Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 151

Was Mr. Shield doing this on purpose?

Chester had already pulled Joanna onto the riverbank.

Raymond was crying even harder than before, his voice hoarse with grief. "Miss Sinclair, wake up! Please, you have to wake up! I don't want my mom anymore, I swear, you don't have to teach me how to make her stay—I just want you, I just want you! Please, wake up, please..."

Suddenly, Dahlia, who was standing nearby, swayed as if struck.

"Raymond, what did you say? She taught you how to make your mom stay?" Dahlia's voice trembled with barely restrained anger, her jaw clenched tight.

Raymond sobbed louder. "She told me to pretend to fall in the water, and then blame Mom—blame her for pushing me in."

"Enough!" A thunderous, furious voice boomed from the doorway.

Alistair strode in, dressed in a crimson suit embroidered with swirling clouds—an outfit he'd chosen carefully for his birthday celebration. Now, however, his presence pressed down on the room like a storm, leaving everyone breathless beneath his anger.

He'd only just heard about the commotion that had even drawn the police. In haste, he'd smoothed things over with the authorities before hurrying here.

If word of this scandal got out, by tomorrow the Fordham family would be the laughingstock of all Portside City.

"Dad."

"Grandfather."

The people in the room began to greet him, voices subdued.

Chester held Joanna tightly, then bowed deeply to Alistair.

"Grandfather, this is my fault. Celestine and I failed to raise Raymond properly, and now all this trouble has happened."

"Joanna only meant well, but things went wrong. Please, for the sake of everything she's done for the children, let this go."

"If Celestine had saved Joanna just now, she wouldn't still be unconscious. She's already paid the price."

Celestine looked at the pair and let out a sudden, brittle laugh. "Grandfather, Chester cares so much for Miss Sinclair. Why not let the two of them be together? There's never been a place for me in this family. I'm not a Fordham—never have been, not in my husband's heart, and not in this house."

"Nonsense!" Alistair snapped, his cane trembling in his grasp. "The lot of you! Every single one—you're all just perfect, aren't you? Perfect!"