Chapter 443
“Ever since Celeste passed away, I’ve been consumed by grief, unable to find peace day or night. My heart was tied in knots.
Then, heaven sent Cora right to my doorstep. Her face and demeanor are strikingly similar to Celeste’s.
She’s gentle and obedient, and we share a special bond.
I suppose the heavens took pity on me. It was destiny that brought her to my side to comfort me in my old age p>
As Eleanor continued to preach about fate and divine intervention on the stage, Helena stood beside her, wiping away tears, looking profoundly moved.
The guests exchanged skeptical glances. Nobody was a fool.
That face, those legs, that comically convenient name change—who would believe this?
Everyone in the room saw right through it.
There was no lookalike. This was clearly the dead returning to life; the vanished Celeste herself!
Yet, no one dared to speak up and expose the truth.
The Sterlings held absolute power in the Capital, their roots running impossibly deep.
No one was willing to risk their own neck to offend a top-tier billionaire family and destroy their own future.
By unspoken agreement, everyone kept their mouths shut, silently watching this absurd masquerade unfold.
Eleanor, well-versed in human nature, had prepared a foolproof narrative to silence the masses.
“We hit it off the moment we met. Today, I am making the executive decision to adopt Star Vaughan as my granddaughter and add her to the Sterling family registry.
From this day forward, she is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Sterlings, and our family will protect her for the rest of her life p>
With one sentence, the dust settled.
A brand-new identity on paper, a public adoption ceremony.
With the witness of the highest social circles, Celeste had successfully completed her rebirth and whitewashing.
From now on, the murderous, villainous Celeste ceased to exist. There was only the Sterlings’ adopted granddaughter, Cora.
All her past death records, cremation certificates, and missing person traces were nullified.
For the rest of her life, she had a brand-new identity and a fresh start.
She could live openly in the sunlight, sheltered by the entire Sterling empire.
No one could ever hold her accountable with any charges or evidence again.
It was a masterclass in deception, executed with absolute dignity and not a single flaw.
Sienna tightly gripped her hands on her lap.
The Sterlings had an unwritten rule, set by the old patriarch himself.
No matter who it was, if someone made a wish at their birthday banquet, absolutely no one was allowed to object.
Now that all the Sterling elders were present, even with the authority the patriarcha had given fier, she opulent, speak out:
She had tried so hard to stop Eleanor from hosting this banquet because she knew that once she officially adopted Celeste, there would be no turning back.
She had guarded against everything, but still missed this one crucial loophole.
Sienna ground her teeth in pure frustration.
She knew the Sterlings might try to give Celeste a new identity, but she never expected them to be se incredibly brazen about it!
Star Vaughan stood with her head bowed, her eyelashes fluttering, putting on a show of being overwhelmed by the honor.
A leopard never changes its spots.
Even with a new identity, her inherently manipulative Bro-Bait nature remained exactly the same.
She looked fragile and innocent, grateful and content, but deep in her eyes hid the sinister gleam of a calculated victory.
She knew every hidden card in this scam. She knew the entire Sterling family was paving the way and backing her up.
And she was acutely aware that Sienna was sitting below the stage, isolated and completely helpless.
Thunderous applause erupted, followed by a chorus of congratulations.
“Congratulations, Eleanor! You are truly blessed with divine fortune p>
“What a beautiful story. Fate is truly a miraculous thing p>
The fake praises echoed one after another, an absurd and deeply ironic symphony.
No one mentioned the faked death. No one demanded accountability for her past sins.
In the entire hall, only Sienna remained aloof and still, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
Amidst the sea of fabricated harmony, Sienna single-handedly shattered the silence.
She slowly stood up.