Chapter 95
Violet's POV:
Lily had dug up the exact date and time for me. Despite Celeste's condition being so dire that she'd needed emergency care, she still insisted on going to the university in person to express her gratitude—I had to admire the dedication, in a twisted way.
Sienna's earlier comment had clarified everything: "She just wants to gild her own image so she'll be worthy of Daemon." Whether it was studying abroad or playing victim, everything served one purpose—gaining praise and support from Frost Pack's upper circles. She'd been dragged through the mud before, which made this whitewashing campaign critical.
Everything was ready. I just had to wait for that day to arrive.
But before it could, I received a call from Ruby.
"Miss Goldcrest?" Ruby's voice came through the line thick with tears and desperation, each word breaking apart like fragile glass. "I'm so sorry... I failed as a mother... Please, if Celeste offended you in any way, please forgive her..."
The audacity of this woman calling to beg for her daughter's sake would have been almost touching if it weren't so pathetic. I leaned back in my chair, my voice turning cold and clinical as I responded.
"Do you actually know what specific things your daughter did to offend me, Mrs. Morrison?"
"She told me everything," Ruby rushed to explain, her voice gaining speed and pitch in her desperation to make me understand. "She—she shouldn't have gone to study at Silver Ridge, shouldn't have appeared in front of you. And when you were hospitalized trying to save your pregnancy, she shouldn't have visited you and caused you stress. But her intention was just to say goodbye to you, you see? She has a heart condition, and she was preparing to go to Northern Summit Pack at the time..."
"Miss Goldcrest," she continued when I didn't respond, her tone taking on a note of urgency that bordered on manipulation, "my Celeste isn't a bad girl. Many things she did were unintentional, without malice. And she's not together with Alpha Daemon right now—he's the one pursuing her."
I almost laughed at that particular piece of fiction. Celeste had even managed to deceive her own parents.
Ruby tried to say something more, but I'd heard enough of this performance. "Mrs. Morrison, you don't need to call me anymore. What kind of person Celeste really is—you know that better than anyone in your heart."
I ended the call before she could protest further and immediately blocked her number.
I'd barely hung up when I saw the news break across my screen—Celeste had released a public apology video through the media.
She sat in a chair wearing a hospital gown, her thin, pale face full of sorrow as she spoke to the camera with guilt etched across her features. "Today I want to speak directly through this camera to Daemon's former mate, Violet Goldcrest. I'm sorry."
"I never meant to hurt you. Everything was beyond my control, and there have been so many misunderstandings between us..."
In the video, Celeste's voice emerged soft and aggrieved. She appeared to be apologizing, yet every word and gesture emphasized her helplessness and how cornered she'd been. The performance was designed to make her look like the victim forced into humiliation.
I hadn't even finished watching the video when Lucian's panicked call came through.
"Violet! Emergency!" His words tumbled out in a rush. "Sienna saw that video and just rushed to the hospital saying she's going to beat up Celeste! I can't stop her—she's pregnant and I'm afraid—you need to come NOW!"
When I burst through the elevator doors, Sienna stood in the corridor with her pregnant belly protruding, methodically pushing open door after door while two security guards hovered uselessly nearby, clearly terrified of touching a pregnant woman.
"My queen, please!" Lucian trailed behind her desperately. "Think about our pups! What if something happens to you?!"
"Get out of my way!" Sienna's eyes blazed with fury. "I need to find that lying bitch and teach her a lesson for what she did to Violet!"
I crossed the distance quickly and caught her wrist. "Sienna! Stop! Look at me!"
She whirled around, tears immediately spilling down her cheeks. "Violet... How can she still play the victim on camera after everything?! I can't stand it!"
"I know, I know," I murmured, pulling her into a careful embrace. "But you need to calm down for your babies' sake. Let's sit down and talk properly."
I guided her to a bench while Lucian hovered anxiously. Once she was settled, I kept my voice firm but understanding. "Don't get worked up. Go back with Lucian and rest. I'll handle Celeste myself—I have my own plans, trust me."
Sienna's mood shifted suddenly. "I want mangosteen! Right now!"
Lucian's expression transformed to relief at having a concrete task. "Yes! I'll go get some—wait here for me!" He sprinted toward the elevator.
Once he was gone, I sat beside Sienna, holding her hand while she calmed down. Despite being an only child, moments like this made me feel like I had sisters—all willing to go to war for me without hesitation.
Sienna sighed, her voice carrying concern. "Violet, you're too kind. You're pregnant, so you should tell Daemon and make him suffer along with that homewrecker. Why should they be happy while you suffer alone?"
I hadn't told anyone except Evan about the impossibility of future pregnancies. "I was planning to be a single mother from the start. I didn't want more entanglement with Daemon because of a child. Plus, I didn't realize I was pregnant at first and took some cold medicine and painkillers. The doctor warned the baby might not be healthy, that there could be complications."
She squeezed my hand. "I get it. The Blackwood family would definitely try to take your child. Violet, I understand completely."
My phone vibrated with a call from my mother, and I gave Sienna's hand one more squeeze before standing up. "Be right back," I murmured, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the corridor to take the call in relative privacy.
"Sweetheart, where are you?" My mother's warm voice filled my ear, carrying the comfortable domesticity of home. "Dinner's ready. Your father made your favorite herb-crusted lamb."
I gazed out at the city lights spreading across the darkening landscape below, consciously softening my voice to hide any trace of the hospital drama. "I'm at Sienna's place, Mom. She needed some company."
"That's good." I could hear the smile in Eleanor's voice. Then her tone shifted, gaining an edge of maternal concern and suspicion. "Daemon isn't there, is he?"
"No, Mom. He's not."
She sighed. "Sienna's mate is close with Daemon, isn't he? What if they're having some kind of gathering? Violet, you absolutely must not have any more contact with Daemon!"
