Chapter 244

As soon as Jareth Carrington left, Celestia Brooks finally let out a quiet breath, the tension in her shoulders easing a little. The heaviness in her eyes also lightened, returning some of their usual clarity. She suddenly remembered something and turned to the man beside her. "Thanks again for earlier," she said with a soft smile tugging at her lips. Even though her makeup was on the dramatic side, that natural warmth in her expression was still hard to miss. The man looked at her, a bit puzzled, and gave a small smirk. "You already thanked me." There was something distant about his otherwise handsome face now, as if whatever was on his mind pulled him slightly away. Celestia pressed her lips together, then explained, "I meant for what you said—that you’d look after me. Without that, I don’t think Jareth would’ve felt comfortable leaving me here alone." Vincent Goodman’s smile deepened slightly, but there was a strange twist to it, like he wasn’t entirely amused. "Right… I still don’t