The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy! - Chapter 452

Chapter 452: Necklace
Derek tapped his fingers against the steering wheel while deep in thought. For a moment, he even forgot he was driving and nearly forgot Melissa’s latest attempt to manipulate him.

All he could think about was one thing: Who saved him from drowning back then?

If it wasn’t Melissa, then who?

By the time he blinked back into reality, he had already pulled over in front of Celestine’s new home. Derek remained seated for a moment, eyes fixed on the residence. There were several cars parked outside and guests moving around for the housewarming celebration.

“Never mind,” he muttered, shaking his head. He shut his eyes briefly, inhaled deeply, then reopened them with a firm nod as though convincing himself to drop the thought. At least for now.

With that, Derek stepped out of the car and walked inside, slipping on a polite, practiced smile as he began socializing. Hours passed with him chatting with people he recognized from the business world, exchanging the usual greetings and pleasantries.

But mid-conversation, something—someone—caught the corner of his eye.

He turned his head, and his brows slowly drew together.

“That’s…” he murmured, voice trailing off as the chatter around him faded into background noise.

He stared at the woman being welcomed by Celestine and the ladies from her tea group.

It took him a beat before the memory clicked.

Aileen.

“Right,” he whispered under his breath, rocking his head in recognition. “That’s… her.”

He remembered her from MEG Fashion night. The designer. The girl who had been speaking with Lola. The maid’s daughter, who used to work for the Young family.

“What do you think of it?”

Derek snapped his focus back to the man speaking in the group. He hadn’t heard a single word of whatever was being discussed, but he forced a smile anyway.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said smoothly. “Anyway, I just saw an old friend. I’ll excuse myself for a moment and greet her.”

His group nodded in understanding, even watching him leave before returning to their conversation. Not one person mentioned the Youngs or Derek’s disastrous engagement. Out of respect for Celestine, they avoided the topic—even if curiosity lingered beneath the surface. Derek and Melissa had been together for a long time, after all.

Derek sensed their quiet curiosity, but he ignored it.

His mind was elsewhere.

As he approached the area where Aileen stood with Celestine, one thought kept echoing in his head: He wanted to ask about Lola.

But just as he neared them, something made him freeze.

The necklace around Aileen’s neck.

“Oh, Derek!” Celestine’s face lit up when she saw him. She reached out to him and guided him closer. “You two didn’t get introduced during the fashion night since you left early. But I believe you know each other.”

Aileen smiled—polite but guarded—as Derek stared blankly at her chest. She blinked, wondering for a split second if she was wearing something too revealing for him to be looking there.

But she was wearing a turtleneck.

So why…?

She lifted her head just as Derek finally raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Of course, we know each other,” Aileen said. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “After all, we used to play together. Thanks to my young miss back then, my childhood didn’t feel so lonely. I get to play with everyone, including Derek Lancaster.”

Celestine chuckled. “No wonder your designs fit her so well.”

“She’s my muse,” Aileen replied proudly. “Naturally, my designs match her.”

“But all your designs are exceptional…”

The other ladies joined in, seizing the chance to get close to her. All of them had managed to attend MEG Fashion thanks to Lola. But with everything that happened afterward, they doubted they’d be invited again unless they made an effort to stay connected.

But Derek barely heard any of it. His eyes kept drifting to the necklace.

How does she have that?

He stayed with the group even though the conversation barely registered. His mind was too occupied—Aileen, the necklace, the day he almost drowned—everything overlapping into a tangle of questions.

“Oh!” Almost half an hour since her arrival, Aileen checked her phone. She offered the ladies a polite smile, then looked at Celestine. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’d love to stay—everyone here has been wonderful—but I already have another appointment.”

Celestine shook her head with a soft smile. “Don’t apologize. You’re busy, I understand. I’m just happy you came.”

They exchanged courteous words—not because they were particularly close, but because Aileen was opening a new branch in the city and Lola had given her advice. With Celestine’s connections, Aileen stood to benefit.

The same went for Celestine.

“Let me walk you out—”

“No, it’s alright,” Aileen quickly declined. “You have many guests. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Still,” Celestine insisted, “it wouldn’t feel right not to send you off.”

“No, really, Madam Celestine—”

As the two politely argued about it, Derek cut in with a calm voice that silenced both of them.

“I’ll walk her out.”

The ladies turned to him in surprise. He forced a casual smile and shrugged.

“Having you walk her out would be too much, Aunt Celestine,” he said. Aileen nodded immediately.

“That’s right,” she agreed politely. “I can’t trouble you further.”

Derek glanced at her briefly before looking back at Celestine. “But Aunt Celes will be burdened if she lets you leave without proper courtesy. So I’ll walk her out in her place.”

Celestine arched a brow at him, studying him for a long moment before a satisfied smile curved her lips.

“Alright,” she conceded. She exchanged a few final words with Aileen before letting Derek lead her out of the residence.

As they walked through the driveway, Aileen shot Derek a sideways glance but said nothing. She had no idea why he suddenly volunteered, but she wasn’t interested enough to ask.

“This is my car,” she announced once they stopped in front of a sleek white vehicle. She smiled politely as she opened the door. “Thanks for seeing me out.”

She was about to step inside when he finally spoke.

“You.”

“Huh?” Aileen looked back. “Me, what?”

His throat tightened. “Aileen… were you the one who saved me back then?”

Her brows furrowed. “Saved you?”

“That time I fell into the Young residence pool,” he clarified, swallowing hard. He waited with his heart pounding and breath shallow.

Aileen blinked. When she spoke, her answer was short, dry, and immediate.

“No.”