Chapter 161
Celestine glanced back just in time to catch a glimpse of a woman chasing after two figures, all three vanishing around the corner at the end of the hallway.
Suddenly, she remembered who she’d spotted earlier.
Gideon and Vernon.
He was staying at the same hotel as her?
Celestine had never been one for extravagance when it came to accommodations. As long as the place was clean, comfortable, and–most importantly–quiet, she was content. So whenever she wasn’t spending the night at the Fordham estate, she always booked a simple, no–frills hotel for herself.
Running into Gideon here was the last thing she’d expected.
The woman’s silhouette–petite, delicate, with an unmistakable air of privilege–lingered in Celestine’s mind.
Could that be the mysterious darling Mr. Shield had been hiding away all this time?
Celestine felt like she’d just stumbled onto some juicy gossip. Her imagination instantly supplied a few scandalous scenarios.
So he had a sweet tooth for dainty girls, did he?
Just goes to show, people really do surprise you.
Almost as if he had read her mind, her phone buzzed with a message from the man
himself.
[Gideon]: Where are you?
The shock almost made her drop her phone.
Speak of the devil, and he’ll text you? Wasn’t just saying his name enough–now even thinking about him could summon him?
She hesitated for a moment before replying.
[Celestine]: Not at the hotel. Stepped out to pick up a few things.
Gideon stared at her response for a long moment, a knowing smirk curling at the corners of his lips.
Little liar. Every time she tried to fib, she somehow managed to reveal the truth
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Chapter 161
instead. He honestly couldn’t tell if she did it on purpose or not.
Vernon caught the lovestruck smile on Gideon’s face and didn’t need to ask who the message was from. It was obvious: Miss Selwyn, as usual.
But right now, the two of them were holed up in the emergency stairwell, pressed against the door–not exactly the best moment for romance.
“Sir, Miss Jenson is still waiting for us out there…” Vernon mustered up the courage to share the grim news.
Gideon’s smile faded. “In that case, I’m afraid I’ll have to sacrifice you again.”
Vernon’s face instantly fell.
No way. Not again. He couldn’t seriously be expected to pretend to be Gideon and lure Miss Jenson away, could he?
Gideon’s childhood friend–who’d been glued to his side for over twenty years–had actually fallen for the trick last time. She’d flown into a rage and left scratch marks all over Vernon’s face. He could’ve filed an insurance claim for the damages.
He still remembered that miserable day all too well.
Vernon’s lips trembled as he tried to plead his case. “S–sir, maybe if you just explained things to Miss Jenson, she’d understand-”
Gideon let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, she’d understand, all right. She’d just decide she wasn’t being clingy enough–and start doing this every single day.”
A vivid image flashed through Vernon’s mind.
That would be a nightmare.
But honestly, this was a nightmare for him, too.
Resigned, Vernon swapped jackets with Gideon, sniffling as he pulled up the collar to hide his face and whispered, “Sir, please don’t forget about me… And my year–end bonus, don’t forget that, either… Are you coming back? Sir, don’t leave me
behind…”
Gideon offered a couple of half–hearted replies, but finally silenced him with one sharp look.
The stairwell went quiet.
Vernon wiped his eyes, squared his shoulders, and threw open the door, striding outside with the determination of a man heading to his doom.
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Chapter 101
“Ha! Giddy, I knew you’d be hiding in here somewhere! Don’t even think about running!”
“Ugh, Vernon, not you again! You jerk! You tricked me–again!”
“Let go of me! If you don’t let go right now, I swear-”
A startled yelp echoed down the hall.
“Miss Jenson! Not the face–please, not the face! Ow, ow, ow!”
Gideon listened to the commotion outside, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
He turned toward the tiny window at the end of the stairwell, ready to make his escape by jumping out.
Below, the flowerbeds by the hotel entrance offered a soft landing.
Just as he was about to go, a familiar figure in a cream–colored coat appeared around the corner.
Celestine had just stepped out of the lobby, crossing the flowerbeds on her way to the parking lot.
Suddenly, a figure dropped straight down from above, landing right in front of her.
“Ah!”
