Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 182

Serena's feelings were a tangled mess.

She'd never cared much for Celestine—especially not after Celestine replaced Joanna as her brother's bride and entered the Fordham family. For a long time, Serena refused to acknowledge Celestine as her sister-in-law at all.

But until today, she'd never realized there was such a complicated history between Celestine and Joanna.

People always take their family's side, reason be damned. Her brother was too blinded by emotion to see the truth, but Serena had noticed the holes in Joanna's story.

Most of the cruel things Joanna accused Celestine of—things that bordered on outright malice—had happened before Celestine even met Chester. Serena's upbringing made it hard for her to imagine how one person could harbor so much hostility toward another.

And then she'd heard Celestine say she loved Chester so much, she'd put up with Joanna's presence. For a moment, Serena wondered if Celestine wasn't just as unhinged.

But she was a Fordham—she wasn't supposed to question any of this.

Serena picked up her purse and strode out, heels clicking against the tile. At the door, she hesitated, then glanced back at Celestine. "If you have time… you should go home and see the kids more often."

With that, Serena hurried out of the gallery.

Celestine blinked in surprise.

Serena hadn't thrown a single icy remark her way today.

Maybe, after all the years under Joanna's influence, her own acting skills had finally taken a leap forward.

Celestine's mood lightened a little. She gathered her sketches and left the studio—only to nearly walk straight into a tall, broad-shouldered figure.

"Mr. Prescott?"

Gideon wore a silver-gray suit today, paired with the tie she'd given him yesterday. He looked every bit the aloof, untouchable executive. His handsome face was as unreadable as ever, but Celestine felt a chill in the air—a tension so sharp she almost struggled to breathe.

His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Celestine shook her head, still puzzled. "Not at all."

"A shame, really. I missed the grand scene of Mrs. Selwyn professing her undying devotion to her husband." Gideon's sharp gaze swept over her—eyes, lips, then lingered at her chest, as if he could see straight through to her heart.

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