Chapter 64
“Don’t trust the people closest to you.”
Celestina jolted awake, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was dark, the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the heavy curtains. She clutched the sheets tightly, her breath shallow as she tried to shake off the remnants of the dream.
Dimitri’s voice still echoed in her ears, clear and urgent. In the dream, he had stood in front of her, his expression grave, his eyes filled with worry. This time, he hadn’t been silent or cryptic. His message had been clear.
“Don’t trust the people closest to you,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.
Celestina glanced at the clock. It was just after three in the morning, but there was no chance she’d fall asleep again. Her mind was racing, filled with questions she didn’t have the answers to. Why was Dimitri’s voice haunting her dreams? And what did he mean by his warning?
She pulled herself out of bed, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. The palace was eerily quiet as she made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Her footsteps echoed in the long, empty hallways, and the cold marble floors sent chills up her spine.
Don’t trust the people closest to you.
Her mind lingered on Kael. He had been growing more secretive since their return from Russia.
The next morning, Kael was already in his study when Celestina came downstairs. She found him sitting at his desk, a stack of documents in front of him.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time in here,” Celestina said, her tone light but probing as she leaned against the doorframe.
Kael didn’t look up from the paper he was signing. “There’s a lot to handle. Security measures, financial recovery… I’m working to secure our future.”
Celestina stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. It was impeccably neat, as always, except for the locked drawer on the left side of his desk. She had never noticed it before.
“You’ve barely come out of here for days,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Are you sure you’re not overworking yourself?”
Kael finally looked up, offering her a tight smile. “I’m fine. I just want to make sure everything is in order. We’ve been through too much to let anything slip.”
His vague answer didn’t satisfy her, but she forced herself to nod. “Alright. Just… don’t forget to take a break. Even you need to rest sometimes.”
Kael stood and walked around the desk, pulling her into a quick hug. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got everything under control.”
The word “control” sent a chill down her spine, and Dimitri’s warning echoed in her mind once again.
Later that day, while Kael was out handling a meeting with security officials, Celestina found herself standing in his study again. The locked drawer caught her attention immediately.
She hesitated, glancing toward the door as if Kael might walk in at any moment. Her fingers hovered over the drawer’s handle. It didn’t make sense—why would he need to lock anything?
Her curiosity got the better of her, and she tugged at the handle. It didn’t budge. She glanced around the room, looking for anything that might be a key. But before she could dig further, she heard footsteps approaching down the hall.
Panic surged through her, and she quickly straightened up, pretending to tidy the papers on Kael’s desk. Kael walked in moments later, raising an eyebrow at her.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked, his tone even but his gaze sharp.
“I was just organizing these for you,” Celestina said quickly, gesturing at the stack of documents on the desk. “You’ve been so busy, I thought I’d help.”
Kael studied her for a moment before nodding. “Thank you, but I’ve got it under control.”
There was that word again. Control.
That evening, while cleaning up the study, Celestina noticed something unusual in the trash bin. A small piece of paper had been crumpled and partially torn.
She smoothed it out, her brow furrowing as she recognized Kael’s handwriting. The note was incomplete, but the words “control” and “steps to execute” jumped out at her.
“What are you planning, Kael?” she whispered to herself, tucking the fragment into her pocket.
Her unease deepened as she replayed his recent behavior in her mind. The locked drawer, the long hours in his study, the vague explanations—it all felt off.
That night, as she prepared for bed, Celestina decided to check her travel documents. With everything going on, she wanted to make sure her passport was still where she’d left it. But when she opened her desk drawer, it was gone.
Her chest tightened as she rummaged through her papers, checking every drawer, every folder. It wasn’t there.
Panic rising, she marched into Kael’s study, where he was seated with his laptop. “Kael,” she said sharply, “where’s my passport?”
Kael looked up, his expression calm but guarded. “I have it,” he said simply.
“Why?” she demanded, crossing her arms.
“For safekeeping,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “Given everything that’s happened, I didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.”
Celestina narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t think to tell me? That’s my passport, Kael. I should have known.”
“I was going to tell you,” he said, his voice steady, though he avoided her gaze. “You’ve been under a lot of stress. I didn’t want to add to it.”
