LOGIN~Celeste's POV~ A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. “I have better things to do than seduce you,” I said, raising an eyebrow. His eyes pierced into mine, almost pulling me into the abyss of their darkness. Then the corner of his lips tilted upward slightly. “Are you trying to act smart with me?” His voice dropped low. His other hand settled against my face, his fingers brushing faintly over my cheek in a way that made my lips part slightly. “I have no reason to seduce you, but if that’s what you think, then it means you actually find me attractive,” I replied steadily. A low chuckle that sounded like mockery slipped from his lips. “Of course, you must think highly of yourself.” His hand lingered against my face, making me uneasy. I swallowed. My fingers intentionally slid deeper into his hair, making his lashes flutter as something darker settled in his gaze. “Change the curfew,” I said, lifting my leg slowly and brushing it against his crotch. My lips parted in shoc
~Celeste's POV~ My finger clenched into a fist. “Wow, I never imagined Lily would return so quickly.” I heard Zane remark behind me, yet I didn’t turn. My gaze stayed locked on the doorway, the place they had just departed. At this point, I doubted the existence of karma. And if it did exist, why did my mother still wander freely, living as though she hadn’t shattered others’ joy to build her own? I pressed my lips together. Maybe it's time for me to turn the table since that's how she loves playing. “If you want to go with them, then take your bag and leave.” The stern voice yanked me from my thoughts as I slowly turned to see Arden glaring at me. Zane sat hunched on the couch, the contract I had left there in his hands, while Colt’s eyes remained glued to the iPad. I swallowed. “What do you want from me?” I asked directly. Wasn’t he supposed to be rotting in prison instead? What kind of twisted life was this? I knew he had saved me and needed to keep the situa
~Celeste’s POV~ After spending almost three hours dressing up, I finally pulled out the contract between me and Zane from beneath my personal files. I tossed it onto the bed, my brows furrowed as many thoughts ran through my mind. After two minutes of battling with my inner self about doing this, I eventually grabbed the file and strode out. Along the corridor, my eyes landed on Maya, who walked toward me with a warm smile etched on her face. My stomach tightened. Whenever she wore that expression, it usually meant she carried news I hated to hear. “Good evening, Miss Lynch. How are you doing?” she asked, and my lips twitched faintly. “Why are you here?” I went straight to the point. The warm smile never left her face. “Your attention is needed in the living room.” My brows knitted as a frown settled on my face. “Why? Is it my mother? If it’s her, tell her I’m busy.” I waved dismissively and was about to step away when her next words rooted me to the spot. “It’s not
~Celeste's POV~ With the towel wrapped around my head, another draped loosely across my chest. I hummed softly as I strode out of the restroom, my hand stretched to grab the lotion when a knock froze it midway. My brow furrowed as I turned, walking to the door. Then I yanked it open. My eyes widened slightly. Colt. He stood across from me, his gaze roaming shamelessly until I cleared my throat to snap his eyes back to mine. “What are you doing here?” I asked, and he arched his brow, stretching out his hand that held a drug. At that moment I remembered he had promised to deliver medicine for my headache. “I figured you might still need this,” he said. A scoff slipped from my lips. “What sort of doctor are you? Weren’t you supposed to give me this yesterday?” I asked. If the drug was a thread holding my life, I was certain it would have snapped before he delivered it. “I didn’t know it ran out of stock. Since it was late yesterday, I asked my assistant to bring it
~Colt's POV~ I stood behind the door with my eyes locked on him. “I told you countless times to come to the hospital for proper care, yet you still resort to this?” I asked with one eyebrow arched. He dragged his hand across his face. “I wasn’t taking any drug, Colt,” he replied dismissively. But I knew—I could clearly perceive the scent from where I stood. “Do you think I’m the easiest person to deceive? Even if others don’t know about your health, I’m aware, Arden.” My voice sharpened, reminding him I was the one who introduced him to that drug. But then he had chosen to abuse it. He strode to the couch, dropped carelessly, and rubbed his temples. “And that’s exactly why I’m telling you it’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it,” he said evenly. My gaze pierced into his without wavering. I knew exactly what he was trying to do. The typical Arden, shutting everyone out and building walls around himself. “Do you realize how dangerous that drug can be to your
~Arden's POV~ “I'm disappointed,” I blurted, staring at my father, who walked in as though he hadn't just sent me the craziest text earlier this morning. “What is happening?” Zane asked suddenly, drawing my attention while Colt watched us calmly. I turned toward him. “You should ask Father here why he decided to go on a vacation despite the mess he just dumped on the entire family.” “What?!” Zane's voice thundered through the room. “You're going on a vacation? Seriously?” he demanded, staring at Father, who pulled out a chair and sat down as if none of this concerned him. “Am I not allowed to take a break? I'm going on a vacation with my wife. I'm sure you all saw how terrified she was after the party was ruined. She needs something to clear her head.” His response didn't surprise me. But it pissed me off. Rage simmered beneath my skin, yet I stayed silent. “You want to go on a vacation? Was she even hurt? If anyone deserves a vacation, it's Celeste, not that gold-digging w
~Zane's POV~ “That was quick. Never thought you could be ready,” Colt said behind me, making me turn toward him. I arched my brow. “What do you expect? Of course, I’m not a fool,” I replied with a grin. I didn't want to put on the bandage at first, but then I knew that if Celeste woke up, there
Celeste. I didn’t spend Saturday at home. And I definitely didn’t spend it at my mother’s wedding either. Instead, I stayed with Anna, flipping through old campaign catalogs because there was no way I would pretend to be the devoted daughter of a woman who didn’t care one bit about how I felt.
Celeste. When I got home, every bone in my body felt stiff from all the posing, and encountering my mother was the last thing I wanted right now. So I tried to tiptoe through the living room. However, luck clearly wasn’t on my side because her voice thundered across the house, freezing me in pla
Celeste. The first thing I did when I stepped into the studio was shrug off the heavy robe concealing the Victoria’s Secret lingerie beneath it. The fabric had been clinging to me like a guard protecting a forbidden secret. Anna appeared from one corner, a palette in one hand and a brush in t







