Chapter Two: Moving Secrets

Before heading to Celia’s office, I was at my desk, trying to focus on work, when Maya strolled over with a sly grin spreading slowly across her face. She leaned against my desk, her arms crossed, and smirked quietly beside framed photographs of my parents. You won’t believe what I just heard,” she spoke quietly, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.

I sighed, already knowing this was going to be another one of Maya’s infamous gossip sessions. “Do I even want to know?”

She chuckled, Mr. Larson from finance got caught in a screaming match with his wife in the parking lot.  Something about a secret bank account.”

I raised a brow. “That’s… dramatic.”

“And juicy,” she grinned. “Also, Lisa from marketing swears she saw Celia leaving the office late last night with a guy that was not Damien.”

That made me pause. “What?”

Maya nodded, lowering her voice. “I mean, I don’t know how reliable Lisa is, but still… weird, right?”

I kept my expression neutral, but my mind was already racing. Celia had acted strange,  And now this? “You think she’s cheating on Damien?”

“Oh, trust me, you wish she was,” she said, resting on the edge of my desk.

Before I could respond, my phone vibrated… A notification about my meeting with Celia. I let out a deep sigh and then stood up quickly, grabbing my belongings nearby.“I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

Maya tilted her head. “You’re going to see her now, aren’t you?”

I nodded.

“Be careful, Celeste,” she said, her usual playful tone fading into something serious. “I don’t trust her.”

I forced a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Celia’s office was neat and modern, with sharp edges and hard surfaces. But it wasn’t the room that felt cold. It was Celia herself. The woman who used to be like a sister to me was different now. Her smile was tight and fake, and when her eyes met mine, I saw something dark hiding underneath.

‘You’ve been spending quite a lot of time with Damien,’ she said, her tone soothing yet piercing. ‘Don’t act like you haven’t; you have been on my radar.’

My response was absent. I had no idea what she was aware of nor what Damien had told her.

"You’re falling into his trap, you know?" Celia’s voice had a bite to it, but underneath, I heard something else, maybe sadness. "You always were too trusting.

A chill ran down my spine. I had known Damien was dangerous, but hearing it from Celia..someone who once trusted him, made the warning feel like chains tightening around my throat. My fingers gripped the chair’s armrest, turning pale. I wished to think I was special and that I wasn’t merely a pawn in his scheme. But was I?

Her words stung more than I expected. But I couldn’t let her see that. I didn’t come here to confront her. I came here for answers, but the way her eyes hardened with every statement, it looked like she wasn't going to give me them.

I inhaled deeply and looked into her eyes, trying to stay calm.  Celia. I’m here for a reason, and it has nothing to do with Damien."

She didn’t move; she just stared at me with cold, careful eyes. "You don’t get to walk into Damien’s world and not pay the price," she said, her voice softer now, almost like she felt sorry for me. "do you think you can just leave when you want to?  She smiled mischievously, It doesn’t work that way."

I felt trapped ..somehow, she was right. It seemed too late now to turn back. Yet somehow, I couldn't let that hold me back now. I needed to find out what happened to my father’s company.

I just learned the truth about Damien's involvement, but gossips spilling from drunk men in the bar on a Friday night couldn’t be trusted. I was sure Damien showed up at that particular bar. That’s why I took the job.

I wasn't sure about Celia's knowledge, so I had to ask her directly anyway."What do you know about my father’s company?"

For a moment, her face changed. I saw something in her eyes: fear. Guilt? I wasn’t sure, but I knew she was hiding something.

Celia leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "You’re digging into things you shouldn’t, Celeste," she said, her voice low and cold. "The truth isn’t what you want. It will ruin you."

Her words made me uneasy, but I couldn’t stop now. I desperately needed truth regardless of how  awful it sounded."I need to know everything," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I won’t stop until I do."

Her face darkened. She stood up, her expression firm. It's way too late now, she said, looking directly at me."You’re already part of this, whether you like it or not."

I wanted to demand answers, but I couldn’t. Her words felt heavy in the air. Celia wasn’t just trying to stop me, she was warning me. She was telling me that I was already involved in something bigger than I understood.

She turned to leave but paused at the door. "You can lie to yourself all you want, Celeste," she said quietly. "But you’ll never get away from him. Not now. Not ever."

The door clicked shut behind her, and I stood there, my heart pounding. The truth was sinking in. Celia was right.

I was already caught in Damien’s world, and I could not get out. Even though I wanted to deny it, I realized she was right. There was no escape now.

I left her office, feeling the weight of her words. My mind was spinning with too many thoughts and questions I couldn’t answer. I needed a break.

Stepping outside into busy streets, I found the nearest coffee shop. A favorite spot for calming my frazzled nerves somehow.

The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries filled the air, wrapping around me as I stepped inside.

I ordered my standard-issue espresso shot, mixed pretty heavily with vanilla flavoring, and sat by the window, trying desperately to push memories of the morning's events slowly out of my mind.

As I sipped my coffee, warmth spread through me,e and I watched the city move around me slowly outside my window. I needed a moment of peace,ce but life had other plans unfolding rapidly around me.

I got up and went outside for fresh air, and that was when I noticed Celia. She moved fast along the sidewalk, her heels making loud noises on the pavement. However, it was not her that caught my attention. It was the man waiting for her. He was tall, with dark hair and a sharp suit. I couldn't see his face.

I watched as Celia reached the man. Without a word and with a smooth, almost practiced motion, he opened the door of a sleek navy blue car, and she got inside without hesitation. He shut the door, and then the car sped away down the street, its tires whispering against the asphalt.

I stood frozen, my body grounded, but my mind chased after the car, weaving through the sea of headlights and taillights, trying to keep up. The sleek navy blue car slipped into traffic like a shadow, vanishing into the city’s heartbeat.

My mind refused to let it go, something about the way she walked to him, the unspoken understanding between them. It wasn’t just an affair. It was deeper. Darker. Watching them disappear, my mind racing. What was she up to? Was she cheating on Damien? Or was there something even more dangerous going on? Celia was always good at playing games and hiding things. She always found a way to get what she wanted, no matter what.

I kept having thoughts about the man, Who was he? And why did Celia move toward him like he held a piece of her secrets? She was always careful, always one step ahead. But this… this was a secret I wasn’t sure I wanted to uncover.

And yet, deep down, I knew. Whatever Celia was hiding, it wasn’t just a secret. It was a storm brewing, ready to tear everything apart."