Semua Bab Sir, You've Lost Her for Good: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Life in Hutton was vibrant, but Celia rarely went out. That night, Violet practically dragged her out to cruise the streets.Their first stop was a fight club. The place promised handsome guys, raw power, and fresh thrills.When the bell chimed, the crowd erupted. The match was about to start."Look, look! No. 17 is taking the ring!" Violet cried. She grabbed a napkin and quickly folded it into a heart. Then, she pressed her lips to it, leaving a bright stain on it. She handed it to a server. "Hey, could you give this to No. 17? Tell him it's from the ladies in Box One, and wish him luck!"The server didn't bat an eye. Clearly, he'd seen this routine before. He headed down with the napkin heart.No. 17 was standing at the edge of the ring and warming up, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He took the napkin from the server, narrowed his eyes, and swept a glance toward Box One. His expression was complicated and impossible to read.The bell rang. The fight was on.No. 17 sprang for

The crowd fell silent for a split second before exploding in disbelief."Holy crap! Three balls on the break?""This chick's legit!""Must've been a fluke, right?"Bob, who'd looked relaxed a moment ago, immediately straightened up, looking serious. His gaze was suddenly wary.Celia didn't seem to hear the comments around her. She walked to the next shot, bent at the waist, and took aim. Her movements were smooth and clean, and she didn't waste any motion.The remaining balls seemed programmed, gliding along in perfect lines and dropping one after another. Celia fluidly cleared the round.With one strike, she made a flawless clear. When the golden nine finally fell into the pocket, the pool area went dead quiet, save for the music floating from the speakers.Everyone stared at Celia like they were seeing her for the first time. A few seconds later, the cheers and screams hit like a tidal wave that could've blown the roof off."That was insane! She cleared everything with one s

Downstairs, Bob, who'd been cocky just minutes ago, now looked utterly stunned. Then, he applauded Celia with a wry, open smile. "Alright, gorgeous. I admit defeat—fair and square. Your skills are insane, and I mean it! I've never seen anything like that!"He turned to the onlookers and threw out an arm, shouting, "A bet's a bet! I'm putting on a show to hype things up, and tonight's tab is on me. Drink up!"A roar ripped through the room, along with whistles and whoops. Bob hopped onto the stage, the music thumping as he launched into a ridiculous routine that had everyone double over. Even so, his eyes kept cutting back to Celia.A rush of male fans swarmed her, still dazzled by her pool skills."Hey, beautiful! Sign something for me!""Gorgeous, can we exchange numbers?""Miss, do you take students?"In seconds, the crowd pressed in so tight that both Violet and Celia were boxed in. Violet could still manage a few replies, but the sudden attention knocked Celia off balance. S

Over the next few days, Celia barely left the house. She holed up in her small lab and buried herself in research.On Saturday night, the Fulton family's private pier blazed with lights. A jaw-dropping five-deck luxury cruise ship sat quietly at berth, its hull a pure white that gleamed with a pearly sheen under the spotlights. It wasn't just a ship—it was Fulton Group's symbol of power and wealth.That day marked the company's 50th anniversary, and the celebration was set aboard the cruise ship named The Star.A stream of luxury cars rolled in. Doors opened and out stepped one heavyweight after another—industry leaders and society elites from Hutton and across the country. Guests filed aboard in order, guided by servers, each presenting a gilded invitation."Did you hear? Mr. Fulton pulled out all the stops this time. He's putting on a huge fireworks show!""Really? Oh my god! I heard Stella Colson loves fireworks. Mr. Fulton's dropping a fortune just to win her smile, isn't he?"

In that split second, everything exploded into motion.Two tall figures shot forward like arrows from the crowd, tearing through the chaos and sprinting straight toward Celia.Time stretched thin, and the pain she braced for never landed. A heartbeat before the rain of glass came down, Celia caught a flash of white. Then, a broad, warm chest slammed into her back and wrapped her in a tight hold.The impact nearly knocked the wind out of her, but with it came a solid sense of safety. Glass shattered and sparked against the floor, loud enough to rattle her bones. Yet somehow, the sounds were kept at bay by a shield.Her savior had used his body to block everything for her.As the noise ebbed, Celia slowly opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering. She found herself staring at Theodore's chiseled jawline. She saw the urgency and worry laid bare in his eyes.His arms cinched tight around her, and the heat of his body burned through the thin fabric of her gown."Are you hurt?" His voi