of, but if you fail and don¡¯t allow others to mention it, that¡¯s truly embarrassing. Celeste was the kind of person who knew how to hit where it hurts. Even Liam wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with her, not to mention Sydney Seeing that everyone kept silent, Celeste pretended to be surprised and said, ¡°Really? Have you only done one serious drama? That¡¯s not good. You should take on more senous roles. Low budget dramas may attract fans, but senous dramas are the way to go for long¨Cterm development. Even though the age limit for idol dramas has been rxed, isn¡¯t it time to give young actors a chance when you¡¯re still doing idol dramas at forty?¡± Hearing this, Sydney¡¯s face turned very ugly. She didn¡¯t want to admit her failure in transitioning, so she stubbornly said. ¡°I haven¡¯t done serious dramas simply because I haven¡¯te across a good script. if there¡¯s a good script, of course, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Celeste chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to wait for a script, do you? Don¡¯t you have a well¨Cconnected boyfriend? If he can get you a role in Regal Ambitions, can¡¯t he get you other good dramas?¡± Everyone around widened their eyes. The news of Sydney having a boyfriend was rife with rumors and had been caught on camera. The most memorable incident was when Sydney and her boyfriend spent the night together at Grandview Vi This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. This was solid evidence of their ¡®close contact¡°, and then they returned to Sydney¡¯s vi Although the online hype was suppressed, Sydney¡¯s scandal was discussed for a long time, and she never publicly rified it. Sydney¡¯s career skyrocketed, and it is said that arge part of it was due to her rumored boyfriend. However, recently there seems to be no news about her rumored boyfriend, probably since she broke her contract with thepany. And it was after Sydney broke her contract that her career started to decline. So the most widely spread rumor was that Nics was her rumored boyfriend. This was something people only dared to discuss privately. After all, one was a popr idol in the entertainment industry, and the other was the president of one of the top five entertainmentpanies Nobody wanted to offend either Everyone thought Celeste was taking a risk. Only Sydney knew that Celeste was warning her. Meddling in other people¡¯s marriages and destroying their rtionships was her biggest scandal. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Because there were many stars whose reputation was ruined because of such things. Once this matter was exposed, her public image would copse, her career would be ruined, and there would be no chance of turning over again. Celeste had ways to deal with her, she was just enjoying the thrill of tormenting her! Sydney couldn¡¯t afford to gamble, and she didn¡¯t dare to From the moment she had her surgery, she had no chips left in her hand. Sydney, suppressing her resentment, said, ¡°Ms. Campbell, don¡¯t talk nonsense, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, those are all media fabrications¡± Celeste chuckled, ¡°Really? I remember there was a series of car identsst time, and I saw that gentleman visit you in the hospital. Would a normal friend care so much?¡± Mr Reed at work sneezed a few times for no reason. Celeste¡¯s words made Sydney a bit furious, and she said angrily, ¡°I said I don¡¯t have one, that means I don¡¯t. Are you done?¡± Celeste looked at her indifferently, ¡°Just a joke, Ms. Denton, you like jokes too, so there¡¯s no need to get so upset, right?¡± Sydney was left speechlessProperty ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with her anymore and went to touch up her makeup after saying those words To be honest, if Sydney didn¡¯t provoke her, Celeste wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against her If Sydney had a bit of a brain, she would quietly earn money. After all, her fans wouldn¡¯t disappear in a short while, and if she worked hard, she might seed in transitioning and make a name for herself in the industry But she just didn¡¯t understand and always wanted to provoke Celeste, treating Celeste as an enemy. It was quite silly. Thinking about how Sydney gave up and chose a bad drama like Peaceful Land, Celeste felt that idols like Sydney still had a reason to exist At least it shows some fans what happens if you don¡¯t study hard shooting a drama and being so dumb that you can¡¯t even tell if the script is good or bad. Leonard next to her was held tightly by his manager, who was afraid he would impulsively go and defend his idol. What was initially just a petty argument could escte into a standoff between two fan bases if he got involved. ¡°Hey Celeste waved a greeting Hearing Celeste¡¯s voice, Leonard¡¯s tension evaporated instantly. He brushed off his agent, gracefully adjusted his cor and replied coolly. Celeste was speechless He¡¯s so icy, but why? She heard from the agent that he offered his makeup artist to her? Doesn¡¯t seem like it Celeste lightly moistened her lips and cleared her throat, ¡°Can I borrow your makeup artist for a touch¨C up?¡± Before Leonard could answer, she added. ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, never mind.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Leonard blurted out as he saw Celeste about to leave. Realising he might have seemed too eager, he hurriedly tried to keep his expression under control. ¡°If we finish earlier, everyone can knock off sooner! Celeste immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t slow you guys down.¡± Leonard wa speechless Meanwhile, Sydney was in the bathroom, her face dark and troubled. Liam was no longer providing resources for her, and Skyline Media Group was no longer prioritising her With newer actors rising to fame, her poprity was on the decline. If she didn¡¯t find a solution soon, her fame wouldpletely fade away within two years. She was used to this lifestyle and couldn¡¯t let herself go back to her old ways After some thought, Sydney picked up her phone and found that contact. Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Sydney dialed the number, the call went straight to voice mail, so she left her name, and hung up. She called again and the call went through almost immediately The other side was as quiet as a graveyard, not even a breath to be heard. Sydney felt a knot in her stomach. She held her phone up and tentatively said, ¡°Hello?¡± No response. Sydney clenched her fist and said, ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked Now it¡¯s your turn to help me, right?¡± A low chuckle came through the phone, distorted as if through a voice changer It sent chills down Sydney¡¯s spine. Just as Sydney was steeling herself for a rejection, a voice came through, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± In a senous tone, Sydney said, ¡°I want Phoenix Fire off the air The moment she finished speaking, a scoff came from the other side. Theughter got on Sydney¡¯s nerves. Gritting her teeth, she snapped, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± The person on the other end didn¡¯t answer her question but shot back at her, ¡°A show that¡¯s passed the censorship, how do you expect me to help? I¡¯m not a miracle worker¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you can¡¯t do anything. You managed to dig up such hidden information, exposing an actor¡¯s scandal should be a piece of cake for you, right?¡± The person on the other end scoffed, ¡°You think everyone has skeletons in their closet like you do?¡± Sydney ignored the mocking tone, ¡°Celeste hid her manage history and deceived the public. That should count as negative news. All you need to do is expose her The person on the other end snorted, ¡°Hiding a marriage history is hardly a serious issue. Which actor has been boycotted for hiding a marriage history?¡± Frustrated, Sydney snapped. Then what do we do?¡± The other person paused for a moment before speaking, ¡°That¡¯s something you should be asking yourself. How do you get her to be boycotted by everyone? isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re best at?¡± Sydney frowned, ¡°If I could do it, why would I be asking you?¡°, The person on the other end sneered. Think about it. How did you deal with your rivals before?¡± Sydney was taken aback, suddenly realizing what the person was hinting at The crimes she had hidden in the dark were being brought to light one by one An image of a blood¨Csoaked face shed through her mind, her heart pounded and her breath quickened. Sydney clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and said. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention!¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Does is matter? The person¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°As long as it achieves your goals, you¡¯re not someone who feels guilty. You¡¯ve been doing well in this industry after all these years, haven¡¯t you?¡± Sydney went pale The person paused before continuing. Think about it,pared to losing poprity, losing resources, and going back to your mediocre life, what¡¯s the big deal? Only those at the top are the strong ones. As for how you got there, once you¡¯re at the top, aren¡¯t you the one defining what¡¯s right and wrong?¡± Before Sydney met Liam and became the blood source for that little girl, her life was so ordinary nobody paid any attention to her When she was just an extra, nobody even remembered her name, she had no dignity. Sometimes, she could only squat on the ground to eat, she couldn¡¯t even sit on a chair even if there was one Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 During shoots, if a male actor touched her inappropriately, if she stayed silent, they would be more bold, if she protested, people would use her of being pretentious and kick her out of the crew, without anypensation for a day¡¯s hard work. Whether it was the lead actor or a small¨Ctime staff with some power, everyone looked down on her, just because she wasn¡¯t famous, she had no money, no background. She was jealous of Celeste, jealous of how smooth her life was at the same age. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Even after a divorce and entering the entertainment industry, she met good people,nded a role opposite Zach in her first film, and caught the attention of a bigpany like Skyline Media Group Whereas she had to sell herself to get any opportunities. Now, the new TV drama Phoenix Fire emerged like a dark horse, putting her in a tight spot. She had signed a contract with the production team of Peaceful Land. If the average rating of the show could win this year¡¯s championship, their next show called ¡°Starlight Serenade¡± would sign a contract with her. That¡¯s why she gave up Tea Tycoon and chose the controversial Peaceful Land. The director of ¡°Starlight Serenade¡± preferred Cindy, and it was only after she agreed to film Peaceful Land that she got the opportunity. Now, the ratings of Peaceful Land were declining, while Phoenix Fire was soaring. Thinking of this, Sydney finally made up her mind, she said in a serious tone, ¡°Get someone to help me.¡± Celeste finished touching up her makeup quickly She looked at herself in the mirror, adjusted a strand of hair by her ear, and met Leonard¡¯s eyes when she looked up. He quickly looked away. Celeste felt confused, were all top actors this quirky? They had been filming for almost two months now. Although she and Leonard yed a couple, they didn¡¯t have many scenes together. Every time they finished shooting. Celeste wanted to greet him, but he was always too busy ying on his phone with a cold expression It seemed like he didn¡¯t want to interact with others, so Celeste swallowed her words. Thinking that Leonard¡¯s scenes would be wrapped up soon, and that he had protected her from the water before, she hadn¡¯t properly thanked him yet, so she plucked up the courage to approach him. ¡°Leonard, are you free tomorrow after we finish shooting?¡± Leonard seemed surprised that she was initiating a conversation. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°No ns, why?¡± Celeste said softly, ¡°I owe you a meal, I n to pay it back.¡± Leonard caught on, and immediately said, ¡°Actually, we can go tonight.¡± He did not want to wait until tomorrow night Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± ¡°Not at all, who said that I have Leonard stopped mid¨Csentence, realizing it was his unreliable agent who had said that, so he quickly corrected himself, 1 did, but it got cancelledst minute¡± ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s do tonight. I¡¯ll shoot you the address once I¡¯m done filming. We¡¯ll meet there.¡± With that, Celeste took off Leonard was all pumped up. Even when his agent teased him, he didn¡¯t get mad. He just said, ¡®Get some clothes sent over. I need to freshen up.¡± His agent gave him a ¡°no problem¡® look, and immediately dialed Liam to fill him in on the n. Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 They could dine together, but only if Ms. Campbell¡¯s partner was present. So, when Leonard got all dolled up for their date, the first thing he saw upon entering was Celeste leaning in to whisper something to Liam No idea what they were nattering about, but Celeste gave Liam¡¯s hand a little pinch, and Liam took the opportunity to pull her hand into his own. Then he turned towards the entrance and greeted, ¡°Leonard, you¡¯ve arrived This greeting made Leonard recall his fear of Steven Garcia, who always spoke to him in a fatherly tone. Leonard didn¡¯t have a high opinion of Liam, thinking the guy was a little dumb. He managed to bag himself such a beautiful woman, yet he didn¡¯t appreciate her and even divorced her. Upon seeing Leonard, Celeste lifted her gaze and waved him over, ¡®Sit down, we haven¡¯t ordered yet. Have a look at the menu.¡± Leonard, who initially wanted to leave, paused, closed the door, and strode over With Liam and Celeste sitting on one side, Leonard pulled out a chair and sat across from Celeste. Celeste pushed the menu towards him and said in a friendly tone, ¡°The food here is pretty good, give it a try.¡± Leonard murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not fussy about food. Order whatever you like.¡± Celesteughed and said. ¡°Better be a bit picky, I know you celebs have strict diets. Order what you can, and I¡¯ll add what I wantter¡± Leonard didn¡¯t decline any further and began to browse the menu seriously Liam observed the young man in his early twenties sitting before him. He figured thisd probably didn¡¯t know Celeste was his cousin and might even see him as a love rival. Looking at the dishes that Leonard had chosen, Liam¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. They were all Celeste¡¯s favorites That bastard Steven, in his attempts to keep him at bay, ended up harming his own cousin. When Leonard finished ordering and handed the menu to Celeste, she was surprised, ¡°We have simr tastes. I want to eat everything you ordered.¡± Leonard thought, I have watched your interviews. How could I not know what you like? But he calmly said, ¡°What a coincidence¡± ¡°Is the wound on your back all healed?¡± Celeste asked. Leonard wanted to say it had healed a long time ago, but after ncing at Liam, he changed his answer, ¡°There are still some scars, and it hurts a bit when it rains. But it¡¯s not a problem usually Liam¡¯s eyelids twitched. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was a skin injury, not a bone injury How could it be affected by the weather? However, Celeste didn¡¯t criticize Leonard¡¯s ¡°childishness¡°. She straightforwardly said. ¡°If you¡¯re recovering this slowly at such a young age, is it because your agent doesn¡¯t let you eat properly? That won¡¯t do. Healing depends on food. You need to eat well for the wound to heal faster. Let¡¯s order more food.¡± Leonard went silent Liam was calm, even slightly amused He poured a ss of wine for Leonard and said casually, ¡°You haven¡¯t changed much since you were a kid.¡± Leonard was surprised, ¡°Are you sure you haven¡¯t mistaken me for someone else? I¡¯ve never met you before¡± Liam said at a leisurely pace, ¡°Your father, Sheldon Hann, used to live at my house, and your mother, Henry, was my teacher. At that time, I used to call your father ¡®brother¡®, so technically, you should call me ¡®uncle Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Leonard, ¡°My dad never mentioned you.¡± Liam nodded, ¡°That¡¯s normal. Your mother told me that you rarely go home.¡± Leonard was silent for a while. ¡°Do you really know my parents?¡± Liam pulled out his phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, a gentle female voice said, ¡°Hello¡± Leonard¡¯s eyes widened. That was indeed his mother¡¯s voice. Liam smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s me, Liam¡± ¡°Liam, it¡¯s been a while since youst called. Have you been busytely?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been swamped with work recently. Steven told me that you¡¯ll being to J City in a few days. Have you set the date?¡± Leonard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mom, are youing to J City?¡± The woman on the other end of the phone paused, ¡°Leo? Are you with Liam?¡± Leonard pursed his lips and reluctantly said, ¡°We are having dinner together¡± ¡°How did you two meet?¡± Leonard closed his mouth and didn¡¯t say a word Liam continued, ¡°He¡¯s in the same production team as my wife. I met him when I visited the set.¡± Leonard remained silent. His mother seemed very pleased to hear this news. She chatted with Liam for a while, then asked him to take care of Leonard and suggested they should get together when shees to J City After hanging up the phone, Liam looked at Leonard, ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± Leonard gave a snort, but didn¡¯t say anything. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Celeste, on the other hand, was quite interested ¡°Leonard¡¯s mother was your teacher, and his father was your friend. The ages don¡¯t seem to add up.¡± Liam exined, ¡°Sheldon became a father when he was 21. Your mother is six years older than him. When I was four, she came to our house and tutored me for three years They met each other at our house¡± Celeste began to calcte in her head. Leonard is 22. His father was 21 when he became a dad, so he would be 43 this year, a decade older than Liam. When Liam was five, Sheldon Hann was only 16 ar 17. He pursued a 20¨Csomething tutor and even managed to marry her. In those days, that move was simply epic! Celeste joked, ¡°So let me get this straight, you yed cupid for their parents¡°* Liam chuckled, turning to Leonard, ¡°We¡¯re family. If you need anything, just spit it out. If you feel awkward talking to me, you can always go to Celeste. Just think of her as your elder sister¡± She swiveled her head, raising her ss to Leonard, ¡°Down this drink and you¡¯re officially my little bro. From then on, in the J City¡­ she paused, hooking her arm through Liam¡¯s, pointing at his face, ¡°he¡¯s got your back.¡± Leonard, utterly clueless, took the ss, equally clueless, downed the drink, still clueless at the end, as to how the goddess of his dreams ended up being his sister Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 Leonard can hold his booze pretty well. Same goes for Celeste. Only Liam is a bit of a lightweight. But he knew his limit, so he didn¡¯t drink much Celeste, on the other hand, was a bit tipsy. Her face had turned red, and her speech was slurred. ¡°Leonard, spill the beans. How much do top stars like you rake in a year?¡± Liam, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber, sipping his tea. He thought to himself, ¡®At least she¡¯s not throwing money at people anymore. She¡¯s just curious about their eamings. That¡¯s progress, I guess.¡± Seeing Leonard keep mum, Celeste started to guess. ¡°30 million?¡± Leonard shook his head. ¡°Then, 50 million?¡± Leonard still shook his head. ¡°Could it be 100 million?¡± Leonard didn¡¯t shake his head this time Celeste immediately clung to his arm. ¡°Leonard, teach me how to be a top star like you. I want to make the big bucks too.¡± Liam gently took her hand and ced it on his own arm. I¡¯m right here¡± Celeste held onto his arm, her words slurred from the alcohol. I need to earn more than you.¡± Liam brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek, speaking softly. ¡°And then what? Propose to me?¡± Celeste shook her head, mumbling after a while, ¡°If I earn more, I can buy your time. She closed her eyes, murmuring, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to work so hard.¡± Liam was taken aback, then he chuckled, his eyes softening. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a vacation when the first snow falls.¡± ¡°Can we go for two weeks¡°¡± Liam pondered for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll try to squeeze out at least ten days¡± Celeste instantly brightened up. Had Liam said. ¡°We can go for as long as you want,¡± she would have known he was just trying to cate her. But he gave a specific number. Celeste knew he was serious That¡¯s what she sought in a rtionship a partner who would take her feelings seriously. Even if Liam couldn¡¯t take two weeks off due to work, she wouldn¡¯t me him 1 Leonard watched their interaction, feeling a pang of envy Liam could guess her thoughts from a single gesture. Celeste, even when drunk, was still concerned about his work. The atmosphere between the two of them simply didn¡¯t allow for a third party. As the dinner came to an end, Liam, carrying a drunken Celeste, called out to Leonard. Leonard still didn¡¯t like him, but he didn¡¯t despise him as much anymore Liam said, ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s good at code optimization. Want me to introduce you?¡± Leonard was taken aback ¡°Why would I need to know him?¡± Liam nced at him, pausing for a moment before saying. ¡°You can choose not to meet him. You can leave your game¡¯s issues unresolved, keep making up for your game investment losses through acting, borrow from bank to pay debt until you¡¯re left with nothing, let Steven mock you.¡± Leonard red at him ¡°you investigated me?¡± Liam brushed off his anger. He gently rocked the woman in his arms, speaking in a calm voice. ¡°I need to know who¡¯s around the woman I love. You can take it as me being nosy.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. With that, he tumed to leave with Celeste Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Leonard hesitated for a moment before calling out to him. I¡¯ve paid many people to fix it, and none seeded. What¡¯s your friend¡¯s background? Can he really do Liam didn¡¯t answer the question. Instead, he asked, ¡°What do you think of the game Legend?¡± Leonard gave an answer fitting his age. ¡°Awesome!¡± Liam smiled slightly. ¡°The optimization of that game has always been done by him, Does that meet your standards?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Leonard¡¯s eyes lit up. That was beyond standard! Excitement was quickly reced by caution. He looked at Liam warily. ¡°You¡¯re helping me out of the blue. Why?¡± ¡°Help me with the door¡± They had reached the car Liam gestured towards it. Leonard opened the car door Liam carefully helped Celeste into the backseat, making sure not to bump her head Once the car door was closed, Liam turned to Leonard. ¡°She sees you as her brother, which makes you her family. Helping you is helping her Leonard didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°You¡¯re afraid you can¡¯tpete with me, so you¡¯re trying to buy me off, aren¡¯t you?¡± Liam suddenly realized that this was probably how Steven looked at him when he was being foolish and overconfident ¡°How long have you known her? How well do you know her? And you dare to say that to me?¡± Leonard confidently retorted, ¡°You think knowing someone is about how long you¡¯ve known them? I know every character she¡¯s yed in radio dramas and TV shows. I can recite all her works. Can you do that? You probably haven¡¯t even watched all her works.¡± Liam held his lips tightly, ¡°It¡¯s true I haven¡¯t watched much of her previous works. I didn¡¯t even know she was Celestial Haze before she made it public.¡± Leonard had an ¡®I knew it expression on his face. ¡°And you dare say you know her?¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± Liam said, his expression calm, unfazed by the conversation. ¡°As you said, I don¡¯t know much about her work achievements, but I do know that she likes mangoes, hates rainy days, is scared of bugs, is allergic to peanut butter, sleeps on her left side, likes to hold something in her hand, likes her coffee with syrup, eats meat with raw garlic Liam paused, gently looking at the boy in front of him whose face had turned sour. He said softly. ¡°Do you want to know more?¡± Leonard¡¯s lips twitched, grumbling unhappily. ¡°You lived together for years, it¡¯s normal to know this stuff. What¡¯s there to brag about?¡± Liam cracked a small smile, lightly patting the young man¡¯s shoulder. Those years we spent together, that¡¯s my ace in the hole.¡± Leonard frowned and shrugged off his hand. ¡°Even if you help me, I won¡¯t thank you.¡± Liam replied breezily, ¡°Just be grateful to Celeste. If she ever runs into trouble, I hope you¡¯ll help her out of gratitude¡± Leonard rolled his eyes. How annoying! Why hadn¡¯t he thought to say that! Liam circled the car, opened the door and slid into the back seat. Through the car window, Leonard saw him gently lift Celeste¡¯s head onto hisp, then lightly stroke her face, signaling Owen to drive After the car had left, Leonard¡¯s agent finally drove up to him, rolled down the window and said. ¡°Stop staring, get in the car.¡± Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 Leonard red at him, asking. ¡°Did you call this guy?¡± The agent naturally wouldn¡¯t admit it, ¡°I have no way of contacting him.¡± Leonard didn¡¯t buy it. Besides his agent, who else would leak the news of his date with his goddess? Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So how did he know about the dinner?¡± The agent said, ¡°He¡¯s not blind, he¡¯s always had his eyes on you. Did you know why Celeste kept messing up when you were filming intimate scenes with her?