Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Jacob’s expression darkened as he accused Celeste of taking advantage of her position . “ This isn’t the right work . attitude to have , Ms. Rodriguez . Do you think this is your time ? ”
Celeste picked up her bag , unfazed . She retorted , “ If you’re dissatisfied , you’re welcome to dismiss me right now . ”
“ You
“ Jacob began . Although he had accompanied Trevor to Andestan , he was aware that Celeste had already submitted her resignation .
Even though he had Trevor’s trust , the company didn’t revolve around him . He didn’t have the authority to fire her on the spot .
Moreover , Martha favored Celeste . If she went to Fleming Manor to complain about him , Jacob knew he wouldn’t come out unscathed even if he had Trevor’s support .
Not bothered to get a response from Jacob , Celeste walked past him and left .
Jacob’s face turned purple with anger as he stormed out of the secretarial office .
Zeke noticed his sour expression and asked , “ What happened ? ”
Instantly , Jacob recounted their whole exchange .
Zeke was surprised . He had worked closely with Celeste and had a good understanding of her character . “ This doesn’t sound like something Celeste would do . Could there have been a misunderstanding ? ”
“ There’s no misunderstanding . That’s exactly how it went down . In my opinion , Celeste is just abusing her position . She’s nowhere near as good as you usually claim she is , ” Jacob ranted .
Zeke hesitated . “ Maybe she’s slacking off because she’s already resigned ? ”
But Celeste had been as diligent as ever recently , and she didn’t show any signs of a change in behavior .
Just then , Trevor approached from a distance . “ What’s going on ? ”
“ Ms. Rodriguez left work without finishing her tasks , ” Jacob reported .
you’re dissatisfied , terminate her employment according to company protocols , ” Trevor said coldly , showing no interest in the matter .
Zeke and Jacob exchanged glances and were taken aback . It wasn’t that they found Trevor’s indifference surprising , since he had always been detached about matters concerning Celeste .
What caught their attention was his apparent lack of awareness that Celeste had already resigned . Wasn’t he the one who wanted her to resign ? Had they misunderstood something
Before they could say anything further , Trevor’s phone rang as a call from Wynn came i
iL .
Without looking back , he walked toward the elevator while answering the call . “ I’m off work now . I’ll be there
Zeke and Jacob watched him leave , feeling , puzzled .
“ Maybe he forgot ? ” Zeke suggested .
“ That’s possible , ” Jacob agreed
After all , Trevor had never shown much concern for Celeste’s affairs ,
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Chapter V
Meanwhile , Celeste was on her way to Betty’s place .
Jordyn had always been close to Betty . Whenever she was home , Celeste would bring her along when she went back to the Rodriguez residence .
But despite being back in the country for several days , Jordyn hadn’t called her even once . Instead , she constantly called Wynn and missed her dearly after only a few days apart . a
Because of this , Celeste saw no need to make Jordyn go back with her . Besides , Betty would be deeply upset if she found out that Jordyn had gotten so attached to Wynn .
Therefore , Celeste went back alone this time .
[ 11 ]
The traffic was heavy , and by the time she arrived , it was already past 6:00 pm .
Betty’s face lit up when she saw Celeste . However , her expression turned somber as she reached out to touch Celeste’s face . “ You’ve lost weight , my dear . ”
Celeste looked down as she replied , “ I’ve been busy with work lately . ”
Betty sighed and advised , “ No matter how busy you are , you need to eat well . ”
“ I know , Granny . I’ll be more mindful , ” Celeste replied .
Celeste sat beside Betty , resting her head on her shoulder and soaking in her warmth .
When the lamb stew was almost ready , Betty instructed the staff to serve Celeste a bowl of stew to warm her up . Listening to Betty’s kind words , Celeste felt tears well up as she thought about everything that had happened recently .
Afraid of worrying her , she quickly composed herself and asked , “ Are Aunt Adeline and the others still away on a trip ? ” =
“ They are . They got carried away and said they’d extend it by another week , ” Betty replied .
“ What about Uncle Ivan ? Is he out for a business gathering again tonight ? ”
“ When he heard you were coming , he canceled his plans and said he’d come back to join us for dinner . He should be here soon. ”
Just as they finished speaking , Ivan walked in , smiling warmly . “ Cel , you’re here ! ” Then , he remarked with a frown , “ You’ve lost weight . Haven’t you been eating well ? ” Celeste laughed softly . “ I’ve just been busy lately . I’ll eat more tonight , I promise . ”
Satisfied , Ivan began piling meat onto her plate once dinner was served . Thought he commented on her weight loss , Celeste could see that he too looked worn out .
Even though she didn’t work at Rodriguez Corporation , she knew it was struggling , Ivan had been overwhelmed with work , yet he was unable to pull the business back from the brink
Over the years , several projects could have been salvaged with Trevor’s help . Save for Martha’s intervention on two pccasions , he hadn’t lifted a finger .
Celeste thought bitterly that if it hadn’t been for Martha , Trevor might have actively sabotaged Rodriguez Corporation , given his misconceptions about her .
As this thought crossed her inind , the lamb stew in her mouth suddenly tasted bland .
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Chapter 9
Ivan had never pressured her to seek help from Trevor , even when the family desperately needed it .
After dinner , while Betty was dozing off , Celeste handed Ivan a bank card with seven million dollars in the account . “ Cel , there’s no need- ”
“ It’s not much use to me . ” She pressed the card into his hand firmly . “ This is all I can do for now . ”
Though she excelled in academics and research , she knew she wasn’t cut out for business .
Thankfully , her early work in Al had earned her patents , and the tech company she co – founded with Matthias provided annual dividends . Even without lifting a finger , she received tens of millions of dollars each year . Ivan looked ashamed “ You’ve already given me so much , yet the company … ”
It was barely getting by .
“ I’m the one who’s incapable here , ” Ivan lamented .
“ Transitioning a business takes significant time and funds . Don’t be too hard on yourself , ” Celeste comforted . She thought of Matthias ‘ words from their recent meeting . He had said that the Al field was advancing rapidly . With her past capabilities and his operational skills , their company might already have been worth hundreds of billions and even be at the forefront of the industry had she hot left to get married . Luckily , there was still room for growth . So , he hoped Celeste would return soon .
If she could regain her former abilities and help the company thrive , she would be in a better position to support her family .
By the time Trevor returned home , it was past 10:00 pm .
Jordyn rubbed her eyes sleepily . “ You’re finally home , Dad .
“ Yeah , ” he replied . “ Go to bed if you’re sleepy . ”
“ Okay . Goodnight , Dad . ”
“ Goodnight . ”
After Jordyn went upstairs , Trevor drank the water Peter handed him and then headed upstairs himself .
The master bedroom was dark , and it seemed to be empty .
Trevor paused for a bit and turned on the light . As expected , no one was there .
Chapter 10