Ceres knocked three times on the large mahogany doors of her parents' bedroom before finally stepping inside.
The room was grand and spacious, but the moment she entered, her eyes immediately found them.
Her mother, Cielo, was lying on her stomach on the bed, her shoulders trembling from silent sobs.
Beside her, Romos sat close, his arm wrapped protectively around her, whispering something softly into her ear, his expression filled with concern and quiet reassurance.
Ceres's chest tightened.
She had never seen her mother like this.
"Mommy? Daddy?" Her voice was filled with worry.
Both of her parents turned toward her, and the moment she saw the redness and swelling in her mother's eyes, she rushed forward.
"What's wrong?"
She climbed onto the bed, slipping effortlessly between them, just as she used to do when she was a child. She wrapped her arms around both of them, seeking comfort... but also offering it.
Zeus, who had followed her inside, stayed silent.
He took in the intimate family moment, then quietly made his way to the open veranda, where he sat down.
From his spot, he could still see and hear them, but he gave them space.
"Sweetheart," Romos murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
With his free hand, he held her close, while his other hand remained firmly on Cielo's shoulder.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be spending the day with Zeus?"
"Nanny called me," Ceres answered.
Romos let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"I specifically told her not to disturb you."
Ceres pouted, clearly unimpressed. "Thank God she did."
She pulled away slightly to look at him. "If she hadn't called, I wouldn't have known there was a problem. I wouldn't have known Mommy was crying."
Cielo sat up slowly, wiping the endless stream of tears that wouldn't stop falling.
Even though she was trying to hold herself together, her hands trembled.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"Why are you crying?" Ceres's voice softened as she reached out, gently taking her mother's hands.
Then... her gaze darkened slightly.
"And who are those people in the living room?"
At that, Romos and Cielo exchanged glances.
A silent conversation passed between them.
They both knew there was no avoiding this.
Romos exhaled heavily, his jaw tightening slightly.
He never wanted to bring stress into Ceres's life. This was exactly why he never told her about problems... because he knew she wouldn't take them lightly.
But this time, there was no way around it.
So, with a firm but gentle voice, he finally said it.
"The older woman is Ciera... your mother's younger sister."
Ceres stilled.
Her brows furrowed slightly. "Mommy's sister?"
Romos continued. "The younger woman is Nissan. Ciera's daughter."
Ceres's lips pressed into a thin line, but she waited.
"And the man," Romos added, his voice dipping lower, "is Nissan's father. Narciso."
The moment the name left his lips,
Ceres froze.
Her head snapped toward her mother, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Narciso?"
Cielo didn't speak.
She only lowered her gaze and gave a small, hesitant nod.
The pieces in Ceres's mind began falling into place.
A sinking feeling settled deep in her chest.
Her throat felt dry.
She swallowed hard before forcing the question out.
"…Isn't that the name of Ciena's father?"
Her voice was almost a whisper now. "Your… first husband?"
Cielo squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
She didn't have to answer.
Ceres could already see the truth written on her face.
And then, the final confirmation came from Romos.
"Yes, sweetheart."
Romos's expression was unreadable.
"That man in the living room is Ciena's father... your mother's first husband."
Ceres stiffened.
Her breath hitched slightly as she turned to her mother.
"But… didn't Ciena say he was already dead?" Ceres's voice was laced with growing anger.
Her mind reeled with the realization.
"That was the whole reason she looked for you, wasn't it? The reason she introduced herself to you... even when you had no memories of your past before meeting Daddy?"
Silence.
The more she thought about it, the stronger the fury burned inside her.
Ciena had lied.
Not only that...
She had tested them, used them.
She had crafted a situation where she knew that if Romos was a good man, if Cielo was a decent mother, they wouldn't abandon her.
That they would accept her.
That they would let her in.
She hadn't given Romos and Cielo a choice.
No.
She hadn't just lied.
She did something far worse.
She played them.
She made fools out of them.
Ceres's fingers dug into the sheets as she struggled to contain her emotions.
Twenty-three years ago, Romos had found Cielo unconscious, lying on the road leading to Monteverde Mansion in the dead of night.
And when she woke up...
She remembered nothing.
Her name, her past, her family...
All of it was gone.
Without knowing her identity, her background, or even if she had someone searching for her, Romos had taken care of her.
He clothed her.
Protected her.
Gave her a new name... Cielo Michaelson.
And when he asked her to build a new life with him...
She said yes.
Because by then, he was all she had.
And so, Cielo chose to bury the past.
Even when Ciena showed up seven years ago, claiming to be her daughter.
Even when a DNA test confirmed it.
Even when Ciena told her about the life she supposedly had before.
She never asked.
She never tried to remember.
Because for Cielo, if her life before had been happy... if she had been safe... then why would she have ended up unconscious, alone, and without memories in the city?
The doctor who had checked her all those years ago confirmed that there had been no physical injury.
Which meant that her amnesia was caused by something else.
Emotional trauma.
Something so painful, so unbearable, that her mind had erased it entirely.
Cielo had never wanted to dig up that past.
Not even her real identity.
Because she was happy now.
