Chapter 3 - Celeste’s Confession and the Champagne TrapAcross town, in a plush, high-end apartment overlooking the marina, Celeste poured herself a glass of Cristal champagne. Her hands were shaking. The luxury store video was everywhere, and Nathan’s phone was suddenly going straight to voicemail.
She walked over to her vanity mirror, opening a hidden compartment in the back. Inside lay a stash of cash, a passport under a false name, and a flash drive containing years of recorded phone calls between her, Nathan, and Victor.
She knew when to abandon a sinking ship. Nathan was a hothead; Victor was arrogant; but Emma Sterling was a force of nature they had gravely underestimated. Celeste packed her bags in record time, zipped her Louis Vuitton duffel, and spun around toward the front door—only to freeze.
The door was already open.
Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, was Marcus Vance. Behind him stood two private investigators blocking the exit.
“Leaving so soon, Celeste?” Marcus asked smoothly, stepping into the apartment. “And without saying goodbye to your primary benefactor?”
Celeste backed away, her eyes darting toward the balcony. “I don't know what you’re talking about. Let me pass, or I’ll scream.”
“Scream all you want; the acoustic dampeners in this building are fantastic,” Marcus said, tossing a heavy manila envelope onto the coffee table. “Or you can sit down, open that folder, and look at the wire transfers from Victor’s offshore accounts paying you to infiltrate my cousin’s life thirty days before her wedding.”
Celeste’s knees buckled. She dropped her duffel bag onto the marble floor.
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“How... how did you find this?” she whispered.
“My family has been hiding secrets for decades, Celeste,” Marcus replied, his smile entirely devoid of warmth. “The only difference is, Emma and I decided to bring them out into the light. Now, you’re going to tell us everything about what happened to Arthur Sterling twenty-eight years ago—starting with why your mother was the head nurse at the psychiatric facility where he was allegedly cremated.”
