Chapter 13 The Gratitude of the Father

• A hint of astonishment flashed in Pansy's eyes when she saw Celia. Five years had gone by, and the gaunt, malnourished little girl had blossomed into a beautiful rose. She was wearing a white shirt and a black skirt. A golden buckle was wrapped around her waist, and a pair of simple heels adorned her legs. Aside from a watch, she wasn't wearing any accessories. Her curly hair tumbled down to her waist, and she was holding a simple but beautiful bag. There was an air of nobility about her.
• Time changes everyone. Even the ugly duckling can turn into a swan. She didn't want to admit it, but Celia was every bit as brilliant as her daughter, not to mention she had spent so much on Yana just to make her this brilliant too. God, why are you so unfair? She didn't want to be nice, but she wanted Celia to work for her, so she asked nicely, "It's been a while. So, what are you up to these days?"
• Celia didn't want to talk to her, so Pansy said, "Ah, I know. You're Varoque's top perfumer and the creator of Pinesnow No. 5."
• A frown furrowed Celia's brow, but she wasn't surprised that this woman knew about her. She had a perfume company in her portfolio, so of course she knew what Celia was doing.
• "We're a family. Why don't you work for us instead of a stranger? I can give you a good offer," said Pansy. She was already on the offensive.
• A sneer curled Celia's lips, and she turned around. "I'm not your family."
• Pansy's smile froze for a moment, but she managed to ask, "But we are family, aren't we?"
• "My father is my family. Everyone else is just a stranger," said Celia coldly. When she was little, every time she came back from her grandmother's house, this woman would push her outside, calling her dirty and denying her entry because she had 'bacteria'. The woman would then tell the nanny to spray disinfectant all over her before allowing her into the house.
• She was only thirteen back then, but she could never forget the humiliation. She might have wanted to blend in with the family when she was a young lady, but now that desire was long gone. There was no place for her in that house, after all.
• "Ah, you're back," said Callum from behind.
• Celia turned around. Her father looked older than she remembered, but he was still the same man she knew. Still, he didn't look too happy to see her. "Dad," she said.
• Callum looked at her, and he too was surprised to see his daughter's new look. Five years. It has been five years. She's grown a lot. She has her mother's looks.
• Another person came downstairs, and it was none other than Yana. She too was shocked when she saw Celia. She's just a perfumer, isn't she? She's supposed to look like a peasant. Why is she so hot? Envy flared in her eyes. She had wondered if she should dress up for the occasion but decided against it, thinking that she was already beautiful enough to destroy Celia's confidence. However, that plan backfired. Damn it, I should've dressed up.
• Celia wouldn't even give anyone besides her father a moment of her time. These wenches were the reason she left her home.
• Callum approached his daughter, guilt filling his eyes. "So, what have you been up to all these years? Why didn't you call us?" He knew she left for so many years because of what he did to her. He was consumed by anger back then, but when he realized what he had done, Celia's urge to return home was already long gone.
• "I'm working at a perfume company, Dad."
• "What position is it?" asked Callum.
• "A perfumer," said Celia.
• Callum nodded. "Not bad. That takes a lot of skill and talent."
• Pansy looked at Celia with envy. She couldn't believe Celia got her mother's talents.
• A servant walked in at this moment. "Sir, dinner's ready."
• "We'll talk over dinner, then." Callum said, "Let's go."
• Everyone was immersed in their own thoughts during dinner, and Celia didn't feel good at all. Yana kept ordering the servant around, showing off that she was the real miss of the household, not her. Her father did ask her about her life, but he kept his distance.
• It was a difficult meal to finish, and once it was done, Celia left. When she walked out to the street and turned back to look at the brightly lit villa, something in her heart broke. In the end, I'm still all by myself.
• Once Jeremy was done bathing, he went back to his room and whipped out the paper, then he walked to the master bedroom. He then took his father's phone and dialed the number written on the paper.
• Celia was wandering aimlessly on the street when her phone rang. It was an unknown number, but she took the call anyway. "Who is this?"
• "It's me, pretty lady," a cute boy said.
• That delighted Celia. "You're the boy I helped, aren't you?"
• "Yep. I'm Jeremy Spencer. You can call me Jeremy," said the boy.
• "Okay, Jeremy." Celia smiled. Her sadness was healed by the boy's call alone.
• Curious, Jeremy asked, "Do you have a boyfriend, miss?"
• Celia paused for a moment, and she smiled. "No. Why do you ask?"
• "Care to have one?"
• Celia chuckled. "Any recommendations?"
• "Yeah, my daddy. He's handsome, rich, and brilliant. You won't be disappointed."
• Celia was a little surprised. So, he's from a single-parent family? It made her sad. But he's so cute. Having one parent only must be hard. Where's his mother? "Thank you for your affection, Jeremy. You weren't hurt, were you?"
• "I'm all right, and it's all thanks to you. I would have been sold off otherwise," said the boy happily. The near-kidnapping didn't seem to have affected him.
• Hugo came out of the bathroom and heard his son talking to someone, and he approached the boy. Jeremy turned around and waved at his father. "Come here, Daddy."
• Hugo plopped down on the couch, and Jeremy handed the phone to him. "Say hi to the pretty lady, Daddy."
• Oh, the lady who saved Jeremy. He was grateful for her help. "Hello," said Hugo.
• His voice was so velvety and sexy, the first thing Celia thought was, Is the guy a voice actor?