"Pink?! You want me to wear a pink dress?"
Ceres's voice dripped with disbelief as she arched a perfectly sculpted brow at Ciena.
They were gathered in the grand living room of the Monteverde mansion, where wedding coordinators and designers were busy taking measurements for the bridal entourage. The atmosphere was supposed to be elegant, and sophisticated...a day dedicated to finalizing details for Ciena and Ryzel's grand wedding.
But of course, nothing was ever peaceful when Ceres was involved.
"You know I hate pink!" she spat, crossing her arms over her chest as she shot daggers at her so-called sister.
Ciena sighed, already feeling a headache coming.
"So what if you hate pink?"
The sharp retort didn't come from the bride-to-be, but from Ryza...Ryzel's younger sister, who stood fuming at the side. Her hands clenched into fists, her frustration barely contained.
She still couldn't believe that her ex-future sister-in-law had stolen her rightful place as maid of honor.
"It's not your wedding," Ryza snapped, her glare unwavering. "The theme is pink and black. If you have a problem with it, then leave!"
Ceres tilted her head, a slow, wicked smirk curling on her lips.
Oh, she loved this.
The way Ryza was seething? The way she looked one second away from lunging at her? Priceless.
"Does anyone else hear that?" Ceres mused aloud, feigning confusion as she glanced around the room. She cupped a hand to her ear, then gasped dramatically. "Oh wait..." Her eyes landed on Ryza, glimmering with pure mockery. "It's just a little bitch barking."
"You...!"
"Shut up, bitch." Ceres cut her off smoothly, her tone sharp as glass. "No one was talking to you."
Ryza turned red, her lips parted in rage, but no words came out.
Ceres was already done with her.
She shifted her gaze back to Ciena, who looked visibly torn between frustration and helplessness.
"I'm not wearing that color," Ceres declared, her voice casual but firm. "If you insist on making me, then you can just give the maid of honor role to Ryza." She flicked her wrist dismissively. "I won't be attending the wedding either."
Ryza scoffed. "Then don't! It's not like you're needed!"
Truth be told, Ciena wouldn't mind that outcome either.
She knew Ceres was only here to make things difficult.
From the very beginning, she had been changing everything...hijacking every detail Ciena had carefully planned for her own wedding.
She had wanted pink roses for her bouquet. Ceres replaced them with white lilies.
She had chosen a simple yet elegant three-tiered strawberry cake. Ceres changed it to an extravagant four-tier chocolate cake.
Even the menu had been altered to suit Ceres's personal taste, dismissing everything Ciena had requested as "cheap" and "embarrassing."
And when Ciena had tried to argue?
Ceres had simply laughed.
"Poor taste, sister. Do you want people to laugh at you? Because they will."
But what truly sealed Ceres's control?
Zeus Falcon.
When the wedding coordinators had hesitated...when they had looked to Ciena for approval on the changes...they had received a direct call from Zeus himself.
"If you don't listen to Ceres, this will be the last event you ever handle."
A clear, undeniable threat.
Ciena had no choice.
Now, the head coordinator stood frozen, eyes darting between the sisters, unsure of what to do.
Ciena exhaled slowly, already regretting ever asking Ceres to be her maid of honor.
She should have known.
She had expected this the moment Ceres had agreed so easily.
"…What color do you want then, sis?" Ciena finally asked, defeated.
"Ciena?!" Ryza's voice was shrill with disbelief. "Don't listen to her! This is your wedding...you should be the one making the decisions!"
"But..." Ciena hesitated.
"Okay, fine."
The sudden agreement made everyone freeze.
Ceres let out a dramatic sigh and turned on her heel, heading for the door.
"Ryza, you can be the maid of honor. Bye."
And just like that, she walked out.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances before their eyes collectively followed Ceres's retreating figure as she sauntered out of the living room.
The tension in the air was suffocating.
The wedding coordinators swallowed nervously, standing stiffly, uncertain of what to do next. No one wanted to make a decision that could get them blacklisted by the Monteverdes...or worse, by Zeus Falcon.
Breaking the silence, Ciena turned to them.
"What color does Ceres actually want?" she asked hesitantly.
A sharp inhale came from beside her.
"Ciena, are you serious?" Ryza's voice was incredulous as she whirled around to face her best friend. She marched up to Ciena, her hands on her hips, her expression a mixture of disbelief and frustration.
"Why are you even worrying about that witch? This is your wedding! The only opinion that should matter is yours!"
"But… you heard her," Ciena replied, her brows furrowing with concern. "She said she wouldn't attend the wedding if she doesn't get her way."
"So what?" Ryza huffed, crossing her arms. "The wedding is still happening whether or not she shows up. And honestly, it might be better if she doesn't! She'll just cause trouble like she always does. She'll find a way to make the whole event about herself."
Ciena let out a sigh, her heart heavy.
Ryza wasn't wrong.
Ceres had never been content playing the background in any event. She was always the center of attention, whether by charm or by sheer force of will.
But Ciena's worries ran deeper than just her sister's tantrums.
