Levi
The party is surprisingly tame so far. After wishing Cece’s parents a happy anniversary, things have settled down.
I haven’t seen either of my parents stir chaos yet, which feels suspicious. My mother hasn’t even interacted properly with the two of us since we first walked in. But I do see her enacting her usual theater of polite ignorance—this time directed toward Iris and Grace Miller. She’s laying it on thick, pretending to be enchanted by everything they say while deliberately mispronouncing Iris’s name and referencing the wrong school.
I was there during introductions. The exchange had been stilted—icy in the most poised, diplomatic, Astor way. Iris hadn’t let a flicker of discomfort show, and I had told myself not to read into it.
But now, Cece and I are deep in conversation withJared Carmichael—the man who practically owns half of Manitoba.
“Oh Jared, that doesn’t necessarily meandownsizing,” Cece says breezily. “You could look into an asset reallocation strategy. Maybe explore a leaseback model for your non-core holdings?”
She sounds bright, confident. And I want to pay attention, I really do—but my focus is already drifting. Because I see my mother.
She’s finally dislodged herself from Grace and Iris, floating toward us with her champagne glass and trademark smile sharpened into a blade.
“You know what? That actually might work—” Jared starts.
“Jared, my dear,” my mother cuts in smoothly, slipping right into the circle, “how’s little Benjamin? I hear he’s ten now?”
Jared blinks. “Uh, he’s six.”
And he’s Felix—not Benjamin, I want to say.
“Oh, just a giant then.” She laughs, tapping his shoulder lightly. “They grow so fast, don’t they?”
“Still watches Paw Patrol, Odette,” Jared replies dryly, but smiles.
“Adorable,” she beams, then swings her attention to my Cece, and my stomach tightens like it’s bracing for some poorly disguised vitriol. All while Jared widens his eyes at me and slips away unceremoniously.
“And you, Celestine? How are you, my dear? I heard you got the Jennings deal secured in Toronto?” My mother’s voice is teeth-grindingly sweet.
I also hate it when she deliberately chooses to call herCelestineinstead of Cece. You’d think she would relent after being called out a million times.
Before I can correct her yet again, my woman nodswith that courteous smile she wears like armor, ignoring the jab.
“I did. Learning from the best.” She points at her father, Samuel Wentworth.
“Mmm, yes,” Odette hums, her gaze flicking to Cece’s hair. “You look beautiful tonight, though. Such lovely hair. If it were just a few more inches longer—” She reaches out, fingers hovering near her hair, and I see Cece flinch. Just barely. But it’s enough for me butt in.
I step forward as I grab her wayward hand, voice sharp. “Mother,stopthat.”
She startles, laughing like it’s all been a joke. “Oh, come now. I was only saying… Celestine’s hair is so beautiful. It would look even more stunning longer. That’s all I meant.”
“Christ, Mom,” I mutter, jaw clenched. “For the last time, it’sCece. And can you just can it for tonight?”
Her eyes narrow, the smile finally slipping. She huffs, straightens her posture, and levels a final glance—no, a glare—at Cece before turning toward the bar with the grace of someone pretending she didn’t just lose. “I need a refill.”
Cece lets out a small breath once she’s blended into the crowd, her lips curling in a dry, amused smirk. “I think she loves me, Levi.”
I sigh, still feeling slighted about how my mother never tends to behave properly with Cece.
“Yep. She’s obsessed,” I murmur back and drop a quick peck to her smirk.
The evening moves on. Cece and I drift apart as the social dance begins. Networking. Mingling. Trading practiced laughs and firm handshakes.
At some point, this night becomes less about the anniversary and more about the impending merger.
I catch sight of Taewon off to the left, mid-conversation with Iris. His expression’s tense, his arms folded—classic Tae in a heated debate. For a second, I consider intervening, maybe smoothing whatever rough edge he has hit. But I hold back. Tae can handle himself.
