Chapter 1 - Betrayed

Lianne's POV

“I can't imagine a future without you Lianne, will you do me the honour of spending the rest of your life with me? Adrian my fiance said to me.

Today is my engagement day. And it is taking place in the ballroom in my father's mansion. I and Adrian have dated for months now and he has been with me throughout the period of my father's death.

He is everything I could ever ask for in a man. He is sweet, considerate, loving and trustworthy. But tonight as he knelt before me offering me a ring, under the glowing chandeliers and brightly decorated room, in the presence of all invited guests, hearing the lines I have so much wanted to hear I can't help the growing feeling of unease in me alongside with happy, sweet and mushy feeling.

His behaviour has changed slightly or I had thought it had. Maybe it's just the stress of my father's death catching up to me.

“Come on sister, don't keep him waiting, say yes” Celeste, my half-sister came closer to me, held my arm and urged me. Celeste has always been jealous of me, of the attention and gifts I received from our father but tonight she's suddenly very sweet to me. Or maybe she has finally changed after our father's death.

I looked around me at all the invited guests, they were all urging me to say yes. I blushed, heat rising up my cheeks, painting it red.

“Yes” I whispered and stretched out my hands to him. He slid in the ring and it was a perfect fit with my finger.

“Oh my….this ring is so beautiful, you are so lucky to have Adrian as your man sister” Celeste sighed dramatically ‘I wish I have a man like him”

I heard Celeste my sister say and I chuckled, completely ignoring the underlying meaning behind her words and the almost intimate tone with which she called his name.

Adrian stood up, grinned and hugged me. I frowned slightly, his hug felt too casual almost as if he's hugging a friend rather than a fiancée.

Usually on occasions such as this, the man would hold his fiancée and give her a ravishing kiss on the lips but Adrian, he just gave me a hug that felt too casual.

Stop this Lianne, stop being apprehensive. I scolded myself he loves you and expects you to trust him but here you are doing the opposite, doubting him.

I nodded, that's right. I'm just too stressed out with my father's death and taking over the company. Maybe he's also stressed like me, that must be the reason.

“I need to go to the ladies room Lianne” Celeste whispered to me and left but not before glancing up at Adrian.

I noticed their eye exchange and got suspicious again. The uneasy feeling which I've been trying to suppress came back two fold.

I kept my eyes on Adrian watching his every movement as he moved in-between the guests receiving pleasantries from them. Perhaps he noticed my eyes on him because then he turned around, his eyes met mine and he smiled, raising the glass he was holding up at me before turning his back to me to continue exchange of greetings with the guests.

What is happening? Something is definitely fishy. But no matter how much I think, I just can't place my hand on the exact wrong thing.

I turned to look back at Adrian only to find out that he's disappeared. I glanced quickly at the entire ballroom and I spotted him turning a corner that leads to the hallway in which the guest rooms are situated.

I followed him quickly, my legs walking faster than my brain is thinking. I got to the corner and saw Adrian take a quick glance around before hurriedly entering a room. His behaviour resembles someone that is doing something wrong and doesn't want anybody to know about it.

I dodged behind the wall to prevent him from seeing me and as soon as I saw him enter the room I followed suit, staying outside at the room door.

Am I scared to realise the truth? Definitely, but still I want to get to the root of this. After a few minute, I heard the sound of laughter coming out of the room. I froze because the sound of that laughter is a voice that I'm very familiar with, Celeste.

Could she be…. ? No that can't be, I must be hallucinating right? Then as if to prove me wrong I heard her talk again, this time with Adrian.

“Did you get rid of her” I heard Celeste ask

“What? D'you think I won't be able to get rid of a fool like her” Adrian replied mocking me I can hear Celeste's laughter from where I'm standing.

“Don't worry darling” Adrian continued “once I get her to hand over everything after the marriage we'll become unstoppable”

“I know right, she has never been and will never be worthy of you, I am the only woman that is qualified to stand beside you as Mrs. Cooper” Celeste said gloatingly.

“Let her relish in her little bubble of joy for now till after the marriage. Then I'll show her what it means to try to steal what is mine” she continued.

“Don't be angry Celeste” Adrian coaxed her in a soft tone which I've never heard him use for me “you should know by now that you are my only love”.

" Everything I do is exactly the way you want it to be, for the benefit of the both of us"

My mouth opened and closed repeatedly as I try to comprehend what I just heard, tears gathered in my eyes. Adrian my fiancé and Celeste my half sister, they are actually ch…. I found it difficult to pronounce the word.

I shook my head frantically refusing to accept. But reality slaps me harshly in the face when I begin to hear incorrigible sounds coming from behind the closed door in front of me.

My blood boiled, I clenched my fists tightly beside me. My chest heaving and my breath came in heavy, short puffs.

I raised my hand and placed it on the doorknob ready to open the door and confront them both when my phone chimed suddenly, a message came in which read

“Check the accounts….”