Chapter 9

Under Amy's wide-eyed stare, Celestia spent a solid two hours cooking a pot of homemade chicken soup. She also toasted a few slices of bread and scrambled some eggs. While it was still simmering, she slipped upstairs to soak in a hot bath. The warm water drove away the exhaustion, and afterward, she felt way more alert. She changed into fresh clothes, then sat down at the dining table, spooning soup into her mouth while chatting casually with Amy about Jareth. From what Amy said, Celestia learned that Jareth had moved out of his family home at just seventeen. After college, he started at the very bottom of the Carrington Corporation, and in just six years climbed all the way to the top, now reigning as CEO. With a sharp mind and even sharper methods, he'd turned the company into an industry powerhouse. Sure, she could admit the man had talent, but as far as she was concerned? Jareth was nothing more than a cold-blooded control freak. When she asked how someone like him ended up with such a frosty personality, Amy's face froze, and she fumbled for words, hesitating so long she barely said anything at all. Just as Celestia was about to press her for an answer, her train of thought got cut off by her phone ringing-clear and crisp. She picked it up from the side, glanced at the screen. It was her father's assistant. Thinking it might be some company issue, she answered in a rush. "Jolie..." Celestia had barely spoken when Jolie interrupted, sounding panicked. "Ms. Brooks, something's happened-you need to turn on the TV. Right now. The Carrington Corporation just acquired Brooks Enterprises." Her spoon slipped from her hand with a loud clink, falling back into the bowl. The hot soup splashed on her soft skin, turning it red, but she didn't even flinch. "Acquired? What are you talking about?" she asked, already rushing toward the living room, grabbing the remote and flipping to the finance channel Jolie had mentioned. The moment she saw the bold red banner on-screen, her pupils contracted hard. There he was-Jareth, in a crisp Armani suit, standing tall in front of the Brooks Enterprises lobby, facing the camera. Even through the screen, his presence was powerful. His usual cool smile hinted at something ruthless beneath the surface, a king claiming his throne. "I've authorized my legal team to proceed with the acquisition of Brooks Enterprises. Most major shareholders have already agreed. Now..." Acquisition. That word hit her like a brick, knocking the color from her face. What did this even mean? He promised to help, didn't he? But now... staring at Jareth's confident smirk on the screen, Celestia realized the truth-he'd played her. Saying he was helping her? What a joke. His real goal was clearly to take over the company. Celestia burned with rage, her eyes gleaming with a fire that couldn't be put out. She could let a lot of things slide, but not this. Not the Brooks Group. Her father had built this company from the ground up-it was his life's work. There was no way she was going to just sit back and watch Jareth snatch it away. She barely touched her food before rushing upstairs, quickly throwing a few things together, then stormed out and grabbed one of Jareth's limited-edition Ferraris from the garage without even blinking. She gunned it straight toward Brooks Group, but when she finally got there, they told her Jareth had already left. With no time to waste, she drove another two hours to Carrington Corp. After a whole runaround at the front desk, someone finally agreed to let her go up to his office. Celestia didn't bother with pleasantries-no knocking, nothing. She shoved the door open and there he was, sitting behind his desk, just as cold and distant as always. Her brows furrowed tightly as her hands clenched at her sides. She took a deep breath, marched right into the office, and stopped just in front of him, ready to tear into him. But before she could get a word out, she realized he hadn't even noticed her-his eyes were locked on something in his hands. She blinked, surprised by how focused he looked. It made her curious-what could have him this zoned in? Letting her mouth close, her gaze drifted down until she saw it. A photo. He was holding a photo. Celestia squinted and tried to take a good look. There was a woman leaning against a tree, smiling so brightly, with a soft, gentle face. But before she could make out the entire image, Jareth abruptly looked up and caught her staring. The moment their eyes met, she was caught completely off guard. Was this really Jareth? The same cold, untouchable man? Because right then, his face held this rare, almost tender look, soft enough to throw her off for a second. He, too, was startled by her unexpected appearance. The moment he realized what she was looking at, he quickly tucked the photo into a drawer and shut down whatever warmth had been on his face. "What are you doing here?" His voice was icy, eyes sharp and unreadable again. His sudden change pulled Celestia right back to reality. That usual coldness, that disdain in his eyes-it hit her like a slap. Her expression darkened as she snapped, "You bought the Brooks Group? Care to explain how that makes any sense? You promised you'd help us, and now this? How could you just go back on your word like that?" The image of him, all smug and confident on TV, announcing the acquisition like some kind of victor, flashed through her mind-and it set her blood boiling all over again. Celestia stared daggers at Jareth, waiting for his reply. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "So you came all the way here just for this?" Jareth shot her a sharp glance, raising a brow with a mocking smirk. "I only promised to keep your company afloat. I never said I'd give it back to your father." His voice was calm, matter-of-fact, like it was no big deal. "You-!" Celestia was seething, her pale face tinged with red. She couldn't even argue-he wasn't technically lying. Back then, she'd only been desperate to save the company, and made a verbal deal with him. She just hadn't expected him to be this ruthless. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Celestia forced out, "So you're saying you're not giving Brooks Corp back at all?" Jareth glanced over with a cold look. He didn't answer directly. "I've got loads of work to do. If you're done talking, you can leave now." His tone was final, as if she was just wasting his time. Celestia glared at him, her eyes gleaming like a storm was brewing. Her brows pinched slightly as she bit her lip and hissed through clenched teeth, "If your word means nothing, then don't expect me to keep mine. I'll have the divorce papers ready soon. Whatever deal we had-it's over." She turned on her heel, heading straight for the door. Jareth didn't even flinch. He raised one brow lazily, his smirk smug as ever. "Sure. Unless you want your father in handcuffs." Did she really think he'd be that soft? Not a chance. Celestia stopped cold. "What's that supposed to mean?" She spun around. Jareth stood there, his handsome face twisted into a smug, sinister grin. That look sent chills down her spine. "Hurting my dad and putting him in the hospital wasn't enough for you? What are you trying to pull now?" Her voice lifted, anger and fear bubbling in her chest. Jareth didn't react. Instead, his eyes darkened for a second. When he looked back at her, the smile was gone, replaced with something much colder. "You really think your dad's some untouchable saint?" he snapped. "I've got evidence of all the shady deals he's done-bribes, embezzlement, all of it. Enough to put him away for good. If that doesn't bother you, feel free to walk out that door." Bribes? That couldn't be. Her father? "No way," Celestia shot back without a pause. Her father had always been by the book, generous to charities-he wasn't the kind of man who'd take a bribe. She didn't buy a single word Jareth said. But Jareth, still as calm as ever, reached into his drawer and casually tossed a thick stack of documents onto the floor right in front of her.