Chapter 5

These days, every minute felt like an eternity. Counting down the days until I could finally leave was the only thing that kept me going.

One night, unable to sleep, I slipped out of my room for some fresh air.

Just then, I ran into Celeste, who was wearing a white spaghetti strap nightgown. She shot me a provocative look.

She looked like she wasn't wearing any makeup, but as a woman, I could tell she'd put on a subtle touch.

She was naturally stunning, and her hair was carefully curled and then tousled to create that kind of effortless beauty you only get when you try really hard to look natural.

And that neckline? She'd definitely pulled it down on purpose before stepping out of her closet.

I looked away and was about to head back to my room.

But Celeste tilted her chin up, gestured for me to come along, obviously trying to show off how Adrian acted around her.

Celeste smirked, "What, are you too scared to hear how Adrian is with me behind closed doors? Men always find it impossible to resist someone like me."

With that, she opened the study door, walked in, and left it slightly ajar on purpose.

With a soft, tempting beauty practically delivered to his door, how many men could really keep their composure?

I peeked through the crack in the door and saw Celeste snuggled up in Adrian's arms.

She traced her fingers over his chest, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.

But just as she was about to keep going, Adrian suddenly grabbed her wrist.

He frowned, took a deep breath, like he was holding back his anger.

Adrian's words were soft but restrained as he reminded her, "Celeste, you're pregnant. Don't make a fuss."

"But the doctor said pregnant women need extra care," Celeste whined sweetly, giving his arm a little shake.

After that, Celeste rose up on her tiptoes, as if she was about to plant a kiss on him.

I covered my mouth, unable to watch any longer.

But I hadn't even taken a few steps when I heard a scream from inside the room.

I turned to see it was Celeste.

She stormed out of the room, fuming.

I had no clue what just went down, but when I turned around, the study door was shut tight, and I could hear the deadbolt sliding into place.

Celeste looked pissed, glaring at me like she wanted to bite my head off.

I didn't want to mess with her. I figured Adrian had turned her down because she was pregnant, so I was about to head back to my room when Celeste suddenly lunged forward and grabbed my wrist.

Celeste had spent hours getting dolled up, wore that dress just for him, and he just brushed her off like she was nothing.

Honestly, even for a gorgeous woman like her, there was no way she could ever feel truly secure about her future with a guy like that.

When she leaned in, I caught a whiff; she'd sprayed on a ton of perfume, too.

Celeste's face darkened with anger. "Don't flatter yourself. Adrian didn't turn me down because of you."

Watching her fail to seduce Adrian and then turn around to blame me for it just made me want to gag.

Getting into an argument with a pregnant Celeste right now would be like throwing myself into the fire.

Even if she was totally out of line, I didn't dare shove her away. "I don't think Adrian rejected you because of me. Just go get some sleep."

Celeste clearly wasn't ready to back down. Her anger stripped away the fake sweetness, and when she spotted the red, swollen burns on my arm, she smirked, "So, how does it feel getting burned by your own cooking? Does it taste better when you make it yourself?"

I didn't bother responding. Her petty behavior didn't shock me one bit. With her pregnancy hormones making her extra dramatic lately, of course, she wanted all the attention.

I kept my tone steady. "If you're so capable, why don't you convince Adrian to let me go?

"Honestly, I have zero interest in getting tangled up in your messy love life or being another pawn in whatever twisted game you two are playing."

Celeste shot me a sharp glare. "Quit playing the innocent card. You think you can fool me into letting my guard down? Weren't you the one who took advantage when he was at his weakest, clinging to him for six whole years?"

She sneered, "You're just some small-town nobody. You've spent your life soaking up all the luxuries he gave you, enjoying perks you couldn't even dream of. Now that he's rolling in cash, like you'd ever walk away."

Before I could even blurt out, "Let go of me," Celeste dragged me toward the stairs.

She whipped around and yelled toward the study, "Adrian, help me."