The sun's rays peeked into the room where Semion and Celeste lay entwined on the bed. Both of them were naked, a bit sticky but very comfortable in that position.When Celeste moved and attempted to turn over to face Semion, he didn't allow her to move, instead, his arms tightened around her body."Mmm," Celeste complained in her sleep, trying to figure out what weight was pressing on her and preventing her from moving.Not only that, she felt her body as if it had been run over by a truck, particularly her private parts. Sticky and uncomfortable, she wanted to take a shower to feel refreshed."Don't move, sleep more," a soft, sleepy voice whispered in her ear as her face was nuzzled into a firm chest and a heavy leg was draped over her side."Uhm!" Celeste couldn't breathe properly and finally became aware. "I-I can't breathe! It's heavy!" She tapped on the man's chest, arms, and back."Hm?" Because of that, Semion also opened his eyes and loosened his embrace on the woman slightly.
Celeste had already eaten several hotdogs and eggs before she noticed the eyes fixed on her at the dining table. Her Aunt Isabella, Uncle Alessandro, and even Val were smiling at her."Is there something you want to say?" she asked shyly."Oh, nothing, nothing," Aunt Isabella waved it off. "You seem tired from last night, so go ahead, eat some more!" Her smile lingered, hinting at something. "Selya! Bring more dishes so Celeste can eat.""Yes, Seniora~""Um, I'm already full, Auntie, I might not be able to handle more!" she declined, not used to eating a lot. In fact, she was accustomed to eating only what was in front of her at the dining table, following etiquette. But now, she was being offered foods that were unfamiliar to her."You eat so little, dear," Primo Alessandro spoke up. "You won't get full like that. Look how skinny you are. You need some flesh and muscles like Valentina.""Daddy, she looks fine with her body type, maybe she's just not chubby or muscular," Valentina ret
"Formal invitations for our wedding have been sent out one by one." Semion stated with a blank expression. "The Allegra family is included. Here's the list of invitees. Do you have anyone else you'd like to add?"Celeste read through the pieces of paper containing the names of the guests invited to their wedding. Her fake friends were there, as well as the people who had once looked down on her when her family fell apart."Um, Semion, if it's possible, I'd like to invite a few more people to the wedding.""Sure, who are they?" Semion leaned back on the black couch in the living room."They're farmers from our family. Because I've been mourning so much in the past years and months, I haven't been able to check on them. I don't want them to think that the Costas have completely disappeared while I'm still here. They're almost like family to us, so I want this wedding to be more than just a show." Celeste explained."Hmm, sure. Should I send them an invitation letter as well, or do you w
"Is this your province, Celeste?" Valentina asked her, stuttering.They gazed upon a place that had been almost stripped of trees and plants. The once lush landscape was now bald, with only patches of grass and rice paddies. The beauty of the buildings that once stood there was also gone, with most of them now abandoned.Celeste hurriedly headed towards the riverbank where the beauty of the place used to be showcased. But she was surprised to see piles of garbage littering the surroundings. There were metal barriers blocking their way to the riverbank, making it seem like a private bathing area had been set up."What happened here?" she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The beauty she had expected from their province was nowhere to be found.This was the land of the Costa family, registered under Celeste's name. So she knew it couldn't be easily taken away by their relatives, especially while she was still alive."Come on, let's go visit Mama Lordes!" she hurriedly said, leading th
“I’m so sorry for the rough first impression I made on you all,” Lordes apologized to the elegant guests accompanying Celeste in her hut.The three of them responded immediately, with Valentina’s voice standing out. “Auntie, don’t worry about us. We understand your situation. We’re not here to be served; in fact, we’re here hoping to win your favor.” Valentina gave a warm smile.This behavior was unfamiliar to Luca and Semion. They weren’t used to their sister’s softer tone.“Oh, come now! You’re my guests, of course I’ll serve you,” Lordes started to stand from her wooden chair, then realized something. Embarrassed, she scratched her head. “But I’m sorry, my son Felip didn’t make any money from the fields today, so I don’t have anything prepared for you.”“Auntie, you don’t need to worry about us,” Valentina said sincerely. “If you would accept what we have to offer, we’d be delighted. But it seems like you and Celeste have more pressing matters to discuss right now, so we’ll hold off
After Lordes and Celeste had calmed down from their crying, comforting each other, and explaining past events to exchange information, they were now seated peacefully, sipping cold juice—something Semion had ordered his staff to prepare.“So, knowing the evil of the Allegra family after your demon of a husband abandoned you, it’s clear that you’re really separated, right?” Lordes asked Celeste for confirmation.Celeste nodded repeatedly. “It’s been two months since we separated. Even though I deeply regret not realizing things sooner, I’m still fortunate that it’s not too late for me.”Lords breathed a sigh of relief. “Good! I’m glad to hear that! Thank goodness you’re safe from the Allegra family!” Lordes then turned her attention to Semion, who was sitting across from her. “Semion, thank you so much for helping Celeste! We owe you a great debt of gratitude!”Semion insisted, “Actually, it was Celeste who saved my life. If she hadn’t been there, I would probably have lost my life.”L
“Mama!”In the middle of the conversation and laughter among Semion, Celeste, Valentina, and Lordes, a man’s voice dominated the small hut.A man walked through the wooden door, wearing worn-out farm clothes and a headscarf. He was carrying two dirty sacks that were full and looked heavy.“Ma?” His brown skin looked sunburned from working in the fields. He dropped the two sacks and looked curiously at the large people in their small hut.“Felip, my son!” Lordes, delighted, stood up from her seat beside the beautiful woman to greet him. “I’m so glad you’re finally home!”“Yes, Ma. We finished our work. And by the way, Captain Pablo gave out some corn and sweet potatoes, which should last us a few weeks.”“Wow, did you thank him? Even though the captain can be difficult, he’s still a kind man.”Felip laughed. “Of course, Ma.”“Good! But we’ll deal with that later, dear.” Lordes pulled Felip to the front of the beautiful people, making him quite nervous. “You need to meet them! This is, r
For a few seconds, Semion and Felip stared at each other with hostility, their glare crackling like electricity. Both men gritted their teeth but remained silent."Oh my goodness!" Celeste exclaimed, shocked as she processed the sudden turn of events. She felt the tension between the two and couldn’t help but cling to Semion's arm.Meanwhile, Lordes grabbed her child with a flurry of agitation. “What are you doing? You shouldn’t speak like that to a guest!” she said apologetically to Semion. “I’m sorry, dear! He doesn’t know what’s happening, so he’s just saying all sorts of things!”Semion was snapped out of his anger and turned his attention from Felip to his mother. “It’s okay, Ma---”“What am I supposed to know?” Felip interrupted impatiently. “From what I see, Celeste shouldn’t be marrying so soon after everything that’s happened because she needs to be extra careful! What if this guy is no different from Darson? Celeste is lucky to be alive now, and now she’s jumping into another