Celine's heart was dancing with excitement as she made her way back home. Her aunt would still be at work so she would have the house to herself to scream and dance in celebration of her progress, to her heart's content.
She picked up something to eat at the 'Miel's place' before going home.
Once she got home. She dropped the pack of food on the kitchen counter and went to put on the stereo increasing the volume to the last level.
Dua Lipa's song titled 'Physical' came up and Céline started dancing to the beat as she pulled off her shoes.
'...who needs to go sleep, when I gat you next to me.. All night I am right here with you, I know you got my back and you know I gat'chu so c'mon, c'mon, let's get physical...' The song was saying.
She struggled with the zip of her dress as she danced her way to her room, rolling her hips to the beat and singing the lyrics as loud as her voice could carry.
This was definitely the best day of her life!
Wait- the best day of her life would be the day Damien actually proposes and she gets access to the money!
"...let's get physical!.."
No, wait a second.
The best day of her life would be the day she gets to throw the twenty million dollars on John psychotic face!
She danced her way to the bathroom and wiped off the little amount of makeup she had applied. She loosened the chignon on her head and allowed her hair to cascade down her back.
'...Adrenaline keep on rushin' in, we're creating somethin' phenomenal, don't you agree, don't yo-'
The music suddenly stopped and her heart seized beating in her chest.
Who could it be?
This was too early for her aunt to return home from work. Could it be John? Has he found her parents murderers?
No, he couldn't have done it so fast.
Swallowing her fears, she popped her head out of her room to check who it was.
"Céline?"
Her heart resumed beating and she placed her hand on her chest to calm herself. It was only her aunt.
She put on a loose T-shirt and short and quickly ran out of her room to meet her aunt. It was so unlike her to be home so early on a Monday morning.
"Céline? Is that you?" Elizabeth shaky voice rang out in the house.
Céline considered ambushing her as usual, but thought against it when she heard the fear in her aunt's voice. She wouldn't want the woman to have a heart attack.
"Aunt it's me. How are you? What's wrong? Why are you home so early?" Céline asked as she reached the living room.
Elizabeth released an audible sigh of relieve as her eyes landed on Céline. She relaxed her death grip on her bag and slumped on the seat, taking long breathes.
"Is everything alright?" Céline asked, scooting to sit closer to her.
"Yes, everything is just fine. Why are you home so early and playing the music so loud? I could hear it from a distance, I got really scared."
"I am sorry. I didn't think you'd be home by this time. What about work?" Céline was getting worried.
It was unlike Elizabeth to leave the college she taught at, so early on a Monday morning and to make it worst she didn't even come home with newspapers and magazines like she usually did.
"Oh Céline, the police found another dead body, this time just a couple of steps from the college. The police asked for the school to close down for a couple of days so they can investigate properly-"
"-the victim was one of our students. She was barely two months pregnant! How he knew is beyond everyone!"
"Oh!" Céline exclaimed getting lost in her own head.
She could not make out words for she felt guilty. All these were still happening because she didn't want to tell the police where John was. She left him on the loose because she needed him to find her parents murderers. Now because of her more people were dying.
"Céline, my dear, you look pale, you are not pregnant are you?" Her aunt asked and Céline snapped out of her head.
"No! I am not!"
Elizabeth gave her a questioning stare but said nothing more on the matter.
"So how did your interview go?" She asked instead.
"It was awesome." Céline said gifting her aunt with a toothy smile.
"You got the job?"
"Yup."
"I should congratulate you but I feel bad about all these. Céline, I don't want you putting your life on jeopardy for something that happened so long ago. Let the past be."
For the hundredth time, Elizabeth tried to convince her niece to stop with her plans of seducing Damien for his money.
"Aunt stop, I have told you before that I won't give up, no matter what. Besides, don't you see it, we'll make a great couple!" Céline jumped off the seat and went to the kitchen to get the package she had left there earlier.
"How would you make a great couple when the relationship is based on lies."
"They are only lies of the heart, aunt. Nothing to worry about," she said pouring the fries in the brown pack unto a plate.
Elizabeth sighed, staring into the distance.
"Join me, let's eat."
"I am not hungry dear, I had something to eat at work. I'll go rest, all these bad news got me shaken up a bit." Elizabeth rose from her seat and headed to her room.
"Let me know if you need anything." Céline called to her retreating back, she waved a hand in acknowledgement before disappearing behind her bedroom's door.
===
John?
Céline ate in silence.
John's recent killing was eating her up. It made her feel like a monster. She could have saved that poor woman and her baby, but she didn't. She could put an end to all of these.
But her heart was divided into two quarreling halves.
One, ached to bring justice to her innocent parents who were harshly taken from her at a very young age. What if she never found her good aunt Elizabeth to take care of her, what would have become of her?
Yet, the other half of her heart tugged at her conscience. She could bring John to the book and end everything. Save hundreds of pregnant women in the state.
But she didn't know what to do.
Her phone suddenly rang out, breaking her out of her dilemma.
"Hello," she called, her stress evident in her voice.
"Céline..."
"D-amien?" She choked on a fry and quickly took a large gulp of water.
Damien was on the line!
She quickly sat up straighter and dropped the plate on the small side table in the living room.
"I wanted to make sure you got home safely."
"Oh- yeah, I did. I am s-afe."
There was tension between them, she was stuttering with her words and his voice sounded tensed, like he was calculating and weighing each word before they left his mouth.
"I-" He started and then paused.
Céline waited.
Only the sound of their breathing passed through the phone. He wanted to say something, but somehow couldn't say it.
She could almost feel his breath fan her ears and they became red. She became breathless, as her head conjured up images of Damien lifting her and pushing her to the door, the way he had kissed her in his house a couple of days ago.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." He quickly said, hanging up the call.
Céline remained with the phone attached to her ears. Her breath slowly returning to normal. She had to be very careful around Damien. He had a way of making her lose control. He made her forget her goal. Sometimes she didn't know who was seducing who because at times, she was the one getting seduced by him.
She let the phone slide down to her stomach and unconsciously she held on to it, caressing it, like it was an actual human.
The device rang out again and without checking, she picked and quickly placed it on her ears. "Damien?"
There was a scratchy sound in the background before the caller spoke up.
"Who the fuck is Damien?"
"John?" She shrieked unable to hide her fear. She wasn't expecting his call and she didn't mentally prepare to speak to him.
What did he want?
"Is that your new boyfriend? Too bad you will be under my naked body sooner than he can imagine!" He let out a loud hysterical laughter that sent fear crawling down Céline's spine.
Céline became breathless once again and this time, it wasn't for an exciting or pleasurable reason. It was out of fear.
John could only make such declaration if he had made a major move on their deal.
"Have you found them?" Her voice was now in a whisper.
"I am very close to doing that Céline. Prepare your pretty tight cunt for me or the money!" He let out another shrilling laughter before the line went dead.