VEINS OF SILENCE

VEINS OF SILENCE > Part 4

Continuation...

“Well, well, Celeste… did you really think your name would be called? Keep dreaming.” She flicked her hair arrogantly.

Ivy’s temper flared instantly. “Obviously, that presentation wasn’t yours! How could you be chosen when all you ever do is gossip and avoid actual work?”

Bianca smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s because we were born smart, darling. We don’t need to break a sweat like you—working day and night, only to be rejected.”

Ivy clenched her fists, ready to snap back, but Celeste gently placed a hand on her arm, calming her.

“Congratulations to you,” Celeste said evenly. “At least you finally managed to do something right.”

Vanessa scoffed, a cruel smile tugging at her lips. “Of course we did. As for you two? Better get used to losing.”

The Clique burst into laughter as they strutted out of the lobby, leaving Celeste and Ivy behind.

Ivy leaned closer, whispering through gritted teeth. “Let them celebrate if they want. I’m sure their work won’t pass once it reaches the executives. Other departments probably have far better presentations anyway. Good luck to them.”

Celeste gave her a soft, calming smile. “Shh, Ivy. Let’s just be happy for now… and hope everything turns out fine.”

---

After work, Ivy and Celeste were walking toward the main exit of the building when the employees ahead of them suddenly moved aside, giving way as whispers and excited murmurs filled the air.

“He’s so handsome…” one of them gasped.

Ivy glanced behind and froze. “Oh my gosh—Celeste, look!” She tugged her friend to the side. Walking down the hallway was none other than the CEO himself, Caspian, accompanied by Julian and a few other executives.

Celeste stood stiffly, her eyes darting anywhere but at the tall figure approaching. She pressed herself slightly to the side, her face calm though her heart pounded relentlessly.

Ivy nudged her, nearly squealing. “Celeste! That’s him! That’s the CEO. He’s so handsome!”

Celeste bit her lip, refusing to look. Her head stayed frozen in place as she felt the air shift when Caspian passed by, his presence heavy and commanding.

The hallway buzzed with excitement. Employees and interns whispered loudly, unable to contain their awe.

“Did you see that? That’s the CEO! I’ve never seen him this close before.”

“Yeah! He’s the youngest CEO in the country—and the most famous too.”

“He’s so handsome, and such a brilliant leader.”

“I wonder if he has a girlfriend… or maybe even a wife?”

Ivy, who had eagerly joined the group of gossiping interns, leaned in with her own tidbit. “You know what? The CEO’s such a private person. Even in the news, they rarely show his face. People say it’s almost impossible to recognize him in public.”

Another intern gasped. “Really? But I heard rumors… some say he’s already married.”

A different intern rolled her eyes playfully. “What? No way. He doesn’t look married at all. If anything, he’s just waiting to marry me.” The group burst into giggles.

Caught up in their chatter, Ivy suddenly realized Celeste was no longer beside her. She glanced back and saw her friend standing quietly to the side, lost in silence.

“Oh shoot, Celeste!” Ivy excused herself from the group and hurried back to her.

Celeste forced a faint smile. “It’s fine, Ivy. Let’s just go. See you tomorrow.”

Her voice was calm, but her mind lingered on the brief moment the CEO had walked past—too close, too overwhelming.

When Celeste got home, the exhaustion was written all over her face. She looked around the vast, quiet space of her house, the silence almost too heavy for her to bear.

Moments later, her phone buzzed. It was her mother, Lilia Dela Vega.

“Celeste, how are you, hija?” her mother’s gentle voice asked.

Celeste forced a smile, even though no one could see it. “I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me. Everything’s okay here.”

The two talked for quite a while, exchanging small stories—though Celeste carefully masked the heaviness she was truly carrying. But as they spoke, the sudden sound of a car pulling up outside caught her attention. Through the window, she saw headlights cutting through the dark driveway.

Her heart skipped.

On the other end of the line, her mother continued, unaware of Celeste’s sudden tension. “By the way, how’s—”

But before Lilia could finish her sentence, Celeste quickly cut in, her voice rushed. “Mom, I’ll call you back, okay?”

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up, placed her phone on the bed, and hurried toward her room—her mind racing with unanswered questions.

__________

The next day, all the presentations were finally submitted.

Caspian’s desk was filled with ten folders—these were the final presentations chosen for his review.

He read through each folder carefully, but none of them convinced him. With every page he turned, his expression remained unreadable—until he came across one that caught his attention. He set it aside, separate from the rest. The last folder remained unopened, waiting for his review.

Just as Caspian was about to read it, his secretary entered the office, reminding him of his scheduled meeting. With no time to spare, he carelessly pushed the remaining folders into the trash bin, keeping only the one that interested him and the unopened one.

The secretary’s eyes widened at the sight but said nothing. Later, however, whispers began circulating around the office. The secretary had let it slip—“The CEO was in a bad mood and threw away all the presentations.”

