“We absolutely cannot do that. We can’t kill Celeste, Dad.” Darson firmly opposed his father.Demetrio’s eyes blazed at him. “What did you just say? Why? Do you have feelings for that woman? Are you seriously kidding me right now?”Before his father could lunge at him in anger, Darson quickly explained. “Do you really think they’ll be silenced if Celeste suddenly disappears in this kind of situation? It’ll only make things worse and put us in even more danger. Use your brain; this isn’t the time to act rashly. The Lombardis will only become more determined, and it’s likely we’ll end up being the ones who get taken down in the end!”He saw his father’s jaw tighten, but it didn’t scare him.When you think about it, what he said was true. The Lombardi family had already threatened them after publicly humiliating them, which showed how serious they were about protecting Celeste.Right now, Darson couldn’t think of any other reason why those farmers were back in the news except that Celest
*BANG*BANG*BANG*“Clean everything up now,” Semion ordered coldly to his men after firing his gun at the three men who had attempted to kill him.“Yes, Boss!” His men quickly set to work clearing away the bodies.“Hold my gun, Diego,” Semion said, handing his gun to Diego before wearily heading to his underground hideout office.Unlike his lavish office at his mansion and company, which sparkled with gold and diamonds, this office was the exact opposite. It was stark and dark, with only black decor, and the walls were lined with various weapons and torture devices.Semion slumped into the large black leather chair, propping his long legs up on the desk before pulling out a black cigarette and a lighter.He remained in that position, as if trying to relax, but every sigh he let out revealed that something was troubling him.“Boss, are you okay? You've been sighing a lot today,” Diego asked with a frown. “And you're acting so impatient. You didn’t even toy with those guys; you just kill
“Governor Allegra is currently facing a slew of cases and court hearings related to land theft, the mysterious disappearance of several residents and hundreds of farmers, and the illegal construction of infrastructure.”“Governor Allegra is under fire from netizens right now. Many young people are demanding justice for the farmers by rallying, visiting the victims, and providing small financial aid and relief goods.”“The spokesperson, lawyer, and party of Governor Allegra are calling for people not to spread false accusations about him and his family. According to their statement, they will do everything they can to prove their innocence, and the current issue is nothing more than black propaganda against them. Governor Allegra remains silent because anything he says could be used against him. However, his silence shouldn’t be taken as an admission of guilt.”Celeste happily sipped on fruit wine after hearing the news tonight. It wasn’t just one or two headlines about the Allegra fami
Celeste had been staring at her reflection in the mirror for a long time, seemingly lost in deep thought.“Señora Celeste, are you alright?” Lisa’s voice pulled her back to reality.Lisa and Lyn were currently doing her hair and makeup, while Celeste sat silently in front of the vanity table.She nodded listlessly. “I’m fine, why do you ask?”“Hmm? Are you sure? It seems like you didn’t sleep well last night, and you look low on energy this morning. Did you stay up too late?” Lisa asked, her concern evident.Celeste sighed heavily. “I’m not sure… It feels like something happened last night while I was asleep, but it’s all so jumbled that I can’t remember.”“That might explain why your eyes are so puffy and red today, Señora,” Lyn said, noting her unusual demeanor.“My eyes are red?” Celeste looked at herself in the mirror and was startled to see how swollen her eyes were, complete with dark circles. “I look like I’ve aged five years. Do I look terrible?”“Oh no, Señora Celeste! You don
Two months versus nearly two decades. Diego chuckled to himself.He understood that it wasn’t easy for Celeste to erase her feelings for her ex-husband, especially in such a short time. It was impressive how she managed not to show any emotion whenever the name of that man came up.Love, pain, trauma, resentment, and anger towards her ex had all mixed together. Anyone who had gone through what she had would likely choose to harden their heart.Even Diego, who had been single his entire life, understood these things. He grew up watching his mother being cheated on repeatedly by his father. Diego remembered the physical abuse his father inflicted on his mother and the way he poisoned her mind. For Diego, a child at the time, it was traumatic and the reason he now avoided romantic relationships.In the end, his mother chose to end her life by hanging herself right in front of him.Diego sighed as he recalled that memory. He shook his head and pushed the thoughts away.The point was, he c
“Primo Semion!” Lisa, one of Celeste’s personal assistants, exclaimed in surprise when she saw Semion entering the mansion late at night. “You’re coming home tonight?”He nodded. “Where’s Celeste? Is she asleep?”“Yes, Primo! Señora went to bed early because she didn’t sleep well last night and was tired from her activities today.”“Is that so? Alright, I’ll head up. Lock the door.”“Yes, Primo!”He took large strides toward the long staircase, hurrying to their bedroom.In truth, he wasn’t supposed to come home tonight since he was busy leading their organization, and Diego had wasted his time by taking him to that bar. So, he decided to come home since his plans were already ruined.When he arrived at the room, he carefully opened the door, afraid he might wake Celeste. He made no noise until the door was securely closed behind him.“T-Take it easy… don’t…”Semion froze at the sound of Celeste’s crying. His eyes widened as he looked at their bed, where Celeste was curled up under a
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” Celeste lowered her gaze, hiding her face in her hands.She had no idea that this was happening to her while she slept. She had no clue that she was dreaming about her parents and crying in her sleep!“S-Sorry!” She suddenly covered her face with her palms. “I really didn’t know, Semion. I must be disturbing your sleep! I’m so sorry!”After a month of sleeping together at night? It was embarrassing that she hadn’t realized she was showing such a weakness to Semion!“Please don’t get me wrong, Celeste,” Semion said gently. “I’m not telling you this to embarrass or discriminate against you. I just want you to be aware and get help for your condition.”Celeste lowered her hands and looked at Semion with a long face. “Do you have anyone you can recommend who can help me? Because no matter how I think about it, I don’t remember having nightmares—there haven’t even been any good dreams. Last night was just particularly bad, and I felt overwhelmed…”Semion swallow
“Celeste…”With eyes dim and red as if she hadn’t slept in weeks, Darson stared at a photo of his former wife from when she was still single.The picture showed fifteen-year-old Celeste with a broad smile, looking at the camera. She was wearing a simple pink dress that highlighted her glowing complexion. Her hair was styled in waves, reaching down to her waist.She was such a beautiful woman… who should have been his alone.“Celeste,” he stroked the picture frame with his thumb. “You’re a lying bitch. You said you would love only me. Where are you now? With another man?”He had downed countless bottles of alcohol in his rage, and now expensive empty bottles were scattered across the bed he used to share with Celeste.In his pain, Darson clenched his fist, ready to hit his chest.“Celeste! Celeste…” He repeated her name over and over, lost in a cycle of frustration and despair.He seemed irrational, unable to understand why Celeste had left him. He couldn’t grasp why she was now in ano