Semua Bab No Way to Win Me Back: Bab 201 - Bab 210

Celeste’s POVI hadn’t slept.The night had felt endless.Just one long, cruel loop of replaying Ryan’s voice in my head, every word of that confession cutting me open, soothing me, but also confusing me.My sheets still smelled faintly of lavender, but it was no comfort.The city was already awake, gossiping, dissecting, and feasting on the scandal that had cracked open the jewelry world.By the time sunlight bled through the blinds, my head was pounding.My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with calls, messages, and news alerts, but I couldn’t bring myself to look.I got dressed quietly, in a beige sweater and jeans, hair tied up messily, face bare.My reflection looked like someone who’d aged overnight. Maybe I had.I drove to my mother’s house. I didn’t want to be alone, not with my thoughts circling like vultures, whispering all the things I should and shouldn’t do.Especially not with that one reckless thought pulsing at the back of my mind: Call him. Just call him.The air outside was

Ryan’s POVThe security guard didn’t even try to stop me this time.Guess my father had already stopped pretending I wasn’t his son.The elevator ride up to the top floor of Crown Luxe was silent except for the dull hum of tension vibrating in my chest.The mirrored walls reflected a face that didn’t quite look like mine. It was eerily calm. The kind of calm that came only when you had nothing left to lose.When the doors slid open, Mr. Davis, my father’s assistant, flinched like he’d seen a ghost.“Mr. Ryan,” he stammered. “He’s expecting you.”“Of course he is.” I brushed past him and entered the office.Maximilian Edwards sat behind his massive oak desk, back straight, jaw tight, the city skyline burning gold behind him.He didn’t look up right away, just kept flipping through a file as though I were another tedious meeting on his schedule.“Son,” he said finally, voice sharp as glass. “You’ve caused quite the spectacle.”I leaned against the door, hands in my pockets. “Good morning

Ryan’s POVThe front glass doors reflected my face before I pushed them open.Rosemary Atelier was half-dark, the way it looked after hours when everyone was ready to go home.I could hear soft chatter from the back room.I hesitated at the threshold.Everyone here knew now.The truth about who I was.Ryan Edwards, not the assistant, not the quiet designer who stayed late polishing gemstones, but the son of Crown Luxe’s infamous empire.And the man who’d lied to their boss.Grace saw me first. She was pulling on her coat, car keys dangling between her fingers.“Well, if it isn’t the prince himself,” she said, voice sharp. “Should we be bowing?”“Grace,” I said quietly. “I didn’t come to—”“To what? Pretend you’re still one of us?” She crossed her arms. “You fooled everyone, Ryan. Especially Celeste.”I swallowed hard. “That wasn’t my intention.”“Oh, please.” She laughed under her breath. “You think we’re stupid? You think she’s stupid?”Her words landed heavy. I didn’t answer.She til

Ryan’s POV“Sit down.”My father’s voice could have frozen a room.The blinds in his office were half-shut, slicing the morning light across his face like bars.He didn’t even look up from the folder on his desk.I didn’t sit. “The board knows now. You wanted transparency—congratulations.”Maximilian finally glanced up, mouth twisted in a sneer “You think this is funny?”“I think it’s predictable,” I said. “Vanessa stirred the pot and you let her. You believed every word she fed you.”He leaned back, exhaling through his nose. “I believed the proof she showed me.”“Proof?” I scoffed. “You mean the documents she conveniently found after Vivian tried to expose her?”His jaw tightened. “The documents were verified.”“By who?” I asked, stepping closer. “Her contacts? Her made-up experts? You don’t see it, do you? She’s been playing you since the start.”“Enough.” His voice cut through the room like a whip. “Vivian and Steven were siphoning money through black-market purchases. It’s all rig

Celeste’s POVAt the front of Rosemary Atelier, the usual hum of late evening work had turned to frozen silence.The door stood wide open, and half a dozen people in crisp suits were crowding near the reception counter.Their badges gleamed under the warm lights.Our security guard looked helpless, his voice drowned beneath the sound of clipped introductions.“Good evening,” one of them said as I approached. He was tall, middle-aged, with a thin face that didn’t know kindness. “Ms. Sinclair, I presume?”“Yes.” My tone came out cool, practiced. “You are?”“Darren Lee, from the Jewelry Association. We’re here on an internal matter.”“Internal?” I repeated. “You’ve barged into my company unannounced, Mr. Lee. I’d say that’s external.”Behind me, I could feel everyone’s eyes, Rachel’s cautious, Jenny’s nervous, Grace’s simmering.Ryan stood off to the side, a faint line between his brows, arms crossed over his chest.Mr. Lee ignored my comment. “There’s been a report of leaked designs orig