Chapter 92
The roar of the helicopter blades faded into the distance, leaving the yacht eerily quiet. Celestina’s knees gave out as she collapsed onto the deck, her hands trembling uncontrollably. The events of the past hour swirled in her mind—Kael’s cold gaze, his venomous words, the sight of Liora bound and bruised, and the unbearable tension that had finally broken.
“Celestina!” Dimitri was at her side in an instant, his strong arms steadying her. “Breathe, you’re safe now.”
She clung to him, her sobs wracking her body. “Safe? How can you say that? None of this feels real.”
Dimitri knelt beside her, his hands firm on her shoulders. “It’s over, Celestina. Kael is gone. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
She shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. “It’s not over. It’s never over. Don’t you see? He’ll come back. He always comes back.”
Dimitri sighed, his expression pained. “He won’t. Not this time.”
Celestina’s eyes darted to Liora, who sat slumped against the railing, her face pale and her breathing shallow. The image of her friend, so vulnerable and broken, made something snap inside her. She pulled away from Dimitri, her sorrow giving way to a rising fury.
President Alvada stepped onto the deck, his commanding presence drawing everyone’s attention. His face was unreadable as he looked at his daughter.
“You knew,” Celestina said, her voice hoarse but filled with accusation. She struggled to her feet, glaring at her father. “You knew about all of this, didn’t you? How long have you been watching him? How long have you been keeping this from me?”
Her father remained silent, his eyes steady as he regarded her.
“Answer me!” she shouted, her fists clenched at her sides. “How much did you know? Did you use me as bait? Was I just another piece in your plan?”
President Alvada finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. “You needed to see the truth for yourself, Celestina. If I had told you, you wouldn’t have believed me.”
Her voice cracked as she took a step toward him. “You had no right to do this to me. No right to manipulate me like this.”
“Everything I did was to protect you,” he replied, his tone unyielding.
“Protect me?” Celestina laughed bitterly. “You call this protection? I was caught in the middle of a war I didn’t even know I was fighting.”
Ignoring her outburst, Alvada turned his attention to Dimitri. To Celestina’s shock, a faint smirk appeared on his face as he extended a hand toward him.
“Mission successful,” he said, his voice tinged with satisfaction.
Dimitri stood stiffly for a moment before clasping the president’s hand.
Celestina froze, her mind racing as she replayed those two words: Mission successful.
“What… what are you talking about?” she stammered, her voice trembling.
Her father didn’t look at her. “We’ve been planning this for months. Dimitri and I have been working together to dismantle Kael’s operation from the inside.”
Celestina took a step back, the deck seeming to tilt beneath her. “You… you knew? Both of you?”
Dimitri finally spoke, his voice quiet but steady. “Celestina, I can explain—”
She cut him off, shaking her head in disbelief. “No. No, you don’t get to explain. You lied to me. Both of you lied to me.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Dimitri insisted, taking a step toward her. “Everything we did was to protect you. To save you from him.”
“Save me?” she repeated, her voice rising. “You used me! You both used me! I trusted you, Dimitri.”
“I didn’t want to lie,” he said, his voice filled with regret. “But it was the only way to get close to Kael. To stop him.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked between the two men. “You don’t understand what you’ve done. I thought I could trust you. I thought… I thought I meant something to you.”
“You do,” Dimitri said desperately, his eyes pleading with hers. “Celestina, I—”
“Was anything real between us?” she interrupted, her voice trembling.
Dimitri froze, his mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came out.
“Tell me!” she demanded, her voice cracking with emotion. “Was it all a lie? Every moment, every word—was it just part of your mission?”
Dimitri’s silence was deafening.
