Celestine walks with eyes fixed on her toes, her pulse thudding noisily as she swallowed. At this hour, the sunlight started to hurt her skin yet she didn't bother shielding herself from it. As she take every step, from her peripheral vision she saw how the people they walked past reacted as they saw her.
She can feel the eyes on her. They stare at her way too much that it made her uncomfortable. It was surprisingly uncomfortable for her. In many years of being a model, she learned to be comfortable with the attention she's getting. But everything has changed.
The days she spent in the darkroom inside of Vincent's mansion had affected her differently. In those days she had nothing but the darkness and solitude that it becomes difficult for her to get out of it anymore.
Lander tapped her hand that was holding his arm. She glances at him.
"You should see the place. It's beautiful. Stop looking cute your toes, they won't walk away
Saoirse put her sunglasses down as she leaned her back against the backrest of her swivel chair. She cracked her neck and opened her laptop. The dark circles under her eyes that she's been trying hard to hide using her sunglasses were now evident that she's not wearing them anymore.She hasn't had a good sleep yet because she's busy and sleeping will only waste her time so she chooses not to sleep last night and work twenty-four hours.Celestine's sudden disappearance made everything difficult for her. She had to deal with the bosses and always end up getting scolded. As much as possible she wants to understand Celestine even though she left abruptly and let her shoulder almost all of the problems because she's indebted to Celestine's family for sponsoring her studies ever since she was in kindergarten.Saoirse knows to herself that she wouldn't be who she is right now without the help of the Oakmont family and it's something she will never forget.Upon t
"Celestine tell us the truth. Why do we hear that you came here with Lander Buenavista huh? Are you guys dating?" Julius asked as he make lazy curls to her hair."Of course not, Julius. You know me, I'm already done playing games. So, I don't have time for relationships anymore," she answered, avoiding his eyes looking at her through the mirror.It's just the two of them now because Mavi and Tiffany decided to buy food for them so Julius is free to ask things to Celestine."Yeah I know that's why I didn't believe the news that the hot businessman Vincent Mogilevich and you have a romantic relationship. I mean, it's impossible. You're into businessmen because like what you always say, they're too uptight and serious." He combed Celestine's hair and looked intently at it. When the curls don't satisfy him, he curls them again.Celestine took a deep breath. "Yes, you're right."As she stare at herself in the mirror her anxiousne
He roamed his eyes with arms crossed to his chest. The room was scrupulously spotless with the distinct scent of get-well flowers that were presentably arranged in a vase.His eyes went to the door as it clicked open. The nurse in her white usual attire came in with a cup of coffee in her hand."Here's your coffee," she said as she extended her arm to give him the coffee.He gets it from her hand. "Thank you."The aroma of burnt coffee on his hand runs through his nostrils that give him enough comfort from the chillness of the air-conditioned room."Is he responding?" he asked before placing the cup of coffee near his mouth.She immediately nodded. "Yes but he's still under observation given the fact that he has just undergone surgery.""Can I smoke?" he asked right after he put down his coffee on the table."Obviously no." She sat on the sofa near him.He shrugged his shoulder and just grab his coffee again. He carefull
She gazed deeply into the most bewitching dark brown eyes and they are staring back at her—piercingly."Vincent..." she whispered as a warm cloth covered her cold shoulders."Huh? You're saying something?" Tiffany asked.He was looking at her with no intention of averting his gaze. His feet were glued to the sand and his eyes to Celestine. She's waiting for him to do something; to remove his gaze on her or to walk away but none of it happened.They got stuck in each other's eyes like they only met for the first time. She didn't blink for she doesn't want to let go of his eyes. There is something in them, she can't name it but they're deep and velvety."Celestine, you okay? Who are you staring at?" Mavi asked as she tries to look in the same direction where Celestine is looking but before she can even see Vincent, he already averted his gaze and turned his back on them. Celestine suddenly panicked."I
They paused for a moment and take their time looking at Vincent who was walking without an intention of looking back at them. Celestine looked away and subtly wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes.Lander cleared his throat and glanced at Celestine. She was hugging herself with eyes glued to the sea."Vincent used to be a very talkative kid with a dream of being a pilot."Celestine's forehead creased after hearing what he said then she slowly looked at him. He wasn't looking at her nor to the sea, instead he's looking at the sand, digging it a little with the tip of his shoe."I remember us escaping from our mansion and meeting at the secret park just around the neighborhood so we can play. We're just in elementary that time, I can't exactly remember everything but until now, I can still remember the time when his father first laid his hands on Vincent in public."Celestine could hear the sadness in Lander's voice. She
Santiago tapped the stick of his cigarette using his index finger as his thumb and middle were holding the cigar in between to remove the excess ashes on its tip.Boredom was evident on his face as he groggily laid his back against the backrest of his swivel chair. Waiting has always been the most boring thing he could ever do and that's what he was doing now.He yawned, tears escaping from the corners of his eyes. He glanced once again to his phone that is lying on his table, hoping that he received a text but doesn't receive any of what's he's waiting for."Fuck, what's taking them too long." He frustratedly laid back to his swivel chair, closing his eyes and putting pressure on his eyelids using his fingers.Minutes and hours had passed but he didn't receive any updates from his men. His mind filled with unnecessary thoughts the reason why he decided to contact them instead.After the second ring, someone answered t
Every step that Santiago took echoed to the hallway. He was walking slowly. As he stepped to the first floor of the apartment he felt something wrong, like something, would happen and he wouldn't be in his favor. He clenched his jaw and massage the gun in his hand.Stepping into the apartment felt like a wrong decision and he can't just shrug it off. Santiago knew that Vincent isn't stupid and he can turn the table and put him in the situation he planned for him so he should be careful.He licked his lower lip and stopped in front of the door where his men told him to go. He take a deep breath as his hand went to the dirty doorknob. His other hand is firmly holding the gun, making sure to not forget to pull the trigger if ever Vincent has prepared something for him behind the door.Santiago slowly turned the doorknob. It made a clicking sound and the cold air from the inside immediately escaped from the space he made upon opening the door. 
