Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 338

In the end, the farce concluded with the two women apologizing and paying compensation under the supervision of the police.

They insisted that no one had put them up to it, claiming they were simply jealous of Velvet Noir's success and had orchestrated the incident to drive traffic to their own channels.

Flossie was indignant. “They’re despicable! How can people like that exist? If you hadn’t been prepared, Celly, they would have destroyed Velvet Noir today!”

Celestine just smiled.

She knew not to believe a single word the two women said.

If they were truly just trying to make money, there were plenty of knock-off shops with significant followings already.

There was no need to take such a huge risk.

As for who was behind it—well, the list of people who were jealous of Velvet Noir's success or simply disliked her was far too long.

“Look on the bright side. At least this whole mess turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Velvet Noir,” Celestine said, patting Flossie’s shoulder and gesturing toward the now-packed store.

Flossie stuck out her tongue playfully. “Looks like we’ll be working overtime tonight~”

Because of the incident with the two sisters and the dramatic reversal, Velvet Noir remained a trending topic for a full day.

This propelled the once niche brand into the mainstream once again.

But this time, it wasn't just about the service. It was the product itself and the little surprises Celestine had hidden within that made more people willing to pay for the clothes.

It wasn't just the physical store; the online shop was even showing a high-traffic warning.

Jade was seeing red.

Not only had those two idiots failed to ruin Velvet Noir, but that bitch Celestine had turned the tables on them!

What a pair of fools!

She had initially been relieved that they hadn't exposed her to the police.

But then they had the audacity to demand five hundred thousand dollars from her! A pair of worthless bitches!

She gritted her teeth, staring at her cleared-out bank account balance on her phone, and furiously threw the device.

“Celestine! You’d better hope you’re this lucky every single time!”

…

Kismet Collective Headquarters.

“Boss, it really wasn’t my fault. Celestine wouldn’t tell me anything or give me any warning, which made me look like a total fool. Now people online are still attacking me. I feel like I’m about to fall into a depression.”

“Come in.”

Celestine pushed the door open and walked into the office.

Yolande was standing meekly behind Bagehot, looking like a student earnestly seeking guidance.

Celestine’s gaze shifted away without a change in expression. “Mr. Kelsey, you were looking for me?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Bagehot cleared his throat and smiled. “I heard all about what happened at Velvet Noir. You’re truly Kismet Collective’s good luck charm! I’ve already told Crystal about it, and she was thrilled!”

Celestine’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Crystal always liked to get to the bottom of things. If she saw the live streams from the incident, she would definitely be angry.

Celestine had intentionally decided not to tell Crystal about it, wanting her to focus on her pregnancy.

She never expected Bagehot to tell her first.

“I was just doing my job.”

“You’re too modest. I wouldn’t have handled a situation like that nearly as well,” Bagehot praised, then glanced at Yolande. “From now on, Yolande will need a lot more of your guidance on professional design and operational matters!”