Chapter 3: Pawn

CELESTINA 

We finally reach the reception which is being held in Esperanza.  As we stepped into the mansion, the crisp clicks of my heels against the polished marble echoed louder than any word spoken.

 Ortega’s men stood like statues on the left side, their cold, assessing eyes fixed on my every move. 

On the right, my father’s men mirrored their stance, exuding equal intensity. 

Sevastian and I climbed the sweeping staircase to the second floor, our steps synchronized but worlds apart.

At the top, a heavy oak door greeted us, flanked by men who opened it upon our arrival. 

Inside, two imposing figures sat on opposite ends of a long mahogany table. Between them lay a contract, a simple piece of paper that shows the union of the two families. 

I strode to my father’s side, my shoulders squared and head held high. 

Sevastian moved with the same calculated confidence, settling beside Emilio Ortega. 

Without any word, Sevastian picked up the contract, his sharp gaze scanning the terms.

As we entered the white mansion, Ortega’s men were standing on the left side while my father’s men were on my right side. 

Sevastian and I headed to the second floor where the big drawing was waiting for us. When our men opened the door, we both saw our father’s sitting across from each other along the paper contract on the table. 

I walk first and sit beside my father while Sevastian also sits behind his father.  

Then without a word, he reached the contract on the table. 

“You want the thirty percent share of El Marino?”  He asked, his gaze sharp darted to my father. 

El Marino is the biggest business they had, which is known for its nickname as  Ortega’s crown jewel. 

It is a shipping transportation that transported everything from illegal guns, cars, and other equipment from other countries. 

And because of that, they both own the sea and air, a monopoly business which my father’s greed could not resist.

“Isn’t it fair?” he said, his voice dripping with false generosity. “I give you my daughter and half of the shares of our brothels. A generous offer.” He smirked, as he leaned back on the chair with mockery painted across his face.

However, Sevastian didn’t flinch with his contempt. 

“We can’t agree to this.” He placed the contract back on the table with deliberate disdain.

My father scoffed, his arrogance filling the room. “Then don’t consider this union—”

I raised my hand sharply, cutting his mid-sentence before he could utter a useless word.

“Everyone in this room, get out.” I commanded, my voice as cold as the steel hidden beneath my dress. 

“Except with my husband.” I added, as I threw a glance at Sevastian place who silently stared back at me. 

For a moment, there was silence, thick and unyielding. 

My father’s brows furrowed, but he saw the resolve in my eyes and stood without another word. 

The room cleared, our fathers and their men leaving under the weight of my authority.

Sevastian’s confusion flickers briefly, replaced by his usual smug composure. 

He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair as the door clicked shut.

“What game are you playing now?” he asked, his tone laced with ridicule.

I matched his gaze, refusing to blink. 

“A different proposal,” I replied with a hint of seriousness in my voice. “Not on  my father’s terms but ours.”

His brow arched. “Ours?”

“Yes. I want us to treat each other as equals,” I continued. “And that includes our businesses. Whatever affects your empire affects mine.”

His laugh was low and derisive. “I thought your father was an idiot. Turns out, stupidity runs in the family.”

My jaw tightened, but I refused to look away. “I am your wife now, Sevastian. What belongs to you—”

“Belongs to me,” he interrupted, leaning forward, his smirk widening. “And you’re delusional if you think this marriage means anything more than a deal.” The mocking tone, and the glint of amusement in his eyes, stoked the fire inside me. 

“You’re a pawn in this game, Celestina. Don’t overstep on your line.” He warns with an affront tone. 

“You think I’m a pawn?” I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

His smirk deepened. “That’s generous. A pawn, at least, has some value.”

I stood abruptly, my composure cracking as my temper flared. 

In one swift motion, I lifted the hem of my dress, revealing the sleek handgun strapped to my thigh. 

Before he could react, I had it in my hand and the barrel trained on his chest.

His smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of amusement tinged with respect. 

