Reborn Before The Apocalypse: The Last Safe Hotel

Chapter 005 – Varek’s Suspicion

*****

For several seconds, Ronan nearly lost his mind. But then he inhaled deeply.

‘Not yet. Killing him now would be too easy on.'

He forced the murderous intent back down and walked toward the villa.

Even before opening the door, he heard happy laughter from inside, belonging to Joren, Helena, and Varek.

Ronan didn't need to ask why. They were celebrating his divorce from Celeste.

A cold smile touched his lips, then he pushed the door open.

"Look who finally decided to come back." Joren's mocking voice greeted him immediately.

"What a failure," Helena added with disgust. "Men your age are busy building their futures, while you waste your life wandering around without aim or direction."

Varek remained silent.

He wore the same gentlemanly smile he had always used, but his eyes betrayed him. Disgust, irritation, and contempt filled them as he looked at Ronan.

It was the gaze of someone who believed a servant had dared to stand in the same room as him.

Ronan didn't react. He glanced briefly at the three of them before heading toward the staircase.

"Where do you think you're going?" Joren snapped.

Ronan ignored him, which only made Joren even angrier.

Helena suddenly spoke. "Didn't you accuse me of exaggerating when I told you he nearly hit me this morning?"

Joren froze.

He turned toward her. "Wait. You were serious?"

"Have I ever joked about something like that?"

Joren's expression changed instantly. He shot to his feet.

"You bastard!" His face reddened with fury. "You actually dared to raise your hand against my wife?"

Varek immediately stood and placed a hand on Joren's shoulder.

"Uncle, calm down." His voice was gentle. "Perhaps he was simply in a bad mood this morning. I'm sure he didn't mean to disrespect Auntie."

The words sounded like a defense.

In reality, Varek knew exactly what he was doing. His words instantly fanned Joren's flame of anger.

Joren shoved Varek's hand away and stormed aggressively toward Ronan.

His hand rose.

In the past, Ronan would have lowered his head and accepted the slap. But now…

His eyes flashed coldly as he prepared to catch the incoming hand. Just then, however, a calm voice came from the staircase.

"What is all this commotion?"

Everyone stopped.

Joren and Helena immediately turned toward the staircase. "Daughter."

Even Varek's expression softened into a warm smile, his eyes brimming with affection.

Ronan looked over.

Celeste was walking down the stairs, dressed elegantly as though she had somewhere important to be.

She glanced at everyone before her eyes settled emotionlessly on Ronan. "What happened?"

Joren immediately pointed a trembling finger at him. "That bastard tried to hit your mother this morning!"

Celeste frowned slightly. She had been there that morning.

She hadn't seen Ronan try to hit Helena.

But she said nothing.

"Keep your voices down," she said calmly. "We're not the only people in this community."

She reached the final step and looked at Ronan. "Varek and I are going to a friend's birthday party."

In the past, those words would have enraged him.

He would have demanded to know why his wife was always attending a party with another man.

In return, Celeste would have accused him of being jealous and unreasonable while Varek played the innocent victim.

But this time... Ronan didn't react at all.

Celeste's brows furrowed even deeper.

For the second time since they were married, the man standing before her felt like a complete stranger.

The first time had been earlier that very morning.

She stared at him for another moment before turning toward the door.

"Wait." Ronan's voice stopped her.

Celeste's expression immediately tightened.

‘So he was pretending,’ she thought, believing that Ronan was about to start another argument.

Instead, Ronan looked directly at her.

"What about the divorce?"

Celeste froze.

Ronan looked at her with the same indifference she had shown him for three years.

"City Hall closes at five. Let's not waste any more of each other's time."

…..

That morning, after Ronan had first brought up the divorce, Celeste had dismissed his words as a joke.

How could she have believed him?

Before she left for her night shift the previous day, Ronan had still been worshiping the ground she walked on, doing everything possible to please her as he always did.

Yet now, staring blankly at his unreadable expression, Celeste realized he wasn’t joking.

Joren and Varek were equally caught off guard.

Helena had already told them about Ronan's request, but hearing him say it himself was different.

Then Varek's breathing quickened.

‘Finally.’ His eyes lit up.

For three years, he had desperately waited for this moment.

He had even asked Celeste before why she hadn't divorced Ronan, despite her family’s hatred of him and her own indifference toward him.

According to Celeste, the only reason she had stayed married was because of her grandfather's dying wish.

He had arranged her marriage to Ronan with Ronan's grandfather, and she refused to go against it.

But now...

"Ce... Celeste," Varek said, barely containing his excitement. "The birthday banquet isn't that important. You can stay and handle this."

Celeste didn't even spare him a glance.

She focused on Ronan, a hint of dissatisfaction and confusion slowly flashing through her eyes before her expression returned to its usual indifference.

"I told you we'd discuss it later," she responded coldly. "Why would you bring up the topic again when you know I'm heading to an important event?"

A sharp pain struck Ronan's heart.

‘An important event?’

She didn't even consider their marriage and divorce important enough to deal with immediately, yet a friend's birthday banquet was.

Ronan smiled bitterly at himself.

Before he could respond, Helena cried out.

"Daughter, what event could possibly be more important than divorcing this useless man?"

"That's right!" Joren snapped. "This bastard has dragged our family down for three years. Divorcing him would be the best thing that has happened to our family since he entered it."

Even Varek swallowed his excitement and quickly said, "I can go to the banquet on your behalf and tell Brenda you had an emergency."

Celeste ignored them all.

She stared at Ronan for another moment, then turned around and walked away… as though indirectly saying he wasn't worth a second more of her time.

"Daughter!" Helena cried. "This is what we've been praying for!"

"Come on, daughter! I can't imagine this bastard staying another second in this house!"

Celeste didn't respond, and the coldness radiating from her was enough to stop them from following.

Varek didn’t follow immediately. He watched Celeste's departing back for a moment, his thoughts blank, then...

‘We'll discuss it later.’ Her words echoed in his mind. ‘What's there to discuss?’

His excitement faded, and his eyes narrowed. ‘Don't tell me...’

His complexion rapidly paled as an unsettling thought surfaced. For three years, he had believed Celeste's indifference toward Ronan was absolute.

But lately...

"Wait for me, Celeste," he finally called as he rushed after her, a new thought brewing in his mind.