CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
CELESTE'S FIRST LIE
"Now you remember."
Celeste's words hung in the room.
Ethan stared at her.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Sophie whispered:
"Daddy?"
Ethan stepped in front of his daughter.
He didn't take his eyes off Celeste.
"You ordered the crash."
Celeste's expression remained strangely calm.
"No."
Ethan tightened his grip on Anna's letter.
"You just said I remembered."
"I said you remembered something."
"The letter says your name."
Celeste glanced at the paper.
Then she smiled.
"A letter can say anything."
Jonathan looked at her.
"You know what it means."
Celeste turned toward him.
"You've been protecting him for three years."
Jonathan's jaw tightened.
"I made a promise."
"You made a mistake."
Ethan stepped forward.
"What did you do to Anna?"
Celeste looked at him.
"I didn't kill her."
"Then who did?"
"Ask your dead wife."
Ethan's face hardened.
"She's dead."
Celeste's smile disappeared.
"Are you sure?"
The room went silent.
Elena stared at her.
"You knew."
Celeste looked at Elena.
"I knew Anna had a replacement."
Ethan's heart sank.
"You knew about Elena?"
"Of course."
"Then why did you pretend not to?"
Celeste shrugged.
"Because it was useful."
"For what?"
"Keeping you confused."
Ethan moved toward her.
Marcus stepped between them.
Celeste laughed.
"You still don't understand."
"Explain it."
"You think this is about money."
Ethan frowned.
"It isn't?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Celeste looked toward Sophie.
"Her."
Sophie pressed herself against Ethan.
Celeste's eyes remained fixed on the child.
"Everything happened because of Sophie."
Ethan's voice became cold.
"Don't look at my daughter."
Celeste finally looked away.
"Anna discovered what Sophie was."
Ethan froze.
"What does that mean?"
Elena stepped forward.
"Don't listen to her."
Celeste laughed.
"You still haven't told him?"
Ethan looked at Elena.
"Told me what?"
Elena's face went pale.
Celeste smiled.
"Good."
Ethan turned back toward her.
"Tell me."
Celeste walked slowly toward the table.
She picked up the photograph of Anna.
"You want the truth?"
"Yes."
"You really want it?"
"Yes."
"Then stop believing Anna was innocent."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"She wasn't?"
"No."
Celeste put the photograph down.
"Anna lied to you."
Ethan stared.
"About what?"
"Everything."
Three years earlier.
Celeste remembered the first time she met Anna.
It was at a charity dinner.
Anna had been standing alone near the balcony.
Beautiful.
Quiet.
Watching everyone.
Celeste had approached her.
"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself."
Anna smiled.
"I don't like crowds."
"Neither do I."
That was the beginning.
At least, that was what Celeste wanted Ethan to believe.
The truth was different.
Celeste had already been watching Anna for six months.
She knew where Anna went.
Who she called.
Which doctors she visited.
What she bought.
What she feared.
And most importantly—
what she had discovered.
Anna knew about the money.
She knew about the offshore accounts.
She knew about the company employees who had been paid to manipulate Ethan's business.
She knew Richard was involved.
But she didn't know who was above him.
Celeste did.
And Celeste had orders.
Get close to Ethan.
Become indispensable.
Make him trust you.
Then wait.
The plan was supposed to take two years.
It took fourteen months.
Ethan fell in love.
Anna became suspicious.
And Sophie became the problem.
Not because Sophie was dangerous.
Because Sophie was observant.
Even at six years old.
She noticed things adults ignored.
She remembered voices.
Footsteps.
Perfumes.
Doors opening.
People whispering.
She noticed Celeste visiting the house at strange hours.
She noticed Richard coming through the side entrance.
She noticed her father receiving phone calls that made him angry.
And she noticed one thing above everything else.
Celeste never smiled when Ethan wasn't watching.
Back in the present, Ethan stared at Celeste.
"You were watching Anna."
Celeste nodded.
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Long enough."
"You knew about the accounts."
"Yes."
"You knew Richard."
"Yes."
"You knew about the crash."
Celeste looked at him.
"Yes."
Ethan's voice cracked.
"Did you order it?"
Celeste didn't answer.
"Answer me."
"I gave an order."
Ethan's face went white.
"What order?"
"Stop Anna."
"Stop?"
"I didn't tell them to kill her."
"But you knew they might."
"Yes."
"You knew."
"Yes."
Ethan looked toward Sophie.
His daughter was trembling.
He pulled her closer.
"Why?"
Celeste's expression hardened.
"Because Anna was going to destroy everything."
"What everything?"
"The entire operation."
"What operation?"
Celeste looked at Jonathan.
"Tell him."
Jonathan shook his head.
"You tell him."
Celeste laughed.
"Still afraid?"
Jonathan said nothing.
Celeste turned toward Ethan.
"Your company wasn't just a company."
Ethan frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Your father built it for one reason."
Ethan froze.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"Don't bring him into this."
"Why not?"
"He's dead."
"People die."
Celeste's eyes narrowed.
"Secrets don't."
Ethan stared.
Celeste continued.
"Your father created a private financial network."
"That's impossible."
"It moved money between countries."
"For what?"
"Influence."
"Political?"
"Business."
"Government?"
"Sometimes."
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
Celeste smiled.
"You've spent your entire life believing your father was a self-made businessman."
"He was."
"He wasn't."
Ethan looked at Jonathan.
"Is this true?"
Jonathan didn't answer.
That was enough.
Ethan felt sick.
"What did he build?"
Celeste leaned closer.
"A network."
"What kind?"
"One that could destroy people."
Ethan remembered something.
His father's study.
A locked cabinet.
A black notebook.
A number written inside.
He had seen it when he was twelve.
His father had slapped his hand away.
"Never touch that."
Ethan had forgotten about it.
Until now.
"Room 17."
Celeste smiled.
"Exactly."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"Room 17 belonged to my father."
"Yes."
"Then why did Anna use it?"
"Because she discovered it."
"What did she find?"
"Records."
"What records?"
"Names."
"Whose names?"
"People who had been paid."
Ethan's voice lowered.
"How many?"
"Forty-seven."
"To do what?"
Celeste looked at him.
"Disappear people."
Silence.
Ethan couldn't breathe.
"You expect me to believe my father was involved in murder?"
"I'm not asking you to believe me."
She reached into her purse.
She removed a photograph.
She placed it on the table.
Ethan picked it up.
His father was standing beside a younger Richard.
And beside them—
Celeste.
But Celeste looked much younger.
Ethan stared.
"When was this?"
"Twenty years ago."
"You knew my father."
"Very well."
"You've known me since I was a child."
"Yes."
"You didn't meet me through Anna."
"No."
Ethan's hands trembled.
"You were already part of my family."
Celeste smiled.
"That's my first lie."
Ethan stared.
"What?"
"The first lie I told you."
She pointed at the photograph.
"I told you I met your father only once."
Ethan looked at her.
"You met him dozens of times."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because your father hired me."
"For what?"
"To watch you."
Ethan felt his stomach drop.
"Watch me?"
"Protect you."
"From whom?"
Celeste's smile faded.
"From your mother."
Ethan froze.
"My mother?"
"She knew what your father was doing."
"What did she do?"
"She tried to expose him."
"Did she succeed?"
Celeste shook her head.
"No."
"What happened?"
"She disappeared."
Ethan stared.
"My mother died."
"That's what your father told you."
The room became silent.
Ethan felt as if he had been punched.
"You're lying."
"Maybe."
"You said this was the truth."
"It is."
"Then prove it."
Celeste looked at him.
"I can."
She took out her phone.
She opened a photograph.
Ethan saw an old woman sitting in a wheelchair.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
Tired eyes.
But unmistakably—
his mother.
Alive.
Ethan stopped breathing.
"No."
Celeste watched his reaction.
"Hello, Ethan."
The voice came through the phone.
His mother's voice.
Ethan nearly dropped the phone.
"Mom?"
The woman on the screen began crying.
"My son."
Ethan couldn't speak.
"You've grown so much."
"Where are you?"
Celeste ended the video.
Ethan stared at her.
"Where is she?"
Celeste smiled.
"Safe."
"Where?"
"You'll find out."
"Tell me."
"Not until you give me what I want."
"What?"
"The photograph."
Ethan looked down.
Anna's photograph.
"The original."
Celeste nodded.
"Give it to me."
"No."
"Then your mother dies."
Ethan's face changed.
"You wouldn't."
Celeste looked directly at him.
"You still don't know me."
A gunshot echoed outside.
Everyone froze.
Marcus immediately drew his weapon.
"Stay down!"
Another shot.
Then another.
The windows shattered.
Ethan pulled Sophie to the floor.
Elena covered her.
Jonathan moved toward the wall.
Celeste remained standing.
She looked almost bored.
Ethan noticed.
She wasn't afraid.
She knew who was shooting.
"Who is outside?"
Celeste smiled.
"People who don't want you to remember."
Marcus shouted:
"Move!"
They rushed toward the basement.
Ethan grabbed the folder.
Anna's evidence.
The memory card.
Everything.
They reached the underground passage.
Then the lights went out.
Complete darkness.
Sophie screamed.
"Daddy!"
"I'm here."
Ethan held her hand.
"Don't let go."
A voice came from the darkness.
"That's what Anna told me too."
Ethan froze.
A flashlight turned on.
Richard stood twenty feet away.
Blood covered his shirt.
He was holding a gun.
Celeste stepped out behind him.
Ethan stared.
"You."
Richard smiled.
"Hello, Ethan."
"You were shot."
"I've survived worse."
"Where's my mother?"
Richard laughed.
"That's what you're worried about?"
"Where is she?"
Richard looked at Celeste.
Celeste nodded.
Richard lowered his gun.
"She's not your mother."
Ethan stopped.
"What?"
"That woman in the video."
Richard smiled.
"She's an actress."
Silence.
Ethan turned toward Celeste.
She didn't deny it.
His face went pale.
Celeste whispered:
"Second lie."
Ethan's anger exploded.
"You lied about my mother."
"Yes."
"You lied about Anna."
"Yes."
"You lied about the crash."
"Yes."
"You lied about everything."
Celeste smiled.
"Not everything."
"What didn't you lie about?"
She stepped closer.
"Sophie."
Ethan looked at his daughter.
Celeste's voice became quiet.
"I told you she was your daughter."
Ethan froze.
The world seemed to stop.
Sophie looked up at him.
"Daddy?"
Ethan slowly turned toward Celeste.
"What did you say?"
Celeste's eyes were cold.
"I said I told you Sophie was your daughter."
Ethan's voice trembled.
"She is my daughter."
"Are you sure?"
Anna's photograph slipped from his hand.
It hit the floor.
The back became visible.
The handwritten message.
The words Ethan had never noticed.
He picked it up.
His hands shook.
Anna had written:
ETHAN, IF THEY EVER TELL YOU SOPHIE ISN'T YOUR DAUGHTER, DON'T BELIEVE THEM.
Ethan looked at Celeste.
She smiled.
"Third lie."
Then Sophie spoke.
"Daddy..."
Everyone turned.
The little girl was crying.
"I know who my real father is."
Ethan's heart stopped.
"Who?"
May you like
Sophie looked at Richard.
And Richard slowly smiled.
