Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 236

hapter 236

Elena: POV

Alexander patted his head, a sheepish smile crossing his face.

“I forgot, Sweetie. I’ll change direction right now.”

I watched him adjust the rearview mirror, his hands steady on the wheel as he merged into the next lane.

our earlier conversation still hung in the air between us, thick and uncomfortable.

Lila hummed softly to her stuffed rabbit, blissfully unaware of the turmoil churning inside me.

Celeste’s house felt longer than usual.

my gaze fixed on the passing buildings, their grey facades blurring together as my mind replayed the scene at Harrods.

lian’s face when he’d seen me-that raw devastation mixed with desperate hope-it had felt like looking into a mirror of emotions I couldn’t name.

“We’re here,” Alexander announced, his voice careful

Before I could unbuckle my seatbelt, Lila had

led up to Celeste’s townhouse in Kensington.

the car, her little legs carrying her up the stone steps.

The front door swung open, and Celeste

“Lila!” Celeste crouched down, a

ulled back in an elegant chignon, wearing a cream cashmere sweater.

fer launched herself into them with the kind of abandon only four-year-olds possessed.

“I’ve missed you so m

“Missed you too

Watchin

fled a Celeste’s shoulder, but the joy in it was unmistakable.

ng I couldn’t quite identify.

ke Celeste in her life.

dena

ething darker, a whisper of doubt that had taken root the moment Julian had called me Elena Vance instead of Elena

e hand on Lila’s shoulder as she met my eyes.

r expression I’d never noticed before-a guardedness, a careful calculation.

eeing shadows where none existed.

ng set in the back garden, Celeste told Lila.

go try it out while I talk to your m

o further encouragement, d’

n of a child on a mission.

10:55 am P P P P

alt

Chapter 236

The ground of the back door opening and closing echoed through the fover, leaving the three of us standing in awkward silence.

Alexander’s phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.

“I need to take this,’ he said, already moving toward the front door.

“Business matter. Won’t be long.”

The door clicked shut behind him, and suddenly I was alone with Celeste in her pristine entryway, sukrounded by tasteful art and the faint scent of expensive perfume.

She studied me for a long moment, her blue eyes-so like Alexander’s, I realized with a start-searching my face.

“Come,” she said finally, gesturing toward the sitting room.

“You look like you could use some tea. Or something stronger.”

I followed her into a room decorated in shades of cream and gold.

She poured two glasses of what looked like sherry from a crystal decanter, pressing one into my hands before settling onto the sofa across from me.

“You saw him today, didn’t you?” It wasn’t really a question.

“Julian.”

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