The song for this chapter is Blood // Water - Grandson.

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Harry

"If I have to root through one more fucking FBI file, I'm going to make it my personal mission to shoot each and every one of you through the fucking skull for sitting there and doing fucking nothing."

"Fucking excuse yourself, ma'am. I'm doing very interesting and necessary research into what would be in your chest instead of your heart because I'm convinced you don't fucking have one."

A low chuckle left my lips at Cora and Niall going backward and forwards with each other in the warehouse where Cora set up base for the majority of her missions. We were taking it in turns to try and decipher who the Lucrezzà's were; Celeste was the only one who never left the warehouse unaccompanied. Myself, Zayn, or André, made a rotation on staying awake to guard her whilst the others worked on rotation sifting through files to try and find out the identities of the mystery couple.

Celeste was pushing herself to the limits to try and help the others identify the two missing pieces to our ever-growing puzzle. The strain that this was all having on her was making my stomach twist and turn into crippling knots that were really putting my morals to the test.

I knew that we were nearing in on Antoni and his circle of snakes.

I knew that sooner or later, I'd have a choice.

A choice that would forever condemn me.

It was on a constant circle in my brain; the way that her whole demeanor would shatter under the sudden realizations that would present themselves to her like blades to the skin, the way that she would never be the same person again. Those moments we shared in the condo, in our own impenetrable bubble, were the closest thing to pure humanity I would ever feel. The pictures I took of my Celeste in complete bliss, loving every single second of sinking fully into herself, of feeling on top of the fucking world, would soon be the only reminders that the time we shared together was absolutely real.

I made my deal.

I had to follow it through.

I was broken out of my train of thought by the very arms of the woman I loved circling around my neck as she rested her forehead against the back of my head. I instantly succumb to the instant comforting feeling that circulated around my body, filling me with a warmth that made the guilt that was eating away at me rise to the surface as I allowed myself to take in every second of pleasure as if it would be the last time I'd ever experience it.

"Hey, angel," I murmured out, placing my hands on top of hers as I sat further back in my chair.

"Have you rested yet?"

I shook my head as I took one of her hands in my own and brought her around from behind my frame. Her feet willingly led her to the spot in front of me; my arms instantly wrapping around her waist and positioning her on my lap, her arms wrapping around my neck as she rested her head in the crook of my neck. I began a rhythmic pattern of trailing my fingertips up and down her back, my lips pressed against her head as I reveled in the feeling of her.

"This is fucking useless."

Cora's words snapped me out of my tranquility as I focused my eyes on her; the exasperation was evident on her face as she ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, her eyes closed as she let out some steady breaths to try and regulate herself. Celeste sat up from her position on my lap, turning so her back was facing me as she turned to focus her attention on Cora. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to rid herself of any evident signs of sleepiness before she stood up and made her way over to Cora. I observed every inch of her, drinking in every last drop of the power that was leaking from her body, as she leaned over Cora and glanced at the files that were open on the laptop. She rested her hands on Cora's shoulders and began to rub them as she digested the information that was on the screen. Cora instantly relaxed under Celeste's touch as she rested her head back against her chest whilst she waited for Celeste to finish whatever she was reading.

"Expand file 725D," Celeste said, her face not showing any sign of what she was so intrigued in.

Cora did as Celeste said, her slender fingers working their way over the keys as Celeste's irises kept darting across the screen. Niall had stood up from his spot at the table opposite Cora, making his way over to the two women who were focusing on the laptop screen with so much intensity I was unsure if they had blinked at all. Niall took a spot next to them as he rested his hand on the table and leaned over so he could glance at the screen too, his eyes widening as he saw whatever the two of them were fixated on.

"What is it?" I asked almost impatiently from my spot across the warehouse, none of them meeting my gaze as they stayed transfixed on what was on the laptop screen.

Again, I was met with silence and my stomach instantly began to flip at the possibilities of what could have silenced the three of them in unison. Cora let out a sick laugh that made my blood begin to curdle as she ran her fingers up and down the skin of Celeste's arm; Celeste was absolutely transfixed in whatever was on the screen, her eyes moving quicker than I'd ever seen them move as a flash of realization passed through her irises. A cocktail of guilt and paranoia got the better of me as soon as I saw the look on Celeste's face which caused me to jump up from my seat and make my way over to my possible demise.

As soon as I reached the three deciders of my fate, I let out a silent sigh of relief at the sight that I was greeted with on the screen. A number of case files were open, images of different people consuming my sight until my eyes locked on one in specific.

Celeste's mother.

