Chapter 5 The first strike.

Claire

Claire wasn't a fool.

She had spent years learning how to read people-how to break down their defenses and find the cracks underneath. It had served her well in the courtroom, and even better in her personal life.

And Celeste?

Celeste was hiding something.

The problem was Ethan. He was too damn stubborn, too private. He would never admit if something was wrong, which meant Claire had to find out for herself.

So she made a decision.

She was going to test Celeste.

And she wasn't going to be gentle about it.

Ethan

Ethan had barely finished his second cup of coffee when the doorbell rang.

He sighed.

There was only one person who would show up this early without warning.

When he opened the door, Claire stood there, looking perfectly composed as always. She held a bag in one hand and her phone in the other, as if she had just happened to stop by.

Ethan crossed his arms. "Claire."

"Good morning, Ethan." Her tone was pleasant, but her eyes held that sharp, assessing gleam that always put him on edge.

"What do you want?"

She lifted the bag slightly. "I brought breakfast."

Ethan frowned. "Why?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Because I wanted to see Oliver. And because I figured I should get to know the woman you've so suddenly moved into your house."

Ethan's stomach tightened.

She was already making a move.

He should've expected it.

Still, he stepped aside, motioning her in.

"Oliver's in the kitchen," he said, watching as she strolled past him with a little too much ease.

Claire didn't respond. She was already scanning the house, her sharp gaze taking everything in.

And then her eyes landed on Celeste.

Celeste was standing by the counter, mug in hand, looking completely unbothered.

Ethan wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Celeste

Celeste knew what Claire was doing.

The moment the woman stepped into the house, she felt the energy shift. Claire wasn't just here to drop off breakfast-she was here to study her. To test her.

Fine.

Celeste could play that game.

"Good morning," she said smoothly, setting her coffee down.

Claire offered a polite smile. "Celeste. How nice to see you again."

Celeste matched her smile, even though they both knew neither of them meant it.

"Oliver's just finishing up his breakfast," Celeste said. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

Claire nodded, but she didn't move toward the kitchen.

Instead, she turned to Ethan. "How about you give us a minute?"

Ethan hesitated.

Celeste caught the flicker of concern in his eyes before he masked it.

She fought back a smirk.

He was worried about leaving them alone.

Good.

That meant he knew exactly what Claire was capable of.

Still, after a brief moment, Ethan exhaled and nodded. "I'll check on Oliver."

Celeste watched as he disappeared down the hall.

And then, it was just the two of them.

Alone.

Claire took her time, setting the bag on the counter and pulling out neatly packaged breakfast items. "I wanted to talk to you," she said lightly.

Celeste leaned against the counter. "I figured."

Claire's lips curved slightly. "Ethan and I... we were together a long time."

Celeste said nothing.

Claire continued, pretending to focus on unwrapping a croissant. "He's not the kind of man who does things impulsively. Especially when it comes to Oliver. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out he'd invited a woman to move in with him."

Celeste tilted her head. "Surprised, or concerned?"

Claire's gaze sharpened.

But she kept her expression calm. "Both."

Celeste smiled. "Well, that's sweet of you. Looking out for your ex-husband like that."

Claire finally met her eyes, the polite facade slipping just a fraction.

"I don't care what happens between you and Ethan," she said softly. "But Oliver? That's different."

Celeste held her ground. "I know."

Claire studied her for a moment. Then, casually, she asked, "So how did you two meet?"

Celeste barely blinked.

She had been expecting that question.

Still, she took a sip of her coffee, drawing out the silence just enough to make Claire wonder.

Then, with an easy smile, she said, "At a fundraiser event. One of those fancy charity things Ethan was forced to attend. He looked miserable, so I struck up a conversation."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really."

Claire hummed. "Funny. Ethan never mentioned it."

Celeste shrugged. "Maybe because it wasn't important at the time."

Claire didn't respond.

But Celeste could feel her trying to poke holes in the story.

Good luck with that.

Claire finally smiled, but there was an edge to it. "I suppose time will tell."

Before Celeste could respond, Oliver's small voice carried into the kitchen.

"Mom?"

Celeste turned just in time to see Oliver standing in the doorway, his gaze flicking between her and Claire. His expression was neutral, but there was a hesitance in his body language.

Claire's smile softened instantly, shifting into something maternal and warm.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said, walking toward him. She crouched slightly, holding her arms open. "Come here."

Oliver hesitated for only a second before walking into her embrace.

Celeste watched as Claire held him tightly, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

When Claire pulled back, she brushed a hand through Oliver's hair and glanced at Celeste.

"You've been behaving, haven't you?"

Oliver nodded. "Yes, Mom."

"Good," Claire murmured before straightening. Her sharp gaze flicked back to Celeste. "I'd hate to think anything... unpleasant was happening here."

Celeste smiled, unfazed. "Everything's been fine."

Claire held her gaze for a beat longer before turning back to Oliver. "Why don't you go get your shoes, sweetheart? We're going out for a bit."

Ethan walked back in just as Oliver hurried off. His brows furrowed. "Going out? Where?"

Claire lifted her chin. "I want to spend time with my son."

Ethan exhaled, clearly already tired of this conversation. "Claire-"

"It wasn't a request, Ethan."

Celeste stayed silent as tension filled the room.

Ethan's jaw clenched. He hated this-hated how Claire always acted like she had the final say.

And Celeste could tell.

Claire turned back to her with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Lovely chatting with you, Celeste. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving a heavy silence behind.

Celeste let out a slow breath and glanced at Ethan.

"Well," she murmured. "That was fun."

Ethan didn't laugh.

Because they both knew this was only the beginning.