Chapter 15

Celeste’s POV

I had a bad feeling about Camille. Ever since she showed up at Éclat and started asking questions about Amanda, I hadn’t been able to relax.

I knew that woman well enough to understand that her curiosity was never an innocent one. She always had a reason for doing things, even when she pretended otherwise.

And I didn’t like the questions she had asked me. How old was Amanda? Did her father know about her? Why would Camille suddenly be interested in my daughter’s life?

First it was Sebastian who found out about her, now his jealous girlfriend? Who else? I just couldn’t shake the feeling that therewas something she was looking for. Something she had no right to know.

“You’ve been thinking for the past twenty minutes, and you haven’t turned a single page.” Merida crossed her arms. “Is this about Sebastian or Xavier?”

“Neither.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Then what is it, Celeste?”

I stared at her. Then rubbed my forehead. “Sebastian’s girlfriend, Camille. She came here two days ago.”

Merida’s expression immediately changed. “What?”

“And she was asking questions about Amanda.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing she obviously didn’t already know.”

Merida shook her head. “What di you think she’s up to?”

“I don’t know yet. But I know hat woman is trouble. If she’s asking about Amanda, she definitely has a reason.”

“Do you want me to call the police?” Merida asked.

I looked at her. The woman always had a way of being overprotective of Amanda and I. “No.” I said. “Not until I found out what they’re up to.”

For six years, I had managed to keep Amanda’s existence away from Sebastian and everyone connected to him. I had worked hard to give my daughter a peaceful life, far from the complications of my failed marriage.

I hadn’t hidden her because I wanted to punish Sebastian. At least, that was what I had always told myself. The truth was more complicated than that.

When I discovered I was pregnant, Sebastian had already made his choice. He wanted Camille, and he had made it clear that our marriage meant nothing to him compared with the woman he had loved before me.

I couldn’t imagine telling him about the baby and watching him look at me with pity. I couldn’t bear the thought of him staying with me out of obligation or, worse, trying to take my child because he believed his name and money gave him the right to.So I left and raised Amanda.

It had worked for six years. Until Sebastian set his eyes on Amanda and everything began to fall apart. I couldn’t completely blame him though, she shared an undeniable resemblance with her father.

“Have you considered telling Sebastian about Camille’s visit?” Merida then asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want him using it as another reason to interfere in our lives.”

“Celeste, he already knows Amanda exists.”

I looked away. Yes. That was the problem. Sebastian had discovered the truth, and now he wanted to be involved in Amanda’s life immediately. He had called me almost every day since our last meeting, asking when he could see her.

I had ignored some of his calls and rejected the rest. I knew I couldn’t keep doing that forever. But I wasn’t ready to let him close to my daughter. Not yet.

The next morning, while Amanda sat on the living room floor, surrounded by toys and her drawing books, humming silently to herself, completely absorbed in the picture she was drawing, I sat beside her.

She held up the drawing proudly.

“That’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

“It’s you and me, mommy.”

I smiled at the two figures holding hands. One was tall, with long dark hair. The other was much smaller and wore a yellow dress.

“Your dress is prettier than mine.” I teased.

She giggled, then became thoughtful. “Mommy, what about my daddy?”

The question took me by surprise. I looked at her small face as I struggled to find the right words to say to her. This was the conversation I had been avoiding.

I took her hand in mine. “Do you remember when I told you that sometimes grown ups make terrible mistakes?”

She nodded her head.

“Well, a long time ago, your daddy and I had problems. We were married, but things didn’t work out between us. We decided to live separate lives before you were born.”

“Does he know about me?”

“No, sweetheart. Not yet.”

“Doesn’t he want me?”

“No, baby. I’m sure he does.”

“Then didn’t you tell him about me?”

I took a slow breath. “Well, because I was afraid. Your daddy and I were no longer together, and I didn’t know how he would react if I told him I was having a baby. I thought it would be better to raise you on my own.”

Amanda studied me for a moment. “Were you sad, mommy?”

The simple question almost broke me. “Yes,” I admitted. “Mommy was very sad.”

“Did you cry?” She questioned with a little smile at the corner of her mouth.

I returned the smile. “Sometimes.”

She immediately moved closer and wrapped her little arms around me. “It’s okay, Mommy. You have me.”

I held her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Yes, sweetheart. I have you and you have me.”

After we broke up the hug, I held her hands and looked her in the eyes. “Look baby, it you want to know him, then we’ll see how we can make that happen, okay?”

She nodded her head.

Amanda returned to her drawing, apparently satisfied. But I wasn’t satisfied with the conversation. I had told her the truth, yet there was still so much she didn’t understand. She certainly didn’t know what kind of man her father had been to me.

I wasn’t going to burden her with those things. Whatever happened between Sebastian and me, Amanda deserved the chance to make up her own mind about him.

I decided to take her to school myself. Daniel was unavailable, and I wanted some time alone with my daughter after our conversation. I also wanted to avoid the possibility of Sebastian showing up at Éclat or my home again.

I should have known better than to think he would make things easy. Amanda sat in the passenger seat of my car, talking excitedly about her friends in school, while I drove through the morning traffic.

I was half listening to her when a black car suddenly pulled out in front of us. I slammed on the brakes. Amanda gasped as our car jerked to a stop.

I turned to her immediately. “It’s alright, sweetheart.”

My heart was pounding as I stared at the vehicle in front of us. Then the driver’s door opened and Sebastian stepped out. Of course. He had not allowed me to rest since the day I stood him up at the park.

He started to walk toward our car. I gripped the steering wheeltightly. “What the hell is he doing?” I whispered to myself.

Then I noticed how his gaze shifted to Amanda in the passenger seat. And that moment, she asked, “Mommy, who is that?”