I stared at my reflection in the darkening window glass, my hand unconsciously moving to rest on my still-flat abdomen where my daughter had once existed. "I promise, Mom."
My phone rang with my mother's call. I walked to the window for privacy.
"Sweetheart, where are you?" Eleanor's warm voice filled my ear. "Dinner's ready. Your father made your favorite herb-crusted lamb."
"I'm at Sienna's place, Mom. She needed company."
"That's good. You girls need to stick together." Her tone shifted, gaining an edge. "Daemon isn't there, is he? Sienna's mate is close with him—what if they're having some gathering? Violet, you absolutely must not have any more contact with Daemon!"
"I promise, Mom."
After a few more pleasantries, I ended the call and turned back—only to find the bench empty, Sienna nowhere in sight.
At that moment, Lucian came hurrying back carrying a bag of fruit, his expression shifting to confusion as he looked around. "Where's my wife?"
We locked eyes, the same terrible realization striking us both.
"She must have gone looking for Celeste!" I was already running. "Quick!"
Lucian dropped the fruit and sprinted after me.
We skidded to a halt outside a private VIP room where angry voices carried through the partially open door. My hand shot out to grab Lucian's arm before he could burst inside, holding a finger to my lips.
I remembered what Sienna had told me—Lucian still believed in Celeste's "innocent girl" persona. Maybe it was time he witnessed the real Celeste.
From inside, Celeste's voice emerged high and frightened. "Sienna, you've misunderstood me. I never meant to hurt Violet. Please don't hit me..."
I felt Lucian tense, every muscle preparing to charge in and rescue her. I tightened my grip and shot him a warning glare.
Sienna's response cut through like a blade. "Cut the bullshit! Your tricks might work on men, but not on me! It's just us now—tell me, how do you want to die?"
When Celeste spoke again, her voice had completely transformed, the fear replaced by cool mockery. "Sienna, your temper is really terrible. If you weren't pregnant, Lucian probably wouldn't have married you at all, would he?"
Sienna snarled back. "I may have a bad temper, but at least I'm not a homewrecking slut."
Lucian's body went rigid beside me, his sharp intake of breath audible.
Celeste's next words dripped with poison. "Lucian used to tell me you were just a shrew, that whoever married you would be unlucky. Tsk. You better watch that baby in your belly carefully—wouldn't want you to end up like Violet, losing it and having nothing left to trap a man with."
I turned to look at Lucian. His face had frozen in complete shock, eyes wide with dawning horror. The casual way Celeste weaponized my daughter's death, turning my miscarriage into a threat that Sienna might lose her leverage over her husband, revealed exactly how twisted she really was.
"You fucking bitch!" Sienna roared. "I'm going to tear that filthy mouth off your face! Let me help you die of that heart condition right here!"
The violent scrape of a chair sent us both bursting through the door. Sienna held a chair above her head while Celeste gripped the other end. In the split second before we could intervene, Celeste suddenly released her grip.
The chair came crashing down directly onto Celeste's head.
"Ah! It hurts!" Celeste's scream was perfectly pitched as her hand flew to her head.
Sienna froze momentarily before raising the chair again. Celeste dropped into a defensive crouch, arms covering her head.
"Baby!" Lucian lunged forward and wrestled the chair away, wrapping Sienna in his arms. "Don't! What if you hurt our pups? The doctor said staying calm is best for the babies!"
Sienna's eyes blazed with fury as she struggled against his hold. "Lucian! If you dare say one more good word about her in front of me, I'm divorcing you!"
"I won't! I absolutely won't!" The response came instantly, his voice carrying complete conviction.
His eyes moved to where Celeste crouched on the floor, and for the first time, I saw genuine wariness and disgust replace his usual friendliness. He looked at her like someone who'd just discovered a venomous snake.
Sienna gaped at him, not expecting such an immediate response. Even Celeste lifted her head, confusion flickering across her features.
From the moment Daemon had brought her into their circle, Celeste had cultivated a persona of innocent sweetness. But Lucian's expression now held none of that reflexive sympathy.
A figure appeared in the doorway.
I turned to see Daemon standing there, his face cold as he took in the chaotic scene. His voice carried irritation. "What's going on now?"
"I'm fine. Sienna just misunderstood me." Celeste stood up, covering her injured forehead with one hand.
Her eyes filled with grievance as she stared directly at Daemon.
Lucian's eyes widened—he was clearly angry. Celeste's words were obviously complaining to Daemon that Sienna had come to cause trouble!
"Celeste, I don't think my wife misunderstood anything about you, did she?" Lucian couldn't help but retort.
Celeste's expression showed clear shock, as if she couldn't comprehend why Lucian, who usually protected her, was suddenly turning against her.
Daemon's deep, cold blood-red eyes looked at Celeste, then at Sienna and Lucian. His thoughts were impossible to read.
"Lucian... what did I do wrong?" Celeste's eyes reddened. "I know Sienna is your wife now and she's pregnant, so I didn't want to argue with her. She tried to hit me with a chair and I endured it, but... I'm sick too!"
"I—!" Lucian's face darkened, as if he wanted to reveal what he'd just heard, but after glancing at Daemon, he held back.
I watched Daemon with cold indifference, waiting for him to defend Celeste.
Daemon walked over and helped Celeste back onto the bed, his voice neither cold nor warm. "If you're not feeling well, don't move around unnecessarily."
Celeste immediately looked on the verge of tears, as if she'd suffered a terrible injustice. "Mr. Blackwood, am I really so hateful? Why even Lucian..."
Daemon pulled out his phone, opened a video, and interrupted her. "Did you post this?"
It was the apology video she'd released to me. It had already climbed the trending charts, with many people assuming I must have pressured her into apologizing.
Why was he asking about that?