If There's Another Life

Chapter 2: Joint Bachelorette Night

“Uh —no, no you've got to be kidding me,” Whitney stepped forward and yanked a jumpsuit hanging on a rack that she had missed before, looking at it with a mix of disgust and disbelief.

“What were you even thinking, I mean you would actually have worn this to the party?” Whitney waved the cloth at her face.

“Hehe, well, in my defense, I thought it was just gonna be a casual celebration and stuff.” Celine mumbled.

“Why would you even think that?”Whitney said and sighed, with a look of bewilderment on her face.

“Bella told me that! ok? ” Celine said and gave up avoiding her questioning gaze.

“Bella? As in your no-good younger sister that once almost got you killed?” Whitney said with her mouth agape.

“Whitney, come on I thought we already had a conclusion on that incident already.”

“Um no we didn't, I mean at least I didn't, that little witch obviously almost crushed you to death with that car on purpose.”

“No she didn't Whitney, and even though she may have her shortcomings, she certainly doesn't want me dead, ok” Celine c****d an eyebrow at her and

squeezed her hand gently to reassure Whitney.

“Ok whatever, I'm not gonna let her spoil my mood, now let's go” Whitney said and dragged Celine to her closet.

—

*Meanwhile, across the city…*

Deep beneath street levels, inside an underground combat facility, a young man was seen leaving the training grounds. He moved with the quiet authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed.

He passed through a reinforced door, walked a long tunnel to the surface, and stepped out into the night air, where a sleek 2025 Lamborghini sat idling on the curb. He climbed in without saying a word.

“Boss, the details you requested to be checked have been checked.” His driver Ray handed over a file to him over the central console and pulled smoothly into traffic.

Damien Blackwood flipped through the pages in silence. *So she's getting married tomorrow.* He paused on a particular photograph — Celine, smiling so openly, so beautifully. His finger traced the edge of her face on the page.

"Sir Damien, we've arrived."

He closed the file and set it aside. The moment he stepped out of the car, whatever had come over him vanished behind an expression that was calm, cold, and unreadable.

"Ray," he said, pausing at the entrance of his building. "Get me a ticket to the Royal Springs Club tonight."

"Yes, sir." Ray bowed and went to arrange it.

---

*Royal Springs Club — Private Quarters*

The Royal Springs Club was owned by the Foster family and managed by Nathaniel himself — which meant he could use it however he pleased.

Amorous sounds could be heard coming out from one of the rooms; it turned out to be Nathaniel and Celine's younger sister, Bella.

“Nate, slow down, I, I can't take it anymore.” She moaned.

“Shut up slut, I know you like it, isn't that how we got together in the first place?” He said going in and out of her.

“Yes, yes I'm your good little slut. I'm coming, I'm coming.” She held his arm tighter and screamed in ecstasy.

“Yes” He growled and released her.

The room fell quiet eventually, the air heavy. Bella lay beside him, staring up at the ceiling.

“Nate.” she said softly.

“You don't love me, do you? You are just using me to pleasure yourself aren't you?”

“Why would you say that?” He glanced at her

“Because you’re marrying my sister tomorrow.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he reached for a cigarette on the nightstand, lit it, and exhaled a slow, unhurried cloud of smoke toward the ceiling.

"Oh, her." He let out a short, dismissive laugh. "Don't worry about that. She won't be a problem past tomorrow."

Bella turned to look at him, her brow creasing. "What do you mean she won't be a problem? Are you going to hurt her?" feigning concern and sadness.

"Relax." He took another long drag. "Just know she won't make it past tomorrow."

His phone lit up on the nightstand, it showed a notification announcing the start of the joint bachelorette party.

The corner of his mouth curved into a slow, cold smile. *Let the party begin.*

—

The sounds of music could be heard blaring, even before they stepped through the door.

“Are you sure this is ok, Whitney?” Celine tugged at the hem of her dress uncomfortably.

“This feels and looks like a mosquito net” she turned to look at Whitney.

“Celine, don't be such a prude.” Whitney gave her a look. “This is perfectly fine —very modest, actually. It barely goes above your knees. Besides, only you can pull off the beauty of a spring velvet dress like this.”

“Alright, Alright I get it” Celine rolled her eyes.

“Good now let's go, there's a party ahead that's not gonna party itself” Whitney smirked and pulled her through the doors.

They found a table and settled in, the bass vibrating gently through the floor beneath them.

“Two cocktails, please,” Whitney told the server.

Celine barely heard her, her eyes were already moving across the room.

“Who are you looking for?” Whitney leaned in. “Is it Nate?” Teasing her.

"No, no. I'm just looking around. Isn't this place beautiful?"

"Sure." Whitney sucked her teeth. "It sure is. I expected you to at least—"

She stopped. Her gaze had drifted to somewhere across the room, and Celine followed it instinctively.

There he was.

Damien Blackwood.

Celine felt the familiar tension settle into her shoulders. She had known him back in college. Half the female students had a crush on him. He was one of those effortlessly striking people who seemed to make the air around them feel different. She had never liked him, though she had never been entirely sure why. Maybe it was the altercation they'd had back in their second year. Maybe it was simply that perfectly composed, unreadable face of his, which never seemed to crack no matter what.

“Hey.” Whitney nudged her on the ribs “You didn't tell me you invited him to the party.”

“Of course, I didn't tell you, maybe because I didn't know about it too?” Celine made brief eye contact with him and quickly turned away and grabbed one of the glasses of cocktails in front of her and downed it all in one go.

—

*Damien's POV*

Damien had just settled down in his seat when he spotted her walking in.

She looked much more beautiful than he had remembered, too bad he wasn't the one getting married to her.

His eyes trailed her direction until she sat down, then he realized she had come with her best friend Whitney Bylers, if he recalled correctly.

She ordered two cocktails for both of them. When they glanced at his direction, he lifted the glass in his hand at them, stood and began making his way over.