Chapter74: Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Awards XENOIS The silence in the room was deafening. Every parent who had been whispering moments before now stared at us with expressions ranging from shock to embarrassment to outright disbelief. I kept my arm around Celeste's waist, making our relationship unmistakably clear. David was grinning like he'd just won the lottery, clearly enjoying the dramatic reveal. That's when another woman burst into the room, rushing toward David with obvious excitement before her eyes landed on me and her mouth literally dropped open. "Miranda, darling," David said smoothly, pulling her close. "I believe you know Celeste Kingston. And this is her husband, Xenois Kingston." Miranda Chen was a petite woman with sharp, intelligent eyes that were currently assessing me with open suspicion. She recovered quickly from her initial shock, giving Celeste a quick hug before turning that penetrating gaze on me. "Xenois Kingston," she said, her tone perfectly polite but with an edge that suggested