Chapter 8

• And because Celine doesn’t want Callahan to fall on his horse again, when she tours him around so they can look at the farm full of trees, she lets him join her horse again, as the horse only walks calmly.
• Callahan looked at the trees, amazed by how they looked so healthy. They seem to have such a lot of fruits that it could already be the main source of exporting fruits from other countries.
• Though he was really curious, Celine just named it not too big, or it was already failing.
• “Why was it failing?” he asked.
• “I don’t know about my parents. Ask them?” She challenged him and arched her brow at him.
• “It seems to be progressing. This land could actually be the main export in the other country if it was well handled. It could probably be successful.”
• Celine didn’t expect Callahan would be that interested in their land as if he could see the future of it.
• “You like businesses?” she asked.
• “I’m taking a business class,” he smiled.
• “Hmm, let me guess. Your parents want you to handle the family business.”
• Callahan laughed a bit. Celine found a good spot where they could rest, and since the heat of the sun was already piercing through their skin, she decided to go to the area where the heat couldn’t reach as they both went out of the horse.
• Celine tied it to the body of the tree while Callahan lifted his head and saw the ripe fruits from the tree.
• “It was me who was interested in handling the business. It’s kind of my dream, so I want to strengthen my knowledge about it.”
• Celine’s brows were raised. She could see her other brother in him who was the oldest and had the same determination as Callahan, the one who’s her counterpart and opposite from her other brother Chance.
• “I’d do anything just to handle it. To be deserving of it,” he said eagerly, looking at Celine.
• Celine slowly nodded. She could also see herself helping the business, but at the moment, she hasn’t set her eyes yet on being that passionate and driven to handle a family business.
• She wanted to start her own legacy and establish her own name instead of sitting in the office of her father’s big company. She wanted something unique for herself, something she really loves to do.
• Well, compared to all the Eversons, Celine wasn’t the most pressured child in their household as her father was willing to let Celine figure things out on her own, and he is not forcing her to join her siblings in the business industry with the Eversons’ big companies, unlike her other siblings who were already given some positions so they could work right away after college.
• Celine, who’s spoiled by her siblings, especially her father, has the choice to either work at their company, start her own business, or just do nothing as long as she’s happy.
• “And you?” Callahan asked which Celine was trying to dodge as she didn’t really have anything on her mind.
• She shrugged.
• “I’m still figuring things out.”
• “Hmm. That’s pretty shocking for a girl like you who seems too serious and who knows what she wants in life. What are your hobbies?” Callahan crossed his arms and leaned against the tree of the mango while Celine was busy roaming her eyes around.
• “Something that relates to arts,” she pointed out.
• “Arts. You’re into paintings?”
• She nodded slowly. She always had that admiration for the arts, especially paintings, that she wanted to learn more about so she could paint in Paris. Though she could already do it at the moment as she could achieve anything she likes in travel, she wanted to polish her skills first and paint the scenery in the countries she’s going to visit.
• “You’re planning to have a business about paintings?” he asked.
• It has never really come into Celine’s mind. She was studying to learn new things, not to acquire a job in it because she doesn’t have a problem when it comes to money. She could provide luxurious wealth for more than her lifetime.
• But because she was building a new image in front of Callahan, she suddenly got an idea that popped into her head.
• “I’m actually going to manage our land once I graduate to help my parents,” she said, using the normal excuse of kids who weren’t born with a golden spoon.
• Callahan nodded. “That’s nice. This land has a lot of potential in the future when it’s managed properly. Maybe, who knows, you could be a billionaire because of this.”
• Celine smiled as she’d already been a billionaire since the day she was born. But she knew it was her father’s money. It wasn’t hers. She’s willing to work for her own money, but she knew her siblings wouldn’t let her, nor would even her father who would probably freak out and tell her to do other things she likes instead of doing jobs to earn money. She doesn’t need money that much anyway.
• “You’re kind of interested in our land,” Celine pointed out as she could see how Callahan was eyeing it and roaming his eyes around.
• “For a business student, I could imagine lots of business proposals on this land. And how do you manage them to make them more successful? Maybe in the future, you would like to work with me?” he smiled.
• Celine was kind of shocked that Callahan was really molding his goals while he was still a student. He seems so goal-oriented that it shows in the way he thinks and suggests tactics that would boost someone’s business.
• “If it’s a nice business proposal, then I might consider it in the future,” she said in her formal tone, like a boss ready for a collaboration.
• Callahan chuckled at how Celine sounded so professional.
• “You know what? You’re kind of different. I never met a woman that young to be so serious in life that it seems like you have no time for anyone’s bullshit.”
• “Why? Should I spare time with those petty things? What would I get in return, then?” She asked bluntly.
• Callahan’s eyes widened so much that his hand turned into a fist, like holding a microphone, as he barked a laugh. Celine blinked twice when she was shocked that Callahan found it funny.
• “See? You are so serious. You’d be a great boss someday. I like the fighting spirit you have. You looked like you wouldn’t be fooled by your clients; you were more capable of earning their trust and fooling them.”
• Celine pressed her lips against each other. She cannot believe that her boring personality, which she considers to be so used to having no friends that she wanted to take care of herself and depend on no one, would be admirable in someone.
• She has never thought of anything deep about herself. Though she would pay attention somehow, she would sometimes think she was just like the other girls out there, but to be described from someone’s perspective is quite overwhelming for her.
• “Let’s work on the future. I’ll wait for you until you graduate.” Callahan smiled meaningfully and even offered his hand like it was a deal he wanted to seal to serve as their contract.
• “Really? You want me? Maybe you could meet someone better than me.”
• “You’re the best right now,” he said in an assuring way.
• Celine looked at his hand and slowly lifted hers until Callahan shook it. She watched how their hands held each other for a while, but it was giving her the other kind of feeling while Callahan seemed so determined because of their topic.
• She wanted to accuse him of being a playboy, but they were only talking about business. But every time she’s with Callahan, she can’t brush off the fact that the first time they met, Callahan wanted to go to her place, which was blocked by Gaile for sure, as she could really smell that he got tricked on that day while she was waiting for him.
• If he really comes, I wonder what will happen. There’s no way he’d talk about business. Because of the way he looked at me on the shore, I know that look. I am not that ignorant when it comes to things like that, despite my age.
• Looking at Callahan now, she couldn’t sense that lust in him anymore the first time she saw him. She pondered whether it was merely a transient occurrence that he was aroused and interested in her at that moment, or whether it was merely her presumption that she was, in fact, appealing to Callahan on that level.
• Though it wasn’t really that important to her, as she knew, she could not do those things knowing how heavily monitored the Eversons were with their security system. Aside from that, she doesn’t want Callahan to think that she likes him when, in the back of her mind, she knows that she’s starting to get fond of him.