Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 108

"Mom! What's that supposed to mean?" Celia's lips quivered, her voice rising in protest.

She couldn't help but think back to that girl she'd seen her mother hugging in the apartment. It was obvious—her mother's heart belonged to someone else now.

Celestine bent down and tugged playfully at Celia's cheek, just like she used to when Celia was little.

Celia stayed still, but her eyes sparkled with a mix of delight and triumph, as if she'd finally caught her mother in the act. So she *had* been sneaking around to see her and Dad, yet she still wouldn't admit it!

But before Celia could savor her small victory, her mother's gentle yet cutting voice landed like a slap.

"What I mean is, I can still tell gold from dirt."

Celestine snatched the laser pointer from Celia's hand and clicked the button. A harsh beam of light swept across father and daughter's faces.

Celia looked as if she might burst into angry tears, while Chester seemed on the verge of a stress-induced aneurysm.

A smirk played at the corners of Celestine's lips.

Before Chester could react, she tossed the pointer into the trash and turned toward the elevator.

Suddenly, a small hand clamped onto her arm, halting her.

"Mom, you're not allowed to pick on Miss Sinclair anymore!" Celia cried, gripping her tightly.

Not long ago, Celia had received a call from Miss Sinclair. She could tell just from her voice that something was wrong—she sounded upset, hurt.

Celia had begged her father to bring her to the awards ceremony, convinced that her mother's denial of "following" them was merely a cover for causing trouble. She'd seen Miss Sinclair secretly crying more than once after Mom showed up.

She couldn't let it happen again.

Celestine let out a short laugh, as if she'd just heard an absurd joke. "That's a bold accusation. Which one of your eyes saw me bullying her? Honestly, kid, do you even know what you're talking about?"

Celia's face flushed scarlet. "Mom, that's just twisting things around!" she huffed in frustration.

Suddenly, it clicked. Was the "Best Actress" title already spoken for?

The Zeke family controlled half the film industry. The Sterlings had real power in Hollywood. Was this whole event just a publicity stunt for Joanna's comeback?

The thought made Celestine's skin crawl. How shameless could these people be?

Her mind raced. She had to get out of here—but Chester caught her wrist before she could slip away.

"My advice? Stay out of this mess," he said, gripping her arm. "Memory loss or not, you're still Mrs. Fordham. Don't go running around, making a spectacle of yourself."

He wasn't talking about the gossip online—he meant the people who really mattered in their social circles.

Celestine yanked her arm free, disgusted. "Mr. Fordham, do I need to remind you that you're married in secret? If you don't want to be anyone's punchline, then file for divorce while I still don't care enough to fight you on it!"

She was shaking with anger.