The resemblance was impossible to deny; she had the same facial structure as Celeste, her eyes held the same piercing gaze that I was all too familiar with being at the receiving end of, and not to mention the scowl that was etched onto her full lips that mirrored that of her own daughter. They were the absolute mirrored image of each other and the feeling that sat in my stomach was one that I could only describe as uncomfortable.

Celeste's mother was only ever a story that we spoke about in passing conversation; seeing the woman come to life on a case file, bearing so much resemblance to the woman I loved, solidified that it all was real.

Every minute detail, every fact, every ounce of pain that leaked out of Celeste at the memory of someone who lived on through herself in every aspect.

Looks.

Mannerisms.

Power.

Strength.

Hatred.

Celeste was a combination of herself and her own mother.

The pain that she carried wasn't just her own pain.

It was the pain of her own mother.

I placed my hand on Celeste's waist, a feeble attempt to try and keep her grounded and present, only to be greeted by her edging away from my touch. The look on her face was indescribable; she showed absolutely no signs of sadness, anger, hurt, or pain. Her eyes were fixated on the image that was blaring from the pixelated screen, her hands gripping Cora's shoulders to the point where her knuckles were turning white.

Niall averted his gaze from the computer screen to meet my eyes in a brief display of panic and confusion.

I read them in an instant.

The hidden message that he had behind them was an indication that the hourglass that was once filled to the brim of sand was reaching empty at a speed that we once had no fear of.

The instant that the sand hit the bottom of the glass was the second that the bomb we had planted would explode.

It would shatter everything that had formed over the months prior to the end.

"What does this mean?"

Cora's words echoed around the room in a desperate attempt to try and break the uneasy tension that had accumulated over the passing minutes.

Time.

Celeste's eyes remained fixated on the computer screen, her jaw tensing and releasing every few seconds as her eyes constantly scanned over the same few lines of her mother's case file. After a few moments of collecting herself, Celeste finally stepped away from Cora and the computer screen to begin her journey to the chair in the middle of the warehouse that I had once occupied. On her way she collected a packet of cigarettes from the table and placed one between her chapped lips, turning the chair so the back of it was facing the three of us before swinging her legs over each side.

Despite her evidently numbed state, I couldn't help but make a mental note of how ravishing she looked with her darkened irises and her clenched jawline. The fury and anger that was bubbling through her veins were like a scent that I was so accustomed to responding to that I had to refrain from fucking the anger out of her till she was succumbing to my every darkest desire. Fighting my instincts, I made my way over to where she was straddling the chair with a lighter twirling between my fingertips; she didn't even make an effort to turn her head towards me once I'd approached her, forcing me to hold the flame at the end of her cigarette without an inch of eye contact from her.

Cora and Niall were silent during the entire exchange, their eyes simultaneously never wavering from the seething image of Celeste in front of them. She took a deep inhalation of the nicotine before leaning forward and exhaling it directly in front of her whilst she twirled it around her fingers as if contemplating her next sentence.

"Zayn came to me with some information that I deemed to be a fabrication. Something that I couldn't even contemplate being the reality of the situation at hand. I dismissed it, of course, and said that we needed to focus on the identities of the Lucrezzà's. I was wrong."

The words left her lips in such a calm and certain tone that I was certain it rose concern in the depths of Cora's stomach just by the way her eyes never averted from Celeste. Cora looked confused by the conclusion that Celeste had reached from analyzing the case file on the computer as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms on her chest whilst she squinted her eyes in defeat.

"What do you mean you're wrong?"

Celeste took another drag of her cigarette, ashing on the floor, as she locked irises with Cora and smirked her sadistic smirk in her direction.

"I mean that I was wrong. How can we focus on the identities of the Lucrezzà's when we're unaware of what classified work was going on behind the scenes at the apparent hands of my Mama? Surely they'll have more information than we could ever imagine if their plan is, or was, to take down my Papa. Each second that we're wasting in this warehouse trying to root through an endless pile of case files that hold no relevancy is a second that we could be closer to figuring all of this bullshit out."

Her conclusion made absolutely perfect sense in my head, but the edging fear of the bomb detonating sooner than I would have ever cared for was causing an undeniable feeling of panic to rise to the surface. I knew that publicly protesting Celeste's plan was going to be a futile attempt; she knew more than she was letting on and I could tell that by the hostility that was manifesting itself in her words.

I had no choice but to go through with whatever she was proposing.

No matter the consequences.

