Chapter 11 - The Thing Celia Couldn’t Undo
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Celia sat down.
Her arrogance was gone.
“I wanted to scare her.”
Damian stared at her.
“Explain that sentence.”
Celia shook her head.
“It sounds worse than it was.”
Richard’s voice was cold.
“It usually does.”
Celia looked at Damian.
“Elena told me she was reporting the money.”
“So?”
“I panicked.”
“You stole from the foundation.”
“I was going to put it back.”
Damian almost smiled.
Every thief said that.
Celia wiped her face.
“I asked Ray to take her SUV and bring it to the shop. I knew something was wrong with the brakes because Elena mentioned the vibration.”
“And when the mechanic said it wasn’t safe?”
“Ray called me.”
Damian’s face hardened.
“What did you tell him?”
Celia whispered, “Bring it back.”
Frank turned away in disgust.
Celia rushed on.
“I thought Elena would see the warning light. I thought she’d miss her meeting. I wanted time.”
“Time for what?”
“To move money. To fix the accounts.”
Damian stared.
“You risked her life to hide theft.”
“I didn’t think she would die!”
“No,” Damian said.
“You just decided the risk was acceptable.”
That sentence destroyed what remained of Celia’s composure.
She began sobbing.
The detective did not comfort her.
“Did you tell Elena the mechanic said the vehicle was unsafe?”
“No.”
“Did Raymond?”
“No.”
Damian looked toward the ceiling.
His daughter had driven away with her husband.
Rain falling.
Lily waiting at home.
And Celia knew.
The detective explained that prosecutors would determine the charges after reviewing the original crash investigation, repair documentation, phone records and Celia’s admission.
Damian listened.
He did not celebrate.
There was no satisfaction in learning how Elena died.
Only grief.
Then Richard spoke.
“There’s one thing we still don’t understand.”
Everyone looked at him.
“If Celia knew Lily’s inheritance was protected by Damian as trustee, why begin abusing Lily before filing to remove Damian?”
Celia’s crying stopped.
Richard continued.
“You needed more than temporary guardianship.”
Damian looked at her.
“What else did you file?”
Celia stayed silent.
Richard searched the court portal.
His expression changed.
“There.”
A second petition.
Filed under seal.
Emergency motion for medical capacity evaluation of Damian Moretti.
Damian read the supporting allegations.
Confusion.
Aggression.
Cognitive decline.
Physical instability.
Unpredictable violent behavior.
Celia had been building a case that Damian was mentally unfit.
His fight in the party hall would have been perfect evidence.
Damian suddenly understood why two bodyguards had charged him.
They weren’t only trying to stop him.
They were trying to make him fight.
Celia had expected cameras to record an elderly man exploding in violence.
A violent grandfather.
An unstable child.
And Celia in the middle, pretending to be the only responsible adult.
Damian looked at the broken statue camera.
She had planned everything.
Almost.
May you like
👉 Celia had wanted Damian to lose control on camera—and he had just given her exactly the fight she hoped for.
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