"Answer it," Ceres huffed, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
Zeus raised a brow at her reaction but didn't say anything. Instead, he just motioned towards his hands, both of which were very obviously full.
"You're so lazy," Ceres muttered, standing up with a slight huff. She walked toward him, reaching for her handbag that hung over Zeus's shoulder. But instead of taking the entire bag, she simply retrieved her phone from inside it.
Zeus scoffed, amused. "I'm lazy?" he repeated, clearly entertained by the accusation.
Romos, watching the exchange unfold, chuckled and subtly signaled the waiting housekeepers to assist Zeus. The moment they received the cue, they rushed forward to take the shopping bags and cake box from him.
"Did you all have your snack? I bought cake," Ceres asked absently as she typed on her phone, walking back to her seat.
Zeus, trailing behind her, smirked. "Technically, I bought it," he corrected playfully.
Ceres rolled her eyes but didn't even look up from her phone. "I brought cake," she repeated, correcting her earlier statement as if Zeus's contribution was irrelevant.
Zeus chuckled and dropped himself onto the armrest of her chair, watching her with a lazy smile. "I was the one who carried it."
Ceres finally looked up at him, her golden eyes narrowing. "I was the one who picked it! Are you seriously arguing with me about this?!"
Zeus grinned, obviously enjoying her growing irritation. "I was just teasing you, love." He reached out, gently pinching her nose before placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
Ceres made a face and rolled her eyes again, but there was no real heat behind her glare.
The scene earned amused chuckles from her parents and the Clarks, who were already familiar with Ceres's short temper... and Zeus's unshakable patience when it came to her.
"How's your morning, sweetheart?" Romos asked, his tone laced with concern. He knew his daughter well enough to be certain she had a hangover.
"It was fine, Daddy," Ceres answered quickly.
"It was a disaster," Zeus deadpanned at the exact same time.
Ceres's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "No one was asking you." She crossed her arms and turned back to her father. "Don't listen to him, Daddy. He doesn't know what he's talking about."
Meanwhile, behind her back, Zeus mimicked choking himself, dramatically indicating that he had barely survived the morning.
The subtle gesture made the adults in the room burst into laughter... except for Ciena, Ryza, and Ryzel, who were watching the interaction with stiff expressions.
"We're here to talk about the wedding," Ryzel suddenly cut in.
The laughter died down.
Ryzel, seizing the moment, wrapped an arm around Ciena's shoulders, pulling her close.
Ciena froze under his touch.
But Ceres?
She simply tilted her head, her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile.
Her golden eyes flickered toward Ciena as if saying:
"By now, you should know that Ryzel is only using you to make me jealous."
Because that was the truth.
Ryzel never chose Ciena because he loved her.
He had broken up with Ceres under the excuse that he had fallen for someone else. But in reality, the only reason he proposed to Ciena after ending things with Ceres was because he panicked.
He expected Ceres to be devastated. To beg him to stay.
But instead, she had simply raised an eyebrow and asked, 'Why?'
No tears. No anger. Just indifference.
And that had thrown him off balance.
Ryzel had proposed to Ciena not out of love, but because he needed something... someone... to hold on to.
And Ceres knew it.
Just like she knew Ciena should stop acting so smug about being 'chosen' by Ryzel.
Because while she was here, sitting beside Ryzel, Ceres was ordering Zeus Falcon around.
And Zeus was a hundred times the man Ryzel could ever be.
"Really?" Ceres mocked, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "So how is it going?"
Ciena flinched slightly, but it wasn't because of Ceres's words. It was because Ryzel's grip on her shoulder tightened, his fingers pressing harder into her skin.
And she knew exactly why.
Ryzel wasn't looking at her.
His entire focus was on Zeus's hand... casually draped over Ceres's shoulder. The way Zeus's fingers absentmindedly traced small, lazy circles against her exposed skin.
A gesture so possessive yet effortless.
One that Ryzel never did with her.
"Sweetheart," Cielo interjected, her voice gentle but hopeful. "Your sister has decided to ask if you would reconsider being her maid of honor."
Cielo was treading carefully. She hoped Ceres would agree... so that the wedding preparations could finally move forward.
Ceres's gaze flickered toward Ciena.
Then at Ryza, who was visibly holding herself back from speaking.
Ceres smiled sweetly at her mother, then tilted her head, pouting.
"But you know I don't like pink," she said in a faux innocent tone. "And if I wear that color, I know it will ruin my mood. And I don't want to dampen the atmosphere on my sister's wedding day. So, maybe it's better if I don't attend at all."
A sharp intake of breath was heard... from Ryza.
But before she could explode, Mr. Clark spoke up, his tone firm yet gentle.
"Then wear whatever you like, Ceres," he said, looking directly at her. "It's just a dress. What matters is that you're there."
"Dad... !" Ryza tried to protest, but one warning glare from Mr. Clark was enough to shut her up.
Ceres tapped a manicured nail against her lips, pretending to think.
"But Uncle," she said sweetly, "I don't want to ruin the wedding theme by wearing something that doesn't match."
Mrs. Clark waved it off. "That's nonsense, dear. Wear whatever dress and color you like. You can even wear white."
"MOM!" Ryza gasped in horror.
Mrs. Clark shot her daughter a warning look before turning to Ciena.
"Would you rather have an incomplete family at your wedding just because of a dress?"
A challenge.
Ciena's heart pounded.
She knew this was not a request.
Mrs. Clark never liked her, and if she refused now, she never would.
But to allow Ceres to wear white to her wedding?
That was below the belt.
No one should wear white at a wedding except the bride.
Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. She didn't know what to do.
Instinctively, she turned to Ryzel for support, for some reassurance.
But he wasn't looking at her.
His entire focus was still on Zeus and Ceres.
As if nothing else mattered.
As if she didn't matter.
Ciena swallowed hard, then forced a smile.
"It's fine, sis," she finally said, ignoring the way Ryza's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You can wear whatever you like. What matters is that you'll be there."
Ceres let out a small gasp, placing a hand over her chest like she was touched.
"Are you sure, sissy?" she asked, feigning concern.
But Ciena saw the triumph in her golden eyes.
Because once again... Ceres won.
Once again, Ciena had to yield.
Once again, it was proven that this wedding... her wedding... was happening not because she was marrying Ryzel.
But because Ceres allowed it.
Because in the end, her approval was the only thing that mattered.
And Ciena could do nothing about it.
"Of course," she whispered, her voice hollow.
Because she wanted this wedding so badly.
Even if she knew Ryzel didn't love her.
Even if she knew he was using her.
It didn't matter.
Because once she was married, she would be Mrs. Ryzel Clark.
She would finally leave this house... where she was nothing but a charity case.
She would finally have a family of her own.
Even if she had to beg for love.
Even if she had to fight for it every single day.
"Well, if you insist," Ceres sighed dramatically, flipping her platinum hair over her shoulder. "Then I will gladly take on the role of maid of honor."
And just like that...
Without a single word, Zeus took out his phone and typed something.
He didn't even say anything.
And not even five minutes later, every single wedding coordinator and vendor that had refused or canceled on Ciena's wedding suddenly sent emails.
All of them.
Saying they would gladly take on the job.
Cielo smiled.
Finally, the wedding preparations could move forward.
"Thank you, sis." Ciena forced herself to say.
To outsiders, it might have sounded like she was thanking Ceres for accepting the role of maid of honor.
But Ceres, Ciena, and Ryza knew exactly what that 'thank you' really meant.
Ciena was thanking Ceres for allowing the wedding to happen.
And the realization broke her.