A raging fever of 103.1°F, and Jareth had the heartless nerve to forbid anyone from calling a doctor or even looking after her. He just threw Celestia on the bed and left her there like she was nothing-left to fend for herself.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a golden hue over the cold, indifferent room.

Celestia slowly opened her heavy eyelids. The moment her eyes opened, everything spun wildly. Her head felt like it was being crushed under a ton of bricks, her whole body floating in a warped haze where she couldn't even tell if she was dreaming or awake.

"You're awake?" A cold, emotionless voice broke the quiet. A tall figure appeared in her blurry vision.

With great effort, Celestia lifted her drooping eyelids and stared weakly at Jareth's face twisted in a mocking smile. As the memories of what happened before she passed out hit her, rage rushed up in her chest.

Digging deep for what little strength she had left, she propped herself up and croaked out, "Why...? Why would you do this to me?" Her voice was hoarse, but each word was thick with pain. What had she done to deserve this cruelty?

Jareth looked down at her pale face without a trace of warmth in his eyes. His lashes flicked slightly. "No idea what you're talking about."

Celestia shook from head to toe-not from weakness, but from anger. She wanted to scream, wanted to fight, but even moving took all of her energy. Gritting her teeth, she forced the words out:

"I heard everything... You set me up. You had that woman drug my drink, and then-you forced yourself on me..." That last part came out in a hoarse scream.

"Why would you do that? I've never done anything to hurt you! Why?"

Each word she said felt like knives carving out her already shattered heart.

Jareth stood there unfazed, not even a flicker of guilt. Only after she fell silent, completely drained, did he finally speak, lips curling into a faint smile.

"Because I wanted you." His voice was almost gentle, his eyes locked on her tear-soaked lashes as he reached out and twirled a piece of her hair between his fingers.

The smile on his face wasn't reassuring-it was cold, twisted, terrifying.

"My dear little wife, do you really not realize how many men are dying to have you? How many are ready to kill just to get close to you? I'm just one of them." His tone was strangely soft, even affectionate.

"You really think I'm gonna buy that crap?" Celestia let out a breathless laugh, full of bitterness. Hatred blazed inside her, the pain almost knocking her out again. His face-twisted with that sick grin-blurred in her vision.

"Why wouldn't you believe me? Don't you know how gorgeous you are?" Jareth went on, still stroking her hair with that same obsessive look in his dark eyes.

"You're so beautiful it drives me mad-makes me want to ruin you..."

Celestia's breathing grew frantic, her chest rising with every harsh gasp. Looking at the man she should call husband, she rasped out, "So that's what you want? My body? My money? Is that what all this is for?"

Unexpectedly, Jareth fell silent. Then, something dangerous flickered in his eyes.

"Your pain."

Her pain-he did all this just to watch her suffer?

Celestia's rage finally broke loose. With all the strength she could muster, she slapped him-hard.

"You're a monster, Jareth!" she spat out, right before collapsing.

Her slap, weak as it was, still left a stinging red mark on Jareth's cheek. He touched his face with his fingers, looking down at her limp body. Amused.

"You actually hit me?" he murmured with a chilling smile-calm on the surface, but somehow far scarier than if he'd screamed.

Celestia could barely cling to consciousness. Her body was too drained to even lift a finger. She just stared at Jareth in silence, her lips unable to form a sound.

There was a cold glint in Jareth's eyes, something predatory, almost feral. The next second, without any warning, he lunged forward and gripped her slender neck tightly. His fingers locked around her throat, his whole aura radiating violence.

He glared fiercely at her, watching her eyes roll back from lack of air. There wasn't the slightest trace of mercy in his expression-only rage.

"No one gets away with laying a hand on me!" he growled, veins bulging on his forehead, his anger burning.

Celestia tried to fight back, but her body betrayed her. She couldn't even muster the strength to twitch her fingers, much less break free. Her vision started to blur, breath growing thinner with each passing second, until she felt herself slipping.

Just then, Jareth flung her back onto the bed, hard.

The force of it knocked the air from her lungs. She let out a muffled gasp as pain shot through her entire body, almost passing out again.

"Don't think being a woman will save you. Next time, I'll make you pay double," he sneered, his gaze icy as it swept over her from head to toe. And just like that, he turned on his heel and left without a second glance.

Celestia stared at his retreating back, lips parted as if wanting to say something-but nothing came out.

Just as Jareth opened the door to leave, he paused, turning back with a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh, and if you wanna watch us getting it on again, no need to spy from the balcony. I don't mind giving you front-row seats next time."

The last thing Celestia saw before blacking out was that twisted grin on his face. Then-nothing.

When she woke again, four days had passed.

