Chapter 25 Chapter 25
Chapter 25
The day went by like every other — long, silent, and buried in work.
Ethan sat behind his desk, eyes glued to the laptop screen. His tie hung loosely around his neck, sleeves rolled halfway as he typed without pause. The ticking sound of the clock filled the office.
Celine, seated at her desk, kept her eyes on the computer. She’d been arranging files since morning and her back already ached. Ethan hadn’t said a word to her all day except for a short, dry “Give me the figures from the last quarter.”
She had learned that his tone was always cold, even when he wasn’t angry. The man barely spoke unless it was necessary.
At some point, she raised her head to glance at him. His eyes were fixed, expression unreadable, like nothing in the world could distract him. She wondered how someone could stay so composed for hours.
She stood up, stretching a little. Her neck ached. She grabbed the printed file and walked toward Ethan’s desk. Her heels made soft clicks against the floor.
“Sir,” she said,He looked up, brief and sharp, before nodding for her to come closer.
She stepped in, keeping her tone steady. “The report you asked for. It’s done.”
He reached out for it without saying anything. She placed it on his desk and waited, unsure if she should leave immediately or stay in case he wanted something adjusted.
Ethan flipped through the pages, his eyes moving fast. Then he paused, staring at one paragraph for longer than usual.
“You redrafted this part?” he asked finally.
“Yes, sir. The earlier version didn’t sound clear enough.”
He nodded once, still reading. “Better.”
That single word felt like a medal.
“Thank you,” she said, trying not to sound too relieved.
He placed the file aside. “You can leave it here.”
“Yes, sir.
Ariana had called her twice, asking when she would be back, but she kept replying, “Soon.”
It wasn’t like she wanted to stay late, but Ethan had given her an extra file before closing hours and simply said, “I need it ready by tomorrow morning.”
Celine picked up her purse, trying to act confident even though his presence always made her a little stiff. There was something about him — the quiet power, maybe — that made people careful with their words.
“Good night, sir,” she said softly.
He just nodded again, sliding his laptop bag over his shoulder before heading for the elevator.
She stood there for a few seconds after he left, feeling both relieved and slightly annoyed at how easily he could make someone feel invisible.
Celine sighed, turning off her system and grabbing her coat. She switched off the light and walked toward the elevator. The hallway felt colder than usual, maybe because most of the building was already empty.
When she got to the ground floor, she saw through the glass doors that it had started raining. Heavy drops splashed against the pavement, the kind that made it impossible to walk through without getting soaked.
“Oh, perfect,” she muttered under her breath. She hadn’t brought an umbrella — Ariana had reprimanded her to take one but she refused saying today's not going to rain.
Celine stood under the shade outside the main entrance, waiting to see if the rain would slow down.
It didn’t. If anything, it got worse. She hugged her purse tighter and watched the street. Cars rushed by, their headlights cutting through the rain.
Then she saw it.
A sleek black Lamborghini pulled out from the underground parking lot. She didn’t need to guess whose it was. Everyone in Castellan Enterprise knew that car belonged to Ethan Castellan himself.
Her eyes followed as it drove smoothly past the gate. For a second, she thought he might stop when he saw her standing there. But the car didn’t slow down. It just passed quietly, its taillights fading into the rain.
Celine’s mouth dropped slightly. “Seriously?” she said aloud to herself.
She shifted her purse and stepped closer to the edge of the shade, still watching the car disappear.
“He’s so heartless,” she muttered, half angry, half amused. “He couldn’t even stop by to give me a ride home, at least.”She waited a few more minutes before deciding she couldn’t stand there all night.
Holding her coat over her head, she dashed out into the rain, her heels clicking quickly against the wet pavement.
By the time she reached the bus stop, she was drenched. Her hair stuck to her face, and water ran down her sleeves. She could already imagine Ariana scolding her when she got home.
“Why didn’t you wait, Celine?” Ariana would say. “You’ll catch a cold again.”
The thought made her smile a little despite how uncomfortable she felt.
After a few minutes, a taxi finally stopped. She got in, shivering slightly from the cold. The driver looked at her through the mirror.
“Bad weather, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said, brushing a wet strand of hair off her face. “Really bad.”
He nodded and started driving.
The ride home was quiet. She paid the driver and ran into the apartment she shared with Ariana. Warm air hit her face as soon as she stepped inside.
“Oh my God, Celine!” Ariana gasped from the kitchen. “What happened to you?”
“It rained,” Celine said, trying not to laugh as she kicked off her shoes. “And someone drove past me like I was invisible.”
Ariana fr
owned. “Someone?”
Celine shrugged, walking toward the bathroom. “Never mind. I just need a shower.”
Ariana narrowed her eyes but didn’t push. “Fine. But I’m making tea, okay?”
“Sure,” Celine said, closing the door behind her.