Never Forgive Never Forget (Celeste and Philip) novel Chapter 128

Celeste was in surprisingly good spirits. She'd not only inherited her mother's cherished porcelain, but had also watched her stepsister and stepmother get put in their place. The satisfaction left her with quite an appetite, and Alfred was already ladling a bowl of steaming soup for her.

"Thank you," Celeste said brightly, flashing a warm smile.

She knew exactly how to play her part in front of her grandfather—showing off her affection for Alfred was expected.

"As long as you like it," Alfred replied. He watched her smile, his fingertips twitching nervously before he composed himself and reached for more of her favorite dishes.

Derek observed the couple, nodding in approval—this was how a married couple should act.

Only Jasper, watching from the corner, had a flicker of resentment in his eyes.

...

After dinner, Alfred had to head back to the office to deal with some post-launch investment issues. He took a long detour just to drop Celeste off at the entrance to Moonwater Grove before finally leaving.

Celeste walked through the evening breeze, making her way to the apartment building.

"Celly."

The familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

She turned to see Philip stepping out from the shadows by the building, his eyes filled with urgency as he approached.

"Celly, come home to Silvercrest with me," he said, voice low but insistent. "My family keeps pushing me to marry, but the only person I want is you. We can do everything the way you always imagined—get the license, have the wedding you want. I'll sign the shares back over to you, we can buy a new house… If you really can't stand Viola, I'll send her abroad."

From the shadows nearby, there was a quiet clatter as someone dropped trash.

Celeste snapped out of her daze, barely processing Philip's sudden, blunt proposal.

What on earth was he getting at now?

Just then, Viola stepped out from the darkness, disbelief written all over her face.

Philip realized he'd said too much and turned away, avoiding Viola's eyes.

Celeste paused in surprise. Now suddenly she was the only one he could marry? Things were never that simple.

Back when they were together, his family had never pressured them to wed—in fact, they'd been almost dismissive, barely tolerating her frequent visits and care. Now, out of nowhere, she was indispensable to them? Clearly, they'd only just discovered who she truly was.

Too late, she thought bitterly. The Robertsons had missed their chance.

She wrenched her arm free from Philip's grasp.

"And what's that got to do with me? Did you forget I'm seeing someone else now?"

"If you show up like this again, I'll make sure my boyfriend crushes the Robertson Group without mercy."

She turned and strode away, not looking back.