“Interesting,” he murmured, leaning back as though unbothered, though his eyes stayed locked on the weapon.

“I don’t care what you think this marriage is,” I said, each word deliberate, burning with restrained fury. “I am not your pawn, Sevastian. If you underestimate me again, you’ll regret it.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, his lips quirking into a half-smile. 

“Feisty. I’ll give you that.”

“You’ll give me more than that,” I snapped. “This union isn’t just for our families’ benefit. It’s for us. Keep mocking me, and you’ll find out just how equal I can be.”

For the first time, he was silent, his sharp eyes studying me as though seeing me for the first time. 

Then slowly, he leaned forward, his grin returning but softer now, almost dangerous.

“I think I might enjoy being married to you after all,” he said, his voice low.

My grip on the gun tightened. “Try me, Sevastian. You won’t enjoy what happens next.”

Sevastian’s gaze flicked to the gun in my hand, then back to me. 

His annoying smile widened, a dangerous glint in his eyes that sent a shiver not of fear, but of fury down my spine.

“Well, if you’re this passionate on our wedding day,” he drawled, “I can’t wait to see what kind of wife you’ll be in private.”

Before I could retort, his hand shot out, faster than I expected. 

His grip closed around my wrist, twisting it just enough to disarm me without causing pain.

The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering to the table.

“Careful,” he murmured as I staggered slightly, off-balance from his sudden move. 

But before I could fall, his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against him. 

His touch was firm, hot, and infuriatingly steady.

My breath caught as I found myself inches away from him, his dark eyes alight with amusement.

“Do you always carry a gun so close to your skin, mi esposa?” he asked, his tone low and menacing. “Or are you just eager to make our marriage exciting?”

“Let go,” I hissed, my hands bracing against his chest to push him away.

He didn’t budge. Instead, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear.

“If you’re looking for another gun to hold, not cold as steel, I don’t mind you holding mine.  But I should warn you… It’s much harder to handle.”

My face burned, from embarrassment. “You’re outrageous.” I spat. 

“And you’re reckless,” he countered. “Pointing a gun at me? Did you honestly think that would end well for you?” His voice was laced with sarcasm.

I narrowed my eyes, refusing to let his presence  intimidate me. “I wasn’t aiming to win. I was aiming to make a point.”

“Oh, you’ve made your point,” he said, his lips curling into a predatory grin. “You’re stubborn, impulsive, and entirely too confident for someone who just lost her weapon.”

I lifted my chin, glaring at him. “And you’re arrogant, insufferable, and too smug for someone who just revealed how threatened he is by his new wife.”

His chuckle was low, dangerous, and far too amused for my liking. 

“Threatened? Mi esposa, I’m not threatened. I’m intrigued. There’s a difference.”

I shoved against his chest again, this time with more force, and he finally let me go, his hands raised in mock surrender. 

But his eyes never left mine, sharp and unrelenting.

“You’re going to have to learn how to behave,” he said, his tone deceptively casual. “This little display of yours? It won’t work with me.”

“And you’ll have to learn that I don’t submit,” I shot back, snatching the gun from the table before he could stop me.

He laughed, the sound deep and infuriatingly amused. “Oh, I believe you. But I’ll enjoy watching you try to convince me you’re in control.”

I stepped back, the gun in my hand once more, and pointed it at him with steady precision. 

His smirk faltered, just for a second, before returning into a devilish grin. 

“Still playing with fire?” he taunted. “Careful, mi esposa. You might get burned.”

“I’d rather burn than let you think you have the upper hand,” I snapped.

He crossed his arms, leaning against the table with maddening ease. “You know,” he said, his tone dropping to something almost seductive. “I find this little power struggle of ours... entertaining. But let’s make things clear. In this marriage, there’s only one person who will win.”

I took a deliberate step forward, the barrel of the gun mere inches from his chest. “And it won’t be you.” I replied, with both eyebrows raising while staring at him with solemnity.

His grin widened, dark and challenging. “We’ll see, mi esposa. We’ll see…”