CELESTINE's P O V‘‘Oh… I thought you wouldn't figure it out...’’ I said, chuckling. And that infuriated Leina even more.‘‘Do you actually believe that you've attained a position of authority just because you married Arnold?’’ Leina laughed, and I frowned as I continued to stare at her. ‘‘Do you really think that he married you because he loves you? Let me tell you this, once and for all Celestine. You and Enid both have the same personality, and that what Arnold sees in you! You will always be her substitute!’’I didn’t say anything as I stood there looking at her in a blank expression.‘‘Do you really think that you can be invincible with him backing you up?’’The last words she said made me smile, but I didn't really care. ‘‘I have never in my life considered myself to be invincible in this world, Leina...’’As a result of me stepping forward, and leaning over... she was now cornered behind the desk.‘‘Really? I have the same personality as Enid?’’ I chuckled as I continued. ‘‘But
CELESTINE's P O VSo… all of this was part of her master plan?In this scenario, rather than being blamed for something, it would be preferable to...Simply take a seat and enjoy the show...I swiftly pulled a piece of tissue that was placed on the desk, knelt down, and picked up the knife to wipe the handle, before placing it slowly beside her head. Then I swallowed the only evidence that they could ever find—the tissue.I could see that Leina’s eyes widened, perhaps not believing what I just did, and I too, didn’t expect her to do this either, framing me as a murderer of her.‘‘Now, you realize that I’m smarter than you, Leina…’’ I smiled as I brushed the dirt from my palms and straightened up, I looked down at her sobbing on the ground. I could tell how much it hurt, but she brought this suffering upon herself, so she needed to endure the pain.‘‘Help!’’ she screamed one more time, and almost immediately, people began to rush into the room.The first person to enter was Olivia Maxw
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘What are you doing here?’’ I had just arrived at the hospital when Olivia made a sudden dash toward me with the intention of hitting me in the face. However, I grabbed her wrist and prevented her from hitting me, which made her rage even more as she pulled her hand back and glared at me. ‘‘Get out of here now! My family doesn’t need a person like you!’’‘‘Olivia, stop it!’’ William was also there, and he was looking at me apologetically.‘‘Tell her to leave and get away from my face!’’ She screamed, the fury in her voice clearly audible. ‘‘I don’t want her to show up here!’’‘‘Dad, listen to me, please…’’ I paid little attention to Olivia's outburst and instead focused on William. ‘‘I didn’t do it. She’s the one who stabbed herself…’’‘‘Don’t talk nonsense!’’ Olivia shouted, interrupting me. ‘‘Don’t ever lie to us, Celestine!’’I took a few deep breaths and managed to stay calm as I talked to her. ‘‘I already told you from the very beginning that I didn’t hurt her.
CELESTINE's P O VAfter I left Uncle Karl's place, I hailed a cab and made my way to the place where Louis was working. When he saw me, he reacted with a lot of surprise.Louis… the reporter who helped me when I needed someone to help me expose my affair with Arnold.‘‘Do you think you could squeeze in some time for a cup of coffee, Louis?’’ I inquired with a meaningful grin on my face. He already knew that I wanted to talk something important and exclusive when our eyes met.He raised his eyeglasses and flashed a grin in my direction. ‘‘Sure!’’Louis escorted me to a quaint coffee shop, and once we were situated in, at the table that was the farthest away from the entrance, we placed our drink orders to the waiter who approached us.‘‘What is it that you require of me this time, Mrs. Maxwell?’’ Louis asked, putting extra emphasis on Arnold’s last name, and I glared at him, which made him laugh aloud. ‘‘I'm sorry… but do you have any news to share with me?’’‘‘Yes…’’ My mouth twisted
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘What are your thoughts on this?’’ I retorted, arching an eyebrow in Louis' direction.‘‘Nope, you didn’t do it...’’ He shook his head. ‘‘If it was you, then you ought to be behind bars right this minute...’’I gave a little shrug of the shoulders. He does have a point, though... If they uncovered proof that proved I was the one who stabbed her, they wouldn't have to worry about catching me because I'd just turn myself in.‘‘Everyone is green with envy over the fact that you wed Arnold Maxwell...’’ Again, Louis changed the subject, and I glared in his direction. ‘‘Are you happy with the decision to get married to him?’’His question left me completely dumbfounded. Happy?‘‘If one day I can give you exclusive news about our divorce, how much will you give me?’’And he appeared to be shocked by what I had to say. ‘‘D-divorce?!’’I smirked, nodding.‘‘You’re going to divorce your rich and powerful husband?’’ he shook his head as if he was very disappointed at me. ‘‘Are
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘S-sean…?’’ Even though I was still in a trance, I mustered the strength to cry out his name.‘‘Are you okay…?’’ he asked, as he pulled me into tight hug. However, cars behind us started to honk, and some drivers were already cursing at us, so Sean waved his hand apologizing, and pulled me towards his car that was parked at the shoulder of the road.The moment I set foot inside the car, it started to shower massive raindrops, and it was then that I was gradually brought back to reality.‘‘Sean… are you okay?’’ I asked, remembering the atrocities that Leina had done to him. ‘‘I-I’m sorry…’’ I choked, looking down at my hands on my lap. ‘‘I’m so sorry, I…’’‘‘It wasn’t you that night…’’ He suddenly said, cutting me off. I looked up at him, his hair was wet, and he gave me a small smile as he ran his fingers over his hair to brush it up.I knew he was talking about what happened to him and Leina.‘‘You knew it, didn’t you?’’ his small smile turned into a bitter one, hi
