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Chapter 173
Serena pouted, shooting a glare in the direction Chester and Celestine had gone “Come on, Chester, Celestine is way out of line! I bet something’s going on between her and that guy from The Prescott Group. Honestly, you should gather proof she’s cheating and kick her out with nothing-
“Enough!” Chester’s jaw clenched, a vein throbbing at his temple.
Anyone close to him knew that was a sign he was on the verge of losing his temper.
But Serena had bottled up her frustration lately, and now that she finally had an outlet, her complaints just kept coming. “What’s your deal, Chester? Are you taking her side over mine now? Am I not your sister anymore? You’d rather help her than
me?”
“Serena, watch your mouth. And keep your friends in check too.” Chester took a deep breath, his tone icy. “If this happens again, I’ll cut you off for the next ten years. Not a dime.”
Serena stared at him in disbelief. “Chester!”
But the cold, warning glare he shot her made her fall silent instantly.
She didn’t dare say another word.
Elena, who’d barely spoken since Chester arrived, shrank further into herself, clutching her thousand–dollar designer cane and doing her best to become
invisible.
At the elevator, Celestine refused the gift bag Gideon offered her. “Mr. Prescott, it’s just a little something I picked out for you. Nothing extravagant, but I hope you’ll accept it.”
“Oh?” Gideon’s lips curled into a smirk. “So, being Miss Selwyn’s lover comes with perks now?”
Celestine’s heart sank. She was already sick of hearing that word.
She couldn’t believe he was actually making a joke out of it. Didn’t he find it insulting?
She couldn’t figure out how his mind worked. With a weary sigh, she tried to explain, “It’s not like that. I just wanted to thank you for all your help lately. And about tonight–please don’t take it to heart. Honestly, just treat them all like they’re out of
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their minds.”
Gideon nodded, his gaze thoughtful. “I’ll remember that last part.”
As for the rest, he’d reserve judgment.
He restrained himself from opening the beautifully wrapped gift box in front of her. Instead, he drove back to his hotel, pushing the speed limit–three times faster than he had on the way there, despite rush hour traffic.
Celestine gripped her seatbelt tightly, not daring to make a sound.
When they reached the hotel, they parted ways and headed to their respective
rooms.
Her head was still pounding from the abrupt blackout at the restaurant. On the way back to her room, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that someone was following her.
She slowed at a corner, and there–blocking her path–stood a girl radiating hostility.
The girl’s hair was a wild, tangled mess, a far cry from the delicate, sweet image she’d projected earlier. Now, she looked more like a fierce little animal, eyes glittering with defiance.
Celestine’s vision spun, and she leaned against the wall, sliding down to brace herself.
The girl looked down at her, sneering. “Hey, are you the one who was hugging my Giddy downstairs today?”
Celestine’s heart skipped a beat.
Just great. One crisis after another.
Her head throbbed painfully. Was this girl really here to pick a fight now? If so, she might actually try to pull some stunt just to frame her.
“Yes,” Celestine said, bracing herself against the base of the wall as she stood up slowly. “But there’s been a misunderstanding. Really, I-”
Thud.
A dull sound echoed as the girl dropped straight to her knees on the wooden floor. Celestine gaped at the sight. “Get up–come on, the floor is freezing.”
But before she could finish, Cicely burst into tears, wailing so loudly the whole
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hallway could probably hear.
“Please, I’m begging you. Give Giddy back to me, please! I can’t live without him, please-” She started to bow her head in desperate supplication.
Celestine stared in shock. She’d never seen anything like this in her life.
