Celestial Ties

CHAPTER 12

Graham POV

"Finally, I thought you had decided to take up a new job in the store," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm as Andy opened the car door. He looked flustered but maintained his composure, as always.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was just looking for the perfect gift," he replied, slightly breathless.

"I asked you to pick a gift, Andy, not to find the perfect one," I shot back, my tone sharp but playful. Andy just nodded, used to my quips and the impatience that often colored my responses when he kept me waiting. The guy was reliable, though—never faltering, never complaining, even when I was at my most irritable.

As the car started moving, I noticed Andy's gaze drifting toward the window, following a woman who was walking by. It wasn't like him to get distracted, especially not by something like this.

"Found love in the store?" I teased, my eyes still on my phone, scrolling through emails that demanded my attention but barely held my interest.

"No, sir," he replied, his chuckle awkward, almost nervous. It caught me off guard. Andy was always so composed, so focused on work. I'd never seen him pay attention to a woman—or anyone, really. I'd even wondered if he was into men, given how utterly uninterested he seemed in anything remotely feminine. But this... this was different. His eyes had followed her like he was genuinely curious, maybe even captivated. I didn't get a glimpse of the woman, but if she managed to turn Andy's head, she had to be something special.

"Mr. West, that woman—Miss Gale, she—" Andy started, but I cut him off when my phone rang, the sharp vibration pulling my attention back to the demands of my life.

"Hold that thought," I muttered, answering the call. But even as I dealt with yet another business crisis, a small part of me was still curious about the mystery woman who had momentarily shaken Andy out of his usual composure.

We finally pulled up to my family's estate, the words "West's Estate" standing proudly on the stone pillars at the entrance. It had been more than two, maybe even three years since I last set foot here. Life, or rather, work, had kept me away, always pulling me in one direction or another. But as I looked around, I could see that the estate was as beautiful as ever. Time hadn't dulled its charm, even if it had dulled my familiarity with it.

The driver opened the car door, and I stepped out, taking in the sight of the sprawling grounds and the house that had been my family's pride for generations. As I walked toward the entrance, the head of staff, Dennis, stood at the door, just as he always had. Dennis had been with us for as long as I could remember, running the estate with an efficiency that belied his fifty-something years.

"Welcome home, sir," he said warmly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"Dennis," I greeted him, pulling him into a brief embrace. "It's been four years, hasn't it?"

He laughed, a deep, familiar sound that made me feel like a kid again. "Yes, Mr. West. Mr. West and Madame Catherine will be delighted to have you back home."

He signaled the junior staff to grab my luggage, and I noticed him glance at Andy, who was standing a little to the side, as he usually did.

"Andy, nice to see you again. It's been a minute," Dennis said, smiling.

Andy nodded in response, offering a small smile in return. He usually came by the estate every once in a while, dropping off something or checking on the place for me. He wasn't exactly a stranger here, but he always kept a respectful distance, never fully immersing himself in the life of the estate.

As we all walked inside, Dennis turned to me with a curious look. "Are you back to stay this time?"

"Until Grandpa is satisfied... You know how he is, always up to something new," I replied, laughing a little at the thought.