Whisper in the Ashes of Us

Chapter 13: Plan

Knock, knock!

“Bonjour, Celestine! It’s me, Sophie, with your favorite Theo! Open the door, Disney Princess!” sigaw ni Sophie, sabay kantang pasok ng linya mula sa “Love is an Open Dooooorrrrrr.”

“Ang ingay niyo! It’s barely 7 AM!” reklamo ni Celestine habang binubuksan ang pinto.

“Good morning, Rapunzel, Theo magdahan dahan ka baka matapakan mo ‘yang golden locks ni Maem!” banat ni Sophie habang nag-e-exaggerate ng bow.

“Yeah, good morning din sa future Mrs. Ziferano,” dagdag ni Theo habang pasimpleng nililinis ang kanyang camera phone, tila handa nang kumuha ng chismis na mabibenta.

“Ang aga-aga, wala kayong tigil,” Celestine groaned, crossing her arms. “I’ve said it a hundred times Azrael and I are strictly business partners! Wala nang iba!”

“Business partners na may hidden agenda?” Theo raised his brow, kasabay ng wicked smirk. “Come on, Celestine. The tension? The sparks? Don’t tell me wala kang nararamdaman doon.”

“Wala talaga!” sagot ni Celestine, rolling her eyes. “Ano ba kasi ginagawa niyo dito this early?”

“May important announcement lang kami,” Sophie replied, presenting her phone. “May invitation ka for a special event tonight an after party for your last Vouge Magazine and the success of our photoshoot”

“Bring a plus one,” Theo teased. “And by ‘plus one,’ we obviously mean Mr. Azrael Ziferano the 12 inches.”

“Here we go again. Ugh, fine. I’ll text him. Satisfied?”

“Very much!” sabay high-five ng dalawa.

Azrael was seated in his minimalist office, reviewing contracts. His sleek desk was clutter-free, just the way he liked it. The rhythmic ticking of his expensive watch was his only company until his phone vibrated.

Good morning, Mr. Ziferano. Are you free tonight? I’d like to invite you to an event. Let me know if you’re available.

A small smile crept up his lips. He leaned back, rereading the message. “I see... business partners daw,” he muttered under his breath, smirking.

Good morning, Ms. Devereux. I’m free tonight. See you later 😉

By late afternoon, Celestine, Theo, and Sophie were browsing high-end boutiques in search of the perfect gown.

“Walang babagay dito, darling,” Sophie sighed, scanning the racks of long gowns. “The energy isn’t giving.”

“Ugh, I agree,” Theo chimed in, holding up a bright pink gown. “I mean, Celestine could rock anything, but this? Too Barbie. Hindi tayo a-attend ng children’s birthday party.”

“Hay naku, ano na?” reklamo ni Celestine.

“Wait, I’ve got this!” Sophie whipped out her phone and called one of her designer friends. “Hello? Oui, it’s Sophie. I need a gown for my queen. Yes, tonight. Don’t disappoint me, darling!”

After a few minutes, they arrived at a private atelier. Celestine’s eyes widened as racks of custom gowns greeted them. One, in particular, caught her eye a nude, sparkling tube gown with a daring slit.

“Perfect!” Sophie exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Madame Celestine, you’re about to snatch hearts tonight! I'm sure mag lalaway si Mr. Ziferano

“Agree! Mr. Ziferano might just choke on his drink, and eat you tonight” Theo added with a laugh.

Celestine rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “You two are impossible.Jusko mga bibig niyo baka may maka marinig at pag piyestahan nanaman ako ng media sa kadaldalan niyo.

Theo and Sophie POV

Bonjour, A readers! Makiki-POV muna kami, ha? May grand plan kaming dalawa ni Theo. Ang goal: Paiinisin natin ang ultimate Mr.12, inches CEO, aka Azrael Ziferano. Paano? Simple lang gagamit kami ng isang certified hot boy material! to make him jealous

Kapag nakita naming obvious na gusto ni Azrael si Maem Celestine, lalagyan namin ng Robust ang drinks nila para madiligan ang tuyot na mabulaklakin na kiffy ni Maem Celestine! sabay tawa ng dalawa

"Sophie," Theo whispered, "are we really doing this?"

Sophie, flipping her hair like she was on a runway, smirked. "Of course, Theo. Call Arden Rhys. You know, Yung hot guy na naka FUBU mo He's perfect for this! Malandi, guwapo, tapos may charm pang parang Disney prince!”

Arden: “Hello? Theo? What’s up?”

Theo: (excited) “Hi, Arden! Okay, listen, I have a business proposal for you!”

Arden: “A business proposal? Uh, okay? How much are we talking about?”

Theo: (laughing) “Not that kind of business, bakla. Listen, do you know Celestine Devereux?”

Arden: “Of course I do. Paris’ top model? Who doesn’t?”

Theo: “Good, good. So, here’s the thing: We need you to use your flirty powers for good. Like, talagang all-out ka, Arden. We need you to make a guy jealous. And by jealous, I mean parang ready to flip a table levels of jealous.”

Arden: (laughing) “Flirty powers? Are you serious? Who’s the target?”

Theo: “Azrael Ziferano.”

Arden: (pauses, then whistles) “Oh, that guy. The walking storm cloud CEO and the Billionaire in The Philippines? This sounds fun. So, you want me to flirt with Celestine in front of him?”

Theo: “Exactly! You’ll be the ultimate bait. Kaya dapat yung flirty acting mo, parang pang-Oscars. We need him fuming! Like, ‘jealous boyfriend’ energy unlocked! Kaya mo ba?”