I nodded from my position at the side of her, running my fingers through my locks as I observed her aimlessly smoking away at her cigarette. I placed my hands in the pockets of my black jeans as I edged from the side of her to the spot directly in her vision, crouching down so I was eye level with her irises. I knew that she was refraining from going off the rails by the way she stared into the depths of my soul with her piercing glare and slightly pouted lips. She was just like the bomb that we'd had planned for months; a misstep away from detonation.

I needed to feel her go off the rails with me for what could possibly be the last time.

I needed to see the venom pour from her lips as she allowed herself to feel every inch of herself in the blade of the knife that I knew she'd find her peace in.

I needed to see the brutality of her revenge when she caused a spiral of hurt and pain in whatever room she entered.

I needed to see me in her.

I needed her.

I held her chin up with my forefinger, our irises locking together in a moment of desperate translations as if we needed to decipher every last detail that was hidden behind the other's gaze. The way that she held my gaze, not a slight waver or loss of contact from either of us, was her subtle way of telling me that she was so close to the edge of spiraling. I could read her better than any book, any piece of poetry, or any piece of art, just by locking our irises together.

"You tell us what you want us to do, angel. You're in control. Every instruction you give is your own," I spoke to her, my finger still holding her chin up as the words leaked from my lips in a sticky array of syllables that I knew would entice her in.

Her gaze never faltered from mine as she responded with a confident, "I've always had control, Harry. Every decision I've ever made has been of my own accord. Don't confuse my compliance with submission."

A small smirk etched on the corners of my lips at her response, a slight chuckle escaping as I leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to her forehead before pulling away and mumbling, "There's nothing submissive about you, angel."

Niall cleared his throat after the sentence was spoken into existence, causing Celeste and I to pull away from each other and return our attention to our company. Celeste remained on the chair, her gaze flickering between myself, Cora, and Niall, as she contemplated how to deal with the situation that we'd found ourselves in.

After a few seconds of silence between the four of us, Celeste finally stood up and focused her attention solely on Niall.

"Get Zayn here. André, Seth, and Matteo too. Tell them we've had a breakthrough."

Niall nodded instantly, grabbing his cell and making his way into one of the back rooms to make the calls. Cora stood up as soon as Niall left, making her way over to where Celeste was stood, her stiletto heels hitting off the ground with each step and ricocheting off the silence that filled the warehouse.

"Are you sure about this, C? You don't want to end up rushing into anything without a plan. You know firsthand what being impulsive can do," Cora spoke to Celeste, her tone stern but soothing all at the same time.

Celeste focused her attention on Cora, her gaze instantly softening as soon as she laid eyes on her. A soft smile broke through the hard exterior that Celeste had built up since the discovery of the case file; a gentleness seeping out through the pain and aching that I knew she was experiencing. I watched her take Cora's hands in her own as she spoke the next words.

"I know my impulsiveness can be my downfall, Cora. Trust me when I say I've learned that the hard way but it's time to make my downfall my uprising. I would never ever involve you in something that would cause you pain or heartache. You don't have to stick by me through this, Cora. I don't expect you to risk everything for something that may fuck up. It's time to reclaim my power. I can't carry on doing nothing."

Watching them share a moment that was so intimate and raw felt as if I was intruding on something that I had no right to know about. Despite the feeling of intrusion, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the two of them exchanging looks of knowing. Cora nodded once at Celeste's words before she pressed a kiss to the top of her hand and responded.

"You know I will always stick by you, C. Even if your choices are questionable, we're in this together. You're a sister. You're family. Tell me what you need me to do when the time comes. I just hope that you know the means of your own strength and impulsiveness. Never push yourself beyond your means, baby."

Celeste nodded in understanding of Cora's words, squeezing her hand once before turning away and walking over to me. I stood with my hands behind my back as she approached me, her gaze never faltering from mine as she took my hand and led me over to the back exit of the warehouse. Niall was still absent, meaning that Cora was left on her own in the main room of the warehouse as we made our way to the exit. Celeste's fingers were intertwined with mine as she led the way, never turning back to lock gazes with me as soon as she began our descent. We reached the back exit of the warehouse within seconds, closing the door behind us as we stepped into the chilly Los Angeles air.

"What's up, angel?" I questioned, holding her against my frame by her waist as she finally looked up at me with those piercing chocolate brown eyes.

Her head instantly cocked to the side at the question, her eyebrows furrowing as she responded with, "Why would anything be up?"

My eyebrows furrowed in the same mirrored curiosity at her response, my stomach instantly doing an uncomfortable flip as I replied, "It's a figure of speech, angel."

