The Broken Vows: Zane and Celeste’s Story (The Windsors)

My house has never felt more empty than it has in recent days, and I can’t help but feel deeply unsettled as I walk to the kitchen. I stare at the seat by the breakfast bar, the same one she’s claimed as her own, and my heart just fucking wrenches.

My hands tremble as I reach for the miniature rose plant she grew for me, my gaze roaming over the gold that I repaired the pot with, creating something truly precious from the broken pieces using the kintsugi technique. All the while I’d wondered if we could fix things between us that way too, by filling the gaps with precious new memories.

From the moment Celeste left, I’ve been wondering if truly letting her go is what’s best for both of us, but fuck, I didn’t expect to miss her this much.

It hits me then. I’d rather fight with her day and night than live a life she isn’t part of — even if we can’t have what we used to have, even if we never fully recover from everything we’ve been through. I want her — the woman she is today, the one who would’ve forgiven me even if I’d truly betrayed her in the worst way, like she thought I did.

“Fuck,” I whisper, my hands threading through my hair. “What the fuck am I doing?”

I turn on my heel and grab my phone, dialing our security team. “Zane?” Silas says, his voice tinged with concern. “What’s going on?”

“Silas, where is my wife? I need you to find her for me right now.”

I can hear him type as I get into my car, only for him to sigh in obvious irritation. “That’s the second time you’ve called me to track Celeste when she’s literally on the Windsor Estate. What is it with you Windsor brothers and your weird requests related to your wives?”

I pause, confused. “Where exactly is she?”

Celeste told me she was going to Archer’s house for a few days, so how come she’s here? And if she did come back, why didn’t she come home? Unease begins to settle in my stomach, and I tighten my grip on my steering wheel as I wait for Silas’s answer.

“She appears to be at your grandmother’s house.”

I raise a brow and thank Silas before ending the call, worry gnawing at me as I drive over to Grandma’s. Celeste’s defeated voice keeps ringing through my head, and my heart begins to hurt. I should’ve held her close, and I never should’ve let her go.

I’m restless as I walk into my grandmother’s house, only to freeze in surprise when I see Celeste’s grandfather sitting on the sofa next to my grandmother, Celeste in front of them with her back turned toward me. She hasn’t noticed me yet — how could she, over the force of her sobs?

“I’m sorry,” she tells both of our grandparents. “I know you two had high hopes for us, and though I don’t understand why, you both clearly hoped we could make it work. I wish I could tell you your efforts weren’t in vain, but they were.” My wife runs a hand through her hair, tangling it into her curls. “I’ll forfeit my inheritance if you’ll just let him go.”

Shock courses through me, and Celeste turns her head toward her grandfather, who looks equally surprised. “I know you’ve always been disappointed in me, Grandpa, so this won’t come as a surprise to you. Archer told me he’s willing to step in and do what he must to make this happen. While he still can’t give up on his company for you, he’s willing to work twice as hard to take over my workload and become the successor you’ve always dreamed of.”

What? What the fuck?

Celeste sniffs, and it takes all of me to keep standing here. “You need to set Zane free, Grandma Anne. We’ve been married for over a year, and it’s clear I can’t make him happy. He can’t look at me without thinking of the past, and he deserves to be free of it. Zane deserves the kind of happiness that’s completely untainted. He deserves joy and laughter, and the kind of fun we used to have, the kind that just doesn’t exist between us anymore.”

Celeste straightens in her seat, and I take a step closer, my heart aching. My grandmother freezes for a split second when I move into her line of vision, but she doesn’t look at me. “This marriage did what you thought it would, Grandma Anne. It gave him the closure he needed, and after this, he’ll probably need a little bit of time to heal. Please give him that by setting him free now, instead of making him suffer through the next two years with me. If you do, he’ll be that much closer to real happiness, the kind I wish I could give him. That’s what you want for him, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, Celeste,” Grandma says, her tone unwavering. “But I can’t do that. You both signed a contract for three years, and you’ll have to see those years through. You cannot simply forfeit your inheritance without Zane having to forfeit his too.”

My wife rises to her feet and does what I once did for her. She kneels in front of my grandmother and grabs her hands. “I know you want him to be happy,” she says, her voice breaking. “Please allow him to divorce me. Can’t you see how much it hurts him to have to look at me? I swear to you we’ve tried all we could, and for a little while, I thought we could be happy, but it never lasts. Zane deserves more than brief moments of joy. He should have what we used to have — the kind of love that fills you with unwavering confidence in each other, the kind where you’re a team, and it’s you against the world. He deserves the kind of marriage his parents had, and I… I can’t be the one to give him that, no matter how badly I wish I could.”

“Is that true?” Grandma asks, looking up at me. “I’ll give you one chance, Zane. Right here, right now. Tell me you’re not sure Celeste can make you happy, and I’ll grant you two a divorce without repercussions.”

I walk up to my wife and shake my head. “No,” I say, my voice firm, not a doubt in my mind. Her shoulders sink, and her eyes fall closed in resignation, pure heartbreak crossing her face as she clearly misunderstands my answer. “That isn’t true.”

Celeste’s eyes flutter open as I reach for her, and she gasps when I bend down and lift her into my arms, the way I always used to. “Don’t give up on us yet, Celestial,” I tell her as I turn and carry her out of the room, my mind made up.