Chapter 127

Chapter 127
With that , Matthias interrupted , “ Can we hold off for a bit , Mr. Rodriguez ? There’s someone else coming , and they should be here in ten minutes . ”
Ivan was well aware of how Matthias and Celeste were connected .
Matthias had always taken care of Celeste as well .
Hence , Betty and Ivan were pretty grateful to him .
Upon hearing what Matthias had just said , Ivan asked , “ Is he by himself ? We still have empty seats at the main table if he doesn’t mind joining us . ”
“ He’s totally okay with it , ” Matthias replied .
“ Okay . ”
Ivan nodded and instructed the staff to serve the other tables first , while their dishes would be served later .
As the first few dishes arrived , Matthias glanced at his phone . Then , he pulled Celeste aside and said , “ The person . is here . I’ll go get them . ”
Celeste nodded . The moment she turned around , she heard a familiar yet icy voice . “ No need , I’m here already . ”
Celeste was stunned . She immediately turned around . “ Mr. Newman ? ”
Zachary hummed a reply .
The remaining guests were dumbfounded when they saw Zachary . They thought they were seeing things .
It was Zachary , the renowned tech tycoon who was always in the headlines , who came , after all .
Who wouldn’t recognize him , though ?
His talent alone was remarkable , but word was that his background was equally powerful .
A high – profile person like him at Betty’s birthday party ? That was unexpected .
Betty and Ivan were stunned the moment they saw Zachary
They immediately stood up and greeted him after snapping back to their senses .
Despite Zachary’s cold demeanor , he remained respectful toward elders he valued .
He had met Betty before .
Hence , he rushed over , helping Betty settle into her seat , “ Please , don’t trouble yourself to stand , ” he said .
Betty sat back down and replied , “It’s such an honor to have you here , Mr. Newman . ”
“ You’re too gracious , Madam Klein . ” Zachary settled down in the seat beside Betty . “ My apologies , I should have visited you sooner . ‘
# 1
As he spoke , he signaled Matthías to pass the gift to him , and then he handed it to Betty . “ I came in a hurry and couldn’t arrange something more thoughtful – I hope you don’t mind , Madam Klein . ”
Betty smiled . “ Having you here is the best gift I could ask for , Mr. Newman . ”
After Zachary and Betty exchanged a few warm words , Zachary noticed Celeste and Matthias , who were standing quietly behind him like chastised schoolchildren .
Chapter 127
+25 BONUS
He cast a glance at them . Immediately , Celeste and Matthias nodded in unison and sat beside him .
Betty voiced again , “ Thank you for looking after Cel in the past . ”
“ It’s no big deal , ” Zachary said . “ She’s had some research breakthroughs lately , so at least her talents aren’t going to waste . You have nothing to worry about , Madam Klein . ”
Zachary and Betty didn’t stop Celeste when she decided to give up on her studies for Trevor .
They both believed that facing setbacks was part of growing up .
Besides , one would only learn what regret felt like by making their own choices .
What was truly concerning was how one let setbacks define them , unable to move forward .
Fortunately , despite the setbacks , Celeste chose to rise again .
Having Isabelle as the precedent , Betty had been concerned too .
However , she knew that over – intervening wouldn’t help in the long run , so she chose to let Celeste find her own
way .
Hearing what Zachary had said , Betty felt at ease . “ Good , good , that’s all I needed to know . ”
**
+25 BONUS