The funeral hall was already filling as guests began to arrive.
Elena Langley, dressed in a long black gown, exchanged a polite nod with Serena, who was greeting people at the entrance, then slipped inside.
White roses were arranged around the casket at the center of the chapel. Above it hung a portrait of the deceased woman–her face frozen in a harmless, gentle smile, just as it always had been.
Expressionless, Elena accepted a single white rose from an attendant and joined the others in laying their flowers at the casket. The glass covering the casket was clear; although the undertaker had done what they could, the body inside was still disturbingly grotesque beneath the makeup.
Most of the other guests couldn’t bring themselves to look. They placed their flowers quickly, murmured a few words, and hurried away.
Elena stared at the motionless figure inside, her gaze unwavering. After a long moment, she let out a soft, contemptuous laugh.
Useless, she thought bitterly. Couldn’t even outwit someone like Joanna. If you’d known you’d die so pathetically, you’d have handed over Mrs. Fordham’s affairs in a heartbeat. Celestine, Celestine–your only real talent was that sharp tongue of
yours.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Elena glared at the lifeless “Celestine” in the casket, full of disappointment and scorn, before turning on her heel and heading for the exit.
She muttered under her breath, “So much for being formidable. In the end, you went down without a fight.”
As soon as she spoke, a woman in a scarlet dress appeared in front of her. The woman wore no makeup, but the crimson fabric set off her striking beauty–she was impossible to ignore.
Elena stared at her in utter shock, words catching in her throat before she blurted
out a curse.
What the hell? Am I seeing ghosts in broad daylight?
Without glancing Elena’s way, the woman–Celestine herself–walked right past her, Elena spun around, unable to believe her eyes. The other guests had noticed too; a woman in a red dress at a funeral was scandalous enough, but when they looked
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Chapter 210
closer, they realized the face was Identical to the one in the portrait at the front of
the room.
A hush fell over the hall as every guest gaped in disbelief.
When Celestine reached the entrance, the Fordham family’s expressions grew even more extraordinary.
The two Fordham children, who’d been subdued and mournful, suddenly erupted
into chaos.
The first scream came from Celia Fordham. She pointed at Celestine, her voice high and trembling, “Mom! Mom’s come back from the dead! Mom’s a ghost!”
She sobbed as she shrieked, scrambling to hide in Serena’s arms.
Serena was just as stunned. They’d all seen the body pulled from the river–unrecognizable, yes, but unmistakably Celestine.
What on earth was happening?
Dahlia, just stepping out, caught sight of Celestine in her red dress. She’d been ready to scold whoever was so disrespectful, but the moment she recognized that all–too–familiar face, her composure shattered.
“You–what are you? A ghost or a person?” she cried, backing away.
Celestine’s red lips curved in a faint, unsettling smile as she took a step closer. “Dahlia, really, after six years as your daughter–in–law, you still can’t tell if I’m flesh and blood?”
“Stay back! I mean it, don’t come any closer!” Dahlia’s terror was plain; she held up a shaking hand as if to ward Celestine off, her legs trembling so badly she could barely stand.
Celestine tilted her head, her gaze sweeping over the guests who were now panicking, some already darting for the exits. She narrowed her eyes.
“Honestly, you’re all so easily frightened. And here I hurried back just to see you.”
Her words sent the guests into a full–blown frenzy.
“It’s a ghost! She’s come for revenge! Someone get Father Herschel–help!”
The name echoed through the crowd as people rushed to hide.
Celestine pressed her fingers to her ears, exasperated, and was about to move on when suddenly a small figure broke from the crowd and ran straight to her, flinging
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apter 210
his arms around her waist.
“Mom, you came back to see us,” Raymond choked out, his eyes red with tears.
Celestine looked down. Raymond clung to her desperately, refusing to let go.
