Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 145

Chapter 1,5

CELESTE

I just smiled at Pat, touched by the ferocity of her loyalty, by the way she had taken my pain and made it her own.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Pat said, her voice softening again, her hand reaching out to cup my cheek. “You must have cried so much without having anyone to share your feelings with When you moved in here and brought your things, I knew something was wrong with your marriage. You loved Julian too much to just live away from him because of your career. I know that better than anyone.”

I looked away, the truth of her words hitting closer to home than I wanted to admit.

“Even if you did not say it,” Pat continued, “I knew something was bothering you. I had a feeling you were hurting but you would not open up to me. And that Seraphine, so shameless. How dare she have sex with your husband and come here to twist the story and accuse you before everyone? If you did not have evidence of her cheating, everyone here would have started questioning your character.”

I walked around my desk and lowered myself into my chair, the leather cool against my back. “Do not put too much faith in me, Pat. I am not as saintly as you think.”

“What do you mean?” Pat asked.

“I know you would never have sex with someone else’s husband,” she added.

I leaned back in my chair. “But I did.”

Pat’s expression froze, her mouth hanging open, her eyes widening. “What?”

“Snap out of it, Celeste!” Pat snapped, her voice sharp and commanding. She moved closer to my desk, her hands gripping the edge, her eyes boring into mine. “Dominic is probably hurt that Seraphine cheated on him with Julian. He came to you and started having sex with you to get back at Julian. But you are the one losing here. You are giving your body to him and he is using it as a tool. You are made for more than this, Celeste.”

I shook my head slowly, a sad smile playing on my lips.

“This explains the five billion dollars,” Pat continued, her voice softening. “But still, do not let him take advantage of you just because he is a billionaire. You deserve better than to be someone’s revenge tool.”

I sighed, my expression turning serious, the humor draining from my face like water from a cracked vessel. “Actually, Pat, when