Zeke was one of Trevor's personal secretaries. When he saw Celeste's resignation letter, he was extremely surprised.

He was one of the few in the company who knew about the relationship between Celeste and Trevor.

Anyone familiar with Trevor knew that he didn't love Celeste. So, he had been cold to her and rarely went home after their marriage.

To get closer to and win over Trevor, Celeste had chosen to work at Fleming Group.

Her initial goal was to become his personal secretary, but Trevor refused vehemently. Even when Arnold stepped in, he couldn't get Trevor to agree. In the end, Celeste had to settle for a position in the secretarial team, becoming one of Trevor's many ordinary secretaries.

At first, Zeke had worried that Celeste's presence in the secretarial team would create chaos. But to his surprise, she didn't bring them any trouble. Although Celeste used her position to get closer to Trevor, she was mindful of her timing and never overstepped her boundaries.

On the contrary, she worked diligently and performed exceptionally well, hoping to gain Trevor's respect. Whether during her pregnancy, childbirth, or any other time, she strictly adhered to company policies and never sought special treatment.

Over the years, Celeste rose to become the head of the secretarial team. Zeke had observed her feelings for Trevor from the sidelines all the while. To be honest, he had never imagined she would resign one day. He felt skeptical about her willingly giving up her position.

Something must have happened between Celeste and Trevor for her to resign now. Zeke understood that this was something he wasn't privy to—it must be something significant enough for Trevor to have ordered her to resign.

While he found it a pity, Zeke maintained a professional tone. "I acknowledge that I've received your resignation letter. I'll arrange for someone to take over your duties as soon as possible."

"Alright." Celeste nodded and returned to her workstation.

After working for a while, Zeke started an online meeting with Trevor to report on company matters. As the conversation neared its end, he suddenly remembered Celeste's resignation.

"Oh, Mr. Fleming, there's one more thing—"

Although Zeke had told Celeste he would quickly arrange for someone to take over her position, he wanted to gauge Trevor's thoughts on the matter first. If Trevor wanted Celeste out immediately, he would make the arrangements right away.

But as the words left his mouth, he remembered that when Celeste first joined the company, Trevor had explicitly stated that all matters regarding her employment should be handled per company regulations. He made it clear that there was no need to report anything to him since he wouldn't concern himself with her.

And indeed, over the years, Trevor had never actively inquired about Celeste's work at the company.

Even when he encountered her at work, he treated her like she was a complete stranger.

When Celeste was set to be promoted a couple of years ago, the team had hesitated. Everyone was aware of Trevor's dislike for her. They had even brought it up with him to gauge his opinion back then.

Trevor had frowned in annoyance and reiterated that he wouldn't interfere and that they should handle it according to company policy. He had emphasized that they shouldn't bring up Celeste's matters with him again.

Seeing Zeke's hesitation, Trevor frowned. "What is it?"

Zeke snapped out of his thoughts and quickly replied, "Oh, it's nothing."

Since Trevor was already aware of Celeste's resignation but hadn't brought it up, it was clear that this matter wasn't important to him. So, Zeke decided to proceed as usual and handle the matter according to company regulations.

With that resolved, Trevor ended the call.

…

"What are you thinking about?" At noon, a colleague patted Celeste on the shoulder.

Celeste came back to her senses and smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing."

"Don't you need to call your daughter today?"

"No, not today."

Typically, she called Jordyn twice a day—once at 1:00 am and once at around 12:00 pm.

Her colleagues at work were aware of this habit. What they didn't know was her daughter was the child she had with the company's CEO.

After work, Celeste went to the supermarket. She bought some groceries and a few potted plants before heading home.

After dinner, she browsed online for information about the upcoming technology exhibition.

After that, she made a call. "Please reserve a ticket for next month's tech exhibition for me."

"Are you sure?" the person on the other end replied coolly. "The last two times you asked me to reserve tickets, you didn't show up. Do you know how many people's lifelong dream is to get one of those tickets? You wasted them thoughtlessly."

The annual tech exhibition was a major event in the industry, and tickets were not easily obtainable.

Their company had a limited number of slots, and many IT elites working for them eagerly vied for the opportunity to attend it.

"If I don't show up to the exhibition this time, I will never ask you to reserve a ticket for me ever again," Celeste promised.

There was silence on the other end before the line disconnected.

Celeste knew that he'd agreed. The corners of her mouth tugged upward into a smile. What she hadn't said was that she wanted to return to the company.

Though she was one of the partners of her tech firm, she had stepped back during its early days to focus on marriage and family. Her decision had disrupted their development plans and cost them many opportunities.

