Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 70

"You crazy woman—how dare you bring backup! Everybody, run!"

The mob scattered in a panic.

The head of security recognized Celestine as one of the apartment owners. "Miss Selwyn, are you alright? Would you like us to take you to the hospital?"

Celestine wiped water from her face. "I'm fine, thank you. There might be some suspicious people lurking around the building for the next few days. If you see anything, could you let me know in advance?"

The security captain's expression turned serious. "Miss Selwyn, we'll step up patrols over the next few days to make sure nothing like this happens again. And if you ever need help, just let us know before you leave—we'll have someone escort you to your car."

"Thank you." Celestine nodded.

She was relieved that after leaving the Fordham family, she'd chosen this apartment. The security staff might not have been professionals, but they took the residents' safety seriously.

Because of that incident, Celestine was late to work.

Crystal Lennox had already made it clear—no office gossip allowed—but curiosity still filled the air. People kept sneaking glances at the new chief designer, unable to resist.

Who would have thought—her very first week, and she was at the center of a scandal.

After the morning meeting, Carmen couldn't hold back her snide remarks. "Well, well, if it isn't our new chief designer. Only your second day and you're late already? That's some authority. Maybe you should just ride the internet buzz and become an influencer."

Crystal Lennox slammed her folder onto the table. "Carmen!"

"What?" Carmen shot back. "Can't I crack a joke or two? You really do have your favorites." She sneered, locking eyes with Celestine in open challenge.

Celestine held Crystal back, offering a calm smile. "Let's just let our work speak for itself."

The words dripped with icy confidence.

"That's impossible! Don't show me some photoshopped nonsense," Carmen snapped, dismissing her with a wave.

Flossie shrank back, but quietly scrolled through her phone to show the group. The new collection—verified checkmark and all—was up on Seabay's official account. The main promo image? Celestine's design, front and center. The post had even been pinned at the top of their feed.

Carmen's eyes widened in disbelief.

How could this be happening?

She'd dug up Chester's identity just yesterday, orchestrated the whole exposure, and leaked those photos to paint Celestine as the homewrecker for Joanna's rabid fans. Seabay was known for zero tolerance—she was sure they'd drop Celestine's work.

If that happened, Celestine wouldn't have a chance to gloat in front of her ever again.

But now—why was it all falling apart?