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘Shall I send you back to the Maxwell Family?’’ Sean questioned me, and when I didn't respond, he called out my name in an attempt to get my attention again. ‘‘Celestine…?’’‘‘No…’’ I shook my head. ‘‘I don’t want to go home…’’My response seemed to catch Sean off guard a little bit. ‘‘If that's the case, then where do you want to go?’’As I stared out the window, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. ‘‘I want to go back to Staten Island…’’‘‘Staten Island?’’ he queried to which I responded in the affirmative. He didn’t say anything more as he simply turned the car around at the intersection, leading the way to the Staten Island.Two hours later, when we finally reached Staten Island, I let out a breath of relief when the rain finally stopped falling; however, the weather on the island was just as dreary.I stood in front of the place where our house was built, but I was shocked when I could see nothing but a construction site.Where’s the house?Where’s my mom’s hous
CELESTINE's P O V‘‘What are you doing here?’’ I asked Arnold while meeting his angry gaze, but rather than responding to me, he threw the umbrella on the ground, pulled me into his arms, and captured my lips, making me close my eyes.Even though the cold water from the rain was pouring into our body, his lips were warm and gentle as he kissed me.He parted my lips, and I gasped as he intensified the kiss. I was shocked, like I was struck with thunder and lightning. My brain froze as well as my whole body.The kiss lingered, and I felt like kissing him back, but he eventually broke it off and let go of my lips. ‘‘I have already told you that you can't leave me!’’ he said firmly. ‘‘You can’t leave me, Celestine! You’re tied to me for the rest of your life!’’I was speechless for a few seconds before coming to my wits and staring at him in utter amazement.‘‘What are you trying to say here?’’ I smirked mockingly. ‘‘And why can’t I leave you, huh? You can’t decide what I want to do in my
JULIAN’s P O VAunt Olivia insisted that Cynthia must first complete her education, and give birth to our child before she allowed us to get married. And I felt worried about Cynthia because I was aware that she was waiting for this moment. Even though she wasn’t voicing it out, I could sense that she was expecting me to propose to her, for us to build our own family, but Auntie asked me not to let Cynthia know about our agreement.After seven months, Cynthia gave birth to a healthy baby boy who she gave the name Mark Julian. And while I was occupied with the expansion of the business that Arnold had requested me to handle, Cynthia continued her studies.Finally, Cynthia graduated and I’ve never been so proud of her. I believed that as a result of all of the things she went through, she got more matured. She never complained about the fact that I did not offer her marriage.When it was time for Cynthia to get her graduation present from me---it’s not exactly a graduation present, but
CYNTHIA's P O VAt this moment, tears were beginning to run down my face. I couldn’t keep them at bay. Now that it was almost certain that I’m losing this baby.I may not know a lot about pregnancy, but I knew that bleeding was a bad sign.As soon as we entered the emergency room, an array of questions and answers ensued, and I answered them to the best of my ability, while my parents and Julian were listening attentively. Julian refused to let go of my hand even when I was wheeled back toward a room and directed to strip for an ultrasound.The nurse stopped Julian when he was about to enter the changing room, insisting that he wanted to help me change into a hospital gown. ‘‘I can help her, Sir. Just stay with her parents outside…’’Julian did not immediately follow the nurse after initially hesitating, but he did so eventually. Soon after, he began to loosen his grip on my hand before leaving completely.My parents sat in a chair along the far right wall, and Julian stood a few feet
CYNTHIA's P O VTWO MONTHS LATERI groaned as I sat up in bed and stretched my arms. A quick look at the clock that was sitting on my nightstand revealed to me that nightfall would arrive sooner. How long have I been dozing off?These past few days, my normal pattern of sleeping has been thrown off. Simply put, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted to the point where I lost track of time because of it. Even though my parents, Arnold, and Celestine regularly checked on me every once in a while, one of the harmful things I'd been doing was spending most of my time alone in my room. This was another habit I'd gotten into.They have been monitoring the media, calling people and giving them orders, as well as discussing the situation with the authorities. They would act wary every time I descended the stairs, as if they didn't want me to hear about those fucked up news again.I never heard from Julian again after that day. I was aware that his wedding took place last month, but none of
