Gideon closed his hand over his palm, hiding the old scar as he spoke in a gentle coaxing tone.
“I’m sorry… I’ll take responsibility. Celestine’s eyes grew even redder, tears threatening to spill.
Vernon could barely keep his thoughts to himself.
The young master, using a scar from over a decade ago to trick a young woman–unbelievable!
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
He was growing more shameless by the day.
Honestly, he should’ve brought the little miss back from her forced dentist appointment, just so she could witness her uncle’s two–faced antics!
“And how do you plan to take responsibility?” Gideon’s lips curved with amusement as he reached out, attempting to catch the teardrop trembling at the corner of her
eye.
Celestine turned away, quickly rubbing her eyes with her sleeve and dodging his
hand.
“I’ll save up and hire the best plastic surgeon for you.”
Gideon: “?”
Vernon: *snort…*
He prided himself on his professionalism, but sometimes, it was just too much.
Celestine didn’t notice the stormy look darkening the man’s face. She explained earnestly, “Cosmetic surgery is really advanced these days. I remember there are good hand–reconstruction specialists here in Oceanview. I’ll make sure to find the best one for you, Mr. Prescott.”
Gideon’s smile was all teeth, no warmth. “Miss Selwyn, you must be quite well–off. That’s very generous of you.”
She seemed in such a hurry to distance herself from him.
Heartless little thing–she’d already forgotten him so completely.
“I don’t have much…” Celestine shook her head, missing the sarcasm in his tone.
21:13
“But I’ll work hard to earn the money. I won’t let you wait too long
Soon, she’d finalize her divorce from Chester, and she wouldn’t touch a cent off money.
She needed to step up her efforts to become financially independent.
The longer a scar waited for treatment, the harder it was to heal.
Gideon caught the seriousness in her expression and felt a tightness in his throat.
“All right,” he said softly. “I’ll be waiting.”
“And… I don’t want to use my husband’s money,” Celestine added quietly, worried he might misunderstand.
“Oh, there’s no rush,” Gideon replied, picking up his bowl and absentmindedly stirring his soup.
So she wouldn’t even use Chester’s money–she must truly be disappointed in him.
He felt a flicker of satisfaction, though he kept his expression neutral.
Vernon didn’t miss a thing, watching his young master’s shifting moods with disbelief.
Just a few words from Miss Selwyn and the young master was practically putty in her hands!
“Uncle Gideon! Uncle Gideon! I’m telling Dad on you! You said getting my tooth pulled wouldn’t hurt, but you lied!”
A tearful, lisping little voice burst into the room.
Little Cynthia stormed in, clutching her swollen cheeks, her pigtails wild and frizzy, big eyes brimming with righteous indignation.
“Cynthia?”
Cynthia paused mid–outburst, then spotted Celestine. “Miss Angel, what are you doing here… with Uncle Gideon?!”
She struggled to get the words out, the gap from her missing front tooth making her speech a bit breezy.
Only then did Celestine realize: the devastatingly handsome, marriage–avers Cynthia had mentioned before was the very man standing in front of her.
ncle
She was stunned.
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21:13
Gideon ignored Cynthia’s accusations and introduced them, “This is my niece, Cynthia.”
Not his daughter.
Suddenly, Celestine remembered Cynthia’s story at the hospital–how her uncle, as a child, once out–barked the neighbor’s dog until the poor animal was practically in
tears.
Looking at Gideon’s elegantly cold face, she couldn’t help but laugh.
It was almost impossible to picture those two versions of him as the same person. Gideon’s gaze darkened; he caught the flash of amusement on Celestine’s lips, and his mood lightened instantly.
The next second, distracted, he let Cynthia swoop in and snatch the extra cup of nourishing soup Celestine had brought.
Cynthia downed it, then licked her lips and turned to Gideon with the crafty cunning of a child.
“Uncle Gideon, Miss Angel gave us soup! And isn’t there a saying–you can never be too polite, right?”
Gideon winced. “That’s not quite how it goes. It’s ‘one good turn deserves another.”
Celestine burst into laughter.
Gideon glanced at her, his tone softening. “Miss Selwyn, would you do me the honor of joining us for dinner?”
Cynthia nodded so enthusiastically her pigtails bounced, her eyes shining as she looked at Celestine.
Celestine couldn’t bring herself to refuse, she smiled and agreed, “I’d love to.”
While waiting for Gideon to change, Celestine took the chance to check her phone
messages.
