Chapter 29 – Please Pick Up
Before the plane had even taxied down the runway, Selene’s phone buzzed relentlessly.
It was Orion.
She figured he had seen her message by now, and sure enough, the second she declined his call, he started spamming her with texts.
“Selene, what’s going on? Where are you headed? Are you really running off?”
When she ignored that one, another message came through immediately.
“Please pick up! You’re freaking me out. You’re not planning on doing something drastic, are you?”
Then another.
“Did Caspian hurt you? Please, just pick up!”
Frustrated, Selene muttered a curse under her breath and switched off her phone, cutting off his frantic attempts to reach her.
But while Orion was fuming on one end, unable to get through, across town, Celestia Vale was practically seething with rage.
At the Vale Mansion
Celestia’s usually composed demeanor was nowhere to be found as she stared at the pictures Lyra had just shown her.
Her hands shook with fury, her voice trembling as she spat, “That wretched woman!”
She had always insisted that Caspian should divorce Selene, but he had refused to listen.
Now?
Now, she had proof that Selene was nothing but a disgrace.
“This scandal is going to ruin the Vale name!”
Lyra sat across from her, an expression of feigned concern carefully painted across her face.
“Mrs. Vale, don’t waste your energy on her. She’s not worth it,” she soothed, her voice dripping with honeyed sympathy. “Caspian has been blinded by her act, but once he sees the truth, he’ll realize how wrong he was.”
Celestia nodded stiffly, her lips pressing into a thin line. “You’re right.”
The dark gleam in her eyes sharpened. “This time, he’ll finally open his eyes.”
Lyra hid her smirk, relishing her small victory.
Celestia clenched her fists. “Even if Caspian still refuses to divorce her, I’ll drag them to court myself. I’ll make sure it happens.”
Without another word, she picked up her phone, her fingers trembling in anger as she dialed Caspian’s number.
At the Military Base
Caspian was in the middle of an intense training session when his phone rang. He didn’t think much of it at first, but the second he answered, Celestia’s voice exploded through the speaker like a slap to the face.
“When are you going to divorce that tramp?! Or do you want to wait until she sleeps with every man in town and makes a fool of you in front of the whole world?”
Caspian stilled, his expression darkening. “Mom, what’s all this about?”
“I’ve sent you the pictures!” Celestia snapped. “Take a good look! You have no choice but to divorce her, or I’ll cut you off completely!”
There was a beat of silence as Celestia sent the files through.
Caspian hesitated, his fingers lingering over the screen before he finally opened the attachments.
And then… his blood ran cold.
His grip tightened around the phone as he scrolled through photo after photo—
Selene.
In bed.
With another man.
The images were taken from multiple angles, every single one looking more damning than the last.
Caspian’s heart pounded violently in his chest.
The last time someone had sent him “proof” of Selene’s affairs, they had been innocuous shots of her drinking and whispering with men in dimly lit bars—things he could easily brush off.
But this…?
This wasn’t something he could rationalize away.
His breath turned ragged, and before he could think, he hurled his phone to the ground, the screen shattering into a thousand pieces with a deafening crack.
On the other end of the line, Celestia gasped.
Lyra’s heart leaped in satisfaction at the scene before her.
This was it. This was the final straw.
No man would tolerate this kind of humiliation.
Still, she played her part perfectly, placing a delicate hand over her chest as she whispered, “Mrs. Vale… what happened? Is Caspian…?”
Celestia’s rage briefly lifted, replaced by smug satisfaction.
“He probably smashed his phone in a rage. That’s perfect!”
She turned to Lyra with a conspiratorial smile, patting her shoulder affectionately. “Once Caspian divorces that woman, I’ll make sure you and he are together. I want grandchildren, and I want them soon.”
Lyra lowered her gaze, her lips twitching as she tried to hide her smirk.
“Thank you, but…” she trailed off, injecting a perfect note of hesitation into her voice.
With a soft, hesitant sigh, she murmured, “I’m worried… What if Caspian doesn’t want to?”
Celestia’s smile vanished instantly, her expression hardening.
“He won’t have a choice,” she said coldly. “Not this time. If he doesn’t do as I say, I’ll wash my hands of him.”
Her voice was steel, her decision final.
Lyra’s smile returned, but this time, it was no longer hidden.
Her voice was steel, her decision final.
Lyra’s smile returned, but this time, it was no longer hidden.
Selene was as good as gone.
