CHAPTER 18
Celeste’s POV
I pressed the power button again. And again.
Nothing
Frustration coiled tight in my chest as I stared at the lifeless screen. The phone refused to turn on, no matter how many times I tried. A bitter sigh escaped my lips.
Why, when I was so close to learning the truth?
I clenched my jaw and set the useless device aside. There had to be another way to figure this out. But for now, all I could do was
wait.
The sky outside had darkened by the time I heard a knock on the door. My heart leaped–then settled when I recognized the
familiar voice calling my name.
“Theo,” I whispered, a faint smile coming onto my lips
I pulled the door open to find him standing there, holding a few bags in each hand. The familiar smirk on his lips softened into something more gentle as he took me in.
“No offense, Celeste, but you look like you haven’t eaten a proper meal in days.”
I let out a breath of laughter, shaking my head. “Well, yeah, something like that ”
His brows furrowed, as if that only confirmed his worst suspicions. Without another word, he stepped inside, carrying the bags to
the kitchen.
It was only when he started unpacking that I noticed something odd.
“Wait–are those groceries?” I asked, bewildered.
Theo glanced at me, amused. “What does it look like?”
I folded my arms. “Since when do you shop for me? Theo, this is too much!”
He actually chuckled. “I’m not just giving you groceries. But tonight, you’re in luck because I’ll be cooking for you too.”
I gasped. “And since when do you cook too?!”
He shot me a mock–offended look. “You think I got through college living off takeout alone?”
“Yes, actually.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Wow, no faith in me at all.”
A small smile tugged at my lips. It had been so long since I felt something normal. Something easy.
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As Theo moved through the small kitchen with surprising efficiency, I leaned against the counter, watching him.
“You really can cook,” I murmured, almost to myself. “A powerful CEO and billionaire, cooking in my measly kitchen…”
He smirked, shooting me a glance over his shoulder. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Celeste ”
That made me pause. Maybe it was true. I had spent so much of my life wrapped up in Damien that I had let so many things–so many people–fade into the background.
Yet, standing here now, I realized how effortless it was with Theo. How easy it was to fall back into step with him, like no time
had passed at all
Theo reminisced as he expertly diced the vegetables, a sm
college either.”
I raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh? You remember that?”
smirk playing at his lips. “You know, you weren’t a bad cook back in
g you were even better at ”
He chuckled. “Yeah. But there was something you
He set the knife down and turned to face me, his expression softening. “Designing.
I stilled.
“You were brilliant, Celeste,” he continued, his voice quiet but certain. “I remember watching you sketch for hours, lost in your
own world. It was like watching someone create magic out of nothing.”
His words hit something deep inside me.
“You had this spark,” he added. “And I know it’s still there.”
A lump formed in my throat. It had been so long since anyone spoke about me–not as Damien’s wife, not as the woman at the
center of a scandal–but as the person I used to be. The person I had almost forgotten.
I forced a smile, looking away. “That was a long time ago, Theo.”
“So what? It doesn’t mean it’s gone.”
I exhaled, pushing past the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Theo. For… reminding me.”
His lips quivered, but he didn’t say anything, just watched me carefully.
I straightened. “Actually, I need to get a job.”
Theo raised an eyebrow. “A job?”
“Yes.” Determination solidified in my chest. “I’m divorced now, and I can’t afford to be stagnant. I have to move forward.”
Aunt Eleanor’s face flashed in my mind–the way she used to look at me with quiet pride, always believing in me, always pushing
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me toward something greater. She had high hopes for me, even when I was just a little girl sketching designs in the corner of her
office.
I refused to disappoint her now.
“And…” I hesitated. “Auntie Eleanor’s follow–up treatments will be expensive. I need to help her however I can.”
Theo studied me for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “Then let me help you.”
I blinked. “What?”
He leaned in slightly, his voice lower. “You’re a genius designer, Celeste. I know talent when I see it. You don’t need to go looking
for a job. Work with me.”
I stared at him. “Work with you?”
Theo reached out then, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, lingering for just a second longer than necessary.
A subtle, intimate gesture.
His thumb grazed my cheek lightly before he pulled away, making my heart leap,
“Think about it,” he murmured before going back to his cooking
The sudden pounding on the door made me stiffen.
Theo froze too, his head snapping toward the sound, his fingers going slack. The chopped vegetables spilled from his hands, scattering across the counter.
“Who could it be?” I wondered, my eyes narrowing as I turned toward the front door.
Theo exhaled slowly, wiping his hands on a dish towel. “I’ll check,” he said, his voice firm. “Stay here.”
But I wasn’t about to just stand back. Ignoring his instruction, I followed a few steps behind as he strode toward the door.
The moment he pulled it open, a figure pushed hard through the threshold. Damien!
his hand shot out, gripping Theo by the collar.
“What the hell?!” Theo barked, stumbling back as Damien slammed him against the cabinet with a force that rattled the shelves.
My heart raced.
“Is all this because of you?” Damien growled, his voice raw with fury. “What the hell did you do at Ravencrest Asylum, Mercer?”
My pulse pounded in my ears. His accusation hung heavy in the air, crackling with rage.
