Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 176

Celeste dropped by her company that Saturday, even though most of the building slept under weekend silence.

The corridors were half-lit, and the elevators showed only her reflection back at her as she rode up. She had promised herself it would be quick. Two hours at most, just enough time to clear her desk and finish the reports she had reminded Dominic about.

That way she could leave without guilt, slip into the day with no shadow hanging over her, and meet Amara for shopping by noon.

Her red bottom heels clicked softly against the polished floor as she walked into her office. The room smelled faintly of lemon oil and paper, like it always did when it had been empty too long.

She slid out of her coat, draped it neatly across the back of her chair, and lowered herself to her desk with a small exhale. The stillness wrapped around her, comforting her in its own way. She liked the quiet of her office when no one else was around. It gave her clarity.

Celeste smoothed her skirt, reached for her pen, and bent over the papers. If she focused, she could be done before eleven-thirty. Amara had texted earlier, her tone breathless with excitement about the morning she planned with Elias. Noon, Amara had promised. Celeste had smiled faintly at the message. At least it lined up perfectly.

Her eyes trailed down the figures, and the neat rows of numbers she was double-checking, until a faint sound pierced through the quiet.

Her hand stilled.

The sound echoed from the corridor, deliberate, and unfaltering. It was the footsteps of someone. Not Rodger.

It grew clearer, and closer, until Celeste’s body tensed. She wasn’t expecting anyone. No one was supposed to be here.

Her pulse quickened, but she forced her face still, and professional. She gripped her pen tighter until it pressed into her palm like a weapon.

Dominic’s world wasn’t safe. She had learned that by now. His enemies multiplied every second, and though Rodger had stepped out for coffee, he’d be back soon. Still, the timing pressed unease into her ribs.

The footsteps stopped, and the door handle shifted.

Her breath caught.

The door opened, slowly, like a hand teasing in suspense. Celeste’s heart dropped into her stomach as the figure stepped through.

"Theresa," she breathed, though her expression betrayed nothing.

The woman leaned into the doorway, her presence pulling heat into the room like a flame set to dry paper.

Theresa looked different today. Still polished, and still impossibly poised, with her signature scarlet lipstick painted across her mouth like armor, but there was something altered.

Her dark hair was let loose, flowing down past her shoulders, and softening the sharp lines of her face. She looked startlingly beautiful, almost disarming.

For the briefest moment, Celeste thought, maybe, in another life, they could have been friends. If Theresa wasn’t so bitter. If their worlds hadn’t collided in this way.

"Celeste," Theresa drawled, letting her fingers brush the doorframe before she stepped further in. Her voice had that melodic cruelty to it, practiced and intentional. "I wanted to meet you."

Celeste straightened instantly, the curve of her spine sharp against her chair. "How did you know where I was?"

Theresa’s gaze dropped to her crimson nails. She inspected them lazily, like she wasn’t standing in an office she had no right to be in. "I followed you." She gave a light shrug, too casual for the weight of her words. "I mean, I stalk you. I can’t help it." Her eyes lifted, gleaming. "I want to know why he’s with you. You can’t blame a poor lady for trying, can you?"

Celeste’s blink was small but sharp. Her blink held shock tempered beneath restraint. Stalk? The audacity crawled across her skin. And the freedom with which Theresa confessed it, was almost insulting.

"You followed me here?" Celeste’s tone was crisp, and professional, but her fingers still curled around the pen in her hand like steel. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Theresa tilted her head, smiling faintly. "Relax. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m not the enemy."

Celeste’s brows arched, disbelief shadowing her face.

Theresa took another step, her heels sharp against the floor. "I know Dominic better than you thinkisI know his need for control—" her lips curled faintly, as if the word tasted bitter—"it’s dangerous. He’s dangerously obsessed with it. With owning, and with keeping everything in his grip until it bends or breaks."

Celeste’s breath flared through her nose, her eyes narrowing. "He’s changing that. He’s no longer that way."

Theresa’s laugh was quiet, and sharp-edged. She shook her head slowly, like she pitied her. "He needs someone submissive."

"That’s not what he wants," Celeste countered, her voice even, with her smile returning in a tight curve that matched Theresa’s. "That’s not who I am. And he knows it."

Theresa’s mouth twisted. "You’re not someone good enough for our world. If you really love him, and want him alive, safe, and happy... then let him go."

Celeste leaned back in her chair, her laugh soft and incredulous. "You won’t understand. There’s no way someone like you could understand what we have."

"Don’t forget, I’ve been there before." Theresa’s eyes sharpened, glittering. "With Dominic Cross, nothing lasts. Nothing ever lasts."

"Whatever happens between Dominic and I," Celeste’s voice sliced through the air, steady as glass, "is none of your business. From this day onwards, stay the hell away from us."

Theresa’s lashes lowered, her smile pulling tighter. "If one day he cheats on you, it’ll be with me. I think you should know this."

Celeste swallowed hard, the bitterness rising up, but she forced it down. She trusted Dominic. She refused to let Theresa’s venom drip into her veins.

"Leave my office now." Her voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Don’t make me say it twice. Like you said, you’ve been here before. And if you have been here before, then I’m sure you know what Dominic does for the woman he loves." Her eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. "And what he does to anyone who threatens her peace."

Theresa’s throat worked as she swallowed. Her eyes flickered with hurt, and fury, before she steadied them again, refusing to look away.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

Finally, Theresa stepped back, her heels clicking as she moved towards the door. But her gaze lingered, burning across the space between them, before she finally slipped out, leaving the scent of her expensive perfume and quiet malice behind her.

Celeste’s pen dropped softly against the desk. Her pulse hammered in her ears, but her expression didn’t break. She leaned back into her chair, steadying her breath.

Her world was already complicated. Theresa had just unessesery reminded her how fragile peace really was.