A low chuckle left her lips as she rested both of her hands on the base of my chest, her fingers trailing over the material of my black button-up as she hummed out, "I know, baby. I'm just feeling overwhelmed with everything that's all."

I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead as I pulled her closer to me, my chin resting on top of her head as I held her. The palms of her hands pressed harder against my chest as she let out a deep exhale of breath at the tranquility of the moment. I moved my hands from her waist before wrapping my arms around her tightly, pressing multiple arrays of kisses onto the top of her head as we stayed stood in the peaceful silence. I cherished the tranquility that was spreading through the air; perhaps because I knew that it was going to disintegrate sooner than I would have cared to admit.

"I know, angel. We're going to be fine though. I promise."

I was unsure on whether I was saying it to Celeste or to myself but either way, the promise slipped out of my lips.

Celeste pulled away from my grasp after she pressed a gentle kiss to my chest, proceeding to fix her hair as she did so and remove any slither of emotion that may have been present in her features. I kept my gaze locked on hers as she returned it with a look that was piercing every fiber of my being; a gaze that I was sure was trying its hardest to decipher every hidden message that was lingering behind my irises. I knew that the cogs were whirling in her brain in an attempt to try and get ahead of whatever was going on, and I also knew that the Celeste Delgado I'd had my sights on for months was crawling out from the woodwork to annihilate anyone that stood in her way of revenge.

I just didn't know what it would take to push her over the edge.

A part of me knew that her own self-destruction was ultimately going to be her downfall.

The other part of me knew that the self-destructive Celeste was going to be a lot easier to work with if my plan to dismantle the mission was to ever follow through.

I hadn't confided in the others on my newly conjured-up plan; I knew that the hesitation and skepticism were going to make me overthink everything and that wasn't something that I was prepared to spiral into.

Just staring into her eyes at that moment outside of the warehouse solidified to me that any risk was worth taking if it meant that I was assured of her safety. The if's, what's, and how's, didn't even cross my mind as I interlocked my fingers with her own whilst she led me back into the warehouse to the oblivious discussion taking place between Cora and Niall. I felt as if everything was happening in an auto-pilot and I was just present as a meaningless background character.

"Zayn and the others are on their way," Niall directed towards Celeste.

Celeste nodded and let go of my hand as she made her way over to the table where Cora's laptop was. I observed her take another glance at the still-lit screen as she digested the information that I was positive was imprinted in her brain before she placed both of her hands on the tabletop and raised her attention on the three of us watching her every move. It was undeniable that the energy she exuberated at that moment was one of a leader; someone who was deadset on her plan regardless of the repercussions.

We were alike in that aspect.

She was a lethal weapon.

"Before the others get here, I want to thank you all for going above and beyond for me. God is my witness when I say that your efforts won't go unnoticed. I'm forever grateful."

The words left her lips in such a sure and certain tone that it made the hairs on my arm stand on edge as I drank in every last drop of her. Her irises had darkened as soon as the words escaped her; she knew something was approaching and the words were like her final declarations to those she cared for. Her words had an undercurrent of strength, fear, and danger, all combined into one.

It hit me at that moment that I'd absentmindedly succumb to her.

I had no idea what she had planned.

I was in the dark.

"Of course, C. You know that we're always here," Cora replied, clearly oblivious to Celeste's final declaration.

"Wait, wait, wait. God is your witness to what?" I interrupted, stepping forward with my hands shaking as I cut off any further conversation between the two women.

Celeste's head cocked to the side as she took in my frantic mannerisms, her eyebrow-raising as she clicked her tongue in her mouth. Before I had a chance to continue any further, I heard the warehouse door bust open and the footsteps of the four men that had been beckoned into the Devil's layer unbeknownst to themselves.

Celeste's gaze never faltered from my own as she spoke out a chilling, "Hello, boys."

The words that escaped her lips were no longer the sweet, sticky, honey that I had eagerly consumed prior; they were laced with malice. Her eyes were no longer the mesmerizing constellation that I had once spent hours getting lost in.

The Celeste that was stood in front of me was dangerous.

She was feral.

Zayn approached her with no fear, not a single drop of hesitation crossed his features as he stopped dead in front of her at the table. I quickly observed his features; his eyes were darker than normal, the eye-bags prominent as he placed both of his hands on the table in the exact same manner as Celeste had done just seconds prior.

"A breakthrough?"

