part 7
PART 7
Celeste found a way into the room after midnight.
Not legally.
Emotionally.
She used Richard.
He stepped out for water and came back with Celeste behind him, her lipstick slightly smudged, her eyes burning.
Elliot immediately stood.
“She is not authorized to be here.”
Celeste ignored him and pointed at Mara.
“You smug little thief.”
Mara looked at her calmly.
“That sentence is confused.”
Richard said, “Celeste, stop.”
But again, too softly.
Celeste turned on him.
“No, Richard.”
“I am done being humiliated by your bitter daughter.”
Mara’s face did not move.
That seemed to make Celeste angrier.
“She couldn’t stand that you were happy.”
“She couldn’t stand that I made this hotel relevant again.”
Diane Porter leaned back.
“You planned to mortgage restricted assets.”
Celeste snapped, “To grow the brand.”
The CFO said, “To fund a spa tower your private consulting firm would manage.”
Mara looked up sharply.
Elliot opened another folder.
He had been saving it.
Celeste’s face changed.
Mara noticed.
“What is that?”
Elliot placed documents on the table.
“Draft management agreement between Whitmore Hotel Group and Marrow Lifestyle Strategies.”
Celeste went still.
Richard looked confused.
“I’ve never seen that.”
Mara stared at her father.
“You didn’t read the attachments.”
His face collapsed.
Celeste said quickly, “That was preliminary.”
Elliot continued.
“Twenty-year management term.”
“Exit penalty.”
“Brand control.”
“Priority fee structure.”
“Use of reserve funds for capital improvements.”
Mara’s voice turned cold.
“You were going to make the hotel pay your company to strip it.”
Celeste laughed.
“You are so dramatic.”
Mara stood.
For the first time that night, anger entered her voice.
“No.”
“You stood in my mother’s lobby and tried to have me removed from property you were preparing to feed to yourself.”
Celeste stepped closer.
“Your mother is dead.”
Richard slammed his hand on the table.
“Enough!”
The room froze.
Too late.
Always too late.
Mara looked at him.
“Now?”
The word shattered him.
He sank back into his chair.
Celeste looked around and finally understood no one was moving toward her side.
Not Richard.
Not the board.
Not security.
Not even the staff assistant near the door.
Mara turned to Marcus.
“Escort Miss Marrow out.”
Celeste’s face drained.
“You can’t.”
Mara picked up the trust notice.
May you like
“I already did.”
Read the full story 👉 Celeste’s secret management agreement proved she planned to profit from the hotel’s destruction, and Richard realized he had never read what he was signing.
