"You're joking, right?" Diana asked in disbelief, staring at the gown Ceres had chosen to wear to Ciena's wedding as the maid of honor.
They were currently in the receiving area of Zeus's mansion, and the extravagant dress was displayed in front of them like a masterpiece in an art gallery.
"Of course not," Ceres said with a bright smile, her fingers gently caressing the fabric of the gown, the same wedding gown she had originally designed for her wedding with Ryzel. If that wedding had ever happened, this would have been her dress.
"Are you really going to let her wear that to the wedding?" Caspian turned to Zeus, looking equally dumbfounded. He and Zeus were sitting comfortably on the couch, a few feet away from the two women. "That's a ten-million-dollar wedding gown, Zeus. And you're just allowing her to wear it to her ex's wedding?"
Zeus poured himself a glass of whiskey, taking his time before responding.
"It's what she wants. What can I do?" he said, smiling slightly before taking a sip.
Caspian let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"You're insane," he muttered, shaking his head before taking a drink of his own.
Diana, however, still looked unconvinced.
"But, Cee, this was supposed to be your wedding gown," she said, struggling to understand her best friend's thought process. "You spent so much time designing this for your wedding with Ryzel."
"Exactly, Dee," Ceres said, rolling her eyes. "I spent hours designing this gown. And if I couldn't wear it at our wedding, at least I'll be wearing it at his."
Diana gaped at her, speechless.
Caspian let out a low whistle.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath, clearly entertained by the audacity of it all.
Diana turned to Zeus, still in shock. "And you're allowing this?"
Zeus merely shrugged. He didn't want her to wear that gown to her stupid ex's wedding, but he also knew better than to stop her when she was already set on something. He knew Ceres well enough to understand that this was her way of stirring the pot, of making sure Ciena and Ryzel didn't get to have their perfect fairytale wedding.
And truthfully? Zeus fully supported her ruining that wedding.
But now that they were engaged, he had hoped she would wear it for their own wedding.
Ceres noticed his silence and rolled her eyes. She strode toward him, lifting her knee onto his lap as she cupped his face between her hands. Then, before he could say a word, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Of course he's allowing it," she said, smiling against his mouth. Then she pulled back and turned to Diana. "I designed that gown with another man in mind."
"Did you forget the gown that Ryzel wanted me to wear at our wedding?" she asked Diana. "Yuck. As if they could ever get me to wear such a boring dress. He has zero taste."
Diana snorted, shaking her head.
"But still," Caspian chimed in, amusement lacing his voice, "you only thought about your wasted effort? What about the ten million dollars that Zeus spent on it?"
Diana smirked.
"Yeah, doesn't it bother you, Zeus? That she's basically wasting your money?"
Ceres turned back to Zeus, cupping his cheeks again and playfully squeezing them this time. "Aww, does it bother you, Zeusy?" she teased.
Caspian choked on his drink, coughing violently. He barely managed to set his glass down before looking at her in horror.
"Zeusy? What the hell? Falcon, are you seriously okay with her calling you Zeusy?"
Diana burst into laughter.
"What?!" Ceres turned and glared at Caspian. "Diana calls you Cassy! What's wrong with my Zeusy?"
"Cassy is a gender-neutral name," Caspian argued. "So it's acceptable! But Zeusy? There is no way a man would ever accept being called that."
Ceres narrowed her eyes.
"What? You don't like it when I call you that?" she asked Zeus, feigning a pout as she faced him.
Zeus's golden eyes twinkled with amusement as he tightened his grip around her waist.
"I like it, love," he said smoothly. "It's cute. And only you have the right to call me Zeusy."
Caspian groaned. "Oh, God. I cannot watch this."
"Deal with it, babe," Diana teased, rubbing Caspian's back as if comforting him. "Because I guarantee this won't be the first and last time we hear it."
Ceres and Zeus chuckled at Caspian's obvious discomfort. He looked like he was already bracing himself for the horror of hearing that nickname again.
After a few more laughs, Zeus's expression suddenly turned serious, his voice softer yet firm.
"But love," he said, looking into her eyes, "you know I support this plan of yours… But is that really what you want to wear?" His gaze flickered to the gown. "I was hoping... you'd wear it at our wedding instead."
He already knew her answer would be, and he knew he'd be disappointed, but he needed her to hear him and understand what he was thinking.
Ceres didn't hesitate.
"Of course not," she said without a second thought, settling herself more comfortably onto his lap.
Zeus stared at her, slightly taken aback by how fast she rejected the idea.
Ceres tilted her head and smirked. "Do you really want me to wear a gown I designed with another man in mind?"
That made Zeus pause.
"Hello?" She rolled her eyes. "I would never wear something at our wedding that I originally designed for someone else." She placed a hand on his chest and looked him straight in the eye. "Our wedding should be ours, down to the smallest detail. It should be about me and you, not me, you, and a ghost from the past."
Zeus remained quiet, watching her as she continued.
"If I wear this gown at our wedding, what do you think people will say? That I'm wearing a dress meant for my wedding with Ryzel?" She scoffed. "No way that's happening."
As her words sank in, Zeus's lips slowly curled into a smile.
Of course.
At first, all he had thought about was how this was her wedding gown, the one she designed. He had selfishly wanted to see her in it. But he had never considered that, to her, the gown no longer held any sentimental value. That no matter how extravagant or expensive it was, it was just another dress to her now, one she no longer wanted to associate with something meaningful.
