Chapter 4

Sebastian’s POV

The sound of a slap echoed through the hotel entrance, where Celeste stood with Lucy Hamilton. For seconds, nobody moved.Lucy stood frozen, one hand pressed against her cheek, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Celeste.

The people around us had stopped talking, and even the photographers near the entrance seemed to have forgotten why they were there. I stared at Celeste. My ex-wife had just slapped a woman in public.

Was this the same Celeste Laurent I knew? I asked myself. The same woman who would apologize if someone bumped into her? The same Celeste who would barely raise her voice at anyone?

I had never seen her act this way. Not once in the three years we were married. But how could I know if she was still the same person, when she’d disappeared after our divorce six years ago. And now returning as this person I could barely recognize.

“Did you just slap me?” Lucy finally demanded.

Celeste lowered her hand. “Yes. I did.”

Her voice was still so calm that I almost thought I had misheard her. Lucy’s face turned red. “You crazy bi…!”

“Be careful,” Celeste interrupted with a finger up. “You’ve spent the last five minutes insulting me, and I’ve been kind enough to let you embarrass yourself. Don’t push your luck, Lucy.”

I blinked. Twice. Who was this person I was looking at? Veronica glanced around, perhaps hoping someone would come to her defense. But nobody did.

Then she pointed an accusing finger at Celeste. “You’ll regret this! Do you know who my family is?”

Celeste gave her a bored look. “No, and I don’t care.”

A few people nearby exchanged glances. I almost smiled. Then I caught myself. Why was I even finding this amusing?

Lucy was the daughter of a powerful family, and she had just been humiliated by a woman who was supposed to be my quiet, reserved ex-wife. There would be consequences. At least, that was what I expected.

Instead, Celeste turned away from Lucy and glanced toward the driveway. Her driver was still not here. As the other guests began leaving, I gathered my nerves and approached her.

“That was surprising… and impressive at the same time f.” I said to her.

She simply gave me a questioning gaze. “What was?”

“The way you handled Lucy Hamilton there. Not many can shut the woman up that way.”

“Thank you.” She simply answered.

I looked at her. Who the hell was this woman? I waited for her to say something else. But she didn’t. Then I decided to strikeconversation on another topic.

“At the auction,” I started, “I hadn’t realize that necklace mean so much to you.”

That made her look at me. For a moment, I saw something cold in her eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Sebastian.”

I felt the words like a slap of my own across my face.

That moment, a Mercedes pulled up and she moved towards it. “Richard,” she called when her driver finally stopped.

He exited the car and hurried toward her. “Sorry for the delay, miss.”

“It’s fine. Let’s just go.”

Just like that, she got into the car and they drove off. I watched her go, unable to explain the strange feeling settling in my chest.

“Sebastian?” Camille’s voice brought me back to the present as she finally caught up with me.

I turned toward her. Camille touched my arm. “Are you okay, darling ?” 

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Let’s leave,” she said, slipping her arm through mine. “This evening has become unpleasant.”

“Yes,” I replied. “Let’s go.”

But even as I walked away, my thoughts remained with Celeste.And I hated that.

“You’re awfully quiet.” Camille sat beside me in the back of our car, watching me with narrowed eyes.

I loosened my tie. “I’m just tired.”

“Is that all?” she asked with a questioning gaze.

I glanced at her. “What else would it be?”

She hesitated before looking out the window. “Nothing. I just thought you might have something to say about what happened outside with your ex wife.”

I leaned back. “Lucy probably insulted her first. I’m sure Celestewas just reacting.”

“Reacting?” Camille turned toward me. “She slapped a woman in front of half the city’s elite!”

I remained silent. But Camille’s expression had already changed.“You’re defending her.” She then added.

“I’m only stating the obvious, love.”

“Of course, you are!” She folded her arms and looked away.

“Is there a problem, honey?” I finally asked.

Camille smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “No problem at all. I’m just curious why my husband seems so interested in his ex-wife.”

“I’m not interested in Celeste.”

“Then why talk to her?”

Her words irritated me more than they should have. “I don’t need you telling me who I can speak to, my dear.”

Camille’s expression went hard that instant. For a moment, neither of us spoke as we drove away from the hotel area. After a while of long uncomfortable silence between us. I then reached for her hand with my free arm.

“I’m sorry, my love. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She sighed. “Forget it. Just drive.”

***

Two days later, I saw Celeste again. This time, it was outside Éclat, the most classy and expensive restaurant in the entire city.The place was both elegant and highly comfortable.

Getting a reservation there was difficult, even for elites. And there was its anonymous head chef, who had become a legend.Nobody seemed to know much about the person behind it all.

I had been driving through the district when I noticed her standing in front of Éclat. I thought… if Celeste could get reservations at the prestigious restaurant, then she wasn’t just loaded like I saw at the auction… she must really know some powerful people.

But that wasn’t what caught my attention. Celeste stood with a little girl near the restaurant’s entrance. The child had a small backpack hanging on her back. She was talking, while Celestewas listening with a smile on her face I had never seen before.

I slowed the car down without intending to as I approached the restaurant. I stared through the tinted window of my car, keeping out of site.

The little girl suddenly said something that made Celeste laughout. I quickly drove past them to avoid being spotted. But as I drove away, I couldn’t help the questions that rose in my chest. 

Who could that child with Celeste be? I questioned myself silently. Was she a niece? A friend’s daughter perhaps? Or…was she Celeste’s?