Chapter 166
Elena finally admitted defeat when it came to Chester’s feelings for Joanna.
But Chester had never loved Celestine in the first place, had he? Why should she get to be the “official” Mrs. Fairfax, the one with the title and the ring, while Elena herself could only stand on the sidelines and watch? If Celestine could take that role, why couldn’t she?
The unfairness of it gnawed at her.
It wasn’t fair. Not fair at all.
“Miss Langley, do you know why you failed?” Celestine’s voice was calm, almost detached, as if she could see straight through her.
Almost without thinking, Elena shot back, “Why?”
Celestine’s lips curled into a cool smile. “Homewreckers always fight tooth and nail for what they want, didn’t you know? Right now, instead of putting on a show for me, you should be on your knees in front of Chester, begging for the scraps of his affection he still has left for Joanna. But I suppose you could never bring yourself that low, could you, Miss Langley? That’s why you lost. You care too much about your pride.”
“You! You-!” Elena’s face flushed crimson. Celestine’s words had struck a nerve so deep it made her vision swim. Fury exploded inside her. “Stop spouting your nonsense! I have no feelings for Chester! And you–how dare you lecture me, you bitter woman whose own husband doesn’t even love her!”
Celestine just shrugged, utterly unconcerned, and moved on to another section of the boutique.
As she passed a gleaming gold–handled cane, her
eyes lit
- up.
Elena couldn’t believe Celestine was still ignoring her! Gritting her teeth, she jabbed. a finger at the cane and barked at the sales attendant, “Wrap that up for me. I’ll take
it!”
The saleswoman hesitated. “I’m sorry, miss, but that’s a limited edition–we only have one in stock, and Miss Selwyn picked it out first.”
“So what?” Elena snapped. “You think I can’t pay? I want that limited edition. I’ll pay three times the price.”
She lifted her chin, shooting a triumphant glance at Celestine, who frowned in
14-15
response. That only made Elena feel more smug.
But Celestine didn’t let go of the cane. “I’ll pay four times the price.”
Oh, she wanted to play this game? Elena’s lips curled. No way was she letting Celestine win–not over something as trivial as a cane.
“Ten times!” Elena declared.
Celestine shot her a look that said, Are you out of your mind? “Miss Langley, this cane costs two hundred thousand dollars. Are you sure about this?”
Elena sneered, “A measly two hundred thousand? Surely no one here can’t afford that.”
Celestine bit her lip. “Eleven times.”
Elena scoffed. “Fifty times!”
Celestine didn’t raise the bid again. Her eyes flickered with a hint of reluctant resignation.
As she started to hand over the cane, she murmured quietly to the saleswoman, “Fifty times is absurd. She’s only bidding to spite me–she’ll never actually pay. I’m willing to pay eleven times. Charge my card first, please.”
She reached into her pocket for her wallet.
“Celestine! Don’t think I can’t hear you whispering over there!” Elena snapped, whipping a sleek black credit card from her purse and slapping it onto the counter. “Go ring it up. All of it. One million!”
The saleswoman, quick on her feet, took the card. “Of course, ma’am.”
She processed the payment, printed the receipt, stamped it, and elegantly packaged the cane before handing it over to Elena.
Elena swung the exquisite cane in front of Celestine, gloating, “See? When it comes to real power, you don’t even get a chance to own something like this. Feels bad, doesn’t it? Sorry, but it’s mine now.”
Celestine’s lips parted, and her eyes, which moments before had looked a little red, now curved with a sudden brightness.
She grinned. “Miss Langley, 1 envy you.”
Elena scoffed, “Of course you do. You should.”
“I envy how you never change. You’re always true to yourself.”
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Chapter 166
Celestine picked up her gift bags from the front desk and walked past Elena.
“Only you would pay a fortune for something neither you nor anyone else even needs. Just like that fake painting.”
It took Elena a full beat to process the words. She stared at the shopping bag in Celestine’s hand, then down at her own million–dollar cane. Suddenly, her face twisted with fury. “Celestine, you tricked me?!”
