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Chapter 20
Chapter 20
The secretary was taken aback.
Mr. Fordham actually seemed to care about his wife.
That was a first in all these years.
Word had it there’d been an attack at the hospital a couple of days ago; Mrs. Fordham had come close to being stabbed.
Was Mr. Fordham feeling guilty?
The secretary didn’t have time to dwell on it.
On the other end of the line, Mr. Fordham’s voice cooled even further. “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her end up dead in the street.”
That said it all.
What he really meant was this: if Celestine got into trouble again and the tabloids picked it up, the Fordham family would be dragged into a mess.
The Fordham Group was at a critical stage of expansion in Oceanview City. Their reputation couldn’t afford to be tainted by a woman’s misfortune.
Though Chester and Celestine’s marriage was still a secret, such matters were always a hot topic among the upper crust.
One slip, and the competition would pounce.
Mr. Fordham was thinking several moves ahead.
It wasn’t about care.
It wasn’t about guilt.
Once the secretary realized this, he breathed easier.
Backing Miss Sinclair all these years had been the right move after all.
“Understood, Mr. Fordham.”
He planned to stop by the hospital himself, just to make an appearance and help arrange Celestine’s transfer.
Anyone could see Mrs. Fordham had been devoted to Mr. Fordham for years. With a bit of guidance, she might even feel grateful for his help.
“Stein, there’s a local package addressed to Mr. Fordham from someone named Selwyn, sent from Verdant Waters District. Should I bring it to you?”
Stein had just ended his call with Chester when the front desk rang through.
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“No need. Just have it filed in the archives.”
With the Fordham Group expanding in Oceanview City, small–time firms were constantly sending unsolicited partnership proposals. Stein thought little of it and headed off to the hospital.
Only to be told that Celestine had checked out the day before.
A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.
Mrs. Fordham, by habit, would never even leave the house without informing Mr. Fordham.
And yet, she hadn’t told him about leaving the hospital?
Still, since she’d been discharged, her health must be fine.
Stein decided there was no need to report this minor detail to Chester.
–
Oceanview Private Hospital.
Celestine rode the elevator to the top floor, clutching a food container and her neatly folded coat–the exclusive VIP suites.
Before heading up, she’d asked a nurse about the daily rates here.
The gentleman who’d saved her was still recovering. She wanted to do something in return.
king it over, the least she could do was cover his hospital bills.
tenth floor is for Platinum members. The charges are automatic–no need to pay at the nurse replied, smiling.
So, even with the money, she couldn’t pay if she wanted to.
Celestine’s hopes quietly crumbled.
As she stepped out of the elevator, a woman coming from the opposite direction barreled into her. The lid on her soup spilled, sending fragrant broth sloshing.
“Watch where you’re going! Are you blind or–wait, Celestine? It’s you?”
Celestine narrowed her eyes.
The woman in front of her wore a white dress with a deep v–neck, her dark hair twisted into a messy bun, her round face made up with an awkward, chalky foundation.
It was Jade Lane, Uncle Murdock’s stepdaughter.
Officially, Jade was Murdock Selwyn’s stepchild. In truth, she was his illegitimate daughter from an affair.
Uncle Murdock’s first wife had died of illness when Celestine’s cousin Pete was fifteen.
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Chapter 20
Barely six months later, Murdock married Jade’s mother, Edna Lane.
The scandal had landed Celestine’s grandfather in the hospital for over half a year.
Pete, disillusioned, had left for college abroad soon after.
Not long after that, Celestine’s parents died in a tragic accident. Uncle Murdock had been the first to take her in.
At first, Celestine thought it was out of family loyalty–but she quickly learned he had ulterior
motives.
Her father had been a renowned professor at Cresthaven Premier University. His passing was so sudden that the university didn’t have time to recruit a proper replacement.
By “coincidence,” Uncle Murdock, previously just an associate professor, stepped right into her father’s shoes.
Meanwhile, the clothing brand her mother had built was “temporarily managed” by Edna–under the guise of helping out.
Around the same time, a painting Celestine had created with her grandfather was selected by her school to enter a national competition, where it won a distinguished award–and she received an invitation to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
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