CYNTHIA's P O VNothing could have prepared me for the crushing agony I experienced when my mom told me that Julian had departed without even alerting me, or even bidding farewell to me before he flew back to France. Nor could anything have prepared me for the profound sense of loss that caused my heart to tighten, leading me to believe that it was going to cease beating altogether.Even though I was aware, on some level, that he was meant to return and marry her, the fact that he did still hurt. How could he? How, after making love to me? After I had already given him everything? After stroking my hair until I fell asleep? After spending so much time gazing at me with that breathtaking smile? How could he love her and marry her still?There was a painful lump that was lodged in my throat, and it was making it difficult for me to even breathe. In addition to this, I had to fight against my tear ducts in order to keep from crying in front of my family because of him. In total honesty,
CYNTHIA's P O VThe moment the door to the Maxwell villa opened, I was met with a resounding slap across the face from my irate mother.‘‘Aunt Olivia…’’ When she raised her hand to slap me again, Julian attempted to stop her, but she instead hit Julian which caused my eyes to widen in shock.‘‘Don't address me like that, you have no connection to any of us anymore!’’ she said through gritted teeth, a threatening tone was used as she glared at him.It appeared as though everything around me had come to a stop. I blinked back the tears that was on the verge of falling down my cheek. ‘‘Mom…’’Did Arnold tell her about us?‘‘What are your intentions with regard to my daughter?’’ She asked Julian while completely ignoring me. ‘‘Do you intend to take him as your mistress?’’‘‘No, I…’’‘‘There is no future for the two of you, and even if you leave the woman who will soon become your wife, I won't let you have my daughter!’’ And she smacked his face once more, which prompted me to push her aw
CYNTHIA’s P O VJulian grabbed the shower head, turning on the water. He pointed it at me and he made sure to let it pour all over my body, until every inch of me was soaked. ‘‘I’ll take it that it will make you behave…’’‘‘Uhmmm…’’ I agreed mindlessly, not really listening to a single word he uttered, for I was too busy gawking at his dripping wet physique. I could feel my lids becoming heavy, my veins burning under my skin as pure sexual desire course through them.Unwittingly, without even noticing it, I kneeled in front of him, coming face to face with his semi-hard shaft, but before I could even touch it, he grabbed my shoulders firmly. ‘‘Get up before I fuck you again…’’‘‘But I want you to fuck me again…’’ I protested with a pout, still resting on my knees.He chuckled amusedly, lightly shaking his head. ‘‘Come on, Cynthia, we’ve got to go…’’But I didn’t listen, I remained still.Julian decided to bring his arm under my armpits and pick me up against my will, laying small kiss
CYNTHIA’s P O V‘‘Do you think that somebody was listening to us?’’ I inquired anxiously as fear began to course through my veins.Julian gave a dismissive shake of his head before rising to his feet and reaching for the bathrobe that was still hanging on the door of the bathroom. ‘‘No, the rooms are soundproofed. You stay here...’’ he covered himself and left the room.But I couldn’t mind my business in a situation like this. I rolled out of bed and took a fluffy bath towel, wrapping it around my body before following him towards the living area.From the other side of the slightly open door, I could hear a feminine voice. ‘‘Uhmm, Hi… I mean, good morning. I was wondering if you saw Cynthia---’’I rudely pushed Julian out of the way and came face to face with Stef, who let out a sigh of relief upon seeing me.‘‘Oh, Cynthia… I was worried about you!’’I smiled at her and placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘‘Well, as you can see, I’m good…’’ I then stepped closer to her so that she would be a
CYNTHIA’s P O VI completely let myself go, carelessly giving up on trying to hold myself up and completely leaning against his tall, manly frame. ‘‘Oh, fuck…’’ I moaned as I gripped his hair and pulled on it, moving his head and craning my neck so that our lips would touch. I immediately opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to slip inside.Julian added a second finger into my tight canal, starting to thrust harder. ‘‘You’re such a sexy little thing, aren’t you...?’’ he pulled his hand away and brought his fingers which were coated in my juices, to his mouth, sucking them clean before he picked me up and walked back to the bedroom, letting me fall onto the bed, and then followed me immediately.I pushed him down onto the sheets and got on top of him, hovering over his rock hard member. ‘‘Do you want me…?’’ I inquired in a hushed tone as I took both of his hands in mine and placed them on my waist.He nodded with his mouth agape, looking up at me with full of desire and appreciation.‘
JULIAN’s P O VThere was something unbelievably intimate about waking up next to someone, especially when that someone was the one you love.Strips of golden sunlight shone into the room and Cynthia managed to wrap herself around most of my thin sheets.I woke up with my arm lay across her stomach and her head was tucked into my bare chest. We hadn’t bothered dressing ourselves after last night’s events, as we had already seen every inch of each other.Also we were exhausted, that we had drifted to sleep after another heated kiss.Cynthia stirred slightly, which brought me back from recalling what brought us here, and buried her head further into my chest while placing a hand onto my torso.But all of this felt so wrong, since everyone around see us as cousins, and in addition to that, I am already getting married.But then, why did last night feel so right? And why did her touch alone light my body on fire?I knew that my old self would think otherwise, but Cynthia and I couldn’t hap