¡± Leonard looked utterly clueless, obviously unaware The agent, frustrated with his density, exined, ¡°Because her ex¨Chusband was holding the reflector right above your heads! If she and her ex really were like strangers, how could she not have the courage to kiss you in front of him?¡± Leonard froze, a fuzzy image of a man in a mask appearing in his mind. The man¡¯s eyes slowly ovepped with Liam¡¯s Leonard¡¯s face tumed sour. He finally understood why Celeste was acting so strangely that day. In the car, Celeste was tossing and turning like she had ADHD. Liam held her shoulders, asking softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Celeste frowned, whispering. There¡¯s something under my neck.¡± Liam was baffled. He reached out to feel, but found nothing. So he reassured her. I¡¯ve removed it, lie down¡± Only then did Celeste lie down again, but then immediately sat up, frowning. There¡¯s still something.¡± Liam was confused, he looked around but couldn¡¯t see what Celeste was talking about. Just as Celeste was saying for the third time that there was something under her neck, Liam suddenly realized what was going on. He felt his trouser pocket and pulled out a ring That was why Celeste kept saying there was something. Every time shey down, the ring would press against the back of her neck, making her ufortable Celeste looked at the ring, startled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear it on your hand, but keep it in your pocket?¡± Liam looked down, quietly said, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? We¡¯re divorced, this is our wedding ring. I can¡¯t wear it now Celeste was slow to react, she didn¡¯t hear the sadness in Liam¡¯s words. She even raised her hand to show Liam, Tm not wearing it either¡± Liam sighed, thinking it was pointless to reason with a drunkard. Liam rubbed her face, whispering, ¡°get some sleep¡± Celeste covered her mouth, whispering in his ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go buy a new pair and wear them, secretly, don¡¯t tell anyone¡± Liam¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Under what pretext?¡± Celeste tilted her head to think, then said, ¡®do engagement rings sound okay?¡± Feeling overwhelmed, Liam cleared his throat and said, ¡°Okay¡± Then he told Owen, ¡°Go to the jewelry store¡± ¡°Not the jewelry store. Celeste said mysteriously, Tll take you somewhere.¡± So when Owen parked the car near the university city, Celeste pulled Liam out of the car and headed towards the bustling crowd. Celeste had the smell of alcohol on her, and passersby kept looking at her. Liam calmly stepped in front of her and put a mask on her When there were many people, it felt suffocating to wear a mask. Celeste instinctively wanted to pull the mask down, but Liam stopped her, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you, I¡¯ll be jealous.¡± Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 Celeste stopped, whispered back, ¡°You¡¯re too childish,¡± but she didn¡¯t reach for the mask again. She led Liam through the streets and alleys, finally finding a small shop selling gold and silver jewelry in a deep alley. It waste at night, but the lights were still on. The shop owner was lying in a rattan chair watching Phoenix Fire Heaning customers enter the shop, he put down the remote and stood up, asking. ¡°Are you here to shop or pick up goods?¡± Celeste replied. To shop. Please bring out all your gold rings for me, we¡¯re here to see rings¡± The shop owner agreed, and brought out several jewelry trays with ss covers, cing them in front of the two Liam nced at them and was surprised to find that the designs in this shop were quite attractive Many of the designs were not avable on the market, some were simple, some were vintage, even the very small patterns were exquisitely made Celeste leaned on the counter, carefully selecting, but none seemed to meet her requirements. The shop owner asked, ¡°What kind do you want, maybe I can help you find it. If we don¡¯t have what you want, we can also customize it, you just need to provide the design¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Something simple, elegant, a couple¡¯s set¡± Hearing this, the shop owner brought out three different styles for Celeste, ¡°What about these?¡± Upon seeing them, Celeste immediately chose a ring that was half smooth and half sandsted. At the joint, there was a carved auspicious cloud, simple yet full of design She eagerly asked the shop owner. ¡°Do you have this in men¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes¡± He brought out two rings. These rings are standard size, if they don¡¯t fit, I can remake them ording to your finger size.¡± Celeste picked up the male ring, pulled Liam¡¯s hand over, and tried it on him. Coincidentally, it fit perfectly. Liam looked down at it, was about to speak when Celeste had already put the other ring on her own finger Liam was speechless. Was it supposed to be this casual? Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Just like that, they put on engagement rings? ¡°How much?¡± Celeste leaned on the counter and asked the shop owner The owner did some calctions and gave a price. ¡°Gold is too expensive, can you give a discount¡± The shop ownerughed, ¡°Gold is expensive these days, I haven¡¯t added much forbor, I have to make some profit¡± ¡°But you are charging 1.5 times the market price. Can you give a discount, please? We¡¯re getting married and still have to buy three gold jewelry sets. Consider it attracting repeat customers¡± Liam was silent Wasn¡¯t she drunk? Howe she wasn¡¯t confused when bargaining? The boss smiled bitterly. ¡°This is gold, not diamond, the price can¡¯t just be reduced. I¡¯ve already lowered it as much as I can, look at our craftsmanship, it¡¯s traditional, I really haven¡¯t overcharged you¡± Celeste furrowed her brows, propping her face up with both hands. Even with a mask on and her expression hidden, Liam could guess that she was definitely clenching her teeth, her face a mask of pain and confusion. Looking at the non¨Cnegotiable price, Liam was even ready to cough up the cash when Celeste suddenly piped up. ¡®Hey, are you following Phoenix Fire too?¡± ¡°Yeah, that show is a real hooker, especially the actress who ys the queen, her crying scenes are just top¨Cdrawer.¡± Celeste said, ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of the queen too, my friends even say i look like her¡± The owner thought she was spinning a yam,ughed it off and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± said Celeste, pulling off her mask, ¡°Take a look, do I look like her?¡± The owner looked up, utterly shocked. She didn¡¯t just look like her, she was the spitting image! Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 He nced at the TV, then at Celeste, looking a bit lost. After a while he finally said, ¡°Yeah¡­ kind of.¡± it? Celeste squinted. ¡°A friend of mine took a picture with our photo, pretending to be with her, and no one could tell.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but wonder, wasn¡¯t she drunk? Why is she lying so effortlessly now? Her face unchanged, her heart steady, and her logic so clear? The shop owner seemed bbergasted, ¡°You¡¯re right, your eyes are exactly the same, just the mouth is a bit different.¡± Celeste immediately put on a face like a queen on TV and asked the shop owner, ¡°Do I look like her now?¡± The shop owner¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Exactly like her¡± Celeste leaned in and whispered to the shop owner, ¡°Can we make a deal? If you give me a discount, I¡¯ll take a picture with you. When this actress bes famous, you can hang our picture at the entrance of your shop Your shop will be a hotspot for celebrity fans. At that time, you will definitely receive a lot of orders. This is much more effective than hiring someone to advertise, and it¡¯s cheaper¡® The shop owner hesitated, ¡°Don¡¯t fool me if I really use semeone else¡¯s name and if they find out and sue me for infringing on their portrait rights, the little money! make won¡¯t be enough topensate¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking a picture with me, not her. If you don¡¯t write her name, why would she sue you? I look like her, is that illegal? This face isn¡¯t her patent. Even if she pursues it, we¡¯re just borrowing her fame, it¡¯s not rted to portrait rights.¡± She spoke with righteousness The shop owner was really swayed and hesitated, ¡°Can your n really work?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste sighed and said leisurely, ¡°If you¡¯re really scared, then forget it. I¡¯ll go check out other stores.¡± As she was about to take off her ring and leave, the shop owner hesitated for a second, then gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine, but you have to take more pictures with me¡± Celeste immediately broke into a wide grin, ¡°I can take seven or eight more, no problem¡± So, two rings, a total of more than 15 grams, were finally bought at a much lower price The shop owner had her take several pictures, not only with him, but also with the shop sign and her wearing all the jewelry from the shop. After the two left, the shop owner looked at the selfies in his phone, then at the queen on TV Sometimes he thought they looked alike, sometimes not so much. In the end, he simply posted the selfies on Twitter to see what others thought Within ten minutes of posting, thements exploded. Friends were asking if Celeste had visited his store The shop owner was relieved, it seemed they really did look alike, no one figured it out. As Celeste and Liam left the shop, a cold wind blew and she couldn¡¯t help but sneeze Liam, holding his coat, draped it over her shoulders Celeste rubbed her nose, took his hand with the ring on it, put it together with her own, and squinted at him, ¡°Does it look good?¡± Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Liam honestly answered, ¡°It looks very good.¡± He had also taken a fancy to this pair of rings at first sight, but he was a bit puzzled. ¡°Why buy gold rings? Don¡¯t you prefer diamond rings?¡± In his opinion, gold is easy to deform and wear, not the best ring material Celeste¡¯s reason was straightforward ¡°Gold retains its value The wedding ring you bought me, when I had it appraisedst year, they only valued it at over a million, while we bought it for over three million, the gap is too big, the gold bracelet you gave me at our wedding has appreciated nearly ten thousand this year Buying gold is safer than buying diamonds. If you go bankrupt in the future, we can sell the gold to make ends meet! Liam thought there was some special meaning to this, but it turned out to be fear of depreciation. In Mrs. Reed¡¯s eyes, money is still the most important thing ¡°How did you find this shop?¡± Liam held her hand and asked as they walked The location of this shop is not easy to find, but Celeste was able to find it urately. It wasn¡¯t her first time here. Sure enough, Celeste said, ¡°When I was in school, Trishals mother was choosing a Mother¡¯s Day gift. She said that the brands in the big malls were overpriced, so she took me around looking for gold and silver jewelry shops innes, and finally picked a pair of earrings from this shop¡± ¡°Actually, I saw a ne in their shop, a very fine chain that was shiny and very beautiful. I wanted to give it to my mother But at that time, I didn¡¯t have enough money, and I couldn¡¯t ask my father¨CShawn for the money. Even if I asked, he wouldn¡¯t give it to me, and I would likely be scolded by him After all, in his eyes, paying for a sick person¡¯s medical expenses was already very annoying for him, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t spend money to buy her gifts I didn¡¯t have enough money, so if I wanted to buy it, I had to get a part¨Ctime job. At that time, a print model made 50 dors a day, and a show girl at a car show made 100 to 150 dors a day. I was lucky and got selected to be a show girl at the car show, and I worked for six days in total. I was supposed to get 800 dors, but on thest day of the car show, I had a conflict with a man who got injured and made a scene at the convention center in the end, the police came and contacted my guardian, Shawn, and we ended uppensating the man 500 dors I wanted to go to the person in charge of the convention center to ask for my sry, but I was stopped by Shawn, who said I was making a fool of myself In his eyes, being harassed by a man was something I should be ashamed of, because being a show girl at a car show meant that I didn¡¯t respect myself. He made me doubt for a while whether being beautiful was a sin. I didn¡¯t even dare to wear pretty dresses, but in reality, the dirty ones should be those vulgar people¡± She spoke in a very calm tone, as if telling someone else¡¯s story, but it made Liam¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Later, I received 600 dors inpensation. However, when I went to buy the ne with the money, I found that it had already been bought by someone else. and Mother¡¯s Day had passed¡± Liam felt a little choked up He knew about this, but not until today did he find out that the person who had been harassed that day was Celeste. He was at the car show that year But at that time, he was a VIP invited by the organizers, chatting with the person in charge of the exhibition on the upper floor. When the incident happened, he didn¡¯t witness it. By the time he found out, the scene downstairs was in an uproar. The convention center was all shook up about this potentially messing with their brand image, so they quickly pulled the folks involved in the conflict into a separate room to hash things out. Liam¡¯s coboration was a smashing sess. As he was leaving, he bumped into a girl who was crying her eyes out in the stairwellText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Liam didn¡¯t usually poke his nose into other people¡¯s business, but the heart¨Cwrenching sobs of a girl made him stop in his tracks. She was sobbing quietly, not making much noise. But her trembling shoulders and asional sniffles were enough to break anyone¡¯s heart. The staff member who was responsible for driving him around exined the situation when she noticed he had stopped. The girl was the one who had been harassed by a man at the convention and had pped him in the face. Her guardian hade to handle the situation but didn¡¯t take her side. In fact, they had scolded her for asking for her paycheck, which was probably the reason for her distress Liam asked, looking at her retreating figure, ¡°How much was her paycheck?