Suddenly, Philip’s phone rang, and Chase’s anxious voice came through on the other end.
“Mr. Robertson, it’s terrible! Miss Viola fell down the stairs–she’s broken her leg and has been rushed to the hospital!”
“What?!”
Philip’s brow furrowed instantly. He started toward the door on reflex, but then remembered Celeste’s situation was still unresolved. He turned back, about to explain, “I need to-”
“Do as you like,” Celeste cut in, sweeping past him without a glance.
Philip hesitated for a moment, but with Chase urgently urging him on, he hurried
out.
They walked away from each other, heading in opposite directions.
Celeste’s heart felt numb, chilled to the core.
But it was fine.
She had already decided to leave.
Turning to Alfred, she said quietly, “Let’s go see Grandpa.”
Alfred watched Philip’s retreating figure, anger flashing in his eyes, though his voice remained gentle as he helped Celeste into the car.
“When we see Grandpa in a bit, just be yourself,” Alfred told her softly. “If there’s anything you don’t like, you can say no. No one will blame you for it.”
Celeste, her head bowed, looked up at him in surprise. “Really? There’s nothing I need to be careful about?”
“You’re already perfectly polite and well–mannered. What more could I possibly ask?” Alfred replied with an easy smile.
His casual reassurance made Celeste feel at ease at last.
The Hopkins Estate.
Celeste followed Alfred into the grand foyer, where nearly the entire Hopkins family
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had gathered.
The moment they stepped inside, countless eyes turned their way.
Nervous, Celeste instinctively twisted her fingers together.
Alfred noticed and gently took her hand.
“No need to be nervous,” he murmured. “Everyone’s just here to meet you. Besides, this is a business arrangement–just be yourself.”
From the Hopkins family’s perspective, seeing Alfred act so tenderly was proof enough of how fond he was of his new wife.
Derek Hopkins, the family patriarch, beamed at Celeste and waved her over. “Celeste, come here, my dear.”
Celeste walked over obediently, responding with a polite, “Yes, Grandpa.”
The more Derek looked at her, the more pleased he seemed. “What a lovely girl! Alfred, you’d better treat her well from now on. And Celeste, if Alfred ever gives you trouble, you just call Grandpa. I’ll make sure you’re treated right.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
He really did dote on Alfred.
“Alfred doesn’t bully me,” Celeste added, glancing at him with a faint smile. “He even went out of his way to pick me up today.”
For a moment, the lively chatter in the room seemed to pause.
Alfred, thoughtful and considerate?
Derek was briefly surprised, then broke into a hearty laugh.
Alfred knew his grandfather well–he could already tell a barrage of questions was about to begin, and with so many relatives gathered around, he was sure Celeste
would feel overwhelmed.
“Grandpa, I’ll take her away for now and let you all catch up,” he said, leaning down so only Celeste could hear, “Let’s go to my room.”
“Huh? But what about Grandpa and the family-” she started.
“They’ll keep themselves entertained,” Alfred assured her, his cool gaze sweeping across the relatives. No one dared say a word.
So, she could actually slip away and rest?
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Chapter 30
She’d be crazy not to.
Celeste followed Alfred to his room.
His room, much like the man himself, was cold and spare, devoid of any personal touches. Only the greenery from the garden outside brought a hint of color.
Alfred excused himself to greet the elders, leaving Celeste alone. She wandered over to the bookshelf and noticed a worn poetry collection, its pages bent from frequent reading.
She was surprised–she hadn’t expected Alfred to be the type to read poetry.
Curious, she opened the book, and a bookmark slipped out.
Celeste bent to pick it up, puzzled. “This looks just like the one I used all the time in high school.”
But hers had been lost long ago.
Just a strange coincidence, she told herself.
As she moved to slide the bookmark back into place, Celeste noticed a few photos
tucked inside the book, about to fall.
They’d just make a mess if they dropped.
She reached to put the photos back when, suddenly, a slender, graceful hand reached out and gently closed the book over hers.
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