Chapter 13: Chapter 13
The silence between them felt like glass. It was fragile, and transparent. One wrong word again, and it would shatter into something sharp.
Celeste could feel Landon’s gaze on her. It was too heavy, and too expectant for her not to notice it on her. She didn’t move, neither could she speak. If she opened her mouth, she might scream.
"I think you two need to work on your conflict resolution," Landon said casually, raising the glass to his lips. "Though, I gotta admit... the tension was entertaining."
Dominic parted his lips. His voice was low when the words came out. "Shouldn’t you be inside? Hosting?"
Landon chuckled. "It’s my party. I can vanish if I want. Besides, watching Celeste cry over another man seemed more interesting than the rich pretending to care about charity."
"I’m not crying," Celeste said, her voice stiff.
"Right," Landon nodded, "must be allergies."
Dominic’s eyes flicked to her briefly, almost unnoticeably. But she caught it. Of course she caught it. That glance was the only thing keeping her standing.
"I’ll leave you two," Dominic said abruptly, turning on his heel.
Landon scoffed. He wasn’t done.
"You know," he called after Dominic, "it’s funny. Even with all that power, all that money... and she still won’t look at you like she used to look at me."
Dominic paused mid-step.
Celeste’s breath caught. She was utterly confused standing between these two men. Her throat tightened.
It was a cheap shot but Landon knew exactly where to strike, and he knew what Dominic would buy.
Dominic didn’t turn around, but he responded. "That’s the thing about people who only want to be worshipped," he said coolly. "They start to believe their own lies."
He walked away after saying that.
Celeste stared at the spot where he’d been standing just seconds ago. She felt like something vital had just walked away with him.
"You love him." Landon scoffed. His voice broke her train of thought.
She didn’t respond. Even if she wanted to, she had no idea what to say. She hated Landon so much that it hurts. He placed her in the middle of this shitty mess.
Landon moved closer, his tone shifted. "He’s not the one wearing my ring." He let out a low breath. "I gave my ring to you because I love you,"
"I didn’t put it on because I love you. I put it on because I loved you." she whispered.
Landon’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm. "Don’t lie to me, or try to push me." He felt insulted by what she said.
No woman ever turns him down.
Celeste but her lower lips. She hesitated, but still replied. "I accepted it because you offered me safety, and stability. Because you were the only person who showed up when I was falling apart."
He stared at her for a long time. "But you didn’t fall for me." He had a low smirk at the side of his lips, as if to mock her.
"No."
He nodded once, "That’s honest, at least."
"Do you want me to lie?" she asked, finally looking at him.
"I want you to want me like you want him," he confessed. "But that’s not something I can get. Yet, it’s not something I can’t force."
She blinked. He must be insane.
Landon set his glass down on a nearby ledge and stepped forward again. His pride glowed out of the expressional mask he wore, and wanted to be remorseful enough.
"I know I’ve made mistakes," he said. "A lot. But Celeste, we’re already in it now. This marriage, future, and legacy. I’ll protect you, and give you anything you want. More than you can ever think of. This marriage would benefit you more than it would benefit me,"
The way he said it was so desperate. On a calmer note, she could hear how calculated he sounded, and it made her chest tighten.
"I’m tired of being passed around like a prize," she said softly. "Like a war between two broken men."
"You’re not a prize," Landon said. "You’re a crown. One of us will wear it, and whoever wears it gets the company."
Celeste recoiled a little, her stomach knotted. He was no longer hiding under any mask. She had been a cheese game all these while, and he won’t let her go. Not for anything.
"I don’t want to be something either of you win," she said, and took a step back, almost yelling. "I want to be chosen. And not because you’re trying to beat him."
His expression hardened, just slightly. "You think Dominic’s capable of choosing you over his own selfishness?"
"I don’t know," she admitted. "But I’m starting to think I need to stop letting men choose for me."
Landon’s eyes narrowed as if her words stung more than he’d expected. He never thought she would stand up to him.
She still had a lot left to lose.
"You think standing on your own suddenly makes you powerful?" he asked, his tone icy now, the soft persuasion was gone. "You’re in too deep, Celeste. You forget who helped you claw your way back."
"I didn’t forget," she said. "I just stopped pretending it was love."
Silence passed between them immediately.
And then, a long breath escaped him. "You really think Dominic is the answer?"
"No," she replied, almost instantly. "But at least he’s not pretending to be a solution."
Landon turned away for a moment. He was at edge, and needed to recalibrate. When he faced her again, that mask was fully gone.
"What do you want, Celeste?" he asked slowly. "To run back into the arms of the man who broke you?"
"I just want to breathe," she said, her voice trembling. "And I haven’t been able to do that since the day I met you. I’ve been a joke to you all these while, and it’s not fair,"
She pulled the ring off. She did it slowly, and deliberately. She held it in her palm like it burned her skin. Landon’s eyes dropped to it, unreadable.