Semua Bab Fake Dating The Billionaire : Bab 21 - Bab 25

Celeste's pov The faint creak of the floorboards in the hallway stirred me. Half-asleep, I reached out instinctively—but the other side of the bed was already empty, still faintly warm where he had been. Leo was gone. Frowning, I sat up. wondering if Leo had just stepped out., if he was the reason why the hallway floorboard squeaked. But why would he be up this early? And where would he even go? I slipped on a hoodie I’d left draped over the armchair and padded out into the corridor. The estate was quiet, the kind of stillness that settled in at night, broken only by the distant chirp of crickets and the occasional rustle of trees outside. I found him in the garden. Leo sat alone on the bench beneath the trees, back slightly hunched, a plain white mug cradled in his hands. Moonlight spilled across the lawn, catching on his hair and the line of his jaw, casting everything in silver and shadow. For a moment, I didn’t say anything. I just watched him—the calm way he sat

Celeste’s POV The day after Spencer’s suspension, Kingsley Group was in full containment mode. Emails flew in like darts. Phones rang non-stop. Every executive on Leo’s floor looked one misstep away from combustion. From my desk in his office, I watched Leo power through calls, his tone clipped and unforgiving, his jaw tight with restraint. He hadn’t said a word to me all morning, and I didn’t take it personally. He was a man trying to keep his empire from crumbling. I kept my head down and worked. Then my phone buzzed. BREAKING: Kingsley Construction Site Under Investigation. My heart lurched. I tapped the notification. A live stream opened with a drone shot of the Northstone site—caution tape fluttering, a collapsed beam cordoned off, workers in orange helmets clearing debris. Then the footage cut to the news anchor. “The collapse at a Kingsley Group site raises alarming questions about internal oversight. Sources confirm that an unapproved vendor—Eastbrook Material—

Celeste's Pov The wind had made it its personal mission to steal my hat. Again. I dashed after it, laughing breathlessly as it skittered like a runaway frisbee. Leo’s voice rang out from behind me, warm and amused. “You know, I think that hat’s in love with the ocean.” “I swear it’s doing this on purpose,” I huffed, snatching it just before it dove into the waves. I turned and marched back toward him, sand clinging to my legs and victory in my stride. He was waiting with that lazy grin, hands tucked in his pockets, looking like he had all the time in the world to admire the chaos I’d just caused. I tossed the hat back onto my head and struck a pose. “Okay, smartass. Since you’re clearly enjoying the show, how about we make things interesting?” Leo raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.” I gave him a slow, challenging smile. “Pickup line battle. Loser owes the winner a massage.” His eyes lit up immediately. “You want to challenge me? Celeste, I was born for this.” “Then