Chapter 57 Vice President
\-Celeste-
“... I still don’t get why I have to be the one driving you on your first day. What happened to a driver and a fancy car?”
Denise said, hands firmly on the steering as she drove.
I smiled. “I didn’t want to be in a car full of strange people. Plus, Lucien was quite busy with work, and he left early.”
Too early, and I hated it.
I knew he wasn’t busy with work. He barely got a wink of sleep the entire time we were together.
One moment, he was tossing on the bed, and the next, he was pacing across the bedroom.
Then I heard the ping of a passcode, and the rustling of papers.
He was hiding something.
I could feel it.
“I feel bad that we have to close Gâteau Celeste for the main time. We could’ve easily filed a complaint with the new owner—”
“And cause even more stir for them? Denise, we’ve been nothing but trouble for Mrs. Danbury. I can’t risk doing the same with this new owner. We’ll keep the shop close until we can sort out all this…” I said firmly.
Deep down, my heart sank, my stomach twisting as I listened to myself spit out the words.
It felt like I was putting my dream on a shelf to pursue one that isn’t mine.
Temporarily. I reminded myself.
It was just until everything went back to normal.
“So… What happens to the staff now?” She asked, darting her eyes between me and the road.
My jaw clenched as my chest tightened.
A lump rolled down my throat. “We’ll pay them off for their hard work and troubles,” my voice trembled. “We’ll write them good recommendation letters, and we’ll make sure they get good jobs.”
At that moment, a teardrop rolled down my cheek. I didn’t really know these people, but the thought of having to rip them away from their jobs was torture.
Denise reached for my hand, giving me a small squeeze.
“Until we can sort this out.” She repeated my words, her face etched with concern and a tinge of hope.
I sniffled, nodding as I blinked back tears.
Finally, we arrived at the headquarters, half an hour later than the scheduled time.
Suddenly, my nerves were all over the place. My heart raced close to explosion, and the ringing in my ears grew louder than ever.
As if on cue, I received a text from Lucien:
I’m sorry I left without warning today, I had to handle something. I just want to let you know that you don’t have to force yourself to become someone else.
Just be yourself and handle it for now. That’s all anyone expects.
I’m rooting for you, Vice President Celeste.
A smile tugged my lips. Vice president.
That was enough to give me the courage I really needed.
“Are you going to be alright?” Denise suddenly asked.
“I will be,” I smiled, then added. “Because you’ll be by my side.”
She blinked, brows knitting in confusion.
I grinned. “You haven’t forgotten your role as my assistant, have you?”
Before she could answer, a lady arrived. She explained that she was an assistant secretary from my grandmother’s office, and she had now been assigned to me.
“Not necessary. Miss Lane here is already my assistant,” I told her.
She blinked, nodded with a forced smile, then turned to Denise. “I’ll head in first. I’ll have Ms. Ashford’s schedule transferred to you.”
Denise murmured a thank-you. I didn’t let her protest, I asked her to come along.
I knew she was scared.
I was terrified, but all I could do was hide behind this expensive tweed dress and heels.
We made our way to the elevator, to the top floor where I knew the executives would be waiting for me.
The world dragged as we ascended, while my heart raced faster than a ticking time bomb.
I shut my eyes, and took a deep breath.
When I opened them, we had arrived at the executive floor, and a round of applause echoed across the space.
Everyone who made up the executive team—except my grandmother—stood present.
I immediately forced a smile as I spoke,
“Thank you all for the warm welcome, and for your support. I promise to do my best to uphold the legacy of Ashford, and in turn I do ask for your utmost support.”
When I was done with my speech, Vanessa stepped forward holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums.
“Congratulations on becoming vice president, Celeste. Let’s hope you don’t fall apart,” she said, smirking.
How audacious of this cruel witch.
She said the words with the same glint in her eyes the night she killed me in my past life. And in the cruel tone from the night of my near - engagement to Colin.
I shifted my gaze between her and the flowers. She had somehow turned a gesture of welcoming to something subtly sinister.
I scoffed, letting her hands hang. “With that vein popping from your forehead, you should worry more about yourself.”
She brushed it off with a small laugh, “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask me.” She loudly said.
I didn't want to let the moment slide.
My voice dropped low.
“You’re the last person I’d ask for help,” I said, pushing away her flowers. “I heard chrysanthemums are unlucky. I wouldn't want to start my first day like that. You keep them.”
With that, I let the assistant secretary lead me in the direction of my new office.
The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a sigh of relief that I didn’t even realize I was holding.
Denise, on the other hand, seemed rather excited. “She got exactly what she deserved. Who hands chrysanthemums on someone’s first day?”
“She doesn’t even try to hide the hate these days,” I added, gazing around the office.
Even though it was my father’s, it felt foreign because I had hardly been here.
“We could do some remodeling though,” Denise was already saying, talking about the heavy furniture that made up the space.
“Might I remind you that I’m only here for the interim?” I took a sharp breath, “Let’s focus on the task at hand. Right now, the public sentiment isn’t in our favor.”
“Isn’t that like the job of Public Relations?”
“My grandmother wants me to come up with something first.”
“Right,” she murmured as she glanced around, snooping through the files littered and stacked around.
“I’m thinking of individual visits to the families of the victims. Also, we could bake for charity and raise money for them.”
“Yes, that could work,” she mumbled, pulling out a brown envelope underneath a stack of files.
“I don’t think you should be—”
“Who’s Evelyn Smith?” She questioned, pulling out the contents of the envelope.
I blinked. Confused.
“Never heard of that name.”
She handed me the envelope. Under the opening was the name, Evelyn Smith.
Inside were photos of a woman in a remote seaside area. The photos had been taken unawares because she looked like she was fishing or working.
A frown creased my forehead. Something felt off.
I turned the back of the photo and saw a note.
“Another 10 grand for her location.”
That's a lot of money for just a location.
My heart skipped a beat. This was clearly for my father, but why?
Who was she? Why was he looking for her? Why was this sent through mail? My mind reeled with questions.
I thought long and hard. At the same time, Lucien's voice echoed in my head about “versions of the same person.”
My stomach twisted at the thought. What kind of person was Vice President James?
I gazed at the photo again.
Something about her, about her name felt familiar. Too familiar.
“Um, I’ll be right back,” Denise said, cutting through my thoughts. “The lady from before says we assistants have a dress code too, apparently, there’s an emergency wardrobe.” She said, leaving the office.
When she was gone, I sat with my thoughts trying to recall. I was on the verge of giving up when it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Dinner—the housekeeper’s name—Lucien’s mother—Evelyn.
My hands flew to my mouth as I gasped.
“This is why this looks so familiar.”
Lucien looked so much like her.
But why was my father willing to pay such an amount of money to find a person? What’s her story? Why did she abandon Lucien?
Then it hit me.
A shiver coursed down my spine.
The insides of my stomach twisted into knots.
“Could it possibly be that they had an affair?”