Her colleagues had been both angry and frustrated with her. Over the years, they had rarely been in contact.

While Celeste was eager to return, she knew she had been out of the industry for too long. If she went back unprepared, she was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with the company's current pace.

So, she planned to spend some time familiarizing herself with the industry's latest developments before making a concrete decision.

For the next few days, Celeste focused on her work during office hours and spent her evenings tending to her own matters. She didn't reach out to Jordyn or Trevor, and they didn't contact her either.

Celeste wasn't surprised. For over half a year, her communication with them had been one-sided. They had only passively responded to her efforts.

…

Meanwhile, in Andostan, Jordyn had developed the habit of calling Wynn first thing every morning.

That day, she called Wynn right after waking up as usual. However, the call didn't last long before she burst into tears.

Wynn had told her some bad news. "I'm going back to the country soon."

Devastated, Jordyn finished the call and immediately phoned Trevor. "Dad, did you know about this?"

At his office, Trevor flipped through some documents. "Yes."

"When did you find out?"

"It's been a while."

"Dad, you're so mean…" Jordyn hugged her pink stuffed pig and cried loudly. "I don't want Wynn to leave. If she's not here, I don't want to go to school here anymore. I want to go back too!"

Trevor's tone remained even. "It's already being arranged."

Jordyn didn't understand. "W-What do you mean?"

"We're going back next week."

Jordyn jumped out of bed in excitement. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Trevor replied.

"Then why didn't Wynn tell me just now?"

"It was just finalized. She doesn't know yet."

Jordyn was ecstatic. "Dad, let's keep this a secret from Wynn. We'll surprise her when we go back to the country, okay?"

"Alright."

"You're the best, Dad! I love you so much!"

After hanging up, Jordyn was still overjoyed. She sang and danced on her bed.

After a while, she suddenly thought of Celeste. For the past few days, she had been in a great mood because Celeste hadn't called her. In fact, to avoid talking to Celeste, she had deliberately left home early and even turned off her phone or kept it far away from her after school.

But after two days, she was worried that Celeste might get angry if she found out. So, she stopped doing that. To her surprise, Celeste hadn't called at all in the days that followed.

At first, she thought Celeste had discovered that she was deliberately avoiding her calls. But then she remembered that based on past experiences, that wasn't very likely. If Celeste knew she had done something wrong, she would immediately ask Jordyn to correct her wrongdoing instead of sulking and not calling.

After all, she was the most important person to Celeste. Jordyn knew that Celeste loved her the most, so she didn't think that Celeste would purposely refrain from calling her simply because she was upset.

As Jordyn thought about this, she suddenly missed Celeste. It was the first time in days she had thought about Celeste, and she couldn't resist dialing Celeste's number.

But just as the call connected, she remembered that while she would get to see Wynn after returning to the country, Celeste would undoubtedly try every possible way to prevent her from meeting Wynn. She wouldn't be able to see Wynn whenever she wanted like she could now.

This thought dampened Jordyn's mood.

It was midnight in Celeste's time zone. She was already asleep when she was woken by the call. Upon seeing Jordyn's name on the screen, she was about to answer when the call abruptly disconnected.

Although Celeste had written in her divorce agreement that she would relinquish custody of Jordyn, she still felt a sense of responsibility as her mother. Worried that something might have happened, Celeste immediately called back.

When Jordyn saw the incoming call, she turned her head away and refused to answer.

Celeste became more concerned and quickly called the landline at the villa.

Hannah answered promptly. After hearing Celeste's concerns, she reassured her, "Ms. Fleming should be fine. She went to bed late last night and woke up late today. When I checked earlier, she was still asleep. I'll go upstairs to take a look and call you back."

Feeling relieved, Celeste replied, "Thank you."

When Hannah went upstairs, Jordyn was already in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

After Hannah relayed Celeste being worried about her, Jordyn lowered her head and lied, "I accidentally hit the call button."

Hannah believed her and didn't doubt what she said. Seeing that Jordyn was still brushing her teeth, she went back downstairs to update Celeste that Jordyn was fine.

Jordyn watched as Hannah left. She huffed and finally felt a bit better.

After hearing Hannah's reassurance, Celeste felt relieved too. Still, having been abruptly woken, she struggled to fall back asleep. She wasn't in great shape the next morning at work.

The envelope containing the divorce agreement was completely forgotten by Trevor after the phone call with Wynn.

On the day they returned to the country, Trevor packed the last document into his briefcase and ensured that nothing was left behind before heading downstairs.

"All set. Let's go."

The Lincoln stretch limousine departed from the villa and headed to the airport.

…

Celeste had no idea that Trevor and Jordyn had returned to the country. No one had told her.

