The days following Lydia Hart’s announcement had been a whirlwind. The media flooded with think pieces praising Celeste’s resilience and calling out the toxic systems Veronica Hale once controlled. Damien and Celeste found themselves hailed as a new kind of Hollywood power couple, strategic, unshakable, emotionally grounded.
But behind the curated press runs and polished public appearances, the atmosphere between them had started to fray.
It began with the smallest things, missed texts, unread messages, last-minute meeting cancellations. And it started with Damien.
Celeste stood backstage at a charity gala, dressed in an ivory satin gown, scrolling through her phone. No reply. No “on my way.” No explanation. Again. An all too familiar feeling.
Her chest tightened. She had tried to be
