Celeste Hayes

Vivienne Vance stepped out of Declan’s imposing office building, the cool air doing nothing to soothe the heat radiating beneath her skin. She settled into the plush leather of her chauffeured Bentley, her mind a chaotic whirlwind. *Make it work, mom. Get me married.* The sheer audacity of her son rang in her ears. He was clinging to an irrational, stubborn obsession. Valerie Croft had broken his heart, stomped on his pride, and rejected his marriage proposal years ago. Yet, with a multi-billion dollar inheritance and a strict two-week deadline dangling over his head, Declan still demanded the very woman who had humiliated him. How could he still have his eyes set on her?

She pulled her phone from her designer handbag and dialed her personal assistant. "I need you to locate Valerie Croft. Set up an official meeting between us. I want it done quickly."

She ended the call, massaging her temples. She had to give it a try. The stakes were too monumental to ignore his demands right out of the gate.

The luxury convoy merged onto the bustling city street. Vivienne closed her eyes, seeking a rare moment of peace, when the Bentley screeched to a jarring halt. Her eyes snapped open. The tires squealed against the asphalt. Her driver gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. It felt like they had hit someone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vivienne snapped, reaching for the door handle. She stepped out onto the unforgiving pavement, a sharp reprimand ready on her tongue.

She didn't get the chance to vent her anger. A frantic man threw himself toward the front of her car. He clutched a pale, fragile little girl against his chest. A woman trailed right beside him, her face stained with fresh tears, her sobs echoing down the busy street.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry," the man implored, his voice cracking with raw panic. "My child is dying. I need to get her to a hospital."

Vivienne opened her mouth to order her security to clear them away. But her gaze locked onto the man's wild, terrified eyes. For some strange reason, she didn't leave or yell. She felt terrible for the little girl resting limp in his arms. She saw a familiar, suffocating helplessness in the eyes of the poor parents. It was a dark, twisting fear she recognized from the mirror—the exact same pain she harbored over Declan's uncertain future. Her poor Declan. Her heart ached for her son, and it translated into unexpected mercy.

"Get into the car," Vivienne ordered before the couple could say another word.

In the hospital, Vivienne stood back and watched from behind the scenes as the sick child was rushed away by a swarm of doctors and nurses. She saw the couple break down in the waiting area, shedding tears like children even without knowing the true condition of their daughter yet.

"Shh, we ain't losing anyone. We are going to be fine," the husband murmured, pulling his trembling wife against his chest, trying his best to soothe her. "Now you have to be strong for Celeste, for Chloe, for me."

Vivienne watched them for a while until her phone rang, vibrating against her palm. It was her personal assistant. She was satisfied with the efficiency of her staff.

"Go on," Vivienne said in her usual commanding tone, awaiting the update.

"Valerie Croft is currently in the Netherlands," her assistant reported. "I managed to reach her, but she is unwilling to reschedule her plans for an official meeting."

A sharp spike of pain pierced the base of Vivienne's skull. She immediately felt a migraine coming on. She remained quiet while thoughts raced through her head. If Valerie wouldn't agree to meet face-to-face, how else was she supposed to persuade the stubborn girl to marry Declan? Time was slipping through their fingers.

"Can you get me in line with her direct phone?" Vivienne asked. That was the only strategy she could think of to bypass the barrier.

"Yes, give me a few minutes," her assistant replied.

The line went dead. Vivienne released a heavy sigh of clear frustration when she remembered the ticking clock. She still needed to find Declan a willing wife in just two weeks. Just as her thoughts ran to and fro, she decided to get some painkillers for her looming migraine before she headed home. She turned on her heel and headed toward the pharmaceutical department.

As she looked around the busy corridors, her heart ached for the sick and helpless people filling the chairs. But at the same time, her chest felt light. At least they were getting the medical help they needed. Not everyone had a magical cure to their deep-rooted problems.

She leisurely strolled down the quiet hallway leading to the pharmacy. Suddenly, something—or rather, someone—caught her eye.

A young girl lay on a sickbed in one of the hospital rooms. The door was left ajar. Vivienne couldn't help but pause her steps and gaze inside. Though the girl appeared unwell and somewhat pale, her beauty was nothing short of ethereal. Delicate features, soft lips, and a quiet grace radiated from the bed. The more Vivienne looked at her, the more her calculating mind envisioned this striking stranger as a potential daughter-in-law. Her beauty alone easily met the rigorous standards of the Vance family.

"I can’t believe you fell sick right after graduation. Your mom would be so worried," remarked a girl around her age, sitting beside the bed.

"I mean, they have your sister to take care of, and now you," added another girl seated near the window.

The patient shifted on the pillows. "Guys... they don’t know I am here. You can’t tell them I am sick." The girl spoke weakly, but even her voice was sweet to the ears. Vivienne immediately found herself drawn to the melodic sound.

"They didn’t make it to my graduation ceremony because of Chloe," the beautiful girl added, her voice trailing off into a sad whisper. "I don’t want them worrying about me too."

The girls beside her fell into a heavy silence, their gazes fixed on their friend.

"Cal, Sloane and I gathered some money," one of the friends finally said, looking down at her lap. "But that won’t be enough for your hospital bill."

The room went quiet again. Vivienne narrowed her eyes, absorbing the financial desperation thick in the air.

"Excuse me, ma'am," a sudden voice interrupted, snapping Vivienne out of her curious stare.

