As soon as Adrian asked her that, Celeste dropped her fork.
Eloise had already finished dinner and was now playing with the stuffed rabbit nearby.
Celeste glanced at her quickly before turning her gaze to Adrian and nodding slightly. “You’re right.”
His lips curled into a faint smile. He set down his cutlery and picked up the napkin on the table. His every movement was poised and graceful. It was hard to ignore his noble demeanor.
He gently wiped the corners of his mouth and spoke calmly. “Go ahead.”
“Mr. Wrenford, I invited you mainly for dinner and to discuss something else,” she answered.
Damien’s comments from earlier that day echoed in her mind. He had called her wild. That word kept repeating itself in her head:
Celeste took a deep breath and said straightforwardly, “Before my grandfather died, he left me a house. However, my aunt currently owns the house. I want it back, but with my current ability, I can’t achieve that yet.‘
She didn’t continue but looked up at the man across from her.
Adrian nodded thoughtfully. He leaned back in his chair, placed the used napkin on the plate, and gently tapped the tabletop with his ringed fingers.
Once, twice, thrice.
When he didn’t respond, she continued, “I won’t ask you to help me for free. I’m prepared to agree to anything you ask in exchange.”
Adrian chuckled lowly. “You really do have a business mind. That clinic of yours hasn’t even opened yet, but you’re already learning how to negotiate deals.”
“I might not know much about business, but I understand a little about human nature.”
“What can you offer me?” He suddenly leaned forward, closing the gap between them. His cool, faint scent flooded her senses.
She steadied herself and replied, “I can provide long–term treatment for your father’s illness as my way of repaying you.”
“That’s quite a generous repayment.”
He looked away, letting his gaze fall on his fingers. His black ring gave off a frigid glow in the warm light. He noticed that she had changed the way she addressed Alaric.
noticed
That subtle change made it clear she’d already severed ties with the Wrenford family. She was
Chapter 29
negotiating as an outsider.
She wanted a divorce However, as long as she continued to treat Alaric, she would inevitably cross paths with Damien.
It seemed that Celeste was more cunning than he thought.
“In terms of traditional medicine, I’m sure you won’t find another medical practitioner more suited than me to treat your father’s illness in Longdale.”
Adrian’s expression hardened when he heard her comments. He leaned back again and looked at her indifferently. “Ms. Morin, where did you learn your medical skills?”
“Do you not trust me, Mr. Wrenford?”
“I’m just curious. You’re so young, yet your skills are impressive. But Damien knows nothing about it.” His voice dropped slightly. “Why did you hide it from him?”
Celeste met his gaze, and her eyelashes trembled slightly. She had never hidden it from him. It was just that Damien only paid attention to Lucy. He never really got to know her, so he had no idea she was a medical expert.
“I didn’t hide it from him. He just never noticed it. Or perhaps, he chose not to,” she answered lightly before picking up her fork to continue eating.
Adrian sighed. “It sounds like you didn’t have it easy being with my nephew all these years.” “Who hasn’t been blindly in love at some point in their youth?”
Chapter 80
