บททั้งหมดของ No Way to Win Me Back: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Celeste’s POVI stepped out of the cab, double checking if I had everything in my bag.When I looked up, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Standing in front of my old college brought back those fun, passionate years of self-discovery. I rubbed my arms, shivering in the night air while I waited for Grace to pay the cab fare. I wore a tea length halter dress. My handbag was bulky but not eye-catching. We dressed low-key tonight. Neither of us wanted to attract too much attention. “Wow, the turnout is better than I expected,” Grace said as she closed the cab door. She looked lovely in her pencil skirt and off shoulder blouse.The building was lit up, and the grounds were bustling with activity for the event. We linked arms and joined the flow of guests.“This is so exciting.” I said, “I haven’t seen anyone from college aside from you and Vanessa since having Bonnie.”“Yeah, you kind of fell off the face of the earth for a bit there.” Grace gave me a gentle nudge as we entered the alumni cen

Celeste’s POVI forced my mouth closed as I looked up at the drop-dead gorgeous man. A pair of dimples cut into his sculpted face as he smiled at me.“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten all about me?”He placed an elbow on the cocktail table beside me and lazily rested his chin on his hand, narrowing the space between us.His crisp, intoxicating scent washed over me.“You should dance more often.” His voice was a throaty murmur. “You do it so well.”Without the sunglasses, he was more mesmerizing.Thick, dark lashes framed his eyes. They were deeper and clearer than the finest jade gemstones I’d ever seen.I swallowed and shrugged. “You were wearing sunglasses that night.”“Our connection goes deeper than that, Celeste.” He said, gaze searing into mine. “How do you know my name?” “You’re really hurting my pride now.” He said with a chuckle. It was a rich sound that sent my heart racing.“Ryan Edwards.” He stood tall and extended a hand. “Notorious popsicle smuggler.”I shook his hand

Celeste’s POV“Why am I not surprised you found a new man so soon after your husband left you?” Vanessa asked, sneering down her nose. “You've always secretly been a skank, Celeste.”“Stop projecting, Vanessa.” I snapped, glaring at her. “What are you doing here?”“Dinner with a friend.” She pointed to the table behind me while she gave Ryan a sideways glance. Her eyebrows twitched at his athletic build and heart-melting facial features.“He’s not a total troll, but he’s obviously broke.” She said with patronizing pity. “But I guess you have to accept whatever trash comes your way. You had your chance with a real catch, but you blew it.”My nostrils flared. But before I could retort, Ryan’s huge hand covered mine. “It’s hard for me to focus on a word you’re saying when you look like that,” he said, peering intently at Vanessa’s face like a bug through a microscope. “Did you just get hyaluronic acid injections? They appear to have diffused unevenly.”Vanessa lightly patted her fac

Celeste’s POV“Celeste, dear, come in.” My mother beamed at me from her front door.“Hi, mom.” I handed her a bouquet as I walked into my childhood home.She squeezed the breath out of me before shutting the door.“Oh, they’re lovely.” She said, fetching a vase. “What’s the occasion?”I sat on a barstool facing the kitchen window. The swings of the old treehouse my father had built swayed in the afternoon breeze.“There’s no occasion. I just thought of you when I saw them.”She placed the vase on the island before sitting beside me.“How have things been, Celeste?”Her voice betrayed her worry.“Honestly? Really great.” I said. “I find designing jewelry so stimulating. I could do it forever.”The purple hydrangeas I’d bought because they were my mother’s favorite caught my eye. My heart ached.Would my daughter do the same?I blinked back tears. “The hard part is being separated from Bonnie.”My mother rested her hand on mine, nodding. I could see my pain reflected in her eyes.“I m

Vanessa’s POVI clutched the pregnancy test in my hand, its two red lines plunging my heart into a pit of despair. I was pregnant. This was what I had desperately wanted. People always warn: be careful what you wish for.I slid to the cool tiles of the bathroom floor. Memories of the past months flashed through my mind. Damien had hardly touched me since his divorce. In those rare moments when he gave in to desire, I could still feel his coldness and rejection. I felt lonelier and more sexually frustrated when he was done.In a moment of reckless vengeance and need, I’d hired a male escort.I spent that night satisfying my craving and filling the emptiness with the most skilled escort Damien’s money could buy. But I hadn’t used protection.Those two red lines glared at me.Was the child Damien’s like I had planned?The uncertainty left my head spinning. If he discovered my infidelity, he wouldn’t forgive me, and I’d be left raising a child alone without his money. It was a disaster