Chapter 74
The atmosphere in the private jet was heavy with silence as they returned home. Celestina stared out the window, the clouds below doing little to calm her frayed nerves. Kael had ended their honeymoon abruptly, claiming there was “urgent business” waiting for them.
“Are you sure it couldn’t wait?” she had asked cautiously.
Kael had smiled, brushing his fingers against her hand. “Some things can’t, my love. You’ll understand soon.”
Now, seated beside him, Celestina’s mind raced with everything she had discovered. The hidden camera, the phone labeled “H,” the locked room—Kael’s web of secrets seemed to grow thicker by the day. She clenched her hands in her lap, hiding her fear behind a calm facade. She needed to get back to her father. He was the only one who might help her piece this all together.
“We’ll be home soon,” Kael said, breaking the silence. His voice was soothing, but she didn’t miss the sharpness beneath it. “It’ll feel good to get back, don’t you think?”
Celestina forced a small smile. “Yes, of course.”
As their car turned onto the long driveway leading to their estate, Celestina gasped.
Thick, black smoke billowed into the sky, and the air smelled of ash. Their home was engulfed in flames, fire roaring as if it were alive. Bright orange and red licked at the remains of the once-grand building, reducing it to a skeletal silhouette. Firefighters swarmed the property, shouting instructions and spraying water that seemed to disappear into the inferno.
“My God,” Celestina whispered, her voice trembling.
Kael sat beside her, his face a mask of stone. For a moment, there was no reaction, but then he cursed under his breath. “Unbelievable. What the hell happened?”
The car stopped, and Celestina jumped out, her legs unsteady as she stared at the destruction. Tears stung her eyes as memories of their time in the house flashed through her mind—the quiet mornings, the laughter, the moments that now felt so distant.
Kael approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Stay back,” he said firmly. “It’s not safe.”
She turned to him, her voice shaking. “Kael, what could’ve caused this?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, his tone low but measured. “But I’ll make sure we find out.”
For a man who had just lost his home, his reaction seemed far too calm. Celestina couldn’t help but notice the way his gaze lingered on the firefighters, almost as if he were studying them.
Hours later, as the fire died down, investigators began combing through the wreckage. Celestina stood to the side, watching their movements, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and increasingly uncertain of who she could trust.
“Ma’am,” one of the investigators approached her, pulling her from her thoughts. “It appears this fire wasn’t an accident. There are signs of arson.”
“Arson?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
The investigator nodded. “Yes, though we’re still gathering evidence. There’s a chance this was deliberate.”
Before Celestina could ask more, she caught sight of Kael speaking to another investigator near the edge of the property. They were standing too far away for her to hear, but their body language was tense. Kael leaned in close, whispering something, and the investigator nodded sharply before walking off.
Celestina’s stomach turned. What are you hiding now, Kael?
The next morning, they met with President Alvada at the presidential palace.
“This was no accident,” her father said sternly, pacing the room as Celestina and Kael sat before him. “Someone is targeting you, and I won’t stand for it.”
“We don’t know that for certain yet,” Kael replied smoothly, though his tone lacked conviction.
Alvada shot him a sharp look. “We do. And until this is resolved, Celestina will be staying here at the palace. It’s safer.”
Celestina’s eyes widened slightly. “What about Kael?”
Kael was quick to answer. “I’ll stay behind to oversee the investigation. Someone has to manage the mess.”
His readiness to separate from her caught her off guard, but she forced herself to nod. “If that’s what you think is best.”
“Of course,” Kael said, smiling faintly. “Your safety is the priority.”
That night, Celestina stood in her new bedroom at the palace, staring at the familiar surroundings that had once been her childhood home. But the comfort she once felt here was gone, replaced by an uneasy tension that seemed to follow her everywhere.
She moved to her bedside table to turn off the lamp, but something there made her freeze.
A photograph.
Her hand trembled as she picked it up. It was the same photograph of Dimitri that had been left on her pillow at the honeymoon villa, complete with the words scrawled across the bottom: “I’m coming for you.”
“No,” she whispered, her chest tightening. She had left this photo behind. How had it followed her here?
