"Celia? Celia!" Yardley scooped her up into his arms and gently tapped her cheek. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"Celia's brows were scrunched up, and she muttered, "It's so dark … Don't go … Don't …""Dark? Oh—she's afraid of the dark!" Realization dawned on Yardley. His heart softened as he suddenly recalled the little girl who was also pale with fear in the darkness, huddling close to him. An inexplicable sense of compassion arose in his heart."Don't be scared. Everything's okay now. I'll take you home," he said gently.Celia's trembling visibly lessened after hearing his words, but she continued to mutter under her breath. Yardley couldn't understand a word she was saying, but he was more focused on getting her out of there. "It's okay. Don't be scared. I'm here," he kept comforting her along the way. He sat her in the passenger seat and noticed that she was still clutching onto his clothes. Yardley decided to take off his coat and drape it over her. He couldn't help but f
Yardley was fed up and turned to leave. He ran into Quinn as soon as he stepped out of Celia's room. Quinn also noticed Celia lying on the bed before the door closed. "Yardley, why'd you come out of Celia's room at this hour?" she asked.Yardley ignored her and walked away, which further piqued Quinn's interest. "Did you spend the night in her room? What did you guys do?"Celia was annoyed by Quinn's incessant chatter this early in the morning. She scratched her hair and got up to freshen herself in the bathroom. Celia was well aware of her own condition. "I must've looked awful last night. I can't believe I let Yardley see me in that vulnerable state. Now he probably knows about this weakness of mine. What if he mocks me in the future? I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole! It's all Sabrina Xanthos' fault! I won't let her get away with this," she thought.Celia tidied herself up and went downstairs to the dining room. Yardley immediately set his cutlery down an
Celia brought the stray dog to the vet before she could dwell on that thought. Even though she rushed to save the dog, its front leg had been injured by the car. Celia realized she was going to be late when she checked her wristwatch. She called Yardley after giving it some thought."What's the matter?" A deep voice came from the other end of the phone."I have something to attend to, so I'll be late—" Yardley cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "You don't need to tell me about such trivial matters." Then, he hung up on her. Celia pouted. "He sure is as cold as a block of ice. It's almost as if he refuses to utter another word to me. Forget it. I've already requested a half-day off," she thought. Celia had the veterinarian conduct a thorough examination of the stray dog. Fortunately, its injuries were minor and nothing too serious. "Can it stay in the hospital for a few days?" Celia had some reservations.The vet smiled and said, "Of course."Celia paid two
"I have something to discuss with Mr. Hughes, Shirley Baxter." Sabrina glanced at the woman in red before returning her attention to the man who was the center of attention.Celia remembered where she had heard of that name then. Shirley Baxter was the head of the Design Department at Velvet Touch Jewelers, a subsidiary of Hughes Inc. Shirley was appointed department head at such a young age because the Baxter family had connections with the Hughes family. "I also have some things to discuss with Mr. Hughes. Do you not understand the concept of 'first come, first served,' Ms. Xanthos?" Shirley grumbled. Yardley leaned back into his seat and frowned as his cold gaze swept over Celia. "Didn't she call me this morning and say she had something to deal with? How did she end up looking so disheveled and let Sabrina drag her over here in anger?" he wondered. He handed the design draft to Shirley. "Go ahead and implement the changes.""Yes, Mr. Hughes." Shirley nodded and accep
Sabrina clenched her fist. "I'm sorry," she said reluctantly.Celia perked up her ears. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you clearly."Sabrina could only raise her voice and repeated, "I'm sorry!""I don't want to see something like this happen again!" Yardley's cold voice carried an overwhelming sense of authority that made Sabrina flinch.The latter glared menacingly at Celia after leaving the CEO's office. "This country bumpkin is smarter than I had imagined," she thought. Sabrina fell right into Celia's trap and made a fool of herself in front of Yardley at that time. She vowed to seek revenge for this humiliation. She would undoubtedly make Celia pay for everything she had gone through that day!Celia stayed behind at the end of the day to double-check the data Sabrina had given her before heading back. The former was about to hail a cab after she stepped out of the Hughes Inc. building when a black Rolls Royce pulled up next to her. It was Yardley's car. "Get in the
Nope? In other words, she was not the girl who saved him many years ago. Yardley's gaze dimmed at that thought. Celia pursed her lips and felt weirded out by his demeanor. "What is he getting at? Was he hoping that I had been kidnapped before?" she wondered.Silence ensued for the rest of the drive. Lillian handed Yardley an invitation after returning home. "Mr. Xanders Senior's 70th birthday celebration is this weekend. Don't forget." Percival Xanders, Willow's grandfather, held his birthday banquet at the opulent Cerulean Crown Hotel in Ashvale City, and those in attendance were all prominent and influential figures.Celia had never been a fan of such gatherings, but Lillian rudely woke her up early that morning. "Don't you dare embarrass us!" warned Lillian. Celia was bored out of her mind even though the banquet was in full swing. She glanced at the man who was the center of attention in the crowd. She then stood up and prepared to go to the rooftop to get some fresh
"Is that so?" Celia asked. "It appears that Willow has set a trap for me. I'd like to see what she has in store for me since she wants to accuse me of stealing," she thought."What happened?" Percival asked with a frown. To be honest, he didn't believe that Yardley's fiancée would steal anything. Still, he had no choice but to believe it because his granddaughter was certain, especially when there was an eyewitness. "Here's what happened. Celia happened to pass by as Willow was showing us her diamond ring. She had seemed very interested in it. She also stared at it for quite a long time," Lisa stepped forward and said. Celia was dumbfounded. "When did I ever like that diamond ring? When did I stare at it for quite a while?" she wondered.Lisa paused before continuing, "Then we went to dance, and Willow took off the diamond ring and placed it in her bag. But the ring was missing after we had finished dancing."Willow stifled her excitement and added, "That's right. We searc
"That's my ring!" Willow exclaimed before looking at Celia with disdain. "So, it was you who stole it, Celia Stanton! What do you have to say now that you've been caught red-handed, and we have both witnesses and evidence?"Celia seemed unfazed when she discovered that the diamond ring was inside her handbag. She had seen this coming. Celia was certain that the ring was in her bag the moment that waitress accused her. She had been framed, and it was evident that Willow was the mastermind. "Celia, if you had returned the diamond ring to me and apologized earlier, I could have let it go and move on." Willow's demeanor became as gentle as a lamb, a stark contrast to the arrogant demeanor she had displayed moments ago.Needless to say, she had caught a glimpse of the tall and imposing figure she had admired from the corner of her eye. It was as if she had turned into a completely different person. "You're too kind, Willow. We shouldn't let thieves like Celia off the hook! We