Chapter 19 -CELINE'S POV- Hunter's gaze was like ice . " Leave . " The word sliced through me , cold and final . For a second , I didn't move . Didn't breathe . 38 ) 11 Charlotte opened her mouth like she wanted to argue , but one look from Hunter had her clamping it shut so fast I almost heard her teeth click . She huffed , crossing her arms like a spoiled child . I curled my fingers into the fabric of my uniform , grounding myself . A part of me wanted to fight back , to demand some sort of dignity . But what was the point ? Without another word , I turned and walked away . I kept my back straight . My shoulders squared . Only when I reached the storage room did I finally let myself feel it . The weight of the night crashed over me , pressing me down until my knees buckled . I locked the door , slid to the floor , and buried my face in my hands as the tears came . Silent at first . Then in waves . The humiliation . The exhaustion . The constant battle of existing in a place that wanted nothing more than to spit me out . I just needed one moment . But of course , I didn't get it . A sharp knock jolted me back to reality . " Open the damn door , " Bianca hissed from the other side . I wiped my face fast , forcing back the last of my tears before unlocking it . The second I did- Crack . The slap came hard and fast , stinging my cheek before I even processed what happened . 1 staggered back , my ears ringing , my body frozen . Bianca sneered , arms crossed like she had just done something noble . " Look at you . Pathetic . All you do is screw up . First , you embarrass yourself in front of Hunter's guests , and now- " I barely heard the rest . Because my mind was still processing the sting , the sharp burn of skin against skin . And then- Then she made the biggest mistake of all . 1/5 9:10 pm B B Chapter 19 She smirked . " No wonder you're here , acting like a desperate little servant . Who would want a child like yours anyway ? A fatherless little burden- " The crack of my palm against her cheek was just as sharp . Bianca gasped , stumbling back , her hand flying to her face in shock . My vision burned . My breath came fast and unsteady . My hands shook . " You can talk about me all you want , " I said , my voice trembling with rage . " But my son ? He's off - limits . If you ever say something like that again , I don't care who you are - I swear I will never forgive you ." Bianca stared at me , stunned into silence . I didn't wait for a response . I turned and walked away , fists clenched , heart pounding , knowing one thing for certain- I wasn't crying anymore . The night dragged on . The party ended , but I didn't go back to the mansion . Hunter had made it clear - he didn't want to see my face again tonight . So I stayed in the servant's quarters , curled up beside Caesar . I kissed his forehead as he slept , running my fingers through his soft curls , my heart aching with the weight of everything . He was my world . My reason to keep going . But I was exhausted . Once I was sure he was deep in sleep , I slipped out , heading back to the mansion . There was still work to do . The kitchen was silent when I stepped inside . No voices . No clinking glasses . Just the soft hum of the night pressing in around me . I sat on a stool without meaning to , my body sinking , my hands burying my face before I could stop myself . I just needed a second . One second to breathe . Then- " You missed a spot ." My head jerked up . Hunter . 1 straightened immediately , wiping my face as fast as I could , praying he hadn't noticed the exhaustion painted all over it . He wasn't supposed to be here . 38 He was supposed to be upstairs with his guests , swirling his expensive wine , laughing at whatever snide remark Vincent had thrown his way . But he wasn't . He was here . Standing in the doorway , sleeves rolled up , tie loosened , watching me . 2/5 9:10 pm GGGG Chapter 19 I stood too fast . " I was just- " He stepped inside . +38 His eyes flickered over the room before settling back on me . Then , without a word , he moved toward the counter , rolling his sleeves up further . And then- He picked up a cloth . I blinked , confusion crashing into me as he wiped down the very spot I had been about to clean . " What are you doing ? " My voice came out hesitant like I was afraid saying the wrong thing would make this moment disappear . He didn't look at me . Just kept wiping . " Helping . " I stared at him . " What ? " A low sigh escaped his lips like even he wasn't sure why he was doing this . But he didn't stop . I watched his hands , the way his fingers moved , slow and deliberate , as if cleaning this stupid counter was the most important thing in the world . This man - this cold , ruthless man - was helping me clean ? My exhaustion made my thoughts sluggish , but my pulse hammered anyway . And then- Without thinking , I reached for the same cloth . Our hands brushed . It was barely a touch . A whisper of contact . But the second it happened- Everything shifted . Hunter stilled . So did I. The air thickened , crackling with something unspoken . Something sharp and strange . Something I didn't want to name . Neither of us moved . Neither of us spoke . We just stood there , hands barely touching , both too afraid to acknowledge what we already knew- Whatever this was , it wasn't nothing . My breath hitched . Slowly , I looked up . Hunter's gaze locked onto mine , and for a second - just one second - everything else disappeared . His blue eyes were unreadable , but there was something there . Something deep . Something dangerous . The space between us felt too small . The silence was too heavy . And just when it felt like something might crack- His phone rang . The sharp sound shattered the moment like glass . 315 9:10 pm GGG G Chapter 19 +38 ) Hunter exhaled , stepping back , pulling his phone from his pocket . His eyes stayed on me for a half - second longer - just long enough to make my chest tighten - before he turned away , pressing the phone to his ear . " Talk . " His voice was cold again . Like whatever just happened between us hadn't happened at all . I barely breathed as I watched his posture shift . His grip on the phone tightened . His jaw clenched . Whoever was on the other end of that call- It had changed something . And I had a feeling I was about to find out exactly what . Hunter turned away from me , fingers dragging through his dark hair , tension radiating off of him . " What do you mean you found something ? " His voice was calm . Too calm . That kind of calm that wasn't calm at all . A prickle of unease crept down my spine . I knew who he was talking to . The investigator . My hands curled into fists at my sides . Of course . Of course , he was looking into me . Rich men like him never trusted people like me . I turned away , forcing myself to focus on the counter in front of me instead of the way my stomach twisted . I shouldn't care . I shouldn't care . But for some reason , I did . " Where ? " Hunter's sharp voice cut through the kitchen , dragging me back into the moment . He was pacing now . Restless . Unsettled . Then He stopped . "... You're sure ? " Silence stretched between the words , thick and unspoken . I could hear the faint murmur of whoever was on the other end , but not enough to make out the words . Hunter exhaled slowly , his fingers flexing at his side . " Send me everything . " Then - click . The line went dead . The pressure in the room was suffocating . I turned away , pretending not to notice the way his eyes burned into me like he was trying to piece something together in his mind . Then- His voice , lower this time . " What else haven't you told me ? " अर 4/5 9:10 pm G G G G Chapter 19 Not cold . Not angry . But something else . Something dangerous . +38 I stiffened . My heart pounded . Slowly , I turned to face him , keeping my expression neutral . " I don't know what you mean . " Hunter took a step forward . The space between us shrank . " You worked at a place I used to visit ," he said , his voice careful , measured . " Why didn't you mention that ? " My breath caught . So , that's what he found out . My mind raced . Every possibility , every potential moment where our paths might have crossed before now- Because if he remembered- If he knew . I swallowed hard . " I didn't think it was important , " I said , forcing my voice to stay even . Hunter's gaze sharpened . Lies . He didn't believe me . I could see it in the way his fingers twitched . In the way his expression hardened , just slightly . " Have we met before ? " he asked . His voice was different now . Lower . Almost careful . Like he already knew the answer . Like he was waiting for me to slip . I swallowed . No. Not like this . Not when I had everything to lose . " I don't remember , " I lied . Hunter stared at me for a long moment . Too long . And then- His phone buzzed again . But this time , he didn't answer it right away . He just kept looking at me , something unreadable flashing in his eyes . I held my breath . Then- Without a word , he turned and walked out . Leaving me standing in the kitchen . Heart pounding . Knowing damn well that this was far from over . 5/5 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!