Chapter 168

Celeste was just about to fling herself into Ethan's arms when a hand shot out and yanked her back by the collar of her dress.

"Oof!" Celeste gasped as the fabric tightened around her throat.

"My apologies, Ethan," Evelyn said smoothly, still gripping Celeste's collar. "It seems my cousin has had a bit too much to drink. I'll take her home now."

Ethan gave a curt nod, his expression icy.

Naturally, his displeasure wasn't directed at Evelyn.

Evelyn offered a polite nod to Cassandra and Julian before dragging Celeste out of the room.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?" Celeste hissed, struggling against Evelyn's grip. "Let go of me! I said, let go!"

But Evelyn ignored her protests and quickened her pace.

Lila scrambled to her feet and hurried after them.

It wasn't until they reached the parking lot that Celeste finally dropped the act and snarled, "Let go of me, Evelyn!"

Evelyn released her immediately, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms.

Celeste straightened her dress with furious jerks, then took a deep breath, ready to unleash her anger.

"Done pretending?" Evelyn cut in sharply before Celeste could speak.

Evelyn stood with her arms crossed, looking down at Celeste with undisguised contempt.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Celeste snapped, her eyes blazing.

Evelyn tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Mean? I'm just curious. Weren't you completely wasted a minute ago? How did you sober up so fast?"

Celeste scoffed, done with the charade. "Since you already know I was faking it, why the hell did you drag me out here? Didn't you see what I was trying to do?"

With Celeste laying her cards on the table, Evelyn didn't bother with subtlety either. "Oh, I know exactly what you were trying to do," she said with a cold smile. "And there's no way I was going to let it happen."

"And why not?" Celeste demanded.

"Because Ethan already has a girlfriend," Evelyn stated flatly.

Celeste let out a mocking laugh. "Please. I'm not as clueless as you think. I know Mr. Caldwell and his girlfriend broke up."

She had, in fact, gotten this little tidbit from Cassandra earlier.

Evelyn frowned, but before she could respond, Lila chimed in, "Come on, Evelyn. Everyone deserves to chase their own happiness. Celeste likes Mr. Caldwell—what's wrong with her trying to get closer to him? You're her cousin, and he's your friend. If they end up together, wouldn’t that strengthen the bond between our families? What’s the harm in that?"

Evelyn let out a dry chuckle, glancing between the two women. "Ethan and his girlfriend might be on a break, but they still care about each other deeply."