She had a family, a home, a life that she had built with Romos.
She didn't want to know who she had been before she became Cielo Michaelson.
She didn't want to know who Cielo Fuentes had been.
But still...
She had accepted Ciena.
Because she was her daughter.
Because she felt guilty.
Because, even if she wouldn't admit it, it was her way of making up for what she couldn't remember.
She had welcomed her back into her life.
She had shared the blessings Romos had given her with Ciena.
Because she believed Ciena had no one else.
Because Ciena said that her father was dead.
But now...
Here they were.
They had shown up out of nowhere.
Early this morning, they had come looking for Ciena.
And Cielo... still unaware of who they were... had welcomed them like any guest.
She had greeted them with a smile, politely receiving them despite their unannounced visit.
Only to feel betrayed the moment she learned the truth.
That the woman sitting in her living room was her younger sister.
That the man is her husband.
The same husband Ciena swore was dead.
Ceres's hands trembled slightly as she wiped away her mother's tears.
Then... without another word... she stood.
"Sweetheart, where are you going?" Cielo asked, her voice laced with worry.
She could see it... the fury simmering in her daughter's eyes.
And she knew.
She knew that Ceres wouldn't let this go.
Cielo's heart ached.
Last night had been magical for Ceres.
It was supposed to be a perfect morning, the first day of her engagement to Zeus.
And yet... this chaos was what greeted her instead.
Ceres turned to her mother, and then...
She smiled.
Cielo felt her stomach drop.
Because she knew that smile.
That was Ceres's smile when she was about to put someone in their place.
"We have visitors, Mommy." Her voice was calm, but the undertone was anything but.
"We shouldn't keep them waiting."
She took a step forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her mother's cheek.
"I'll ask Nanny to prepare breakfast. Zeus and I haven't eaten yet, so we'll have it with them."
Ceres pulled away slightly, her eyes sharp with unspoken intent.
"You and Daddy should join us if you want. But fix your eyes first. Don't let them see that their presence is affecting you."
She paused.
Then, her voice softened slightly. "I love you."
Before her mother could reply, Ceres had already turned on her heels and walked out.
Zeus was already moving, keeping perfect pace with her.
And the moment the doors shut behind them...
Ceres didn't waste a second.
"What did you find out?" she asked.
Zeus didn't hesitate. "I only have an initial report from Damien."
He walked beside her as they entered her bedroom.
"He's still digging, but he'll send me the full report once he uncovers everything that needs to be uncovered."
Ceres nodded, waiting for the part that mattered.
Zeus continued. "But in summary... "
His eyes flickered toward hers.
"Ciena ran away from home seven years ago."
Ceres's steps faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
Zeus continued, his voice smooth but edged with something sharper.
"Her younger sister, Nissan, tracked her down two years ago through social media. Since then, they've been in contact."
Ceres's jaw tightened.
"Not only that," Zeus added.
His expression darkened.
"Ciena told Nissan that she was struggling in the city. That she could barely make ends meet."
Ceres scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Struggling?" she echoed, voice dripping with disbelief. "She's been living here comfortably for years. Daddy made sure she never had to worry about a single thing."
Zeus nodded. "It gets worse."
Ceres raised a brow, waiting.
"When Nissan would tell Ciena that she planned to visit her in the city, every time she did, Ciena would send her money instead... to keep her from coming."
A dark chuckle escaped Ceres's lips.
"Ah, so she didn't want them to see how 'hard' her life really was."
Zeus smirked. "Seems that way."
But then, his smirk vanished, and his gaze turned cold.
"And there's more."
Ceres's brows furrowed.
"Ryzel knew about it."
Silence.
For a brief moment, Ceres didn't react.
"What?"
Zeus's voice remained steady, but there was a lethal undertone beneath it.
"Damien confirmed it. Ryzel knew about Ciena's family. He knew she was in contact with them since two years ago."
Ceres's lips parted slightly. "And he didn't tell me."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
One filled with cold realization.
"Even back then when we were still engaged," Ceres muttered, voice sharp and cold. "Even then, he chose not to say anything."
She let out a sharp, humorless laugh, the sound laced with pure disbelief.
"Unbelievable."
Her hands curled into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms as a wave of fury crashed over her.
Of all the things Ryzel had done during their relationship...
Flaunting other women in front of her, as if telling her he could have anyone he wanted.
As if silently reminding her to stay in line...
To behave...
This?
This was something she never expected.
He knew.
He knew about Ciena's lies.
He knew that her parents were being played for fools.
And he chose to stay silent.
He knew full well that they were being deceived.
Ceres's breath shook, rage pulsing through her veins.
"And I was even planning to give them a peaceful wedding."
She scoffed, the thought now laughable.
That was her mistake.
For even considering to let them off easy.
"Since they thought they could make fools out of us... "
Her golden eyes burned, her voice dipped lower, every word spoken with deadly precision.
"I'll show them who the real fool is."
Zeus watched her, a slow smirk tugging at his lips.
His fingers trailed lightly along her arm before he leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.
His voice was deep, low, and darkly amused.
"I'll prepare the stage for you, love."