Never Forgive Never Forget (Celeste and Philip) novel Chapter 112

"As long as you're willing to ask Philip for help, I guarantee your job will go smoothly after this."

What kind of father would say something like that to his own daughter?

He was blackmailing her.

Absolutely shameless.

Celeste felt trapped, weighing whether she should pull some strings outside the company to sort things out herself.

But the idea of bowing her head to Herbert and begging Philip for assistance made her stomach turn.

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up.

Alfred's name flashed across the display.

Startled, she waved off her assistants, waiting until the room was empty before accepting the call.

"I'm downstairs."

Alfred's deep voice resonated through the line.

Celeste blinked in surprise. "Downstairs? You mean at the Duncan Group building? What are you doing here?"

Even as she spoke, she was already on her feet, rushing toward the elevator.

Alfred didn't answer her question directly. "I'll wait for you."

"I'll be right there."

Gripping her phone, Celeste hurried into the elevator, her heart pounding. If Alfred had come all the way to see her at Duncan Group, it had to be something serious.

She crossed the lobby and immediately spotted Alfred standing silently by the security gates. He looked every bit the nineteenth-century gentleman in a deep brown Italian three-piece suit and polished vintage leather shoes. His sharply defined features made him stand out among the passing employees, who couldn't help but stare.

Celeste made her way past the gates and stopped in front of him.

"I convinced my grandfather to take Jasper off the Silvercrest project. I'm taking over the whole operation, and I've decided to partner with Duncan Group."

Alfred settled calmly onto the couch, meeting Celeste's astonished gaze. His tone turned cool and direct. "This isn't me pulling strings for you. Jasper barely understood the Silvercrest project and passed it off to the Robertson Group before even finishing the background checks. Since then, the Robertson Group hasn't made any progress. I told my grandfather about your insights on Silvercrest—between that and the other issues, he agreed to shift the project and let me choose Duncan Group as our partner."

"Now, with the Robertson Group and Duncan Group competing, you don't have to worry about Philip causing trouble for you anymore."

Alfred had clearly considered every angle—business and personal.

Celeste's face lit up as she sat beside him, her eyes shining. "That was brilliant! Thank you."

"For so long, Duncan Group has been bending over backward to please the Robertson Group. Now that we've landed this project, we can finally hold our heads high. I can actually get back to doing my job the right way. You really are the best ally I could ask for."

After days of frustration, it felt good to finally sign her name and take back some control.

As she smiled beside him, Alfred couldn't take his eyes off her.

But was he really just an ally?