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?”