Never Forgive Never Forget (Celeste and Philip) novel Chapter 170

But Viola gripped his wrist in a vice.

"Philip! You know perfectly well I need that violin more than anyone!"

"You spent all that time with Celeste before, doing everything for her, but when it's finally my turn... you don't have a shred of kindness left for me."

Tears streaked down Viola's face, her breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps as if she were about to have an asthma attack.

Philip, who had just started to walk away, froze mid-step and let out a helpless sigh, trying to soothe her.

Up ahead, Celeste stepped into the elevator, the sounds of their squabble echoing down the hall. She didn't feel a flicker of pain; she actually found it amusing.

"Serves them right," she thought to herself. "If you keep wavering between sides, you'll end up with nothing at all."

She returned to her penthouse apartment and, the moment she lay down, sleep swept over her.

When she finally woke, the last rays of sunset slipped through the curtains, casting a warm glow. Her stomach grumbled—she'd slept away the entire day.

Celeste sat up, reached for her phone.

A message from Janice lit up the screen.

"Thank you for the porcelain you sent over. My project's going really well! Want to grab dinner tonight?"

Another text popped up, this one from Claud.

"The kiln firing went perfectly. The porcelain for the exhibit, and the plates and bowls you wanted for yourself, all turned out great. Don't forget to pick them up."

By this hour, Claud's studio was probably empty—everyone had gone home.

Fortunately, Celeste had her own key.

She drove over first to Claud's studio, loaded her porcelain into the car, and only then headed to meet Janice for dinner.

As soon as Janice climbed in, her eyes fell on the carefully wrapped porcelain in the back seat.

"These are Ingrid's...?"

"No, they're my forgeries. Pretty close, right?"

Celeste watched the scene, puzzled, until Janice brought the woman over. "This is Patty Harper, my grad school friend! She studied economics at Aurora State. There was a tough period back then, and she got me through it—cheered me on when I was down."

Celeste vaguely remembered Janice mentioning her before. She shook Patty's hand warmly and invited her to join them for dinner.

Once they sat down, Patty—dressed in an ill-fitting business outfit—slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Honestly, poor kids like me shouldn't bother with economics. No connections, no fancy background. I send my résumé to every firm, but the minute they see my parents aren't big clients, they don't even bother replying."

She glanced at Janice with pure, wistful envy. "You're lucky to have a steady job. I can barely afford to eat, and even had to rent this suit."

Janice tried to comfort her, but Patty managed a small, self-deprecating smile. "I know I can't give up. Complaining is just a pit stop—after this, I'll keep emailing recruiters. And hey, thanks for inviting me to dinner."

Janice sighed. "You always had top grades, won scholarships every year, packed your schedule with extracurriculars... With all that experience, I can't believe they're still passing you over! It's not fair. I just wish I knew someone in the field who could help..."

Celeste, who'd just set down her menu, frowned and reached over, pinching Janice's cheek in mock annoyance.

"Hello? Don't I count?"