Chapter 442
Holding the microphone, Eleanor’s warm gaze swept across the room, her voice steady and powerful.
She publicly revealed the second surprise of the banquet, fulfilling the rumor of the double celebration that had spread through their elite circles.
“Today is my eightieth birthday. I am honored by the love of my family and friends gathered here. This is the first great joy for the Sterlings p>
A scattered round of applause echoed through the room.
Pausing for a moment, a trace of deliberately crafted warmth brushed past Eleanor’s eyes.
Her aged, measured voice rang through the entire banquet hall. “And today, the Sterlings have a second monumental cause for celebration.
As many of you know, I lost a loved one in my later years. It has always been my greatest regret not having a sweet granddaughter to keep me company.
Today, I want to take this opportunity to fulfill that wish p>
Sienna’s brow furrowed slightly.
Eleanor continued, “I am going to adopt a granddaughter. This child and I have a deep connection. She is kind-hearted and a good girl.
Although she is not of my blood, from today onward, she is a granddaughter of the Sterlings. Anyone who bullies her is bullying me p>
As her words fell, the lighting in the back shifted.
A delicate, frail figure sat in a wheelchair, slowly pushed down the center red carpet.
In an instant, the entire hall erupted into an uproar.
All eyes zeroed in on her.
Sienna’s gaze also landed on that face, and her pupils violently contracted.
Celeste Carlyle!
The guests collectively held their breath, gasps caught in their throats, their faces painted with utter shock.
Under the spotlight, the girl looked incredibly docile, her aura soft. Her facial features, her silhouette, her expressions p>
She was an exact replica of the recently deceased Celeste, without a single discrepancy.
What made everyone’s blood run cold was the thin blanket draped over her legs. At the knees, there was a slight indentation.
It was the signature physical flaw unique to Celeste, perfectly identical.
Someone sucked in a sharp breath.
People began whispering to one another, eyes wide as they darted between the stage and Sienna.
The expressions on their faces were as dramatic as if they were watching a theatrical masterpiece.
Under the table, Sienna’s hands balled into tight fists.
She stared intensely at the woman in the wheelchair.
The woman kept her head slightly bowed, a meek smile playing on her lips.
Like a pure white lotus blooming in a greenhouse—clean, harmless, begging to be cherished.
But Sienna recognized that smile.
It was Celeste’s go-to expression.
Playing innocent, playing the victim, acting as if the whole world had wronged her, making every man want to protect her
Eleanor stood on the stage, her tone as loving as if she were telling a touching fairy tale.
“This child is named Cora Vaughan. She is a distant relative of the Vaughan family in Fairmont.
By a stroke of fate, she looks exactly like our Celeste, right down to the injuries on her legs p>
The Vaughan family in Fairmont? Helena’s maiden family!
Cora Vaughan?
She changed her name, swapped her identity, and dared to strut right back into their lives.
Sienna couldn’t help but scoff.
No wonder she couldn’t track down Celeste’s whereabouts over the past few days, no matter how hard she tried.
She had already reinvented herself.
Just waiting for a massive occasion like today to openly return with a brand-new identity!
Helena and Eleanor’s move was truly masterful.
But she wondered, did Jarred have a hand in this?
Sienna turned her head to look at Jarred.
He stood below the stage, less than ten feet from the wheelchair.
His gaze rested on the face that looked exactly like Celeste’s, his brow slightly furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.
He wasn’t surprised.
Sienna’s heart plummeted.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know.
He knew. He had known all along.
Eleanor’s tone was incredibly sincere, carefully laying the groundwork with every sentence, weaving a flawless lie of divine destiny