Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 210

The funeral hall was already filling as guests began to arrive.

Elena Langley, dressed in a long black gown, exchanged a polite nod with Serena, who was greeting people at the entrance, then slipped inside.

White roses were arranged around the casket at the center of the chapel. Above it hung a portrait of the deceased woman—her face frozen in a harmless, gentle smile, just as it always had been.

Expressionless, Elena accepted a single white rose from an attendant and joined the others in laying their flowers at the casket. The glass covering the casket was clear; although the undertaker had done what they could, the body inside was still disturbingly grotesque beneath the makeup.

Most of the other guests couldn’t bring themselves to look. They placed their flowers quickly, murmured a few words, and hurried away.

Elena stared at the motionless figure inside, her gaze unwavering. After a long moment, she let out a soft, contemptuous laugh.

Useless, she thought bitterly. Couldn’t even outwit someone like Joanna. If you’d known you’d die so pathetically, you’d have handed over Mrs. Fordham’s affairs in a heartbeat. Celestine, Celestine—your only real talent was that sharp tongue of yours.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Elena glared at the lifeless “Celestine” in the casket, full of disappointment and scorn, before turning on her heel and heading for the exit.

She muttered under her breath, “So much for being formidable. In the end, you went down without a fight.”

As soon as she spoke, a woman in a scarlet dress appeared in front of her. The woman wore no makeup, but the crimson fabric set off her striking beauty—she was impossible to ignore.

Elena stared at her in utter shock, words catching in her throat before she blurted out a curse.

What the hell? Am I seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

Without glancing Elena’s way, the woman—Celestine herself—walked right past her.

Elena spun around, unable to believe her eyes. The other guests had noticed too; a woman in a red dress at a funeral was scandalous enough, but when they looked closer, they realized the face was identical to the one in the portrait at the front of the room.

A hush fell over the hall as every guest gaped in disbelief.

When Celestine reached the entrance, the Fordham family’s expressions grew even more extraordinary.

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