And that made Zeus ridiculously happy.
His smile widened.
"So… should we start planning our wedding attire, then?" he asked, grinning.
Ceres smiled back, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Soon," she promised.
But then her eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Let me finish this thing first," she added, clearly referring to her revenge against Ciena and Ryzel.
Zeus chuckled, already knowing that she wanted nothing distracting her from her carefully crafted plan.
"I don't want to be distracted by wedding plans," she explained, resting her chin on his shoulder. "So after I ruin their wedding? I'll start planning ours." She pulled back slightly, smirking. "So you better be prepared because I'm going to be a bridezilla."
Zeus grinned. "Noted."
"And I'm not going to spare a single thought about the cost of everything," she added nonchalantly. "So you better work hard and make more money because I plan to spend all of it."
Zeus smirked, leaning in slightly.
"Of course," he murmured, his voice smooth and indulgent. "You already have my black card, love. You could buy an entire state with that."
Ceres smirked right back. "And don't think I won't."
Caspian groaned, rubbing his temples. "Zeus, you do realize she's serious, right?"
Zeus chuckled. "I know."
Ceres rolled her eyes playfully before pressing a kiss to Zeus's cheek.
"Now that we've settled the gown issue..." she said, tilting her head at him. "Call your maids to help me. I need to try it on. After all, I have to be the perfect maid of honor for my ex and my dear sister's wedding."
Zeus sighed but didn't argue. He simply snapped his fingers, and within moments, several of his housekeepers appeared, awaiting instructions.
Caspian shook his head in disbelief.
"You're really letting her do this?" he muttered under his breath.
Zeus merely smirked.
"Let her have her fun," he said.
With that, Ceres, Diana, and four housekeepers disappeared into a nearby room, leaving Zeus and Caspian alone in the receiving area.
The two men quickly switched to business talk. Zeus shared details about Rafael's project proposal, which he believed had massive potential. He was already planning to convince their friends to invest in it, too.
An hour passed before Diana finally reappeared, a wide grin on her face.
"Are you ready, boys?" she asked playfully, standing at the entrance. "I present to you… the maid of honor, Ceres Evadne Monteverde."
And then, Ceres stepped forward.
But she didn't look like just a maid of honor.
Zeus's breath hitched the moment she entered.
He immediately stood up, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
The dress fit her like a dream. The fabric hugged her body perfectly, cascading in elegant waves that made her look nothing short of regal.
She looked like a queen.
The gown was adorned with fifteen different kinds of white gems, each one catching the light and twinkling like stars. And as breathtaking as she looked now, Zeus knew, when night fell, when the lights hit the fabric just right, she would look even more enchanting.
It was almost tragic that this gown no longer held any meaning for her.
But even so, Zeus couldn't deny the undeniable truth; this dress, regardless of its history, belonged to her. It had been designed for her, and no other woman could ever do it justice the way she did.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Now, he just had to make sure that her wedding gown, the one she would wear when she married him, would surpass this one.
Zeus stepped closer to Ceres.
"You look perfect, love," he murmured, his voice deep and sincere, never once looking away from her face.
Before Ceres could respond, Diana suddenly shrieked.
"Ahhh!"
The sharp outburst startled everyone in the room.
Ceres, Zeus, and Caspian all turned to her with confused frowns.
"What the hell, Dee?" Ceres asked, brows furrowed.
"I just had the perfect idea!" Diana declared excitedly, practically bouncing on her feet.
Zeus exchanged glances with Ceres and Caspian, both equally perplexed.
Then Diana's eyes darted toward Zeus's butler, standing a respectful distance away.
"Mr. Butler!" she called out.
The butler, ever composed, immediately approached. "Yes, Miss Diana?"
"Fetch Zeus's most expensive suit," she ordered, grinning like a maniac. "Oh! And his best dress shoes, too."
Zeus raised an eyebrow.
"What are you thinking, babe?" Caspian asked, already shaking his head at his girlfriend's antics.
Diana smirked, tapping rapidly on her phone as she spoke.
"They're going to have an impromptu photoshoot," she announced smugly.
Ceres blinked.
"Wait, what?"
"That gown deserves better than to be wasted at that wedding venue. Do you honestly think Ryzel and Ciena's cheap little ceremony will do this masterpiece justice? Hell no." Diana answered, still typing, as she contacted her cousin, a professional photographer.
None of them objected.
And just like that, what started as a joke turned into a full-blown prenuptial-style photoshoot.
Diana's cousin arrived within the hour, bringing his entire photography team. The mansion's grand interiors became their makeshift studio, its lavish staircases, grand chandeliers, and sprawling gardens serving as the perfect backdrop.
Of course, since Zeus and Ceres were already doing it, they had to call the rest of their friends.
Soon enough, their inner circle, friends of Zeus and Caspian, started arriving, and what was supposed to be a quick shoot turned into a spontaneous high-fashion wedding-themed event.
Diana, naturally, took control. She demanded designer gowns and suits to be delivered to the mansion immediately so that everyone could dress up for the occasion.
By the time the night ended, it wasn't just Zeus and Ceres who had stunning photos, it was all of them.
A photoshoot that was never planned turned into an unforgettable night.