Chapter 26
Celestina sat in her father’s study looking at the documents and photos Kael had sent her. Her hands trembled as she flipped through them again, each detail more damning than the last.
The Hestrel family had been behind the attempts on her life and others, their fingerprints unmistakable in the plans.
She looked up at her father, President Alvada, whose face was hard with fury. “It’s them,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s Governor Hestrel and his family. They’re behind everything.”
Her father’s sharp eyes narrowed as he processed her words. “You’re certain?”
“Look at this,” she said, pushing the documents toward him. “It’s all here. Kael sent them to me. He found these in their house.”
President Alvada scanned the papers, his jaw tightening with each passing second. When he finished, he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped tightly together.
“This can’t be ignored,” he said finally, his voice steely. “If the Hestrels are responsible, they’ll face justice. No one is above the law—not even a governor.”
Hours later, the news broke: Governor Hestrel had been taken into custody. A team of officers arrived at the Hestrel mansion, their presence startling the household staff as they escorted the governor out in handcuffs.
Celestina watched the live broadcast from the palace, her emotions a tangled knot of anger and disbelief. She couldn’t believe it had come to this. Kael had been right all along, and now he was in a coma because he had tried to warn her.
Her father stood beside her, his expression grim. “This is only the beginning,” he said. “There’s more to this than we know.”
On the screen, the governor was shown being led into a police station, his face pale but composed. The cameras captured the flash of his cold eyes as reporters shouted questions at him.
“Governor Hestrel, are you guilty of these crimes?”
“Who ordered the attacks?”
“Did you target Lady Celestina and her family?”
He ignored them all as he was ushered inside.
In the stark interrogation room, Governor Hestrel sat with his hands cuffed in front of him, his expression unreadable. Two officers and President Alvada entered, the latter taking a seat directly across from him.
“You know why you’re here,” Alvada said, his tone icy.
Hestrel leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Do I?”
“Don’t play games,” Alvada snapped. “We have evidence linking you to multiple assassination attempts, including the recent bombing. You’ll spend the rest of your life in prison—if you’re lucky.”
The smirk faded, replaced by a hardened glare. “I was following orders,” Hestrel said, his voice low.
“Whose orders?” Alvada pressed.
Hestrel’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “You think I’ll tell you? I’d rather die than betray the people I serve.”
“You’ve already betrayed this nation,” Alvada shot back. “And you’ll answer for it.”
But Hestrel said nothing more, his silence a wall that no amount of pressure could breach.
As the investigation deepened, it became clear that the Hestrel family’s network ran deep. But when authorities arrived at the Hestrel mansion to question Liora and her mother, they found the house eerily empty.
The staff claimed ignorance, insisting they hadn’t seen either woman since the morning of the governor’s arrest.
“They’ve vanished,” one of the officers reported to President Alvada. “No flights, no travel records—nothing. It’s as if they’ve disappeared into thin air.”
