36. Theodore
36
THEODORE
V erónica follows closely behind me as we descend the metal stairs. I feel her anger simmering, ready to erupt at any moment.
“ So , are you finally going to fill me in? I think it’s about damn time I know why we dragged her here,” Verónica demands.
I exhale deeply, pausing at the bottom of the stairs and turning to face her. “ Mother is actually your aunt. Your birth mother was her sister.”
Verónica’s eyes widen in shock, her mouth opening slightly before snapping shut again.
“ What the hell are you saying? You mean she knew exactly who I was when she took me in?”
“ Yes , and not only did she know, but your mother was sacrificed at Latibulum Noctis . Mother allowed her family, her own flesh and blood, to be systematically destroyed for Lionel , for their twisted quest for power.”
I take a moment to fill Verónica in on everything else we uncovered—that Celeste and Lionel are my biological parents, the staged car accident, Celeste’s involvement with Vanguard , how she helped Lionel orchestrate the demise of the Sotelo family to solidify his control. Every detail I reveal only fuels the anger blazing in Verónica’s eyes, her fists clenching tighter with each word.
When I finish, the disgust is evident on her face. “ So , we’re… cousins?”
I nod. “ Don’t look too repulsed.”
A harsh laugh escapes her as she briefly looks away, collecting herself. Then , Verónica shakes her head slowly. “ How could she do this to us? To her own sister and family?”
“ Because that’s who she is,” I tell her, bitterness seeping into my words. “ Celeste traded her entire family—our family—for a chance at power. She was willing to sacrifice anything, anyone, for Lionel .”
“ Then let’s give her exactly what she deserves. She needs to pay for everything she’s done.” Her voice is laced with the kind of fury that only betrayal can breed.
My lips curl into a dark smile, mirroring her fierce resolve.
“ She will. By the time we’re done, Celeste will regret every decision she’s ever made.”
Verónica and I turn the corner into the basement, where Maxwell and Julian stand silently, arms crossed, their eyes narrowed on Celeste’s trembling figure. Her mascara has run down her cheeks, eyes wide with panic as muffled pleas spill from behind her gag. But as soon as she sees Verónica step from the shadows, her breath catches sharply, her eyes bulging in shock.
Verónica laughs bitterly, approaching slowly. “ Hello , Mother . Or should I say, Aunt ?” Her voice drips venom. “ You didn’t know I was still alive, did you?”
Celeste shakes her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
Verónica pauses right in front of her. “ You remember that night, don’t you? When I accidentally stumbled into your precious Latibulum Noctis and saw the truth. Your twisted games. Your deadly sacrifices.”
Celeste’s muffled cries grow louder, pleading desperately, but Verónica doesn’t relent.
“ Lionel couldn’t risk exposure. He gave the order to have me killed. Your husband was ready to slaughter your niece—the girl you pretended to raise as your daughter—without a second thought, and you did nothing to stop him.”
She pauses, letting her words sink in. Celeste looks shattered, shaking violently.
“ But he underestimated me,” Verónica continues, calmer now, a cruel smile curving her lips. “ I was rescued by the Solace Network , by women who refuse to let monsters like you win. They saved my life, hid me from Lionel , from Vanguard . I’ve spent every day since planning how I’d make him—and now you—suffer.” She leans in closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “ But you know what? I’m the one who set that mansion ablaze with Lionel still inside. Your precious husband died begging for mercy, and I haven’t lost a single night of sleep since.”
Celeste’s eyes widen in horror, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as she unravels completely.
I step forward, standing beside Verónica , feeling fierce pride at the woman my sister—or cousin—has become. My voice cuts through Celeste’s cries like a sharp blade.
“ You wanted power, Celeste , but power comes at a cost. It’s time for you to pay.”
I turn slowly toward Maxwell . “ Max , hand me one of your knives.”
A dark, twisted smile curls Maxwell’s lips as he steps forward. His fingers slip smoothly into his sleeve, and like a magic trick, he produces a shining blade, twirling it gracefully before handing it to me, handle first.
Celeste’s frantic eyes fixate on the blade, terror etched deep into her features as she begins to sob uncontrollably.
“ You should recognize these words, Mother ,” I say, stepping forward, eyes never leaving hers. “ I’m sure you’ve heard them many times. But tonight, they’re finally meant for you.”
I begin chanting slowly, the ancient Vanguard ritual flowing effortlessly from my lips:
“ In umbra mortis, pro sanguine vitae.
Quod seminas, nunc metes.
Mortem tuam accipimus, ut potentia nostra floreat.”
Celeste struggles violently against her restraints, but it’s useless. Her muffled cries are merely background noise to the words spilling from my mouth.
Julian and Maxwell watch, their faces shadowed with grim satisfaction. Beside me, Verónica stands tall, eyes burning with long-overdue vengeance.
I finish the chant, my voice ringing with cold finality, and slowly press the knife to Celeste’s exposed neck.
Then , I draw the blade swiftly across her throat.
All I hear is the sound of her final breath, a wet gurgle that fades into silence.
Blood spills in a warm rush, staining the floor as Celeste’s body slumps forward, the life draining from her eyes.
It’s done.
I stare down at her, feeling hollow, but I’m also relieved, as if something has been cut out of me too.
Maxwell reaches forward to reclaim his knife, casually wiping it clean with a cloth. Julian exhales slowly, and Verónica stands motionless, her expression satisfied.
No one speaks. There’s nothing left to say.
The weight I’d been carrying finally lifts from my shoulders. Lionel’s legacy, the twisted Vanguard rituals—it’s all over now. Justice , as dark and merciless as it needed to be, has been served.
Killing Celeste didn’t only bring peace, it brought clarity.
Now , we’re finally free to build something new from the ruins.