Chapter 5 - The Woman in White
Celeste approached slowly.
Felix stepped in front of Sarah before she reached the room.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Celeste looked wounded.
“I came because Lily is sick.”
“You called her useful this morning.”
“I was angry.”
“You approved the food served at her school.”
Celeste’s expression remained still.
“I approve dozens of brand changes every day.”
“That specific event?”
“My name appears on thousands of automated authorizations.”
Felix’s jaw tightened.
Celeste held out the flowers.
“I would never harm a child.”
Sarah looked at the bouquet.
Lilies.
Her daughter’s name.
Something about it felt deliberate.
“Take them away.”
Celeste turned to her.
“I understand you hate me.”
“You don’t understand anything about me.”
“I understand enough.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“Then understand this.”
“You do not enter my daughter’s room.”
Celeste’s eyes sharpened.
“Your daughter.”
The emphasis was slight.
Felix heard it.
“How long have you known?”
Celeste looked at him.
“Known what?”
“Don’t.”
He spoke quietly.
“Not today.”
For the first time, Celeste’s polished expression cracked.
“You walk out of one board hearing, and suddenly six years of silence becomes sacred truth?”
Felix stared at her.
“So you knew.”
Celeste immediately realized the mistake.
Sarah did too.
“How?”
Celeste said nothing.
Felix stepped closer.
“How did you know Lily might be mine?”
Celeste’s face became cold.
“Your mother keeps better archives than you think.”
Felix’s voice dropped.
“What archive?”
Celeste looked toward the elevators.
“Ask Odette.”
She placed the flowers on a chair and turned away.
Sarah watched her leave.
Then she noticed something tucked beneath the ribbon around the bouquet.
A small envelope.
She pulled it free.
Inside was a photocopy of Sarah’s transition agreement.
One sentence had been highlighted.
All future claims arising from Marlowe intellectual property shall be permanently waived.
On the back, someone had handwritten five words.
You already took your price.
Sarah’s hands went cold.
Felix took the paper.
His expression changed.
“Security.”
Within minutes, hospital security removed the flowers and reviewed hallway footage.
Celeste had arrived alone.
She had carried the envelope herself.
That afternoon, Felix received another call from Kingsley Tower.
The board had voted.
He had been placed on temporary administrative leave.
Odette would serve as acting chief executive.
Celeste remained chair of the Marlowe House brand council.
Sarah expected Felix to explode.
Instead, he opened his laptop.
“What are you doing?”
“Finding the archive Celeste mentioned.”
“You no longer have executive access.”
Felix looked at her.
“I built half the systems they just locked me out of.”
He entered an old secure portal.
The screen loaded.
Then froze.
A message appeared.
ACCESS REVOKED.
Felix leaned back.
Sarah thought that was the end.
Then his phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
He answered.
A man’s voice spoke.
“Mr. Kingsley?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Mateo Alvarez.”
Felix sat upright.
Mateo had been the first executive chef at Marlowe House.
He had disappeared six years earlier.
“I heard Sarah Marlowe is back.”
Felix glanced at Sarah.
Mateo continued.
“I kept copies.”
“Copies of what?”
A pause.
Then the man said the words Odette had spent seven years trying to prevent Felix from hearing.
May you like
“Everything they stole from her.”
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