WEEKS LATER…The room was filled with the lively laughter of women, the clinking of glasses, and the gentle strains of music from the orchestra.Valentina watched with pride and anticipation as the event unfolded in the space she had meticulously prepared and planned as Celeste’s bridesmaid. Her eyes traveled over the sparkling chandeliers and the elegantly dressed guests filling the grand hall.She could hardly believe the day had come, as Semion’s sister, and the joy she felt was palpable. On the opposite side of the venue, the groom’s shower was also in progress, hosted by Diego.Dressed in a sleek black dress that clung to her body, Valentina walked through the crowd with an air of authority. Her heels clicked rhythmically against the marble floor, a rhythmic echo announcing her presence.She approached the trio of guests who had just arrived—Rania, Anetta, and Veron—who had once bullied Celeste. Valentina also remembered how these women often spoke ill of her behind her back. Aft
"Wait, w-wait!" Veron blinked repeatedly, scanning the woman standing before them. She whispered to Rania and Anetta on either side of her, "Come to think of it, girls. She's pregnant. I think she’s the one we saw at the mall with Darson Allegra.""Oh my god." Rania whispered in disbelief. "What is the mistress doing here, at the bridal shower of the woman she ruined?""I can't believe this. The audacity," Anetta whispered back, equally shocked.Veron paused, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. "No, wait. You know what, girls? This might be a good opportunity for all of us.""What do you mean?"Meanwhile, Chiarra remained smiling as she listened to the three women’s whispers. She showed no signs of discomfort despite what she overheard, knowing that they were her way to locate Celeste later and to avoid looking lost at the party.She was startled when the woman in gray suddenly grabbed her hand. "I'm Veron, and these are Rania and Anetta," she said, pointing to the two women o
“I’m also hanging around your ex’s mistress, Cestie. She hasn’t left the party at all. Does she really have such a thick skin, or does she just not know where to put herself?” Jett asked Celeste with annoyance.“Jettie,” Celeste said, patting his hand and smiling. “Just let her be.”He sighed dramatically. “Yeah, I know. But still! It really boils my blood with these mistresses. Urgh! Even though they know someone is married, they just go on being mistresses because their kiffy is itching!”Celeste laughed. “What’s a kiffy?”“It’s a woman’s genitalia. Haven’t you updated your vocabulary with today’s slang?” he laughed too.“Sorry, I’m getting old,” she said.He gave her a playful smack on the arm. “Cestie, you only look like part of today’s generation because of how young you look! Not gonna lie, the last time I saw you, you shocked me because you looked like a depressed widow.” He smiled sincerely and took her hand in his. “I’m so happy you’re no longer with Darson. Did you know I ne
“Why is he invited here again? Are we missing something?” Damiano asked Semion, along with the curious glances of his two other friends.Semion set his glass down on the table before standing up. He even smiled at them. “Why not ask him why he even came?” He then walked toward where Darson was standing, waiting for him.In reality, Semion had invited Darson just to insult him, but he hadn’t really expected him to show up. After all, the Allegra family is known for its pride. It would be a slap in the face for him to attend the bridal shower of his ex-wife, especially since the Allegra and Costa families were in the midst of a land war.Currently, Darson’s father, Demetrio, was still facing court proceedings, so why would Darson want to come tonight? What could be going through this bastard’s mind?“So why are you here, Mister Allegra?” Semion asked with a grin, standing tall in front of Darson.The man’s arrogance diminished, and he squinted as he stared back at Semion. “Of course I c
“I’m leaving,” Darson declared to Semion before the tension between them could escalate any further.Semion’s face was twisted with irritation as he watched the man, who had barely entered, promptly exit the room.It seemed Darson had come here just to taunt him. Now, Darson had succeeded in upsetting him. Even though he had returned to his friends, the echoes of Darson’s words lingered in his mind.Closure? Does he really want closure? Damn it, Darson Allegra must have a thicker face than concrete.“Oh? Why do you look so defeated? Did you lose to that guy?” Damiano asked, laughing.“Tsk!” Semion couldn't hide his frustration, especially as he realized how much he was fuming over that man.He kept wondering whether Darson was genuinely trying to talk to Celeste and how she hadn’t responded to him. He felt annoyed that Celeste hadn’t mentioned anything about this.Was it because they weren’t really married, so he didn’t need to know? But aren’t they supposed to be allies in this? He s
"Let me go, Darson! What the hell?!" Chiarra struggled against Darson's tight grip on her elbow as he dragged her out of the place.She had trouble keeping up with his fast, long strides. She had tripped several times in her high heels, but she didn’t fall because Darson was practically carrying her."It hurts!!" she protested angrily. "Could you slow down?!""Damn it, Chiarra!!" Darson threw her into the car. Her back hit the side mirror, which she immediately complained about."Ouch! W-What the hell, Darson?!" She clutched her stomach, her face filled with pain as she looked up. "Are you planning to hurt our child?!""Are you kidding? Isn’t that what you wanted to do to the baby in your womb?!" Darson threatened to slap her, which shocked her, but he didn’t follow through. His frustration was barely contained. "With what you did to Celeste, you didn’t even care about your own situation, did you?! How did you get here?!"She shouted back through her tears. "That woman invited me, wha
Semion had been staring at Celeste for a long time while she had been lost in thought in front of the mirror. Her hair was still damp, probably from just having taken a shower, and she was now wearing fresh pajamas.They had both returned home to the mansion and were currently in their respective rooms, hoping to rest. But Celeste had been ignoring him for a while, as if she had retreated into her own world because of what had happened at the party earlier.Semion had been struggling to suppress his anger about it. The fury in his chest wouldn’t subside, as he kept replaying the footage he had seen from the CCTV. In the footage, Darson had embraced Celeste and kissed her on the lips. Then, Darson's pregnant mistress had arrived.Semion’s nails were digging into his palms, causing them to cut and bleed slightly. He was deeply affected by what he had seen. And he was frustrated that Celeste was in such a state now. If he weren’t used to hiding his true feelings, he might have taken out
Celeste's entire body went cold and stiff as Semion kissed her lips once again. Her skin prickled even more when he bit her lower lip, causing her mouth to open. She gasped for breath as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth."Mmhmpp!" She arched her back, almost pressing herself into the back of the chair. She placed her hands on Semion’s chest, weakly pushing him away. But he was unyielding.The more she tried to pull away, the closer he brought his face and body to her.Aside from the sound of their lips meeting, all Celeste could hear was the pounding of her own heart.This was really happening, not just an illusion. Semion was kissing her!She tightly shut her eyes, feeling helpless as she let him do what he wanted. She wondered how they had ended up in this situation and couldn't process what he had said or what was happening.“Ah!” She exhaled, as if emerging from water, when Semion finally released her lips. “S-Sem—hmpp!!” But it was only a momentary reprieve before he captured