Chapter 14

Celeste's pause lingered after hearing Semion's words. She had been mulling them over, wondering if he was genuinely serious about his marriage proposal.

She gasped, her earlier attempts to stifle her sobs coming to an abrupt halt.

"Marriage?" she uttered, incredulous. "Do you realize what marrying me would mean for you?"

In truth, Celeste no longer cared about what Semion asked of her after he helped her. If it meant sacrificing her own dignity as a woman, she'd let him claim her, as long as she could exact her desired revenge. Because all she had left to offer was herself.

But marriage hadn't crossed her mind. Firstly, what decent man would marry someone who'd been previously married? Secondly, what respectable heir of an influential family would marry someone from a fallen background like hers? Thirdly, didn't he realize she couldn't bear children, even if he wanted to have an heir with her? But wouldn't it be more fitting for him to marry someone else?

Many questions raced through