Joanna was seething with barely restrained fury, her composure hanging by a thread.
“Celly, you’ve already slapped me–please, I’m begging you, take those videos down. I can’t show my face in this industry anymore.”
She dropped to her knees, clutching Celestine’s hand in desperation.
“If you really felt any shame, you wouldn’t have shown up here in the first place,” Celestine replied coldly, refusing to play along.
She could see right through Joanna’s act; it was obvious she’d planned this whole scene with Lance as her audience.
Joanna’s expression twisted, her nails digging so hard into her palm she nearly broke the skin.
That conniving witch!
Why was she suddenly so impossible to manipulate?
Chester, ever the observer, cut to the chase, confusion flickering in his eyes. “So those videos online about Joanna’s plastic surgery–did you post them?”
“What?” Celestine shot him a look of icy annoyance. “Why would I do something that stupid?”
She wasn’t about to make herself the target of all that backlash. Joanna had used her dirty tricks to steal the videos, but no matter how many stories she spun, there was never any real proof.
Chester seemed to relax a little, but Joanna couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Celly, we’ve known each other since we were kids. You’re the only one who could have those videos! Why are you lying to Chester? If you have nothing to hide, let him see your phone!”
Celestine rolled her eyes. “Miss Sinclair, you know, sometimes you’re not just shameless–you’re delusional.”
“Who do you think you are? Why would I bother holding onto anything of yours for years?”
“And if, as you claim, I really wanted to ruin you, why wouldn’t I just leak the footage of you and Chester cheating? That would destroy your reputation much faster,
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wouldn’t it?”
Her words were calm but merciless, each one a dagger that left Joanna with no
chance to argue.
Chester’s face darkened with every word, his mood shifting palpably.
“Joanna, we’re already talking to whoever’s behind this. Celly isn’t like that. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
His tone carried a heavy note of reproach, like a hammer blow. It was a wake–up call Joanna couldn’t ignore.
She stared at the man who had always defended her, stunned that now he was scolding her–for someone else.
“I… I didn’t do it!”
But all she saw in Chester’s eyes was disappointment and resignation.
Tears streamed down Joanna’s face. She bit her lip and finally snapped. “I said I didn’t do it! If you’ve always loved Celly, you should have told me from the start! Chester, do you know how much this hurts? You shouldn’t have lied to me all this time!”
With that, she gathered her dress and ran out of the room without looking back.
Celestine arched an eyebrow.
What a vicious little performance. Even now, Joanna couldn’t resist getting in one last jab.
Chester loves her?
What an epic joke.
She couldn’t decide if Joanna was deliberately insulting the idea of love, or just trying to drag her down.
But what was even stranger–Chester didn’t go after her this time.
“Your sweetheart just stormed out, Mr. Fordham. Aren’t you going to chase after her?” Celestine said sweetly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Chester looked stung. “Celly, please don’t say things like that. Joanna and I are just friends. She misunderstood our relationship, and I let you both down. That’s on me.”
He’d been doing a lot of soul–searching lately.
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Chapter 273
When it came to Joanna, what he felt now was more guilt than anything else. Whatever childish affection he once had had faded over time.
Maybe, deep down, it had always been the woman standing right in front of him.
He’d just gotten it wrong–until now.
But at least, it wasn’t too late.
Celestine wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Say anything that nauseating again, and I won’t hesitate to remind you about that little cheating video you and your ‘good friend‘ starred in.”
Chester was about to protest, but his secretary rushed in, panic in her voice.
“Mr. Fordham—Miss Sinclair just fainted!”
