Celeste returns to the Leighs while her Moore parents celebrate a planned marriage to Michael that would seize the Leigh fortune. At a public reception she taunts Melanie over a recent fall and accuses her of staging it, provoking onlookers. The confrontation escalates into threats, with Celeste warning that attacking her means "crossing the Leighs." The key turn comes when Michael unexpectedly declares, "I won't marry you. I'm marrying Melanie." The announcement shocks Celeste and shatters the Moore family's plan, leaving her stunned and the room buzzing over what she will do next.