Chapter 13 - My Stepmother's Last Lie
Celeste refused to confess.
She blamed Grant.
Grant blamed her.
Kessler blamed everyone.
But Dad had prepared for that.
The laboratory sample he sent before his death showed repeated exposure to medication that had never been prescribed to him.
Rosa's testimony placed Celeste near his drinks.
Financial records established motive.
Grant's testimony established conspiracy.
Then investigators recovered deleted messages.
One from Celeste to Grant was sent six hours before Dad collapsed.
Tonight has to be the last time.
Her attorney argued it could mean anything.
Then another message appeared.
Grant had replied:
Make sure he can't change anything tomorrow.
The room went silent.
Celeste finally looked afraid.
But the strongest evidence came from Dad himself.
His smartwatch had recorded audio.
Not intentionally.
A voice command had activated shortly before his collapse.
The recording was fragmented.
Glasses.
Footsteps.
Dad coughing.
Then his voice.
“Celeste, what did you give me?”
Her answer was faint.
But unmistakable.
“Something that should have worked weeks ago.”
For months, I had imagined Dad dying alone.
Now I knew he had understood.
Even at the end.
And he had still left enough behind to expose them.
Celeste's expression finally broke when investigators played the recording.
Not because she regretted what she had done.
May you like
Because she realized Marcus had beaten her after death.
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