The first two, her fever raged unchecked because no one came to help. It wasn't until the third day that the housekeeper panicked and called a doctor, who finally gave her fluids. By the fourth morning, her fever finally broke.

When she first regained consciousness, she felt completely hollow inside-like she was just skin and bone. She laid there blankly, staring at the ceiling for a solid half hour before her mind started clearing bit by bit. Even getting out of bed felt impossible.

Her head was spinning, but she still managed to throw on something and drag herself slowly out the door, using the wall as support.

The walk from upstairs to the ground floor took mere seconds on a good day. But for Celestia, every step felt like she was trudging through miles. By the time she reached the bottom stair, her legs gave out and she slumped to the floor, completely spent.

Right then, the housekeeper, Amy, walked out of the kitchen and saw her. She hurried over in alarm, dropping what she was holding. "Ma'am! You're awake!" She helped Celestia up and settled her onto the couch.

"Yeah..." Celestia croaked weakly, leaning back against the cushions. After she caught her breath, she looked up at Amy and asked, "Can you make me some food?"

She hadn't eaten in days. Other than some water and nutrient drips, her stomach had been completely empty. Now that she was conscious, the hunger hit her like a brick.

Amy looked torn, her face full of guilt. "I... I'm so sorry, Ma'am. Mr. Carrington told us not to help you in any way."

Celestia stared at her, stunned. Her pale face flushed red with suppressed fury. Was Jareth really trying to starve her out now?

Fine.

If he wanted her to give up that easily, he was dreaming.

"Can you at least tell me where the food is? I'll cook it myself," she said, forcing herself upright.

"You know how to cook?" Amy looked surprised.

Celestia nodded and headed toward the kitchen, "Lived on my own in high school. I'm not totally helpless, you know."

Under Amy's wide-eyed stare, Celestia spent a solid two hours cooking a pot of homemade chicken soup. She also toasted a few slices of bread and scrambled some eggs. While it was still simmering, she slipped upstairs to soak in a hot bath. The warm water drove away the exhaustion, and afterward, she felt way more alert.

She changed into fresh clothes, then sat down at the dining table, spooning soup into her mouth while chatting casually with Amy about Jareth.

From what Amy said, Celestia learned that Jareth had moved out of his family home at just seventeen. After college, he started at the very bottom of the Carrington Corporation, and in just six years climbed all the way to the top, now reigning as CEO. With a sharp mind and even sharper methods, he'd turned the company into an industry powerhouse.

Sure, she could admit the man had talent, but as far as she was concerned? Jareth was nothing more than a cold-blooded control freak.

When she asked how someone like him ended up with such a frosty personality, Amy's face froze, and she fumbled for words, hesitating so long she barely said anything at all.

Just as Celestia was about to press her for an answer, her train of thought got cut off by her phone ringing-clear and crisp. She picked it up from the side, glanced at the screen. It was her father's assistant. Thinking it might be some company issue, she answered in a rush.

"Jolie..." Celestia had barely spoken when Jolie interrupted, sounding panicked.

"Ms. Brooks, something's happened-you need to turn on the TV. Right now. The Carrington Corporation just acquired Brooks Enterprises."

Her spoon slipped from her hand with a loud clink, falling back into the bowl. The hot soup splashed on her soft skin, turning it red, but she didn't even flinch.

"Acquired? What are you talking about?" she asked, already rushing toward the living room, grabbing the remote and flipping to the finance channel Jolie had mentioned.

The moment she saw the bold red banner on-screen, her pupils contracted hard.

There he was-Jareth, in a crisp Armani suit, standing tall in front of the Brooks Enterprises lobby, facing the camera. Even through the screen, his presence was powerful. His usual cool smile hinted at something ruthless beneath the surface, a king claiming his throne.

"I've authorized my legal team to proceed with the acquisition of Brooks Enterprises. Most major shareholders have already agreed. Now..."

Acquisition.

That word hit her like a brick, knocking the color from her face.

What did this even mean? He promised to help, didn't he? But now... staring at Jareth's confident smirk on the screen, Celestia realized the truth-he'd played her.

Saying he was helping her? What a joke. His real goal was clearly to take over the company. Celestia burned with rage, her eyes gleaming with a fire that couldn't be put out.

She could let a lot of things slide, but not this. Not the Brooks Group.

Her father had built this company from the ground up-it was his life's work. There was no way she was going to just sit back and watch Jareth snatch it away.

She barely touched her food before rushing upstairs, quickly throwing a few things together, then stormed out and grabbed one of Jareth's limited-edition Ferraris from the garage without even blinking.

She gunned it straight toward Brooks Group, but when she finally got there, they told her Jareth had already left.

With no time to waste, she drove another two hours to Carrington Corp. After a whole runaround at the front desk, someone finally agreed to let her go up to his office.

