Chapter 3

Celeste’s POV

"He'll believe me." I met Juniper's eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "We've been together for five years. He knows who I am."

Juniper arched an eyebrow, amusement flickering across her face.

"Is that so?" She sauntered closer, lowering her voice. "This morning you were suspected of trying to kill me and my baby. Now you're going to tell him I've been faking a terminal illness?"

She tilted her head, eyes glittering with mockery. "How do you think that's going to sound?"

"I'll make him see the truth."

"Five years?" Juniper scoffed. "Five years means nothing. We were each other's first love."

She stepped closer, her gaze sharp as a blade. "You think you know him? Did you know him at seventeen? Were you there the first time he killed a man, when he was shaking with terror? Were you holding him when his father died in his arms?"

"I—"

But suddenly her expression shifted. Her eyes welled with tears, her confident posture crumbling into something wounded and vulnerable.

"Fine. I'll go." Her voice quavered. "I'll take the baby and leave..."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her words catching on a sob. "But Celeste... this is my first child with Kieran... his first child too..."

Tears traced silver lines down her pale cheeks. "No matter what, I'll protect this baby... even if you don't want me to live..."

She was convincing. If I hadn't seen the truth with my own eyes, I might have believed her too.

"Celeste! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Kieran's voice cracked through the air like a whip. I spun around to find him storming across the garden. He shoved past me and pulled Juniper behind him.

"She... she said I'm faking my illness..." Juniper pressed herself against him, trembling. "She said I bribed the doctors to lie to you... Kieran, I didn't... I swear I didn't..."

"Kieran, listen to me—"

"Listen to what?" His voice was frigid. "You think a dying woman would joke about her own life?"

"She's not dying! It's all a lie!"

He let out a bitter laugh. "You pushed her this morning. Now you're inventing conspiracy theories. What's next, Celeste? Going to tell me the baby isn't mine?"

The words hit me like a blade to the chest.

"Kieran..."

"She's dying." His voice shook with barely contained emotion. "Just because she used to be my girlfriend, you have to torment her like this? Because of one night—she deserves this?"

He closed his eyes as if trying to master himself. "That night... I made a mistake that any man could make. It has nothing to do with her. The fault is mine."

A mistake any man could make. So that's what betrayal was to him—just an "error," something to be brushed aside.

I must have looked devastated, because something in his expression softened slightly.

He released Juniper and moved toward me, taking my hands in his. "Celeste, I know this has been hard for you." His voice dropped, heavy with weariness. "But what I promised you hasn't changed."

He looked into my eyes. "When this is all over... I'm still going to marry you."

Behind him, I heard a small, sharp intake of breath. Juniper's face flickered—just for a moment—before another mask slid into place.

"Kieran..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "It's okay. I understand why Celeste is afraid."

She stepped forward, her eyes swimming with tears, and took my other hand in hers. "After I have the baby... if I even live that long... all of this will be yours, Celeste."

She squeezed my fingers, her smile beatific. "I never wanted to take anything from you. I just wanted... to feel what it was like to be a mother. Just once, before the end."

Kieran's gaze softened further, filled with pity as he looked at her.

"Don't talk like that."

"It's true..." She lowered her head. "I know my time is running out. I won't be in your way for long."

He was silent for a moment. Then he turned to me. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you to try on wedding dresses. You've always wanted to go to that boutique, haven't you? I've already made an appointment."

Wedding dresses. He'd just defended another woman to my face, dismissed every word I said, and now he wanted to discuss wedding dresses.

"Fine." I heard my own voice, impossibly calm.

Behind him, Juniper's lips curved in a small, secret smile. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, but I saw it clearly.

Kieran never would. He chose to believe her, not me.

So let him live in his lie.