Chapter Three

Celeste

The office door clicked open.

I barely looked up from my desk, still recovering from the quiet chaos of earlier—Violet’s sabotage, the spilled coffee, the cold silence that followed. Sebastian—no, Mr. Williams—had defended me, sharp and detached, but in a way that made something in my chest twist.

Why had he done that?

He emerged from the office at exactly 12:10 PM, buttoning his navy jacket with practiced elegance. Violet trailed behind him, a step too close, already slipping on her sunglasses like paparazzi were waiting downstairs.

“Hold all calls,” he said flatly, not even glancing my way. “I’ll be out for lunch.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, steadying my voice.

No eye contact. No acknowledgment. He walked past me like I didn’t exist.

Typical.

After Sebastian excused himself for lunch with Violet, the office returned to its usual quiet rhythm. I tried not to think about the cold look he gave me as he left, but it lingered in my head like an annoying buzz I couldn’t turn off.

It had only been a few hours since I started working here, and yet, I’d already been publicly humiliated, had a stranger pour coffee for my boss in my place, and nearly exposed my deepest secret in front of the very man connected to it.

Welcome to day one, Celeste.

I buried myself in the paperwork Lauren handed me. HR forms, internal memos, department protocols—I focused on them like my life depended on it. Because maybe it did. If I was going to survive in this building, if I was going to protect Amara and keep my secret, I had to keep things strictly professional.

Hours passed. I managed to answer a few intercoms, schedule a meeting with one of the board members, and even familiarize myself with Sebastian’s calendar. I was halfway through highlighting some important notes when my phone buzzed on the desk.

"Mommy?"

Amara.

My heart softened at the sound of her voice. I answered right away.

"Hey, sweetie. Everything okay?"

"Uncle Nathan took me to get ice cream after school. We’re at the park now. There are so many pigeons!" Her giggle melted me.

I smiled, lowering my voice so no one around could hear. "Pigeons, huh? Don’t chase them too hard. You know how they are—tiny flying bullies."

She laughed again. "I miss you. Can you come pick me up now?"

"I wish I could, baby. I’m still at work. But I’ll be home soon, okay? Be good for Uncle Nathan."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you more."

I didn’t realize I was still smiling when I hung up. The warmth of Amara’s voice stayed with me like sunlight after a storm. I stood from my desk to stretch—

"Cute conversation."

I froze.

Sebastian’s voice was low and cold behind me.

I slowly turned around.

He was already back, leaning against the glass door of his office, one brow raised in silent scrutiny. How long had he been standing there?

"I—I didn’t hear you come in," I said, flustered.

"Clearly."

He pushed off the door and walked past me, entering his office without another word.

My hands were still trembling as I followed him to deliver the remaining documents I had organized. I knocked lightly before entering.

"Sir, here are the updated reports from the finance team—"

"Coffee."

I blinked. "Sorry?"

He didn’t look up from his monitor. "The one you made earlier—I didn’t get to taste it. Make another one."

I nodded quickly, clutching the papers to my chest. "Yes, sir. Right away."

In the pantry, I took a deep breath. My hands still trembled, but I carefully went through the motions: grind, brew, pour. Just like this morning.

But my thoughts were spiraling.

He heard me. He heard me talking to Amara. He didn’t say much, but his tone—there was something in it. A shift. A seed of suspicion, maybe.

I delivered the coffee to his desk without a word. He took it, gave a small nod, and continued typing. No thanks, no further orders. I turned to leave—

"Your daughter."

I stopped. Slowly turned back around.

"Yes?"

His eyes were still on the screen. "How old is she?"

Every part of me went rigid.

He finally looked up. His eyes were sharper than before. Colder.

I swallowed. "Five."

A pause.

"She sounds... close to you."

"She is. Very."

Another pause. Then he asked the question I’d dreaded the most.

"Where’s her father?"

My throat went dry. I couldn’t lie outright—but I couldn’t tell the truth either. Not now. Not when he had no idea what we’d shared in the past.

"He’s not... around."

Sebastian's stare was unreadable, but his jaw clenched. "So you’re doing this all alone?"

I nodded silently.

His gaze lingered for a few more seconds. "Return to your desk."

Dismissed.

I turned and left his office, my pulse a jackhammer in my chest.

Then came a knock—soft but urgent—on Sebastian’s office door. I turned just in time to see Lauren poke her head in.

"Mr. Williams," she said, her voice tight. "I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a call—urgent—for Celeste. It’s an emergency."

Sebastian’s gaze snapped to mine. "Take it in here."

My hands were ice cold as I stepped into the room and picked up the receiver. I could feel Sebastian’s eyes watching me as I pressed it to my ear.

"Nathan?"

"Celeste—" his voice was breathless, panicked. "Don’t freak out, but I can’t find Amara."

The room tilted.

"What?" My voice came out strangled. "What do you mean you can’t find her?"

"We were at Central Green. She was right next to me—I looked down for a second to pay for the cotton candy, and then she was just... gone. I’ve been searching. I’ve asked people. I—I don’t know where she is."

My hand gripped the edge of Sebastian’s desk to steady myself.

"Stay there. Keep looking. I’m coming. Call me the second you find her."

I dropped the phone.

My legs nearly gave out as I turned. "I have to go—Amara’s missing."

Sebastian didn’t hesitate. "Where?"

"Central Green."

"Let’s go."

"I—no, I can’t ask you to—"

"I’m not asking," he said, already grabbing his keys. "You don’t have a car, and wasting another minute arguing isn’t helping your daughter."

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

We rushed out of the building. I barely registered the curious stares or the whispers. The only thing that mattered was getting to my daughter.

The drive was fast—too fast—but not fast enough.

"Tell me everything," Sebastian said, eyes locked on the road.

"She was wearing a pink dress. Yellow headband. She had her rabbit plushie with her—she never lets it go."

I gripped the door handle, willing myself not to cry. "She must be so scared."

Sebastian didn’t speak. His jaw was clenched, knuckles tight around the wheel.

When we reached the park, I barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. My voice cracked as I shouted, "Amara!"

I ran down the pathways, scanning every face, every child. My vision blurred.

"Celeste!" Nathan appeared from the crowd, pale and sweating. "Still nothing—I’ve searched everywhere, asked everyone—"

"Did she have her bunny when she vanished?" Sebastian asked, catching up.

Nathan nodded. "Yes. She was holding it."

Sebastian’s gaze swept the park with laser focus. "Then look for that first. If she dropped it, it’ll be nearby."

"Amara?" I screamed.

Please. Let her be here. Let her be safe.

My legs moved before my brain did. "Amara!" I screamed again, louder this time, voice shaking. "Baby, where are you?!"

Then—a tiny voice.

“...Mommy?”

I turned sharply toward the sound, and there she was.

Amara.

Sitting by the fountain with two other kids, her little bunny plush tucked beneath one arm, her legs swinging as she giggled at something they were saying. Completely unaware of the chaos she’d left behind.

I rushed over, falling to my knees, pulling her into a hug before the relief could even fully register. My heart was still racing.

“Amara,” I whispered into her hair. “You scared me. You can’t run off like that.”

“I was just playing,” she mumbled. “They have a puppy.”

I closed my eyes, trying to keep it together. She was safe. She was okay. That was all that mattered.

When I finally pulled back, I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

The soft, dark strands gleamed under the afternoon light—so unlike mine.

Mine was a warm brown, a shade lighter. But hers... hers was unmistakably his.

And her eyes... that nose...

I didn’t need a paternity test to know who she came from.

Sebastian stood a few steps behind me, frozen in place, watching us.

And I saw it in his face.

He noticed.