Chapter 12

Celeste sat at the dinner table, slowly slicing her steak, taking sips of red wine now and then, actually feeling a bit relaxed for once. It had been ages since she could just sit quietly and enjoy a meal. Back in prison, everyone scrambled just to grab a bowl before it disappeared. And in the Shaw house, it was always someone yelling or criticizing. Silence like this was a luxury. Almost thirty minutes had passed, and just as she was finishing her last bite, footsteps echoed from the stairs behind her. Grace strolled down, dressed in Chanel's latest tweed outfit, slipping a tiny bottle of perfume back into her purse after a final spritz. Sophie called out right on cue, "Grace, heading out for a dress? Take your sister-in-law with you." "Sister-in-law?" That one phrase made Grace's expression twitch-her face under those soft waves practically screamed "Did I hear that right?" "What did you say, Mom?" she asked, squinting warily toward Celeste, who was calmly finishing off the last piece of steak at the table like she hadn't just dropped a bombshell. Was the sun rising from the west today? Her mom just called Celeste "your sister-in-law." Celeste cleared her throat and ignored Grace's laser-like glare, swallowing her bite as she said, sounding all gentle and considerate, "No need, Mom. I'll just wear something simple. We're not businesspeople, doesn't need to be anything too fancy." "How could that be? This is about propriety," Sophie said, pulling out a glittering card and placing it on the table. "Take this-and don't forget to pick out something nice for Ethan too." Grace looked like someone slapped her with a brick. Was her mom running a fever or losing it completely? Why was she being so nice to Celeste all of a sudden? Celeste's gaze flicked to that shiny gold card, and for a second, her eyes lit up before she quickly composed herself, taking the card with a half-courteous, half-pleased smile. "Thank you, Mom, that's very kind of you!" She made sure that "Mom" echoed loud and clear. Sophie blinked, slightly stunned, but by the time she processed it, Celeste was already at the entryway, slipping on her shoes. "Ugh, what an act!" Grace scoffed under her breath, then stormed off in high heels clicking angrily against the floor, swinging her purse and slamming the door on her way out. At a luxury boutique in Yannburgh- The moment they walked in, Grace was swarmed by sales assistants. All five circled around her, tossing compliments like confetti. Clearly someone had no clue what she actually wanted. She hadn't even tried anything on yet, but blinked once and there were already seven or eight shopping bags full of accessories by her side. Celeste didn't mind being sidelined. In fact, she kind of enjoyed it. Alone, she strolled among the racks filled with designer gowns before stopping at a long silver-gray off-shoulder dress made of tulle. It didn't really pop at first glance, but when Celeste asked to try it on, one of the salesgirls gave it a quick scan, then hesitated, asking cautiously, "Isn't that one a bit... plain?" "No problem, I'll go with this one. Also, that necklace and those earrings over there-and those two rings-can I try them on?" The sales assistant didn't quite know who she was, but since she came in right behind Grace, she clearly wasn't some random shopper. So they stayed polite and brought over everything she asked for right away. Celeste used to study jewelry design, so she had a good eye for fashion. She knew exactly how to make an outfit shine, and what jewelry would give it that final touch-this was her element. Meanwhile, Grace had also picked out her own outfit and accessories. The two stepped into their fitting rooms almost at the same time. Ten minutes later, a curtain swished open. Celeste stepped out, dressed in a silver-gray off-shoulder tulle gown that hugged her figure just right. The color brought out the porcelain tone of her skin, and with her hair swept up in a neat chignon, she looked like a vintage snow princess. Thin silver thread earrings dangled at her jawline, and a single teardrop-shaped pendant-one of those trendy "mermaid's tear" necklaces-laid perfectly across her collarbones. The whole look was simple, stylish, elegant. When Grace's curtain opened seconds later, the first thing she saw was all five shop assistants staring wide-eyed at the other fitting room across from her. Their gazes were locked, filled with admiration and envy. Grace followed their gaze, then noticed Celeste. Her expression instantly darkened. She hadn't really paid attention before, but now compared to Celeste's cool, effortless elegance, her own bedazzled get-up looked way too loud-like someone had tried to decorate a Christmas tree and went overboard. She clenched her teeth, damn near grinding them. "Who picked this outfit for me? It looks awful. Pick another one. Now." The salesgirls scrambled like they were walking on eggshells, spinning away from her like tops, each one eager to stay out of the storm. Celeste spun gracefully in front of the mirror, checked herself once more, then turned to the staff with a calm smile. "I'll take this one. Please wrap it up. And I'll take the jewelry as well. Oh, and that men's suit over there too-please pack that up for me." Sophie had asked her to pick something for Ethan as well-she hadn't forgotten. After paying for everything, she could still hear Grace yelling at the poor assistants in the fitting room. Celeste didn't bother lingering. She stepped outside, wanting some air. No sooner had she exited than she heard the soft click of a camera shutter. Without looking back, her peripheral vision caught a man near the store's display window, wearing a baseball cap and snapping photos like crazy with a DSLR. Celeste paused, thinking. Showbiz probably hadn't had much drama lately, so a sudden extravagant shopping spree by Grace? Yeah, that could make the gossip headlines. She narrowed her eyes, watching the sneaky paparazzo for a sec, then smirked as a thought flashed through her mind. Straightening her posture, she walked over to him without hesitation.