Chapter 9 - The Reconciliation
The family assembly was officially disbanded, leaving only Dominic, Isabella, and Celeste inside the quiet boardroom. Outside the high windows, the rain continued to fall softly against the glass.
Celeste sat frozen in her chair, her hands clutching her paper handkerchief. The shame of what she had done weighed heavily on her shoulders. She had traded her integrity for fear, and in doing so, she had almost destroyed the person who loved her most.
Dominic walked over to Isabella, gently taking her hand. Together, they walked over to where Celeste was sitting.
Celeste lowered her head, tears dripping onto her lap. "Dominic... Isabella... I don't expect you to forgive me. What I did... what I let Matteo make me do to you, Isabella... it was unforgivable."
Isabella looked at her sister-in-law. The anger that had fueled her earlier was gone now, replaced by a quiet understanding of how fear could drive people to commit terrible acts.
"You told me I was too fat to stand beside him," Isabella said softly. "You wrote those terrible words on those cards and put them in my clothes."
Celeste sobbed, covering her face. "I was so jealous of you! You were genuine. Dominic loved you for who you were, while I had spent my whole life trying to fake perfection to earn a crumb of respect from this cold family. When Matteo threatened me, I let my envy take over. I wanted you to feel as small and broken as I felt every single day."
Isabella knelt down in front of Celeste, reaching out to gently pull her hands away from her face.
"Look at me, Celeste," Isabella commanded gently.
Celeste looked at her through tear-blurred eyes.
"You don't need to fake perfection anymore," Isabella told her. "The tyranny in this family ends tonight. But you have to earn your trust back. Not with speeches, but with your actions."
Celeste blinked in shock. "You're... you're not cutting me out?"
Isabella looked up at Dominic.
Dominic met his wife's gaze and gave her a slight nod, yielding the decision entirely to her.
"You are Dominic's sister," Isabella said, turning back to Celeste. "That makes you my family too. But from this day on, there will be no more secrets, no more cruelty, and no more hiding behind traditional expectations. If you want a place in our lives, you will respect me—not because of my title, but because I am the woman your brother chose."
May you like
Celeste wiped her eyes, nodding frantically. "I will. I swear to God, Isabella, I will make it up to you every single day."
Dominic stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Celeste's shoulder. "Get up, sister. The dinner is starting downstairs. And you are going to sit at our table."
