Chapter 24 That day was also the first day Celeste had left Dominic [ ] She stared at him blankly . Dominic said quietly . " Make me a cake one more time . " ] Celeste wanted to refuse , but looking at Dominic , she fell silent instead and went to the kitchen . [ ] She hadn't known how to bake before . But the first time she'd heard about Dominic's birthday , when she'd still thought they were an ordinary couple - just like learning piano to make him happy - she'd learned to bake cakes too . [ ] That day , the cake had been truly terrible . But Dominic had sat at the table and eaten every last bite . [ ] He'd looked up , his eyes seeming slightly red . He'd said , " Thank you . " [ ] That was the first time he'd shown such vulnerability in front of her . [ ] As if in an instant , he'd descended from his unreachable heights and revealed himself completely to her . ] She might refuse many of his demands , but this was the one soft spot she'd kept . [ ] The apartment didn't have many ingredients . Celeste only made a small cake . On top was a crooked cartoon figure . Very ugly . [ ] Dominic looked at it for a moment , picked up a fork , and put a piece in his mouth . As terrible as ever . He ate quietly . Celeste watched quietly . [ ] After a few bates , Dominic set down his fork . " My mother died in childbirth having me . My birthday is the anniversary of her death . " [] So his father hated hum . Ordered all the servants to wear mourning clothes that day . From childhood to adulthood , every birthday , no one was allowed to smile . [] Even Vivienne , whom he'd once seen as his salvation , had never once said " happy birthday ' to him on that day . Gradually , he'd forgotten about it too . Until six years ago , when he'd opened the door to the apartment of the woman he'd impulsively taken as a mistress . ] He'd seen candles the whole room filled with orange candles . Celeste sat in the middle of all that candlelight , softly singing him a birthday song , telling him , " Happy birthday . " That was the first time anyone had wished him happy birthday . fied user experienced that feeling before. Even that half - finished cake had seemed delicious . Later , after Celeste left , he never celebrated his birthday again . Every cake he bought tasted bitter . kostur pecensed his lips together , looked at Celeste seriously , and said , " Thank you . " [ ] Celeste's heart constricted the took a bank card from her bag . " There's seven million in this . It's all the money I have . " Staked up at her . " You think I need in Celeste was steam " This is in pay back what Adrian owes " Bundide's eyes puddenly wat dark . Crieste continued . " I know you have that twenty million promissory note . I don't want to see him working so They I went Krian to be relaxed so I want to help him shoulder some of - ] vider 17 looked at the card , finding it so offensive even the cake in front of him became hateful } " X as you're using vay I once gave you to pay Adrian's delar [ ] Co wet gd Duke perdus buds and too . The light fell at an angle , his dark shadow enveloping Celeste completely Celeste took a deep breaths " Tabory , kust i have po other option . [ ] Demi looked bes anddly , his eyes in " There's one other option stay with me " [ ] hard every Chapter 24 Celeste said , " I told you , I don't want to live like that again . I just want an equal relationship . " [ ] " What if I give you equality ? " ] Dominic cut her off . Celeste froze , looking up at him . ] In the darkness , his features were cold , yet possessed a heart - stopping pride and beauty . [ ] " Marry me.1