Chapter 101
Apr 2, 2025
A man emerged from the foliage, stumbling onto their property. His clothes were torn, his face gaunt, and his breath came in ragged gasps.
“Who are you?” Dimitri demanded, stepping in front of Celestina protectively.
The man raised his hands, showing he was unarmed. “Wait! Please!” he gasped. “I mean no harm.”
Celestina stepped forward cautiously. “Who are you?”
“My name is Edric,” the man said, his voice shaking. “I was once an aide to President Alvada. I’ve been looking for you—for weeks.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Why?”
Edric’s knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground. Dimitri moved quickly, grabbing the man by the arm and helping him onto the porch.
“You’d better start talking,” Dimitri said, his voice firm.
Edric took a deep, shuddering breath. “The nation… it’s falling apart,” he said. “Your father… he’s lost control.”
Celestina stared at him, her stomach tightening. “What are you talking about?”
“The protests… they’re worse than ever,” Edric explained. “The people are starving. The corruption has spread everywhere. Soldiers are suppressing the protests violently. Entire towns are being destroyed.”
Celestina’s voice trembled. “No. That can’t be true. My father… he would never let it get this bad.”
Edric’s eyes were filled with despair. “He’s gone too far, Your Highness. He’s trying to hold onto power by any means necessary. The people are suffering, and they’re losing hope. That’s why I came to find you.”
Dimitri crossed his arms, his expression hard. “Why her? What do you want from her?”
Edric turned to Celestina, his face pleading. “You’re the only one who can stop him. You have the evidence—the files that prove his crimes. If you expose him, the people will rally behind you. You can save them.”
Celestina shook her head, overwhelmed. “I… I don’t know if I can do that. I left all of that behind. I’m not even sure I have the strength to face him again.”
“You have to,” Edric urged. “No one else can. The people need you.”
The weight of his words pressed down on her, but Dimitri stepped in, his voice sharp. “Absolutely not.”
Celestina looked at him in surprise. “Dimitri—”
“No,” he said firmly, his gaze fixed on Edric. “We’ve barely escaped with our lives. Do you have any idea what it cost us to get here? I won’t let you drag her back into that nightmare.”
Edric’s voice rose, his desperation clear. “You don’t understand! This isn’t about her anymore. It’s about the entire country. People are dying, and it’s only going to get worse!”
Dimitri’s jaw tightened, and he grabbed Edric by the collar, pulling him to his feet. “You’ve seen what Alvada is capable of. You’re asking her to go back to a man who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy her.”
Celestina placed a hand on Dimitri’s arm. “Stop,” she said softly.
He looked at her, his expression torn between anger and worry. “Celestina, you can’t seriously be considering this.”
She swallowed hard, her mind racing. “I don’t know. I need to think.”
Edric reached into his bag and pulled out a small tablet, handing it to her with shaking hands. “If you don’t believe me, look at this.”
Celestina hesitated before taking the tablet. She swiped through the photos and videos, her heart breaking with each image. Children with hollow eyes, towns reduced to rubble, soldiers firing on unarmed civilians.
Tears streamed down her face. “How could he let this happen?”
Edric’s voice was grim. “Your father isn’t the man you thought he was. He’s clinging to power, no matter the cost. But you can stop him.”
That evening, after Edric had fallen asleep in the guest room, Celestina sat by the window, staring out at the moonlit ocean. Dimitri approached her, his expression weary.
“You’re not seriously thinking about going back, are you?” he asked, his voice low.
She didn’t answer right away. “How can I turn my back on them, Dimitri? You saw those photos. Those people… they need help.”
“They also need you alive,” he said, kneeling beside her. “I’ve already almost lost you once. I can’t go through that again.”
Celestina met his gaze, her voice trembling. “And if we don’t do anything, how many people will lose their lives? I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
As they sat in silence, a faint rustling caught their attention. Celestina turned to see an envelope slipped under the door.
Dimitri grabbed it, scanning the area outside before closing the door behind him.
“What is it?” Celestina asked, her voice tense.
He opened the envelope, pulling out a single piece of paper. Written in bold, dark ink were the words:
“Your father’s sins cannot remain hidden forever. The people need you.”