His words were as hard as gravel as he cocked his head to the side and waited for her response to his question. Seth, André, and Matteo all stood behind Zayn with Cora and Niall, the looks on their faces showing just as many signs of curiosity as Zayn's but none of them had the courage to approach the situation as Zayn had. A slow smirk spread across Celeste's lips at Zayn's boldness, her gaze never dropping from his as she took in his demeanor.

"Tell me, Zayn. Why the fuck should I talk to you about this? A liar is always a liar after all."

The words dripped from her lips like the hottest wax droplets you could ever envision. The venomous tone of voice was enough to make me flinch at the brutality of her deliverance. Zayn, however, didn't seem phased by her remark. A low chuckle left his lips as he leaned further across the table so he was eye-level with Lilith herself, not a single ounce of fear evident.

"What do you want me to say to you, Celeste? That I apologize for doing what I thought was best for you? That I'm going to drop to my knees and beg for you to understand it all? Fuck that. You either respect that I thought I did what was best, or you don't. I'm fucking done with the mind games. I'm done with the psychological games that you're playing at my expense. I'm done losing another fucking night's sleep worrying about whether or not you're eventually going to understand that we're all risking ourselves for you. We're all putting ourselves on the fucking frontline to try and keep you safe. Yet, all you can think about is what fucked up way you're going to make me suffer next. Make me fucking suffer all you want, Celeste, but keep my fucking family out of it. Don't have my sister here slaving away for you when this is all a fucking sadistic game to you. Don't have my boys here protecting your ass as if they're bulletproof. You were the victim, Celeste. Once over you were the victim. Now, you're bringing it all on yourself. Don't take my help. Don't take my advice. Fucking figure it out yourself."

The whole warehouse instantly fell silent at Zayn's outburst.

I sensed Cora shift uncomfortably on the spot, I observed the four men behind Zayn drop their heads in silence as soon as the last syllable left Zayn's lips. Even I stayed stood frozen on the spot; my instincts were telling me to tackle Zayn to the ground and start beating him for speaking to Celeste in such a manner but I didn't dare step a foot out of place whilst the two of them were going at it. I expected Celeste to explode right on the spot, I thought that Zayn's outburst was going to tip her over the edge, but to my surprise, she stayed completely natural. Her face read the same emotionless expression that it had before; not a drop of anger radiated from her.

I observed her tilt her head to the side before she edged closer to Zayn and stared into the depths of his soul, her dark chocolate irises piercing him with so much force that it would have drew blood had it been a real knife. She parted her lips ever so slightly before allowing a small laugh to escape them, her attention never faltering from the seething man in front of her.

"A game? You think this is a fucking game? Don't make me laugh, Zayn. Come on, now. Explain to me how your sister, who I've had slaving away against her own will, by the way, came across a case file of my Mama on the FBI database," Celeste questioned, her eyes getting progressively darker as the words continued to spill out of her chapped lips.

Zayn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he replied, "Of course there's going to be a case file on the FBI database of your mother, Celeste. She was married to one of the most prolific criminals in the entirety of Los Angeles."

Celeste stayed silent for a few seconds as if contemplating whether or not it would be ethical to bash Zayn's head off the table right there and then. She recoiled from her hunched-over position to grab Cora's laptop before turning it to face Zayn; the case file of her mother shining on the screen for all of us to see.

"A case file of my Mama, Zayn, that clearly highlights that she's alive. No records of death. No records of a tragic 'accident' that killed her."

All of our eyes darted to the computer screen that displayed the information that all of us had evidently missed when scanning over the profile of her mother. Zayn's eyes practically bulged from their sockets as he grabbed the laptop from Celeste to assess the information for himself. Celeste's hand shot out to me in an indication that she wanted a cigarette; my hands feebly fumbled around in my pockets to retrieve what she wanted before making my way over to her and handing her the lighter and cigarette. I stayed stood at the side of her as she went through the motions of lighting the cigarette before exhaling the nicotine from her lips. I couldn't read her at that moment, it was as if I was stood next to a complete stranger who had the physical features of My Celeste. It was as if every sinister attribute that made her father so venomous was consuming her as the minutes ticked by.

There wasn't an ounce of humanity left behind her irises as she blew out the smoke of her cigarette whilst waiting for Zayn to respond to her.

Zayn's head lifted up from the computer screen; his once hard exterior crumbling away as he processed the information that Celeste had presented to him. His eyes showed signs of true disbelief as if he had just been informed that his entire life leading up to this moment had been a lie.

I suppose it had been.

"Celeste, I truly didn't have a clue. I promise you that I am just as in shock about this as you are."

