“Why are you with me? Go after her then.” Jude’s temples throbbed with anger.

Chapter 25

During the time Celeste had been dating Jude, she had cried countless times whenever things didn’t go her way. At first, he had felt sorry for her and tried to comfort her, but now, irritation was beginning to bubble up inside him.

He forced himself to stay calm and patiently reassured her, “Celeste, I don’t. If I liked her, why would I be with you? You know how I’ve treated you these past few months. I only like you.”

He took her hand. “Let’s go to class, okay? We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”

Reluctantly, Celeste followed him, though her mood was far from happy. As he walked with her, he suddenly thought back to his time with Kelly. She never threw tantrums over small things.

After her classes ended, Kelly went to the library, and later, she headed to The Sippery. Caleb was there, along with another man standing beside him.

“Kelly, this is my brother-in-law. He graduated from college but hasn’t found a job yet. My wife suggested that he come here to gain some experience.”

The man was on the thinner side, with unremarkable features. He was someone who would easily blend into a crowd.

Kelly quickly nodded in greeting. “Hello, I’m Kelly Valencia.”

The man also nodded awkwardly. “I’m Gavin Hanwell.”

“Since you’re one of our experienced staff members, if he has any questions, you can help him,” Caleb said.

“Kelly, I’ve asked Gavin to learn from Sena during the night shift. See you,” Caleb said.

“Okay, Mr. Hartley,” Kelly replied quickly.

Gavin hesitated for a bit before saying, “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

He was older than Kelly, and he felt too shy to ask her for help.

Kelly’s coworker was another woman named Sienna Yuvale. Sienna was 15 years old, and she typically made the lattes while Kelly handled the orders and packaging.

By 10:00 pm, there were fewer customers, so Kelly could leave early. With the addition of a man at the shop, she had originally planned to let him off the hook, thinking he was just there for family reasons. But Gavin was quiet, yet very eager to help. Whenever they were lifting or moving things, he would always offer to help.

At 10:00 pm, Kelly received a call from Leon. She was just about to throw away the trash and leave. As she walked outside with the trash, she was greeted by Gavin, who took the trash from her hands without asking.

Kelly glanced at him and said, “I can do it.”

“I’ll take it,” he insisted, taking the trash from her. At the same time, she heard Leon’s gentle voice on the phone. “Where are you? The evening self-study session is over, right?”

It was then that she remembered there was someone waiting for her to return home.

“P-Professor Butler,” she said nervously, stumbling over her words. Looking at the time, she added, “I’m coming right now. Wait for me for five minutes.” “Take your time. Just don’t run,” Leon reminded her.

“Okay.” She hung up quickly. By then, Gavin had already turned after disposing of the trash.

“My shift is over, so I’m leaving now,” Kelly told him.

Gavin nodded. “Okay.”

She quickly changed her clothes and said goodbye to Sienna before leaving the shop. Leon had told her not to run, so she didn’t dare to. She only quickened her pace a little. To avoid being noticed, she made sure to walk from the direction of the school gate until Leon’s car came into view.