Chapter 67
Celestina sat alone in her study, trying to focus on the endless stream of documents piled on her desk. Her mind, however, was elsewhere, tangled in the web of secrets surrounding Kael. The call from Dimitri, Kael’s strange behavior, and the safe she had uncovered—it all refused to leave her thoughts.
As she reached for her pen, her elbow brushed against a worn leather-bound journal tucked under a stack of files. She frowned, pulling it out. She didn’t remember leaving it there.
Opening the first page, her heart nearly stopped.
The handwriting was unmistakable. It was Dimitri’s.
Her fingers trembled as she flipped through the pages. The entries were fragmented, written in hurried script, but each one painted a vivid picture of his thoughts. Some pages spoke of their time together, his love for her, and his dreams for their future. But as she read further, the tone shifted.
One entry stopped her cold.
“Kael isn’t who he says he is. I’ve seen him meeting with men tied to the Hestrel family. They’ve been exchanging plans—something about targeting Celestina’s wedding. I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to stop this, but I have to try.”
Celestina gasped, the journal slipping from her hands. The words burned into her mind. Dimitri had known. He had suspected Kael before his death.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Dimitri?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway made her snap the journal shut and tuck it into a drawer. Kael appeared moments later, leaning against the doorframe.
“You’ve been in here all morning,” he said with a soft smile. “I thought we agreed you’d take more breaks.”
Celestina forced a smile, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “There’s a lot to catch up on.”
Kael’s gaze lingered on her, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Don’t work yourself too hard. I have everything under control.”
Later that afternoon, Celestina was walking through the palace gardens when she spotted Kael standing near the eastern gate. He wasn’t alone.
A tall man in a dark coat stood with him, their heads close together as they spoke in low voices. Kael’s body language was calm but guarded, as though he didn’t want to draw attention.
Celestina stepped closer, keeping to the shadows. The stranger handed Kael a folder before walking away briskly.
“Who was that?” she asked, emerging from her hiding spot as Kael turned to head back inside.
Kael didn’t flinch. If her sudden appearance startled him, he didn’t show it. “A political advisor,” he said smoothly. “He’s been helping me with some security concerns.”
“Security concerns?” she pressed, crossing her arms.
Kael nodded, his expression unreadable. “There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I don’t want to burden you with. Trust me, Celestina. I’m handling it.”
Her stomach churned. The more he told her to “trust him,” the less she believed him.
That evening, Celestina tried to escape her worries by returning to her study, hoping to read more of Dimitri’s journal. But when she reached for the door, her key didn’t fit.
Frowning, she tried again, jiggling the lock, but it wouldn’t budge. “What on earth…”
She called for a staff member, who confirmed that the locks had been changed earlier in the day.
“Why wasn’t I informed?” she asked, frustration bubbling to the surface.
“The security team said it was part of a routine upgrade,” the staff member replied nervously.
Minutes later, Kael appeared, his face calm but firm. “It’s for your safety,” he explained. “There have been too many breaches recently. I ordered the change.”
“You didn’t think to tell me?” she snapped, her voice rising.
Kael raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve been under enough stress as it is.”
The same excuse again. “Kael,” she said through gritted teeth, “this is my study. I need access.”
“You’ll have it,” he said, his tone gentle but resolute. “But for now, let the security team finish their work.”
Celestina nodded tightly, but the unease gnawed at her. This wasn’t about her safety. Kael was hiding something, and he was tightening his control over her.
As if her nerves weren’t already frayed, the palace went into lockdown later that night. A bomb threat had been called in, throwing the entire household into chaos. Guards swarmed the grounds, checking every corner while Kael took charge of the situation.
“It’s under control,” he told her firmly, his hand resting on her shoulder. “Stay in your room until I give the all-clear.”
But Celestina couldn’t stay still. Pacing her room, she thought of Dimitri’s warning, the journal, and the growing sense that she was being trapped in her own home.
Hours later, the threat was deemed a hoax, but Celestina’s anxiety lingered. She knew this wasn’t over.
The next day, as she sorted through a box of personal belongings in her quarters, Celestina stumbled across an old photo album. Hoping for a distraction, she flipped through the pages, pausing at a picture taken during her wedding.
Her breath caught in her throat.
In the background of one of the photos, partially obscured by a group of guests, was Dimitri.
She stared at the image, her pulse racing. It was unmistakably him. His face was turned slightly, his expression unreadable, but it was him.
The photograph was dated the day of her wedding. Dimitri had been there.
Her fingers tightened around the album as a chill ran down her spine. How was this possible? Why hadn’t he approached her?
