Chapter 7

Celine didn't call anyone. She hired a private nurse and planned to recover in peace.

Still, Quinn showed up at her door. A bandage was taped to her forehead, and when she looked at Celine lying in the hospital bed, all the warmth and gentleness from before had vanished. In its place was smug satisfaction and barely concealed glee at Celine's misfortune.

"Celine, if you know what's good for you, you'll leave and make room for me. Clinging to your position won't end well for you. You can't win against me!"

Celine watched her gloat and found it almost amusing.

"If you're so confident, why bother coming here to tell me all this?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

A flash of resentment crossed Quinn's eyes. The truth was, she'd noticed that while Steven treated her just as well as before, he'd been keeping a certain distance lately.

It made her uneasy. That was why she was so desperate to get rid of Celine.

"You should know him pretty well by now. He's stubborn and set in his ways once he's made up his mind. But he also hates people who are manipulative and ruthless.

"What do you think would happen if he found out everything you've done? Do you really think he'd still treat you well?"

After all these years, Celine felt she had Steven figured out completely.

"Are you threatening me?" Quinn's expression darkened. She stared at Celine with undisguised hatred.

Celine's tone remained calm. "I'm just telling you the truth."

"Then, let's test it. Let's see who Steve believes, you or me. Just like this time, I fell down those steps on my own, but he didn't even ask questions before deciding you pushed me."

Quinn brought it up herself, probably trying to regain some confidence.

"Even your own son can't stand you. He likes me better. Celine, what do you have that could possibly beat me? You've already lost!

"I'm giving you one last chance. Leave on your own, and as a reward for being sensible, I'll let Zane visit you from time to time.

"Otherwise, I'll make sure he never acknowledges you as his mother for the rest of his life."

After Quinn left, Celine pulled out the phone she'd kept hidden beneath the blanket and stopped the recording.

Celine spent a week in the hospital. Aside from her rival's visit, Steven never once showed his face. Zane did come by once, though it was on Quinn's behalf.

He demanded that Celine apologize to Quinn. He said the wound on Quinn's forehead might scar. He called her vicious for hurting someone's appearance.

Perhaps it was all the time she'd spent lying in that hospital bed, but Celine had done a lot of thinking. She'd come to realize that compared to life and death, everything else was trivial. Hearing Zane say these things didn't hurt or enrage her the way it once would have.

She was almost curious now, so she asked, "What are you going to do if I don't apologize?"

Was he going to use violence like Steven?

Zane glared at Celine, his voice loud and firm. "If you don't apologize, I won't call you my mother anymore! I don't have such a cruel and vicious mother!"

Celine waved him off. "Bye, Zane."

Father and son really were cut from the same cloth. Both of them wanted her gone, and so did Quinn. Perfect. All of them were working toward the same goal.

"You're completely unrepentant!" Zane huffed and stormed out. He never came back after that.

Once the pain subsided, Celine checked herself out of the hospital and returned to the villa one last time. Before going back, she made sure to check the security cameras and confirm that both Steven and Zane were out.

She threw away everything she hadn't managed to get rid of the first time, grabbed her identification documents, and checked into a hotel.

Just three more days. In three days, her contract with Evelyn would expire.

Celine had planned to spend those three days resting peacefully at the hotel. Once the time was up, she'd take the passport Evelyn had prepared for her and leave. But on the final day, someone knocked on her door.

It was Steven.

"Celine, there's a limit to how long you can throw a fit." Steven tugged at his tie as he walked in, frustration simmering beneath the surface. When he saw Celine's indifferent expression, his anger flared even hotter.

"You don't answer your phone, and now you're running away from home? Have I been too easy on you all these years?"

"Sorry," Celine apologized immediately, and Steven's expression softened slightly.

But then she followed up with, "I blocked your number. That's why I didn't get your calls."

"You!" Steven's hands trembled with rage.

"Did you need something?"

The days Celine had spent in the hospital had been the most peaceful she'd had in five years. Now, seeing Steven again, she couldn't muster even a shred of patience.

"If there's nothing else, you should go. I need to rest."

"Celine, have you forgotten what tomorrow is?" Steven forced the question through gritted teeth.

Celine drew a blank. What day?

"Tomorrow is Zane's birthday. I'm throwing him a party at Fester Hotel. Be there at 6:00 pm sharp." Steven finished speaking and fixed Celine with a meaningful look.

"After the party, we need to talk."

Celine didn't hesitate. "I'm not going."

"Celine, you're his mother!" Steven's voice rose sharply.

"He doesn't see me as his mother. If I go, I'll just get dirty looks. I'm not that bored that I need to go looking for a bad time." As she spoke, Celine pushed him toward the door and shut it firmly in his face.

The hallway fell silent.

As for Steven wanting to talk? She almost laughed. When she'd wanted to talk before, had he ever given her the chance?

No. And now Celine didn't want to give him one either.

The idea that she'd once wanted a clean break, that she'd felt the need to hash everything out, seemed absolutely ridiculous now. She must've lost her mind.

No one cared then. And now, she didn't care either.

Steven must have complained to Evelyn, because that evening, Celine received a call asking her to attend Zane's birthday party.

"Celine, just think of it as the last thing you have to do under our contract." Evelyn's tone was subdued, almost pleading. "This is the first birthday party Zane's ever had. The whole family will be there. Just show your face."

Celine agreed.

Evelyn was right. It was the last day of the contract.

She could endure one more time.