Never Forgive Never Forget (Celeste and Philip) novel Chapter 77

Celeste returned to her office, took a steadying breath, and tried to refocus on her work.

Half an hour slipped by in a blur.

She opened a project proposal but barely made it past the first line before the door swung open and Irma stepped in. "Mr. Duncan wants you in the conference room," she said briskly. "We're negotiating the partnership with the Robertson Group, and their side made it clear—if you're not present, the deal's off."

Irma hesitated, then added, "Mr. Duncan and Miss Beverly also want you to know that if you refuse, any loss from this deal will be blamed on you—and there'll be a formal reprimand from the company."

The first part was official; the second, thinly veiled intimidation from Herbert and his daughter.

Celeste weighed her options for only a moment. However much she wanted to avoid Philip, a public reprimand from the company would do far more damage to her position than her personal discomfort.

The choice was clear.

She stood up and beckoned to Irma. "Print out all the relevant documents for me."

"They're ready," Irma said, handing over a neatly prepared folder.

Celeste gave a small, appreciative smile, then headed for the conference room, documents in hand.

As soon as she entered, she could feel Philip's gaze lock onto her, intense and unyielding.

She ignored him, kept her composure, and took a seat without hesitation. "I'm here now. Let's get down to business."

Beverly shot her a frosty look. She'd just spent half an hour being ignored by Philip, and her frustration was palpable. Curling her lip in a sneer, she said, "You think you can just waltz in with a couple of files and understand this project? Mr. Robertson only let you stay because of old times' sake. You're just here as window dressing—so why not sit quietly and let the rest of us do the talking?"

Almost as if to confirm her point, Philip finally spoke up. "Celeste is right. The current proposal needs to be redone."

Beverly's face went from red to pale in an instant. Watching her hastily assembled plan get shot down was infuriating, but with Philip—the key decision-maker—still in the room, all she could do was grit her teeth and swallow her anger.

Philip's phone buzzed insistently. He muttered a quick apology and left the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Herbert drummed his fingers on the table. "Celeste, it's good you're committed to your work. But remember, the Duncan family's interests come first. You're married to Alfred now—you can't have it both ways. If you try juggling Philip and Alfred, you'll end up paying the price."

He leaned in, lowering his voice. "Do yourself a favor. Let your sister handle this project. It'll be better for your reputation—and for the company's interests as well."

How absurd.