Chapter 0896
“I know her. I know I didn’t spend much time with her, but met her a little over 20 years ago. I was only 16, and she must have been around 18. She worked at the same bares me. She was a waitress and sometimes helped the rock band with vocals. 1, being underage, was stuck washing dishes–out of sight. My boss was a great man. I remember she had a different name… if I’m not mistaken, we all called her Angie. Her full name was Angela Palmer.
“We had a mutual friend who introduced us, but we barely spent any time together. Now that I think about it, it sounds ridiculous, but I’ve liked Peter since then. Actually, finally understand why I like him more with this personality than when we first started dating.”
“Why?” Diana asked, intrigued.
“Because this is the real Peter. This is the man I used to see picking up Angela–a charismatic guy, always smiling, and, my God, you could tell from miles away how much he adored her. If I was already nervous about Katherine, imagine how I feel now. I swear, I had buried this part of my life. It was a tough time, so I tried to forget it.”
“Celeste, stop thinking about the past. Let it go. Your life is completely different now. Peter could have chosen Katherine. He could have just helped you with the girls and stayed out of your life, but he didn’t.
From what I see, you two are glued together. He showers you with attention. If he weren’t interested in you–if he wanted one of those two women–he wouldn’t act like this with you.”
”
“Do you really believe that?” Celeste asked painfully.
“Yes, I do. And whatever thoughts are creeping into your head, shut them down completely.
Celeste gave her a half–smile. She couldn’t deny that it was hard for Diana to understand what she was going through at that moment. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and winced, making Diana move closer.
“Are you okay?” Diana asked, concerned.
“Yeah, I must just be exhausted. The evening hasn’t everi started, and I already feel drained.”
“It’s normal. Too many intense emotions. Plus, you’re almost seven months along… Do you want me to call Peter? Do you want to see a doctor?” Diana asked, studying her face.
“No, don’t worry. I just need to sit down. I’ll do my best, and after dinner, I’ll excuse myself and rest.”
“Alright! But if you start feeling worse, you should tell Peter. Maybe ”
“No, don’t worry. There’s no need to alarm anyone. Let’s just go inside–it’s cold out here. Let’s have dinner and let the evening unfold peacefully,”
“Fine. But if anything happens, just tell me. And if you don’t want to ‘bother anyone, I’ll take you to the hospital myself.”
“I’m fine! Don’t worry…”
Both women headed back inside. The kids were already with Emma and Camille, so the living room had become a gathering of adults, each caught up in their own conversations.
Peter spotted Celeste as soon as she walked in. Something was definitely off. She looked pale and exhausted. Excusing himself from Marcus, he quickly made his way to her.
“Celeste, what’s wrong, love? Are you feeling okay?” he asked, worried.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0896
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine…” Celeste tried to sound convincing
“You look a little pale…” Peter said, gently holding her chin and looking into her eyes.
“I’m just a bit tired, that’s all,” she said, shutting down the conversation.
“Alright, but if you’re not feeling well, we can leave, see a doctor, or at least go to the room so you can rest.”
“Peter, how would that look? No way. Tonight is for the kids. I’m fine, just a little tired. Come on, let’s eat, and after dinner, I’ll see if I need to rest.”
“Alright! I’ll check with Alden and Serenity to see if dinner is ready.”
“Thanks…”
Celeste felt a pang in her chest. She truly appreciated her present life, but she couldn’t stop the thoughts flooding her mind. She wanted to, but even though she had felt small next to Katherine, Valerie didn’t even need to be tall to make her feel tiny.
Feeling the weight of her memories, she sat down again. The pain in her hips was getting worse. She didn’t want to admit it, but it wasn’t normal to feel this way.
“Okay, love! Dinner’s ready. Let’s go eat, and then we’ll head to the room so you can rest. I already told them you’re not feeling great.”
“Peter, why did you do that? Tonight, you should be with your son. You can’t just duck out of this.”
“Relax! Besides, Katherine’s here. She can handle things. Trust me, if Marcus or Valerie try anything, she’ll put them in their place with two well–placed slaps. She’s a ‘mother hen.”
“A what?”
“A ‘mother hen.“”
Celeste hadn’t smiled all night, but Peter’s words and expression pulled a small, genuine smile out of her.
The whole family moved toward the long dining table–the biggest one in the house. For the first time since they had bought the place, it was actually full. The table was rectangular. Peter sat at the head, with Celeste to his right. On his left sat Alden and Serenity, followed by Valerie and Marcus. Next to Celeste sat Katherine, Laura, and Diana, and at the opposite head of the table, Maximus took his seat.
Seating arrangements had been a heated topic. No matter how they positioned themselves, the table’s head seats were a problem. In the end, Alden chose to sit at the side, even though he lived in the house and co–owned it. He left the seat to his uncle–Maximus, keeping the Palmer brothers as the reference point.
Maximus and Marcus ended up sitting close to each other unintentionally–but moving would have been even more awkward, so they both put on their best faces and accepted their spots.
At first, they thought Celeste and Serenity should take the lead seats, but any arrangement would have been uncomfortable given everyone’s history.
Amazingly, dinner was going smoothly. Under the table, Serenity and Alden held hands, their palms sweaty. They knew that one wrong move and everything could fall apart
They silently thanked the heavens that Serenity’s parents and both of their mothers–were behaving themselves.
Chapter 0397
