Celeste’s POV We passed. The words stared back at me from the subject line of the email, bright and clean against the screen like they belonged there all along. “Congratulations: Kingsley Group has advanced to the next round.” For a moment, I just stared. Then I blinked, twice. My fingers froze on the keyboard, my breath caught somewhere between my ribs. I re-read the line again and again, as if it might change. It didn’t. I spun slightly in my chair and looked across the office. Leo was near the espresso machine by the side table, pouring himself a black coffee. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled, tie loosened, eyes sharp as always—but for once, there was a calm about him. A rare softness that appeared only when things were quiet and going right. He glanced over. “Something wrong?” “No,” I said, breathless. “Actually—something very, very right.” He raised a brow, setting the cup down. I turned the laptop slightly toward him as he walked over, and when he saw the
Last Updated : 2025-07-05 Read more