¡± The staff member told him the truth. Six days of work amounted to $800. But the incident had caused a disturbance at the convention, and the cost of maintaining the brand image far exceeded $800. Therefore, thepany might not pay her. Not asking her forpensation was already quite considerate, as everyone should be held ountable for their actions After hearing this, Liam only asked one question, ¡°What would you do if you were harassed in such a situation?¡± The staff member hesitated for a moment beforeying out a very formal protocol. In summary, it was all about prioritizing the brand image. Liam didn¡¯t respond but suddenly reached out towards her chest. The female staff member instinctively stepped back, raising her hand to block him. His hand stopped before touching her, and under her surprised gaze, he slowly withdrew it, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with a woman protecting herself. If everything isn¡¯t human¨Ccentric, then brand image is a joke.¡± Whether it was Liam¡¯s words that made a difference or the brand fearing damage to their image among important clients. They handled the situation well in the end, even paying most of Celeste¡¯s paycheck It was a few dayster that Liam received a text from the female staff member, informing him of the result and thanking him for his valuable advice. He read the message and then forgot about it, only vaguely remembering the girl¡¯s sobbing silhouette He didn¡¯t expect that his unintentional action years ago had brought hope to Celeste. Perhaps fate had decided everything ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t manage to buy the ne, I¡¯m still happy I somehow feel that I¡¯m a lucky person. It seems like God always takes special care of me. Every time I¡¯m in desperate need of money, I always manage to find a job. So I don¡¯t have to beg Shawn for money. Celeste chuckled and looked at Liam, ¡°When I was forced to get engaged I happened to meet you, saving me from marrying someone I detest.¡± A soft feeling welled up in Liam¡¯s heart. This was probably what made Letti different from others. Her fife took a turn at neen. Before that, she was taken care of by Caitlyn as if she was a naive princess After that, her mother fell into aa due to a car ident. Her father favored his illegitimate daughter, using her as a tool for political marriage. She fell from heaven to hell overnight, forced to grow up abruptly. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Most people would me themselves andin about their misfortune when faced with such situations. But Letti would always say that she was lucky, that a job would alwayse her way when she was in desperate need of money, that he woulde when she wanted to escape from her family She always looked at things from an optimistic perspective, which was probably her most attractive trait Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 Liam held her hand tightly, whispering. ¡°Is it because you didn¡¯t manage to buy the ne that you brought me here to spend money, to make up for the disappointment?¡± Upon hearing this, Celesteughed uncontrobly. After a while, she said, ¡°The first time I came to their store and saw those beautiful rings. I thought to myself that when I have a partner, I want to bring him here to buy matching rings.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°Why are you only bringing me here now?¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re my partner now, not before.¡± Liam was confused, ¡°What was I before then?¡± Celeste drawled, ¡°A marriage partner? A meal buddy? A bed buddy? Something along those lines.¡± Liam was speechless. He wished he hadn¡¯t asked. ¡® ¡°Aren¡¯t you drunk?¡± Liam asked. Celeste nced at him, ¡°Are you nning to take advantage of me when I¡¯m drunk and do unspeakable things?¡± Liam was more direct, ¡°I prefer to do unspeakable things with you when you¡¯re sober.¡± Celeste said, ¡°Deduct ten points¡± Liam furrowed his brows, ¡°Why does this scoring system still exist? Haven¡¯t I already won you over?¡± ¡°When did you win me over?¡± Celeste quickly backtracked on her words, ¡°We¡¯re currently in the probation period. You haven¡¯t officially won me over yet. Of course, I¡¯ll deduct points if you¡¯re not doing well.¡± Liam suddenly didn¡¯t feel like talking anymore. Celeste pulled his hand and walked a short distance before suddenly saying, ¡°Shawn is getting married.¡± Liam was taken aback. Celeste drawled, ¡°He called me before we met up tonight. The date is already set. It¡¯s next weekend.¡± Liam came back to his senses. No wonder Letti was so emotional tonight, constantly mentioning Shawn. ¡°Are you going?¡± He asked. Celeste nodded, ¡°Of course, he invited me enthusiastically. I naturally have to go. I need to see with my own eyes the oue of this immoral couple, for my mom¡¯s sake.¡± Liam pursed his lips, and after a few seconds, he murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you don¡¯t look much like Caitlyn?¡± ¡°I look like my grandfather.¡± Celeste confidently stated, ¡°My mom said that my grandfather was a handsome young man. I must have inherited his looks.¡± Liam said, ¡°I think your grandfather and you don¡¯t look that simr either.¡± ¡°You even mistook me for ir, so it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t see the resemnce.¡± Celeste said. Liam¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t mistake you for someone else.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Celeste didn¡¯t want to continue the discussion, ¡°I¡¯m so tired. Let¡¯s get a room. I want to see your abs.¡± The words ¡°Do you want to look for other rtives?¡± that were at the tip of Liam¡¯s tongue were swallowed back down. He didn¡¯t book a room, but took Celeste back to Pinecrest Manor instead. After all, her drama was currently airing, and she could be recognized at any time. On the way, she fell asleep unknowingly. After Liam carried her back to the bedroom, he went to freshen up However, halfway through, Celeste suddenly barged into the bathroom. Liam nearly jumped out of his skin. He thought she was going to the restroom, but she walked straight up to him. Just as she said she would, and started feeling his abs. After she was done, she even patted his chest, assessing him like a drill sergeant, ¡°Not bad, keep it up.¡± Liam quickly grabbed this willful woman, nibbling on her ear, and rasped, ¡°Just feeling my abs not enough for you? Want to give me a full¨Cbody -check?¡° Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 She was just about to sneak away. But Liam was having none of it. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he hoisted her up and plonked her down on the bathroom counter. The mist from the shower fogged up the mirror behind Celeste. Liam¡¯s hand rested on the mirror as he looked at her with hisshes lowered. Sitting across from him, Celeste tried to avoid his intense gaze by looking down. But the sight of his bare body made her quickly look up again. Her eyes darted around the room, unsure of where to look. Liam chuckled softly, leaning in close to tease her. His lips were so close to her face, they were almost touching. Her ears turned red. She pushed against his chest, trying to get down from the counter. Only for him to suddenly lean in, trapping her between the mirror and him. He waspletely naked. Water droplets falling from his hair, running down his cheek, chin, corbone, and then rolling down his muscr body. The close¨Cup view made Celeste¡¯s mouth dry. Her mind was a mess, and she didn¡¯t know where to look. Liam suddenly pinched her bottom. Celeste, unprepared, let out a yelp. Liam didn¡¯t use much force, but the pinch was embarrassing. Celeste¡¯s face turned red up to her ears. Covering the pinched area, she red at him, ¡°What the hell?¡± Liam bit her lip as if to punish her, but it wasn¡¯t hard. It was a slight pain that quickly turned into a kiss. He said, ¡°We haven¡¯t settled the matter of you two pretending to be a couple.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a thing of the past?¡± Liam looked down, confidently saying. ¡°But mypensation hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Celeste asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Liam leaned in close to her ear and whispered something. Celeste¡¯s eyes widened, then her ears and neck turned red. She snapped, ¡°That¡¯s something from the film crew. How could I get it for you? Quit daydreaming. Liam said, ¡°Everything can be bought with money.¡± Celeste refused to back down, ¡°If you want to make a call, you call Zach. I care about my dignity, I can¡¯t make that request.¡± Liam calmly said, ¡°I can call, but are you sure that if I do, he won¡¯t think more of it?¡± Celeste hesitated for a while, but in the end, she called Zach. Zach had just taken a shower and was reading a script when he got her call. He picked up immediately. ¡°Hello, Mr. Miller, it¡¯s me.¡± Celeste sounded a bit nervous, but Zach didn¡¯t notice. Instead, he joked, ¡°Not yet a big star, and you already can¡¯t sleep from excitement?¡± Celesteughed. ¡°You¡¯re so funny.¡± Zach shrugged, leaning back on the couch, cheerfully asking, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Celeste said, ¡°Nothing much. Do you still have that dress I wore in the film?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Should be in the hands of the costume department. Why?¡± Zack asked. Celeste hummed a response, then hesitated, ¡°That dress. Would the film crew sell it? I want to buy it as a keepsake.¡± Zach paused, ¡°That dress is worth tens of thousands of dors. How much are you paid? Spending that much money on a piece of decoration, have you lost your mind?¡± Celesteughed, saying, ¡°Forget I asked. Liam, give me back my phone!¡± There was amotion on the other end of the line, then a deep male voice said, ¡°100,000 dors. If that¡¯s okay, I send someone to pick it up right now.¡± Celeste was trying to snatch the phone back and cursing at the same time, ¡°Liam, you idiot. Are you just burning money?¡± Zach was taken aback, then quickly said, ¡°Deal¡°. Half an hourter, the dress appeared at Pinecrest Manor. The two of them stood in front of the dress for a good half minute. Celeste was about to run away when Liam wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering, ¡°Ms. Campbell, time to change.¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°If you bring this up again, you¡¯re really shameless!¡± Liam smiled softly, whispering, ¡°As you wish.¡± Celeste grabbed the dress and was about to go upstairs when Liam called her back, ¡°Change right here.¡± Celeste was taken aback. Liam sat on the couch with his legs crossed, elbow on the armrest, looking at her with appreciation. He had just taken a shower. But instead of pajamas, he was wearing trousers and a shirt. While waiting for the dress, he evenbed his hair. Now, he looked every bit the cool and collected businessman. Facing this Liam, Celeste¡¯s heartbeat unconsciously quickened. But she didn¡¯t lose her sanity, firmly rejecting Liam¡¯s request, ¡°You¡¯re going too far.¡± Liam slowly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t the method ofpensation supposed to be determined by the person being compensated? If you can¡¯t do it, then what¡¯s the point ofpensation?¡± Celeste gritted her teeth, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen me change before?¡± Liam was very direct, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you change into a dress.¡± Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 Cdn¡¯t get it. ¡°It¡¯s just a dress, what¡¯s so special about it?¡± Liam looked at her, then picked up his phone and made a call. Just as Celeste was about to ask who he was calling, Mason¡¯s voice came through on speaker, ¡°Liam?¡± What the hell was he up to? Liam responded coolly Mason sounded tired. ¡°Still awake? What¡¯s up sote?¡± Liam drawled, ¡°Nics is throwing a party this week, and he wants to invite you and your girlfriend. Is that okay?