Chapter 16
Kael sat in his dimly lit office, his elbows on his desk, fingers steepled as he stared into the empty glass in front of him. The day had been relentless, filled with the weight of knowing that Celestina—his Zorina—was no longer the nobody he had dismissed but the president’s daughter.
He was still trying to process the cascade of emotions—guilt, regret, confusion—when the door to his office swung open with a sharp creak.
Liora stood in the doorway, her emerald gown slightly crumpled and her face flushed, though whether from exertion or irritation, Kael couldn’t tell. “Kael,” she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “Did you hear the news?”
Kael looked up, frowning. “What news?”
“There was an assassination attempt,” Liora said bluntly, crossing her arms. “At the palace.”
Kael shot to his feet, his heart thudding in his chest. “What?” he demanded. “When? What happened? Is Celestina—” He cut himself off, realizing his slip too late.
Liora’s expression darkened. “Celestina?” she repeated, her voice dripping with disdain. “Of course. The first thing you ask about is her.”
Kael ignored her tone, stepping around the desk. “Is she alright?”
Liora scoffed, shaking her head. “She’s fine. Her guards got her out before anything happened to her. Not that you should care.”
“That’s not fair,” Kael snapped. “An assassination attempt is serious, Liora. Forgive me for being concerned about someone’s life.”
“Concerned?” Liora laughed bitterly. “You’ve never been this concerned about me. I’m your fiancée, Kael. Or have you forgotten that?”
Kael ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. “This isn’t about us, Liora. This is about—”
“It’s always about her!” Liora cut him off, her voice rising. “Since the moment you found out who she really is, it’s like I don’t exist anymore. Do you even care about me, Kael? Or am I just a means to an end for you?”
“That’s not fair,” Kael said again, his voice lower but no less tense.
“And yet you can’t stop thinking about Celestina, can you?” Liora shot back, her eyes blazing.
Kael’s jaw tightened. “This isn’t about her!”
“Then prove it,” Liora challenged, stepping toe-to-toe with him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, the tension crackling like a storm about to break. Finally, Kael turned on his heel, striding toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Liora demanded.
“To get some air,” Kael muttered. He yanked the door open and slammed it shut behind him, the sound echoing through the hall.
Kael paced the corridors of the Veridan estate, his mind racing. Liora’s words had struck a nerve, and though he hated to admit it, she was right about one thing: he had been consumed with thoughts of Celestina. But Celestina was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.
He stopped in his tracks, staring out the window at the sprawling gardens below. His family was on the brink of financial ruin, and Liora was the only lifeline they had left. The Veridan name needed her. He needed her.
With a heavy sigh, Kael turned and made his way toward Liora’s quarters. He rehearsed his apology as he walked, forcing himself to adopt a calm, contrite demeanor.
But as he approached her door, he froze. Voices drifted from inside, low but urgent.
“…didn’t expect it to go so wrong,” Liora was saying, her tone hushed but laced with frustration.
Her mother’s voice answered, sharp and scolding. “You were careless. The timing wasn’t right, and now look what’s happened. An investigation is inevitable.”
Kael pressed himself against the wall, his pulse quickening.
“I didn’t plan for it to fail,” Liora said, her voice trembling. “I just thought—”
“You thought nothing!” her mother snapped. “If this comes back to us, it could ruin everything. Do you understand that?”
There was a pause, and then Liora spoke again, quieter this time. “No one will find out. The guards didn’t see anything, and the sniper’s already gone.”
Kael’s breath caught in his throat. Sniper?
“You had better hope you’re right,” her mother said coldly. “If anyone links this to us, the governor’s position—our position—will be destroyed.”
Kael’s mind raced as he pieced together the fragments of the conversation. Liora and her family were somehow connected to the assassination attempt at the palace.
He stepped back from the door, his heart pounding. The realization was like a dagger in his chest: the woman he was engaged to—the woman who was supposed to save his family—was involved in a plot that could have killed Celestina.
