Nothing more, nothing less

Unmasked

The soft hum of the restaurant buzzed around them as Celestiana and Alicia sat in a quiet corner, tucked away from prying eyes—or so they thought. The flickering candlelight between them cast shadows over their faces, but even in the dim light, the connection was undeniable. Their knees brushed under the table, and every glance they exchanged held the weight of everything unsaid.

"So, what's next?" Alicia asked, her voice low, a hint of playfulness dancing in her tone as she swirled the wine in her glass.

Celestiana smiled, a rare, genuine smile that she only ever allowed herself around Alicia. It was the first time in weeks they could just be themselves—no business meetings, no expectations. Just them. And it felt dangerously right.

"Next? I suppose we finish dinner and head back to pretending this isn't happening," Celestiana replied, her words dripping with the kind of dry humor she used to deflect her own emotions.

Alicia leaned in closer, her eyes smoldering with a mix of desire and defiance. "We can pretend all we want, Cel. But you know we're terrible liars when it comes to each other."

Before Celestiana could respond, a sudden shift in the air made her freeze. She glanced up, her eyes widening slightly as she saw two familiar figures walking toward them—**their fathers**.

"Shit," Celestiana muttered under her breath, her heart pounding as panic gripped her. She tried to pull back, but Alicia's hand was already resting on hers, as if to say, *Stay calm*.

But there was no calming down from this.

The look on their fathers' faces as they approached said it all—shock, confusion, and an underlying storm of disappointment.

"Celestiana. Alicia," Mr. Devereux's voice cut through the air like a knife, his tone measured but unmistakably angry.

Alicia was the first to recover, her expression steady, though Celestiana could feel the tension radiating from her. "Dad. Mr. Devereux," Alicia greeted them, her voice calm, even though the situation was anything but.

Celestiana forced herself to stand, meeting her father's eyes. The coldness there made her stomach drop. **This wasn't how they were supposed to find out**—not in a public place, not like this.

"What is this?" Mr. Devereux asked, his voice low but firm, his eyes darting between the two women. "What exactly are you doing here?"

There was no point in lying. Not now. Not when they had been caught.

Celestiana swallowed hard, her throat tight. "We're... having dinner."

Mr. Valtieri raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Alicia. "Dinner? Is that all this is?"

Alicia's jaw tightened, and for a moment, Celestiana thought she might deflect, make some excuse. But then Alicia did the one thing Celestiana didn't expect—she reached out, taking Celestiana's hand in hers, right in front of their fathers.

"No," Alicia said firmly. "It's not just dinner."

The silence that followed was deafening. Celestiana could feel her heart racing, the weight of their fathers' stares pressing down on them like a tidal wave.

Mr. Devereux's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "You do realize what this means, don't you?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "What this will do to our families. To the business."

Celestiana flinched at his words, guilt flooding her. She knew this was bigger than them, that their relationship threatened everything their fathers had built. But at the same time, she couldn't deny what she felt. Not anymore.

Alicia stood her ground, her hand still holding Celestiana's. "This is about us," she said, her voice steady. "Not the business. Not the partnership."

Mr. Valtieri crossed his arms, his face a mask of disbelief. "You're risking everything for this... this—" he gestured toward them, as if their relationship was something unthinkable, something that couldn't possibly exist in their world.

Celestiana felt a lump rise in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, to defend what they had, but Alicia beat her to it.

"Yes," Alicia said, her voice unyielding. "We're risking everything. But we're not turning back."

Celestiana's breath caught. Alicia was standing up for them—**for her**. And in that moment, she realized just how deep Alicia had fallen, how far she was willing to go to keep what they had.

Mr. Devereux's eyes darkened. "You're making a mistake," he warned. "You don't understand the consequences."

Celestiana felt Alicia's grip on her hand tighten, as if to say *we're in this together*. And for the first time, she found the strength to meet her father's gaze without flinching.

"No, Dad," Celestiana said quietly but firmly. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

Their fathers exchanged a glance, their faces hardening in silent agreement. Without another word, they turned and walked away, leaving Alicia and Celestiana standing there, the weight of the moment crashing down around them.

As soon as they were out of sight, Celestiana exhaled, her knees almost buckling from the intensity of it all.

"You okay?" Alicia asked softly, her thumb gently stroking the back of Celestiana's hand.

Celestiana looked up at her, a small, exhausted smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know."

Alicia smiled back, pulling her closer. "We'll figure it out. Together."

And for the first time, even with everything at risk, Celestiana felt like they just might.