¡± Celeste was stunned. Mason hesitated. ¡°I thought you two didn¡¯t like bringing dates to parties?¡± Liam, expressionless, passed the me to Nics, ¡°Nics mainly wants to meet your girlfriend. They didn¡¯t really get to know each other at Lymany¡¯s wedding¡± Celeste gestured angrily for him to hang up. Liam pointed at the dress, leaving the choice to her. Celeste immediately put on a ¡°ferocious¡± face Mason said, ¡°She¡¯s been busy with worktely Might not have time¡± Liam gave a slight smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t she a music teacher? How busy can she be? is Ms. Colton not willing to mingle with us?¡± After a pause. Mason said, ¡®TI cher Then he hung up Finally Celeste could speak, gritting her teeth, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liam leaned back casually and said, ¡°Since I didn¡¯t get my duepensation. I have to get some elsewhere, or I¡¯d feel off bnce.¡± ¡°And you think it¡¯s fun to mess with Mason?¡± Celeste asked Liam was very unhappy with thisment. He leaned forward, looking at her seriously. ¡°He painted you like that, and I didn¡¯t hit him. I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty restrained Celeste was still puzzling over what ¡°like that¡± meant when her phone rang with a call from Mason Celeste didn¡¯t know whether to answer or hang up She really didn¡¯t want to pick up. But Mason called three times in a so she finally answered. Liam watched her actions, his eyelid twitching As soon as she answered, Mason¡¯s warm voice came through, ¡°Celeste, are you asleep? Sorry for calling sote.¡± Just got out of the shower I had a busy day and was about to sleep¡± Celeste faked a tired voice, ¡°Mr Fletcher, what¡¯s up? Mason picked up on her tiredness and didn¡¯t bring up what Liam said instead, he said, ¡°Nothing much, just wanted to congratte you. Phoenix Fires been well received. My friends are all watching it, saying you¡¯re pretty and a good actress.¡± Celeste was thrilled at thepliment, humbly replying. ¡°Thanks you Mason said, ¡°You¡¯re really good at acting I can¡¯t tell that you¡¯re acting at all it feels like the real you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Celeste was ecstatic, as this was the best praise for an actress. ¡°You¡¯re not just trying to cheer me up, are you?¡± Mason chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ll know when youe to the firm next time. You have a lot of fans Celeste teased. ¡°Are you one of them?¡± Mason yed along. ¡°I guess I could be considered a mega fan. When given the choice between watching your show or working overtime, everyone chose your show¡± Celesteughed She was about to reply, when someone wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck. Celeste shrieked in surprise Mason immediately asked. ¡°Celeste? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Celeste tried to push Liam away, hoping he would stop, but he didn¡¯t. He even slipped his hand into her shirt. His hand was wandering around her waist, giving Celeste goosebumps. Blushing. Celeste grabbed Liam¡¯s hand and mouthed, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± But Liam didn¡¯t stop, instead moving his kisses to her corbone, kissing and lightly biting. Celeste couldn¡¯t handle the stimtion, her breathing bing erratic. Then Mason¡¯s voice came through the phone again, ¡°Celeste? Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°Ah, I have something to do Celeste¡¯s voice was a bit husky. She didn¡¯t dare to say more, just saying ¡°Let¡¯s talk some other time before hanging After the Celeste grabbed Liam¡¯s hair, angrily asking. ¡°Are you crazy? What if Masgeheard?¡± 10:36 Liam sneered, ¡°So what if he heard? Hasn¡¯t he seen a couple making out before?¡± Celeste was about to get angry, but his words made her feel like he was being jealous. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. Liam frowned, ¡°Am I funny?¡± Celesteughed, ¡°I¡¯m just pretending to be Mason¡¯s girlfriend, helping him with some stuff. I told you as soon as I saw you, why are you still jealous? I never knew you were so easy to get jealous.¡± Liam said angrily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too good to Mason? No matter how outrageous his requests, you always agree. But I just ask you to change a dress and you refuse!¡± Celeste smiled, ¡°Listen to yourself, are those two thingsparable?¡± Liam red at her, ¡°To me, they are. You always reject me, but you always leave room for him!¡± Celeste saw he was truly upset and softened her tone, ¡°Why would you think that? I¡¯m reluctant to reject Mason because he¡¯s never asked me for any help before. Instead, he¡¯s always been helping me. You know I don¡¯t like to owe people. The first time he asked for my help, I felt awkward But if it could help him solve his problems, I wouldn¡¯t owe him anymore. I think it¡¯s worth it.¡± Logically, Liam could understand, but he didn¡¯t want to be logical! His long held discontent suddenly burst out, ¡°You¡¯re always smiling when you talk to him. Your voice is even softer than when you talk to me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡®¡± Celestepletely denied it. Liam scoffed, ¡°See, now you¡¯re shouting at me. Do you do that to him?¡± Celeste was shocked. She forced a change in her tone, raising her voice and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Is it okay if I talk to you like this?¡± Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Liam nearly burst intoughter as he feigned indifference, shooting Celeste a cold nce before grumbling, ¡°I¡¯d rather you be cute, not insane.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The corner of Celeste¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Liam, don¡¯t push it!¡± Liam quickly pinpointed his source ofint, ¡°You can¡¯t tolerate me for a minute, but you¡¯re endlessly patient with him. Last time at the races, I fell harder than he did. Yet you ran off with him. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit too considerate of him?¡± Celeste was taken aback, ¡°Weren¡¯t you already up and walking?¡± Liam immediately yed the victim, ¡°I dislocated my arm! He only got a minor scrape. By the time you guys got to the clinic, his wound was already scabbing over!* Celeste asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything then?¡± A forgotten incident resurrected by Celeste¡¯s question, amplifying Liam¡¯s sense of injustice. ¡°You started ming me as soon as you arrived, using me of bringing him to the races and pinning all the responsibility on me How was I supposed to speak up?¡± Liam looked down, ¡°You despised me so much back then, and you wouldn¡¯t have cared if I said anything¡± Celeste gaped, struggling to find words. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t know you were injured, but my reprimand wasn¡¯t solely because Mason got hurt¡± When Liam fell off the horse, her heart nearly stopped until she saw him get up and walk towards them. She sighed in relief. Her anger towards Liam was partly due to fear of him getting hurt and partly due to her annoyance at still caring about Liam¡¯s feelings after their divorce. These conflicting emotions made it impossible for her to control her reproach towards him. Liam was taken aback. Seeing her expression, his heart softened. He pulled her hand to his, gently stroking it, and whispered. ¡°Forget it, I forgive you Celeste was speechless. She hadn¡¯t intended to apologize, and this wasn¡¯t entirely her fault. ¡°Don¡¯t be so friendly with him next time.¡± Liam said. Celeste replied, ¡°Should I avoid him next time we meet?¡± Liam nodded. ¡°That would be best¡± Celeste lightly hit him. ¡°Have your little jealous fit then I didn¡¯t feel anything special to him. I just feel sorry for him.¡± Celeste paused, ¡°Do you know about his burns? Large areas of his body are scarred.¡± Liam froze. his expression changing slightly as he asked in a low voice, ¡°How do you know about his injuries?¡± Celeste blurted out, ¡°He showed me.¡± Liam¡¯s face darkened, he gritted his teeth, ¡°He showed you? Did he strip in front of you?¡± Celeste twitched her mouth in disgust, ¡°What are you thinking? Didn¡¯t we bring Grandpa David to the cruise ship before?¡± Celeste hesitated. ¡°I saw it when he rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands.¡± Liam caught the hesitation in her words and sneered, ¡°You saw it when he rolled up his sleeves to make pasta, didn¡¯t you?¡± Celeste ignored Liam¡¯s jealousy and continued, ¡°He¡¯s so young, with burn scars all over his body, suffers from migraines. And you told me he watched his little brother die when he was young. I think he¡¯s pitiful, but he¡¯s so positive and gentle. I feel guilty for a long time if I even speak harshly to him. How could I possiblysh out at him?¡± Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 Liam looked at her strangely, opening his mouth to speak but struggling to find the words, ¡°Did he tell you how he got those injuries?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Celeste shook her head, ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t seem to remember clearly or something. He seems to reject those memories. But that¡¯s normal, I also don¡¯t like to think about the day my mom and I had a car ident. It would be nice if I could erase those painful memories from my mind.¡± She paused and asked curiously. ¡°Do you know how he got those burns?¡± Liam nced at her, ¡°You just said to ignore him, and now you¡¯re interested in his matters?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just chat?¡± Celeste asked. ¡°No!¡± Liam said. Celeste huffed, ¡°Stingy!¡± Just then, Liam¡¯s phone rang Celeste spotted Mason¡¯s name with sharp eyes. Liam looked at Celeste, giving her two options again, ¡°Change clothes or answer the phone?¡± Celeste gritted her teeth. ¡°Ill change my clothes!¡± Liam smirked sessfully. ¡°Let¡¯s get started¡± Celeste started undressing unwillingly. They had been married for quite some time, so undressing in front of each other wasn¡¯t really embarrassing. However, it was a different story when one party refused to undress, focusing solely on watching the other. Liam¡¯s expression was even more serious than when he was reading documents, but he was watching her undress. The embarrassment was off the charts She tried her best not to look at Liam, quickly undressing and grabbing the costume to put on. When one was in a hurry, their hands often didn¡¯t cooperate The quicker Celeste tried to get dressed, the more mistakes she made. Either her sleeve wouldn¡¯t go on properly, or her belt kepting loose Just as she was attempting to tie her belt for the third time, Liam appeared beside her, holding her hand and whispering. ¡°Let me help.¡± Celeste blushed, whispering back, ¡°You don¡¯t know how.¡± Liam leaned in closer. ¡°Then teach me ¡± So, under Ms Campbell¡¯s instruction, he finally managed to help her into the dress Liam looked down at Celeste The first time he saw her in this dress, all he could think about was how she¡¯d look when he took it off. Wearing the gown from the y, facing Liam, Celeste felt strange One moment she felt like she was in character, but the man in front of her reminded her this was reality, and that this man was her lover. Liam remained silent, just staring at her, which made her skin crawl Celeste cleared her throat, whispering. ¡°Had enough? This dress is heavy, I¡¯m going to change.¡± As she turned to leave, Liam suddenly grabbed her wrist, his voice low and seductive. ¡°Won¡¯t the queen favor me tonight?¡± Celeste jumped, her face turning beet red as she stuttered, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Liam lifted his gaze, his eyes bright, and demeanor charming. After he finished speaking. His hand reached into her dress, effortlessly undoing theplicated buttons. Celeste clung to his hand nervously, looking kinda pitiful, ¡°What are you up to?¡± Liam gave a chuckle, leaned in close to her ear, and said word by word, ¡°I wanna spend some quality time with my queen, is that cool?¡± Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Celeste¡¯s face was as red as a ripe apple. She had fantasized about Liam confessing his love to her many times, but she never expected it to happen so easily. However, the situation was a bit unexpected. Celeste pushed his hand away and whispered, ¡°Let me change my clothes first.¡± But Liam pulled her back, whispered huskily into her ear, ¡°What do you think I bought this dress for?¡± Celeste widened her eyes. ¡°You?!¡± But Liam didn¡¯t wait for her to speak, he kissed her and then picked her up. Afraid of falling, Celeste instinctively clung to his neck. Liam chuckled and kissed her deeply. He was always conservative in this respect. After all, he was the kind of man who could keep his cool even when she was wearing sexy clothes to seduce him. Celeste once thought that Liam might have some sexual apathy. But today, she found out that what Liam really liked was not the role she yed, but her. When Liam was on top of her, she felt his deep affection for the first time, making her weak and trembling. Perhaps because of the intense emotions, his movements were not as gentle as usual, somewhat eager. And he even started before she had fully taken off her clothes. Celeste was in a bit of pain, and her brow furrowed involuntarily. Liam immediately stopped, gently kissed her forehead and asked in a low voice, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Celeste nodded, then shook her head. It did hurt a bit, but she could bear it. She actually liked Liam being a bit rough; she thought it was attractive Liam put her hand on his shoulder, held her chin, and asked her to lift her head. He then whispered in her ear. ¡°If it hurts, just look at my face more. It might not hurt so much.