When Celeste saw Alaric’s mood darken, she knew she couldn’t prolong the matter. She quickly took the phone from him, found Adrian’s number in her contacts, and dialed. Once it began ringing, she handed the phone back to Alaric.

“Dad, are you looking for me?” A deep and magnetic voice softly reached Celeste’s ears.

Alaric commanded, “Come home now. I have something important to ask you.”

Adrian briskly replied, “I have a meeting tonight. You can just ask me over the phone.”

“No. You must come home.” Alaric seemed upset, a series of coughs following his statement. Celeste worried that the stress of this issue might affect his recovery. She knew he couldn’t get worked up at the moment.

Hence, she gave Adrian a heads-up, stating calmly, “Mr. Adrian, Alaric knows about Eloise.”

As soon as those words were spoken, Adrian fell silent. A few moments later, he replied, “Alright. I’ll come back now.”

Damien turned to look at Celeste in disbelief. Whenever Alaric asked Adrian to come home, it took considerable convincing. However, Celeste spoke only one sentence, and he agreed immediately.

After the call ended, Celeste continued packing her medical kit without saying a word.

“Damien, help me down the stairs. I’m going to wait for Adrian in the living room. No one is leaving; everyone must stay for dinner.”

Still clutching the medical equipment, Celeste paused. It seemed the last statement was directed at her. But she assumed Adrian must already have a strategy in mind; otherwise, he wouldn’t have so easily admitted that Eloise was his daughter.

Celeste sat with Alaric in the living room, waiting for Adrian’s return. About half an hour later, the familiar sound of a car engine came from outside. Moments later, the clicking of leather shoes echoed at the entrance. Celeste slowly lifted her gaze and was met with dazzling eyes.

Their eyes locked briefly before Adrian turned to look at Alaric. “Who told you about this?”

Damien, sitting next to Alaric, instinctively raised his head. When Adrian sensed his keen gaze, his eyes darkened. He asked, “Was it you?”

He walked to the couch and sat next to Celeste. Damien couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease watching this scene. Once seated, Adrian fixed his narrow gaze on Damien, apparently expecting an explanation.

“It was indeed me,” Damien responded solemnly. “I heard that your daughter is living in Aviso Tower. Everyone knows Celeste lives there. I don’t think it’s suitable for her to come and go with a child. So, I decided to tell Grandpa.”

Adrian didn’t say a word, so Damien continued, “I think Grandpa should hear it from family rather than others, don’t you think?”

Celeste’s gaze shifted from Damien to Adrian. Bathed in the amber glow, Adrian’s sharp features seemed to soften. His lips parted, forming a cool, captivating curve. “She’s just a goddaughter. Is that worth causing such a fuss with Dad?”

Damien couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “What? A goddaughter?”

In an instant, the huge weight on Celeste’s chest began to lighten.