22.80%
Chapter 18 Chapter 18 If he truly didnât care, a fresh relationship of Navier wouldnât stir even the slightest emotion in him.
Yet here he wasâloudly protesting his indifference while clearly desperate to drag her back and chase away any man who dared approach her.
No one spoke.
His friends had pushed him enough for one night.
After a long pause, Lysander suddenly announced. âIâm going to propose to Ophelia. Spread the newsâI want the whole world to know Iâm marrying her.â
âHold up,â Michael said, unable to contain his confusion. âYou literally just said you werenât ready for that. What changed in the last five minutes?â
âSeriously, Lysander,â Ryan pressed, âNo offense, but this kinda sounds like youâre just trying to force Navier back. And what happens when Ophelia finds out? Sheâll get jealous and upset.â
Lysanderâs lips pressed into a tight line, his eyes clouded with unreadable emotions.
âShe wonât find out. Unless one of you idiots decides to run your mouth. Iâm just worried about an old friend aborad alone.
Thatâs it. Besides, Ophelia is incredibly understandingâsheâll get it. Iâll make it up to her, and the proposal is genuine anyway.â
âUhâhuh. Sure...maybe,â No one dared comment further on his plans.
They could only silently hope he wouldnât come to regret his actions.
Meanwhile, Celeste had been standing outside the private room, hearing every word. Yet her mind remained perfectly calm.
Would the real Ophelia have been jealous, angry, or hurt? Maybe.
But Celeste wasnât Ophelia.
From the beginning, sheâd understood exactly what kind of man Lysander was.
23.1%
Chapter 18 He had genuinely loved Ophelia, but after so many years, that onceâpure youthful love had become contaminated with countless impurities.
He would obsessively seek substitutes for Ophelia out of longing, while simultaneously becoming fixated on Navierâs departure and new life.
He couldnât fully let go of either woman.
But life didnât work perctly that way.
The conviction in Celesteâs heart only grew stronger.
Back home, Lysander presented her with several transfer agreements for her signature.
Looking at the shares and property documents, Celeste stayed in character. Rather than signing immediately, she gazed at him with concern.
âLysander... what is this? Has something happened? I donât want these papersâI just want you to be okay. I wonât sign.â
His expression slightly awkward, Lysander nonetheless took her hand and placed it over the signature line.
âNo, sweetie, just a gift. The Vanderbilt empire is vastâthis is barely a drop in the bucket. If you like, I can gift you every day.â
âReally? Oh, Iâm relived.â Celeste didnât refuse outright, but pretended to sign reluctantly.
The next day, the notary confirmed everything.
The shares and properties had been successfully transferred.
They now belonged to Celeste Stanley, not Ophelia Belmont.
Over the next few days, she casually complimented Lysander a few times, and he transferred even more assets to her.
Celeste knew his generosity stemmed from guilt, so she accepted everything without the slightest reservation.
She finished her degree, turned liquid assets into investments, and built her own influence, 23.4%
Chapter 18 maximizing the value of everything she controlled.
Seeing Celesteâs business acumen, Lysander felt a peculiar pride.
âI had no idea you were such a financial wizard, Ophelia. If that illness hadnât stolen those years from you, youâd probably be running your own empire by now.â
Celeste nestled against him, responding flatly. âI learned it all from you.â
Lysander just smiled without further comment, but doubts began to form in his mind.
Had the real Ophelia ever been this clever?
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