Chapter 10 : Celia 'The Fall'

I knew that smile.

I had spent my entire life learning what it meant.

To everyone else, Sienna Rowan looked beautiful, sweet, delicate and innocent, like she could never hurt a fly.

The kind of woman people instinctively wanted to protect.

To me, that smile was a warning.

A storm cloud.

A lit match dropped into dry grass.

Trouble.

And somehow, she always managed to make it everyone else's fault.

"Celia."

Her voice was warm.

Too warm.

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

I resisted the urge to laugh.

Nobody looked for me.

Not unless they wanted something.

Eleanor seemed to notice my expression because she suddenly became very interested in a jewelry box.

Traitor.

"I was helping Eleanor."

Sienna's gaze shifted toward the emerald brooch resting on the table.

Something flashed in her eyes.

Gone so quickly I almost missed it.

Then she smiled.

"Of course you were."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Adrian was still standing beside me.

Not close enough to touch.

Close enough to matter.

And Sienna noticed.

Unfortunately.

She always noticed.

The problem wasn't that Adrian and I had done anything.

The problem was that we hadn't.

There was no scandal.

No romance.

No evidence.

Just small moments.

Like our conversations, the way we stared at each other. 

The kind of things that couldn't be explained.

Which made them dangerous.

Sienna crossed the room gracefully.

She stopped beside Adrian.

Too close.

Her hand found his arm naturally.

Possessively.

The gesture shouldn't have bothered me.

Yet somehow it did.

I hated that.

I hated myself for noticing.

More importantly

I hated that Sienna noticed me noticing.

Because the tiny smile on her face widened.

She knew.

Not everything.

But enough.

Enough to hurt me.

Enough to enjoy it.

"I'm hosting lunch tomorrow," she announced brightly.

Nobody responded.

Typical.

So she continued.

"The Rowans are inviting several investors."

Eleanor looked unimpressed.

Adrian looked bored.

I looked for an escape route.

Unfortunately, Sienna wasn't finished.

"It would mean so much if everyone attended."

Her gaze landed on Adrian.

Lingering.

Hopeful.

My stomach tightened.

Then Adrian spoke.

"I'm busy."

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Sienna blinked.

I blinked too.

Apparently, neither of us expected that.

The disappointment on her face lasted less than a second.

Then the smile returned.

Perfect and fragile like it was practiced. 

"Maybe you can rearrange..."

"No."

Silence came through the room like it had no respect for anyone there.

The word was so short yet it landed so heavily.

Even Eleanor looked surprised.

For some reason, I suddenly found the jewelry box incredibly fascinating.

Anything was better than witnessing this.

The room grew awkward.

Then Eleanor cleared her throat.

"Well."

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Finally, Sienna laughed.

Too brightly.

"Of course."

The smile remained.

Her eyes didn't.

And suddenly I knew exactly what would happen next.

Sienna Rowan had been told no.

Which meant somebody was going to pay for it.

Unfortunately, experience suggested that somebody would probably be me.

The next afternoon, my prediction came true.

Almost.

I was helping Marta organize pantry inventory when screaming echoed through the mansion.

Not ordinary screaming.

Panic.

Real panic.

The kind that made your blood run cold And your spine shiver. 

Marta dropped the clipboard immediately.

We both ran.

Voices echoed through the main hall.

Servants rushed past.

Someone was crying.

Someone else was calling for a doctor.

My heart started racing.

Eleanor.

The thought hit immediately.

Please not Eleanor.

Please.

Please.

I rounded the staircase.

And froze.

Sienna lay crumpled at the bottom.

Blood trickled from a cut near her forehead.

Her pale dress was twisted around her legs.

Several servants surrounded her.

One maid was crying.

Another looked ready to faint.

Everything became silent.

Not around me.

Inside me.

Because I knew exactly how this story ended.

I had lived it too many times before.

Slowly

Very slowly

Sienna opened her eyes.

The room collectively exhaled.

Then she started crying.

And my stomach dropped.

Because I knew that cry.

I knew it better than my own name.

"S-Sienna?"

Marianne Rowan rushed forward.

Her daughter immediately clung to her.

Like a victim.

Then her eyes found me.

Across the crowded hall.

Across dozens of people.

Across years of experience.

And I knew.

The accusation arrived before she even spoke.

"I..."

A sob interrupted her.

More tears followed.

Everyone waited.

My pulse thundered.

"Sienna," Marianne whispered.

"What happened?"

The answer came exactly as I expected.

"Celia."

The entire room went silent.

I closed my eyes briefly.

Of course.

When I opened them again, everyone was staring.

Servants.

Guests.

Family.

Everyone.

"Celia pushed me."

The words shattered through the hall.

Shock exploded instantly.

"What?"

"Impossible."

"Oh my God."

Voices erupted everywhere.

Marianne turned toward me.

Horror flooded her face.

Not because she believed her daughter was hurt.

Because she believed her daughter.

Immediately.

Without question.

Without hesitation.

Just like always.

"How could you?"

The accusation hit before I could speak.

Before I could defend myself.

Some things never changed.

Then another voice joined hers.

Vivian.

"I knew it."

The words sliced through me.

Cruel.

"I knew she was jealous."

I laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound shocked everyone.

Including me.

Because it wasn't funny.

Not remotely.

Yet somehow it was.

The situation.

The predictability.

The absurdity.

After all these years.

Nothing had changed.

Absolutely nothing.

"Celia."

The voice came from behind me.

Deep.

Controlled.

Dangerous.

Adrian.

The laughter died instantly.

I turned.

His expression was unreadable.

Which somehow terrified me more than anger would have.

Because I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Couldn't tell what he believed.

Couldn't tell whose side he was on.

The realization hurt more than it should have.

Sienna saw it.

Of course she did.

Another sob escaped her.

Perfectly executed.

"I didn't mean to upset her."

Tears streamed down her face.

"I only wanted us to be sisters again."

The room practically melted.

Several servants looked emotional.

Marianne started crying.

Even Vivian seemed affected.

I felt sick.

Because it was working.

Again.

The same performance.

The same script.

Different day.

Different stage.

Same outcome.

Adrian's gaze remained fixed on me.

I wanted him to say something.

Anything.

Tell them to stop.

Ask questions.

Demand proof.

Just once.

Choose me.

The thought startled me.

Because I suddenly realized how badly I wanted it.

How much I cared.

And that realization terrified me.

More than Sienna and Vivian

More than the accusations.

Because it meant I was becoming exactly what I promised I would never become.

Hopeful.

The doctor arrived.

The chaos intensified.

People moved everywhere.

Questions filled the hall.

Yet I barely heard any of it.

My attention remained fixed on Adrian.

Waiting.

Praying for something I shouldn't have needed.

Then finally

He spoke.

"What happened?"

The question wasn't directed at Sienna.

Or Vivian.

Or Marianne.

It was directed at me.

The hall went silent.

Every eye turned toward me.

My heart stopped.

For the very first time

Someone was asking for my version first.

Not last.

Not after the accusations.

First.

I stared at him.

Completely stunned.

Across the room, Sienna's face went white.