Isaac hurried over, quickly took off his jacket, and draped it over Chloe to cover her up.
He then quickly led her to the changing rooms, putting an end to the scene for the moment.
In a quiet corner, Miss Ruiz enjoyed her red wine, watching Celeste walk away with a look of appreciation.
"Not bad. It's been a long time since Sea City had anyone quite so intriguing."
Meanwhile, Celeste had already quietly left the main hall.
She leaned against a marble pillar in the courtyard, using the dim light as a cover to watch the people inside, though she still couldn't figure out who might be the potential investor.
And Nathaniel... he hadn't shown up yet?
With her constant exposure to danger, Celeste was almost certain Nathaniel was starting to doubt who she really was.
Was it something Ava mentioned on their wedding day?
Or did he remember her from the accident?
Celeste thought hard about her re

"Splash!" Celeste fell into the pool with just a slight nudge.
Chloe splashed in the face, and looked at her hand in disbelief.
She hadn't pushed that hard, had she? How did Celeste end up in the water?
"Did you push her?" A sharp voice came from behind. Chloe turned to see Nathaniel, his face icy and stern, which made her jump.
"I didn't do it!" she blurted out immediately.
"I swear, Nathaniel, I didn't push her!"
She was sure of it. She hadn't really put any force behind her push—it must have been Celeste who jumped in to set her up.
"It was all Celeste's doing; she's framing me, Nathaniel. Don't fall for it. She'll climb out any minute now—"
Chloe's voice faded as she watched Celeste struggle in the water for more than half a minute, showing no signs of getting out.
"She's faking it..."
Celeste was indeed faking it, though she mentally complained about the unexpectedly cold water—so m

As the ball began, Celeste was still wearing the black ruffled dress she had picked out earlier.
Glancing around, it seemed everyone was dressed similarly, and Celeste's makeup was light, not drawing much attention.
However, Chloe quickly approached her, visibly excited. "Celeste, you actually—"
Fool!
She actually showed up in that dress!"
Chloe, thrilled at the thought of the impending spectacle, grabbed Celeste's hand with enthusiasm.
Celeste looked startled, but internally, she was amused.
She hadn't expected Chloe to be so eager to make physical contact.
This was the perfect opportunity to use the sharp little dagger she had hidden to swiftly make a few cuts on Chloe's dress at the straps.
The cuts would be deep enough to cut through the straps but not so deep as to make them fall off immediately.
If Chloe behaved and didn't try anything funny, then nothing would happen. But if she got aggressive and struggled, it would make for quite the scene!
Oblivious to Celeste's plan, Chloe was eagerly anticipating the moment when everyone would turn against Celeste.
She even disregarded propriety and loudly introduced her to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet our new friend for the evening—Celeste!"
"Why don't we let Celeste start off the first dance?" she proposed.
"Who is she?" the crowd murmured, drawn by Chloe's loud announcement, yet no one really knew Celeste.
In a corner, a woman in a sophisticated, understated nude-colored dress swirled her wine glass and sneered. "Chloe loves being the center of attention. Why would she pass up such a great chance to someone else?"
"Must be something fishy," another guest whispered.
"Just watch," they concluded.
Everyone sensed that Celeste must have seriously wronged Chloe for her to make such a pointed display of support.
As expected.
When Celeste hesitated, too shy to step forward, Chloe pulled her forcibly onto the dance floor.
The dancers made room, and the two entered the spotlight.
Chloe spun Celeste around forcefully, a dramatic swirl of red and black on the dance floor—a captivating moment for all to see.
Suddenly, everyone heard the sound of fabric tearing!
Chloe was secretly thrilled, watching as Celeste's dress ripped from the bottom, expecting a scandalous scene.
Gasps filled the air!
But instead of a wardrobe malfunction, Celeste's dress, though split, revealed nothing inappropriate. It fluttered like butterfly wings, showing off a tastefully covered figure in a nude-colored underdress.
"Wow!"
"She's like a fairy!"
Someone exclaimed, and spontaneous applause erupted.
Amidst the applause, Chloe's face turned from excitement to ashen disbelief.
She stared, dumbfounded, at the scene unfolding before her eyes.
How on earth was Celeste ready for this?
She actually wore something underneath!
All her careful plotting didn't embarrass her at all; it just made her the star of the show!
Ah, how did this happen?
Fuming, Chloe stormed over to Celeste. She was too upset, too angry, and she was determined to confront Celeste. She couldn't let her get away with using her plan against her.
But just a few steps in, there was another loud rip!
"What, again?"
Everyone's attention snapped back, still buzzing from the last spectacle.
"Wait, is it different this time?"
"She's not wearing anything underneath?!"
There it was: Chloe's dress had torn, revealing her completely bare body beneath.
In an attempt to show off her figure, she had squeezed into a smaller dress, leaving her top completely bare and only a skimpy thong underneath—
With the skirt gone, the red lace thong was exposed for all to see, and her bare upper half gave everyone quite a show.
The whole room was in shock.
"What's Miss White doing? Is the White family now selling underwear?"
"You'd think she was all proper, but who knew she was this wild?"
"Her figure... not so great, huh? Looks like she's even padded her butt..."
The murmurs around her were sharp and piercing.
Even in today's more open society, as a notable daughter of the White family, known for her propriety, this was a disaster.
She crouched down, hugging herself, wishing she could just pass out right then and there—
"Miss White, if that was your design, why go bare? Were you... trying to grab attention on purpose?" Celeste, always knowing where to hit hardest, nudged the conversation subtly.
The looks Chloe received were full of scorn.
Society may be open, but there are limits.
"Turning a wardrobe malfunction into a gimmick is worse than what a third-rate celebrity would do, a total disgrace to the White family."
"That's shameful."
"I didn't!" Chloe shouted back, her eyes welling up with tears.
She couldn't understand!
She had planned to embarrass Celeste, so why was she the one ending up humiliated?
Even if Celeste was prepared, why did her own dress tear—
"Yes, it was you—Celeste, you did this!" Chloe accused.
"What are you talking about, Miss White? I don't understand," Celeste said with an innocent smile, then slowly squatted down.
Her demeanor was gentle, but her tone was chilling, speaking in a whisper meant only for Chloe.
"Isn't this what you wanted to see? Chloe, I'm just giving back what you planned for me…" Celeste's finger lightly brushed Chloe's cheek, her cold gaze making Chloe even more startled.
"Next time, it won't just be embarrassing."
Chloe shivered. Was this really Celeste?
How could she look so terrifying!

Isaac hurried over, quickly took off his jacket, and draped it over Chloe to cover her up.
He then quickly led her to the changing rooms, putting an end to the scene for the moment.
In a quiet corner, Miss Ruiz enjoyed her red wine, watching Celeste walk away with a look of appreciation.
"Not bad. It's been a long time since Sea City had anyone quite so intriguing."
Meanwhile, Celeste had already quietly left the main hall.
She leaned against a marble pillar in the courtyard, using the dim light as a cover to watch the people inside, though she still couldn't figure out who might be the potential investor.
And Nathaniel... he hadn't shown up yet?
With her constant exposure to danger, Celeste was almost certain Nathaniel was starting to doubt who she really was.
Was it something Ava mentioned on their wedding day?
Or did he remember her from the accident?
Celeste thought hard about her recent behavior, confident she hadn't slipped up anywhere. Nathaniel had held onto his title

Chapter 20 But do you think he'll believe you?