Chapter 8 Assuming A False Identity

• Upon hearing his self-admiring words, Celeste couldn't help but laugh.
• “Why are you so full of yourself, actually thinking you're someone of importance? Shaun, you're not even comparable to a single toe of Hadrian. I must have been blind to have chosen you in the past.”
• Celeste's icy stare deeply wounded Shaun.
• Just a short while ago, Celeste was clearly brimming with love for him, but now...
• “I was wrong, Celly,” he admitted, “I've left Harriet. Can you please come back to me?”
• Shaun, filled with emotion, stepped forward and firmly gripped Celeste's shoulders, insisting to explain things to her.
• Overpowered by his strength, all Celeste could do was bite him in retaliation.
• She bit down hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth, which finally made Shaun release her out of pain.
• Splash!
• Celeste was tossed into the pond.
• When Shaun was still in a state of shock, a dark figure leapt into the pond.
• In no time at all, Hadrian was seen carrying Celeste ashore.
• The commotion in the backyard had alarmed everyone, and they all hurried over to see what was happening.
• Shaun wanted to run, but Hadrian's cold, sharp gaze made him weak in the knees and filled him with fear.
• “My goodness, what happened to Celeste?” Eleanor rushed over upon hearing someone had fallen into the water. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would be Celeste.
• “Kaff, kaff, Grandma, I'm fine...”
• Celeste knew how to swim. She was just a bit frightened.
• Seeing the situation escalate to such an extent, she felt unease in her heart.
• Had she caused trouble for Hadrian?
• Celeste glanced uneasily at the man who was holding her tightly.
• A frown creased Hadrian's brow, his eyes seemingly filled with an unmeltable frost.
• “Check the surveillance. Whichever hand Shaun used to push Celeste, that's the one we'll chop off!”
• After uttering those words, Hadrian left, taking Celeste with him.
• The party ended on a sour note, with Shaun becoming the scapegoat of the Lloyd family.
• Eleanor was known for her protective nature, especially when it came to her long-awaited granddaughter-in-law. Wasn't she supposed to be cherished? Consequently, she immediately ordered for Shaun to be restrained. Only after reviewing the surveillance did she proceed with executing Hadrian's command.
• The Maybach zoomed down the highway.
• Observing the icy demeanor of Hadrian, Celeste was filled with both anxiety and fear.
• “Mr. Lloyd, I'm fine,” she assured him.
• Hadrian did not respond, yet the car continued to accelerate.
• They quickly reached the hospital, where Celeste was taken for a complete physical examination.
• Hadrian, who was waiting outside the door, suddenly received a message from Zachary: You're in trouble. You've fallen in love.
• Fallen in love...
• Love...
• Seeing that Celeste had an accident, he was consumed with worry.
• Is this love?
• Hadrian's emotions were in turmoil. Having never experienced love before, he found himself somewhat confused.
• When Celeste left the hospital, Hadrian was already gone. It was Yves who took her back to the Lloyd manor.
• That night, Hadrian did not return.
• Not long after Celeste departed, Shaun was urgently rushed to the hospital. His hand wasn't completely broken, but it was severely injured.
• Shaun grimaced in pain, sweating profusely.
• Thinking about how he was not only crippled from the waist down but also had a useless hand, he was unbearably frustrated.
• He called Harriet, asking her to bring some aphrodisiac to the hospital to keep him company.
• Upon hearing that Shaun was injured and in the hospital, Harriet was taken aback.
• Given the relationship between the Schmidt and Lloyd families, who would dare to mess with Shaun?
• “Let me ask you. When did Celeste start seeing my uncle? My ex-girlfriend suddenly became my aunt. It's like a slap in the face.”
• “No wonder all of the Xenos family's debts were cleared overnight. It's all because Celeste got involved with Hadrian!”
• “Darn it! My unpredictable and usually uninterested in women uncle has been acting possessed lately. He's gotten engaged to Celeste and is also searching for a woman who lost her earring at Royal Inn...”
• What... Hadrian!
• Unbelievably, Celeste had actually gotten involved with Hadrian!