Celestia didn't bother with pleasantries-no knocking, nothing. She shoved the door open and there he was, sitting behind his desk, just as cold and distant as always.

Her brows furrowed tightly as her hands clenched at her sides. She took a deep breath, marched right into the office, and stopped just in front of him, ready to tear into him.

But before she could get a word out, she realized he hadn't even noticed her-his eyes were locked on something in his hands.

She blinked, surprised by how focused he looked. It made her curious-what could have him this zoned in? Letting her mouth close, her gaze drifted down until she saw it.

A photo. He was holding a photo.

Celestia squinted and tried to take a good look. There was a woman leaning against a tree, smiling so brightly, with a soft, gentle face.

But before she could make out the entire image, Jareth abruptly looked up and caught her staring.

The moment their eyes met, she was caught completely off guard.

Was this really Jareth? The same cold, untouchable man?

Because right then, his face held this rare, almost tender look, soft enough to throw her off for a second.

He, too, was startled by her unexpected appearance. The moment he realized what she was looking at, he quickly tucked the photo into a drawer and shut down whatever warmth had been on his face.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was icy, eyes sharp and unreadable again.

His sudden change pulled Celestia right back to reality. That usual coldness, that disdain in his eyes-it hit her like a slap.

Her expression darkened as she snapped, "You bought the Brooks Group? Care to explain how that makes any sense? You promised you'd help us, and now this? How could you just go back on your word like that?"

The image of him, all smug and confident on TV, announcing the acquisition like some kind of victor, flashed through her mind-and it set her blood boiling all over again.

Celestia stared daggers at Jareth, waiting for his reply. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"So you came all the way here just for this?" Jareth shot her a sharp glance, raising a brow with a mocking smirk. "I only promised to keep your company afloat. I never said I'd give it back to your father." His voice was calm, matter-of-fact, like it was no big deal.

"You-!" Celestia was seething, her pale face tinged with red. She couldn't even argue-he wasn't technically lying. Back then, she'd only been desperate to save the company, and made a verbal deal with him. She just hadn't expected him to be this ruthless.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Celestia forced out, "So you're saying you're not giving Brooks Corp back at all?"

Jareth glanced over with a cold look. He didn't answer directly.

"I've got loads of work to do. If you're done talking, you can leave now." His tone was final, as if she was just wasting his time.

Celestia glared at him, her eyes gleaming like a storm was brewing. Her brows pinched slightly as she bit her lip and hissed through clenched teeth, "If your word means nothing, then don't expect me to keep mine. I'll have the divorce papers ready soon. Whatever deal we had-it's over."

She turned on her heel, heading straight for the door.

Jareth didn't even flinch. He raised one brow lazily, his smirk smug as ever. "Sure. Unless you want your father in handcuffs." Did she really think he'd be that soft? Not a chance.

Celestia stopped cold.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She spun around. Jareth stood there, his handsome face twisted into a smug, sinister grin. That look sent chills down her spine.

"Hurting my dad and putting him in the hospital wasn't enough for you? What are you trying to pull now?" Her voice lifted, anger and fear bubbling in her chest.

Jareth didn't react. Instead, his eyes darkened for a second. When he looked back at her, the smile was gone, replaced with something much colder.

"You really think your dad's some untouchable saint?" he snapped. "I've got evidence of all the shady deals he's done-bribes, embezzlement, all of it. Enough to put him away for good. If that doesn't bother you, feel free to walk out that door."

Bribes? That couldn't be. Her father?

"No way," Celestia shot back without a pause.

Her father had always been by the book, generous to charities-he wasn't the kind of man who'd take a bribe. She didn't buy a single word Jareth said.

But Jareth, still as calm as ever, reached into his drawer and casually tossed a thick stack of documents onto the floor right in front of her.

"If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself. This is just a small piece-trust me, I've got plenty more." Jareth wore a calm, easy smile on his handsome face, but it sent chills down the spine.

Celestia stood frozen, staring at the folder on the floor with hesitation in her eyes. She wanted so badly to trust her father, but Jareth's smug confidence shook her. After struggling with herself for nearly half a minute, she finally bent down and picked up the folder.

"If any of this turns out to be fake, I swear, you won't get away with it so easily," she said coldly before flipping it open. As her eyes scanned each page, they grew wider with every turn. Her hands began to shake. "No... this can't be real... How could this be..."

The words came out like a dull ache, barely audible. Jareth stood behind his desk, arms crossed, watching her face drain of color with a mocking smirk. A sharp flicker passed through his eyes.

He'd been digging into Henry's background for a year now, and just as he'd suspected, that kind and genteel face hid some grim secrets underneath.

"Still think I made it all up? We can go to the prosecutor's office and get these authenticated if you want," he said, voice as biting as sleet.

