Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 357

Chapter 357

“And where is this conversation headed?” Dominic asked, impatient.

“I know you are determined to marry Celeste. In the end, you are my grandson, and I do not want to be at loggerheads with you. I will accept Celeste as your wife and show up at your wedding to give my support. But I have one small condition.”

Dominic let out a short, humorless chuckle. “And what makes you think, Grandmother, that I need your approval to marry the love of my life?”

“No matter what you think, I am still your grandmother. This is the only chance you will get for me to bless your union with Celeste. If you come right away, I will never hold anything against her. I will be waiting.”

The line went dead. Dominic stared at the phone, then gripped it so hard his knuckles went white. “A trap. It has to be a trap. I learned from my last mistake.”

“Dominic.” I touched his arm, and he looked at me. “I will be with you, and my two bodyguards are following us. If you are still wary, we can get more bodyguards. But at least listen to what she has to say. Fulfill all righteousness. Then, whatever she wants, we will know.”

He was quiet for a long moment, his jaw working. Then he sighed, gave the driver the address of the mansion, and reached for my hand.

The mansion sat where he had left it, grand and silent, the garden gone slightly wild at the edges. This time, when we arrived, Dominic did not let go of my hand. He held it firmly as he led me through the front door, his thumb pressed against my knuckles like a brand.

As though she had been certain he would come, his grandmother was waiting in the living room, seated in a high- backed chair with her hands folded over the head of a cane. The moment her eyes landed on me, something flickered through them, shock, quickly smothered, and then she smiled, a warm practiced smile that made my spine prickle.

“Celeste.” She rose and came toward me, taking my hands in hers. “What a pleasure. Can I offer you anything? Tea? Something cold?”

Dominic cut her off. “Cut to the chase, Grandmother. We have work to do. We did not come here to eat or drink.”

Her smile did not waver. “Then I will just get to the point.” She gestured to the sofa. “Sit.”

We sat. She lowered herself back into her chair, arranged her skirts, and began. “From the very beginning, Dominic, this was your fault. You promised to marry Imelda. You made me bring her all the way here. I could not send her back home unmarried, and you said you would do anything else to compensate, as long as it was not marrying Imelda.”

“I did say something like that,” Dominic replied.

She nodded. “Good. Now, this is my condition for accepting Celeste. You will take Imelda as your sworn sister and get her married to someone who is as good as you are, if not better. Until Imelda is married to a good husband, you cannot get married to this woman seated here.” 1

She pointed at me as she spoke, and I stared at her, the words not quite landing. Beside me, Dominic chuckled.

“Excuse me?” 1

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