• He was a top tycoon in the business world, possessing a fortune worth billions. Additionally, he hailed from a wealthy and prestigious family, a refined gentleman of high society.
• Could it be that the man who went to pick up Celeste was actually Hadrian?
• Harriet clenched her hands tightly, filled with jealousy and resentment.
• How fortunate was Celeste? Even after losing Shaun, she managed to snag an even more influential tycoon.
• However, what was the story behind his search for a woman who had lost her earring at the Royal Inn?
• Not long ago, she had conspired with the CEO of Lowe Real Estate to drug Celeste. Gregory had prepared a room in advance at Royal Inn. After getting Celeste intoxicated, she assisted Celeste to the room.
• However, after that night, Gregory simply disappeared. The three million reward he promised her upon completion of the task was nowhere in sight.
• It was unclear whether that night, Gregory had tarnished Celeste's innocence.
• Suddenly, a burst of realization hit Harriet.
• Could it be that the woman Hadrian had been searching for was Celeste all along, and they just didn't realize it?
• After ending the call, Harriet rummaged through her jewelry box and found the earring studded with emeralds and diamonds.
• Whether or not she could become Mrs. Lloyd would be determined by tomorrow's trial!
• The following day, at Regal Group.
• Only when Hadrian saw the warm light filling the room did he realize he had been sitting there all night.
• Throughout the night, he pondered on what love truly was.
• Also, that inexplicable familiarity he felt toward Celeste...
• He decided to momentarily halt his search for the woman from that night.
• Given that his grandmother had already helped him and Celeste get their marriage certificate, and he felt a certain closeness to Celeste, it made sense for him to invest time and effort in nurturing their relationship.
• Just then, Yves burst through the door in a state of urgency.
• “Mr. Lloyd!”
• Hadrian had never seen Yves in such a state of disarray before.
• “What's the matter?”
• In a rush, Yves exclaimed, “The woman from that night has shown up! She's right outside the door!”
• What?
• She has appeared...
• The light in Hadrian's eyes became obscure, his emotions hard to discern.
• After a long silence, he finally allowed her to be brought in.
• Today, Harriet had made an extra effort to dress up, donning a vibrant dress in an attempt to catch Hadrian's attention. She even spritzed on some alluring perfume designed to captivate men.
• She had barely stepped in when the overpowering scent of her perfume reached Hadrian's breath.
• Hadrian frowned, raising his voice to stop her. “Don't come any closer. Just stay where you are.”
• When Harriet saw the disgust in Hadrian's eyes, her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
• I'm not a pest, so why does he despise me?
• However, the man before her was truly impressive, his appearance was so handsome it defied convention.
• With an excited expression, Harriet spoke up. “Mr. Lloyd, I heard you've been looking for me. That day, in an attempt to save my father's company, I had agreed to have drinks with Gregory, the CEO of Lowe Real Estate. Little did I know, that audacious old man actually drugged me. Even though I was lying in bed asleep, I could still sense someone making advances on me. Waking up the next day, I discovered I had lost her innocence. Overwhelmed with despair, I didn't even bother to check who the man beside me was before I ran away. I've been in agony these past few days, even contemplating suicide... But when I heard you were looking for a woman who had been to Royal Inn and lost an earring, I couldn't help but wonder if the man that night was you, so...”
• Hadrian cast a cold, indifferent gaze at Harriet.
• He didn't feel the slightest familiarity with this woman. Instead, a hint of distaste surfaced.
• The woman that night had a faint, natural orchid scent about her, cool and beautiful. In contrast, the woman standing before me now reeked of pungent chemical perfumes, a scent that was quite off-putting.
• Before Hadrian could respond, a hint of surprise flashed across Harriet's face.
• Could it be that she botched her performance?
• Left with no other options, Harriet had to play her trump card. She took out the earring she had found, which belonged to Celeste.
• “Here, Mr. Lloyd. This is my other earring. You can take it for identification.”
• On the side, Yves took the earring and presented it to Hadrian.
• With a mere glance, Hadrian had his answer in his heart.
• His breath hitched slightly, and he asked in a cool tone, “What do you want?”