Chapter 174

Isabelle didn't let him off that easily. She pressed on, saying, "Really, you've only got yourself to blame-shouldn't have been so easy to use." As she thought of the wedding today, the playful smile on her face dropped in an instant. "Anyway, it's not like you've really lost anything. The one thing you should do now is play that recording I gave you yesterday for Celestia. It's all true, after all." With that, she didn't wait for a response. She spun on her heel and left. The stairwell door slammed shut behind her with a heavy "bang," jolting Ethan back to reality from his daze. He stared blankly at the now-closed door before slowly reaching into his pocket, pulling out the recording Isabelle had given him the night before. His gaze darkened, becoming more unreadable. Inside the lounge. Knock knock knock. The sound broke the silence that hung thick in the air. Celestia finally exhaled a quiet breath of relief. "Come in," she said, grateful not to be stuck alone with Jareth any longer.