Chapter 45
Celine’s POV
I give him a questioning look as a boyish grin creeps on his cute lips. I don’t want to be distracted by it and the twinkling amusement in his eyes.
“Why are you surprised that I am here?” He finally speaks.
I roll my eyes. “I never thought we would see each other again”, I say and lean on the car seat.
“Why?” He asks again. I watch him. He wasn’t richly dressed this way yesterday at the mall. He looked like an average American but now I know he is super-rich, probably a billionaire like Bryan.
I wonder why he is back to look for me after the weird behavior yesterday when he got to know that Bryan had a child. I saw the look on his face but I couldn’t give it much thought because Bryan arrived at the house even before I took off my clothes.
I shrug nonchalantly. “I just thought you would never come back here. But I guess I am wrong. I am supposed to find you, to give you back your money, and thank you once again for your kindness.”
“Don’t be silly”, I see a flash of disappointment cross his face. “I am not here for any money. I came to see you.”
“To see me?” I can’t hide my amazement.
“Yeah. I forgot to get your number yesterday. I kept thinking about the lady that was in distress yesterday and I couldn’t take my mind off her so I decided to visit her and if possible take her out to a fancy restaurant”, he smirks proudly.
I shoot him a playful look. “Go find her then.”
He laughs briefly. “She is right here before me”, he points at me and rests his back more comfortably on the car seat with a smile teasing his lips.
I am surprised at his confession. Even though I found him cute, I never gave him any more thoughts since we departed yesterday. I was just worried about how weird he behaved.
He wants to take me out? Nah! I don’t even know him well enough.
I shake my head. “I’m sorry but I am scared going out with you won’t be possible because of my job.”
He nods in understanding, hiding his displeasure. “It’s not a date.”
“I know.” I flash him a smile.
He let out a heavy sigh just like Paxton did the other day. I feel sorry for him even though I know I wouldn’t even go out with him even if I wasn’t stucked in Bryan’s home.
“I guess I should get going. Thank you for the visit and your kindness”, I turn to go.
“Wait”, he holds my wrist, stopping me from climbing down from the car. I turn to him.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Work”, I simply say. Reality dawns on him and he exhales deeply, looking at the mansion.
“I need a favor from you, please”, he finally mutters with a different look on his face. My curiosity is now at its peak and I want to know if my assumptions and suspicions are right.
I nod to urge him to go on. He finally let go of my hand and put his two hands together with a serious look on his face.
“I want to ask you a question”, he says.
“Ok?” I urge him, waiting desperately for him to say whatever it is he wants to know.
“Who is the mother of Bryan’s son?” He questions to my surprise. I am too shock to mask the gasp coming out of me.
Why does he want to know Jason’s mother? Who is this man? Is he a journalist? Does he know Bryan but is pretending not to know him? Should I tell him the truth that I am the mother? What will happen if I tell him? Am I safe? Is my son safe?
“Sorry, I didn’t… get your name”, he informs me.
Wow! I know his name but he doesn’t know mine, I said inwardly.
Then it means he isn’t really here for me, he came here for the information he wants to get from me.
Apparently, he is one of those who wants a piece of information about Bryan’s private life so they can spill to the public and tarnish his image. He might probably be one of Bryan’s business rivals who wants to pull his company down with a scandal.
I feign ignorance.
“My name is Celine”, I tell him before he can open his mouth to ask another question.
“Ok, Celine. Do you know the mother of your boss’s son?” He demands again and I shake my head.
“You don’t know?” His eyes bulge open in disappointment. My heart is thumping wild in fear as I see the sudden anger in his eyes.
I need no soothsayer to tell me this man is not coming out clean with me and he has skeletons in his cupboards.
I decide to say something to alienate myself from this shit I have gotten myself into.
“I heard she is an Indian.” I blurt out and his mouth drops open in surprise.
****
Paxton’s POV
Anger flashes across her face at my revelation but I plaster a nervous smile on my face instead. She glares at me coldly and stands upright to leave the sofa she is sitting on.
I smile to myself. Is Emily jealous?
“Emily?” I call but there is no answer. I am short of words. I shouldn’t have told her yet but I don’t regret it. They are all going to know anyway after Celine becomes mine, there is no point hiding it from anyone anymore.
She turns back abruptly.
“As much as I hate that girl…”
“Emily?” I cut her short. Her words are insulting. Celine is a good girl and I don’t like how people who I care about can’t see her true color. I know Celine well enough to know what she can do and what she can not.
Why can’t they know how loyal and calm she is?Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
She glares at me again before coming back to sit beside me. “I have an idea, Paxton.”
“Idea?” I frown. “What idea?”
“I still want Bryan”, she closes her eyes. I know the pain of rejection is still hurting her so badly. It will take time to heal but with her determination to heal from the wound of the past before she can move on.
Apparently, Emily isn’t ready to move on from the past, she doesn’t want to move on from the hurt and the rejection. She is taking it the hard way.
“Emily, you need to forget about that idiot”, I say and she flashes me a scowl. “He is not worth all this trouble.” I lean backward.
“You have no idea what I feel for him, Paxton. I can’t forget him just like that. I have been waiting for years just to have him. I can’t just give up just like that”, she utters firmly and I keep quiet. She adds. “Have you ever been in love apart from this bitch of a girl?”
I roll my eyes at her and she chuckles. “Stop it, Emily.”
“Alright, fine”, she surrenders. “But I don’t think I can like her.”
“Whatever. What is this idea of yours you want to share with me?”
She moves closer and a smile plays on her face. She holds my hand and caresses it softly. “Do you truly love her?”
I know she is talking about Celine. Of course, I do. It was love at first sight.
“Yes, I do.”
“Great”, she beams in excitement. “I have a plan for us to have these two people to ourselves. Celine will be yours and Bryan will still be mine.”
“Celine isn’t rejecting me like Bryan is rejecting you”, I state with confidence. She punches my chest playfully.
“Don’t be silly. You can’t be so sure”, she notifies me.
“Alright, go on. I am all ears”, I urge her to go on.
“Are you in?” She demands, peering at me.
“Of course”, I answer. “But I don’t know what this idea is all about yet.”
“Good, I am going to tell you but now…”
“Why?”
She grins and I grab her. “Talk.”
“Sorry”, she laughs and tries to get out of my hold. I begin to tickle her and she laughs more, pushing me away. I laugh too but increase my tickling when I notice she isn’t ready to tell me about the plan yet. She tries to escape my hold but she falls back, pulling me to herself.
Still laughing, I stay still on top of her on the sofa until we sober up. A flash of something that happened in the past came back to my head and before I can think it through, she raise my head.
We watch each other intensely before she takes my lips in a searing kiss.