Chapter 9 - A Tense Dinner Where Masks Finally Slip Completely Away
That evening, the formal dining room was lit by dozens of flickering candles casting long shadows across the mahogany table. Celeste sat at the opposite end dressed in a crimson evening gown that looked like spilled blood.
A silver service tray sat between us, untouched as we stared at each other across the gulf of our broken history. "You think you can outsmart me, Julian?" Celeste laughed softly, lifting her wine glass to her lips.
"You underestimated the loyalty of the people you stepped on, Celeste," I replied, cutting a piece of steak without eating it. "You thought you bought everyone in Chicago with stolen Harrington gold."
May you like
Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a mask of pure, unadulterated hatred that twisted her perfect features. "Your family stole those docks from my grandfather during the depression!" she hissed, slamming her glass down.
"So you decided to burn my brother alive to settle an old score," I stated, my voice dangerously calm. "And then you tried to marry the surviving son to inherit the rest."
Related Stories
