Joanna slipped out of the suite, her mind scattered, her steps frantic as if fleeing from a nightmare.
Chester gave a curt nod, his expression grave. “We’ll take our leave.”
The moment they were gone, Sawyer pulled the woman back into his arms.
“Come here, sweetheart. Where were we?”
She pouted, her voice half–mocking, half–complaining. “You’re terrible. I was so scared just now, I’m not in the mood anymore. Who were those people, anyway?”
“Just some business partners. Not worth worrying about.” Sawyer lit a cigarette, a
hint of disdain in his tone.
No one had ever interrupted him like that before. Well, now they’d found his Achilles‘ heel.
Sawyer prided himself on being fearless–nothing in this world scared him except the thought of his affair being exposed.
The Fordham family had better pray this secret stayed buried.
Outside the suite, Joanna’s mind was a chaotic swirl of disbelief.
Impossible.
She had seen Celestine walk into that very room herself.
So why, when she opened the door, were Sawyer and his lover inside instead?
What happened in there that she didn’t know about?
“Joanna, what the hell just happened?” Chester’s voice was dark with irritation.
If Joanna hadn’t insisted that Celestine was in that suite, none of this farce would have happened. Knowing Sawyer’s temperament, this would almost certainly throw another wrench in their families‘ partnership.
Joanna bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears. “Chester, I don’t understand either. Celestine came here to rest, I saw her. And Lance’s keycard opened the do how could it not be her inside?”
Chester gave her a long, appraising look. “Why does Lance still have a keycard to that suite?”
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“He booked the room; it’s always been his. The hotel made a special arrangement for him.” Joanna’s voice dwindled to a whisper.
Chester didn’t press further. “Sawyer holds grudges. We’ve crossed him now, so be careful these next few days. Don’t go anywhere alone, and keep someone with you at all times–understand?”
“Chester, I’m frightened.” Joanna’s eyes went red. “Can I stay with you? I promise! won’t say a word.”
Chester hesitated, discomfort flickering across his face.
“Joanna, men and women shouldn’t stay together like that. Just stay at your apartment–I’ll come visit when I can.”
The light in Joanna’s eyes faded, bit by bit.
“Chester, have you fallen for Celestine?” She blurted the question before she could stop herself.
Chester’s gaze hardened. “Celestine is my wife. Whether I love her or not, it’s my duty to stand by her.”
“How can you mistake a fleeting spark for love? What about the ten years I’ve waited for you? You knew how I felt! Why couldn’t you wait for me, just this once?”
Joanna’s voice cracked as tears streamed down her face.
Chester looked at her, face streaked with tears, and memories of their past flashed through his mind–every moment they’d shared, every regret lingering between
them.
“Joanna, what’s missed is missed. We’ll always be friends, but we’ll each have our own lives and our own loves. That won’t change, but I need you to respect the boundaries between us.” He let out a weary sigh.
For years, he’d felt guilt toward Joanna, tried to make up for lost time, only to neglect Celestine and let misunderstandings fester.
“Boundaries?!” Joanna’s voice rose in disbelief. “You defend Celestine so fiercely, but do you even know what she’s been up to? She’s cheating on you! She’s kissing
another man!”
Chester’s face darkened, stormy with anger. “Joanna, enough. What happened just now was a misunderstanding, and you know it.”
She couldn’t take his blind loyalty anymore.
The video she’d captured by accident was meant to be her trump card, the weapon
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she’d use to bring down Celestine when the time was right.
But with Chester like this, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Fuming, Joanna unlocked her phone and brought up the video she’d recorded earlier.
“Chester, see for yourself!”
