THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 499

Even now, Celeste couldn’t think about her trip to the Maldives a year ago without a shudder.

The thought of ever going back was out of the question. Just hearing those four syllables—Mal-di-ves—was enough to send a chill down her spine.

When Celeste brought it up, Caitlin looked stunned.

“Oh my God, March! How have you never told me about this? Did the yacht break down or something?”

“It wasn’t the yacht. It was the captain,” Celeste said, her voice steady. “Turns out, after an investigation, the captain was going through a nasty divorce. Guess he brought his personal drama to work, and that’s what caused the boat to capsize.”

“What an irresponsible jerk! He should have been put away for life,” Caitlin exclaimed. “But hey, you know what they say—what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. March, you’re destined for good things now. Only good luck ahead, I promise.”

Celeste nodded. “Exactly. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If that hadn’t happened, how would I have met you, right? God had a plan.”

To Celeste, Caitlin wasn’t just her best friend. She was the turning point, the one who’d changed her life forever.

Caitlin leaned forward, curiosity piqued. “So, March, was there anything else that happened to you in the Maldives?”

Celeste shook her head. “Not really, no.”

No? Caitlin frowned, wondering if she’d been wrong all along. Maybe Celeste really wasn’t connected to the woman in red from those drone photos.

“Oh, wait—Catie,” Celeste said suddenly, as if a memory had just surfaced. “After I fell into the sea, I ran into another unlucky soul.”

“Another unlucky soul?” Caitlin arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Celeste flopped down onto the couch and grabbed a bag of chips. As she munched, she continued, “I can swim, and there was driftwood nearby, plus the boat wasn’t far from shore. So right after I hit the water, I wasn’t too panicked. While I was paddling toward land, I spotted a guy in a wetsuit floating ahead of me. He wasn’t moving—I honestly thought he was dead. But, you know, in Eldermere, we believe in letting the dead rest in peace, so I figured I’d bring him back to shore with me.”

“I’d been swimming for hours by the time I reached the beach. I was so exhausted I just blacked out. When my parents finally found me, the guy was nowhere to be seen.”

“It was like he’d vanished into thin air.”

“My parents said I must’ve hallucinated the whole thing. But I swear I didn’t. Right before I lost consciousness, I saw him move. Just a little.”

A wetsuit. A man. Not moving.

Those details matched Xavier perfectly. Back then, Xavier had lost consciousness because of a sudden leg cramp.

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