I was mid-call with the Shanghai office when Oliver poked his head into my office.
"Sir," he said in that polite, slightly cautious tone he reserved for personal matters, "your mother just left Veronne's."
I ended the call without a word and stood, moving to the floor-to-ceiling windows. From the top floor of Aldridge Tower, Velmoré looked calm. Polished. Almost sterile. But I could feel the shift.
"Did she say anything?" I asked, not turning around.
Oliver stepped into the room. "Only that she enjoyed herself. She sounded… pleased."
I ran a hand along my jaw. Pleased. That was a good thing. Wasn't it?
"Did Celine seem—"
"She didn't speak to me directly," Oliver said. "But the driver said she left looking thoughtful. Not angry."
Not angry. That was progress. Especially after how she'd looked at me in her office two days ago—like I'd handed her a cage and locked the door myself.
I returned to my desk and opened the email my mother had sent just minutes earlier.
> Blake, She's remarkable. If I didn't already adore you, I'd try to adopt her myself. Call me later. Love, Mom.
I let out a soft breath. A half-laugh, half-sigh.
Celine must have held her own.
And Mom? She'd fallen for her.
I wasn't surprised. Evelyn Aldridge didn't give her heart easily, but when she did, it was with full force. The fact that she'd already started seeing Celine as something more than a contract-bound daughter-in-law said a lot.
I thought back to the night before when Mom asked if I'd remind Celine about the brunch. I had wanted to say no. I had wanted to stay removed.
But part of me had hoped—just a little—that Celine would show up and realize not everyone in the Aldridge family was trying to manipulate her.
I hit the intercom. "Oliver, clear my 2 p.m. I'm going to the Cater building."
There was a brief pause. "Yes, sir."
---
Cater Innovations was quieter than usual when I arrived. Sarah, Celine's sharp-as-a-blade secretary, gave me a look that said, She didn't ask for you, but nodded for me to proceed.
I knocked once and stepped into Celine's office.
She was standing by the window, her blazer draped over her chair and a mug of something herbal in her hand. She turned, surprised.
"Didn't realize I was on your schedule," she said flatly.
"You're not. I came to thank you."
She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"Meeting my mother. Being civil. Possibly even charming."
That pulled a slight smile from her, the smallest twitch at the corner of her lips. "She's very... persistent."
I chuckled. "That she is."
Celine walked to her desk and sat, studying me like I was a deal she hadn't decided on.
"She liked you," I said.
"She said the same."
We were quiet for a moment.
"She gave me a hairpin," she said finally. "Her mother-in-law gave it to her before her engagement."
My breath caught slightly. I hadn't known about that.
"She really does believe this could be something," she added, more to herself than to me.
I nodded. "She hopes."
Celine looked down at the mug in her hands. "You're lucky to have her."
I sat in the chair across from her. "I know."
She looked up, eyes meeting mine. Something unreadable flickered there.
"She told me you don't love easily. That you're careful."
I didn't flinch.
"I am."
"Why?"
I hesitated.
Then, I told her the truth.
"Because I watched my mother mourn a man she loved with her whole being. It nearly broke her. And I decided I'd never give anyone that power over me."
Celine's expression softened, just a little.
"That sounds… lonely."
"It is. Sometimes. But safe."
"You don't strike me as someone who chooses safe."
"Neither do you."
Another quiet passed. But this time, it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Why are you really here, Blake?" she asked.
I stood, walked to the window. Looked out at the skyline. "Because I wanted to see you after. To see if anything changed."
She didn't respond.
I turned back. "Did it?"
Her silence said everything.
And then, softly, she said, "I don't know yet."
That was more than I'd expected.
I nodded and headed for the door. Just as I reached it, she said, "She told me not to rush. To let my heart catch up if it wanted."
I paused. Turned.
"Then I'll wait," I said.
And left.