The words came out in a mumble, his gaze flickering from Celeste to the ground as he tried to apologize in the most sincere way he could conjure up. He knew that no matter what he said it was a futile attempt at forgiveness because Celeste had already decided that he was a liar.

Except, Celeste didn't even look phased by his declaration of innocence.

She took a final drag of the cigarette before discarding it on the floor and putting it out with the heel of her shoe, replying, "Save it, Zayn. I don't care for the intricate details what I'm sure is an incredibly elaborate story. I want to know what you know. What was my Mama after? What was her goal? What was her process? Tell me."

Zayn looked taken aback by her request, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot before regaining his composure. I placed my hand on the small of Celeste's back, feeling her discreetly sink into my touch as she kept her gaze fixated on the only person in the room who held any value to her at that moment.

"She wanted it to end. All of it. All of the lies, all of the heartache, all of the deception, all of the malice. She loved the money and the power, sure, but none of it meant anything to her when she discovered the depths of Antoni's sinister ways. I'm unsure exactly what went on for her to uncover the truth but I know she eventually snapped, similar to how you did when you saw his true colors. A lot of Antoni's team turned against him when your mother decided it was time to put an end to his reign. I think she suspected that she was going to die in the end, hence why she left the note to you, so that would have left you the heir of the estate if her plan followed through. She recruited some of his most loyal men to carry out her work, some new faces too that Antoni would have never suspected to be against him because of the fear many of the men had for him. Her goal was to take him down and leave you everything. There were no sinister undertones to her plan that I'm aware of. It was as simple as that. She wanted him gone. She wanted revenge for the lives he ruined and destroyed, including yours and hers."

I watched Celeste drink in the information that Zayn gave her, her expression remaining neutral as she contemplated the words that he spoke. I already knew that Zayn was being honest and truthful in his deliverance; he had nothing else to lose when it came to his friendship with Celeste because she'd already solidified her decision in that sense. The real choice we were waiting for was on whether or not she chose to accept the information or discard it as she had previously. She clenched then released her jaw discretely before she broke her attention away from Zayn and focused it on the others that were stood behind him, unsure on whether or not to contribute at all.

"Matteo. Do you know anything at all about my Papa's supposed malicious affairs? Anything out of the ordinary binary of what is normal for him?"

Matteo focused his attention solely on Celeste, his hands behind his back as he tilted his chin towards her and replied with, "Your Papa and I's relationship is strictly business, love. I've never been involved enough to be able to answer with one hundred percent factuality. As you're aware, he keeps his business and personal life on an absolute lock."

Celeste nodded before she broke away from my touch and made her way over to the other side of the table where they were all stood. Danger and uncertainly radiated her aura as she approached them with her arms folded across her chest, her gaze flickering between all of them before finally resting on Cora and softening her gaze slightly.

"What do you suggest?"

Cora's cat-like eyes focused on Celeste's darkened ones before she cleared her throat and responded, "I suggest that we plan our moves strategically. We need to infiltrate from the inside. The identities of the Lucrezzá's aren't going to be on case files because they're undoubtedly aliases. If what Zayn is saying is true, it's possible that they could be members of your mother's rebellion. We need to be careful. There's no way at all we can let them know that we're onto them if you want answers. As soon as they find out you're involved they could shut us down."

Celeste digested the suggestion before turning her attention to André and Seth, her eyes instantly darkening once more as she proceeded with, "Would you prepare to infiltrate if required?"

The two of them did a feeble nod before she turned her attention back to myself and Zayn, the two of us observing every powerful move that she made. She knew that she had control over the lot of us and that was more dangerous than anything we could ever anticipate from anyone on the outside. She made her way back over to the two of us and reclaimed her position at the head of the table as she rested the palms of her hands on the tabletop once more, her gaze fixating on Zayn who had raised his attention solely to her.

"If what you say is true then there's a possibility my Papa is already aware of the rebellion group, correct?"

Zayn nodded once before replying, "That's a possibility, yes. As Cora said, we need to approach with caution because we're unaware of what information your father has. That is if he has any at all."

A small smile spread over Celeste's lips as she tilted her head back slightly and spoke out to nobody in particular, "Why didn't I think of this earlier?"

Niall chimed in with a worry-laced, "Think of what before?"

An absent-minded string of words left her lips as that same blood-curdling smirk etched on her lips, "Commit a sin twice, and it will not seem to you a sin."

Celeste suddenly turned her attention to me before she stepped forward and trailed her hands up and down my chest, her irises boring into mine as I looked down at her.

"I think it's time we pay my friend Luca a visit."