Chapter 240
Gideon watched her with suspicion as Celestine pulled up her food delivery history. “Oh…” Gideon’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “So that’s how it is, Miss Selvyn.”
Celestine’s cheeks flushed pink. “It’s not like I had a choice.”
A little trick, just to get by.
Gideon leaned back in his seat, taking his time as he eyed the tips of her ears, now bright red. “And that soup you brought me last time–was that also because you didn’t have a choice?”
“No!” Celestine replied so quickly it was almost a shout. “I made that myself.”
Willingly… She couldn’t bring herself to say the word out loud.
Gideon gave a low chuckle and let the matter drop.
Some things never change.
She still blushed when she was nervous, just like when they were kids.
Maybe it was better that she didn’t remember those days.
If she couldn’t remember, she wouldn’t be haunted by those old, painful memories, wouldn’t be kept awake by nightmares.
When they arrived at her apartment building, the two rode the elevator up together.
As soon as Celestine stepped out, her heart dropped–her front door was wide open.
The lock lay in pieces on the doormat, brazenly broken.
Panic shot through her.
Had someone broken in?
She glanced back at the man behind her.
Gideon’s expression had already darkened. “I’ll go in with you.”
Celestine nodded gratefully.
She glanced around, grabbed a fire extinguisher from the emergency cabinet, and crept toward the living room.
1/3
14:25
The scene inside made her blood pressure spike.
Flower petals scattered everywhere–the bouquet she’d picked that morning had been torn apart on the coffee table. The fruit bowl and snacks were half–eaten, picked over and left in a mess. Her favorite agate mug, the one she’d always been too sentimental to use, now sat out on the table, clearly used by strangers. The soft white rug in front of the sofa was stained and tracked with dirt, littered with spit–out sunflower seed shells.
Celestine’s grip tightened on the fire extinguisher, anger rising hot and sharp.
Just then, voices drifted out from the bedroom–annoyed, entitled, unmistakably unfamiliar.
“Why is this master bedroom locked? It cost me over a hundred bucks to get a locksmith, what more do you want? You’d better include that in your commission fee!”
“This place is nothing special. The location’s average, the floor’s nothing to brag about, and I’m supposed to share it with someone else? The balcony is piled with junk. When we move in, all that has to go. Don’t take up our shared space.”
A young couple stood hand in hand, barking orders at a man in a suit who looked more than a little harried.
He tried to placate them. “The owner just got this place today–she hasn’t had a chance to clear things out. If you decide to take it, I’ll talk to the other tenant about moving her stuff.”
The girl lifted her chin, eyes sharp and calculating. “She needs to move out of the master bedroom. I want to stay there with my husband. It’s ridiculous for one person to hog a room that big.”
“Exactly!” The skinny guy started rifling through Celestine’s drawers again. “Hurry up and bust open this bedroom door. Who locks their own bedroom at home?”
“Enough! Who are you people? What are you doing in my apartment?” Celestine’s voice trembled with fury as she rushed forward, fire extinguisher raised. “Touch anything else and I’m calling the police!”
The man froze, wrench in hand, and glared back at her. “Who the hell are you? What do you mean your apartment? Don’t try to scare us with the cops!”
Gideon stepped forward.
The moment he did, his presence pressed in–intimidating, dangerous. The man’s hand shook; the agent blanched, swallowing hard.
14:25
Chapter 240
Trying to smooth things over, the agent stammered, “You two must be the current tenants, right? The landlord asked us to lease the place, but couldn’t get us a key in time, so we hired a locksmith. If you’re staying, let’s not argue about us coming in to show the place. Once it’s done, we’ll all be neighbors.”
“Why are you bothering with her?” Paula, the girl, gave Celestine a once–over, eyes narrowing with open hostility. “So you’re the other roommate?”
