Chapter 90
The sight of Liora tied up and bruised made Celestina’s stomach turn. Her golden hair was matted, and her wrists were bound tightly behind her back, the gag muffling her weak cries. The once confident and cunning woman was now utterly helpless.
“Kael, what is this?” Celestina demanded, her voice trembling. “Release her. Now!”
Kael stood tall, his expression void of remorse. “Liora overstepped her bounds,” he said coldly. “She thought she could play both sides and come out on top. No one betrays me, Celestina—not even her.”
“She’s not your enemy!” Celestina cried. “Let her go. You’ve made your point.”
Kael tilted his head, his calm demeanor slipping into something more menacing. “You misunderstand, my love. This isn’t about her anymore. It’s about you.”
Kael turned toward his guards, gesturing for one of them to step forward. The man handed him a sleek handgun, which Kael inspected briefly before turning back to Celestina.
“If you want Liora freed,” he said, his voice cutting through the tense air, “you’re going to have to prove your loyalty to me.”
Celestina’s heart dropped as Kael held the gun out to her.
“What are you talking about?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kael stepped closer, his eyes locked onto hers. “It’s simple. You pull the trigger, and all of this ends. Kill Dimitri, and Liora goes free. You’ll show me that you’re truly on my side.”
Her breath hitched, and she stumbled back a step. “Kael, no. I can’t—”
“Yes, you can,” Kael interrupted, his tone sharp. He grabbed her wrist and forced the gun into her trembling hands.
The weight of it was unbearable, and her fingers shook as she clutched the cold metal. She turned to Dimitri, whose face was tense but calm, his eyes locked onto hers.
“Don’t do it, Celestina,” Dimitri said firmly. “You don’t have to play his game.”
Kael scoffed, his patience fraying. “Don’t listen to him. He’s the one who’s been manipulating you all along. He’s the reason your life has been torn apart.”
Celestina’s head spun, her breaths coming in short gasps. “This isn’t right, Kael. You’re better than this. You don’t have to do this.”
Kael’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “Don’t try to appeal to my humanity. You lost that privilege the moment you betrayed me.”
The tension on the yacht was suffocating as Kael’s guards tightened their circle around Dimitri and Liora. Celestina’s grip on the gun faltered, and it nearly slipped from her hands.
“I won’t do it,” she said, her voice shaking. “I won’t kill him.”
Kael’s eyes darkened, his calm exterior cracking. “You’re forcing my hand, Celestina. If you don’t make a choice, I will. And trust me, you won’t like the outcome.”
“Please,” Celestina pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “This isn’t you, Kael. I know the man I married—he’s still in there somewhere. Let’s stop this before it’s too late.”
Kael slammed his fist onto the railing, his voice rising. “Enough!”
The sound echoed across the deck, silencing everything except the crashing waves below. His fury was palpable, his composure unraveling.
“You think you know me?” he hissed. “You never knew me, Celestina. You were just a piece of the puzzle—a tool I needed to build my empire. But now, you’re either with me or against me. Choose.”
Celestina’s hands trembled as she looked at Dimitri, who gave her a slight nod, his eyes filled with determination.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said softly. “We’ll get out of this. Together.”
The moment stretched unbearably, the weight of Kael’s ultimatum pressing down on everyone.
And then, just as Celestina felt like the world was about to collapse, the sound of helicopters filled the air.
The sudden roar of rotors sliced through the tension, and bright spotlights illuminated the deck, blinding everyone.
