The woman was petite, wrapped in a cream–colored wool coat, her face obscured by the collar.
Still, that coat looked remarkably familiar–Celestine had owned one just like it.
He remembered, once, wanting to buy clothes for her. But she had told him she preferred to make her own, that she wanted to sew each piece with her own hands. He hadn’t argued, but he didn’t really understand, either. All that effort for a piece of clothing? It seemed like such a waste of time.
Of course, after Raymond and Celia were born, she barely had a moment to herself. Her attention was taken up entirely by the two children.
As for her designs…
Chester’s gaze slid away from the woman, his expression cold and dismissive. She probably snuck off to some obscure boutique and bought it behind his back. Look at that–now someone else was wearing the same thing.
“Chester, I really love this place. Can we take it?” Joanna tugged at his sleeve, snapping him out of his thoughts.
She’d already had someone look into it–Celestine was living in this very apartment complex now. When the time came, she wanted Celestine to see her and Chester together. She didn’t believe for a second that Celestine could keep up her act after that.
Chester took Joanna’s hand, his voice gentle. “If you like it, let’s go for it.”
The real estate agent, sensing a deal, couldn’t hide his excitement and immediately quoted the highest price. “Three million!”
Joanna’s brows knitted together. “For that much, we could buy a townhouse in the best school district downtown. Chester, I don’t want it anymore.”
Something softened inside Chester. Joanna was always so thoughtful–always putting him first.
It was only because her grandfather had thrown her out that she’d been forced to look for a new place to live.
He lifted his hand, his face unreadable. “If you want it, we’ll buy it. Let’s sign the contract now.”
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14:30
Chapter 56
The agent, as if afraid they’d change their minds, whipped the paperwork from his bag in a flash.
Opportunities like this didn’t come along every day–clients this easy to fleece were
rare.
Once the deal was done, Chester and Joanna headed straight to their new apartment.
Joanna let a hint of worry slip into her voice: “Chester, what about Celia? What if I’m not around?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll have Celestine come back to look after the kids.” Chester’s tone was calm, almost detached. “Even if she’s lost her memory, it’s still her responsibility. You shouldn’t be left to handle everything by yourself, and then have people criticize you for it.”
Joanna’s face softened. She leaned into Chester’s arms, idly tracing circles on his crisp white shirt with her freshly manicured nails. “Thank you, Chester. You always think of me.”
Today, Joanna wore a fitted white sweater, its V–neck accentuating her delicate collarbones.
When Chester glanced down, he caught a glimpse of her smooth, pale skin.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He caught hold of her restless hand.
“Chester, you’re hurting me,” Joanna protested, her tone teasing.
He smiled. “Hurts already?”
Their breaths mingled, the space between them shrinking.
Suddenly, the shrill ring of a phone shattered the moment.
Chester’s eyes cleared at once.
Joanna bit her lip, wanting to pull him back, but he offered her a reassuring look and stood up to answer.
On the other end, Zeke’s anxious voice came through. “Chester, where are you? The new Atlantic shipping line we’re working on–it’s about to get cut off!”
Chester’s face darkened. “What happened?”
The Fordham Group had just expanded into Oceanview City, and their very first line
was a joint venture with the Sterlings‘ shipping company. Everything had been
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Chapter 56
set–just one final stamp of approval stood between them and the deal.
They’d already poured in countless hours and resources. No one expected a last–minute hitch.
Zeke, the second son in the Sterling family, had invited Chester to join him on this project, hoping to solidify his own standing within the family now that Chester was moving his company to Oceanview City.
“You told me nothing could go wrong,” Chester said coldly.
Zeke slumped on his sofa, frustration written all over his face. “This is nuts! The day after our public announcement–bam, someone blocks the final approval. In Oceanview City, who would dare mess with the Sterlings? Someone’s behind this, I guarantee it!”
14:31
