After Stephanie was gone, Old Master Garrett lovingly gazed at Celine and smiled. “Celine, your sister often keeps to herself. Please bear with her and don’t let it get to you.”
Celine obediently smiled. “Of course, we’re a family after all. Keeping the peace is most important.”
The old man nodded in commendation. Leaving the conversation at that, Mr. Collins pushed him away.
Watching at the side, Nell rendered speechless.
“Tsk tsk, don’t you think that Celine only resorts to the same trick up her sleeve? Always playing the victim and a paragon of virtues. Yet, it doesn’t get old and she gets away with it every time.”
Gideon coldly smirked.
“I guess a lot of people in this world judge a person’s character with their eyes instead of their hearts!”
Nell raised a brow.
She turned to look at Gideon and grinned. “I wonder if our great President Leith judges a person’s character with his eyes or heart?”
With downcast eyes, Gideon’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
“I look at people with my eyes and only at you, it’s my heart.”
He held her hand to his chest.
“Listen, my heart’s happy because of you!”
Rosiness crept onto Nell’s cheeks. Not only did she fail in hitting on him but she was, in turn, made a pass at. She quickly withdrew her arm.
Nell darted him a stare. “Rascal!”
She scurried past him and went inside.
Gideon chortled at the rare occasion his wife was caught blushing from jesting. He then followed her footsteps.
Nell had the feeling that she had to get to the bottom of the matter.
At least she would know what was going on should one day she be taken for a ride.
It was pretty simple to figure this out. An enquiry made to Joseph would solve it.
Joseph was aware of the sisters’ former relationship and knew that this matter would not go past Nell. Hence, there was no point in lying.
When Nell and Gideon spotted Joseph, the latter had just come out of the tea room with Harrison after talking business.
Dumbstruck by their presence, Joseph proceeded with a smile. “Deon, Nelly, why aren’t you guys having fun in the lobby and are here instead?”
Gideon remained quiet while Nell blissfully answered, “We went to the garden for a walk and somehow ended up here.”
She then took a glance at Harrison.
Harrison’s eyes met hers too. However, he merely nodded in gesture as they both were not familiar with each other.
Harrison grinned at Gideon. “Young Master Leith, it’s been quite a commotion for your latest buy-out of several major enterprises. Young people nowadays sure have what it takes.”
Maintaining a poker face, Gideon faintly replied, “The Grahams are into politics while the Leiths are in the trade. We’ve always kept to our businesses. I didn’t think Uncle Graham would pay close attention to Leith Corporation.”
Harrison was at a loss by his words.
He then awkwardly laughed.
“We’re old friends after all. It’s not strange that I have that information but don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t have any other intentions. I just wanted to praise you.”
Gideon slightly curled the edge of his lips.
He got up to pour each of them a cup of tea before sitting down and saying, “Celine Jennings isn’t Juli’s daughter.”
Nell was dumbfounded.
Although this outcome was expected, it still came as a surprise when Joseph put it into words.
Joseph contemplated and replied, “Apart from me, my wife, and my brother, the rest of the Garretts are unaware of this matter. We’ve reached a consensus to keep the old master happy in his remaining days. It doesn’t matter whether Celine is Juli’s child. All that matters is that she looks like her.”
He paused two seconds and continued. “Moreover, if there’s anyone else in the world who knows of the child’s whereabouts, our only chance is Celine.”
Nell was in a daze, unable to grasp the meaning behind these words.
Nevertheless, Joseph refused to speak more on the topic.
Gideon was not interested in the child but was rather intrigued by the Garrett family’s behavior.
Thus, he feigned a smile and asked when Joseph was done talking, “You got Celine to pose as the child but her bad reputation would sooner or later fall into the ears of the old master even if you keep it from him. How are you preparing to explain that to him?”
Joseph frowned.
“That is in the past. The old master doesn’t have many days left. I’m going to forbid the family to speak or bring up the past. As for outsiders, the old master won’t believe a word out of them.”
Gideon sneered.
Nell asked, “You said that the old master doesn’t have many days left. Did the doctor inform you?”
Joseph nodded.
He was silent for a while before uttering, “The cancer cells have spread to his liver. The old master refused to accept treatment of any kind. He won’t be able to hold out for another two months.”
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