Mr. Modesty Moderator

"Sorry that you had to see that unsightly scene. Hello Richard Carrington, I'm Celeste Valentine. I've been hoping to meet you for a while. I have a deal that I think you'll definitely be interested in. Shall we talk in private?"

"Do I know you?" Richard asked even though he was sure he had never seen her before.

Celeste flipped her hair out of her face before examining the man standing in front of her.

He was tall, taller than even his pictures indicated, and his aura was impressive. Dark hair in a military shortcut, golden skin, and a toned body his clothes couldn't hide, she was impressed.

"You do not, but I've done a bit of research about you. You're the one and only heir to the Carrington family. Your reputation precedes you." Celeste replied straightforwardly. All the information she had been able to gather about this man indicated that he liked direct conversations, so she decided to stop beating around the push.

"To be honest I have a problem that requires an individual highly placed in society and I believe I can provide a solution to your problem as well." As Celeste spoke, she tapped the ring finger of her left hand and smiled innocently when Richard narrowed his eyes at her before continuing.

"I know that you have a…well putting it mildly a stalker. I feel like I can help with that if you help me out as well. So, how about it? Interested in hearing me out?"

Richard thought for a moment before gesturing to her, "Let's go."

"Ah, wait a minute." Celeste quickly ran back to the table of men she had beaten up. She dug through the ice bucket and collected two bottles of champagne before coming back to him happily.

"Celeste, you, you what are you doing?" Andre Cross howled.

"Collecting payment. You think I beat you up and let you call me names for free?" Celeste shook her head as she stared at him with pity.

"Do you even know what that is? That's the special Collection Kreug Champagne! Each bottle is over twenty thousand dollars!" Andre Cross cried. Even though he was a wealthy second-generation kid, those weren't the type of bottles he could frequently buy as he wanted.

"Well yes, that would be why I'm taking it. I'll take it as you gifting it to me. Bye again and see you soon." Holding onto her prized champagne bottles as if they were babies, Celeste happily skipped to Richard's side. Seeing his displeased face, she looked at him without saying anything.

"I'm not used to waiting for anybody." Richard coolly informed her.

"Oh. It's a good thing I'm done so you don't have a wait anymore. I quickly collected my payment and I'm back so let's go" Celeste quickly refuted while smiling innocently.

Deciding to let her be temporarily, Richard went to say goodbye to Lucas who had been observing the whole thing.

"Richard are you okay, do you know her?" Lucas asked while surreptitiously looking at Celeste who gave him a bright smile while hanging back.

"No, not yet but I'll have her investigated. Do you know her?"

"Brooo. You really don't pay attention to the news in our circle huh? She's the illegitimate youngest daughter of the Valentine's who just returned from abroad. There's been a fuss all about it since she's apparently challenging the legitimate children for the heir position."

"Interesting. Thanks for the heads up. I'll see you later." Richard nodded to him before starting to head down the stairs. As he walked, he pulled out his phone and called his adjutant.

"Sir. What are your orders?"

"Run a background check on-" Richard turned to look at Celeste who invaded his personal space and spoke into the phone.

"My name is Celeste Giselle Valentine. The age is twenty-four. Height is five feet ten inches. Dress size is a six on a good day. As for my three sizes, they are thirty-si-"

Richard quickly cut off the line before trying to push Celeste away, but she quickly ducked his arm and moved right back next to him, so they walked in tandem.

"You. Don't you have shame?"

"What should I be ashamed about?"

"Stealing bottles? Giving out…private information about yourself?"

"This is not stealing, rather I consider this an exchange of goods and services. He insulted me and I collected payment for the insult."

"Wasn't the beating enough?" Richard asked her curiously. He wasn't opposed to the men getting beat, he was just curious as to how this girl's brain worked.

"He tried beating me with four men and he had been giving me the run around for weeks. Honestly, he's lucky I didn't cripple his little brother for life." Celeste said as she thought about the disgusting man upstairs.

"And the information you were sharing? As a woman, you shouldn't share some information about yourself with men you don't know." Richard advised her seriously.

Celeste turned to look at him and he saw a devious smile on her face.

"Aww my little modesty moderator, are you feeling shy for me?" She teased and laughed when she saw the serious expression on Richard's face, "You're ordering a background check on me anyways. With the power you have, that information will become known to you anyway so I might as well tell you now right? I don't have anything to hide."

Although her words were correct, Richard still felt it was inappropriate.

"Still, don't do it again at least to me."

"Yes yes big boss, whatever you say." Celeste simply let his words go into one ear and out of the other.

As they stepped outside, her eyes lit up as if it was Christmas.

"Is this your car? Wow. I've never seen a Bugatti Chiron in person. And I love the matte black wrap. Oh, and a single-digit license plate? Baby you got money. Are you willing to adopt me? I can call you father right now no question asked." Without even paying attention, Celeste dumped her long-forgotten champagne babies into Richard's hands and circled the sports car with hearts in her eyes. After touching the door and stroking the taillights, she gently laid her head on the hood and sighed as she felt the engine purring.

"Sir, do you want us to have her removed?" the valet driver asked cautiously while Celeste took a selfie of herself squatted next to the car.

"She's my guest." Reigning in his temper that had been tested multiple times by this woman within the past hour, Richard gently put her champagne in the hood of the trunk and slammed it shut.

"Get in the car or this meeting is cancelled." Richard coldly ordered.

"I hear and obey." Without needing to be told twice, Celeste quickly slid into the car and buckled in her seat belt. Sinking into the buttery leather and touching the orange dash, Celeste sighed with longing. If only she had money.

Richard just glanced at the woman sitting next to him before starting the car and driving away.

Ten minutes into the drive, Celeste jolted as if was shocked and hurriedly asked,

"Mr. Modesty Moderator, where are my babies?"

Hearing what she was calling him, Richard felt the vein at the back of his head start throbbing again.

"Firstly, it is Richard not whatever nonsense you just called me. Secondly, if you're talking about your bottles, they are secure in the front trunk."

"Oh phew, I worked really hard for those." After patting her chest in relief, Celeste went back to looking out of the window.

"You really have no sense of self-preservation you know that? I am a strange man driving you to an unknown destination at night. What if I decided to kidnap you or murder you?" Richard asked curiously.

Richard heard the girl beside him chuckle lightly before she responded.

"Although I will admit I can be a bit of an airhead, I'm not stupid. You're a high-profile man who is always being watched and I have a unique look that's hard to forget. From the moment I walked down together with you, all eyes were on us. The valet driver will remember the crazy white-haired girl who was all over the fancy car with a single-digit license plate. People who follow me on social media will make the connection between the selfie I took and posted and you the car owner. Multiple people saw me enter your car. if anything happened, you would be the first suspect. Not that anything would happen considering who you are, but I have properly considered it."

"But thanks for worrying anyway, Mr. modesty moderator."

"Richard."

The rest of the drive passed in silence, and they arrived at an unnamed building in the financial district.

Richard efficiently parked the car before walking towards the private elevator. He stopped when he realized that celeste was not following him and was in fact standing by the trunk while looking pointedly at him.

"My babies…"

"Miss Valentine, someone will bring it up so come along."

"You have to tell them to hold it carefully and gently. They must cradle it like a newborn baby. And they can't steal it as well. They absolutely cannot steal it okay? If they do it's your fault and you owe me new bottles."

Richard felt the vein on his forehead throb once again.