"You allowed your friend to hurt your sister?!"
Romos Monteverde's voice boomed through his home office, his fury echoing off the marble floors.
His sharp, ice-cold glare was locked onto Ciena, who stood trembling before him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"Romos, darling, please calm down," Cielo pleaded, stepping closer to him.
"Calm down?!" His voice only grew louder, sharper, deadlier. "Our daughter was hurt! And you want me to calm down?!"
Cielo flinched, unable to meet his eyes.
Because no matter how much she wanted to defend Ciena, she couldn't.
Because deep down, she was furious too.
Hearing that her eldest daughter had just stood there while Ryza Clark dared to lay a hand on Ceres made her sick.
"Uncle," Ciena whimpered, her voice shaking with fear as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I was just as shocked as you were! I… I didn't think Ryza would do something like that!"
But Romos wasn't listening.
He was beyond reason now.
His daughter wasn't home yet.
And Romos only found out what happened through a video shown to him at his office.
The video that showed Ceres slapping Ryza.
At first, he watched it calmly, his expression unreadable.
Because he knew his daughter.
Ceres did not tolerate pain.
She never liked to lift a finger when punishing someone.
She had people for that.
She had power for that.
So if she had personally struck Ryza, it meant only one thing...
The other party must have done something unforgivable.
His secretary told him the full story.
Told him that Ryza had slapped Ceres first.
And in that moment, Romos saw red.
His rage was instant. Explosive. Lethal.
He had immediately called the Clarks...demanding an explanation, demanding why their daughter dared to lay a hand on his blood.
And they?
They panicked.
They begged for forgiveness, promising that Ryza would be punished accordingly.
But that wasn't enough.
Nothing was ever enough when it came to Ceres.
And now, standing before him, was the girl who had allowed it to happen.
Romos's gaze sharpened, his patience completely gone.
"She was just having coffee," he spat, his voice dangerously low. "Why the hell did you even go there? Couldn't you have talked to her at home?"
Ciena's lips trembled.
She knew there was no point in explaining.
No matter what she said, Romos wouldn't care.
Her words didn't matter.
Only Ceres mattered.
"Ryzel just wanted to talk to her about the wedding coordinators," she whispered weakly.
"Because of your fucking wedding?!" Romos snapped, his fury flaring all over again.
His fists slammed against the desk, rattling everything on top of it.
"Do you really think your wedding is so important that it justifies my daughter being attacked?!"
Ciena didn't answer.
She couldn't.
She only stood there, shoulders shaking, tears falling silently, her gaze dropping to the floor.
Because she knew.
She knew what Romos thought of this wedding.
She knew what Romos thought of her.
To him, this wedding meant nothing.
Not since Ceres backed out as maid of honor.
Not since Ceres made it clear she wasn't supporting it.
Even when Ciena had gathered her courage to ask if Romos would walk her down the aisle, his answer had been swift and merciless.
"I will only walk a daughter of mine down the aisle when she marries the man she deserves."
And then, he had looked her in the eye and said,
"And Ceres is the only one deserving of that."
Even when Cielo had pleaded for him to reconsider, he had refused.
"I will only walk Ciena down the aisle… if I have already walked Ceres to hers first."
"Until that happens, don't ask me again."
That was the truth.
Romos would never walk her down the aisle.
Because to him, she would never be his daughter.
"Sir, Ma'am, Miss Ceres has arrived home."
The maid's voice trembled as she entered after knocking on the door of Romos's home office.
The tension in the room shifted immediately.
The fury that had burned in Romos' eyes just moments ago vanished, replaced by immediate concern.
Without another word, he turned away from Ciena, his rage towards her forgotten in an instant.
"This conversation isn't over," he told her coldly before leaving the room.
Cielo followed closely behind him, her heels clicking softly against the polished floors, leaving Ciena standing alone in the office.
She lowered her head, her nails digging into her palms as she listened to their hurried footsteps fading down the hall.
She had never mattered to him.
Not like Ceres did.
The moment she saw her parents in the grand foyer of the mansion, Ceres greeted them with a radiant smile.
"Mommy! Daddy!" she chirped, her voice light and full of warmth.
As if nothing had happened.
As if she hadn't just been attacked in public.
She immediately walked up to them, kissing their cheeks, wrapping them in a tight embrace, completely unbothered.
Romos took her by the shoulders gently, his eyes sweeping over her face with nothing but concern.
His hand came up, lightly cupping her cheek, searching for any sign of bruising, any hint of pain.
"Sweetheart, tell Daddy where it hurts," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
Ceres blinked up at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"We heard what happened earlier," Cielo murmured, watching her daughter carefully.
"Oh, that."
Ceres shrugged, flashing them a careless smile.
