"Please, I didn't betray you! I gave up everything for you. Don't I deserve your trust?" Celeste fell to her knees, pleading with her husband, Damien. "My trust? Hah, that's not something I'd give to a filthy slut," Damien said coldly, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. ****** Celeste's world shattered on their wedding anniversary. The man she loved and her dearest friend had conspired against her. They betrayed her, framed her, and humiliated her without mercy. But the worst part? They even locked her away in a mental institution, stripping her of her freedom. What could Celeste do to fight back? She had only one choice—ruthless revenge. "If they dare to betray me, they must face the full force of my wrath!" When Celeste finally let go of love, however,Damien suddenly changed. He pulled Celeste into a firm embrace "I've been searching for you so long. Please, forgive me and love me again!" But Celeste merely gazed at him, her voice devoid of emotion. "That is not something I give to you, my ex-husband."
Lihat lebih banyakCeleste’s POVThe banquet was drawing to a close. And for the first time in a long while, I felt still.Fulfilled.Like maybe, just maybe, all the stress, the sleepless nights, the pressure I’d quietly carried on my back—had been worth it.Not only had Madam Diane publicly praised my work, but the buzz I’d been hearing all night—the sideways glances, the whispered names, the cards slipped discreetly into my palm—told me everything I needed to know.People were paying attention now. Not because of the scandal, but because of what I could create.This was another high point in my career—one that I had carved out with my own two hands.First, the recognition from Sebastian, a highly-esteemed icon in the fashion world who rarely praised anyone, and now this.I took a small sip of wine and let my shoulders relax.And in that moment of quiet—“Excuse me, ma’am?”I turned slightly, lowering my glass.A man in a tailored uniform bowed politely. “Our chairman would like to have a word with you
Damien’s POV"I know she's with someone else," I said quietly, setting my glass down harder than necessary. "But I can’t live without her."The words felt heavy coming out, raw and ugly in my throat. Admitting it made me feel like I was tearing open a wound that had never fully healed.Rob just stared at me.He opened his mouth once like he wanted to say something, then closed it again. Ran a hand down his face. Shook his head in disbelief.Finally, he leaned forward, elbows braced on the table. "You’re serious," he said, as if he still couldn’t believe it.I nodded once.His mouth twitched, like he wanted to curse or laugh or maybe both, but he didn’t. He just sighed heavily, his voice turning more serious than I'd heard it all night."Then you can’t fight her," Rob said. "And you sure as hell can’t fight him either."I frowned. "Then what?""You offer her something she can’t ignore," he said simply. "You figure out what she needs most... and you give it to her."I stared at him, his
Damien’s POVI left the room.I needed to find Celeste first—she would know more about Genevieve’s plans—she was part of this.And that Genevieve...How many more secrets was she hiding?I thought back to the moments I had spent with her. She had always worn that sweet, flawless smile.But who knew what lurked beneath it?I pushed through the thinning crowd, ignoring the fake smiles, the clinking glasses, the meaningless noise.At the entrance, I caught sight of an event staff member adjusting a clipboard under her arm. I cut straight toward her."Celeste Monroe," I said tightly. "Have you seen her?"The woman blinked up at me, startled. "Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Vaughn. But Miss Monroe left a little earlier, sir."The word hit harder than it should have."With who?" My voice was sharp, clipped.She glanced at her notes. “I believe it was someone who was inquiring about her designs. Perhaps a new client? I’m so sorry, I don’t have more information.” “Was it a man or a woman? What did they l
Genevieve’s POVMy pulse skipped. Damien glanced at me once, cool and unreadable. “D-Damien…” I stammered, fear rising in my chest. “I… I didn’t know you were there.” My fingers clenched around my phone, cold sweat prickling at the back of my neck.Were my hands shaking? I curled them tighter to hide it.I forced a small, broken laugh, desperate to fill the awful silence. “Were you… waiting to use the room?”“Yes,” he said with a blank expression. “Didn’t realize you’d be in there so long.”My mouth went dry. I stepped aside quickly. “S-sorry.”I couldn’t tell if he’d heard anything. His face gave nothing away, and that scared me more than if he’d been angry.He walked past me and into the room without another word.But I could feel his gaze trailing after me as I walked away. I didn’t dare look back. ***Damien’s POVI watched her walk away, her steps too quick, too stiff—like she knew I was still standing there. Like she knew I’d heard something.And she was right.I had.Not ever