"Sorry, I'm late. How are you?" Laila put her bag on the table and sat on the chair in front of Steven. She was supposed to go straight to her friend's house when he texted her to just meet him in their favorite coffee shop. She wiped the sweat on her forehead using the back of her hand and took a deep breath.From the hospital, she headed straight to the coffee shop for she doesn't want her friend to wait longer for her."I'm good." He feels the warmth of his cup of coffee by wrapping his hands around it."You don't look really good to me though," she pointed out and raised her hand to catch the waiter's attention.He sipped on his cup of coffee. "How was the man?""Oh, about him, unexpectedly until now he's still unconscious."He creased his forehead. "Are you monitoring him? Are you sure that he hasn't regained consciousness yet?""I'd like to have a slice of chocolate cake and, uhm, tall-sized v
"V-Vincent..." All she remembered was throwing the gun somewhere and she ran towards Vincent. His eyes are wide open as well as his mouth. He's not moving. She tried to wake him by touching his chest yet after minutes of sobbing and trying to save him, nothing happened. His chest is not moving, it was as if he is asleep but his eyes is open. He's not breathing anymore. "N-No, Vincent. Wake up, c-cmon... Wake up p-please," she whispered to his ear even though she knew to herself that no matter what she do, it's already too late. She hugged his body and she sobbed in his chest, hoping that it was just a bad dream even though she still can feel the intensityof the gun when she fired it. "Celestine, let's go. C'mon, you need to leave now. Any minute from now Vincent's men will come to check on what was happening here. We need to go now." Celestine looked at the woman who suddenly speak. It was Sophia. "S-Sophia..." Sophia's eyes is roaming around the mansion checking if Vincent
"Clean the cell, leave no trace of his blood there, burn the gun, his clothes, and his apartment," Vincent authoritively said as he was washing his hands on the sink. His men immediately nodded his head after hearing what his boss had said. They were having a good time talking while eating until they heard a gunshot coming inside of the cell. Everything happened so fast that the the only thing they know was thinking that their boss had planted a bullet in Kingston's head but it wasn't what they are expecting because when they go to see the cell, it was Kingston who is holding their boss' gun. "What the fuck are you still doing here? Didn't you hear what I asked you to do?!" Vincent shouted when he noticed that the associate is still standing next to him like an idiot. Vincent's shout was enough for the associate to get back to his senses and get out of the bathroom and do what his boss asked him to do. Vincent closed his eyes firmly and threw his head back while he is clenching
"Let me go!" She had been screaming yet no one seem to hear her, they are ignoring her. She is inside of a van with five men inside, all of them are wearing masks and they are all silent. There is nothing that could be hear inside except for her screams that don't seem to bother the five men. She closed her eyes firmly and stopped trying to untie her wrists on her back for a moment. She has to remind herself that she had been in this position before, her getting kidnapped by the enemies is something that is not new for her and instead of feeling scared she should think of a way to escape from them, though it might be impossible to do that because what is the strength of a woman compared to five strong men surrounded her. "Good thing you finally get tired of screaming," the man driving the car said while he is chewing a gum. She opened her eyes. "If you think that Vincent will come to save me, you better think again. You got the wrong person. I am not Sophia, you should've taken h
"Fuck," Kingston murmured when he tried to make a movement. His body is sore from all the punches that he had received. He doesn't know how long Vincent had been keeping him inside of the cell because he couldn't see any light from the outside. All he wanted was Vincent's men discovered a new hobby and it is to beat him up every fucking minute. He spit blood on the cold tile floor then he tried his best to move his body for him to comfortably lie on the floor. As he was trying his best to move, he is holding his breath firmly. He can endure the pain but his body needs a rest. He never felt so restless his entire life until Vincent kept him inside of the cell that makes him feel like he is visually impaired. "Fuck this," he continued cursing as he was trying his best to quicken his movement so the pain he might going to feel will be all at once yet his body is not cooperating. He can feel the tiredness of his body. Every inch of his being wants to rest yet in his mind, he keep tel
