Chapter 103 Celeste

(Jacques POV)

The Caïd's secretary handed me the piece of paper where I wrote down the name "Celeste Ashcroft". She smiled at me and bent down when she picked up the paper from the bar so I could get an ample view of her breasts. I gave her wink so she wouldn't feel disappointed that I wasn't interested. I couldn't have any distractions. I needed to focus on what has to be done.

"My younger sister, Celeste." I answered the Caïd and from the corner of my eye, I saw my uncle raise his head from his glass. He was interested to hear about her.

"I didn't know you had a sister. Is she as beautiful as you are handsome?" The Caïd also seemed interested to hear about her as well as the others. They all looked at me waiting for an answer.

"There is no brother I know of who would call his sister ugly." They all laughed at my answer. They knew this to be true however, most brothers would call their sisters ugly to their faces. I believed it to be an endearment.

"Objectively speaking, Fang, is she beautiful?" One of the councillors asked.

"Yes, she is very beautiful. She takes after our mother. Our mother was very beautiful." I tell them putting emphasis on "was".

"Your mother has passed. I see. Do you share the same father?" The Caïd asked, a bold question he could only ask upfront.

"No. My father, she married for love. My sister's father, she married for money." I saw my uncle now sit upright hearing my sister came from wealth. We all knew she had his men tail her after she left our villa all the way to the mansion she now lives in. Usually, a woman had a wealthy husband or came from wealth herself to live in a mansion as expensive as her's.

" Is your sister married?" Another asked. They were now very interested in my sister  The event will surely be a cock fight to gain her attention.

"No. She has just finished university and is very proud to have graduated with honors." Everyone started nodding their heads, clearly impressed.

"So she is beautiful, rich and smart. That, my friends, is a very dangerous combination."  Everyone at the bar laughs at the statement of the Caïd. "I will surely be waiting for her to make an appearance at the event." The Caïd and the men were now rethinking their wardrobe. I guess they would now be going in tuxedos rather than just nicely tailored suits. I glanced at my uncle and I saw him on the phone. I blocked all the sound around me to hear what he was saying.

"I need a tuxedo. I'm willing to pay you anything. Just get me a tuxedo. I need to impress someone. Just do what I say!" He growls at whoever he was speaking to on his phone.

My uncle has been very picky on finding a right mate for himself. He obviously didn't want human, he wanted wolf. When he met Ava, she gained some of his attention, but he was turned off because she would flirt with every one, him included. Well, Ava was serving as a distraction to the Caïd and the rest of the humans. As for uncle, we have reserved him the best...Hope.

All she had to do was hide her mark. Cosmetics and beauty have evolved so much so that now there were cosmetic strips and tape that could do just that, hide a mark.

She will come to the event with the same color green eyes, in a white gown, with sparkling diamonds, like an angel from the Moon Goddess.

And I know my uncle, who longs for an heir, will find it difficult to resist the charming and alluring Celeste.

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(Hope POV)

After a romantic getaway in Venice, we all went to Milan to do a lot of shopping. I had to buy designer label clothes and shoes to fit my new identity.

I love the color of my eyes, but I had to hide them during my three years in university. I always wore blue contact lenses and had kept a close knit of friends. I also stopped being the face of Stella Foundation and had my advertising team use human models for the various campaigns the foundation had.

After Venice, I will no longer be known as Hope Ulrich during my duration here in Europe. I will be known as a young English woman named Celeste Ashcroft, Fang's baby sister.

Derrick, as well as a linguist I had hired, trained me to speak with an English accent. I thought it would be easy given I was able to imitate Amanda and her southern drawl so easily. I was terribly wrong. It took me whatever extra time I had away from school, to familiarize myself with the accent. To keep Derrick coming to Seattle to help me train, Alexander hired him as the COO of Leventhal Banking. There I would sit around his office just conversing, trying to make sure I didn't make mistakes.

I also joined an org at school which comprised mainly of British nationals. At first, I was not allowed to join, but after I threw some money their way, I was welcomed with open arms. There are certain terminologies the English use versus regular American english and I had to get used to speaking those terms.

I had all my identification ready. Derrick had some connections back in London and he, himself, had them all prepared for me. We actually went to the UK last Christmas to make things look legit. I had bought an apartment building under the name of Celeste Ashcroft and had the top floor turned into my living space. I also invested in a few businesses hoping my new identity would gain some traction in the area.

No one will speak of my gold eyes while I am here. I will have green eyes just like my handsome half brother.

"Signorina Celeste, how do you like your new hair color?" I was at the salon getting my hair dyed to a golden caramel brown. My hair flowed down my back in soft curls and I have to admit, I liked my new look. Green eyes and brown hair.

'Belissima! Grazie!" I stared at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a loose black long sleeve button down shirt tucked into khaki slacks and khaki colored pumps.I cannot deny that I have matured over the years. The baby fat was gone. My cheekbones were now more pronounced as well as my jawline.

I sigh. We needed to move fast. If indeed I was already pregnant, I will start showing around the third month of my pregnancy. I won't be able to continue helping knowing I might put my child at risk. Tomorrow night is the event. After 3 years of earning their trust, it is time we set the ball rolling in our favor.

I leave the salon, purse in my hand, and head to my car which was being driven by Alexander. He is now my driver-slash-bodyguard which for him is like going on vacation.

"Ms. Celeste." Alexander opens the car door for me to enter. " You look...different." He winks.

"Different is what I was counting for." I enter the car. On the floor of the car was a pair of my favorite sneakers. I grimace and hide the sneakers underneath the front seat.

"Alex, luv, I've put my trainers underneath your chair."

"Sure thing Ms. Celeste." He laughs."If I didn't know your scent, I wouldn't know it's you. Where are we headed?"

"Back to the house." Leia rented a house so we could have some privacy while we shop for what we needed. "We head back to France tomorrow and I need to pack." I instruct him.

"Are you ready? I mean are you ready to meet the mafia tomorrow?" He asks. I shrug and look at him in the rearview mirror.

"I doubt if they are worse than the Rogue Lord, but I shouldn't underestimate a criminal syndicate that has been operating under our very noses all these years. If we bring them down, we are doing the world a favor and Jacques gains what is rightfully his."

"Well, I hope you all have fun inside while Yuri, Leia and I will be have fun outside the venue. I heard Ava will be the date of a ranking mob boss and Maria, she's going with Arthur."

"Mark won't be coming?"

"No. He has to keep an eye on the clowns Fang's uncle has sent to spy. I've brought in more men to keep the place secure. They'll die before they set foot on our property. By the way, the Doc has arrived with the new batch of men. She'll see you once we get home." Alexander winks at me.

I look down and caress my stomach. Mama is going to keep you safe.