Half a month had passed since she moved out of the villa. During that time, she had gradually grown used to and even fond of the peace and leisure of living alone.

It was the weekend, and she woke up late. After freshening up, she opened the curtains to a sunny day. She stretched lazily, watered her plants, and was about to make herself a simple breakfast when the doorbell rang.

It was her neighbor, Tilda Emery, who lived across from her.

"Ms. Rodriguez, I hope I'm not intruding," Tilda said apologetically.

Celeste replied warmly, "Not at all, I was already up."

"That's good," Tilda said enthusiastically. "These buns and pastries are fresh out of the oven. I just made them this morning, and I brought some over for you to try."

"Thank you. It's so kind of you to do this, Mrs. Golden," Celeste said.

"It's the least we could do. If it weren't for you saving Sylvia from that rabid dog the other day, who knows how badly hurt she might have been? My husband and I have been wanting to thank you properly for saving our girl, but work has kept us busy. We felt so bad about it."

"It was nothing, Mrs. Golden. Don't mention it."

After a few more pleasantries, Tilda left.

Back inside, Celeste ate breakfast while studying the algorithm of an AI she had been researching.

Later that day, a news notification about Trellis College's centennial celebration popped up on her phone. Celeste paused to check the date and realized that it was indeed Trellis College's 100th-year anniversary.

She browsed the news online and saw several trending hashtags about the event. The celebration was receiving high attention, not only because Trellis College was the top educational institute in the country but also because this was its first centennial celebration.

Many distinguished alumni had been invited back to the alma mater for the event. Those honorary alumni were highly regarded figures in various fields.

Celeste stared at the screen for a while. When she saw several familiar faces in the photos, her hand trembled slightly. Memories of her time at college flooded her mind. Her heart became unsettled.

If she hadn't gotten married right after graduating with her bachelor's degree, she might have been among those honored alumni invited back for this event.

Celeste closed her laptop and hesitated briefly before driving to Trellis College.

It was already late in the evening when she arrived. Many of the high-profile attendees had already left, but the campus was still bustling.

Celeste wandered aimlessly and eventually found herself near the familiar lab building.

A familiar voice called out to her. "Cel?"

…

20 minutes later, at a cafe outside Trellis College, Matthias Yoder poured her a cup of coffee.

"How have you been lately?" he asked.

Holding the cup, Celeste smiled faintly with her gaze lowered. "I'm doing well. It's just that… I'm currently preparing for a divorce."

Matthias hadn't expected such a response. He paused for a while before saying, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright."

"What's next? Are you planning to return to the company?"

"I am, but…"

Matthias couldn't understand why she was hesitating. He said earnestly. "Cel, the company needs you. You're a part of it, so I hope you'll come back to take charge."

"But I… I…" Celeste felt conflicted when she saw his serious expression.

It wasn't that she didn't want to return. The AI field had advanced rapidly, and she had been out of the industry for six years. Even if she went back now, she feared she wouldn't be able to keep up with the times, let alone lead the company and be at the forefront of the industry as she once had.

Over the years, Matthias and Celeste had rarely seen each other. Yet, even from just a few encounters, Matthias could tell that she was no longer the confident and spirited person she had once been.

Matthias thought back to the Celeste he knew from the past. He could never have associated the word "insecure" with that individual. He didn't know much about Celeste's marriage to Trevor, but he was completely clueless about her sorry state which was essentially an open secret.

He had his suspicions but didn't voice them. Instead, he sincerely encouraged, "Falling behind for a time doesn't matter. Your ability and talent surpass that of most geniuses. As long as you're still passionate about this field, it's never too late to start again.

"Don't forget that you were our teacher's favorite student throughout his entire career."

Celeste smiled as she listened to him. "If he heard that, he'd probably scoff and say that he didn't have much of a choice and could only settle on the least bad one."

As she thought of her wise but sharp-tongued mentor, Celeste's smile faltered. "I saw on the news earlier that he also came back for the celebration. How has he been?"

"He's doing well, though he's often annoyed by us—his ever-disappointing students—popping up in front of him from time to time," Matthias replied.

Celeste chuckled, her mind wandering back to the days when she toiled away working on thesis papers under her mentor every day.

"Come back, Cel," Matthias urged.

Celeste gripped her cup tightly. After taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Alright."

She had been passionate about artificial intelligence since she was a child, and she loved anything related to this field. But because of her love for Trevor, she had put her dream on hold for seven years.

It would take time to catch up after such a long absence. But she believed that with hard work, it wasn't too late for her.

Matthias asked, "When do you think you'll return?"

