Chapter 264

After shutting the door, Celeste Harper stood by the window and watched as Ava Quarles finally got into the car, looking back every few steps. Only then did she breathe a little easier. Her phone buzzed right then with a new text message. “I’ll bring you some oranges tomorrow. Craving anything else?” Reading it, Celeste raised her eyebrows slightly. She typed out a short reply without hesitation: “Lamb rice noodles.” Ava’s response came back almost instantly. “Got it.” That night, Ethan Shaw didn’t get home until very late. Half-asleep, Celeste vaguely felt someone tucking her in. Ever since becoming pregnant, she’d been a light sleeper, so she woke up almost immediately. Realizing it was Ethan, she kept her eyes shut and stayed still. The bed dipped a little on the side—he’d sat down beside her. She could feel his gaze on her face, and after a long silence that felt like forever, he finally stood up. Then, he left the room. The soft creak of the door was the only sound in the quiet ro