"Celeste, you're awake?"
Lily, after seeing Frank out of the hospital and returning with the porridge he bought, met Sarah Chou, who had just finished a call. The two went back to the room and, seeing Celeste Monroe already sitting up, quickly went over to help her lie down.
"Celeste, don't move, you're still on an IV!" Sarah Chou also said, "The doctor said you're too weak and need rest." Celeste Monroe still wanted to get up. "I'm fine now."
She disliked hospitals. Since childhood, her father, older brother, and older sister had always told her that her mother died in the hospital on the day she was born. She was an inauspicious thing; her mother died because of her. The hospital was the birthplace of her family's rejection of her. Celeste Monroe struggled to rise. Lily grew anxious and blurted out, "Frank went through all that trouble to carry you to the hospital. If you faint again, how could you face him?"
Celeste Monroe paused her movements. "Frank carried me?"
Sarah Chou said, "You fainted at Capital City Network. It's a good thing Frank was there; otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome this time." She then recounted the incident. Her words were full of praise for Frank. When Celeste Monroe suddenly fainted, even Sarah Chou was flustered, but Frank remained calm and steady. He not only quickly assessed Celeste Monroe's condition but also handled every step promptly and appropriately. He even managed to avoid Amelia Quinn and her group in the underground garage. After arriving at the hospital, he was meticulous and thorough, and before leaving, he didn't forget to buy porridge suitable for a patient for Celeste Monroe. Such a man was truly rare.
After listening to Lily and Sarah Chou's narration, Celeste Monroe slowly lay down and closed her eyes. Lily, who had been ready for a "violent" suppression, was stunned. Since when had Celeste listened to her so obediently? Sarah Chou, seeing Celeste Monroe no longer resisting, pulled Lily to sit down beside her. Lily whispered to Sarah Chou, "Sarah, did you notice? As soon as I mentioned Frank, Celeste became obedient." Sarah Chou glared at her, and Lily immediately meekly shut her mouth.
Frank carried me to the hospital? No wonder, the scent was so familiar. Celeste Monroe closed her eyes, her nostrils seemingly catching that familiar scent again. Two years ago, she had been drugged and was about to be caught while trying to escape. Frank appeared, carrying her into a car and driving away. At that time, her consciousness was blurred, she only felt herself resting on a broad shoulder, and a faint scent emanated from him. It was like pine needles or licorice. Elegant, sweet.
Just now, while she was unconscious, her awareness was similarly hazy. She felt herself resting in a safe, steady place, her nostrils enveloped by a familiar scent. When she woke up, she had almost forgotten it. Until just now, when Lily and Sarah Chou said Frank had carried her to the hospital. Only then did Celeste Monroe remember that the faint scent was not an illusion. Frank had carried her again. Celeste Monroe suddenly realized that it seemed every time she was at her most vulnerable, Frank would appear just in time. Thinking of this, a never-before-felt sense of security welled up in her heart. Her consciousness relaxed, and Celeste Monroe slowly drifted off to sleep.
She slept until evening. When Celeste Monroe woke up, the window was filled with starlight. To avoid disturbing her sleep, Sarah Chou and Lily hadn't turned on the lights. Tiny slivers of starlight filtered through the curtain gaps, falling into her cool, frosty eyes, like reflections of a deep, brilliant galaxy.
"Celeste is awake."
Celeste Monroe sat up. Lily, seeing she was awake, quickly came over and asked, "Would you like some porridge?" Celeste Monroe had little appetite and was about to shake her head when Lily added, "Frank bought it. He said you need to eat something." Celeste Monroe paused, then nodded.
The VIP room had a microwave. Lily warmed the porridge and sat by the bed, intending to feed Celeste Monroe. Celeste Monroe directly took the bowl and spoon. She had worked since she was young, accustomed to self-reliance. She wasn't so helpless that she needed to be fed porridge. Sarah Chou had just finished a call and entered from outside. Seeing Celeste Monroe awake, she almost spoke but ultimately held back. Celeste Monroe noticed her expression and was about to ask when her phone suddenly chimed. Celeste Monroe looked down. It was a message from Frank. She put down the bowl and picked up her phone.
Frank: "Aunt Celeste, how are you feeling?"
Celeste Monroe immediately replied: "I'm fine now. Thank you for today."
Frank was pleased: "That's good. Please rest well and remember to eat something."
Celeste Monroe typed back expressionlessly, "Tonight's assignment hasn't been submitted yet."
The other side was silent for a moment, then sent a text message: "Aunt Celeste, how about we skip tonight? You need rest now."
Celeste Monroe: "If it's not submitted today, you'll submit three assignments tomorrow."
After sending the message, Celeste Monroe's lips curved slightly. She put down her phone and continued drinking her porridge. While sipping, she glanced at her phone screen. A new message quickly appeared in the chatbox. This time, however, it was a voice message. Celeste Monroe held the bowl in one hand and tapped the voice message with the other. The phone automatically played it aloud:
"Aunt Celeste, be good. I can submit five assignments once you've recovered."
A deep, rich male voice filled the quiet hospital room. Celeste Monroe froze. Lily and Sarah Chou also stared blankly.
"Be good?"
Lily's eyes widened. Was that Frank's voice just now? He actually spoke to Celeste in such a doting tone? My goodness! What's going on?!
Lily exclaimed, "Celeste, the porridge is going to spill!" Celeste Monroe snapped back to attention, quickly righting the bowl that was about to tip over. She looked down at her phone screen again. The voice message had already been retracted, followed by a text message:
"Aunt Celeste, I'm sorry, I'm used to it. What I meant was, I'll make up for the assignment once you're feeling better. Don't worry, I definitely won't slack off!"
Celeste Monroe looked at the text, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Used to it? Used to it with whom? Amelia?
Sarah Chou walked over, a hint of caution in her voice. "Celeste, was that a voice message from Frank?"
Celeste Monroe pointed to the phone screen. "He sent it by mistake." Sarah Chou looked down and saw that Frank had already retracted it and sent an explanatory message. Her caution immediately dissipated. It made sense, after all. Frank was Amelia Quinn's ex-husband. No matter how bold he was, he couldn't possibly have feelings for Celeste Monroe.
Lily suddenly became indignant. "Frank knows to care about Celeste's health, but Mr. Evans only knows how to pressure Celeste to do things for him. And he has the nerve to say he likes Celeste. Hmph!"
Celeste Monroe and Sarah Chou both looked at Lily. The young woman blinked and then zipped her mouth shut with her hand. Sarah Chou glared at her. Celeste Monroe continued drinking her porridge, her slender, elegant finger typing a single word on the screen:
"Okay."
Capital City.
Gemstone Records.
CEO's Office.
A handsome man with an aquiline nose and slightly graying temples stood by a large floor-to-ceiling window. Tonight, Capital City had no stars; the sky was pitch black. Mr. Evans stood for a long time, then picked up his phone. Looking at Celeste Monroe's name on the call log, he sighed, his thumb hovering over the dial button. What he had said this afternoon was a bit hurtful. Now, he should call to smooth things over. As long as Celeste Monroe obeyed his instructions, he could let it go.