¡± Celeste was stunned. Obviously, he was teasing her. She wasn¡¯t that easy to tease, and retorted, ¡°Do you think your face is as young as it was four years ago? You¡¯re old now, and your face doesn¡¯t have that effective pain¨Crelieving effect anymore. You should work more on your technique, not just rely on emotion.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the look on his face became dangerous, ¡°You¡¯re right, I should improve my skills. Please be patient with me tonight.¡± Celeste was taken aback She was interrupted by Liam before she could manage to say something. Obviously, never provoke a man at such times, or she would be the one who suffered in the end On the other side, Mason hung up the phone with a frown and called Nics. Nics was lying in bed, enjoying a massage from Trisha. Although Trisha was small, she was strong and had good massage techniques, which made him sleepy. The phone rang and he was woken up by Trisha, ¡°Mason, you shouldn¡¯t disturb people in the middle of the night¡± Masonughed, ¡°ording to your schedule, this should be your most energetic time, right?¡± ¡°That was in the past.¡± Nics said slowly, ¡°I have a family now, I have to take care of my health.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Trisha¡¯s heart rate elerated. This man was so good at lying, unlike her, who would get so nervous she couldn¡¯t speak clearly when someone asked for details. After saying all this, Nics asked, ¡°What do you need?¡± Then Mason asked, ¡°When is the gathering?¡± Nics was confused, ¡°What gathering?¡± Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Mason hesitated for a moment, then said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you arrange a gathering? You even asked Liam to contact me.¡± He organized a gathering, how could he not know about it? What the hell was Liam doing? Nics was good at lying, so he immediately said, ¡°Ah, yes. There is such a thing. Are youing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I have two cases this week. If I can finish them, I¡¯ll go.¡± Mason paused, then asked, ¡°Are we all bringing dates? Or is it just us guys?¡± Nicsughed, ¡°It¡¯s best for men to drink together, and bringing a date is troublesome¡± Especially Celeste. If he drank with Liam, he couldfort him even if Liam drank too much. But if Celeste was there, he would be killed by her gaze if he poured an extra ss for Liam. Mason was silent for a moment before saying. ¡°Ok, got it¡± After hanging up the phone, Trisha said, ¡°If you think bringing a date is troublesome, why do you have a girlfriend?¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°If you want to go, I¡¯ll take you. I¡¯ll never find you troublesome.¡± Trisha snorted, ¡°I¡¯m taking care of you all day, and you still want me to take care of a drunk person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration Nics said Trisha pointed to her own dark circles, ¡°Look at me!¡± Nics wanted tough, but when he saw Trisha¡¯s dark circles, he couldn¡¯t. Lately, he had been a bit too much. Using his injury as an excuse, he often called Trisha. Out of guilt, Trisha would always meet his demands. He didn¡¯t really want her to work, and he just wanted to spend more time with her. But if he didn¡¯t use sickness as an excuse, Trisha wouldn¡¯t He grabbed Trisha¡¯s hand and said softly. ¡°Thank you.¡± He suddenly spoke so seriously that Trisha was a bit ufortable, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, as long as you get better soon. How¡¯s the doctor¡¯s visittely? What did the doctor say?¡± Nics couldn¡¯t possibly let himself ¡°recover¡± so quickly. He said, ¡°The doctor said the wound is healing well. I can sleep lying down in a couple of days The wound doesn¡¯t hurt so much anymore, as long as I don¡¯t do vigorous activities.¡± Trisha¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So you¡¯re all better now?¡± Nics looked a bit downcast, ¡°The wound is healed, but I still can¡¯t do that.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The wound is healed, how could there be a problem?¡± Trisha sounded a bit anxious, ¡°What did the doctor say? Is it not fully recovered, or is it a psychological problem?¡± ¡°The doc ain¡¯t sure either. He just said I need some peace and quiet.¡± He coughed, then added, ¡°He suggests to spend more time with my girlfriend, try to stir up some emotions or something.¡± Trisha frowned, with a puzzled look on her face. It took her a good while before she asked, ¡°So, are you gonna get a girlfriend to test it out?¡± Nics felt really annoyed. She still wanted him to go find a girlfriend! ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend right now, are you telling me to go look for someone else?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I just pretending?¡± Trisha said quietly Nics red at her. ¡°To everyone else, you¡¯re the real deal. If I go chasing other women, wouldn¡¯t that be cheating? if Celeste finds out I¡¯ve betrayed you, she¡¯ll have my head!¡± Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Her best friend might indeed do such a thing. Though he didn¡¯t ¡°betray¡± out of fear of Letti, it made Trisha breathe a sigh of relief. However, thinking about this tricky situation, she felt troubled again, ¡°What should I do?¡± Nics was hoping that Trisha would be a bit more proactive. But if he said so, she might get mad. So he sighed, ¡°Just borrow some films from friends and watch them myself.¡± Trisha froze, immediately realizing what Nics meant by ¡°films¡°, and felt a bit awkward. Feeling embarrassed but also very curious, she asked softly, ¡°Uncensored ones?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Nics was stunned. She really didn¡¯t see him as a man, actually discussing this topic with him. Nics said, ¡°Only kids watch uncensored ones, because they¡¯re all focused on sex itself. I prefer those with a storyline.¡± Trisha¡¯s face turned red immediately, and after a while, she blurted out, ¡°Pervert!¡± Nics chuckled, ¡°Which kind do you prefer?¡± Trisha blushed even more. She red at Nics, and huffed, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Nics said leisurely, ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to say, it must be even more perverted than me. This time, Trisha didn¡¯t fall for it, she snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re definitely the most perverted.¡± Nicsughed quietly for a while. It was already past eleven, Trisha was yawning continuously. Rubbing her eyes, she said, ¡°I have to go back.¡± Nics didn¡¯t want her to leave, and he said softly, ¡°Celeste isn¡¯ting back, aren¡¯t you scared living alone?¡± Trisha said, ¡°I used to live alone when I rented an apartment, what¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Nics was thinking fast. ¡°But it hasn¡¯t been very peaceful around here recently. Didn¡¯t the dog of a homeowner in the next neighborhood get tortured to death in the basement? What if you, a weak woman, encounter these bad guys?¡± Mentioning this, Trisha got angry. Such a serious matter. But in the end, it was only settled by a few thousand dorspensation. It was too cheap for this guy. ¡°If he dares toe, watch me, smash him to death for the sake of the people!¡± Trisha said. Nics was speechless. Honestly, he believed she had the strength. After all, she could throw him over her shoulder, which was not something ordinary women would do. ¡°I¡¯ve set the timer for your soup, just turn it on when you wake up in the morning.¡± Trisha said as she put on her jacket and headed for the door. Seeing that he could¡¯t keep her, Nics said, ¡°Lock your windows when you sleep at night. The family of the homeowner downstairs is going to the funeral home tomorrow. There will be peopleing early, definitely noisy.¡± Trisha paused, ¡°Someone downstairs passed away?¡± Nics said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the message sent in the homeowner group chat? They have already notified in advance, asking neighbors to bear with it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t join the homeowner group. Trisha suddenly became restless, ¡°When did he die, how did he die?¡± Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 ¡°I just saw the news of his death yesterday. Seems like he slipped and hit his head in the bathtub and got knocked out. Then drowned in the bathtub.¡± Nics said. Trisha became even more restless. She was not afraid of anything, except for the dead, especially those who drowned. When she was a kid, she and her mother attended a rtive¡¯s funeral. The rtive had a heart attack while fishing and fell into the river. After four or five days of searching, the body was found. She was young then and went to watch out of curiosity. She saw a group of people put a body that had swollen nearly twice its size into a coffin That scene gave her nightmares for a whole year. In her dreams, the swollen rtive kept dripping water, inviting her to y Now hearing that the neighbor downstairs drowned, she immediately didn¡¯t dare to go home. Nics saw her strange expression and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Trisha snapped back to reality and immediately said, ¡°I think it¡¯s too early to sleep, let¡¯s y a bit more?¡± Seeing her expression, Nics seemed to understand something. He smirked and said softly. ¡°The game is updating. Can¡¯t y till 7 o¡¯clock tomorrow morning, remember?¡± Trisha was taken aback. Seeing her trying to find an excuse, Nics said, ¡°How about we watch a movie? There is a new one that I haven¡¯t watched yet, wanna watch it together?¡± Trisha epted his suggestion and immediately said, ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± As the opening credits rolled, Trisha, hugging a pillow, asked Nics, ¡°What movie is this?¡± Nics handed her a nket, ¡°Supposedly a romance.¡± Trisha nodded and put the nket over her legs. But as the plot went on, the style of the movie started to feel off. It wasn¡¯t until the female lead was tied up by the male lead on the bed that Trisha finally realized what kind of ¡°romance¡± this was. She wanted Nics to change the movie, but when she turned to look at him, he was engrossed in the film. She didn¡¯t want to seem overly sensitive, so she kept silent. The sex scenes in the movie were shot very subtly, but the sexual tension between the two was too strong, overflowing with hormones, overly This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. sexy After an awkward three minutes, the movie finally moved on to the next plot. One moment it was in the bathroom, the next on a cruise ship. The plot was no longer important, all she could see was the swaying waist of the male lead. Trisha couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and she sneaked off to the bathroom. Nics watched the direction she left in and smiled contentedly. Trisha stayed in the bathroom for about forty minutes, guessing that the movie should be over, and then came out. The TV was off and Nics was sitting on the sofa ying with his phone. Seeing Trisha appear, he asked, ¡°You were gone for so long, are you not feeling well?¡± Trisha¡¯s face turned red, she tried to appear calm, ¡°I¡¯m on my period. My tummy hurts a bit.¡± Nics raised an eyebrow and said slowly. ¡°I thought you left because you were shy.¡± Trisha immediately responded, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be shy about. I actually think it¡¯s too conservative¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nics looked up. ¡°I have some more daring movies here, how about we watch another one? You didn¡¯t get enough, did you?¡± Trisha grinned and said, ¡°Maybe next time, my eyes are tired from staring so long As she reached for her phone, she identally tripped over the carpet and went hurtling towards Nics. Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Nics was worried she might get hurt. So in the nick of time, before she could tumble down, he swapped positions with her, taking the fall first, leaving Trisha tond heavily on top of him. With a loud ¡°thud,¡± his head seemed to be the first to hit the ground. Trisha immediately cradled his head, her hands massaging the back of his skull, a look of concern on her face. Nics was touched by her reaction, his heart melting. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± She asked while rubbing the back of his head, ¡°You could have pushed me away, why did you fall with me?¡± Nics answered, ¡°I actually wanted to push you away. But you held on so tight, I couldn¡¯t¡± Upon hearing this, Trisha elbowed him and got up. ¡°You deserved that fall!¡± She said angrily Nics clutched his chest, sitting up, chuckling. ¡°Actually, it really does hurt.