Chapter 5

A strong wave of nausea surged up, and Celestia didn't even have the strength to push him away before-"Urgh..."-she threw up right on him. The sour stench of her vomit splattered all over Caleb, who instantly shoved her away with a look that twisted between green and purple. "You disgusting woman! Are you insane?!" he bellowed, completely forgetting they were in a public restaurant, hurling verbal abuse at Celestia without restraint. Thanks to the outburst, every pair of eyes in the place zeroed in on them. Realizing the scene he caused, Caleb's temper flared further as he glared at Celestia, who was now collapsed on the floor clutching her chest in pain. "You're nothing but a whore who's been with half the city. What are you playing shy for? Fifty grand isn't enough for someone like you?" he snarled, pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet, and flung it at her before storming off like she was dirt under his shoe. Celestia's face flushed beet red. The stares she felt all around her pierced like needles, burning her skin with every judgmental glare. The shame was overwhelming-she wanted the ground to swallow her whole. But unfortunately, she had to endure it. Still sitting on the cold floor, she braved through the whispers and stares. Once she felt slightly better, she grabbed her bag and shakily got to her feet. Just as she lowered her head and tried to make a quiet exit, a pair of polished leather shoes stopped right in front of her, blocking the way. A confident, slightly mocking voice dropped from above her head. "Well, this is unexpected. Fancy meeting you here." Deep, smooth, and dripping with amusement-his voice made her stiffen on the spot. Her unfocused eyes slowly traced up the tailored pants, and as her gaze landed on the man standing before her, her heart sank like a stone. There he was-the last person she wanted to see. Jareth. His tousled hair danced in the breeze, those sharply arched brows framing his obsidian eyes, dark and unfathomable. He had that untamed edge, while the smirk playing on his thin lips paired with the confidence on his face made him look like he ruled the world. Clad in an Armani suit that fit like it was sewn on him, he exuded an air of effortless authority with every subtle move. Arrogance etched across his face, Jareth sneered down at her while holding onto a clingy, doll-like woman by his side-who mirrored his mocking expression. Celestia instinctively wanted to sidestep him and leave, but Jareth saw right through her. Before she could even act, he stepped squarely in front of her again, cutting off any escape. His eyes swept over her disheveled form with undisguised contempt. Then he glanced behind her at the mess on the table, lips curled into a crooked grin. "Wow, hasn't been that long... and already you've hit rock bottom?" His deep gaze buzzed with icy sarcasm. Celestia shot him a cold glance, then quickly looked away. The glamorous woman beside Jareth was eyeing her warily, but Celestia didn't react-pretending she didn't hear a word, didn't even see him there. She just turned her body slightly and stepped around him, heading straight for the exit. Not saying anything was probably the best choice right now. That blatant disregard sparked a sharp sting of humiliation in Jareth. His smile vanished in a flash, replaced by an icy expression. His whole presence darkened like storm clouds rolling in. Just as Celestia was about to step out the door, his voice rang out behind her, low and cutting. "You do realize hitting up every bank won't help, right? Without my go-ahead, none of them will loan you a penny." Celestia halted in her tracks. Five beats passed before she slowly turned around to face him, her voice tight with fury as she forced the words out. "What the hell is your problem? What do you gain from crushing us like this?" She knew full well that the Brooks family's downfall wasn't just due to past missteps. Jareth had made it clear he was out to bury them. And with his grip on half of the continent's financial power, there was no wall strong enough to keep him out-not even theirs. Celestia got it. What she didn't get was why Jareth had chosen them-or her-as his target. But instead of answering, Jareth let out a dry scoff. "Problem? Come on, you guys know exactly why this is happening." His obsidian eyes gleamed dangerously, that glint like sharpened steel. His hands curled unconsciously into fists. "What are you even talking about?" Celestia snapped, her brows drawn in anger. "Is this about us sleeping together? Or because I messed up your stupid wedding? Don't pretend you're the only one who got hurt here, Jareth! I was a victim too!" Her voice rose with each word, cutting across the dining room and drawing every eye her way. But she couldn't care less anymore. He'd taken her first time-drunk and without her consent-and ever since, she'd lost her closest friend, Sophia. Yet now he was acting like he was the one who got stabbed in the back. What the hell did he want from her? Jareth's gaze locked onto hers like a hawk. After a beat of silence, he gave her a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then said something that nearly made her gasp out loud. "You really want to know why I'm doing this? Fine. I want you to marry me." He was smiling, yeah-but his tone? Dead serious. Unshakably firm. No games. A pair of sharp intakes of breath followed-one from the woman on his arm, the other from Celestia. She stared at him, stunned, eyes wide with disbelief. When her voice finally came back, it cracked with shock. "Jareth, are you out of your mind?" After everything-tearing her family to the ground-his endgame was... marrying her? Jareth's smile deepened, colder now, tinged with something almost sinister. "I'll give you two days to think about it. That's it," he said as he looked at her, gaze intense-burningly so, like he was trying to see through her skin to every thought in her head. Celestia didn't even know how to tell if he was serious anymore. Her mind couldn't process this craziness. She dropped her gaze in disbelief, still