Three days before Nolan's and Sebert's reencounter, in a greatly decorated room whose entrances were all overseen by highly trained bodyguards, a man slumbered.

The man laid in bed completely still. The only indication that he was still alive was the monitor showing that his ECG was normal.

"I want to be alone with him for a while. You may leave"

A stunning woman entered her room. Her black hair was arranged in perfect curls that fell softly on her shoulders and she was wearing a tight red dress as if she was going to a high-end party.

The woman went to the man's bedside and stayed there, staring at him for a couple of minutes. Her eyes were full of complicated emotions.

She then took a syringe and, with a practiced movement, stabbed it on the man's forearm, slowly squeezing its content inside the man's circulation.

Soon, the man slowly opened his eyes.

"What..."

The woman chuckled.

"You awoke earlier than I expected."

"You, what's going on? Why can't I move?"

The woman ignored the man's mumbles, as she took a piece of white cloth-embedded in water from the bed table. Carefully, she used the cloth to wipe the man's face. After finishing the service, she pinched the man's hand.

"Uhm... So you can't feel pain with this amount of stimulation. So besides paralyzing, the medicine also acts as an anesthetic. "

The man widened his eyes and spatted in a furious tone.

"Celestine, what do you think you're doing to your father?"

"What I'm doing? I'm piously taking care of my dear father after he suffered an accident... At least is what the rest of the world is thinking."

"You... If you hurt me, do you think you can get away with it? Lucien will-"

"Heh, that dog? He's too busy trying to take over the company to take care of a geezer like you. Or did you think you could keep his leash when you're already on this state?"

The man glared at his daughter. His eyes were full of hate. Celestine chuckled again.

"Haha... It's just so funny. The strong and fearless Orpheus Rosenwood. To think you'd end in a state where your life and death depended solely on my will."

"You! I'm your-"

"Father. I know. You made sure I didn't forget that I'm your daughter, even for one second, all my life. Do you only know how to keep repeating it? If you want to keep living, you better think of another excuse."

The paralyzed man closed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"You know what I want. Tell me where that person is."

"Impossible!"

"I'm sure it's possible. You threatened me with it for the past fifteen years."

Orpheus chuckled.

"And so, this is all because of that? You're threatening your father because of a rat?"

Celestine clenched her fists and uttered from her clenched teeth.

"She.Is. Not.A. Rat. "

"Why can't you understand? All I did is for this family!"

Celestine sneered

"Family? Ha! You killed your wife, destroyed your daughter's life, and says this was all for the family? Don't make me laugh!"

"I HAVE BEEN PROTECTING THE PURENESS AND HONOR OF THE ROSENWOODS!

"This stupid obsession of yours is what is destroying us! Don't you see it? In the last four generations, how many lived to a hundred? None! How many children died because of congenital defects? How much anguish and grief did you cause to keep this illusion of purity and honor of yours? Even that so cherished company of yours is already crumbling!"

"You! Why can't you understand?"

It was useless to argue with the old man. Celestine took a deep breath.

"Just tell me. Where. Is. She?"

The bedridden man gave a hysterical laugh.

"She's already dead! I killed her long ago!"

"I don't believe it."

"Believe it or not, it's the truth! Do you think I'd let such disgrace alive?"

No! He's lying! Despite telling herself it, a seed of doubt started to sprout on Celestine's mind. But she couldn't even contemplate this possibility.

If she is dead... Then for what do I keep living for?

She tried to calm down, without results. However, she tried to keep a steady countenance while facing her progenitor. She'd never let him see her so affected by his words again.

"I guess we'll stop our conversation here today."

Despite her father's protests, Celestine took a syringe and, slowly, penetrated the needle on his skin.

"Don't worry, I made sure the medicine is not life-threatening."

As soon as Orpheus went back to his coma, Celestine dropped her facade.

She didn't look like the confident woman before. Instead, she looked like a tired person disappointed with life. Although she was young according to this world parameters, her pearly face was already adorned with lines.

She sat on a red armchair and closed her eyes. Minutes seemed to pass as she suddenly chuckled. The chuckle soon transformed into a mad laugh as the woman brought her face near her knees. Teardrops streamed down her face in silence.

***

"Until when are you going to stay behind the door, Sebert?"

After finally recomposing herself, Celestine said in a low voice.

A youth with black hair and red eyes opened the ward's door. He gave an embarrassed smile to the woman.

"As expected, you noticed it. "

"You didn't make it difficult for me to find."

Sebert glanced over the hospital's bed subtly. Although she seemed uninterested, Celestine was aware of her son's small movements. She threw her head back and gave a loud, humorless laugh.

"Don't worry. I didn't kill your grandfather yet."

"... I won't interfere in the matters between mother and grandfather."

"If you're not here to make sure that the old b*stard is still alive, then why did you come?"

Sebert clenched his fists, which was the only evidence that he wasn't as emotionless as he appeared.

"Mother... That man started to move. He already has a quarter of the investors on his side."

"So what? He can burn down this cursed conglomerate for all I care."

"Mother!"

Celestine chuckled

"...Just kidding"

Sebert didn't have time to fell relieved as his mother continued.

"I won't let him destroy the Rosenwood Corps, because I'm the one who'll destroy it."

"..."

Sebert glared at her without saying anything.

"Yes, yes, Seb. Deal with it the way you want. Now leave, I don't want to be disturbed for a while. "

She motioned briefly for him to go out before directing her gaze to a bottle of wine. Sebert sighed. It seemed like she'd drown her sorrows with wine again. Since he could remember, she had been that way.

Although she had always been kind to him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of distance between them, as if an invisible barrier surrounded her.

Sebert was never his mother's confidant, but he could feel a deep sorrow entangled deep in her soul. His mother was always keeping a smiling facade as the lady of the house but this mask couldn't hide from Sebert the absolute indifference and coldness she felt towards everything in her life.

Sometimes, Sebert would happen to see his mother with a vacant look, her eyes full of emotions he couldn't understand. He wondered, what caused her to look like this? What secrets were hidden in his mother's past?

Just before closing the door, Sebert paused.

" I'm a little curious, mother. Who's is the person you and grandfather were discussing?"

Celestine froze.

She started to play with the glass of wine in her hands. She didn't look back at her son. Instead, her unfocused eyes full of longing glanced at the window, as if absorbed in an old dream.

After many minutes, with an almost inaudible whisper, the alpha woman finally said:

"She was Clara Harper... A very important person to me."

Immersed in her thoughts, she didn't notice when her son went out of the room.

Sebert closed the door.

He went down the hallway, deep in thought.

The nightmares, his parents' relationship, his grandfather's accident, Clara Harper and...

...Nolan Riverstone.

How did all those pieces fit together?

It was time to know.