All Chapters of Buried and Forgotten: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"Celeste withdrew her enrollment here last Wednesday," Mindy said.She verified James' identity as Celeste's father and handed him the withdrawal paperwork. Her eyes were filled with scorn the entire time.As James held the document, his expression shifted, and his hands trembled slightly. The withdrawal was done the day after he had told Naomi to transfer Celeste to another kindergarten.Regret and sorrow flooded him. He instinctively ran his thumb over Naomi's signature as a dull ache spread in his heart. He would never have imagined that Naomi and Celeste would leave him.After leaving the kindergarten, James felt absolutely deflated. For the first time, he experienced fear and helplessness."They must have gone home," he muttered to himself, checking the time and clinging to that hope. He drove back to the villa in a hurry. On the way back, he kept trying to reach Naomi on her phone. To his dismay, her phone remained off."Is Naomi at the office?" he asked Oliver, hopefully

After leaving James, Naomi settled down in Aberford. She got a job at her dream company and also found a good school for Celeste.She poured her heart into the research and development of the company's new product, earning recognition from her colleagues.That day, as she was getting off work, her superior, Gary Rickson, stopped her."Ms. Sloane, you've really impressed me. Your ideas are truly amazing.""Thank you, Mr. Rickson." Naomi smiled slightly."Would you give me the honor of taking you out for dinner? I really admire you and would like to get to know you better," Gary said. He wasn't even hiding his interest in her, openly asking her out on a date.Hesitating, Naomi didn't know how to turn him down.At that moment, Celeste came running out of the elevator."Mister, my mother is too busy spending time with me." Celeste clung to Naomi, rejecting Gary on her behalf.An embarrassed look crossed Gary's face. He let out a quiet chuckle and said, "Sorry, that was presumptuou

With James in charge, the company slowly recovered from the chaos and got back on track. Under his instruction, every department in the company threw itself into intense work.Soon, it was discovered that Sophia was behind all that.Everyone could tell that James had a soft spot for her. Thus, she had used that to her advantage to easily slip in and out of his office.While James was down in the dumps, she had been continuously stealing company secrets and selling them.The day she got arrested, she was just about to run away with Liam in tow when James intercepted them at the airport."Let me off, James. I just wanted some money so that Liam and I can live comfortably." She got down on her knees, begging James for mercy. "I had come back for you, but you didn't want me anymore…""Daddy, I know you love us very much. Don't arrest us, okay?""James, the company is loaded, so there's no need to be so petty. After all, we did love each other at one point. I'm begging you not to be

"Naomi, why don't you keep Celeste company? The food will be ready soon," James said giddily. He had dreamed of this moment countless times, and it had finally become reality.Celeste unwrapped the presents happily. There were all kinds of gifts—dolls, books, blocks, and even virtual pets.As Naomi watched Celeste, a wave of bitterness washed over her. Why did he only appreciate them after he lost them?"It's time to eat." After James placed the final plate down, he took off his apron and called Celeste to the table.Celeste was drenched in sweat, and her hands were stained with a variety of colors. He first took her to wash her hands, then helped her to dry them. Afterward, he held her hand and brought her back to the table."I'm such an inadequate husband and father. I don't even know what you two like to eat, so I just made a simple meal." Overcome with regret, James shot Naomi a careful glance.He had grilled some black pepper pork and chicken wings. To complement those dishe

"What are you thinking about, Naomi?" When James turned around, he found Naomi staring blankly at him. "Did I do something wrong?""No. Thank you for today. Celeste was very happy." Shaking her head, Naomi walked him to the door. "It's getting late. Be careful on your way home."James stopped the door from closing. "Naomi, I am Celeste's father. I should be taking care of her. I know I was an asshole before, but I'm trying very hard to change.""I know," Naomi replied indifferently. She could see that James was really doing his best to treat Celeste well."Naomi, won't you give me one more chance?" James' smoldering gaze was fixed on her. There was a loving look in his teary eyes.Besides the day he became paralyzed after the car accident, she had never seen him cry before. The way he looked right now moved her.Unfortunately, what had happened couldn't be undone."Mr. Hudson, I don't need this chance. I won't stop you from being nice to Celeste, but whatever was between us is a