Chapter 3: The Fiancée’s Shadow

The hospital’s atmosphere shifted the moment Celeste Whitmore swept through the automatic doors of St. Regis Private Hospital. Her presence was like a sudden gust of winter wind — cold, sharp, and impossible to ignore.

Her stilettos clicked against the polished floor with ruthless precision as she scanned the lobby, her eyes narrowing until they landed on the nurses’ station.

“Where is he?” Celeste’s voice was ice, sharp and commanding. The nurses instinctively stepped back.

“Room 317, ma’am,” one whispered.

Celeste’s lips curled into a subtle smile as she strode toward the elevators. The world had a way of bending to her will, especially here, in the Thorne empire’s medical fortress.

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By the time she reached Damon’s room, the staff had already been briefed. A new visitor had arrived earlier — a woman who refused to give her real name, who had lingered long enough to stir something in Damon’s eyes. Something unexplainable.

Celeste’s gaze hardened.

“Who is she?” she demanded.

The head nurse hesitated, “We don’t know, Mrs. Whitmore. She wouldn’t say.”

Celeste’s eyes flickered with something darker than suspicion — something sharp and calculating.

“She’s dangerous.”

Before the nurse could respond, the door to Damon’s room opened again, and Evelyn Thorne entered — a vision of composed authority. Her silver hair was pulled into a tight chignon, and her gaze swept over the room like a judge sizing up a defendant.

“Celeste,” Evelyn greeted without warmth. “I heard about the visitor.”

Celeste’s smile was a blade. “I came to see for myself. We cannot afford distractions, especially now.”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. “Juliette’s return would be catastrophic.”

Celeste folded her arms. “Then we keep her out. No one knows who she is, and she has no right here.”

Evelyn nodded slowly, her voice low and commanding. “Control the staff. Watch the cameras. No one enters or leaves without clearance.”

Celeste’s lips curled. “Good. We cannot let history repeat itself.”

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Downstairs, Juliette was a ghost slipping through the hospital corridors, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might betray her at any moment.

She had to leave.

The reality of being back here, so close to Damon, had shattered every carefully constructed wall she had built around herself.

The fake name, the lies, the pain — it all came crashing down in that room.

But now, something else loomed - Danger.

She could feel the weight of eyes, the watchful gaze of those who wanted her gone.

She turned to step quietly toward the exit, her mind racing with every possible escape route.

But fate was cruel.

The hospital’s corridor curved sharply, and in that moment, Juliette collided with a figure as sharp and impenetrable as ice.

Celeste.

“Excuse me,” Celeste said coolly, not even a flicker of recognition crossing her features.

Juliette’s breath caught. She braced herself.

“You’re not staff,” Celeste said, her voice dropping into a warning.

Juliette shook her head. “I was just leaving.”

Celeste’s eyes glittered dangerously. “No one sneaks into Damon Thorne’s life and walks away without consequences. Who are you?”

Juliette’s mouth opened,….. then closed. The lie that had been her shield was failing.

Celeste stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Let me be clear — I don’t care what game you’re playing. But if you think you’re going to steal from Damon, you’re dead wrong. We see through gold diggers like you.”

Juliette’s heart froze – then a new voice pierced the charged air.

“Mommy!”

It was Mason.

Juliette turned, and Celeste slowly followed the sound.

There, at the end of the hall, stood Mason — his small hand gripping a hospital staff ID badge he’d taken from a distracted nurse.

His wide eyes were fixed on Juliette, innocent yet full of an unspoken certainty that shook the room.

Celeste’s smile vanished.

She stepped back, her face paling slightly.

“Where did he come from?” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Juliette’s breath hitched.

Mason’s gaze locked onto Celeste’s.

For the first time, Celeste saw something she wasn’t prepared for — something raw and unbreakable.

The boy who recognized the man who didn’t remember him.

Celeste’s cold façade cracked — just enough to reveal a flicker of fear.

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Celeste slowly turned toward Mason, her eyes widening.

“You brought him here?”

Juliette swallowed hard, heart pounding as she realized this was no longer just a hospital visit.

This was a battle for the past…..and for the future.