Chapter 272
After setting off the fireworks, Celeste and Jamie bid farewell to the family elders and headed out.
Their destination was the Baumond Broadcast Tower, one the best places to take in the city’s nightscape.
The night before the Ember Festival, it would also feature stunning light show and other festivities.
As they arrived at the broadcast tower, a crowd had already gathered.
The air buzzed with laughter and excitement.
The light show hadn’t started yet.
Hector and a few of his classmates had made plans to celelite the Ember Festival at the tower.
Not long after they arrived, he found his friends and joined them.
When they saw Celeste and Jamie, Hector’s classmates politely greeted them. But soon, they couldn’t help sneaking glances at Celeste and whispering to Hector, “Your cousin is beautiful–like, really beautiful!”
Hector grinned. “Obviously!
The group was swept up in the festive energy. They goofed around, taking photos and recording videos.
Celeste and Jamie stayed back, letting them enjoy themselves.
Just then, Celeste’s phone buzzed.
It was a text from Beck. “Will you be at the broadcast tower for the light show tonight?”
Celeste was a little confused. Still, she replied, “I’m already here. Why?”
Beck responded almost right away, “Shanice and I are on our way as well.”
Upon reading the text, Celeste paused for a second. “I see.”
What a coincidence.
Beck left the conversation at that.
Not long after, the light show started.
Celeste watched in awe, completely absorbed–until a familiar voice rang out. “Ms. Celeste!”
She turned and, sure enough, spotted Beck and Shanice.
The moment Shanice saw her looking, she beamed with excitement, stretching out her arms.
Celeste pulled Jamie along as they wove through the crowd toward Shanice and Beck. When they reached them, she scooped Shanice into her arms.
Shanice wrapped her arms around Celeste’s neck, eyes glued to the light show, shrieking in delight. “Ms. Celeste, Jook!”
Celeste chuckled. “I see it.”
The festive energy was contagious, and she found herself smiling the entire time.
Beck watched her, then, worried she might get tired from holding Shanice for too long, gently took the little girl back. “Where’s Hector? Didn’t he come with you?”
“He did, he’s over there.”
Celeste gestured toward Hector and his group, who hadn’t wandered far
Just as she was about to turn away, she caught sight of three familiar figures.
Her smile disappeared.
It was Harvey, Lilian, and Calvin
She wasn’t sure what they were saying, but Harvey tousled Calvin’s hair with a warm, affectionate gesture. The three of them stood close, looking every bit like a happy, loving family
Celeste’s expression changed in an instant.
And Beck noticed it immediately.
He followed Celeste’s gaze and noticed Harvey and the others.
Before he could look away, Calvin spotted them too.
Seeing familiar faces on a festive night like this, Calvin lit up with excitement. He waved eagerly and called out, Beck!”
At his voice, Harvey and Lilian turned.
Their expressions warmed when they saw Beck.
But as soon as their eyes landed on Celeste, the warmth drained from their expressions.
Especially Lilian.
Her brows knitted almost right away upon seeing Celeste standing beside Beck.
Since they had already run into each other, it would be rude to ignore them completely.
Beck hesitated for a moment and turned to Celeste. “I’ll go say hello.”
Celeste’s response was flat. “Go ahead.”
Beck gave her another glance before carrying Shanice toward them.
Jamie had noticed the shift in Celeste’s demeanor as well.
She wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to Celeste in the past, and Harvey was little more than a vague figure. in her memory.
However, the way Celeste’s expression cooled in an instant Jamie’s sharp intuition told her exactly who Harvey and Lilian were.
A pang clenched in her chest. Jamie grasped Celeste’s hand and asked, “Maybe we should go?”
Celeste didn’t want to ruin their Ember Festival.
Thus, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Her mood shift had nothing to do with lingering feelings for Harvey.
It was just… Seeing him with Lilian brought back thoughts of her mother.
Especially tonight.
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Chapter 272
Why did they get to enjoy Ember Festival together happily while her mother-
Oh, right. Not just the three of them. They were a family of four.
Wynn was probably off on a date with Trevor,
They had destroyed her mother’s life, yet their family of four kept thriving. What a cruel joke.
Jamie squeezed Celeste’s hand but said nothing.
She had known their family wasn’t like others.
For them, holidays weren’t a time of celebration–they were a time of grief.
Visiting Isabelle was painful; so was not visiting.
Every trip to the nursing home forced thein to relive the past in excruciating detail, leaving them restless.
Moving on was painful, and so was refusing to move on.
Their family had been scraping by–not great, not awful, just surviving.
But then Wynn came back out of nowhere and took Trevor away from Celeste. And now, to top it all off, her entire family had relocated to Baumond. It just made their lives even harder.
Noticing Celeste and Jamie’s expression shift, Hector excused himself from his friends and headed over.
He wasn’t sure what was going on. “What’s wrong, Celeste?”
Before Celeste could reply, Jamie shot a look toward Harvey’s group and said, “The ones talking to Beck are the Lockets,”
Hector instantly got the message, his lips pressing into a firm line.
Meanwhile….
Beck had just finished exchanging pleasantries with Harvey and the others.
When he turned back, he saw that Celeste and the others were gone.
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