Celestine stopped walking as soon as she figured out that Saoirse is no longer following her. She turned around to see what her manager was doing and she found her a bit far from where she is with a devilish smile. At first, she is hesitant to call her attention but then she remembered why somehow she wanted to have this conversation with her manager. "Hey! Everything's fine?" she asked loudly, making sure that despite the distance between them she will still be able to hear her. Saoirse who was startled by her voice immediately composed herself, remove the devilish smile on her face, and act as if she had done nothing wrong then she jogged towards Celestine's direction. "Sorry, I just had to reply to that important text message," she explained as soon as she reached Celestine's side. "Anyways, I know a place here where we can talk privately." What Saoirse just said made Celestine's eyebrow raise. She's not in her manager's side for months now unlike before that they are usually t
"Good morning, Miss," the maid greeted as soon as she opened her eyes. Last night, she wasn't able to sleep. She doesn't know if it is about the temperature or is it about the idea that Vincent and her isn't fine. But between the two, she choose to believe that it is because of the room temperature. "W-What time is it already?" she asked as she was helping herself to sit on the bed. The windows in her room is open yet the sunlight is not hurting her skin, giving her an idea that she woke up early today. She looked at the maid confusedly. Maids are not allowed to enter the room, not just her room but in any room without asking for permission that she is confused for why the maid is inside of her room the moment she open her eyes. Even though she wants to point out about the maid tresspassing inside of her room she just decided to shrug the idea off. She wanted to start her morning in a good mood since she slept with a heavy heart last night so instead of scolding the maid she just p
"H-Here's your coffee." She slightly tilted the tray that she was holding. Vincent lick his lower lip and run his fingertips to his scalp. He doesn't have an idea of how he supposed to deal with her after knowing almost everything that she had done. He couldn't believe everything that is on the papers. He couldn't believe everything that Kingston said. Everything is an act of betrayal. Everything isn't true. Celestine planned it, she tried to be in control of his life and he never did question her, it also somehow his fault yet it wouldn't justify the fact that she is the mastermind. She did what she did and he wouldn't let her fall for her stupid game anymore. She might had already plan how everything is going to end for him but he will change it. He will change the ending and it is him who will have the loudest laugh in the finish line that she had prepared for him. "I didn't ask you to bring that to me." He turned his back on her then he pulled his sleeves up. She, on the othe
Celestine hit her shoulder when she felt a mosquito pinching bite. Its blood was on her palm. It's dead. She grimaced, disgusted by the blood that is on her palm. She looked away from her it and wipe it on the hem of her t-shirt. The blood in her palm is something that doesn't freak her out anymore like she used to. Seeing blood anywhere becomes a normal scenario for her ever since she met Vincent. She glance in her palm and even though the blood wasn't there anymore, she can still see it; her hands that is covered by blood. She closed her eyes firmly to keep herself calm but instead of avoiding the idea that her mind had made up for her, she smell the blood. She can smell it. Blood that almost smells like hers, the scent that she's been trying to get out of her system. That smell, it was so familiar. A shovel suddenly entered her mind. The dried red stain in the shovel is what brings her back to the past that she's been trying to get off of her mind but couldn't. "Miss, are
"Did you already sent the letter?" The man slightly nodded his head. "Yes, Sir." "Are you sure that she will receive the letter?" "Certainly, Sir," he answered with great confidence. "Good. Go back to your work now." He rest his back on the backrest of his couch. The letter successfully sent to Celestine, he just hope that the letter reach her before Vincent get to read them. Just when he thought he can finally have his fifteen minutes break, his phone suddenly rang. He pushed himself to reach for the phone on the other side of his table. He picked it up and put the phone against his ear. "Who is this?" he asked. "How are you, Bonifacio?" said the man on the other line with a devilish smirk lingered on his lips. That voice, he knows that voice very well, he know it so well that he immediately recognized the person calling. "Venedict," he said. Venedict chuckled. "Guess you still remember me." He clenched his jaw tightly. They haven't heard anything from Venedict sinc