Just when she opened her mouth to speak, a loud bang echoed from the front door, startling everyone in the room. The next second, Veronica stormed in, her face flushed with fury as she held out a phone.
"Who the hell is this woman?!" she demanded, shoving the screen toward Celeste.
Celeste's heart lurched the moment her eyes landed on the image on the screen. It was Hailey. Her chest tightened, a sudden chill coursing through her spine. Her vision blurred momentarily, and she almost staggered back from the emotional punch that hit her straight in the gut.
She looked up slowly, eyes meeting Veronica's twisted face, red with rage with jaw clenched, nostrils flaring like she might actually breathe out fire. There was a raw, burning anger in her gaze, sharp enough to cut through lies. It was clear she wasn't going to believe anything that didn't sound like the full truth.
"Veronica," Celeste whispered softly, rising to her feet from the edge of the bed.