¡± Trisha simply shrugged off Nicsint, coolly replying, ¡°Serves you right ¡± Nics got up and gently said, ¡°You carry on, I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Trisha didn¡¯t pay him any mind. Nicsughed before turning around and leaving. As he closed the restroom door. He took a deep breath, looking down at his lower body, feeling the headache. He had always been confident that Trisha wasn¡¯t sexually attractive to him, but now the reality seemed to be theplete opposite. Just a bit of physical contact was enough to arouse him. He had never had such problems before. But now, facing Trisha¡¯s clear eyes, he felt ashamed of his sexual desires. He feared scaring her more than being caught in a lie. He suddenly understood what Liam meant ¨C true love was not about indulgence, but restraint. How long would he have to hold back? Nics showered in the restroom, trying to cool down. When he came out, Trisha was already sleeping on the couch, hugging a cushion The nket had been kicked aside, her two fair feet curled up, looking cute and chubby. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Nics squatted next to the couch, watching her for a while before whispering, ¡°Trisha? Trisha?¡± There was no response from the couch. Nics looked at her pouting lips and couldn¡¯t resist kissing her. At first, he kept himself under control. But as the kiss deepened, he began to lose control, bing more and more urgent, until Trisha let out a short whimper due tock of breath That was when Nics snapped back to reality. He let go of Trisha, stood up, staring at her enticingly red lips. His heart was pounding. He quickly grabbed the nket, covered Trisha, and then went back to his room. Fletcher Mansion Mason stared at the shing screen on his phone, his eyes dark. There was a knock on the door, Shanna¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Mason, are you asleep?¡± He turned off his phone and replied, ¡°Not yet¡± Shanna gently opened the door and came in. She was wearing pajamas, holding a cup of tea in her hand. She walked over slowly and put the tea on the table. ¡°Meg told me you didn¡¯t eat much tonight, are you not feeling well?¡± She asked. Mason smiled, ¡°No, I¡¯m just not very hungry.¡± Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Shanna said, ¡°Even if you¡¯re not hungry, you should eat something. You stay upte every day, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡± Mason nodded and gently said, ¡°I know mom, I¡¯ll drink it in a bit.¡± Shanna insisted, ¡°Drink it now, I won¡¯t leave until you do.¡± Mason had no choice but to pick up the tea and start drinking Seeing her son being obedient, Shanna showed a satisfied smile. She sat on the edge of the bed and started folding Mason¡¯s clothes. As she folded the clothes, she asked, ¡°Mason, do you have a girlfriend?¡± Mason didn¡¯t stop what he was doing and casually asked, ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± ¡°A few friends told me. They saw you bringing a girl to Lyman¡¯s wedding. They asked me if she was your girlfriend¡± Shanna said. Mason chuckled, a hint of bitterness in his eyes, ¡°They really care about my personal affairs, don¡¯t they?¡± Shanna exined, ¡°I asked them to keep an eye out for nice girls for you. Everyone is concerned, afraid you might miss a good opportunity¡± She paused, then asked, ¡°What does the girl you brought do for a living? How old is she? Do you have a picture?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Instead of answering these questions, Mason asked, ¡°If I like her, would you approve of us dating, regardless of her background?¡± Shanna hesitated, then cautiously said, ¡°We still need to meet each other¡¯s parents, and have families help us take a look. After all, it involves both families.¡± Mason suddenlyughed, augh that made Shanna uneasy. She asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mason put down the empty cup, shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s too early to be discussing this. I¡¯m still getting to know her¡± Shanna swallowed back what she wanted to say. She picked up the folded clothes, walked to the wardrobe, opened it and neatly ced the clothes inside. As she closed the wardrobe, she suddenly noticed the scratch marks on the inner wall. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly checked Mason¡¯s hands Seeing that Mason¡¯s hands were unharmed, she slowly calmed down. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she didn¡¯t. She just took a piece of clothing to cover the scratch marks and hurriedly closed the wardrobe. ¡°Get some rest early, don¡¯t stay up toote.¡± Shanna picked up the empty cup and said softly. ¡°Your health is the most important thing. You can put off work if necessary. If you really like that girl, then go get her. I will support you.¡± Mason smiled, ¡°Thanks, mom.¡± Shanna didn¡¯t say anything else. She gently closed the door for him and then quietly left Mason shot a nce at the wardrobe and then rose to head for the bathroom. Before long, the sound of heaving echoed from the bathroom. Liam, the guy who never knew when to quit, kept Celeste up and ying till the wee hours. When exactly Celeste crashed, she couldn¡¯t tell. First thing the next morning, her phone started ringing off the hook. Celeste was dead tired. She gave Liam a kick, and mumbled, ¡°Answer it.¡± Liam closed his eyes, groped around the bedside table. He quickly found the phone, answering without even looking at it, ¡°Hello?¡± There was silence on the other side Liam frowned, ¡°Who is it?¡± After a three¨Csecond silence, Steven¡¯s voice came through gritted teeth, ¡°Why the hell is Celeste¡¯s phone with you? Where is she?¡± Liam was stunned. Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Celeste snapped back to reality, not feeling sleepy in the slightest. She sat up quickly, giving Liam the ¡°watch¨Cyour¨Cmouth¡± look, not wanting to pay the penalty for having a rtionship. Liam nced at her, casually replying. ¡°She was sleeping.¡± Celeste was speechless. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Steven¡¯s face turned ashen, his voice raised in surprise, ¡°Sleeping? With you?¡± Celeste rolled over, covering Liam¡¯s mouth with a ¡°you¨Cdare¨Csay¨Canother¨Cword¡± expression Liam¡¯s gaze swept over her uncovered chest, pinching her flirtatiously. This flirty move scared Celeste to the point that she immediately pulled back her hand, covering her chest, her face in disbelief. Before their divorce, he had always been proper and restrained. Now, what was this? Was his normal behavioural pattern disrupted? Liam seemed satisfied with Celeste¡¯s reaction. Pinching her astonished face, he said to the person on the phone, ¡°I had dinner with Leonardst night. She drank too much, so I took her to the hotel.¡± Steven frowned, ¡°And then you stayed too?¡± Liam smirked, ¡°Should I have left her alone drunk in a hotel? You think that would be safe?¡± Steven was taken aback. Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be safe, but being with him wasn¡¯t necessarily safe either. ¡°Liam, do I need to remind you? You two are divorced. Can you act with a little more decency? If you felt it wasn¡¯t safe, you could¡¯ve taken her home. Her career is just taking off, and you¡¯re stirring things up. Are you scared that she¡¯ll do too well without you?¡± Steven said. Celeste furrowed her brows, thinking that thement was a bit too harsh. Mr. Garcia had never spoken like this in front of her, so why was he so rude to Liam? Fearing that Liam would get angry and start arguing with Steven, she quickly exined, ¡°Steve, I asked Mr. Reed to take me to the hotel, Don¡¯t worry, I was wearing a mask. No one recognized me. There won¡¯t be any scandal, please don¡¯t me him.¡± Steven suddenly felt that Liam was deliberately provoking him to say these things. He now seemed like someone who spoke without asking about the situation. Steven was extremely frustrated. However, Liam was acting as if nothing happened, saying, ¡°Steven is just worried about you. Let him say what he wants. It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s criticized me because of you. I¡¯m used to it¡± At this point, Steven really wanted to shut this guy up! He didn¡¯t speak when he should¡¯ve, but spoke when he shouldn¡¯t have. Thispletely revealed his true nature! Suppressing his anger, Steven decided to ignore Liam. He said, ¡°My grandparents arrived in J City yesterday. We were nning to invite you over for dinner this weekend, but they wanted to meet you sooner. So, I¡¯m calling to see if you could make it this afternoon. I¡¯ve checked with the crew, and you seem to be free.¡± Celeste thought, he had already checked her schedule before asking her, so what reason could she have to refuse? But that was okay. She had already promised them, and she had to meet them sooner orter. So, she said, ¡°Sure, send me the address and I¡® head over once I¡¯m done¡± Steven gave the ¡°ok¡± sign to the person behind him, clearing his throat, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± After hanging up. Celeste turned to Liam, ¡°Should I bring a gift?¡± Liam, hugging her waist, whispered, ¡°You focus on filming, I¡¯ll handle these things.¡± As they were talking. Celeste¡¯s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. Surprisingly, it was Zach. Recallingst night¡¯s midnight shopping spree for the show¡¯s costumes, she felt a bit awkward. But considering Zach didn¡¯t know why they were buying the clothes, it would be strange to be overly concerned. So, she answered the call, casually saying, ¡°Mr. Miller.¡± Zach¡¯ummed¡± in acknowledgment, ¡°There are two variety shows to be recorded soon. I¡¯ll send you the scheduleter.¡± Celeste replied, ¡°Alright¡± *And Zach paused, ¡°You¡¯ll have to replicate your makeup and costume from the show. Don¡¯t soil the dress.¡± Celesteughed awkwardly. ¡°We bought it for our collection, how could we soll it?¡± Zach responded with a slow, ¡°Oh it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of night¨Ctime collecting¡± Celeste was speechless Recalling their midnight shopping spree, she knew that someone as smart as Zach would understand why they bought the clothes. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly asked about the recording schedule of the variety show, and then hurriedly hung up. Then, she gritted her teeth and said to Liam, ¡°Next time you do something this embarrassing, do it yourself. Don¡¯t drag me into it!¡± Liam seemed to be in a particrly good mood today and didn¡¯t argue back. Instead, he said, ¡°When you were filming Mastermind of Law, we also bought back the outfit you wore during the murder scene.¡± The two of them joked around for a while before finally getting out of bed. Liam had a pile of work waiting for him at the office since he had left early yesterday to apany her to meet Leonard Hann. The route to the film set and Quantum wasn¡¯t convenient, so to avoid dying him further, Celeste decided to drive herself. When she arrived at the filming location, she was right on time. While getting her makeup and costume ready, she discreetly checked her body. Liam was very restrained, knowing that she had to film, so he didn¡¯t leave too many marks on her. There was only a red spot on the inside of her thigh. But due to its location, no one else could see it. After getting her makeup done, she ran into Sydney. The prop master was securing a blood bag inside her costume. Today, they had a very intense scene together. The shooting schedule of the crew wasn¡¯t arranged ording to the script but was based on various factors such as the scene, costumes, and even time and weather. The scenes were edited in the order of the script afterwards. Therefore, although they¡¯d been filming for a long time, the scene they were about to shoot was rtively early in the script. Before Kathie, yed by Sydney, got knocked out cold due to a stage mishap. She and Nannie, yed by Celeste, had some beef 1 Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 This whole dispute started when Mannie found a yellow hair clip in her boyfriend Oliver¡¯s house. Oliver tried to exin that he got the hair clip as change when he was buying cigarettes, but Nannie wasn¡¯t buying it. The hair clip was trendy at the time and not cheap either. It was selling like hotcakes, so there was no way a vendor would use it as change, let alone give it to a guy. So she started keeping an eye on any female ssmates who liked to wear hair clips. Turned out, Kathie, a ssmate, had a yellow hair clip just like the one she found. And it went missing a week ago. Nannie was a proud girl. She didn¡¯t have deep feelings for Oliver, but she hated the idea of someone else having her stuff, especially Kathie who was better than her at dancing One day after ss, she confronted Kathie about it. Kathie denied it. They started arguing, and in the scuffle, Kathie fell down the stairs, hitting her arm on some ss which shattered and cut her. Kathie was sent to the hospital, and Nannie got a warning from the school. She lost the chance of being an exchange student, and of course, got an earful from her parents And that just deepened the feud between her and Kathie. So when Kathie was poisoned, all fingers pointed at her This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Today¡¯s shoot was the showdown in the stairwell. The lines were easy enough, but the tricky part was getting Sydney to roll down the stairs on camera. This required both of them to cooperate She had to act out pushing her, and Sydney had to control her fall down the stairs, bursting a blood bag on her arm at the same time. This required a lot of physical control from the actors. Normally, the crew would only ask the actors to do the close¨Cups, and a stunt double would do the long shots of falling down the stairs. For someone like Sydney, who had to use eye drops to cry on cue, she would surely use a stunt double wherever she could. But this time, she was mistaken. When the director was exining the scene and telling Sydney which shots she would have to do herself and which ones the stunt double would do, Sydney said, ¡°Mr. Javier, I won¡¯t be needing a stunt double for this scene. Celeste was surprised. Javier was even more surprised. An actor doing their own stunts was a good thing, but this action was a bit dangerous. Considering Sydney¡¯s status, Javier advised, ¡°The rolling action is tricky. It looks simple, but it¡¯s easy to roll out of frame. You have no experience, and won¡¯t pass in one or two tries, better let the stunt double do it.