"Don't worry about that, Daddy, Mommy," she reassured them with a playful grin. "Ryza slaps like a child. It didn't even hurt. Besides..." she smirked, her eyes glinting mischievously, "...I already slapped her harder. And ten times more."
Her pride was unmistakable.
Cielo sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, while Romos merely huffed in amusement, his anger shifting to approval.
"Are you sure?" Romos asked. "I'll have your Nanny Joan bring you an ice pack just in case."
Ceres giggled, looping her arms around her father's.
"I'm sure, Daddy." She leaned into him slightly, her voice sweet and affectionate. "I even went shopping with Dee after. You don't have to worry about me."
Romos studied her carefully, his sharp eyes locking onto hers as if searching for even the smallest hint of distress.
But there was none.
His daughter was completely unfazed.
With a long sigh, he finally gave in.
"Alright. If you say so."
Cielo reached out, brushing her fingers through Ceres's long platinum-blonde hair, a fond smile on her lips.
"Why don't you freshen up so we can have dinner together?" she suggested gently.
But Ceres pouted, her expression turning playful.
"Actually…" she drawled, batting her lashes dramatically, "I already have dinner plans."
Romos's brows furrowed. "Dinner plans?"
Ceres smiled sweetly, tilting her head as if preparing to charm him.
"Zeus asked me out for dinner," she said, flashing her most innocent smile, the one she knew her father could never refuse. "And after, we might go clubbing."
For a moment, Romos said nothing.
"Okay, okay," he sighed in surrender.
Cielo, predicting his answer, simply smiled.
"But mind your liquor," she warned lightly. "No hangovers this time."
Ceres giggled, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Mommy." She grinned mischievously. "Even if I do get a hangover, it's Zeus who'll suffer the consequences, not me."
Her parents laughed along with her, completely at ease.
A perfect, happy family.
But from the entrance of the living room, Ciena stood watching.
As always, she felt like an outsider.
Because no matter how many years passed...
She would never be part of that picture.
"Oh, sister, I didn't see you there," Ceres called out, her voice dripping with mockery disguised as warmth.
She had spotted Ciena standing near the entrance, and her smirk only widened when she noticed the slight puffiness around her half-sister's eyes.
Ciena had been crying.
Daddy must have scolded her.
Good.
Serves her right.
With an air of casual dominance, Ceres walked over, sweetly draping an arm over Ciena's shoulder.
She leaned in, her tone gentle yet taunting.
"Are you okay?" she asked, pretending to sound concerned. "Your eyes are swollen."
Ciena inhaled sharply, forcing herself to remain calm.
"I'm fine," she said stiffly, keeping her voice even despite the rage boiling inside her.
Ceres hummed in amusement.
"If you're upset about what happened earlier...don't be," she said lightly, loud enough for Romos to hear.
Then, she tilted her head, adding, "I don't blame you. It's not like you told Ryza to slap me, right?"
Ciena felt her blood turn cold.
Her heart pounded as she saw Romos's expression darken from the corner of her eye.
The way his sharp gaze flickered with suspicion as if considering the possibility that she had.
"O-of course not," Ciena stammered.
Ceres giggled, squeezing her shoulder as if she had just said something amusing.
"Of course, I know that."
Her voice was sweet as honey.
"We're sisters, after all."
The words sounded almost affectionate...if not for the underlying malice lurking beneath them.
And then, as if on a whim, Ceres suddenly clapped her hands together.
"You know what? To help you forget about today's drama, why don't you come with me and Zeus for dinner?"
Ciena froze.
"What?" she asked, stunned.
Her confusion was genuine.
Why...why...would Ceres invite her to a date with Zeus?
It didn't make sense.
She was planning something.
Ceres rolled her eyes dramatically, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Did you go deaf?" she teased, mocking her innocence. "I said, join us for dinner. And then we'll go clubbing. I'm sure you're stressed out with all the wedding preparations."
Ciena narrowed her eyes.
"But Zeus will be there," she pointed out.
She knew...everyone knew...that Zeus Falcon wasn't the type to tolerate interruptions.
Especially not from her.
Especially when it came to Ceres.
Ceres waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about him," she said smoothly. "I'll handle it."
That was the difference between her and everyone else.
Most people would think twice before testing Zeus's patience.
But Ceres?
For her, it was nothing.
She could command the most powerful bachelor on the continent like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And he would listen.
And he would obey.
"As a bonus," she added, her golden eyes gleaming, "you can ask him about the wedding coordinator problem."
She tilted her head, her smirk deepening.
"I'll back you up, just in case."
Ciena swallowed hard, her mind racing.
She didn't know what Ceres was planning.
But she knew one thing for sure.
This wasn't an invitation.