Celeste’s Version
Chapter 13 - Celeste’s Version
Celeste’s attorneys released a statement portraying her as a devoted mother deceived by her son. They claimed Julian had stolen from the foundation, forged her approvals, and manipulated Thomas’s investigation.
Then Celeste agreed to a televised interview.
She wore pale gray, no diamonds, and spoke softly about betrayal. She apologized for striking Evelyn but said she had been “overcome by fear and maternal instinct.”
The interviewer asked whether she had redirected charity funds.
Celeste smiled sadly. “I trusted the wrong people.”
Evelyn watched from her apartment with Lily asleep beside her.
The performance might have worked if Thomas had not recorded Celeste’s voice.
The next morning, Detective Ellis obtained a warrant for the offshore archive. It contained signed instructions from Celeste, transfer schedules, and a private memo describing Evelyn as “the ideal fallback suspect due to financial vulnerability.”
The theft at the gala had not been improvised.
Celeste had selected Evelyn weeks earlier.
She knew Evelyn’s locker number. She knew Lily’s school schedule. She knew a struggling widow would be easier to discredit than a billionaire’s son.
Prosecutors released a small portion of the evidence after Celeste’s interview. Public sympathy collapsed overnight.
Arthur visited Evelyn again.
“I should have seen who she was,” he said.
“You saw what was convenient.”
He accepted the answer.
Arthur then showed Evelyn a draft plan to sell Harrington Hall and use the proceeds to restore every missing foundation grant.
“This house belonged to Margaret’s family,” he said. “I thought preserving it honored her.”
Evelyn looked around the grand room where Celeste had slapped her. “A house does not carry honor. People do.”
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Arthur signed the sale authorization that afternoon.
For the first time, the Harrington name paid something back.
