The three of them exchanged pleasantries. It was widely known that Barnaby and Otto were close friends. Also, their families once dominated the business world. Alas, Barnaby sold his company and retired from the business world many years ago. There had been little news about him since. It was said that he traveled around the world with his granddaughter. Still, the Stanton family's influence remained widespread across the country.Sinclair presented the gifts Barnaby had prepared for the Hughes family. They included a world-renowned painting, a plot of land in the city worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and other equally valuable items. The Stanton family went above and beyond when it came to gift-giving.It pained Celia to watch these extravagant gifts end up in the hands of the Hughes family … At least Sinclair didn't blow her cover. It would no longer be fun if her cover were blown. "Lillian is such a snob. She might not let me leave after three months. Also, Yardley
Celia turned around and noticed Yardley walking toward her. Obviously, he had followed her out."Nobody said I had to notify you when I leave. It's no longer working hours, Yardley Hughes. You're not the boss of me anymore. I am free to do whatever I want." Celia was perplexed by Yardley's attitude.All of sudden, a car pulled up in front of them. The driver got out of the passenger seat and opened the car doors for them. Celia recognized Yardley's car. Yardley looked away. "It's late. It's not safe for you to take a cab by yourself. Let's go back together so you won't hold us responsible if something goes wrong." Celia frowned. "There's no need for you to worry about me demanding compensation. I'm not interested in your family's money."Yardley reached out and grabbed her wrist as she was about to leave. "Get in the car!" His tone left no room for discussion. He met her angry gaze and continued, "I promised Grandpa I'd be with you for three months, so I have to ensure your sa
Yardley raised his hand and tugged at his tie. He felt his anger intensify. He was furious at himself for striking up a conversation with her. He couldn't figure out why he felt the need to start a conversation with her just because he thought the car was too quiet. The more he thought about it, the more he felt irritated he became with himself. Not a word was exchanged between them for the rest of the drive. Yardley stepped out of the car as soon as it arrived at the Hughes residence. Celia, however, got out of the car lazily and strolled inside. Yardley sat on the living room sofa with a glass of water in his hand. Celia didn't even look at him as she walked past him on her way upstairs. The former slammed his glass onto the table, but the latter was unfazed and continued up the stairs. "All this over a joke? He sure is petty! I can't believe someone like him is actually the CEO of Hughes Inc. Isn't he worried about ruining his family business in the future?" she thought.
Celia organized the files and categorized them. Her ability to retain information was exceptional. One could even call it a photographic memory. Celia knew which specific data she needed to work on after grasping the contents of the files in her mind. Then, she got to work. The process was a bit long, but it wasn't difficult for her. She mastered it, and her speed increased as well.The sound of her tapping away on the keyboard drew the attention of her colleagues, who whispered to one another."Woah, she's lightning fast on the keyboard. I thought I was fast enough, but I definitely can't compete with her.""I assumed a country bumpkin like her would be oblivious to these things, but it seems like she's quite good at her job.""Yeah, have you noticed? She was also very efficient at work this morning. She isn't completely useless despite her rural origins. She wouldn't have become Mr. Hughes' fiancée otherwise. I heard Mr. Hughes Senior was the one who chose her. There's no w
Celia was tidying up her belongings when she received a call from Sabrina. "How much more time do you need to finish?""I've already finished.""What? Are you sure you've checked it thoroughly and there are no issues?" Sabrina couldn't believe Celia had completed the task so quickly.Celia patiently replied, "I'm sure. I'm hanging up if there's nothing else you need. I'd like to get off work.""No! You can't leave yet!" Sabrina suddenly raised her voice.Celia stopped in her tracks. "Why?""I just received a call from Mr. Carver. He said that there's another set of data that needs to be included. I'll bring it over to you right now, so stay where you are.""Then you can email me the data. It'll be too late if you come over here.""No can do. The data is quite complex. You haven't worked with it before. It'll be disastrous if you mess it up. Just wait for me. Don't be impatient. I have already reached home, but I still need to rush over to work overtime with you. What do you hav
"It's already 11 pm, and Celia still hasn't returned. I wonder where she went off to."Yardley overheard Quinn's words when he went downstairs to get a glass of water.Lillian added, "As expected of a country bumpkin, she lacks common sense. Her lifestyle is also inappropriate. I can't imagine where she is at this hour!"Yardley found it strange at first. Then, her attitude toward him the day before crossed his mind. The strangeness faded.What she did had nothing to do with him.Lillian raised her voice. "Yardley, Celia's behavior might not be a big deal, but it'll be troublesome if word gets out and tarnishes your reputation. After all, a lot of people have seen her and recognized her as your fiancée. "It would be best for you to annul this engagement as soon as possible. Let her go back to the countryside and leave our house. Who knows what problems she'll cause if we let her stay? You never know with these things. We might be held responsible if something goes wrong.""Gran
"Celia? Celia!" Yardley scooped her up into his arms and gently tapped her cheek. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"Celia's brows were scrunched up, and she muttered, "It's so dark … Don't go … Don't …""Dark? Oh—she's afraid of the dark!" Realization dawned on Yardley. His heart softened as he suddenly recalled the little girl who was also pale with fear in the darkness, huddling close to him. An inexplicable sense of compassion arose in his heart."Don't be scared. Everything's okay now. I'll take you home," he said gently.Celia's trembling visibly lessened after hearing his words, but she continued to mutter under her breath. Yardley couldn't understand a word she was saying, but he was more focused on getting her out of there. "It's okay. Don't be scared. I'm here," he kept comforting her along the way. He sat her in the passenger seat and noticed that she was still clutching onto his clothes. Yardley decided to take off his coat and drape it over her. He couldn't help but f
Yardley was fed up and turned to leave. He ran into Quinn as soon as he stepped out of Celia's room. Quinn also noticed Celia lying on the bed before the door closed. "Yardley, why'd you come out of Celia's room at this hour?" she asked.Yardley ignored her and walked away, which further piqued Quinn's interest. "Did you spend the night in her room? What did you guys do?"Celia was annoyed by Quinn's incessant chatter this early in the morning. She scratched her hair and got up to freshen herself in the bathroom. Celia was well aware of her own condition. "I must've looked awful last night. I can't believe I let Yardley see me in that vulnerable state. Now he probably knows about this weakness of mine. What if he mocks me in the future? I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole! It's all Sabrina Xanthos' fault! I won't let her get away with this," she thought.Celia tidied herself up and went downstairs to the dining room. Yardley immediately set his cutlery down an