Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 416

She sighed. "Yes. She's Sharon Adams."

"Oh my God. Is she your cousin?"

She nodded.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I will be." She forced a small smile. "So tell me, how did things go with Kingsley?"

"I have so much respect and high regard for him. I hope he doesn't disappoint me." I perched on the edge of her desk. "Actually, Sharon is his ex. She left him when he had nothing, and now she's trying to claw her way back into his life. But he wants nothing to do with her."

"Really."

"And before I even get into what happened at Vivian's birthday party..." I took a breath. "I decided to take the leap. Kingsley and I are officially... we're dating now."

Her face lit up, the heaviness falling away. "Oh my God. Are you for real?" She pulled me into her arms and hugged me hard. "Yes! I'm so happy for you. I'm so, so happy for you."

"I feel really happy too. I don't even understand why I kept pushing him away. I feel so happy, Celeste. And I wish you would stay this happy."

"Don't worry, Pat. Everything will work out in the end. I strongly believe so."

Then I told her about the birthday party, about my mother and Vivian, about Kingsley walking in with all those branded gifts and kneeling in front of the whole table, and she laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes. It made me feel good.

"Oh my God," she said. "Kingsley just keeps impressing me every day. So he just... showed up?"

"Celeste, you were the one who told him everything, weren't you?"

Celeste balled her fists.

"It wasn't just Celeste." Sharon's voice dripped with venom. "She and that good-for-nothing ugly friend of hers ganged up on me."

The man smiled, and it was the worst thing I had seen all day. "You want history to repeat itself? Celeste, you've forgotten how I dealt with your family in the past, right? Now I'm going to teach you a lesson you will never forget. And then you will know that no one messes with my princess and gets away with it."

He gestured to his men. "Guys. Get them."

The men began to move toward us, and I closed my eyes. I knew I was in no condition to fight. I could not help Celeste much. I just waited for it to be over, telling myself that as long as I survived this, I would get my revenge.

But suddenly, a gunshot rang out, fired into the air, and my eyes snapped open.