Chapter 2: Are you the grim reaper?
The time seemed to stop as Celine tried to digest Kieran's words, Goosebumps rose on her perfectly exposed skin and the tears she tried her best to keep at bay fell from her eyes like a summer rainfall.
Like a fool, she couldn't move her feet. She couldn't speak. The weight of his words sliced through her flesh, cutting through her bones and breaking them at the same time.
Celine's mind turns fuzzy when the realization dawns on her that her secret has been exposed and not only that, she got humiliated on her wedding day and her sister betrayed her right in front of everyone.
"Calm down, Celine. He is a cheater." She heard the voice in her subconscious mind. It was her wolf. They were both wounded by Kieran's confession and rejection.
Though Celine is the youngest because of her intelligence, her mother's grandfather has left her a forty percent share of the company.
Celene knew she was going to be the head of her father's company one day because she was the second-highest shareholder but to make things worse, she transferred all the shares to Kieran because they would be husband and wife soon.
What a fool she was!
Celine knew she was just a fool and she failed to realize her sister was two-faced.
"Is that why no one wants her in the entire city?" someone said among the crowd.
"She can't give birth? Then she is barren!"
"She is cursed. Oh, my goodness. I'm glad he found out!"
Celine heard all their harsh words and it broke her more. The atmosphere grew tense and the air around her grew heavy.
Celine clenched her fists together, her heart heavy with pain.
"I loved you, Kieran, with all of my heart and yet you cheated on me with my sister?." Celine started but her voice faltered.
"The moon goddess chose you as my fated mate, so why?" Celine whispered as tears trickled down her face. "Why did you wait till today to disgrace me?" Celine yelled and hit Kieran's chest in rage.
"You should have let me know that you are cursed." Kieran fired back. "Then maybe I would have reconsidered rejecting you," Kieran snapped as he held Celine's jaw.
"But you were cheating on me with my sister!" Celine said, her voice barely above a whisper, and Keiran's demeanor changed.
"Don't you dare accuse me when you know what you are?" Kieran said lowly but Celine wiggled out of his hold.
She walked towards her father, trying to seek the truth. Did they know all along that Amby would get married to Kieran.
"I know you are a bitter woman, Celine. She is already my wife; we will be getting married in this same hall," Keiran fired back and turned to the prince to start the ceremony.
Celine dragged her feet towards her mother and held her hand. "Tell me this is not true, Mother," Celine whispered with shaky lips and more tears escaped her eyes.
"We heard just this morning that Amby is pregnant. There was nothing we could do. Moreover, I couldn't let my daughter suffer." Bianca, her stepmother, spoke and Celine shook her head in denial.
How could she forget that she was just an outcast in the family the moment she lost her mother? Her stepmother never loved her and it seems she was the one who brainwashed her father.
No one wanted her in the family and the only reason they kept her close was because they never wanted her to sell the shares in the future. At least, their plan works. Now everything belongs to Kieran.
"Father," Celine called with her eyes closed, trying to be strong but her father didn't even look at her way.
The ceremony began but Celine's fragile heart couldn't take it. She collapsed on the floor, her eyes closed but before she lost consciousness, she saw the way Amby smiled lovingly at Kieran as the priest gave them his blessings.
***
When Celine fluttered her eyelids open, the ceremony was about to come to an end. She dragged her body up and walked towards Keiran with bloodshot eyes.
"What about the shares I have? What about the shares I gave you, Kieran? I want them back since you are already married to my sister," Celine demanded, harshly wiping the tears off her face.
Keiran only smiled coldly at her and Celine regretted not seeing this side of Kieran even if it was just for a short time.
"Cmon! Have you forgotten you signed the contract, Kieran? You already transferred your shares to me and I didn't force you. You can't get them back, sweet." Kieran replied nonchalantly and turned to face Amby, kissing her lips.
"You must be joking right now, Keiran. I gave them to you because I trusted you." Celine tried to calm her racing heart and turned to face her father.