Arden: (smirks) “I was born for this. Name your price.”

Theo: “Price? Girl, the real reward is the drama!”

Arden: (laughing) “Fine. I’m in. When and where?”

Theo: “Later tonight. Bring your A-game, Arden. Kung puwede, magdala ka ng script. Kailangan mapanindigan mo, ha! Okay, bye!”

Theo hangs up with a wicked grin, turning to Sophie.

Theo: “Girl, mission accomplished. Arden’s in. Azrael won’t know what hit him

Habang inaayusan si Celestine ng dalawa, abala si Theo sa pag-curl ng hair niya, habang si Sophie naman ang nag-aayos ng mga accessories. Pareho silang may suspicious grins on their faces.

Celestine: (raising an eyebrow) “You two have been acting weird all day. Ano bang pinaplano niyo? Kanina pa kayo tawanan nang tawanan, parang mga baliw.”

Theo: (waving a hairbrush dramatically) “Wala, Maem. Just… life is funny sometimes. Alam mo yun? Ang saya-saya lang ng mundo!”

Sophie: (snickering) “Oo nga, Celestine. Don’t mind us! Focus ka na lang sa pagiging goddess mo tonight. Kami na bahala sa background plot.”

Celestine: (suspicious) “Background plot? Theo, Sophie, kung may ginagawa kayong kabalbalan…”

Theo: (gasps, clutching his chest) “Kababalaghan?! Wow, Maem, ang sakit! Ganun ba talaga tingin mo sa amin?”

Sophie: (laughing) “Oo nga, grabe ka! Kami pa ba? Alam mo naman, Celestine, kami ni Theo, paragons of innocence!”

Celestine: (deadpan) “Innocence my foot. Spill. Now.”

Theo and Sophie exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, nearly toppling over.

Theo: (between laughs) “Girl, basta. Trust the process. Promise, this is for your benefit!”

Sophie: (laughing harder) “Oo nga, Maem. Pasabog levels! Basta later, just sit back, look pretty, and enjoy the show.”

The Event Party

The night was electrifying the kind of event that had everyone dressed to impress and every camera lens ready to capture every glittering moment. The red carpet was alive with the flashes of cameras, the chatter of reporters, and the gasps of admiration as the guests made their entrances.

Suddenly, the energy shifted.

Photographer: “Celestine is here!”

Heads turned, and conversations halted as Celestine Isabelle Devereux made her grand entrance. Dressed in a stunning floor-length crimson gown that hugged her figure perfectly, her long wavy blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, and her signature confidence radiating from every step, she owned the spotlight like it was made for her.

The photographers couldn’t get enough. The flashes were blinding, the crowd parting as she gracefully walked the carpet.

Reporter #1: “Ms. Devereux! Over here! A quick question!”

Celestine turned, her striking grey eyes meeting the reporter’s. She smiled, poised and polished.

Reporter #1: “First of all, congratulations on your recent Vogue magazine cover! It’s a global hit, and your recent photoshoot for billboard was absolutely stunning.How do you feel about the success?”

Celestine: (smiling warmly) “Thank you so much! I’m truly grateful for the overwhelming support. The Vogue team was incredible to work with, and the Recent photoshoot for billboard was such a magical.I’m glad people loved the story we wanted to tell through the photos.”

Reporter #2: “Ms. Devereux, another congratulations for the success of your family’s makeup line. How does it feel balancing your work in Paris and your role in the family business?”

Celestine: (laughing lightly) “It’s been a rewarding challenge! I’m lucky to have an amazing team both in Paris and back home. My family’s makeup line is a passion project, so it’s worth every sleepless night. But, of course, it’s all about time management and loving what you do.”

The questions kept coming, but then one particularly daring reporter stepped forward with a microphone.

Reporter #3: “Ms. Devereux, you’ve mentioned in a past interview during your family business launch that you and Mr. Azrael Ziferano are purely business partners. However, paparazzi have captured moments of you two together in Paris and Amsterdam looking quite… sweet and it looks more than just a business partner How would you respond to these rumors?”

The crowd buzzed with intrigue as all eyes were now on Celestine. She handled the moment like a true professional.

Celestine: (smiling, her voice calm and composed) “I completely understand the curiosity, and I’m flattered by the attention. But as I mentioned before, Mr. Ziferano and I have a professional partnership built on mutual respect and trust. We’ve spent time together for business purposes, and any moments captured were simply part of the collaboration. Nothing more, nothing less.”

As if on cue, the man of the hour himself, Azrael Ziferano, entered the scene, exuding power and charm in a perfectly tailored black suit. He approached Celestine, standing tall beside her as the reporters’ attention shifted to him.

Reporter #3: “Mr. Ziferano, would you like to comment on this? There’s a lot of speculation about your relationship with Ms. Devereux.”

Azrael, ever the composed CEO, glanced at Celestine before addressing the crowd with a slight smirk.

Azrael: “Speculations are a natural part of being in the public eye, especially when two people are working closely on a high-profile project. Ms. Devereux and I have a professional relationship, and I admire her dedication and talent. Beyond that, there’s nothing to add. The rumors are just that rumors.”

His tone was smooth, commanding, and left no room for further questions. The reporters were left stunned by their unified, professional responses.

As the two walked into the event side by side, whispers of admiration and curiosity followed them. Celestine leaned slightly toward Azrael as they passed the entrance.

Celestine: (in a low, teasing voice) “You handled that well.”

Azrael: (with a small smirk) “I always do. You’re welcome.