"I still need to transition out of my current job. It might take a while," Celeste explained.

"That's fine. There's no rush."

As long as she was coming back, a little more time wouldn't matter.

They talked for a while longer before Matthias checked the time. "I'm meeting someone who's supposedly a genius in algorithms. They just returned to the country recently. Since we bumped into each other, why don't you come along and meet them?"

Celeste shook her head. "I don't know your team well. Maybe next time."

"Alright."

As Matthias left, Celeste saw Trevor's sister, Teagan Fleming, walking toward her. She had seen Teagen in the news but hadn't expected to run into her here.

Celeste greeted, "Hello, Teagan."

Teagan didn't respond to her polite greeting. She frowned hard instead. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Trellis College's 100th anniversary today. So, I came to visit."

If Celeste hadn't brought this up, Teagan would have forgotten that she graduated from Trellis College too. But aside from current students and staff, the attendees today were mostly honorary alumni invited by the school.

What was an unknown nobody like Celeste doing here?

Still, as long as she didn't embarrass the Fleming family, Teagan couldn't be bothered to say much.

Getting straight to the point, she said, "Nicholas says he misses your cooking. I'll have someone send him over to you and Trevor later."

Nicholas was Teagan's son, and he was a year or two older than Jordyn. With her strained marriage and demanding career, Teagan had rarely been involved in her son's life. Over the years, his rebelliousness had only grown, making it even harder for her to manage him now.

Upon learning that Nicholas liked Celeste's cooking, Teagan had frequently sent him over to Celeste and Trevor's place over the past two years.

Aside from Martha, the Fleming family didn't take Celeste seriously. Even Nicholas looked down on her and treated her like a maid despite liking her cooking.

In the past, Celeste had tolerated this for Trevor's sake. She did her best to care for Nicholas and didn't chastise or correct him whenever he was disrespectful.

But now, as she and Trevor were preparing for divorce, she no longer felt the need to endure it. She rejected Teagan without hesitation. "I'm sorry, Teagan. I'm not available tomorrow."

As she planned to return to the AI field, she intended to dedicate her time to meaningful pursuits. After the divorce, she would have no ties to Trevor or his family. She wouldn't waste her time on them anymore.

Teagan hadn't expected Celeste to refuse her. After all, Celeste had often humbled herself to please the Fleming family for Trevor's sake.

Nevertheless, Teagan didn't dwell on it. She assumed Celeste must have something important going on. Otherwise, she wouldn't have passed up the chance to curry favor.

Even so, she felt annoyed. "What could possibly be so important? Trevor and Jordyn aren't even with you now."

Upon hearing this, Celeste couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. For years, she had abandoned her own identity and centered her life around them. And now, this was how Teagan viewed her.

It wasn't undeserved, but Celeste wouldn't live that way anymore.

Just as she was about to respond, a group of people approached them. "Ms. Fleming!"

They were clearly there for Teagan.

When they saw Celeste standing beside her, they looked her over before asking, "Ms. Fleming, who is this?"

Teagan, of course, didn't tell them that Celeste was her sister-in-law. She replied indifferently, "A friend."

"Oh, a friend…" These people, all prominent figures attending Trellis College's celebration, had assumed Celeste must be someone important upon seeing her with Teagan.

But Teagan's dismissive attitude dispelled that impression. Aside from one or two people admiring Celeste's striking looks and slender legs, the rest paid her no attention. They quickly resumed their focus on Teagan and moved on.

In the past, Teagan's refusal to acknowledge her would have hurt Celeste deeply. But now, she didn't care anymore.

After Teagan left, Celeste picked up her bag and walked away.

…

That night, at around 10:00 pm, the plane carrying Trevor and Jordyn landed on time. By the time they got home, it was nearly midnight.

Jordyn had fallen asleep before they arrived. When Trevor carried her upstairs, he passed the master bedroom and noticed the door was open, but the room was pitch black.

After putting Jordyn on her bed and tucking her in, he returned to the master bedroom and turned on the light. Then, he glanced at the bed and found that it was empty—Celeste wasn't there.

Just then, the butler, Peter Hawk, came upstairs with his luggage.

Loosening his tie, Trevor asked, "Where is she?"

Peter replied, "Mrs. Fleming is on a business trip."

Half a month ago, Peter hadn't been around when Celeste had left with her suitcase. The other maids told him that Celeste left with a suitcase, so he had assumed she was traveling for work.

Now that he thought about it, this was unusual. Celeste rarely went on business trips. Even when she did, they typically lasted only two or three days.

This time, she had been gone for over two weeks.

"Alright," Trevor responded indifferently, asking no further questions.