She tore her gaze away from the girls and turned around. A man stood before her, holding a flat carton of pizza. Vivienne frowned instantly at the sight of him. A familiar ache returned to her heart. He looked too familiar and reminded her of someone she never wanted to see again in her life. She pushed the bitter memory aside.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Vivienne stared at him, unsure of what she needed help with. Her eyes flickered down to his hands holding the food and then back to the beautiful girl in the room.

"You know her, right?" Vivienne inquired.

He looked at her, momentarily unsure. Yet his gaze remained bold and unwavering, much like hers. Vivienne wondered if he knew who she was, and what power she held.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, stealing wary glances at the intimidating guards surrounding her in the hallway.

"What’s her name?" she asked.

He hesitated for a second. "Celeste Hayes," he finally answered.

A faint smile spread across Vivienne's lips. "Such a beautiful name."

Her phone rang again, vibrating loudly in her hand. Once more, her assistant proved to be efficient. Vivienne lifted the device to her ear and waited.

"I will be putting you through to her, ma’am," the assistant said. The phone beeped.

"Yes, Valerie Croft here," Valerie's voice came through the other end of the line.

Vivienne exhaled a breath of relief. "It’s Vivienne Vance," she simply stated, waiting for the reaction.

"Good day, ma’am," Valerie replied. Her voice insinuated that she possessed zero desire to speak to Vivienne. It was sharp and terrible to the ears, standing in stark contrast to the sweet nature of Celeste Hayes. What her son saw in this abrasive woman, Vivienne had no clue.

"I have been told that you are too busy to schedule a meeting between us," Vivienne pressed forward, ignoring Valerie's rude tone. Her son wanted this girl, and she needed him to get married to secure his inheritance.

"Yes, ma’am," Valerie simply said.

Vivienne couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Declan’s choice. She just didn’t like that girl. "Well, let me go straight to the point then," Vivienne started. "You and Declan were a thing for a long time, I guess, before you broke his heart and left the city."

She stated the obvious, refusing to sugarcoat the past. "The universe has given you a second chance, so to speak," she offered in the nicest way possible.

"A chance at what?" Valerie sounded irritated.

"A chance to be Declan’s bride. Before he comes forward with his formal request, I want to be sure of what you want. Will you be his wife?" Vivienne asked, drawing a line in the sand. She hoped Valerie would be the one to end this annoying dilemma. The phone went silent.

"No," Valerie's voice came strong and firm.

Vivienne knew immediately that the girl didn’t need more time to think about the request. Valerie knew exactly what she was doing, and she sounded sure of her rejection.

"Okay," Vivienne's voice remained unchanged, acting as if she wasn’t affected by Valerie's blunt actions. Showing weakness was never a strong point for her. She pulled the phone away and ended the call without another word.

The pain in her head increased. She hastened her footsteps to the pharmacy counter. She got the prescribed drugs, tossed them into her purse, and decided it was finally time to leave the hospital. She had to pick a bride soon. So far, Valerie was permanently out of the picture. She had more work cut out for her. Finding a willing bride wasn’t the problem. Declan, her stubborn son, was the real obstacle.

As she walked toward the main entrance, the sliding glass doors coming into view, she saw the desperate couple she had brought earlier to the hospital. They stood huddled near the lobby. She moved a little closer to them, keeping out of sight.

"What are we going to do?" the wife cried bitterly. "We don’t have such an amount of money. How is she supposed to get a kidney transplant? Even if we sell everything we own, we still can’t raise such an amount."

Vivienne's heart went out to them, but her sharp mind began to process the information.

"Should we call Celeste?" the wife suddenly asked.

Vivienne's ears perked up in a strange way. That was the third time she had heard that specific name in this hospital. It was the exact same name as the pretty girl she had just seen in room 304. She couldn’t help but smile a little at the brilliant thought forming in her head.

"We missed her graduation, Miriam, because we were busy taking care of Chloe," the husband replied firmly. "She has been through a lot and deserves a little bit of peace before returning home. Let her be for now."

Vivienne moved a fraction closer to catch every word.

"But—"

"Her presence here won’t fetch us the money we need, will it?" he interjected, his voice heavy with defeat.

"Hayes..." the wife whimpered, burying her face in his chest.

At the thought of their desperate conversation and the hushed words she had just heard from the pretty young lady upstairs, Vivienne couldn’t help but find the golden connection between them. The puzzle pieces locked together. The sick sister Chloe, the missed graduation, the desperate need for a kidney transplant.

She turned toward the entrance of the building immediately, a deeply satisfied smile gracing her face. She didn’t need the painkillers to ease her pain anymore. This was a lucky day for her.

She made her way out the doors and stepped into her waiting car while calling her assistant.

"Yes, ma’am," the assistant responded directly.

"Get me all you can find on Celeste Hayes by morning," Vivienne ordered, settling into the leather seat.

"Understood. Will you be needing the jet?"

"And I won’t be leaving the country anymore," Vivienne declared confidently. "Let the plane have a rest. I found my treasure right here."

She dropped the phone onto the seat beside her. A triumphant smile remained on her face as the luxury convoy started moving down the street. She didn't need Valerie Croft. If things were exactly as she thought they were, she had found the perfect leverage to secure her son's bride after all. She would use this family's extreme poverty to her advantage. She had found her bride. Celeste Hayes.