Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 024

CELESTE

There was a pause.

Then Seraphine glared at Julian, before she turned to me and ground out, through gritted teeth, “I am sorry. But no matter what, you should answer our questions.”

I wiped my face with the back of my hand and sniffled.

“Fine,” I told them. “I will tell you every single thing that happened to me.”

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my new phone, and handed it to Julian.

He stared at it in surprise. “Whose phone is this?”

“Mine,” I replied.

I took a deep breath and launched into the story I had prepared.

“I was at home when a courier delivered a parcel to me. It was an invitation to a party. I would not have gone, but the name of the recipient was Helix Research Laboratory. How could I ignore that?”

Julian nodded slowly.

“I saw it was a party for high profile people in society. To reveal the chairman of Veil Holdings and all that. I did not even know that Dominic Ford was the chairman or that he was going to be there. I ordered a dress. I believed it was suitable for the party. When it was time, I went to the party, got the shock of my life when I was called on stage and Helix received that funding.”

I paused and looked at Julian.

“I did not even know you were there. You told me you were traveling out for business.”

Something flickered across his face. Guilt, maybe. I did not care.

“The whole crowd and glamour got to me. I had to flee the scene. I am not used to such attention. I quietly exchanged clothes with a random waitress and left the hotel.”

I let out a shaky breath.

“I was so excited by the funding. I knew I would not be able to sleep. I had not been to the lab in a while, so I decided to go there. When I arrived, I realized I had lost my phone. I could not remember how or when I just lost it. I spent the night at Helix, going over the progress of our research and preparing myself in case I was called upon to give a speech any time soon.”

Julian’s face softened. “You spent the night at the lab?”

“Yes I barely slept. The next morning, I washed up there before everyone arrived. They were all excited. Through the Helix official channel, I got an invitation from the CEO of Veil Holdings to come and sign the contract. I used a colleague’s phone to order a royal blue suit so I could leave a good impression.”

I paused and swallowed.

“I had not eaten since the previous night. I was so hungry and so tense. I was a bundle of nerves when I arrived at Veil Holdings. I did not even notice Seraphine.” I looked at her directly. “Why would I see you and pretend not to know you? That does not make any sense. Why would I do that?”

She did not answer.

“I was directed to go up to the chairman’s office. Yes, I saw Dominic Ford. But only for a few minutes. He seemed so busy and was heading out for a meeting. He only congratulated me, shook my hand, and gave me the contract. After that, it was the CEO who took me to his office and attended to me. The CEO did admit that it was the chairman who personally prepared the contract.”

I took another breath.

“I spent a few hours with the CEO, going over the contract. Finally, I signed the contract. Then the money was deposited into Helix’s account. I was so excited. I could not wait to get back to Helix. I was escorted to the exit door. It was a door different from the one I came in through.”

Julian leaned forward. “Then what happened?”

“As I left, I decided to get a new phone for the time being. I planned to get my old phone back once I had settled, but I needed a means of communication. I was heading back to my car when my legs became wobbly. Everything began to spin and finally, I fainted.”

Julian’s eyes widened. “Are you okay now?”

“I woke up in the hospital. It was already very late. The doctor gave me a drip and told me a good Samaritan had rushed me in. The doctor said I was very stressed and needed rest. I was also diagnosed with low blood sugar. After everything was done, I thanked the doctor and left.” 1

I wiped at my eyes again, even though there were no tears left.

“I wanted to get a cab to take me back to my car. But someone drove past and splashed dirty water on me. It soaked my body and ruined my outfit. I felt so disgusted. I looked around and saw a small thrift store. I went in. That dress caught my eye and I bought it.

I was still famished. So, after changing, I was leaving when I noticed the small store also sold ice cream. I bought a cup. It was thick, creamy, and delicious. Or maybe I enjoyed it so much because I was just so hungry. I was exhausted and decided to forget everything else, return home, eat, and rest.”

I let out a long sigh.

“I took a cab back home. The driver was a little rough, and that’s how some of the ice cream ended up on my dress. That is what stained my dress.”

I looked at Julian, then at Sera.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify