Chapter 5

Celeste’s Last Smile

Celeste Monroe had always believed she was untouchable.

That was her greatest mistake.

People like Celeste did not become powerful because they were strong.

They became powerful because they knew how to stand beside powerful people.

She had spent years studying wealthy men.

Learning their weaknesses.

Understanding their desires.

Finding the perfect moment to make herself indispensable.

Nathan Ashford was supposed to be the greatest opportunity of her life.

A powerful CEO.

A famous businessman.

A man with money, influence, and ambition.

But Celeste never understood one thing.

A person who builds their entire identity around someone else's power will always fall when that person collapses.

And Nathan Ashford was falling.

The penthouse was silent.

Not peaceful.

Silent in the way a place becomes silent after something terrible happens.

The expensive furniture.

The floor-to-ceiling windows.

The view of the city below.

Everything remained exactly the same.

Except the person living inside it.

Celeste sat on the sofa, staring at the television.

Every channel showed the same thing.

Nathan Ashford.

Fraud accusations.

Financial crimes.

Domestic violence allegations.

Corporate investigations.

His face was everywhere.

But nobody was looking at him with admiration anymore.

They were looking at him with disgust.

Celeste slowly lifted her champagne glass.

Then she stopped.

The irony was almost painful.

The same champagne she drank while watching me suffer.

The same glass she held when she told Nathan:

“She needs to remember her place.”

Now she was the one who had lost hers.

A message appeared on her phone.

YOUR ACCESS TO ASHFORD GLOBAL HAS BEEN REVOKED.

She stared at it.

Then another message.

ALL COMPANY ACCOUNTS CONNECTED TO YOU ARE FROZEN PENDING INVESTIGATION.

Her fingers tightened around the phone.

“No.”

She whispered.

“No, no, no.”

For the first time in years…

Celeste Monroe felt fear.

She called Nathan seventeen times.

He did not answer.

The eighteenth time…

He finally picked up.

“What?”

Not hello.

Not concern.

Not even anger.

Just irritation.

Celeste froze.

“Are you serious?”

Nathan remained silent.

“I just watched your press conference.”

“My press conference?”

She laughed.

A cold, bitter laugh.

“You mean the one where you blamed everything on your wife?”

Nathan said nothing.

Celeste stood.

“You blamed me too.”

“I said what I needed to say.”

The words shocked her.

“You…”

She stared at the phone.

“You’re protecting yourself.”

“Yes.”

No hesitation.

No guilt.

That was when Celeste understood.

Nathan was not panicking because he lost everything.

He was panicking because he could no longer control everything.

“What about me?”

“What about you?”

Her face changed.

“I helped you.”

Nathan laughed quietly.

“You helped yourself.”

The sentence hit harder than any insult.

Because deep down…

She knew it was true.

Their relationship had never been love.

It was an agreement.

A transaction.

She gave him loyalty.

He gave her luxury.

She gave him admiration.

He gave her access.

They were not partners.

They were two people using each other.

The difference was…

Nathan had always been better at pretending.

“You think she won because of her father.”

Celeste went silent.

“What?”

Nathan continued.

“You think Adrian Vale destroyed me.”

“Didn’t he?”

“No.”

His voice lowered.

“Your precious little victim wife did.”

Celeste frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Nathan looked around his empty office.

“The woman we underestimated.”

A pause.

“She was never weak.”

For the first time, Celeste felt something close to admiration.

Not for Nathan.

For me.

Because she finally understood.

The person she mocked.

The person she insulted.

The person she watched suffer.

Had been the most dangerous person in the room.

Three hours later, Celeste received an unexpected visitor.

A woman.

Older.

Elegant.

Dressed completely in black.

Celeste opened the door carefully.

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled.

A cold smile.

“The person who can save you.”

Celeste almost laughed.

“Everyone who says that usually wants something.”

The woman stepped inside.

“And everyone who says they don’t need help usually ends up destroyed.”

Celeste watched her carefully.

“Who sent you?”

“No one.”

“Then why are you here?”

The woman placed a folder on the table.

Celeste looked down.

The name on it made her heart stop.

VICTOR ASHFORD

Her expression changed.

“Where did you get this?”

“That is not important.”

“It is to me.”

The woman smiled.

“What matters is that Nathan Ashford is not the man you think he is.”

Celeste looked at the folder.

“Nathan is a liar.”

“Yes.”

“He used me.”

“Yes.”

“He betrayed me.”

“Yes.”

The woman leaned closer.

“But you still have something he needs.”

Celeste slowly opened the folder.

Inside were documents.

Old financial records.

Private communications.

Photos.

And one document that made her hands shake.

A transfer agreement.

Between Nathan Ashford…

And an unknown organization.

“What is this?”

“The truth.”

Celeste looked up.

“About what?”

The woman smiled.

“About why Nathan married her.”

Celeste stared.

“You mean his wife?”

“Yes.”

“He married her for money.”

“That is only part of it.”

The woman tapped the document.

“He married her because someone ordered him to.”

Silence.

For the first time…

Celeste felt genuine fear.

“Who?”

The woman did not answer.

Instead, she asked:

“Do you want revenge?”

Celeste looked toward the city lights.

For years, she believed she was the one replacing me.

The younger woman.

The prettier woman.

The woman Nathan truly wanted.

But now she understood something.

She had never replaced anyone.

She had simply been another tool.

Another person Nathan used.

Another person who believed she was special.

Slowly, Celeste closed the folder.

“Yes.”

The woman smiled.

“Good.”

“Because if you want to survive…”

She leaned closer.

“You need to stop thinking like Nathan’s lover.”

“And start thinking like his enemy.”

That night, Nathan returned to his penthouse.

The lights were off.

He immediately knew something was wrong.

Nathan was not careless.

He was paranoid.

He checked the cameras.

Nothing.

He checked the locks.

Nothing.

Then he saw it.

A glass of champagne on the table.

Beside it…

A note.

He picked it up.

Only four words were written.

WE NEED TO TALK.

Nathan frowned.

Then his phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

“Who is this?”

A familiar voice responded.

A voice he thought he controlled.

A voice he thought belonged to him.

Celeste.

“Hello, Nathan.”

He froze.

“Where are you?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“Who are you with?”

A pause.

Then she laughed.

The same laugh she used when watching me suffer.

But this time…

It was different.

This time…

Nathan was the target.

“You always told me, Nathan…”

Her voice became colder.

“Never underestimate a woman who has nothing left to lose.”

The call ended.

Nathan stared at the phone.

For the first time since becoming CEO of Ashford Global…

He was completely alone.

And somewhere in the city…

Celeste Monroe smiled.

Not because she had won.

Not yet.

But because she had finally realized something.

The game was not over.

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It had only changed players.

End of Chapter 5