Céline’s phone dinged, notifying her of a message. She checked it and heart stopped.
“Céline, what is it?” Her aunt asked.
Céline was unable to talk, she passed her phone over to her aunt to check for herself. Elizabeth took the phone and squinted over the device to check. She read the name but it didn’t ring any bells.
“Abel? Do you know this person?”
Elizabeth could not figure out what had gotten Céline so worked up over a simple name.
“Check again, aunt.” Céline whispered as tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn’t believe what was happening.
Elizabeth furrowed her brows and checked the message again. “Is this message from John?”
Céline only nodded, using her hands to muffle her cries. It seemed to her that her problems where never ending.
Elizabeth checked the message again and gasped. Like a difficult puzzle, she had been able to put the pieces together in her head.
“Oh my God!”
“Abel Culhane… He isn’t Damien’s relative by chance, is he?” Elizabeth squeaked.
“He is…” Céline confirmed.
The world froze. Céline lungs squeezed against themselves and it felt like she was losing her life. Why was this happening?
It was like the heavens were mocking her. How did she end up with a relative of the person that stole her parents from her?
“What would you do now?” Elizabeth finally asked. Left for her, she knew the right thing to do was to take that information to the police.
The question Elizabeth had asked her niece seem to have awakened something deep within Céline’s mind. Something she tried not to venture into because each time she did, it brought back the pain of the person she could never have. Her mother.
Céline remembered the last time she saw her mother. The words she told her, never left her head. They made her who she was.
Céline closed her eyes and the words returned into her head. They sounded so clear, like she was back in that room and her mother was right in front of her.
‘You are a brave girl. Brave like your mama.’
Her mother taught her to be brave and she would be brave. She would deal with this Abel Culhane herself, just like she had ran to New Jersey on her own at a very tender age, she would deal with him.
“I’ll go end him… the same way he had ended my parents!”
Like a different spirit had possessed her body, Céline ran to her wardrobe. She searched thoroughly, throwing pieces of garment all over the place and finaly brought out a gun.
“Celine!” Elizabeth gasped.
“What are you doing with that?”
Céline started walking out of the room and headed to Damien’s. Elizabeth followed after her. She could not understand what had come over her niece.
“Céline, I think we should let the police handle this!”
Céline suddenly stopped, tears spilling from her eyes. She tilted her neck to the side and looked at her aunt. “You know the uniform of a policeman, right?”
Elizabeth frowned. She didn’t understand what Céline was saying.
“Don’t ever give it to someone in that uniform!”
Elizabeth’s frown deepened. “What are you saying Céline?”
“Those were the exact words she said to me. My mother never trusted the police… Why should I tell this to the police? Where was the police when my mother was dying? Why didn’t they save her? Where were they when my daddy died and I wasn’t even there!? Where aunt?!”
Elizabeth saw the determination in Céline’s eyes and fear crawled unto her skin. She had to stop her from making an even greater mistake than before, but how would she do that?
Céline snatched one of the car keys and ran outside. She pressed the keys searching for the one that would beep. The red Bentley in the garage flashed and she wasted no time. She ran to it, putting the keys into the ignition, she started the car.
Elizabeth followed tapping the windows of the car in panic. “Céline stop this madness!” She lamented but Céline was blinded by vengeance.
Without waiting to hear her aunt cries. She zoomed off to the address John had attached to the name. Abel Culhane had to die.
She drove so fast, she got there within ten minutes.
The house looked peaceful but Céline knew that was only a façade. Damien had told her how his mother had taken care of him alone without anyone’s help. Abel Culhane was cold hearted and ruthless; and today was going to be his end. Céline would make him pay for every evil deed he had done in he is life.
She snatched the gun from the back seat and alighted from the car. She didn’t even bother to shut the door. She made a beeline to the entrance.
A Butler came to stand in front of her but Céline wasn’t here for formalities. She pointed the gun at his head. “Where is Abel Culhane?” She demanded through clenched teeth.
The old man raised his hands in the air, shaking like a little boy. His mouth moved, opening and closing like that of a fish but no words came out.
“I won’t ask you a second time!” Céline warned.
The man pointed a shaky finger to a door by the far side of the house and Céline presumed that would be his office, but she wasn’t stupid. She had seen enough movies to know how this old butler could turn against her if she wasn’t careful.
“Move!” She roared, motioning for the man to lead the way.
“Please don’t shoot me, I have a little grand daughter under my care, please-” The butler whimpered shuffling to the door he had pointed out.
But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Céline would not hesitate to shoot him, if she felt he was lying. She followed closely behind him, the gun pressed to the back of his head.
With shaky hands, the old butler opened the door and there, in the middle of the study, sat a man that filled up the entire seat, with eyes that reminded her of Damien’s.
Abel Culhane.
“On your knees!” Céline barked.
The old butler, hurried to the floor, laying flat. But the person Céline had meant to command did not as much as shake. He only narrowed his eyes on her, watching her closely.
“You are a Fayet, aren’t you?” He asked. His voice sounded weak and feeble.