Celestia stared at him blankly, his smug expression like a slap to the face. All those photos of shady deals... they drowned every ounce of doubt she had buried in her mind.

It took her a while to find her voice. "My dad and I never did anything to you. Why... why are you doing this to us?" Her voice cracked, laced with confusion and pain.

Jareth's smile faded, eyes darkening like a storm rolling in.

"Nothing?" he repeated, slowly. Then his look turned menacing, gaze sharp as a blade.

"Trust me, it won't take long before you figure it out."

No matter what her father had done, to Celestia he was still the same man who had given everything for her. And so, in the end, she gave in. After losing almost everything else, protecting her father was all she had left.

*****

July, which for most was a month of sunshine and ease, to Celestia felt suffocating. In just weeks, she'd gone from a respected heiress to a disgraceful "homewrecker" in everyone's eyes, and under Jareth's thumb, she was nothing but a pawn.

Since moving into the Carrington estate, it was like Jareth found joy in making her life hell. He made her do everything on her own, even forced her to take care of the house like one of the maids.

Meanwhile, he brought home a steady rotation of women, flaunting them like trophies. Celestia was shoved into a guest room next door, where she had to fall asleep listening to their shameless laughter and moans-worse yet, she was expected to serve them.

When her father woke up from his illness, it was the one piece of good news she'd clung to. She told him the family company was steady again but kept her marriage to Jareth a secret.

She made sure everyone stayed quiet about it too. She didn't want him burdened with guilt, thinking she sold herself for the company's survival.

Without her job at the company, Celestia suddenly had time. She began splitting her days between home and the hospital, pouring all her energy into caring for her dad.

Then one day-

As soon as she came down the stairs, she heard shouting from the living room. Curious, she walked over. What she saw made her frown: Natalie Young-celebrity model and Jareth's latest fling-was sprawled comfortably on the couch, barking insults at a maid on her knees.

The words coming out of Natalie's mouth were so nasty, Celestia felt embarrassed just hearing them.

Celestia hadn't planned to get involved, but Natalie's words were getting more and more out of line. She finally couldn't take it anymore and walked up to them, cutting her off.

"That's enough!" Ignoring Natalie's wide-eyed glare, Celestia reached down to help the maid up and said softly, "Go on, get back to work."

The maid lifted her tear-streaked face and thanked her repeatedly. "Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much." She turned, ready to flee.

"Stop right there! Who said you could leave?!" Natalie's shriek rang out like a whip. The maid froze, not daring to move an inch.

"Ma'am..." she trembled as she turned back, her eyes pleading with Celestia.

Celestia gave her a warm smile. "It's okay, don't worry about it. If anything happens, I'll handle it. Just go."

With that, the maid didn't dare hesitate a second longer and bolted.

Natalie, watching all this, was seething. Her face turned pale then red, her chest rising with fury. She shot Celestia a venomous look. "Since when is disciplining the help any of your business?"

Honestly, she had had it with this woman. She'd been with Jareth for two years. When his engagement with Sophia fell through, she thought she finally had a shot-then this nobody came out of nowhere, ruining everything!

The rage that had been boiling in her chest burst out. Her eyes darted with an intensity that could've cut right through Celestia.

Celestia met Natalie's tirade with a calm gaze, her voice cool. "I don't care how much Jareth pampers you. Just remember, I'm still his wife-on paper, at least."

That hit a nerve. Natalie's expression twisted instantly. Her mouth opened, but-

"What's going on?"

The voice, low and cold, came from behind them.

As soon as she saw Jareth, Natalie instantly switched gears. Her face softened, and she ran to him with a pitiful look. "Jareth, finally! You're back."

Jareth gave Celestia, who stood motionless, a quick glance. Then he looked at Natalie, now clinging to him. His voice was flat. "What happened?"

Natalie sniffled and looked up with watery eyes. "A maid spilled something on my dress. I just said a few words to her, and suddenly I was being accused and disrespected. She even pulled the 'Mrs. Carrington' card on me."

Before she even finished, Jareth shot Celestia a sharp look. "Apologize."

"What?" Celestia stared at him, stunned. "You're not even going to hear what I have to-"

"No need." His tone was final, cutting. "I didn't marry you to play wife. In this house, your status is below the help. Don't forget your place."

Natalie could barely contain her glee watching her rival get chewed out.

Celestia let out a breathy laugh, eyes clear but filled with quiet sorrow. She'd always known she wasn't really a wife to him, but hearing it aloud stung in a way she hadn't expected.

Her half-smile only seemed to irritate Jareth more.

"Well? Why are you just standing there?"

Celestia forced herself to stay calm, answering evenly, "Not happening. Your drama isn't my problem. Love whoever you want, but don't expect me to just take this kind of humiliation-from you or anyone else."