Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Crumbling family.
A mansion came into view, shining through the long towering fence that enclosed it, giving it a majestic look within.
Going further, a noise stirred from inside the parlor—it was the television. The screen showed Daniel Lancaster’s wedding, his lips locked with his fellow man, Xylander Wolfe.
The crowd on-screen erupted in cheers as Daniel was swept off his feet, carried in bridal style. The tension in the real room thickened as a huge man sat watching, his eyes locked in deadly focus, fingers tapping against the arm of the couch.
His gaze lingered on the television until suddenly, he stood. From his pocket he pulled a knife, and before anyone could process the action, the blade came crashing down against the screen. The television shattered into countless pieces.
Those eating in the dining room opposite the parlor looked up at the terrifying sound—only to see it was their father, the man of the house.
He was panting, breathing hard, pacing like a deranged soul, cursing under his breath.
"Celestine, that monster isn’t my son. Now I am sure of it!" the man yelled.
Three figures sat at the table. The elderly woman minded her business, scrolling through her iPad and listening to the news—of course, the news of Daniel and Xylander. What her son was doing wasn’t her concern.
"Did you cheat on me, Celeste? Answer me—or do you want us to go for a DNA test to confirm?" Alessandro roared, his voice filling every corner of the house.
His feet scraped the floor, his trembling hands raking through his hair. The thought consumed him: soon, the media would trace everything back. The reputation he had built so carefully would be scorched to oblivion—all because of their forsaken animal of a boy, that weak thing.
Alessandro hissed, his fury venomous.
Celeste, unwillingly dragged into the chaos, now found herself painted as the villain—as if she were the one who had wronged him. DNA? As if she would agree to that.
"Oh Alessandro, enough already. Fuck it all!" Celeste snapped, her eyes sharp, venom spilling from her words.
"I’m having one shitty day already, so keep your tantrums to yourself. No one here needs it!"
She stood her ground, firing back word for word, until suddenly her hair was grabbed like a sponge. In a blink, she was thrown into the couch, Alessandro’s fingers clamped around her neck.
"You say what?" Alessandro hissed.
"You whore! I knew something was wrong the moment I married you. Tell me—why does my son have that blond hair? You’re a brunette, and so am I. Then why is he like that?" His voice echoed like thunder.
Celeste shivered, her face pressed against the couch foam, struggling for air. Her children only sat watching, as if she were performing some play.
The grandmother was worse—still glued to her tablet, indifferent, always on bad terms with Celeste. Even now, when she needed help, no soul came to her aid.
So this was her worth in the home?
Angelo, their second son after Daniel, sat unmoving. Liliana, their daughter, kept eating, giggling softly to herself.
The behavior pierced Celeste like a dagger. Not one of her children stood for her. Was this Alessandro’s doing? Had he poisoned their hearts against her?
She tapped weakly at his hand, begging for air, but Alessandro’s grip was merciless. Her gasps grew shallow, her life slipping from her eyes.
"You see this? Always remember where you belong—worthless omega."
He released his alpha pheromones at full force. The air shifted instantly, thick and suffocating. Everyone in the room trembled.
The grandmother collapsed from her seat, unable to withstand the pressure. The children bent low, heads bowed in forced submission.
Alessandro knew what he was doing, and he reveled in it. He needed them to learn—he alone ruled this family. They were beneath him, mere ants at his feet.
"Beg for your life. Surrender yourself to me, you empty can," Alessandro demanded, his grip unyielding.
Her fragile omega strength was nothing against his brutal force. Struggling was useless.
"I’m nothing without you, Alessandro," Celeste squeaked like a rat, her voice faint.
Angelo, still forced down by the oppressive pheromones, snapped at his mother.
"Mom, stop going in circles, you cunt! Just say the words and let us be done with this!" Angelo spat, his face twisted with rage.
Celeste froze. Cunt? From her own son?
What had Alessandro done to warp them so completely?
Her vision blurred. Breath faltered. Still, Alessandro tightened his hold, determined to break her.
"I said I am sorry! My life is nothing. I am worthless without you. I will never raise my voice to you—my lord and my savior." The last words cracked through her strangled throat.
Satisfied at last, Alessandro released her. She fell violently to the floor, gasping. With the pheromones dissipating, the children rose, breaths ragged, as though they had just endured battle.
And all because of that cursed woman who dared call herself their mother.
Before leaving, Alessandro declared coldly, "Celeste, next week Monday is my free day at work. We’re going for DNA with some of Daniel’s belongings. God help you if he’s not mine. You’re gone. Our marriage is over."
He sneered, his tone sharp as a blade.
"I thought it could work, but I was terribly wrong. Marrying a dry woman was the worst decision I ever made. I am ashamed of you. This ends with divorce, because I am sure that child isn’t mine."
With a flick of his hand, guards emerged from the shadows. They seized Celeste, dragging her like a rag doll through the halls, straight to the secret chamber behind Alessandro’s study. He couldn’t risk her meddling with the results. She had to be caged.
Her children only gawked as she was dragged away. When silence returned, they went back to their meals, as if nothing had happened.
And so it had been ever since Daniel’s departure—the family crumbling, brick by brick.
Only if Daniel was there to see the disaster caused in his absence, he would have laughed so hard.