16. You'll be mine

"Celeste, my dear, what's your next plan for the Aomori Resort? The bidding will be held the day after tomorrow because the renovation has long been completed."

I glanced at Mom, who gently wiped her mouth and looked at me. Dad did the same before whispering something to the staff and turning to Oliver.

They decided to have brunch at one of the towers in Percepta instead, so they wouldn't have to return to the mansion. They had just returned from the resort, and I was sure they wanted to rest.

"Will you be staying there? The bidding will last for several days. There's also a social party afterward. Of course, you can't miss it, my dear," added Dad.

I nodded. "I'll be staying there with Oliver, Dad. He'll also accompany me to the party."

"Celeste, didn't I mention it to you?" Oliver tapped me lightly, so I looked at him. He had a grin on his face.

"What is it?"

"I have an important opening event with my clients on that day that I need to attend. I can't stay at Aomori either because I have several meetings lined up," he explained.

My jaw dropped. He never told me about this.

"You didn't mention it to me, Ols. I thought we discussed this last week." I frowned and took a sip of the juice meant for me.

"You should have told me earlier..."

Oliver and Dad just laughed, as if they were teasing me.

"I'm sorry. It slipped my mind to mention it to you," Oliver said.

"You're doing it on purpose," I retorted.

"Celeste, I heard that Florida INC. will also be there. Why don't you just join their president? You're close, aren't you?" Mom Harper interrupted, saving her eldest son from my teasing.

"Not just close, Mom. I heard they're already dating," Oliver added, causing my eyes to widen.

"Hey! That's not true!" I denied, even though it was actually the truth.

I bit my lower lip as I remembered what happened that night at that awful dinner. I was overwhelmed with emotions that night, and in my desire to stand up and not be oppressed by the Yuchengcos again, I blurted it out to Arik.

"Really, my dear?" Dad asked, smirking.

Sometimes, I can't understand the family I have now. It's as if they're pushing me further towards Arik, even though they know what happened before they took me in.

"Uh, that's not what you think, Dad. That's not what I meant to tell him," I said, giving Oliver a dirty look. "Where did you even get that information?"

"From Arik. I had a meeting with him yesterday. He asked about you because you haven't been showing up. After expressing interest in dating him, you're now hiding from him, huh?" He continued teasing me.

I could feel my face getting hot, especially when he burst into laughter.

I wasn't hiding. I was just gathering the courage to face him after that night. I felt caught off guard too. Shit.

"Why, dear? What really happened at that dinner? You haven't told us yet, along with your Dad," Mom asked, looking serious as she watched me.

Her expression was genuine. It was clear that she really wanted to know what happened at the dinner. Dad was just listening.

I let out a sigh. I recalled the sight of Armando Yuchengco that night. He was struggling. It seemed like he could collapse any moment due to weakness. He didn't even speak, just nodded and let out a sigh.

I didn't know what I was feeling. It's a pity, but why?

"Victoria Yuchengco was asking me to get tested, Mom. They wanted to know if I'll be a match for her husband's kidney donation," I confessed.

I heard her gasp. Dad shifted his weight, clenching his jaw, trying not to react violently. Oliver shook his head, turning his gaze towards me.

"She asked that of you?" He asked, incredulous.

"Yes, Oli."

"And what did you say, Celeste?" Mom asked in a calm but curious tone. I knew she wanted to say more.

"You know, my dear, if you've made a decision, your Dad and I won't interfere anymore. It's up to you, after all. We just wanted to know."

"I didn't agree, Mommy. I don't want to. That was my decision even before they confronted me that night," I gave them a straightforward answer that seemed to surprise them. Maybe they thought I would agree because he's still my father, but no. I won't. I don't want to.

"I see..." Mom murmured, and the conversation didn't continue.

A fleeting smile appeared on her lips, a sign that she was happy with what she had learned.

"But if you ever change your mind, Celeste, we're here to support you no matter what," Dad commented so I shook my head.

"Things won't change anymore."

After that brunch, I headed straight to the office. My phone kept buzzing, but I couldn't give it attention amidst the back-to-back meetings scheduled for the day.

I was FaceTiming my daughter Ariah when a knock on my door interrupted me. I quickly excused myself to my daughter and turned my attention to whoever was about to enter. I was taken aback when the handsome Arik walked in, looking straight at me.

"What..." I started to say.

"You weren't answering my texts and calls, lady," he said, almost pouting to convey his annoyance.

I blinked twice as he approached me and leaned in. I gasped when I felt his warm kiss on my forehead.

"Were you so busy? Do you have a lot of meetings?" he casually asked, as if it was the most normal thing to do.

He even grabbed a chair from the room, pulled it closer to me, and sat right in front of me. He gazed at me deeply. I couldn't even process his actions; he was too fast.

And he was incredibly handsome in my eyes, distracting my attention completely.

"I-I wasn't..." I stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I was thinking of helping you with your busy schedule and taking you out on a date," he straightforwardly answered without any hesitation.

I quickly averted my gaze when I noticed his eyes briefly flicker to my lips. His lips looked so inviting, and I found myself swallowing without even realizing it. His breath seemed so enticing. Damn you, Celeste.

"I still have a lot to do."

"Are you avoiding me, Celeste?"

I wasn't prepared for that question. I quickly looked back at him, squinting my eyes. "O-of course not. Why would I?"

He smirked at me, his gaze dropping once again to my lips, and he even bit his lower lip, completely throwing off my system.

"So, you were serious when you said you wanted to date me that night?" he asked again.

My heartbeat slowed down. His hands moved quickly to corner me, placing them on either side of my swivel chair, and he slowly pulled me closer to him. I could feel our skin touching, sending shivers down my spine.

"A-Arik, the truth is..."

"Oh, no, baby..." He interrupted me once more. He shook his head, as if he knew what I was going to say.

"There's no going back on this. We're doing this. I want this. You want this. Let's do this, hmm? We'll go to Aomori together."

I was taken aback by his words. "What?"

"Your Dad already told me. I'll accompany you there. That resort will be mine. There's no way I'll let it go to someone else, Celeste," he said, standing up.

I just watched him as he did something on his cellphone and then looked at me intently.

"And you'll be mine, too. That's what's more important," he declared, even winking at me.