Genevieve’s POVIsadora swooped in the second Damien walked away, grabbing my arm with perfectly manicured fingers and a sharp whisper."Did you see that?" she seethed. "My son—he didn’t even spare me a second look! After everything I’ve done for him!"Isadora didn’t stop, “And now? He walks past me like I’m a stranger on the street!"I barely managed to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. If I were Damien, I wouldn’t want to bother with you either.Is throwing tantrums really the only trick you know? Have you ever tried using any other way?I shifted my gaze away, careful not to let my disdain show. Swallowing all my irritation and keeping my expression neutral.But Isadora, of course, wasn’t satisfied with my half-hearted silence. Her voice pitched just slightly louder, “What are you looking at?”“Em… Damien,” I conjured the first excuse that came to mind. “It’s just… it’s been so long since I last saw him. And Celeste is here tonight too. I’m worried…”I trailed off deliberately,
Celeste’s POV“An invitation,” she said. “To the event I’m attending. It’s a political summit, but the social side of it is just as important. Every major name will be there. I want you there—to represent your work. People should know who designed this.”I stared at the envelope in awe. She smiled again. “Besides, it’s about time you got the spotlight you deserve.”And just like that, everything I had worked for—every sleepless night, every doubt, every tear I didn’t let fall—felt worth it.*****The ballroom shimmered with gold and glass, every surface reflecting wealth and power. People weren’t just arriving—they were arriving to be seen.And tonight, I had every right to be one of them.I walked in alone, head held high, and took it all in. I hadn’t even reached the center of the room when I heard it—“Celeste?”Genevieve stood just a few feet away, mouth slightly parted in shock. Her eyes scanned me up and down, clearly not expecting to see me here.Standing beside her, Isadora h
Celeste’s POVHarper stared at me like I had just told her the man she was interested in was a criminal.“Wait, wait, wait.” She leaned back in her chair, brows high and lips curled into a wince. “That guy—that rude, grumpy, gorgeous guy—is Genevieve’s brother?”I nodded as I sipped what was remaining of my orange juice. She let out a sharp breath, like the information physically offended her. “Well, that’s that. Instant ick. I’m officially over it.”I couldn’t help but laugh. “That fast, huh?”She shuddered dramatically. “Celeste, you know how I feel about Genevieve. If that girl’s made of fire, evil, and poison, her brother has to be at least 60% venom.”“Maybe,” I said carefully, setting my cup down. “But I don’t think he’s like her. Not entirely.”“You’re giving him way too much credit,” Harper said, narrowing her eyes. “Apples don’t fall far from their trees—so I’d rather stay far, far away from that entire family.”“He was… different when he talked to me,” I said slowly. How h
Celeste’s POVI felt like I was running on fumes—half alive, half driven by adrenaline and desperation. My eyes burned and my head throbbed.But I couldn’t stop.When I looked up, Harper was watching me from across the room, her expression soft with concern and just a hint of judgment.She walked over quietly and placed a cup of something warm on the table beside me.“Tea,” she said, before I could ask. “And don’t even think about asking for more coffee. I believe you’ve had enough caffeine to fuel a small country this week.”I managed a tired smile but didn’t protest. The truth was, my hands were beginning to tremble from the nonstop coffee runs. The kind of exhaustion that sleep couldn’t fix had started to settle deep into my bones.She sat across from me and watched as I wrapped my hands around the mug, letting the steam soothe my face.“You’ve been pushing too hard,” she said gently.“I don’t have a choice.”“You do,” she insisted, frowning. “You just refuse to take it.”I shook m
Celeste’s POVThe orphanage stood before me like a ghost that had learned how to breathe again.It had been rebuilt, but I still felt the burn in my chest. As if the fire that tore through it had somehow reached me, even from miles away.Theo stood quietly beside me, his presence grounding me. I remembered screaming when I saw the fire in the news. But after I had gotten out of the asylum, all I’d cared about was Auntie’s health. Seeing her. Knowing she survived. I didn’t let myself think about the rest of it—the fire, the children, the memories reduced to ash.The laughter, the songs, the scraped knees and stolen cookies—gone. The only sound now was the wind pushing through the trees.“They relocated the children, right?” I asked, not looking at Theo.He nodded. “After the fire. A few to new homes, others to partner institutions.”“And no one ever said how it started.”Theo hesitated. “The report said it was an electrical fault. But…”Anger sparked within me as I thought about what
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