Her uncle raised an eyebrow. Her cousins exchanged surprised looks. But then Augustus Hawthorne appeared at the top of the staircase leaning on his wooden cane. He looked at Gideon, then at Celeste, and his entire face lit up with delight. He laughed so loudly that everyone turned toward him and said, "How lucky.
My granddaughter finally brought home a man who looks like he knows how to work for what he has." Celeste blushed while Gideon smiled awkwardly. But Augustus didn't stop there. He walked directly toward Mara, bent down slowly, and asked about the little silver gift in her hands. Mara shyly explained that she had made something for him herself.
It was a small wooden Christmas star she had painted by hand. Augustus stared at it for several seconds before his eyes became unexpectedly wet. He told her that nobody had made him a Christmas gift with their own hands in decades. Then he hugged her and something inside Gideon broke open. He had spent years trying to protect Mara from the world, but watching an elderly stranger welcome her without judgment reminded him that perhaps they didn't have to survive everything alone.
Dinner began, but Gideon quickly realized that Celeste's family was not as welcoming as Augustus. Her uncle questioned Gideon about his career. Her cousin made subtle remarks about his modest background. Someone mentioned that Celeste could have chosen anyone in the city and another relative wondered aloud whether Gideon was comfortable living in a world where money was never a concern. Gideon remained calm.
He didn't boast or defend himself. He simply answered honestly. Then the conversation turned toward family. One relative casually mentioned that Celeste had never been good at keeping people close. Gideon glanced at her and saw something nobody else noticed.
Her smile had disappeared. Her fingers were trembling beneath the table. After dinner, Celeste quietly stepped outside onto the snowy terrace. Gideon followed her, leaving the noise of the family behind. Under the soft Christmas lights, Celeste finally admitted that she hated coming home because everyone treated her success like proof that she didn't need anyone.
She had built a powerful company because she had once been terrified of being powerless. But somewhere along the way, she had forgotten how to let people care about her. Gideon looked at her and told her that needing someone wasn't weakness. He knew that better than anyone. After losing his wife, he had spent years believing that being strong meant carrying every burden alone.
But Mara had taught him something different. Sometimes strength was allowing another person to help you carry what was too heavy. Celeste looked at him differently after that. Not like an employee. Not like a fake boyfriend.
She looked at him like someone who understood the parts of her that money could never reach. Then the mansion lights suddenly went out. The entire family was plunged into darkness as heavy snow continued falling outside. The backup generator had failed and the heating system began shutting down. The staff panicked because the storm had blocked the mountain road.
Without hesitation, Gideon grabbed a flashlight and headed toward the utility room. Celeste followed him. For the next hour, the man who had been judged as not good enough worked through freezing conditions to restore the generator. His expensive suit became covered in dirt and grease. His hands shook from the cold, but he refused to stop because he knew Augustus was elderly and Mara was upstairs.