CELINE HERRERA POV PAST"I hate you!" Crystal yelled, the lightning rendering the skies making the statement even more severe. "You have everything and yet you can't even let me have just one thing that I want... Are you really my friend... Is this how you are going to treat me after all these years" Tears streamed down my cheek but the rain wiped them off as soon as they dropped. "You do not get to say that Crystal!" I yelled, matching her riotous energy and stepping into her space. "Do not think for one minute that you get to use that line on me. Do you not get tired of coming to me every other year and making the most ridiculous demands? What haven't I let go for you huh? I gave up Asher for you didn't I, I let you get first place in all the exams in high school, I applied to a different college cause you didn't want me to go where you were and now you want my fucking kidney. What are you going to ask for next, my freaking heart"She shook her head, the motion making her neck loo
DELIA HERRERA POV "Why are you just allowing her to marry Belshar? Their wedding is this week. What about me? This was not part of the plan" I screamed, my hands flying to my hair while my whole body shook almost convulsively. I was losing my freaking mind and grandfather looked totally nonchalant about it. "Say something! Fucking say something damn it" I roared. "Enough of your tantrums! I told you this was a bad idea from the very start.. what would you have me do against someone as powerful as Belshar" "If you had just cut her off then this would not be happening. She's not even a real Herrera and she killed your son. My mother died because of her.. how can you let this happen!".Grandfather stood up, walked toward me, and then grabbed me by my shoulders and stared at me for awhile until the trembling restless energy that coursed through my veins lessened. "That's enough now my lovely child, take a deep breath and calm down so we can talk about this rationally," he said and I t
DELIA HERRERA POV PASSION GARDEN Once I stepped into the garden house I saw him and my heart gave a little jump in my chest. God, he made me so mad even when he was doing nothing. He stood tall in a tailor-made impeccable suit, his gaze focused on one of the flowers in particular. Why a flower garden of all places? I bet he was doing it on purpose because he knew just how much I despised settings like this. Was his one goal in life just to annoy me or what?He had his hands tucked into his pocket and his stance screamed power and authority and all that combo just made me more furious than I already was. I really should have drank a bottle of wine before coming here because there was only so much I could take in a day."If you stare at me for much longer you might really fall in love with me Delia," he said making me blanch from where I stood then he turned to face me, a knowing smirk on his lips, his hazel eyes a light shade that shone with amusement.I scoffed, then rolled my eyes
DELIA HERRERA My marriage was registered and In the news a day before Celine's wedding and I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she joined us for dinner tonight.I knew she had no plan for a bachelorette party because the only people who would have been in attendance had had no choice but to attend the small ceremony we'd held to commemorate my wedding. Grandfather had made it absolutely necessary. Celine had not come of course since she made an excuse that she was going to be getting her wedding gown that day but dinner was a different ball game and she had to come.I couldn't wait to gloat in her face. She thought she could one-up me but I was going to make sure that things never go the way she wanted them to. Marrying Enoch had not been part of the plan but Celine had left me with no choice since I hated the thought of her getting married before me. And Grandfather was right, Enoch was really the right candidate if I ever wanted to outshine Celine. But that didn't me
CELINE HERRERA POV Tears welled up in my eyes as I yanked open the door to my house and stepped into my little sanctuary. I took in the familiar interior then squeezed my eyes shut and slipped to the floor. The tears fell in torrents. They hadn't stopped falling since the night I'd left Bella's place and tonight Delia had managed to push me so hard, I'd said stuff that I normally wouldn't. I rubbed my hand against my face and flinched in pain as my hand rubbed against the crusty dried blood and the small cuts on my face. Picking myself up from the floor, I made my way to the bathroom and washed all of the blood off, then I stared at my reflection for the longest time. I took out the first aid box then treated my wound and put bandages on the most nasty of the cuts.My phone rang and I glanced to see that it was Julie calling. I picked up the phone and answered the call."Celine, oh my God, thank God you picked. I thought you were still mad at me" I still was but I also heard that
BELSHAR NESSAR ABED Everyone was gathered at the church and as I took in the expectant faces of all the guests, all I wanted was to get the charade all over with. Séda had planned the whole wedding so of course I'd expected it to be grand. Most of the time I did whatever it was they wanted just so they didn't focus all of their attention on me but marrying Celine who was an illegitimate child had been all my decision and I was sure the wheels in their head were turning as to why I was doing all this.Everything was a game to my family and the dynamic was such that the weak didn't survive for too long. I'd survived for so long because I had Selene by my side but she was gone and I knew that If I showed any crack I was going to end up dead like Antonio my older brother and Angelo, my stepbrother. It was just me and Kail now and I was sure mother and father were salivating to know who was going to come out on top.They were crazy but my family's had always been. Selene had been the onl
CELINE HERRERA POV The piano piece sounded like an intro to a horror show, and as I got closer to the altar with Belshar standing and staring at me as if I'd bolt at any second, I felt the seriousness of the situation and that there was no way for me to back out. I was fucking doomed.Séda was by my side as soon as I reached the aisle where she was sitting. She took my hand, kissed my cheek then met my gaze, the smile on her lips not quite reaching her eyes."I am so happy you showed up for your wedding Celine. I almost thought I'd have to kill you if it turned out you ran away" she whispered so only I could hear then chuckled when she saw me clench the flower I was holding tighter. "I am just joking love, you shouldn't take everything so seriously, it's really a bad habit.. now off you go, let me not keep you waiting any longer," she said and patted my back. I walked away from her but I could feel her gaze boring into my back and even though she had said it was all a joke, I knew t
DELIA HERRERA POV "I want to raise a toast to Celine, for the success of her much-anticipated wedding. I wish you all the best moving forward" I said and everyone around the table clicked glasses including Belshar who I was seated beside. I'd met his gaze almost four times tonight and they didn't slide off me like they always did when he didn't know who I was or when he'd come for dinner at grandfather's so I was making some progress.Grandfather had retired for the night since his drugs required that he took a lot of rest and so it was just me, Enoch, Celine, Belshar, Kail, and their parents- Séda and Nessar- who looked like they were planning some sort of evil for the night.Belshar's family was overwhelming, especially Séda. I had tried to become acquainted with her on different occasions and she'd dismissed me rudely. She said there was something off about my energy but I knew it was bullshit. Séda was the type of woman who decided based on her mood whether to hate or like a per