"Father, tell me this is not true. Tell me I can still get them back. I can't give this scumbag a cent!" Celine declared in rage in between tears.
"Who are you calling a scumbag? I have always loved Kieran and you only manage to seduce him, calling him your mate." Amby yelled.
"You didn't even own the shares; it was my own father's mistress who gave them to you before she died. Have you forgotten your mother is a mistress?" Amby added in rage.
Slap!
Amby slapped Celine across the face, fuming in anger.
The guest was still looking at them, watching like a movie in a cinema house. Some were even going to video them but the ushers positioned in the hall stopped them from taking videos.
Romy tried to drag Celine to leave with her but Celine didn't look at her friend's way. Amby just crossed a line she shouldn't have crossed.
Celine didn't waste any more time. She slapped Amby back and the two engaged in a fight. Before anyone could separate them, Ashford, Celine's father, walked towards them. He grabbed Celine and pushed her away.
Before Celine could regain her balance, her head hit the wooden altar with a loud thud and she let out a painful cry.
"Are you going to hurt your sister now? Celine!" Ashford inquired, clenching his fist in anger.
"Father," Amby cried softly, shedding crocodile tears.
They gathered in front of Amby, caring for her while no one came to Celine's side. Even when blood dripped out of her head, wetting the cold floor and her white dress, only Romy stood beside her wailing.
Celine gaze began to blur and she could see death knocking right in front of her, beckoning to her.
"I will be taking her with me and no one should stop me." A deep baritone-rich voice announced making everyone weak in their knees because of the weight of his words. His voice held authority as he rose among the people.
Celine raised her head despite the pool of blood. She wanted to see the owner of this deep, husky voice that sent shivers down her spine, despite being on the brink of death right now.
The moment Celine saw him, walking towards her elegantly with this majestic aura surrounding him, her breath caught in her throat. Her breathing stiffened when she saw his height and the way he towered over everyone in the hall.
But that wasn't what caught Celine's attention.
It was his piercing dark eyes and long eyelashes.
Those striking, piercing dark eyes she had never come across rendered her speechless. Celine's lips parted with every step he took towards her.
Gasps and murmurs filled the room as they watched him walk towards the altar.
"Isn't he the demon wolf? I heard he is the crown prince." A woman whispered in the crowd.
"He is the Ashford enemy. Have you forgotten?"
"Then why is he here? He is planning to save Ashford's daughter. Can't you see?"
"Everyone believes he is a danger to every pack. His father is the king and he is the crown prince. The cruel crown prince but he has never been to the palace after that gruesome incident."
"Which gruesome incident?"
Some of the people who heard this began to murmur to themselves as the rumor circulated in the hall.
"He is the feared and brutal Demon Wolf. The CEO of the biggest corporation in the city of SL Valley in North America. He has different identities and only a few people could recognize him, and his beauty is out of this world."
"I think you are right," another person affirmed.
However, he heard them. His ears caught every whisper and murmur of the people in the hall. He was born this way. He walked forward to stand in front of Celine, his brown eyes staring into her hazel eyes.
Celine's gaze, which was now more blurry with tears, tried to gaze up at him. Celine's eyes didn't miss the way his lips curled into a smile. His jet-black hair and chisel nose rendered her immobile.
This man, before her, was undoubtedly handsome. It felt as if she had never seen someone like this before but there was something Celine found strange.
Just who is he? Celine wondered. But she wondered if he was the grim reaper that would eventually come to take her to the afterlife.
So she asked.
"Who are you? Are you the Grim Reaper?" Celine whispered in her dazed state before falling into darkness.
The mysterious man sweeps Celine's slack body off the ground in a bridal style. And with that, he left the hall with the girl in his arms while everyone stared at him in shock, including Amby and Kieran.
To answer her question, he parted his lips. "I am no grim reaper but I am the man of your dreams."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone