Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 259

Gideon had a private elevator—one that ordinary staff couldn’t access. It required a special black keycard, custom-made for his exclusive use.

Normally, Vernon was the one who kept it safe at the office.

A chill ran down Celestine’s spine.

She tried to reassure herself. Vernon, that sharp-tongued man, barely refrained from scolding them on a good day—he wasn’t the type to go out of his way to help. There was no way he’d be so accommodating.

He wouldn’t dare.

It had to be a mechanical issue.

“Let’s go upstairs and check it out,” she said.

And once Celestine had to scramble up there like a dog, Jade thought, she’d finally get her revenge—she’d mock her mercilessly and settle the score for that slap.

…

Twelfth floor.

Celestine forced herself to calm down, replaying the smug expression on Jade’s face. Something felt off.

She doubled back toward the elevator.

As soon as she stepped out, she ran straight into a crowd just leaving a meeting.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going! Is this hallway not wide enough for you?” barked the HR manager, his face rigid with annoyance.

Celestine didn’t have time to explain, her mind focused on getting to the elevator. But when she pressed the button, the elevator stopped at her floor—yet the doors refused to open.

Was it really broken?

A headache throbbed behind her temples.

The HR manager, now thoroughly ignored and aggravated by Celestine’s boldness, couldn’t hold back anymore. “What do you think you’re doing? Do you even know whose elevator that is?”

Celestine glanced at the oily-haired, middle-aged man who kept picking a fight, but before she could reply or head back to the stairs, a petite young woman appeared in the crowd.

She swiped her keycard for Celestine.

Celestine recognized her instantly—it was the girl she’d seen at the hospital.

Gideon’s niece. Kathy.

“Hurry, Miss Selwyn,” Kathy whispered, winking at Celestine.

Grateful, Celestine nodded and slipped into the elevator, quickly swiping the card for her floor.

The registration staff stared at her, stunned.

Talk about cutting it close.

Just as Celestine entered, Jade and her group, after canceling the elevator call, came rushing up in a panic.

“It really was her! She actually took the executive elevator!” Jade’s teeth clenched so hard she thought they might crack.

Refusing to give up, she jabbed at the executive elevator’s button again, but the doors didn’t budge.

Damn it! That woman had slipped through her fingers again.

Who on earth was sabotaging her plans?

Inside the venue, the Prescott Group’s design director was already announcing the shortlisted names for the competition. When the commotion at the entrance caught her attention, she frowned, but quickly masked her reaction and finished reading the finalists.

Celestine found Crystal Lennox, and together they listened for the results.

But as the list drew to a close, Celestine’s name still hadn’t been called.

“And the final spot on the shortlist goes to Zephyrus Atelier—Carmen.”