Chapter 5
Celeste returned to the Morello estate with an attorney.
She still wore arrogance like armor.
Valentina recognized the effort.
The woman underneath was frightened.
“You think I'm talking because you hit me?”
Celeste sat across from Valentina.
“No.”
Valentina rested both hands on the table.
“I think you'll talk because Victor lied to you.”
Celeste's eyes flickered.
That was enough.
Valentina slid photographs of the removed underwater platform across the table.
Then the maintenance orders.
Then the relocated rescue equipment.
Celeste did not touch any of them.
“He said the shelf would be there.”
Her voice was flatter now.
“You still pushed Owen.”
“He was supposed to land on it.”
“He can't swim.”
“I knew someone would pull him out.”
“Who?”
Celeste looked away.
Valentina leaned back.
“Who?”
Celeste’s breath came through her nose slowly.
“Victor.”
There it was.
The plan, according to Celeste, was cruel but not lethal.
She would shove Owen into the pond.
Victor would restrain Valentina for several seconds.
Staff would retrieve the child from the shallow maintenance ledge.
Valentina would explode.
Donor cameras would capture her striking Victor or Celeste.
Victor would then push for temporary control of the foundation before the trust vote.
Valentina listened without interrupting.
Celeste finally looked at her.
“I needed those contracts.”
Not remorse.
Reason.
“My company is leveraged against everything I own.”
“So you used my child.”
“I thought he'd get wet and scream.”
Her voice hardened defensively.
“I didn't think he'd sink.”
Valentina’s eyes became colder.
“You still decided terror was an acceptable business expense.”
Celeste flinched.
Then Valentina asked:
“Why did you call him a dog?”
Celeste's breathing changed.
Shame this time.
“Because I was angry.”
“At Owen?”
“At you.”
The answer came sharper.
“You sit at the head of everything. You cut people off and call it reform. You act like those of us who built around this family should smile while you hand control to strangers.”
Valentina understood the motive.
She did not excuse it.
Celeste had turned resentment into cruelty because Owen represented the woman she could not control.
Then Valentina placed one of the anonymous donor messages in front of her.
Celeste frowned.
“I got that.”
“Why?”
“I assumed Victor sent it to everyone.”
“He didn't.”
Celeste looked up.
Valentina’s voice lowered.
“Only six people received the first message.”
“Who?”
“Three donors. Rebecca. You.”
“And?”
Valentina paused.
“Me.”
Celeste stared.
The message had not simply been designed to damage Valentina.
It had been designed to make every person involved believe everyone else was already suspicious of her.
Then Celeste whispered:
“Victor said once you lost control, he'd protect me.”
Valentina watched her.
“For how long?”
Celeste finally understood the question.
May you like
If the plan succeeded, Victor needed someone to blame for pushing Owen.
And only one person had actually done it.
