Celeste's Mommy Runs Away

Inside the dark and cold room, two children lay on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs. 

“Cecilia, why did you follow me here? Are you not afraid of dying again?” A little boy with long brown hair asked her in frustration.

But amid darkness, the little girl’s smile brightened the room. 

“Leonard, if I leave you alone with those bad guys, wouldn’t you die again?” She answered casually. She seemed eerily calm in a situation where both of their hands were tied behind their backs. 

“Ah, his name is now Eon… I keep forgetting,” she muttered under her breath, remembering they were already reborn with new identities.

Eon, still frustrated, continued, “Then why did you come with me if you know it’s dangerous?!”

“I don’t want to leave the boy who died with me before!”

“It was in the past, Cecilia! We’re living a new life now. You should cherish it.”

“Cecilia…” called out in a voice so endearing… so sweet…

“CECILIA!”

“CECILIA, WAKE UP!”

Suddenly, the whole world crumbled before Cecilia Eldritch’s eyes. 

Distant memories she tried to bury...

It was all just a dream...

She felt her whole being shaken, and her cousin, Ellen Miller, appeared as she opened her eyes. Her face crumpled, visibly annoyed. 

Ellen let go of her before placing her hands on her waist. “Hurry up, our hotel service is here.”

“What the hell is wrong with this country?! So traffic, and always delayed!” she complained as she stomped out of the lounge with her handbag hanging on her arm. 

The flight was delayed, and the hotel service was stuck in traffic for over an hour. It's no wonder that one will be irritated. 

'It's not like we can prevent that from happening. We need to adjust to the situation,' she thought positively as she got up. 

Cecilia, left with all their luggage, had no choice but to push it out alone. Ellen left her again without any regard for her. And in the busy airport, of course, no one would help a perfectly able woman push her luggage. 

She’s on her own.

Soon after, she quickly found her way to the black van waiting outside the airport, with a sign reading 'Miller Family.'

"Ellen, can you help me with the luggage?" She asked, expecting help from Ellen. However, she just ignored Cecilia and went inside the van. 

The person holding the banner quickly helped Cecilia with the luggage and loaded it into the van. Seeing that it was settled, Cecilia hopped in the van as well. 

"Thank you for helping my assistant," said Ellen as soon as the staff sat in the passenger seat. 

"You're welcome, ma'am."

Hearing what her cousin said, she couldn’t help but glance at her. 

‘Assistant?’

‘Me?’

Ellen looked magnanimous, as if a caring employer to Cecilia. 

"Hey, Cecilia," she whispered.

“Can you pretend to be my assistant for this trip?”

“Why?”

She frowned. Although few people know her real identity in the office, she's still the heir of the family business, and Ellen is not her boss. 

She purposely concealed her identity because that's how her father taught her older brother. Her father wanted them to learn everything from the ground up. She started as a regular customer service agent and eventually transferred to the research and development team. After working for a few years, she's now the head researcher of their company. 

Only the executives know she's the heiress, the only Eldritch left. 

“I wanted to make a good impression on the Eno Family. My agent said that they’re looking for a model,” said Ellen.

'Eno Family?'

"Why?"

"Why not? They're one of the richest families in the world! If I could get a contract with them, it would help my career!"

Cecilia’s lips thinned, trying to lengthen her patience as she explained, “I don't want anything to do with the Eno family, Ellen. I just need to attend this ball and contact our clients. You know that this is a networking opportunity for our company.” 

“Yeah, I know. I’m not dumb.”

“But technically, you are under me. I am the HR Executive, and you are just the head researcher. You are far below me in the corporate ladder,” said Ellen in a matter-of-fact tone.

“…”

‘But aren't you working in my family’s company while you are just the daughter of my step-aunt?’ she thought to herself.

“Besides, you know that I cannot lose this opportunity. I lost my chance to be a ballerina when you injured me. If not for that, I don't even need to work in the company."

“I was so close to getting admitted to Juilliard and you…”

Ellen’s head hung low. She continued, “Never mind. I understand that you don’t want to help me at all.”

Her words caught her heart—again. 

She felt guilty.

Ellen’s injury made her unable to dance again. Her bright future is gone in a split second. 

And it was all because of her. 

‘If I did not come crying to her when my parents died, maybe she could still dance…’ She bit her lips, guilty. 

“But the Eno family…” 

Ellen shook her head. “You won’t face them at all. I know you hate them, so I’m doing this, so you don’t have to talk to them. Would an assistant need to meet the Eno family herself? No, right? All you have to do is meet our clients who are also attending the charity ball."

"The Eno family is not in any way involved in our business anyway. We're just invited for charity, not for business. But it's an opportunity for me to get a contract with them for their new brand. You know how influential they are! They're one of the top conglomerate in the world!"

“I’m so smart, right?! I think of a way for you to avoid them!”

"See! I always prioritize you, Lia!"

"..."

Cecilia was utterly speechless. 

Ellen Miller, her step-cousin, whom she has treated like her own family, plans to curry favor with the family that is suspected of being involved in her family's death. 

Her family grew close to the Eno family because of her friendship with Eon Eno. But after her family's death, her step-auntie hired a private investigator, and the investigation revealed that they were involved in the accident. Cecilia's step-auntie, Elizabeth Miller, said it was because of a failed business negotiation. 

Just like that, she lost her family and her closest friend.

'Her mom warned me to stay away from the Eno family. Now, she wants to get close to them...'

'How come she would do this...?'

"Does your mom know about this?"

"Yeah, of course! She's the one who told me about this," she casually answered. 

"You do know that they're involved in my parents' death, right?"

"Yeah? So what? It's so long ago! Move on, Cecilia! This is a huge opportunity for me!"

Cecilia did not expect Ellen's lack of empathy. All this time, she thought Ellen got her back.

But as it turns out, this opportunity is more important than her grief. 

"Don't worry, Cecilia, this is purely transactional. I swear!" 

"Even if Eon Eno falls in love with me, I will turn him down for you!"

She stared at Ellen's blue eyes and saw her determination and confidence. She could feel the guilt tugging in her heart. 

'Maybe this is how I can make up to her...'

She sighed, "Alright..."