Never Forgive Never Forget (Celeste and Philip) novel Chapter 153

Alfred caught the flicker of emotion in her eyes, then pressed a set of car keys into her hand.

"For the next couple of days, Mack will be coming with me, so I won't be able to drive you to work," he explained. "Take this car for now. It's unassuming—should be perfect for getting around."

He made it sound so casual—handing over keys while gathering his things, as if it was just another errand.

Alfred really was the perfect ally—always thinking ahead, always considerate.

Celeste accepted his gesture with a grateful smile.

Following her own belief in returning kindness, she reached for a small ceramic ornament shaped like a persimmon from the shelf by the door and handed it to him.

"I didn't have anything fancy prepared," she said, a bit apologetically. "But I made this little ornament myself. It symbolizes good luck and safety. Take it as a thank you, and I hope it brings you a smooth journey."

The little charm was cool to the touch and fit neatly in Alfred's palm.

He slipped it into his pocket, running his thumb over its curved surface again and again. As he did, he couldn't help but launch into another round of reminders.

"If anything comes up and you need help, you call me right away, all right?"

"Got it."

She nodded, answering each of his concerns in turn.

Standing at her door, Alfred—tall and dependable—looked for all the world like a doting, slightly overbearing older boyfriend, fussing over her with a kind of warmth that was both sweet and a little exasperating.

Still, Celeste appreciated the care. It was hard not to feel grateful.

But when he started to dive into the nitty-gritty details of Duncan Group's internal affairs, she finally had to cut him off, a little helpless.

"Mr. Alfred, if there's ever something I can't handle, trust me—I'll tell you right away. I'd never let you or the Hopkins family take a loss. But you're about to be late for your flight."

That snapped him out of it.

Realization dawned, and he gave a sheepish laugh, offering a quiet goodbye before heading out.

As the elevator doors closed behind him, the little ceramic charm in his pocket—once cold—had already grown warm from his touch.

He wasn't exactly a girlfriend or a close friend—sending stickers just seemed out of place.

On the plane, Alfred stared at her formulaic reply, fingers tightening around the little persimmon charm.

Mack had just joked that Celeste must be the type to send adorable emojis, especially since she liked persimmons and knew all about their symbolism.

Apparently not.

Alfred slowly relaxed his grip, gazing at the round little charm. Strangely, he felt at peace.

He didn't need cute emojis—Celeste herself was already more than enough to capture his attention.

Back at her apartment, Celeste put down her phone, opened the report, and peeled off her face mask, ready to focus.

Just then, Janice's name flashed on her phone screen.

"Cece, I need your help—"