My breath caught.
“Celeste, you keep doing this. You keep creating scenes around Astrid.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You are the one turning everything into a mess.”
I stared at him like I didn’t recognize him anymore.
“A mess?” I whispered. “My brother was drugged. He was raped. And you’re calling it a mess?”
That finally made something flicker in his expression. But not guilt— annoyance.
Before I could say anything else, he lifted his hand slightly. The bodyguards moved immediately and they pulled the urn out.
“No!” I screamed, rushing forward. “Stop it, that’s my brother!”
My father shouted too, voice breaking. “Don’t you dare! That’s my son!”
But they ignored us. They opened it and poured everything out right onto the ground.
I froze.
No, no, no!
My brain refused to understand what I was seeing at first then it hit me all at once.
Ashes— my brother’s ashes spilling into dirt!
My father collapsed beside me, screaming and crying, trying to scoop it back with his bare hands.
“Please… please no!” he sobbed. “That’s my boy… that’s my boy!”
But they shoved him away. One of them even stepped on the ashes like it was nothing at all. Like a mistake they were erasing.
My vision blurred completely. I turned to Rocco again.
My voice barely worked. “Do you understand what you just did?” I whispered. “That is my brother. That is all I have left of him.”
He finally looked at me properly now and laughed.
“Your brother,” he repeated, like it was ridiculous. “Celeste, stop embarrassing yourself.” He shook his head slightly. “I knew you would go this far,” he said. “Faking death, faking grief, just to get my attention.”
My stomach dropped.
“You’re sick,” I whispered.
He didn’t react. Instead, he adjusted Astrid in his arms and turned slightly away.
“And listen carefully,” he added, voice low and final. “If you keep lying, I won’t ignore it next time.” Then he walked away with her.
The moment he disappeared, my legs gave out.
I dropped to my knees. My hands reached into the dirt, shaking, trying to gather something that could never be gathered again.
My father was beside me, crying so hard he couldn’t even breathe properly anymore.
…
The next morning, a series of hard knocks rattled the front door.
I froze where I was standing.
For a brief moment, a sick thought crossed my mind. Maybe they had come back. Maybe yesterday hadn't been enough.
When I opened the door, several bodyguards were standing outside.
The sight alone made my stomach sink.
They weren't there to visit. They weren't there to negotiate.
They were there to deliver an order.
“What do you want now?” I asked. “I've already stepped aside. I've already lost my marriage, my career, and my brother. What else could you possibly take from me?”
The man standing in front answered without hesitation. “Mr. Thornton sent us. Miss Snow is hosting a birthday celebration tonight, and your attendance is required.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
Required.
That was a polite way of saying I had no choice.
“I don't attend parties I'm not invited to,” I said. “And I certainly don't attend parties hosted by people who have spent months destroying my life.”
The bodyguard's expression didn't change.
“Miss Snow specifically requested your presence. The guest list has already been finalized, and Mr. Thornton expects your cooperation.”
I looked at him for several seconds.
“And if I don't cooperate?”
The answer came immediately.
The man lifted his hand.
Two bodyguards pushed past me and grabbed my father.
“Dad!” I shouted.
My father stumbled backward in shock.
He still looked exhausted from everything that had happened. His shoulders seemed permanently bent now, as though grief had settled onto his back and refused to leave.
Seeing strangers put their hands on him made something twist violently inside my chest.
“Let him go,” I said.
Nobody moved.
The bodyguard spoke calmly. “If you refuse to attend, we can bring your father instead. Either way, Miss Snow will have the guest she requested.”
I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt.
“You know he's done nothing to you. You know he's suffered enough already.”
“That isn't my decision,” the man replied. “Our instructions were very clear.”
Tears burned behind my eyes.
Rage.
Fear.
Humiliation.
All of it mixing together until I could barely breathe.
“I'll go,” I said finally. “I'll attend the party. Just let him go and leave him out of this.”
Only then did they release him.
The entire drive to the venue felt less like transportation and more like an escort.
Not for a guest.
For a prisoner.
---
The event was already in full swing when I arrived.
The moment I stepped inside, I saw them. Astrid and Rocco stood at the center of the room, surrounded by people eager to win their attention. Astrid barely resembled the woman I had met years ago.
Back then she had dressed simply. She had been awkward and forgettable. Now she looked expensive. Everything about her had changed. The clothes. The jewelry. The confidence. The status.
Every upgrade had come from the same source.
Rocco Thornton.
And Rocco stood beside her with one hand resting lightly against her back. His eyes followed her every movement.
I knew that look. I remembered it too well.
Once upon a time, he had looked at me the same way.
The whispers started almost immediately. No one bothered lowering their voices. Then Astrid approached me with a bright smile that immediately made my skin crawl.
“Everyone is being far too serious,” Astrid said, looking around at the crowd. “Celeste and I had some disagreements in the past, but that happens in every industry. People love turning professional competition into something dramatic.”
A few guests laughed.
Astrid smiled wider.
“The funny thing is that most of those rumors weren't even true. People just enjoy creating stories.”
Then she glanced at Rocco.
“And honestly, we've all moved on. Mr. Thornton and I are together now. Celeste has had plenty of time to accept that, and I'd hate for anyone to think we're still stuck in some old love triangle.”
Several people immediately looked at me.
My stomach twisted.
Astrid continued as if she were doing me a favor.
“We're all adults here. Relationships end. People fall in love with someone else. That's life. Holding onto bitterness forever just makes you look pathetic.”
The room grew quieter.
I looked toward Rocco but he said nothing.
That silence hurt more than anything she had said.
I decided I had stayed long enough.
I turned toward the exit.
Then Astrid stepped into my path.
Her smile remained perfectly in place.
“Leaving already?” she asked quietly. “That's disappointing. I went through a lot of effort to make sure you'd have a memorable evening.”
Something cold settled in my stomach.
“What did you do?” I asked.
Astrid's smile widened.
“You'll see.”
Before I could react, the massive screen behind us lit up.
A video began to play and the room immediately fell silent. My blood turned cold.
No!
The footage showed my brother. The same footage that had already destroyed him. The same footage Rocco had used to threaten me.
A wave of whispers spread through the crowd.
I rushed forward. “Turn it off!” I shouted. “Turn it off right now!”