The gossip spread like wildfire until it reached Federico Cruz, the Vice Chairman of Horizon Media Group. Without hesitation, he reported it to the Chairman. As expected, the Chairman was furious, blaming Caspian once again for being careless—convinced that because of him, the company would lose the contest.

_____

In Celeste’s department, the secretary came in carrying a pile of documents. She looked around, searching for someone to run an errand. Her eyes landed on Celeste.

“Celeste, can you bring these to the fifteenth floor? These are important documents. Just hand them directly to the Board Secretary”.

Celeste nodded right away. “Yes, ma’am.”

Balancing the documents in her arms, she walked toward the elevators. But along the way, she ran into the Crown Clique. They burst into laughter, their mocking eyes glued to her. Celeste kept her head down, refusing to react—until Bianca deliberately stuck out her foot.

Celeste stumbled, the documents spilling across the floor.

“Oops. Sorry,” Bianca said with a smirk, laughing as if it was the funniest thing.

Before Celeste could move, another intern hurried over to help her. He was tall, with sharp features and a calm demeanor—Adrian Reyes, an intern from a different university.

“You okay?” Adrian asked, crouching down to gather the papers.

Celeste sighed, embarrassed. “Thank you.”

“They did that on purpose,” Adrian muttered, glancing toward the giggling girls.

“It’s fine. Don’t mind them. I wasn’t looking, so I dropped these,” Celeste replied quickly, trying to brush it off.

“Where are you taking these?” Adrian asked.

“The secretary said to deliver them to the fifteenth floor.”

“Then let me help.”

“Oh, no. You don’t have to. Don’t worry about it,” she said, shaking her head.

Adrian smiled faintly. “It’s okay. I’m headed to the fifteenth floor too.”

Left with no choice, Celeste nodded. Together, they stepped into the elevator.

When the elevator opened, they nearly bumped into the Chairman and Vice Chairman. Celeste froze, her breath catching. She quickly lowered her head to hide, using the stack of documents to cover her face.

Adrian frowned at her odd behavior. “Why’d you hide your face? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Celeste let out a nervous laugh. “Hahaha… it’s nothing.”

“The Chairman doesn’t bite, you know,” Adrian teased, shaking his head.

Celeste only smiled faintly and took the rest of the documents from his hands. “Thanks for helping. I’ll take it from here.”

“No problem,” Adrian said with a small smile. His eyes flickered to her name tag. “Celeste.”

Celeste walked down the hallway, passing the glass-paneled meeting room. She kept her eyes straight ahead, refusing to look. But Caspian, glancing out the window at that exact moment, saw her. His eyes widened in shock, darting immediately to Julian beside him. Julian stiffened, equally startled.

The meeting began, and the room was shut. Caspian could no longer see her.

Later, back in his office, Caspian and Julian were met by his PA.

“Sir, the Chairman was looking for you earlier,” the assistant informed.

“Leave us,” Caspian ordered. Once the door shut, he turned sharply to Julian.

“Did you know about this?”

Julian raised a brow. “I thought you already did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Caspian’s voice carried both frustration and disbelief.

“You reviewed the list of interns, didn’t you?” Julian countered.

Caspian leaned back in his chair, restless, irritation written across his face. He couldn’t understand the storm rising inside him. “Which department is she assigned to?” he asked at last, his tone sharper than intended.

“For now, she’s assigned to the Reception and Lobby Department on the 2nd floor,” Julian replied evenly.

The PA entered the office once more, bowing slightly.

“Sir, the Chairman has called for an emergency meeting.”

The moment the door closed, Julian turned to Caspian with a knowing look.

“I’ve been hearing whispers around the office. They say you threw away all the presentations. That must be the reason your father called this meeting.”

Caspian exhaled slowly, his brows furrowed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

Julian’s eyes drifted to the desk. He picked up one of the remaining folders and raised it slightly.

“Is this the one you kept?”

Caspian leaned back, his voice calm but edged with thought.

“The concept is strong, creative even… but it has lapses. Some details are underdeveloped, and it lacks the depth we need for an international competition. It’s promising, but still incomplete.”

Julian studied the folder again, flipping through its pages carefully.

“Incomplete or not, this idea stands out. It’s bold, refreshing—something that could actually leave an impact. Are you certain you’re not overlooking its value?”

Caspian’s gaze sharpened.

“This came from the Strategic Marketing Department, didn’t it?”

Julian checked the folder more closely, reading the label at the back. Slowly, he shook his head.

“No. It’s not from Strategic Marketing. This one came from the Reception and Lobby Department.”

At that, Caspian immediately snatched the folder from Julian’s hands. His eyes moved quickly over the words, page after page, his expression darkening with focus—until the rest of the world seemed to fade into silence.

To be Continued...