“Such a chatterbox.”
Mack gave an awkward little wave. “Alright, alright, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’ll get out of your hair.”
He’d come in a rush, and left just as quickly.
Celestine was still a little dazed, left clutching a bouquet of flowers in her arms.
Gideon moved to take them for her, but as he reached out, Celestine buried her face in the blooms. “It’s okay, I can hold them. They’re not heavy.”
Her lashes were long, and with her pale cheeks framed by the soft pink petals, she looked almost adorably earnest.
Gideon’s raised hand hovered for a moment, then slowly came to rest on her head.
After a long pause, he let out a low, heavy sigh. “I still failed to keep you safe.”
The night before Celestine’s accident, his people had already discovered that Joanna had hired someone to tamper with her car.
He chose not to alert anyone.
After Celestine’s people left, he’d quietly ordered his team to restore the car to normal, making sure she’d get safely to the courthouse before they backed off.
And yet, someone still found an opening.
He’d been so close–so close to losing her forever.
Celestine looked up, catching the flicker of sorrow in his storm–grey eyes.
Hearing Gideon’s words, her heart trembled.
So he really had never forgotten their promise.
“Mr. Prescott…” Celestine called out tentatively..
“Yes?” Gideon’s reply was gentle. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, his voice soft. “Just rest easy in the hospital for a few days. Focus on getting better. Don’t worry about anything outside–I’ll handle it.”
Celestine knew exactly what “outside” meant: the accident. It involved her parents, which made things especially complicated.
If they weren’t family, no one in their right mind would get involved…
1/3
20:33
Chapter 295
If she and Gideon hadn’t crossed paths again, If fate hadn’t given them another chance, she half–suspected he might have swooped in to save her right at the
crash scene.
A swirl of emotions tightened in her chest, but she swallowed them down. “Gid… why are you so good to me?”
She said his name so softly that Gideon wondered if he’d imagined it.
He looked at her. “Sorry, what was that?”
Celestine dropped her gaze, her eyes flickering away. “Why do you help me?”
She’d asked on purpose, wanting to hear it from him.
Gideon gazed at her, a tenderness in his eyes he didn’t even realize was there.
But their story–how they met–had been anything but pleasant.
He remembered what he’d uncovered about the medication Celestine had taken because of him. He couldn’t bear to make her relive those memories.
Better to let them fade.
He hesitated, his voice roughened with emotion. “My birth mother always said I was a troublemaker, a sinner. She believed I was put on this earth to pay off my debts, so I try to do a little good every day.”
His words were laced with self–mockery, but the weight behind them was impossible to ignore.
Celestine felt her heart grow heavy.
Whatever existed between Gideon and his mother seemed beyond repair.
Whether his abduction as a child had been an accident or intentional–no one
would ever know.
But maybe their reunion was fate’s doing.
Whether he was Gid or Mr. Shield, she truly wished him happiness for the rest of his days.
“Mr. Prescott, you’re quite the philanthropist,” Celestine said with a faint smile.
Gideon looked into her bright, blinking eyes and, unexpectedly, let out a laugh.
“Remember what I told you: don’t rush back to work, just focus on getting better. Understand?”
20:33
Chapter 295
Celestine’s mind went blank.
Oh no. While she’d been unconscious, had she missed the second round of interviews at The Prescott Group?
A wave of regret washed over her, but she hid it, not wanting to worry Gideon.
Later that evening, Crystal Lennox came to visit. “The Prescott Group’s bid? Celly, you nearly died and you’re still thinking about that? Relax. They postponed the second round. We’re all just waiting for the new notice.”
20-3340
