All Chapters of FOREVER CELESTE: From wife to aunt.: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The rain had stopped by midnight.But Celeste barely noticed.She stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of her apartment, staring down at the city as thousands of headlights moved through the streets below. The unknown message remained open on her phone.Lucien isn't protecting you.She had read it at least twenty times.Each time, the same uncomfortable question returned.Then what exactly is he doing?For the past few weeks, Lucien Blackwood had appeared whenever Adrian tried to corner her. He had stopped the injunction. He had protected her research. He had ordered additional security around her laboratory.And yet, somehow, she had never asked herself the most obvious question.Why?Lucien wasn't a charitable man.He didn't rescue people without a reason.Every decision he made served a purpose.So what did he want from her?Celeste closed her eyes briefly.Then her phone rang.She glanced at the screen.Sandra.She answered."Hello?""Celeste, where are you?""Home."There wa

At exactly 10:47 p.m., the city was almost silent.The old Blackwood biomedical district had been abandoned for years, its once-impressive research facilities swallowed by darkness and overgrown vegetation. The buildings had belonged to a division that Lucien had shut down shortly after taking control of the company.Officially, the facility had been decommissioned.Unofficially, someone had been using it.A black sedan stopped several hundred meters from the main entrance.Celeste stepped out first.She wore a fitted black coat, dark trousers, and flat leather boots. Her hair was pulled away from her face, leaving her expression completely visible.Lucien stepped out behind her.He looked at the abandoned facility through the windshield of another vehicle parked farther down the road."Last chance," he said.Celeste glanced at him."To turn around?""Yes.""No."Lucien's lips curved faintly."I knew you'd say that."Celeste looked toward the dark building."You promised not to interf

The city was already awake when Celeste stepped out of the elevator. Morning sunlight poured through the enormous glass windows of Apex Pharmaceuticals, painting golden streaks across the polished marble floors. Employees hurried through the lobby carrying tablets, coffee, and folders, their conversations blending into the quiet rhythm of another busy corporate morning. Celeste barely noticed any of them. Her mind was still trapped in the conversation from the previous night. Lucien's words continued to echo in her head. I don't intend to control your life, Celeste. She had believed him. That was the problem. Trusting Lucien Blackwood was dangerous because she had spent years learning that powerful men always wanted something in return. Adrian had wanted obedience. His family had wanted gratitude. Her marriage had demanded silence. But Lucien... Lucien seemed to want something she couldn't quite identify. And that uncertainty unsettled her more than anything else. "Dr. J

The morning after the board meeting, the Blackwood Group was unusually quiet. Not peaceful. Quiet. There was a difference. Employees moved through the marble corridors with lowered voices, executives avoided lingering near conference rooms, and assistants carried documents with the careful urgency of people who knew that one wrong sentence could become tomorrow's headline. The previous night's board decision had changed everything. Adrian's remaining authority had been stripped away. Victoria's influence had been reduced to a fraction of what it once was. And Apex Pharmaceuticals, once treated as another valuable subsidiary beneath the Blackwood umbrella, had suddenly become the corporation's most closely watched division. At the center of it all was one woman. Dr. Celeste Justin. Celeste stood alone inside Laboratory Seven, staring at the results displayed across the enormous glass monitor. The Phase Two trial projections were better than expected. Far better. Her fingers

The photograph remained frozen on Lucien's phone.For several seconds, nobody moved.Celeste stared at the reflection in the glass behind Clara's brother, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes were telling her.Marcus Vale.Senior scientist.Eleven years at Apex Pharmaceuticals.A man who had attended every major research meeting since Celeste arrived.A man who had questioned her appointment.A man who had smiled politely while secretly watching her every move."You're certain?" Lucien asked.Celeste didn't take her eyes off the screen."Absolutely."Arthur stepped closer."Could the reflection be misleading?""No."Celeste zoomed in on the photograph."Look at the posture. The watch. The scar above his left eyebrow."She looked at Lucien."I've seen him in the laboratory almost every day."Lucien's expression hardened."Then we don't confront him."Celeste frowned."Why?""Because if Marcus is involved, he's not working alone."Arthur nodded slowly."The moment he realizes we've