Chapter 133

• Third Person’s POV
• Callen’s face softened into that rare expression of indulgence, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips as he reached out to pinch Serena’s nose lightly. The scene struck Celeste like a hammer to her chest, reopening wounds she had long tried to bury.
• It had been so long since she had allowed herself to lean on Callen’s shoulder in such a carefree, spoiled way. Even back then, when she was still Celeste Frost—the one groomed to be part of the Frost Family’s polished image—she had never dared interfere in the family’s business matters. Her influence had always been limited, carefully measured. Even when she had helped Ryan Wilson’s father secure the vice-president position at one of their companies, it had been because Ryan’s father had merit and incentives that aligned with the Frost Board’s strategy. Her plea had been nothing more than gentle persuasion, a ripple in a current she could not control. And yet Callen had been furious, scolding her with that sharp precision reserved for mistakes he perceived as violations of family protocol.