"If Uncle Romos finds out that Ceres won't be attending, he'll be furious," she admitted, biting her lip.
She didn't say it outright, but everyone knew the truth...Romos Monteverde only tolerated her presence because of Cielo, her mother.
The only reason she had a place in this house was because her mother had married him.
If Romos had his way, Ciena wouldn't even be living in this mansion, let alone marrying into the Clark family.
She never forgot where she came from.
She had spent most of her life in poverty, struggling to get by. The luxury she now experienced was borrowed...something she only tasted because of her mother's marriage.
If she made the wrong move...if she angered the wrong person...it could all be taken away in an instant.
And the last person she wanted to upset was Romos Monteverde.
Ryza scoffed, snapping her fingers in front of Ciena's face to break her daze.
"Uncle Romos isn't that unreasonable, especially since it's your wedding we're talking about," she said with confidence.
But Ciena doubted that.
She had seen time and time again how much Romos spoiled his daughter.
If Ceres had asked to get back together with Ryzel, would Romos have made it happen?
Absolutely.
Even if Ryzel had refused, Romos would have found a way to force his hand.
Ceres was his only child. His blood. His legacy.
Everything she wanted, she got.
Ciena was not his daughter.
And that distinction made all the difference.
Ryza, sensing her friend's hesitation, quickly tried to shift the conversation.
"Forget about that witch," she said firmly, looping an arm around Ciena's shoulder. "Let's focus on the wedding details, alright? And we still have your bridal shower to plan!"
Ciena inhaled deeply, willing herself to let it go.
Maybe Ryza was right.
Maybe it was time to stop letting Ceres control everything.
This was her wedding.
And she was supposed to be the one calling the shots.
They continued with the wedding preparations, doing their best to push aside the memory of Ceres's tantrum from a few hours earlier.
Without her disruptive presence, everything went smoothly.
For the first time in days, Ciena felt genuinely happy. Laughter filled the air as she chatted with her friends and bridesmaids, finalizing details about the dresses, the decorations, and the bridal shower.
Everything was falling into place.
Until it wasn't.
The sudden, sharp gasp from the head coordinator shattered the lighthearted atmosphere.
Everyone turned to look at her, confusion flickering across their faces.
A second later, the chime of multiple notifications rang from the iPad she was holding.
Then another.
And another.
The woman's eyes widened in horror, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the influx of emails.
Something was very, very wrong.
The bridesmaids fell silent, exchanging worried glances as the air in the room grew tense.
Ciena's heart pounded as she watched the head coordinator's expression twist into sheer panic.
One by one, high-profile clients...some of their biggest, most exclusive bookings...were suddenly canceling their contracts.
And they weren't even hesitating about the non-refundable policy.
They were pulling out without question.
But the worst notification came seconds later...a cold, professional email stamped with the unmistakable Falcon Empire insignia.
The message was simple but devastating.
"Effective immediately, Grandiose Event Planning Services is to be removed from all current and future engagements with the Falcon Empire and its subsidiaries. You will no longer be considered for any Falcon-sponsored or recommended events."
The Falcon Empire's seal of approval was their greatest asset.
Without it, their entire company was as good as dead.
The head coordinator turned pale.
Without saying a word, she grabbed her phone and rushed out of the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she frantically dialed someone.
For several minutes, everyone sat frozen, holding their breath.
Ciena swallowed, feeling a creeping sense of dread coil in her stomach.
She had a very bad feeling about this.
Finally, the head coordinator returned.
Her posture was stiff, her face unreadable.
But her eyes...the way they darkened with an unspoken resignation...told Ciena everything she needed to know.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Ciena," the woman finally said, her voice strained. "But we have no choice… We have to cancel our contract."
The words felt like a slap to the face.
Ciena stared at her in shock. "Cancel? But why?"
This was Grandiose Event Planning Services...the most elite and prestigious wedding planning agency in the country.
They had never backed out of an event before.
The head coordinator hesitated, visibly torn between telling the truth or keeping silent.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and decided to be honest.
"Mr. Zeus Falcon just put us on his blacklist for all events," she confessed. "Every single one of our clients has already pulled out...because Mr. Falcon personally warned them that if they continued working with us, they would be blacklisted as well."
A death sentence.
Ciena felt the color drain from her face.
"Because of this," the head coordinator continued, her voice heavy with regret, "we can no longer plan your wedding. We will return the full payment, and you won't have to cover any of our expenses. The breach of contract is on our end, not yours."
Silence.
Cold. Suffocating.
Ciena's chest tightened.
Zeus Falcon.
Ceres's most devoted admirer.
He had single-handedly destroyed the most reputable event-planning company in the country...all because they didn't bend to Ceres's will.
Losing a one-million-dollar event?
It was nothing.
It didn't even come close to what was at stake if Grandiose defied Zeus Falcon.
And in that moment, Ciena understood something.
This wasn't just about a wedding.
This was a warning.
A reminder of who truly held the power.
And no matter what she did, no matter how much she fought back, one thing was clear...
Ceres would always win.