Chapter 3

"I'm Allastair."

His deep black eyes made Celeste's knees become weak. She could feel her heart beating so fast that it also made her hands shake.

"A-Allastair?" Celeste said, out of nowhere.

The man suddenly smiled and she felt that his grip become tighter around her waist. Celeste suddenly felt a familiar feeling that she couldn't explain.

"Do you remember me?" he asked seriously.

Celeste showed a confused expression. She is really sure that she didn't know or have met this man. She had just met him on the market and just now. She can't remember any encounter she had with him. She shifted her gaze away from the man because she felt awkward. She then realized that their faces were so close to each other.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know you," she stated flatly.

The man was still staring intently at her like he was making sure that she was telling the truth. She felt the man's hand slowly moving away from her and creating a distance between them. She immediately took a step back and put her hands on the railings of the staircase for support. Celeste felt like her body was weak.

There was a silence between the two of them. Celeste felt uneasy and all she wanted to do was to get away from this man.

"Mr. Bonventre?"

Celeste shifted her gaze to her back and then she saw her father. Don Andres was holding a glass of liquor in his hand while looking at them. Her father's face was quite odd and different when she looked at him. She saw how her father's hand formed into a fist.

"What are you doing here?" Don Andres asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

Allastair stared seriously at her father. No emotions can now be seen on his face. He just completely disregarded his question.

He then looked meaningfully at her. "Just visiting."

"Who?" Celeste asked curiously.

Allastair's gaze shifted towards her.  "I am here to get my property."

"Let's talk privately." Don Andres said and came closer to Allastair. The man was still standing and looking at her.

Celeste quickly held her father's hand to stop him.

"Papa!"

"Hija, can you give us a moment please?"

Celeste was quite worried. Her father was clearly enraged, but she got the impression he was asad.She looked at her father and then at the man standing next to him, who was just staring at her without saying a single word.

She removed her eyes from him and shifted to her father. "Okay. I'll be in the Garden. "

Don Andres didn't respond.

She then walked away from them and walked towards the Garden. She didn't know, but it bothered her. She has a sense that something is going on, but she has no idea what it is.

It's been hours since Celeste saw her father.

Celeste nervously taps her hand on the table while waiting for her father. She didn't know, but she felt nervous. The man named Allastair was also missing from their house.

"Where is your father? He's been missing since he excused himself in the garden. "her mother said. She was also worried.

Her father hasn't come back since she left him with that man. The celebration has ended already and the visitors have already gone home.

"I've called him numerous times but he didn't answer my calls." Doña Saffira said while holding her cellphone and massaging her head. Celeste knew that her mother was tired and exhausted because of what happened. It should have been a glorious day for her parents, but that man ruined it. She had seen her cry earlier because of her father's absence. They needed to stop the celebration and send home the guests.

She went closer to her mother and hugged her. "It's okay Mama. Maybe they just need to talk privately. "

Dona Saffira's forehead crinkled with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Celeste led her mother to the couch and gave her a glass of water that was on the table.

"I saw Papa earlier talking to a man. He dismissed me because he wanted to talk to him. "

"He talked with whom?" her mother asked while putting down the glass of water on the table.

"He talked to a man named Allastair Bonventre," she told her mother.

The noise of the broken glass was heard in the living room, followed by the hysterical voice of Dona Saffira. Celeste was taken aback and immediately began tapping her mother's back to calm her down.

"What? It can't be. "her mother said and broke down into tears. Celeste felt confused about what her mother is acting right now.

"Do you know that man?" She asked.

Her mother gripped her shoulders tightly and said. "I-I think it's okay. We know hi--"

"Saffira!"

Both of them looked at the main door and Celeste saw her father, Don Andres, standing there.

"Papa!" She immediately ran towards him when she saw bloodstains in his white long sleeve polo. His tuxedo was in his right hand.

Her mother pushed her to the side to hug Don Andres. "Hon, Are you okay? What did he do? "

"Stop it Saffira." Her father immediately said and looked at her. She could see sadness in his eyes.

Her mother instantly went silent.

"I'll just get the first aid kit. Wait here. "she said, then ran towards the kitchen.

Celeste held her father's hand and guided him to sit on the sofa.

"Papa, what happened? Did he hurt you? " She said she was feeling frustrated and angry.

Don Andres suddenly reached for her cheeks and Celeste later realized that she was already crying and the tears were streaming down her cheeks.

She reached for her father's hand and squeezed it tightly and looked into his eyes.

Fear.

That was the thing that she felt for her father. She had never seen her father in such a state as he is now. She knows that her father is a good man and she doesn't even recall any people who have grave anger towards her father.

Celeste then saw her mother carrying a first-aid kit and a new glass of water in her hand. Celeste moved away from her father to let her mother treat him.

"What exactly happened?" Dona Saffira spoke in a low, cold tone.

"Saffira." he said with a warning tone. He then looked at Celeste's eyes and she could feel his hesitation.

"What is he doing here? He can't do that--"

"SAFFIRA!"

"Let's talk later." Her mother said while putting bandages on his arm. Don Andres asked Dona Saffira to wait for him upstairs.

Celeste immediately asked her father what happened, but her father was hiding the truth. He then grabbed her hand and said, "No matter what will happen, you know that we love you, Iha."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what are you saying Papa?"

Don Andres grabbed her hand tighter. "You are our greatest blessing. Remember that. "

Celeste was puzzled and didn't know what her father was talking about. "I think I didn't understand."

Her father's face suddenly became serious. "Hija, Just stop asking questions. "

"But Pa---"

Don Andres cut her off.

"You're living with him starting tomorrow."

She froze after hearing what her father had just said to her.

"I'm sorry what?"

Don Andres shifted his gaze away from her and fixed his stained polo.

"Do what I told you to do."

"I'm not leaving this house." she said angrily. Her chest was heaving and she felt that she was being betrayed.

"Did you just sell me off?" She said she was completely shocked at what was happening.

Her father didn't say anything and stood up from the couch.

"This is for your own good."

"No. I am against this decision! I can't just be with a guy I just met! " She angrily shot back at her father, who was now walking down the stairs.

"You will thank me one day, Celeste. you will. "

Celeste, who was in complete shock, threw the vase she saw on the table. She started crying and anger enveloped her whole system. She can't believe that her father, whom she loved so much, would just sell her off to the man she didn't know. It was completely unbelievable. Celeste spent the whole night devastatedly crying in her room. She can't accept that she will be leaving her house and her life just like that.

She suddenly remembered the man who caused all of what she's feeling right now.

Allastair Bonventre.

She felt resentment towards that man because he hurt her father and the man who was taking away the life she was living.

There's no way I'll be living with you.