My Wife Never Knew Who I Really Was

Compared with Ethan and Vivian, whose situation was steadily improving and slowly heating up, Celeste was in a very different state.

She stood in front of a full-length mirror, turning left and right as she carefully examined herself.

Several rejected outfits lay on the floor. More backup choices still hung on the rack beside her.

In more than twenty years of her life, this was extremely rare.

As the president of Shaw Group, Celeste had always been known for efficiency.

Whenever she attended events, she usually chose an outfit in less than five minutes. Whatever suited the occasion, she wore it. She never hesitated.

But this time was different.

Tonight, she was meeting Vivian's boyfriend.

As Vivian's best friend, she had to strike the right balance. She could not dress too casually and make it seem as if she did not care about the meeting.

But she also could not dress too formally and steal Vivian's spotlight.

Celeste looked at herself in the mirror and frowned slightly.

"This should be fine, right?"

She turned twice more in front of the mirror, checked herself from every angle, then finally nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes. This one."

After deciding on her outfit, she sat at the vanity and began touching up her makeup.

While doing so, she silently rehearsed the scene of meeting Vivian's boyfriend.

What should she say first?

Hello, I'm Celeste Shaw, Vivian's best friend.

No. Too formal. This was not a business meeting.

So you're the boyfriend Vivian keeps mentioning?

No. Too frivolous.

Celeste shook her head, picked up her lipstick, and carefully traced her lips.

"Forget it. I'll adapt when the time comes. The important thing is to observe."

Celeste was determined to judge that man's character through details.

When they met for the first time, would his eyes be sincere?

Would he look around too much and show interest in other women?

When he spoke, would he be cultured?

Would he deliberately show off just to prove himself?

And most importantly, was he sincere toward Vivian?

In Celeste's opinion, genuine care from the heart could not be faked.

If the man was only an empty shell with good looks, Celeste would never agree to him being with Vivian.

She would stop it with everything she had.

But if he truly was excellent, then Celeste would sincerely bless them.

Vivian was her closest friend. More than anyone, Celeste hoped Vivian could find happiness.

As she was thinking, the phone on the vanity suddenly rang.

It was the special notification tone she had set for Vivian.

Celeste put down the lipstick and picked up the phone.

The moment she opened the message, her expression changed.

Celeste! You won't believe this. We ran into a robbery at the mall just now. Two armed robbers. I was scared to death!

Celeste's pupils shrank.

A robbery?

Armed?

She quickly typed back.

Were either of you hurt? Where are you now?

Vivian replied almost immediately.

Don't worry, we're fine. You have no idea. My boyfriend took the gun from them in just a few moves. He even dodged a bullet and subdued both robbers by himself!

Celeste stared at the words on the screen and did not know what to say for a moment.

Dodged a bullet?

Was that still human?

But she quickly realized that was not the point.

The point was that at a life-or-death moment, that man had not abandoned Vivian. Instead, he had stepped forward, stood in front of her, and protected her.

Thinking of that, Celeste began typing.

Only hardship reveals someone's true heart. If he didn't abandon you in a moment like that and instead chose to protect you, then he really may be someone worth entrusting your life to.

After sending the message, Celeste leaned back in her chair and exhaled lightly.

The heart that had been hanging in her chest finally settled a little.

As Vivian's best friend, of course she hoped Vivian could meet a good man.

At least from what she had heard so far, that man had passed the test in courage and responsibility.

Her phone vibrated again.

Vivian sent a shy emoji, followed by another message.

If he knew you praised him like that, his nose would point straight to the sky. All right, see you soon. We're on our way.

Celeste smiled and replied.

All right. See you soon.

She put down her phone and stood, taking one final look at herself in the mirror.

The makeup was elegant. The outfit was appropriate. The temperament was refined.

Then she picked up her handbag and left the walk-in closet.

Downstairs, she changed shoes and opened the front door.

Night had already fallen. The courtyard lamps cast soft light over the path.

She walked to the car, opened the door, and sat in the driver's seat.

Just then, her phone rang again.

Celeste glanced at it.

It was a message from the real estate transaction center.

Dear Ms. Shaw, the transfer procedure for Villa No. 18 in the Fontainebleau Villa District under your name has been completed. The transaction funds have been deposited into your account ending in 8566. Please check your account.

Immediately after, the bank deposit notification arrived too.

A long string of numbers followed by several zeros.

The house had really been sold.

Celeste stared at the message. Her hand tightened around the phone.

She had thought she would feel relieved.

That house was full of that man's shadow. Living there had always made her chest feel blocked.

But now that the house was truly sold and the money had arrived, Celeste did not feel as light as she had imagined.

Instead, more complicated emotions filled her.

Because she knew very clearly that once this house was sold, the last remaining link between her and Ethan would be completely gone.

After this, they probably would never have another chance to meet.

They would truly become people from two different worlds.

She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

Coming back to herself, Celeste stepped on the gas and drove away from the villa.

Outside the window, neon lights flashed past, bright and dark over her face.

Celeste gripped the steering wheel, looked straight ahead, and shook her head hard.

"Why am I thinking about him?"

She muttered to herself as if trying to convince her own mind. "I should focus on getting to the restaurant early and seeing just how outstanding Vivian's boyfriend really is."

As she spoke, she lowered the window slightly.

Maybe more cold wind would clear her head.

The car continued forward through the night, drawing closer and closer to the restaurant they had reserved.

Then, unexpectedly, her phone rang again.

This time, it was a call.

Celeste glanced at the screen. It was her secretary.

She raised a hand and tapped the answer button on her Bluetooth earpiece.

"What is it?"

Her secretary's voice came through. "President Shaw, the matter you asked me to investigate has results."

Celeste frowned slightly, not reacting at first. "What matter?"

The secretary paused. "The people Mr. Ethan Cole has been in contact with recently."

Celeste froze.

She remembered now. There had indeed been such a matter.

She had not expected results this quickly.

"Go on."

Her voice sounded calm, but her hand around the steering wheel tightened unconsciously.

"Yes," the secretary said, clearing her throat. "Based on the information we have, Mr. Cole has not contacted many people recently. But one person is rather special."

"Who?" Celeste asked immediately.

"Your friend, President Vivian West."

Screech.

The tires scraped sharply against the road.

Celeste slammed on the brakes and pulled the car to the side.

Her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel, and her pupils contracted violently.

"You said... who?"

Author's Note:

This story will continue updating here.

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Thank you for reading.