Chapter 28

Damien had already left the Wrentand residence; Alarie was unaware of this. He had gone to bed early with Lucian. All the nearby guest rooms were locked, and even the one next door could not be opened.

The thought of her being discovered leaving his room in the morning sent a jolt of unease through Adrian. There would be no plausible explanation. Part of him wanted to walk away, yet the reality of their predicament held him rooted; he couldn’t leave her alone now.

A brief contemplation settled over Adrian before he retrieved his pajamas and headed into the bathroom. Celeste hadn’t shifted at all. She was still in the same position on the bed when Adrian emerged, freshly showered. It was obvious she couldn’t hold her drink; otherwise, the earlier need to lock the door wouldn’t have arisen. How did she even get to his room?

His eyes swept across the room and landed on the balcony. He let out a deep chuckle and walked back into the bedroom. He pulled a fresh blanket from the closet and headed toward the couch. He was sure he had made quite a bit of noise; however, Celeste never even stirred.

Morning arrived with a start for Celeste as a knock echoed from the room next to hers. “Mom, Dad, it’s time to wake up. I’m going to be late for school. You need to send me to school!” Lucian was the one knocking on the door. She opened her eyes groggily and turned her gaze toward the bedroom door. The couch was right beside the door, and the first thing she saw wasn’t the door but the man lying on the couch. Her eyes widened when she met his gaze. “Adr—”

He cleared his throat and cut her off before she could finish her words. Adrian’s eyes flickered discreetly toward the door, a silent cue. Understanding dawned slowly as Celeste cautiously swung her legs over the side of the bed, her thoughts still hazy.

The fog in Celeste’s mind began to lift, and with it came the clear recollection of how she’d come to be there. So, was this Adrian’s room? The knocking from the next door continued and even woke Margor up. It would be a disaster if she walked out the door now!

Celeste rushed toward the balcony, and Adrian followed. He pulled the sliding door shut with one hand and leaned against the railing as he looked at her indifferently. “Ms. Morin, don’t you think you owe me a reasonable explanation?”

The knocking next door was growing louder. “Mr. Winford, this is just a misunderstanding. I’ll explain everything later. I’ll have to leave through the other room right now…” Celeste quickly turned around and prepared to climb over, but then she stopped. She felt that it was far from graceful to climb over the glass railing like that in front of him in broad daylight.

“You’re not seriously planning to climb over, are you?” Adrian’s deep voice sounded behind her. She glanced back at his words and forced an awkward smile. She gritted her teeth and eventually said, “Mr. Winford, would you mind looking away?”

A faint smile appeared on his face as she spoke. He was usually distant and cold, giving off a strong sense of detachment. This was the first time she had seen such a gentle smile on his face. He had been looking at her quietly without seemingly planning to leave. “Do you need a hand?”

She was slightly surprised. “What?” Adrian closed the distance between them in a few swift strides, stopping directly before her. Did he just offer to help her? How was he planning to do that?

Before Celeste could fully process what was happening, Adrian swiftly bent down and lifted her into his arms. Her heart skipped a beat. “Mr. Winford, don’t you think this is inappropriate?”