Chapter 5

Celia thought of the time she'd twisted her ankle. She'd been mostly fine, but Winston's eyes had turned red with worry, and he'd piggybacked her to the infirmary.

Later on, some women at work had faked injuries to get close to him, but he'd shut them down without so much as a glance.

Now he was giving that same care that used to be hers alone to someone else.

Celia shut her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop. Her heart seemed to freeze over.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from Winston. "Something came up at the office, Cece. I'll pick you up in a bit."

Celia let out a dry, humorless laugh as her heart went numb.

She texted back, "Don't bother."

She didn't need Winston anymore.

…

At some point, it started to rain. Celia wandered aimlessly, soaked to the bone, but she didn't feel the chill.

Once she got home, she took a shower. Then she went to the wall calendar and crossed out the 26th with an X.

Thank goodness. 27 days from now, she would leave this place that had worn her down. After that, Winston could stay with Sophie to his heart's content.

…

That night, Celia couldn't settle down, tossing and turning in bed. Her head pounded, and a fever was coming on.

Without thinking, she reached for Winston and murmured, small and aching, "Win, I feel awful… Win…"

Her palm found only cold sheets, and the chill snapped her fully awake.

Then she remembered—Winston was with Sophie. For all she knew, they were tangled up in bed right now. Why would he even think of her?

A bitter taste rose in her throat. She bit her lip, tossed the covers aside, and got up.

She changed her clothes and went to the hospital alone. She checked in alone, saw the doctor alone, got admitted alone, and even sat through the IV alone.

The Winston she used to know would've been beside himself. She was the one he doted on, the one he'd chased like his life depended on it. Yet here she was, taking it on the chin all by herself.

Celia let out a bitter laugh. Wheeling the IV stand along, she went out to grab a bottle of water.

The instant she stepped into the hallway, she spotted Winston steadying Sophie, concern written all over his face. The two of them chatted with easy smiles.

Celia stopped short, her eyes rimmed red.

Sophie saw her and hesitated, then latched tighter onto Winston's arm. With a pale, innocent look on her face, she asked, "Ms. Weller, you're here too? Are you not feeling well?"

Winston stiffened at that. Looking up on instinct, he spotted Celia down the hallway. He pushed Sophie away almost immediately.

The shove sent Sophie stumbling. She frowned and shot Celia a look, a dark glint flickering in her eyes.

Winston hurried over, the words tumbling out of his mouth. "Don't get the wrong idea, Cece. I'd just wrapped work up when I saw some guys harassing Sophie, so I stepped in—"

Celia's gaze flicked to Sophie's calf, and she cut him off, light as air. "Where was her assistant? She couldn't get to the hospital without you?"

Sophie dropped her gaze and dabbed at her tears. "Kelly wasn't there. A few drunk men had me cornered. Thank goodness Mr. Lowe showed up in time. He even brought me to the hospital afterward. Honestly, I wouldn't have known what to do."

The tears were for effect. She looked every inch the helpless victim. She sounded like she was thanking Winston, but it was actually a flex. She had his favor, and it made her feel untouchable.

A sour ache pinched at Celia's chest. "So that's how it is…"

Winston's gaze went hard, and he shot Sophie a cold look.

Keeping his voice gentle as he steadied Celia, he said, "She's just some minor starlet. I only helped her because Lowe Group's interests were at stake. Otherwise, I wouldn't even give her a second look."

Some minor starlet?

The words stung. Sophie flushed and then paled, tears welling up in her eyes.

She bit her lip and put on the wounded act. "Right. I'm just a minor starlet, Ms. Weller—hardly worth your concern. Don't be upset. I'll go."

She limped off, biting through the pain in her calf.

A frown tugged at Winston's face, unease knotting in his chest. But when he thought of Celia, he pushed it aside. He guided her back to the room and peppered the doctor with questions.

Then he had yogurt and fruit sent up and fed her himself. The nurses at the station watched with outright envy.

Celia didn't soften at all. She had no use for a man who'd already been with someone else.

Her phone buzzed by her pillow. She frowned, checked the screen, and unlocked it to find a live stream alert.

On camera, Sophie stood at the Belcaster riverfront and spoke straight into the lens. "My boyfriend upset me today. In a bit, he's making it up to me with a huge fireworks show and a drone show too! Everyone's welcome to watch!"

The comments on the live stream turned savage.

"How shameless. Do you even know what a fireworks show or a drone show costs? Keep bragging!"

"Yeah, right!"

Sophie pouted, working the wounded look. "It's true. Believe me!"

Then the tip alerts started rolling in, one giant tip after another, from a user called "IntoYou". A beat later, the sky lit up, fireworks blooming everywhere and washing the sky in color.

Sophie's grin spread ear to ear. "See? I told you I wasn't lying!"

"Whoa, that's a real big shot. I'm jealous. Is this guy on Mr. Lowe's level or what?"

"For sure. Mr. Lowe once spent tens of millions on Ms. Weller's birthday! He was crazy about her!"

Celia's eyes shimmered, a wet sheen glazing them. She looked up at Winston on the balcony. He was bent over his phone, wearing a soft, indulgent smile.

His username was "IntoYou".

Catching her look, Winston tucked his phone away. He came over with a cup of yogurt he'd let warm to room temperature and fed her.

"Come on, just take a spoonful. It's room temperature now. Have a few spoonfuls, or your stomach won't handle it."

Celia's fingers tightened around her phone until her knuckles went white, and she watched him wear that concerned look as if it were real.

How could Winston put on such a convincing act?

She closed her eyes and nudged him away. "I'm done. I feel sick to my stomach."

Then she rolled onto her side as if to sleep. She looked down, tears pricking her eyes.

On her birthday that year, he'd put on a fireworks show that had left every woman in Belcaster envious. He'd spent seven figures without a second thought.

All he'd said afterward was, "As long as Cece's happy, that's all that matters. I make money so she can spend it."

His words had topped the trending list for a while and had people eating their hearts out. Celia herself had remained moved by him for a long time.

Now, Winston was treating Sophie with that same indulgence that had once been reserved solely for her, all just to make her smile.

Celia's eyes misted over.

Just then, she felt warmth enveloping her as Winston hugged her from behind. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Don't be mad, okay? I'll get on my knees if I have to. Tell me what you want to eat. I'll make it tomorrow.

"I saw you watching the fireworks. Once you're out of here, I'll put on a fireworks show just for you. Bigger than this one, I promise!"

The irony wasn't lost on Celia. She pushed him away and, clinging to one last shred of hope, asked, "What about the brand ambassador deal? What's your call?"