Although the Fordham family worked swiftly to suppress news of Chester fighting with the reporter, rumors still spread like wildfire among the city’s tight–knit elite.
Even though Luther was miles away from Portside City, a sense of foreboding had already taken root. When Pete failed to reach Celestine as well, Luther wasted no time; he set off for Portside City that very night.
The hospital room door swung open. Luther entered, stooped with age, fatigue carved deep into the lines of his weathered face.
His eyes swept over Chester, who was sprawled on the floor, before he cut straight to the point. “Alistair, I want the truth. The person who fell into the sea–was it my Celly?”
Alistair hadn’t expected Luther to come all this way, not at this hour. In recent years, Luther Selwyn’s health had been steadily declining; long trips were out of the question. Not even Alistair’s personal invitations could lure him from his estate–he’d always refused, citing his frail condition.
But now, Luther had crossed half the country for one reason only: Celestine’s whereabouts.
Alistair lay propped up on the hospital bed, tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks. He lowered his head in shame. “Mr. Selwyn, it’s the Fordham family who failed you. We failed Celly.”
The words struck Luther like a blow. His sturdy composure faltered, and clarity vanished from his eyes, leaving them clouded and lost.
Pete, who’d helped his grandfather into the room, saw that the old man, who’d forced himself to stay strong throughout the journey, was now trembling uncontrollably.
Alistair hadn’t said it outright, but the meaning was clear. All these days, it was Celestine the Fordhams had been frantically searching for in those cold, restless
waters:
“Chester, why the hell couldn’t it have been you?” Pete exploded, lashing out with a brutal kick to Chester’s side.
Chester gritted his teeth and kept silent, refusing to give Pete the satisfaction of a reaction, enduring the blows as they rained down.
But after three savage punches, Chester could take no more. He blocked Pete’s fist
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before it struck his face, “Enough, Pete! That’s enough!”
At that moment, Dahlia arrived with a flurry of people behind her. She rushed over pushing Pete away from Chester with a sharp slap to his hand. “Let go! You little thug! What do you think you’re doing to my son?”
From his bed, Alistair rasped out, voice hoarse with anger, “Let him hit him! Go on, Pete–beat some sense into that useless wretch! If he ends up dead, that’s on me! Cough–cough–cough…”
Pete recoiled, disgusted, wiping his hand as if it were dirty. “If it weren’t for Celly, I wouldn’t even bother sullying my fists on you!”
“How dare you speak to us like that!” Dahlia snapped, turning to Luther for support. “Mr. Selwyn, I never wanted to stir up trouble between our families, but look at what your grandson’s done to my boy! He’s battered and bruised! I’d be well within my rights to call the police and have Pete arrested!”
Pete’s glare was ice–cold. “You-”
“Pete, come here,” Luther ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos and reining Pete back to his side.
Then he turned to Dahlia. “If you care so much about your son, what about my granddaughter? Where is she now, alone in the freezing sea? Is she cold, is she scared? Did anyone in the Fordham family spare a thought for, her? Did anyone care about my Celly?”
“The whole city’s whispering that the woman who went overboard was nothing but a Fordham housemaid… My granddaughter married into your family, gave you children, devoted herself to her home, and this is how you repay her–without even a shred of dignity.”
Luther’s voice trembled with fury as he fixed Chester with a withering stare. “Chester, have I not told you before? If anything ever happened to Celly, you come to me. I’d give my life for her! But you Fordhams–what you’ve done is beyond forgiveness!”
Luther’s entire body shook/as he spoke, each word a bitter accusation.
Alistair’s shame was palpable. “It’s true. The Fordham family wronged Celly. We all shoulder the blame.”
“Dad, what are you saying?” Dahlia interjected, her tone sharp with disapproval. “We’ve given Celestine every comfort–good food, a nice home. She’s the one who couldn’t settle down, always picking fights with Chester and running off. If she’d just
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stayed home and taken care of her children like she was supposed to none off
would have happened! She brought this on herself!”
