Celestine’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the man blocking his way from reaching his sister. There was something about Fred that impressed him, but the recent occurrences didn’t allow him see past his actions as just innocent.“Who are you?” Fred repeated, closing the door behind him as he stepped outside. Celestine smiled wryly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m her brother,” he declared, “I have every right to see her.”Fred hesitated, his gaze flickering between Celestine's features and the features of Mariah etched on his mind. There was little to no semblance between them, save for the jet-black hair. But then again, everyone had jet-black hair.“I… I’m sorry, I’ll need more proof than just words,” Fred said, his tone calmer than before.Celestine’s gaze hardened, his eyes scanning the features of this adamant man’s face. Fred stood tall in a posture of unseen strength, his angular jawline a mere coincidence of nature. He didn’t seem to care much about his looks. Celestine no
Celestine was gradually losing his patience, pacing Mariah's hospital room with his phone pressed to his ear. He was trembling from the mere thought that something could have happened to him. "Where did he go to?" He asked, turning to Mariah, who was equally antsy. Fred rose from her bedside unable to watch the siblings panicking so much. "Celestine, can I call you that? I suggest we handle this matter on our own until we can get to Archer... But before then, we have to move Mariah someplace safer than here..""Where else would be safer? These guys are everywhere!" Celestine replied frantically."Could you please think for a minute?" Fred charged, "If this guy could get past the hospital security with a gun in his pocket then he can get past anywhere, and certainly he won't be the only one to come looking for you or Archer...""I suggest we all go home...to the mansion. I'm sick of this place anyway..." Mariah concurred, staring at her brother with hopeful eyes.Celestine clenched
“No,” Celestine declared firmly, his features clearly showing his defiance. Fred and Mariah looked up, startled by his unexpected interference.“Look,” Celestine started, more calmly. “Asking him if he ever betrayed anyone or who he betrayed or whatsoever would just be the same as putting words in his mouth or giving him a free pass to lie to us instantly. Do you think he’ll admit it even if it were true?”“What do you suggest I ask him then? Master Woods is not that kind of person, I’ve known him for years… he’s upright, he’s almost a saint.” Fred said softly. As Mariah observed him silently, he found that his rugged appearance was an opposite of his character. Fred was soft spoken, exuding a type of confidence in his words. She was lost in his unconventionally striking charm that her brother’s voice seemed distant in her mind until he called out her name.“Mariah!” “Huh?!” Mariah replied, shaken out of her head only to notice that Fred was no longer with them.“Are you alright? H
Fred’s words hung in the air, thick with tension. Mariah felt her heart beat skip as she watched the two men glaring at each other with death stares.Celestine’s expression shifted as he dashed his gaze away.Fred remained calm as usual, and that calmness irked Celestine.His anger simmered on, boiling within him until it was almost pouring over. Then suddenly, sadness washed over him like a wave, doubling the weight of the situation on his shoulders. He sank on the couch, the reality of Archer’s predicament hitting him like a brick.He in fact realized that Fred was right. He had to prove him innocent. It seemed as though the entire people of Utah were against him now. He had to prove that he was innocent. But how? He felt helpless and frustrated by the injustice happening to Archer in such a short period of time.His defiance melted away alongside his fury, leaving behind a deep sorrow in his heart.“What can I do?” He asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.“What can I do
Celestine’s mind raced with silent contemplation, trying to make sense of the stranger’s claims.“Why Archer’s blood?” He asked, furrowing his brows.The mercenary smirked, his previous surrender replaced by a scornful expression. “Perhaps, you don’t know what a mercenary means. I was just to get his blood, what for? I don’t know…”Fred exchanged a glance with Celestine, both making a silent note of that clue.“Who hired you?” Li demanded, his voice breaking the eye contact between Celestine and Fred.The mercenary’s smirk faltered slightly, as he turned to face Li. “You can have my name, but my loyalty to my employer remains.” He said softly. Without a stress, Celestine knew that was his final say.A surge of frustration coursed through him but one look at Li’s face, and his confidence returned.“I’m not very reasonable, Mr. mercenary…” Li began, the corners of his lips lifted in a half smile. “You see, I myself, am a mercenary… and my employer demands answers.”Celestine shot a quic
The tires of Celestine’s car screeched in the air as he made a sharp stop in the parking lot of Sterling Groups Hospital. The fading sunlight cast a soft glow on the walls of the hospital as he approached with a fast speed.His mind raced with apprehension, as he neared the hospital entranceway. Finally stopping in front of the large doors, Celestine grabbed the doorknobs with two hands and pushed it with all expectancy.His expectations were instantly cut short when he realized the doors were locked. Celestine’s heart sank. He ran around the building, in search of another entrance with no success. He had turned around the large building about two times, when a voice suddenly called out from the intercom at the security.“You’re not allowed to be in this premises as the government authorized a total shutdown…”Celestine felt enraged by his comment, “A total shutdown?” He fumed, racing to the security house.“Who is there? If you can hear me, I need to speak with someone. This is priv
The activities of the evening had just begun. In the Drunken Badger, one was right to say, the day had just started. The Badger wandered around like a lazy king in his palace, chattering and smiling with almost everyone. They all wore normal expressions, their wide smiles reaching their ears. Celestine turned around, scanning the gradually crowded room with suspicion. He didn’t seem to find anyone staring particularly at them, neither did he see anyone who didn’t seem to fit in the room. If anything, he was the outcast here. Dressed in a suit, with lines of frustration masked on his usually baby face. Mercy’s sudden touch on his shoulder startled him, shifting his attention back to her from his silent hunt.“Aren’t you being too obvious?!” Mercy scolded, “Just take my word for it, they’re onto us.”“I just want to know who,” Celestine replied, “You say someone’s watching, someone’s listening. I believe you, I just want to know who, why?”Mercy released a sigh of frustration, almos
Celestine glanced at Mercy and his heart clenched as he noticed her shrunken expression.He didn’t know if it was Fred’s subtle taunts that cut down her size or if it was the daunting awkwardness between them. “I need a cold shower,” he said abruptly, stirring the silence.“Won’t you introduce her? Who’s she? We don’t need more people we do not know Celestine.” Mariah said, her voice tinged with concern.Celestine caught his patience slowly slipping by, he had to get away for a minute to recollect himself.“Mariah, I wouldn’t bring anyone into this house if I didn’t trust them enough. I’ll meet you at the dining table.”With that, he walked away, leaving them confused and concerned.“Did anything happen on the way back home?” Mariah asked, turning to the fair lady.Still shaken by the evening, Mercy only managed to respond with a soft nod.“What is this? A new feature? You used to be cunning and haughty, what happened to you?” Fred teased, his voice losing the calm that Mariah knew t