Chapter 89
The night had grown deep by the time Celeste got home. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was already 9:00 pm. Her thoughts inadvertently drifted to her secondary SIM card, still stuck in flight mode. She hadn’t bothered to switch it back on since she’d turned off her phone in front of Joshua that day. Her mind had recently been occupied with the clinic, so she hadn’t paid much attention to the situation regarding the emerald. She couldn’t help but wonder if Adrian had called her again these past few days.
She walked toward the door, lost in thought. She changed the settings of her secondary SIM card, disabling its flight mode. However, just as she was about to switch it on, a deep voice came from the doorway. “Watch where you’re going, or you might trip.”
The familiar voice made Celeste lift her head almost instinctively. In her nervousness, she had already switched flight mode back on. She then quickly lowered her phone and turned off the screen.
Adrian, dressed in a suit, was leaning against the entrance pillar of Aviso Tower. He held a cigarette between his fingers and exhaled a cloud of smoke. His handsome features, bathed in the dim light, took on a rare softness.
“Mr. Wrenford, what brings you here tonight?” Celeste asked.
Adrian flicked the cigarette, extinguishing the ember. “I came to see Eloise. I didn’t expect you to still be out. She’s probably already asleep at this hour, huh?”
“You should’ve told me that you were coming. I could have asked my friend to let you in. But Eloise is probably already in bed now. I’ve made sure that she goes to sleep around 8:40 pm every night.”
“Your friend?” Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Your friend lives here too?”
“Yes, my best friend lives with me. She helps take care of Eloise,” Celeste replied casually. “She’s the one who called me last time, and you two ran into each other at the hospital.”
Adrian nodded thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything more. Celeste felt that it was a bit awkward for them to still be standing at the door, so she asked, “Mr. Wrenford, would you like to come in for some tea?”
“No. I’m about to head back.”
“Alright. Then take care on your way.”
He gave a slight nod, watching her as she headed inside. After a few steps, his voice came from behind again. “How did the opening go today?”
Celeste’s steps faltered, and she stopped. “Everything went smoothly. Speaking of which, I just remembered—the floral arrangements you sent were gorgeous. I liked them a lot. Thank you, Mr. Wrenford.”
“Those weren’t from me. They were from a friend of mine,” he spoke in a low voice, his face showing no emotion.
Celeste smiled faintly. “I’ve never met the owner, so how could he have sent me the flowers? Anyway, regardless of who sent them, I still want to thank you.”
Adrian gave her a half-smile. “You’re welcome.”
Celeste’s smile bloomed even more brightly under the dim streetlight, almost dazzling in its warmth. For a moment, she thought she saw the man before her lose focus.
Just as she was about to enter her building, Adrian spoke again. “You can contact me if the clinic needs any help. Or you can just reach out to Joshua.”
Celeste’s back stiffened slightly. It was clear that he was offering his support. A feeling of unexpected gratitude washed over her, and she smiled back at him. “Okay.”
Adrian gave her a glance before getting into his car. Celeste didn’t look away until the car’s taillights disappeared from view.
The next day, the clinic was even busier than on opening day, with twice the number of patients. Celeste was running around like a headless chicken, while Rowan worked tirelessly, sorting through medicine with sore hands. They didn’t finish work until 10:00 pm, and Celeste bought him some late-night snacks to take home.