Page 126 of Steel Beauty

Then I see her, and my steps falter.

She stands outside the entrance, impossible to miss. A striking blonde with sharp eyes and a posture that radiates confidence. Everything about her—the impeccable clothes, the cool indifference in her expression—screams power, and it sends a ripple of unease through me.

Her gaze locks on to mine, unwavering, and recognition slams into me like a punch to the gut.

Celeste.

She strides toward me, her expression unreadable but undeniably focused. Every step she takes sharpens the dread pooling in my stomach, but I force myself to stay still, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me falter.

“Who… the… fuck…are… you?” she asks, low and icy, each word drawn out like a deliberate threat.

Her surprise arrival throws me for a moment, but I compose myself. Straightening my posture, I lift my chin. “How did you find me here?”

Celeste’s lips curve into a slow, calculating smirk. “Oh, I have my ways.”

The hair on the back of my neck rises as her sharp gaze sweeps over me, dissecting me as though I’m some kind of puzzle she’s determined to solve. “Then why not use thosewaysto figure outwho the fuckI am?”

Her smile doesn’t falter, her confidence unwavering. She doesn’t reply, just keeps studying me, her silence heavier than any response. The tension between us hums like a live wire, sharp and unrelenting.

Finally, she turns on her heel, striding away with the same cold, deliberate precision she arrived with, the click of her heels against the pavement echoing long after she’s out of sight.

What a bizarre encounter.

I’m rooted in place, my heart racing, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach as I watch her disappear around the corner. The echo of her heels fades, but the chill she left behind remains.

Alex’s car pulls up to the curb, the sight of him washing relief over me like a tide. I slip into the passenger seat, closing the door with a shaky exhale. He glances at me, his brow furrowed with concern. “Everything okay?”

I hesitate, glancing over my shoulder as if expecting her to materialize out of thin air. The words feel heavy as I finally meet his gaze. “She knows where I work, Alex.”

His expression hardens instantly, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Who? What do you mean?”

“Celeste,” I whisper, her name slipping out like a ghost. My eyes dart toward the window, half expecting her to be lurking around somewhere.

Alex stiffens, his jaw clenching as his knuckles whiten against the wheel. “Celeste was at Soul Sync?”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “She didn’t say much, but it was enough. If she’s watching us… if she even suspects you’re a client, she could destroy everything.”

His jaw flexes as he processes my words, his gaze fixed ahead. “There’s no way she knows I was a client.”

“But what if she’s digging? What if she’s following us?” My voice wavers despite my effort to keep it steady.

Alex reaches over, his fingers wrapping around mine, their warmth steadying me. “Hey.” His thumb brushes over my knuckles in circles. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. She doesn’t know about Soul Sync, and there’s no reason to think she’s pieced anything together.”

I take a deep breath, his calm presence easing the turmoil even as the knot in my chest refuses to fully loosen. As he pulls away from the curb, I hold on to his words like a lifeline, trusting—for now—that we’ll figure this out.

Alex glances over at me. “I can see how rattled you are. How about we skip going out for dinner tonight? We’ll go back to my place. It’ll be quieter.”

I nod without hesitation. “I’d prefer that.”

As the city lights blur past the windows, his hand stays wrapped around mine, steady and reassuring. The shadow of Celeste’s presence looms, but with Alex beside me, it feels bearable. Whatever she’s planning, I know we’ll face it together.

For the first time tonight, that thought loosens the knot in my chest enough to let me breathe.

Chapter32

Alex Sebring

The closer weget to the end, the tighter this unease coils around me, gripping harder with each passing day. But nothing changes the truth: Magnolia is leaving in a week, and I don’t know how to let her go.

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