enjoyebooks Chapter 7
Chapter 7
KAEL’S POV
I stood before the grand entrance to the palace ballroom, my heart thundering in my chest. The sounds of orchestral music and laughter filtered through the massive doors, taunting me. Two guards eyed me suspiciously, but I had not come this far to be turned away.
"Sir, your invitation?" one asked, his tone making it clear he knew perfectly well I had none.
I straightened my already immaculate tie. "I'm here to see Lady Celestina."
The guards exchanged glances. "No one enters without an invitation," the taller one stated firmly.
I felt desperation rising within me. I had bribed my way past the outer gates, but these men weren't so easily swayed. Just as I was about to attempt another approach, a waiter emerged from a side door. In that moment of distraction, I slipped past the guards and pushed through the ballroom doors with all my strength.
The heavy doors crashed open with a resonant boom that seemed to silence the entire room in an instant. The music faltered and died. Hundreds of faces turned toward me, expressions ranging from shock to disdain.
"Who let him in?" someone hissed, the whisper carrying in the sudden quiet.
"What is he doing here?" murmured another.
I didn't care. My eyes scanned the crowd desperately until I found her—Celestina. She stood beside her father, resplendent in a gown of deep blue that caught the light with every breath she took.
Her dark hair was swept up elegantly, accentuating the graceful curve of her neck. She was more beautiful than I had ever seen her, and the sight of her struck me like a physical pain in my chest.
"Zorina!" I called out, my voice echoing across the silent ballroom.
I saw her stiffen, her fingers tightening around the stem of her champagne flute. President Alvada turned toward me, his expression darkening dangerously. He was an imposing figure in his formal attire, and the cold fury in his eyes would have made a wiser man retreat.
"Who is this man?" a noblewoman whispered too loudly.
Another voice answered, each word a knife twisting in my gut: "The one who mistreated her."
I ignored them all, striding forward with purpose. A guard stepped into my path, but I brushed past him. Nothing would stop me from reaching her.
"I need to speak with her," I insisted, not caring how desperate I sounded. My voice cracked with emotion I couldn't suppress.
President Alvada raised his hand, and to my surprise, the guards who had been moving to seize me paused. "You have no business here, Veridan," he said, his voice like ice.
My jaw clenched, but I kept my eyes fixed on Celestina. "Please, I just need a moment," I pleaded. "Celestina, listen to me."
She finally turned to face me fully, and the mixture of shock and anger in her eyes cut deeper than any blade. "You shouldn't be here, Kael," she said. Though her voice was controlled, I could hear the steel beneath her words.
"Just let me explain," I begged, taking another step closer.
Her father moved between us, his broad shoulders forming a barrier I couldn't cross. "You've done enough damage, Veridan," he warned. "Leave before you embarrass yourself further."
I felt my fists clench at my sides, frustration building within me. "I didn't come here to cause trouble," I insisted. "I came because I realized I made a mistake. A terrible mistake."
Celestina's perfect lips tightened into a thin line, her composure like armor around her. "A mistake?" she repeated, each syllable sharp as glass. "You call years of cruelty and indifference a mistake?"
"I didn't know—" I began, but she cut me off with a raised hand.
"You didn't care," she said, her voice rising slightly. "You didn't care when I begged for your kindness. You didn't care when I sacrificed everything for your family." The pain in her voice was raw and real, years of suffering finally breaking through her carefully maintained façade. "And now, because you've learned who I truly am, you think you can fix it all with a few words?"
Her accusation hung in the air, and I felt the weight of every eye in the room upon me. The truth of her words struck me like physical blows. She was right. I hadn't cared. Not until I'd learned she was someone of importance.
I felt my face crumple with shame, but before I could respond, President Alvada raised his hand. "Enough. Guards, escort him out."
"No! Wait!" I protested as two guards seized me by the arms. I struggled against their iron grip, panic rising within me. This couldn't be how it ended. "Celestina, please! Give me a chance to make this right!"
She turned her back on me deliberately, her spine straight and unyielding. "Goodbye, Kael," she said, her voice steady but ice-cold.
As the guards dragged me toward the doors, I fought against them with everything I had.
"Celestina! Please!" My voice broke with the force of my desperation, echoing through the ballroom like a wounded animal's cry.
The last thing I saw was her rigid posture, refusing to look back, before the grand doors slammed shut between us.