Chapter 430

At first, everyone assumed Celeste Rousseau would become Mrs. Gregory Thornton. They showered her with attention, bending over backwards to please her.

But when Gregory married another woman, Celeste found herself abruptly exiled from that glittering social circle.

No one would lift a finger to help her now.

Evelyn Sinclair studied Celeste with icy detachment. She wondered how this woman had even managed to get on board when they were anchored so far from shore. Unsurprisingly, without an invitation, Celeste was stopped at the entrance by security.

Evelyn made no move to intervene.

"Help me? Why should you?" Celeste stood trembling, her delicate features arranged in perfect vulnerability.

"Ms. Sinclair, we may not know each other well, but you destroyed my life. Doesn't that weigh on your conscience?" Though the words were accusatory, Celeste delivered them with practiced fragility - all while directing every ounce of blame at Evelyn.

If Evelyn hadn't walked into that private room with Ethan Caldwell that fateful day, Celeste would be Mrs. Thornton by now. The bitterness of her fall from grace festered in her heart. She'd tried returning to Ethan, but he refused to see her.

She couldn't accept defeat - not when she'd been so close to securing a life of luxury. Evelyn was almost impressed by the sheer audacity of Celeste's delusions.

"Guilty?" Evelyn arched one perfect brow. "Do police officers lose sleep over arresting criminals?" The barb hit its mark, draining the color from Celeste's face.

"That's cruel!" Celeste spat.

"What you did was cruel," Evelyn countered smoothly. "You've lived in privilege since birth. You couldn't possibly understand how hard I've worked to get where I am!" Celeste's eyes welled with crocodile tears.

"Why should I care about your struggles?" Evelyn's voice remained perfectly composed.

Celeste had no one to blame but herself for her current predicament. This pathetic display was beyond absurd.

Celeste faltered, unprepared for Evelyn's complete immunity to her act. How was she supposed to proceed when her usual tactics failed?

"You made your choices, Celeste," Evelyn said, each word deliberate. "Did you really think you'd never get caught? You weren't framed. You're simply facing the consequences of your own actions."

Celeste's lips trembled. "But...I was so close! All I wanted was a good life with Gregory—"

Evelyn cut her off sharply. "Must I really endure your presence on such a beautiful day? Spare me the theatrics and get to the point. What do you want?"

Celeste bit her plump lower lip. "Are you and Ethan really together?"

Evelyn couldn't help but laugh. The hypocrisy was staggering. Mere moments ago, this woman had been lamenting her lost chance with Gregory Thornton, and now she was probing about Ethan Caldwell? If Ethan were still that penniless explorer, Celeste wouldn't give him a second glance.

Evelyn didn't answer, merely offering an enigmatic smile. Her piercing gaze seemed to strip Celeste bare, exposing every ugly truth.

"Ethan and I shared something special," Celeste pressed on, desperation creeping into her voice. "For me, he changed all his banking information. His passwords became my birthday. Every cent he earned went into our joint account."

She lifted her chin with false pride. "He proposed six times. Six! I turned him down each time. Has he done any of that for you?"

Celeste clearly believed that as Ethan's ex, she posed some threat to Evelyn. That these petty boasts would rattle the heiress. She watched eagerly for any sign of distress.

Evelyn observed the shift in Celeste's demeanor, recognizing the transparent attempt at manipulation. This was about provoking jealousy, about making Evelyn doubt her relationship with Ethan.

How amusing.

If Evelyn and Ethan were actually together, these barbs might have stung. But they weren't. And Celeste's pathetic performance only confirmed what Evelyn had always known - this woman was truly the lowest of the low.