reeling-when his voice cut through again. "Right, almost forgot-did you take the pills after that night?" Jareth shot her a sidelong glance, a devilish smirk tugging at his lips. Pills? What pills? For a second, Celestia was confused-until Jareth followed up with a chilly laugh, saying, "I'm not really in the mood to deal with a bastard kid." It hit her instantly. So he was talking about that. But the real kicker? He actually called the baby a bastard. Faced with his mocking stare, Celestia's eyes turned sharp. She straightened herself, chin slightly lifted, glaring back with a defiant calm. "Relax. I'm not that desperate to mess up my own life," she snapped, not even sparing him another glance before turning to leave. Jareth watched her figure disappear into the shadows. His eyes darkened with a chill that hinted at something far from harmless. Under the dim moonlight, a sleek black BMW cruised steadily along an empty road. In the back seat, Celestia sat in silence, Jareth's words echoing in her head: "I want you to marry me." Was he serious? Her mind replayed the scene-his smile, those unwavering eyes. He hadn't been joking. Not one bit. So then... what's his angle? Why would he ask her to marry him? She frowned, the question twisting in her chest like a knot. After a while, she shook her head hard, trying to stop the spiral. Whatever game he was playing, she wasn't about to roll over that easy. A flash of determination lit up in her clear eyes. She opened her bag to grab her phone, hoping to reach out to someone-anyone-that could help. But before she could, her gaze landed on a test report sticking out on top. And just like that, everything inside her clammed up. The baby. What was she supposed to do about the baby? One of her trembling hands instinctively pressed against her lower abdomen. Under the flickering streetlights, her beautiful face was clouded with heartache. She was only twenty-two. She wasn't ready to be a mom-especially not to Jareth's child. She'd already made up her mind. She couldn't keep it. But then... why did just the thought of letting go make her chest ache? "I'm home, Dad," she called softly as she closed the door behind her, expecting to hear his usual response. Stepping out of her heels and into her slippers, she walked into the living room, wanting to talk over some other options with him. Normally, he'd be there watching the evening news. But today, the living room was empty. "Dad?" She set down her bag and headed toward the study, only to find it abandoned too. "Dad, where are you?" she called again, a bit louder this time, climbing the stairs with rising unease. He had to be home. She searched every upstairs room, anxiety growing with every empty corner she checked. Her steps quickened as she rushed back down to the bathroom. When she pushed the door open- She froze. There he was. Collapsed on the floor. And in that instant, her face went utterly pale. "Dad!" Her voice trembled with panic as she rushed toward him, struggling to lift him off the cold floor. "Dad, wake up! Can you hear me?" She patted his face anxiously, only to realize how pale and stiff his body had gone. His skin was icy cold, drained of all color. Panic gripped Celestia so tightly it felt like her heart might spiral into a knot. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her mind was frozen-it took her a few seconds just to remember to call for help. The ambulance arrived not long after her frantic call. Outside the ER, she paced back and forth, her face ghostly pale, like she could pass out any second. Her mom had passed away years ago; her dad was all she had left in this world. If anything happened to him... she didn't even know how she'd keep going. That thought alone made her burst into quiet sobs as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Time blurred until the doors to the emergency room finally opened. Celestia rushed up immediately. "How is my dad?" she asked, eyebrows scrunched tight, eyes locked on the doctor walking out. Her voice was shaky and so low it barely carried. "There's been significant bleeding in the brain. Thankfully, you brought him in quickly," the doctor said calmly. "We're prepping for surgery now. I'll need your signature shortly." The words landed like a punch to the gut-Celestia nearly crumbled. "Brain hemorrhage? How's that possible?" Her dad had always been strong and healthy. He hadn't had a serious illness in over a decade. How could this be happening? "It was caused by a sudden spike in blood pressure-most likely from stress," the doctor explained briefly before hurrying off. The guilt hit her all at once, heavy and suffocating. Her eyes clouded over again, and she stared at the red light above the OR with a stabbing pain in her chest. Her tears spilled uncontrollably. This was all on her. Every. Damn. Thing. Because of her, the company's reputation had plummeted. Because of her, her father-once the steadiest person in her life-was now in critical condition. Thinking of him lying helpless on that operating table and the company sinking with no hope of saving it-Celestia felt like she might just collapse from the weight of it all. While crying, one name popped into her mind: Jareth. What if she just said yes to him? Would that fix everything? That single thought cracked the walls of her already fragile determination. She'd already lost everything else-love, friendship. Now the only thing she had left was her dad. And if giving up everything else could keep him alive, did anything else even matter? ***** It was a bright afternoon, sun blazing down on the premium business district in the heart of the city. Dominating a cluster of sleek office buildings was a sixty-story tower, its smooth glass facade sparkling like a diamond under the sun-impossible to miss. Carrington Corporation. 59th floor. CEO's Office. "This quarter, I want full reports from each of your departments. The more detailed, the better." Jareth's voice was calm but firm, carrying easily across the spacious office as he issued orders from behind his desk to his department heads.