Céline felt a prick deep in her heart. A tear escaped her eyes and her lips trembled. So he remembered them?
“You have your mother’s eyes and your father’s hair color… I could recognize those features anywhere.” He stated calmly.
“Why?” Céline whispered in anger. Her entire body was shaking with raw pain. Why did this cruel man take her parents away from her? Why?
His seat moved and Céline notice he was in a wheel chair. He wheeled himself away from the desk. “I have always known this day will come.” He said.
“Your father was my business partner. I was young and I needed to grow my business empire. We made a breakthrough and I was selfish. I wanted it all…”
“So you killed him?” Céline’s voice broke.
“Yes, I did.” He replied, there was a hint of sadness in his voice but it seemed he wasn’t even remorseful for his actions. Something else humbled him. But Céline didn’t care.
“You were selfish and you killed my dad… What about my mum? W-hat did she do to you?” More tears filled her eyes and she had to blink them away to be able to see clearly.
“I was just being careful…” He stared out the window, a distant look in his eyes. “I know saying I am sorry right now, can not make it all better but I am-”
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up! Your sorry won’t bring them back!” Céline screamed.
“You will die here today…” She was standing in front of her enemy, her fingers tingled. This was the right thing to do. She held the gun tighter and closed her eyes.
“This is for you mom…” She whispered and then pulled the trigger.
The sound of the gun shot wasn’t the only thing Céline heard. In that brief moment, She felt someone push her hands away and when she opened her eyes, Abel Culhane was still seating, unscathed.
She had missed.
Or rather someone had made her miss. She turned a sharp glare to the side and there he was in all his glory, Damien Culhane.
“Why did you stop me!” She snarled.
“Baby- listen to me, he isn’t worth the punishment…”
“Because he is your uncle? What about my parents? What about me?”
“I know everything baby but I promise you he isn’t worth it. Look at him! He is a dead man!” Damien pleaded.
Céline threw a glance at the unshaken man and noticed how pale his fat skin was. He looked so frail like dough that had gone bad. He looked deflated.
“He has cancer Céline. And I promise you that he will spend the rest of his miserable days in a cell! Please baby, put the gun down…” Damien took slow steps towards her as he spoke.
“You have a very long life ahead of you… You don’t need to cut it short because of him. He is worthless… He is nothing…”
Céline’s tears flowed now more than ever. She couldn’t stop the shudder that came with the sobs that vibrated from deep within her soul. “He killed my parents Damien… He- he took my mother away from me!”
Damien reached her and gently took the gun from her hands.
“It’s because of him- I needed the money-” she cried. “I never meant to hurt you Damien, I am sorry.” She wept falling into his arms.
“I am sorry too baby. I am so sorry.” Damien whispered holding her closely into his arms.
**EPILOGUE**
The police came shortly after Damien had managed to tame Céline and Abel Culhane was arrested for the murder of Mr & Mrs Fayet.
“Céline!” Lucas exclaimed pulling her from Damien’s embrace. “We were so worried about you!”
Brian and Charles also joined in the hug. They all thought, they had lost her.
“That’s enough bro, let my wife go!” Damien complained, pulling Céline away from his friends.
“So much for saying you wanted nothing to do with Céline.” Brian commented and they all fell into laughter.
After all the formalities with the police, the group returned home with rebounding happiness.
Elizabeth was the happiest as she saw her niece return in one piece. She had almost given herself a heart attack thinking about what that Abel Culhane could do to her.
It was dark by the time everyone left and the couples were left alone. A tension grew between them as none knew the right words to say. The war was over but what about their relationship?
“I should go to bed…” Céline announced rising from her seat.
“Céline…” Damien called.
She turned and watched him from under her eye lashes. Her heart raced as she wondered what he was going to ask her.
“May I return to our room?”
Céline paused. Her entire world came to a stand still as the words Damien had said slowly warmed her back to life.
“If you don’t want to… It’s okay. I can always get my lawyer to end this or whatever you say. I just-”
Céline ran to him, silencing him with her lips. She kissed him with all the strength she could muster.
“I want you to return to the room…” She whispered.
A large smile grew on Damien’s face lighting the room, “I love you Céline.” He whispered before he claimed her lips.
He pulled her closer into him, taking his time to taste every part of her he had spent weeks lacking.
“Baby wait, there is something I need to tell you,” Céline said breaking the kiss.
“What is it my love?” Damien asked. He was smiling but his heart was racing. What if she said she couldn’t continue with their relationship?
“I am pregnant…”
Damien’s eyes grew in minutes and Céline smiled. “Are you sure?”
Céline nodded, biting her lips.
Damien hugged her, placing kisses all over her body. “Thank you so much baby. I love you so much…” He whispered as he trailed kisses all over her face.
Céline giggled.
“I think we should go to the room, Sarah might be watching.” Céline snickered.
“Say no more my queen…” Damien carried her bridal style and headed to their bedroom.
The future wasn’t entirely clear yet but if there was one thing Céline was certain of, it was that, her present was a very happy one.
**********
THE END.