Chapter 11

Chapter 11
Celeste couldn’t help but find it laughable as she listened .
Wynn and Trevor had met only after her marriage to him . So , Wynn was fully aware of her relationship with Trevor . There was no way Harvey didn’t know that Trevor was her husband . He had definitely known about it all along .
Yet , he shamelessly encouraged a relationship between Wynn and Trevor . It showed just how little regard Harvey had for her despite the fact that she was also his daughter .
Trevor agreed to Harvey’s request .
They then exchanged a few more pleasantries . Celeste watched as Trevor waited for Harvey to get into his car and leave . Only then did Trevor get into his own car and drive away .
Given Trevor’s status , he rarely extended such courtesy unless it was to a few select elders of the Fleming family . Clearly , he held Harvey in high regard because he was Wynn’s father
Celeste thought back to the times Trevor had met Betty and Ivan . His attitude had always been cold and indifferent . Even when she cautiously brought up Ivan’s difficulties in the past , he had refused to help .
Yet , for those who Wynn cared about , his attitude was entirely different .
His treatment of her compared to Wynn’s was worlds apart . This was the stark difference when someone loved or didn’t love another person .
A while later, Trevor left .
Celeste stood where she was for a long time before finally heading into Luxe Haven .
In the evening , after Celeste was done with work , she went home to retrieve the gifts she had prepared for the Fleming family elders . She then drove to Fleming Manor .
Located on the outskirts of the capital , Fleming Manor was surrounded by lush mountains and serene scenery , making it an ideal dwelling place for the elderly . The only drawback was its distance from the city center .
It took Celeste an hour and a half to get there .
After parking her car , she picked up the gifts and was about to enter when she heard Jordyn laughing happily inside .
Martha was seated near the entrance . She noticed Celeste immediately and beamed widely . “ You’re finally here , Cel . Come sit with me . ”
While Martha greeted her warmly , the same couldn’t be said for Trevor’s mother , Queenie Scott . Teagan and Nicholas didn’t look pleased as well . All of their smiles visibly faded upon seeing Celeste .
Celeste noticed but didn’t care a much as she once might have .
She smiled faintly and handed the gifts to the approaching , housekeeper . Then , she walked over to Martha and greeted , “ Good evening , Grandma . ”
“ Good evening , ” Martha replied , her face lighting up . She took Celeste’s hand and guided her to sit down . But as she looked more closely , lier smile faltered “ You’ve lost weight ! Has Trevor been mistreating you ? ”
Celeste lowered her gaze and shook her head . “ No , I’ve just been busy lately . ”
Her response was partly true . Trevor hadn’t mistreated her directly , but her mood often suffered h
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Chapter 11
Moreover , she had been immersing herself in Al research every night after work . Sometimes , she even stayed up . until the early hours .
Her recent weight loss was partly due to this .
Before Martha could say more , Teagan scoffed . “ From the way you put it , anyone would think your job is so important that the entire Fleming Group depends on you . ”
Queenie , ever the elegant and composed lady , sipped her drink and remarked coolly , “ If you find working at Fleming Group so exhausting , you might as well quit . Afterall , no one begged you to work there . ”
Teagan laughed . “ Exactly ! Maybe someone just can’t bear to leave . ”
Martha didn’t like how they were taking sarcastic jabs at Celeste .
She was about to intervene when Celeste spoke first . “ I’ve already submitted my resignation . Once I finish handing over my duties , I’ll leave Fleming Group . ”
Her words caught Queenie and Teagan off guard , and they froze momentarily .
Martha frowned and started , “ Cel-
“ Is Mom here ? ” Jordyn’s voice cut through the tension . She had just come down from the second floor via the
elevator .
When she saw Celeste , she looked genuinely happy . After all , it had been over two weeks since they last spoke . She ran over and threw herself into Celeste’s arms . “ Mom ! ”
Celeste hesitated for a moment before gently hugging her back and murmuring , “ Hey there . ”
Martha decided to drop the earlier topic since Jordyn was here now .
With a warm smile on her face , she said to Celeste , “ Cel , it’s been ages since I had your tea . Make me a cup , would you ? ”
Growing up with Betty , Celeste had developed a talent for making tea . Her skills were refined , and she excelled in brewing tea .
Celeste replied warmly , “ Well , I can do that , but dinner is almost ready … ”
Teagan preferred coffee over tea . Moreover , she disliked seeing Celeste show off her tea – making skills . So , she interjected , “ Exactly . Dinner will be served as soon as Trevor and Tucker are back . ”
As if on cue , Trevor entered .
He greeted Martha and Queenie first . When his gaze landed on Celeste , he quickly looked away and sat on a single-
seat couch far from her .
Upon seeing Trevor , Jordyn immediately moved away from Celeste and ran over to him . “ Dad ! ”
Trevor hugged her briefly and glanced around the room as if about to say something when Tucker arrived . He was much younger than both Trevor and Teagan . Presently , he was still a teenager with a lively personality ,
The moment he entered , he playfully leaped over the backrest of a couch and landed neatly on the cushions . Observing that everyone was gathered , he grinned and said “ Were you all waiting for me ? ”
Teagan smacked his head playfully . “ Of course ! We’ve all been starving because of you . ”
While Trevor was reserved and Teagan had a fiery temper , Tucker was the one who brought joy to the family . He was especially close to his parents , and his arrival brought an evident smile to Queenie’s face , while Martha
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Chapter 11
looked even more delighted .
Noticing the late hour , Martha instructed the staff to serve dinner .
The nine of them dined in the dining room . Martha sat at the head of the table . Trevor , Jordyn , and Celeste sat in one row beside her.
Martha smiled as she turned to Jordyn . “ Jo , switch places with your dad so that your mom and dad can sit together .
Martha had always tried to bring Celeste and Trevor closer . The others were used to her blatant efforts , so they . didn’t react . Most thought it was futile . After all , despite years of her meddling , Trevor’s attitude toward Celeste hadn’t changed one bit .
Everyone knew her attempts were pointless . Even Teagan merely smirked sarcastically and chose a random seat without comment .
Though Trevor disliked Martha’s arrangements , he rarely contradicted her on minor matters . He remained silent , which signaled his agreement .
Unlike in the past , Celeste didn’t feel any joy or hope at Martha’s matchmaking .
She kept her expression neutral , though her smile was gentle as she addressed Martha . “ It’s alright , Grandma . This seating arrangement is fine . ”
Chapter 12