Chapter 15 Lysander had just finalized Celesteâs enrollment when an uninvited guest made an appearance, A heavyset young man with dyed red hair, dirty dreadlocks, and multiple ear piercings kept peering into their luxury vehicle.
After several glances, Roberto finally confirmed the woman inside was indeed his sister.
âHoly shit, Celeste! Look at you! Got yourself a sugar daddy with serious cash, sis!â he sneered, giving her a contemptuous look before boldly climbing into the car.
His sweaty tâshirt leaving a faint mark on the leather seats, but shame wasnât in his vocabulary. He casually draped his arm over Lysanderâs shoulder.
âIâm Roberto Stanley, Celesteâs brother. So youâre my new brotherâinâlaw, right? My sister hasnât sent me any money in forever. Since youâre family now, thatâs gotta change, right?â
âA ride like this? Youâve got cash to burn. Why not just give me this car? Perfect timingâIâm getting my license soon and need some wheels!â
âOh, and my parents are broke tooâcanât even afford their medical bills. Come on, bro, help us out!
Put it on Celesteâs tab if you want.â
When he finished, Roberto leaned back comfortably against the seat, his greedy eyes scanning the carâs interior, treating Lysander as if he were completely irrelevant.
Celeste remained perfectly calm inside, actually hoping her brother would make an even bigger scene.
Outwardly, however, she feigned fear, shrinking into Lysanderâs arms with apparent alarm.
âLysander, heâs not my brother! How could Celesteâs brother be such a person? Should we help him?
Do you think his family is really struggling that badly?â
Seeing her apparent innocence and kindness, Lysander suppressed his disgust. His gaze toward Roberto turned glacial.
âOf course. Iâll be more than happy to âhelpâ the Stanley familyâprovided they can handle whatâs coming.â
21:52 The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights 20.5%
Chapter 15 Roberto missed the ominous undertone completely. His smile widened and his look toward Lysander grew even more dismissive.
He extended his palm expectantly.
âGreat, letâs start with ten grand. Just as a little gift, yâknow?â
Lysander let out a derisive laugh. âTen grand? Thatâs all? Feels like I should be more generous.â Lysander let out a derisive laugh. âHereâblack Amex Centurion card has no limit and no PIN. Enjoy yourself.â
Hearing this, Roberto felt like heâd hit the jackpotâa windfall so huge it left him dizzy. He didnât spare a second to consider Lysanderâs motives.
Without hesitation, he snatched the card, bolting out of the car to test it before Lysander could change his mind.
The moment Roberto exited, the car door slammed shut behind him.
Lysanderâs expression darkened to its lowest point as he called his secretary.
âNick. Send someone to impound this car. Have security flag my Amex for unauthorized useâwhoever tries to swipe it, I want them arrested on the spot. Push for maximum sentencingâI donât want to see Roberto Stanley free for decades.â
âAs for his parents, look into them. If they mistreated Celeste, find a reason to put them away 100. Preferably forever.â
Hearing his words, Celeste felt momentarily disoriented.
Her parents and brotherâwho had once loomed over her like an insurmountable mountain, suffocating herâcould be neutralized with just a casual order from Lysander.
Money and power were truly remarkable weapons.
But she had no interest in begging for Lysanderâs love.
She understood perfectly that his kindness toward her stemmed solely from her resemblance to Ophelia.
Without this face and identity, she would receive nothing from him.
21:52 Rammed Brade of Vedret Only what she held firmly in her own hands truly belonged to her.