¡± Sydney said, ¡°Mr. Javier, a movie on the big screen, it¡¯s going to be pretty obvious if it¡¯s a stunt double. This is my first movie, and I don¡¯t want to be criticized. If I can¡¯t pass in one try, then two. If not two, then three. I¡¯ll get it eventually. Stunt doubles aren¡¯t born knowing how to do it either. They learned through countless times of falling. If they can do it, so can I. I want to show the audience my best.¡± Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Javier was moved by these inspiring words from a young actor. Her fans who were visiting the set were very proud of Sydney for refusing to use a stunt double. They immediately posted a short article on Twitter praising their idol for her positive energy, such as refusing to use a stunt double, doing her own stunts, and standing up for stunt doubles, etc. Only Celeste thought Sydney¡¯s behavior was a bit off. Her stunt double was brought in by her. It was said that this stunt double was her personal stunt double. She even used her for a few dance scenes. She would use a stunt double for such simple scenes, but now she wanted to do this dangerous action herself. It was really strange She didn¡¯t believe that Sydney¡¯s consciousness suddenly improved that much, so she decided to be cautious After confirming with Sydney several times, Javier asked the action director toe over to teach them how to perform the uing scene and how Sydney should fall to ensure the camera captured the necessary shots After the guidance, the shooting officially began. Kathie came out from the bathroom after a shower,ughing with her friends, only to run into Nannie at the corner of the staircase. She was still dressed in her training clothes, standing upright. Even though she was a dancer, her temperament was far superior to others. Her neck was thin and fragile, and she stood there like a noble swan When she saw Kathiee out, Nannie just nced at her. Kathie avoided her gaze, trying to leave with her friends, but Nannie called out, ¡°Wart A few people stopped, not knowing who she was calling. Nannie walked up to Kathie, took out a yellow hair clip, and looked at Kathie, ¡°Does this look familiar?¡± Kathie¡¯s fingers tightened. A friend recognized it and whispered to Kathie, ¡°Kathie, isn¡¯t this the hair clip you lost a few days ago?¡± Kathie clenched her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°This isn¡¯t mine. I lost mine off¨Ccampus.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Nannie looked at her, ¡°I found this hair clip off¨Ccampus too.¡± A friend sensed something was off and quickly left. Soon it was just the two of them. Kathie clenched her lips, holding her clothes, and wanted to leave. But Nannie blocked her way and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take your stuff?¡± Kathie frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, this isn¡¯t mine.¡± ¡°Then where¡¯s yours?¡± Nannie asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I lost it!¡± Kathie said. ¡°Lost it?¡± Nannie gave a slight smile, ¡°Considering your family¡¯s financial situation, this hair clip should be quite expensive for you. Such a valuable item, would you be so careless as to lose it?¡± Kathie closed her lips tightly. ¡°There will always be careless moments. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± As she was about to go downstairs, Nannie suddenly cheerfully said, ¡°Oliver, when did you get here?¡± Kathie stopped and subconsciously turned her head, only to see Nannie looking at her mockingly, ¡°What? Didn¡¯t see him, disappointed?¡± Kathie clenched her lips and said in a deep voice, ¡°If Oliver ever leaves you, it¡¯ll be because of your own personality issues. I used to be so envious of you Whether it was your looks, background, or high¨C profile life. But now, I just feel sorry for you. Because beneath all that glitter, your heart is filled with too much utilitarianism, which is why you can¡¯t grasp the true essence of dance. Even if a dancer¡¯s moves are precise, without purity, they can never truly express their soul.¡± Nannie¡¯s face turned ugly in an instant. To her, Kathie¡¯s cool assessment felt like a p in the face. Furious, she grabbed Kathie by the hair and sneered, ¡°Who the hell are you to judge me?¡± Kathie immediately fought back, and the two began a tug of war that ended up near the staircase. Seething. Nannie suddenly shoved Kathie¡¯s shoulder hard. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ording to Javier¡¯s n. As Celeste pushed, Sydney was supposed to go with the motion and fall backward. Although there was physical contact between them, the force was all Sydney¡¯s, and Celeste didn¡¯t exert any. But for some reason, as Celeste pushed, Sydney suddenly moved a little closer to her. Before she could retract her force, Celeste had already pushed Sydney¡¯s shoulder. With a scream, Sydney tumbled over the protective mat and rolled down the stairs. A loud ¡°thud¡± was heard as her head hit the floor, followed by a blood¨Ccurdling scream. Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 The sudden ident had everyone frozen in their tracks. Not until Javier said, looking pissed, ¡°What the hell are you all doing? Go help her, find a doctor!¡± That was when everyone snapped out of it and quickly went to check out the situation. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sydney was lying on the ground in a weird position. The blood bag that was attached to her had burst, and blood was gushing out, soaking her clothes. A gash on her forehead was bleeding, and it looked pretty bad. The staff tried to help her up, but the moment they touched her, Sydney screamed out in pain. That was when everyone noticed the weird angle of her left leg. No one dared to touch her after that, they could only wait for the ambnce to arrive Sydney¡¯s fans were freaking out. Seeing their idol lying on the ground and no one helping her, they wanted to rush over to check on her, and they were ming Celeste. Javier¡¯s face was dark. Worried that the fans would cause a scene, he had someone block them while having an assistant quickly escort Celeste back to the dressing room. Right now, the most important thing was to deal with Sydney¡¯s injury and these angry fans. The question of responsibility could be left tillter Soon, the ambnce arrived and Sydney was quickly taken to the hospital. Celeste sat in the car, not saying a word. She finally understood why Sydney had insisted on doing such a dangerous stunt. She had thought that Sydney was trying to pin the me on her, creating a false image of her being bullied on the set, to resolve old and new conflicts. But she hadn¡¯t expected Sydney s real intention was to use her to ¡°hurt herself. The Sydney she knew was someone who valued her image greatly, and she wouldn¡¯t resort to hurting herself to achieve her goals. Just like the previous time on the ship, when Sydney tried to frame Celeste for pushing her into the water. In the end, she only ended up pulling Celeste down with her. When Celeste kicked her down, her first reaction was to protect her face. So. Celeste hadn¡¯t seen thising at all. When she saw Sydney¡¯s forward movement, she had sensed her intention, but it was toote to do anything. She could only try to reduce her own force, not to touch her. She only touched Sydney¡¯s shoulder, a force that was totally insufficient to push her down. But the only ones who knew the truth were her and Sydney. To the outsiders, they only saw her hand on Sydney¡¯s shoulder, making a pushing motion. Jta handed her a bottle of water, whispering. ¡°Drink some water first.¡± Celeste took the water, opened the cap and took a sip, then asked quietly, ¡°How is she now?¡± Jta said, ¡°Her leg seems to be broken, and there¡¯s a wound on her forehead. The extent of the other injuries is not clear yet, we¡¯ll have to wait for news from the hospital¡± She paused, then said, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted thepany, someone will handle it As soon as she finished speaking, Celeste¡¯s phone received a text message. An unknown number had sent a derogatory message, iming she had intentionally hurt people for fame and wishing her karma. Jta obviously saw it too. Extreme fans had many ways to get a hold of the actors¡® private contact information, such messages were not umon. She said. ¡°Don¡¯t reply, put your phone on do not disturb mode, and save screenshots of these messages.¡± Celeste did as she was told Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jta suggested she also put her Twitter on protection mode, to avoid any extreme fans causing chaos under her Twitter ount before the truth of the matter was clear Celeste opened Twitter, and the news of Sydney¡¯s injury had already trended. Of course, her topic was even hotter, with hashtags like #CelestePushedSydneyDownStairs, #CelesteBullied, #CelesteMurders The video of her ¡°pushing¡± Sydney down the stairs on Twitter had been massively shared, with millions of views in just an hour. Celeste carefully watched the video. The angle was very well chosen. It was shot from her side, clearly showing Sydney¡¯s expression, but not hers, yet her pushing motion was clearly captured. The moment Sydney fell down, her expression was one of shock and disbelief. And she, standing at the top of the stairs after Sydney fell, not moving. Her cold demeanor was attacked by Sydney¡¯s fans, and even random people said they couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°This is a push? This is murder!¡± ¡°The expression on Sydney¡¯s face when she fell, my god, she waspletely unprepared. Those who tried to defend Celeste by saying it was arranged by the crew, would Sydney¡¯s expression be like this if it was really nned in advance?¡± ¡°Both are women, how can her heart be so cruel?¡± ¡°Everyone knows, Celeste has a grudge against Sydney¡± 1 heard the original queen role for Phoenix Fire was blocked, and it was Celeste¡¯s backer who did it. Sydney spent five years, step by step from a small role to where she is today. Those dirty things should stay away.¡± ¡°Sydney¡¯s life matters¡± ¡°My parents and I all liked the queen she yed in Phoenix Fire. Didn¡¯t expect she is this kind of person, so disappointed¡± ¡°To be honest, I really like Phoenix Fire. But I find her very out of ce. When the camera is on others, everyone is full of emotion. But when it¡¯s her, she¡¯s just expressionless. You guys call this good acting? If this is good, then I, a broadcasting student, can also act. Isn¡¯t it just reading lines with emotion? How simple is that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to say this for a long time, do you guys really think the murderer she yed in Mastermind of Law is good? I don¡¯t feel it at all, even find it a bit greasy¡± ¡°Me too!!! I just can¡¯t understand how this can be popr? I really can¡¯t appreciate it, any woman on the street is better looking than her.¡± ¡°Keep your voice down, be careful her fanse after you. She¡¯s the new generation¡¯s peak of beauty in the entertainment industry, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± ¡°Can Phoenix Fire just cut her scenes already! Every time the camera pans on her, all thements rave about her looks. It¡¯s seriously affecting the viewing experience!¡± ¡°And if she really pushed someone down, this ain¡¯t something a simple apology can fix. She¡¯s gotta face jail time. Forget about cutting her scenes. If thew gets involved, the whole show¡¯s gonna get pulled!¡± ¡°Take it down ASAP, I can¡¯t stand seeing her!¡± Public opinion was gradually shifting towards criticism of the show. Celeste frowned. She seemed to grasp the real agenda. ¡°Stop scrolling.¡± Jta switched off her phone, ¡°Stay off Twitter for a few days. Don¡¯t do anything, just wait for thepany¡¯s arrangements.¡± Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Celeste snapped out of it and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±