Chapter 11
Bryan’s POV
Patrick leans down and mutters. “She is coming back now.”
I nod and he opens the door of the car immediately to let me out. I have been sitting here for almost 10 minutes, waiting outside for Celine. Patrick mentioned that she is not inside her apartment but in her neighbor’s apartment.
Thinking of what to say, I step out of the car and walk quietly to the small gate. It has a passage linking the three apartments on a roll. Celine’s apartment is the first.
I decided to come here after giving it several thoughts and coming to the conclusion that I have absolutely nothing to lose.
Celine will still have to do my bidding and I don’t need to beg her for anything. Going back to work was a big mistake because I couldn’t concentrate. Jason’s thoughts filled my mind and the suggestions Camila brought up.
I stand by the door with my hands in my pockets, when the door suddenly opens and a laughing Celine comes out. A man trudges behind her with a smile teasing his lips too. I watch them as they approach, wondering what is funny and what she is doing in his apartment.
I wonder who the guy is and why she is coming out of his apartment and also laughing when she was in tears a few minutes ago, begging me to let her see her son.
Is this how pained she is? Is she pretending? Is this punishment worth it? How can she be smiling this way when I intend to make sure she suffers and cries all the time?
She stops abruptly when she sees me, making the man behind her bump into her back. Her mouth dropped open in shock.
I stand still, waiting for a reaction from her but she is frozen to her spot like someone who is seeing a ghost. I wonder what is going through her mind and what she is thinking of my visit here.
She turns to the guy and whispers something into his ears. His eyes find mine and he throws me a cold glare. I ignore him and shift my gaze to Celine who suddenly becomes agitated as she watches him go.
When he is out of sight after throwing me another harsh glare, she saunters close to me and stops right in front of me.
I bring my hands out of my pocket and fold them without saying a word. I am not here to beg and I want her to say something first.
The silence lingers for a while with her bent head. She glance up at me with a puzzled look, probably confused that I am not shouting at the top of my voice about what I want from her or troubled to know the reason for my visit.
“Bryan, did you bring back my son?” Her eyes bulge open in uncertainty. I guess the reality dawned on her that my visit has to do with Jason and I decided to bring him back because I am sympathetic of her situation.
I scoff and fold my arms around my bosom. “No!”
Her face fell. She keeps quiet for a while before turning to go. “Do you mind coming in?”
“Yes, I do mind.”
She faces me again squarely and sighs in exasperation. “I’m sorry for everything that happened”, she tightens her hands beside her short gown.
Her hair is always in a bun and today is not an exception. She looks like a college girl because of her round small face and sometimes I wonder how she will look when she lets her hair down.
“I didn’t mean to run away, without sticking to the agreement of the contract we signed but things were out….”
“I am not here for chitchat, Celine”, I interrupt her sharply. Her voice annoys me and I can’t bear to continue listening to her rapt and flimsy excuses for going against the contract.
I feel there is no genuine reason for her actions, whatever it is she says will be ingenuine excuses. I don’t care. It won’t change the fact that I will have her punished for it. Nothing will change this fact.
She gulps and nods before looking down again and holding onto the lower hems of her gown in nervousness.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
I drop my arms. “I am here because of Jason,” I announce and she perks up again with a curious look on her face.
“Did something happen to Jason?” She requests, amazing me.
How did she know something is amiss? Does Jason have a health issue that she is aware of?
I am beginning to feel happy for listening to Camila and coming here. Now I believe Celine’s presence will help a lot.
“He is sick”, I answer and she gasps softly, opening her mouth slightly with a tears-filled face and a worried expression. She clamps her hand on her mouth to push back the sob uprising.
“What h.. h.. happened to my son?” She stammers, refraining the tears from dropping.
I shrug nonchalantly. “I have no idea. That’s why I am here.”
A look of hope flashed through her face. “Can I see him, please?”
I nod after a few minutes of silence. “Just for tonight. You and I no longer have any business together after tonight”, I inform sternly, hoping she will get the message that I am being nice tonight because of Jason.
She nods intermittently, letting a tear fall unconsciously. “Can we go?”
I glare at her and twirl back to go to the car. “Follow me.”
****
Paxton’s POV
He looks familiar but I have no idea where I know him from.
A sense of jealousy filled me up when she whispered into my ears to tell me who he was. I could see the resemblance after she informed me that he is Jason’s father and at first, I thought that was why I found him familiar.
But the moment I enter the house, the thought takes form in my head that I know him from somewhere else and not because he is Jason’s father.
With impatience and uneasiness, I stride back to the door and open it to go out. I want to stay beside Celine till he is gone.
I know he is ruthless from the way Celine describes him and I want him to know that I will deal with him if he ever makes her cry again or doesn’t let go of Jason.
I am also thinking of having a one-on-one conversation with him as men so we can sort the issue out reasonably. But I know it will be impossible because he looks dangerous and cruel, with his tall lean body.
I move out without thinking. Celine is no longer where I left here so I rush out of the gate. Surprisingly, I see her enter his car, and moments later, the car drives off.
I stand still with rage. I am pissed at Celine for not coming back to tell me he has agreed for her to meet Jason. If she had told me, I would have insisted that we go together, to be sure he won’t hurt her.
Dejectedly, I walk back to my apartment and stroll to the sofa before slumping into the nearest one.
The face of the billionaire flashes in my mind again, arousing my curiosity and need to figure out where I know him from. The more I tried to think, the more difficult it became for me to find out who he is or where I know him from.
Exhaling a sigh of relief and leaning back on the sofa to control my angry nerves, I close my eyes. I want to use the opportunity of Celine’s absence to continue my work.
I will be glad if I can be done with it before tomorrow. I had already given up on getting it done tonight because of Celine’s presence and because I had the intention of staying with her in her apartment to keep her company till she falls asleep.
When I open my eyes back, I remember what Celine normally describes him as and what led to our fight.
She called him dangerous and it formed an idea in my head. If he is dangerous like she describes him apart from how he looks, then it means one thing.
Her baby father is in the mafia and he is one of the people on my father’s opposing side.
Therefore, he is an enemy.