Chapter 30: Chapter 30
Celeste looked down at her hands. "I don’t know. I think he sees something in me. But I also think he’s scared of it. Like...he doesn’t want to want me. But he does."
Amara nodded slowly. "Typical man behavior. But he kissed you back, right?"
Celeste nodded.
"Held you like he meant it?"
She nodded again, slower this time.
She playfully jabbed Celeste’s shoulder. "That’s something. And not the kind of something you fake. Especially not Dominic freaking Cross."
Celeste looked up. "Then why would he agree to go for that brunch with another woman?"
Amara sighed. "Some people fight their feelings in the dumbest ways. Maybe he’s trying to be who they expect him to be."
"Perfect," Celeste murmured. "Polished. A real heir."
"Exactly. And you, my love, are fire. And fire doesn’t always fit inside a glass box."
Celeste smiled faintly. "You always know what to say."
"I try." Amara stood and grabbed the remote. "Now. No more crying. I’m putting on trash TV. You, me, chocolate, and every episode of ’The Royal Seduction’ until your heart beats normally again."
Celeste gave her a look. "I thought you said that show was an insult to feminism."
"It is," Amara said as she plopped onto the bed beside her, "but the Duke of Valencia is also an insult to my ovaries and I regret nothing."
Celeste leaned against her, curling into the warmth of her best friend. She didn’t know what was going to happen next. Whether Dominic would call, whether her engagement with Landon would break apart or something. But right now, she didn’t feel completely alone in the wreckage.
Amara reached over and pulled the blanket across both of them. "You’re gonna be okay, Celeste. Whatever happens next, I’ve got you."
"I know," Celeste said, her voice soft.
And even though her heart still hurts, she lets herself believe it.
Healing didn’t come in one grand moment. Sometimes, it came in the small ones. In the quiet conversations with someone who knows your soul, in the bite of a warm croissant, or in the stupid jokes that made the tears stop for a minute.
Sometimes, it came in the presence of someone who loved you without asking for anything back.
The two girls stared at themselves, and burst into laughter. It wasn’t enough to erase the pain completely, but it was a crack in the darkness.
As the opening credits played and Amara spoon-fed her a bite of mint-chocolate chip, Celeste found herself relaxing again.
"Tell me the rest," Amara said, voice quieter now that the TV hummed in the background. "Tell me what happened before the call."
Celeste stared at the swirling mess on the spoon. "He told me he didn’t let me go because he couldn’t. He made it sound like it wasn’t just lust. And then... I asked why he gave me that bracelet. The one from before."
"And?"
"He said it was an apology. For upsetting me the night we shared."
Amara frowned. "That’s weirdly tender."
"I know. I didn’t expect it." She thought about telling Amara they already had sex. She hesitated, and decided not to bring it up.
"Did you kiss him after that?"
Celeste nodded. "He was so close. And I didn’t think—I just leaned in. And when he kissed me back, I forgot everything else. I forgot about Landon, his family, and my engagement. None of it mattered."
Amara squeezed her hand. "That’s not weakness. Sometimes we don’t choose the timing. Sometimes love walks in dressed like a mistake."
Celeste leaned against her, curling into the warmth of her best friend. "You think he’ll call?"
"I think if he has half a brain, he won’t stop thinking about you long enough to do anything else."
Celeste smiled faintly. "I hate that I care this much."
......
Grigor," Landon called. He pushed a black briefcase forward. "A little token,"
Grigor stared at him suspiciously. He nodded at the man beside him to open the case. The man did, and in the briefcase were different kinds of gem stones.
Grigor swallowed.
"We should end my uncle together, don’t you think?" He drew in a short breath. "Dominic Cross,"
Grigor swallowed. His eyes darted between Landon’s calm expression and the glistening stones in the case.
"You only see your uncle as a member of your family. You don’t really know who he is, Landon," he said, voice gravelly.
"Trust me, I do," Landon replied. "And that’s why I took the need to find someone as dangerous as he is." He smirked. "Don’t tell me you’re also one of the many fools who’s scared of him,"
Landon’s eyes squinted, as he studied the man before him after doing what he does best. Emotional manipulation.
Grigor’s jaw tightened. He glanced at the other man standing beside him, then closed the briefcase slowly.
"You want me to go after Dominic Cross?"
"No," Landon said, smiling faintly. "I want you to hit him where it hurts most. His name. His crown. His loyalty." He leaned forward. "Find out what matters to him. And then break it."
His mind flashed to Celeste, but he didn’t care. Also, his source told him she was no longer wearing the ring. That’d be a discussion for another day but for today, if she doesn’t marry him, then she would have to welcome the after world with open arms.
Grigor chuckled bitterly. No matter their differences, Dominic was an old friend. But at the moment, he doesn’t mind teaming up with the useless dull head before him against Dominic. That man has tasted his patience too much. "And what do I get in return?"
Landon’s gaze didn’t waver. "Whatever you want. Power, land, title. Or," he added with a tilt of his head, "freedom."
Grigor was quiet. The offer tasted bitter in his mouth. But Landon’s confidence—his venomous calm—was almost convincing.
Also, Dominic offered him freedom. That he refused because he still needed to tie Dominic down beside him as an ally.
"And your father?" Grigor asked finally.
"He’s not a part of this," Landon said. "He’s too careful. Too soft for what comes next."
Grigor closed the case. "Then I guess I’ll call you when I need to." He stretched out his hand for a shake. Landon accepted.
Tightening his grip, he warned. "I can see behind your eyes. Just don’t make any stupid moves right now."
Landon nodded, through forced smile.