The Monarch Crown System

18. The Real Terror Begins

The camera was still rolling.

The red light blinked steadily, unforgiving, broadcasting every second to millions of screens around the world.

Elias did not rush.

He let the silence stretch until it became uncomfortable.

Celeste stood just off frame, her hands clenched, her chest rising and falling too fast. Henry and Susan were shouting behind the cameras, but their voices were muted by the thick walls and the stunned crew who did not dare interrupt.

Then Elias spoke again.

“There is one more truth the public deserves to know,” he said calmly, his voice steady and clear.

Celeste’s head snapped up.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “You said you were done.”

Elias did not look at her.

“Celeste Halston whom everyone knows as my wife is now my ex,” he continued, “and now she is pregnant.”

A wave of murmurs erupted instantly online. Comments flooded the screen faster than the system could process.

“Elias, don’t do it.” Celeste took a step forward as if she knew what he would say next.”

Elias raised his voice slightly. “The child is not mine.”

Celeste lunged forward. “Stop it. You’re lying.”

The studio fell into chaos.

Celeste screamed.

“You monster,” she shrieked. “You are trying to destroy me.”

“The child,” Elias continued without emotion, “belongs to the man who pretended to be the Monarch Crown bearer.”

The internet exploded.

Livestream numbers doubled in seconds.

Celeste lost control.

She rushed at him, striking his chest with her fists. “You promised. You promised you would protect me after taking the money!”

Elias did not fight back or move.”

“You planned this,” she screamed. “You planned to humiliate me.”

She swung again, her nails catching his sleeve. The cameras zoomed in instinctively.

During the struggle, her hand brushed against his arm.

Then the fabric was torn. For a split second, she saw it.

The tattoo.

Not the crude imitation that had burned away on Jackson’s skin. This one was different. The lines were deeper and clearer on his arm. It seemed to pulse faintly, as if responding to something unseen.

Celeste froze as her breath hitched, her eyes locking onto it in stunned disbelief.

“What is that?” she whispered.

Elias pulled his arm away calmly.

Celeste’s shock turned into laughter. Sharp and hysterical.

“So you copied him too,” she said loudly. “You really are pathetic. You think drawing a fake mark makes you powerful?”

Elias didn’t try to refute it.

He allowed her to believe it.

He allowed her arrogance to blind her.

Security rushed in and pulled Celeste away as she continued screaming insults.

The broadcast ended soon after, but the damage was done.

That evening, Celeste sat in the back seat of the car, staring out the window as the city blurred past.

Her phone buzzed nonstop.

Messages. Notifications. Calls she refused to answer.

“They will regret this,” she muttered under her breath. “All of them.”

She clenched her fists. “Elias thinks he has won. He thinks humiliating me will make him powerful.”

The car pulled into the driveway of what remained of the Halston home.

She stepped out and slammed the door.

The street was quiet.

Too quiet.

She did not notice the figures standing behind parked cars. She did not notice the shadows shifting.

As she reached the front gate, a voice shouted.

“There she is.”

Something splattered against her shoulder.

She gasped and looked down.

Eggshells.

Powder followed. White dust coated her hair and dress.

“What are you doing?” she screamed.

More figures emerged.

Men. Women. Faces hard with hatred.

“Liar,” someone shouted.

“Shame on you.”

“You slept with a fraud.”

Celeste tried to push through them. “Get away from me.”

Another object struck her cheek.

Someone poured something sticky over her head.

“You betrayed the Crown,” a woman yelled. “You protected the impostor.”

Celeste screamed. “Elias conned you all. He is the liar.”

The crowd roared louder.

“Shut your mouth!.”

“Wench.”

“Threat to the Crown.”

Hands shoved her back and forth. She stumbled and fell to her knees.

Her hair was matted with powder and yolk. Her dress torn.

She tried to stand, but someone kicked her legs.

Inside the house, Henry heard the noise.

“What is happening?” he shouted.

Susan rushed to the door and froze.

“Oh God.”

They ran outside.

Henry pushed through the crowd. “Leave my daughter alone.”

Susan wrapped her arms around Celeste and pulled her up.

It was surprisingly easy.

The mob had already made their point.

Phones were raised everywhere, recording everything.

They shouted one last time.

“This is a warning.”

“Enemies of the Crown will be dealt with accordingly!.”

Then they dispersed, and Henry dragged Celeste inside while Susan slammed the door shut and locked it behind them. Celeste collapsed onto the floor, her body shaking uncontrollably as the humiliation followed her everywhere, spreading across the internet faster than fire. In his private chamber, the room dim and quiet, Elias watched the footage on his phone in silence.

Celeste screaming and falling. Covered in filth.

A slow smile curved his lips.

“This is only the beginning, dear ex wife,” he said softly. “I will break all of you, and when you beg for death, you will see me as your only savior.”

A knock sounded.

“Enter,” Elias said.

Matt stepped inside. He is a direct assistant to him. He also holds the second highest position after the crown bearer. Matt wasn’t just a custodian, he also had influence that spread across the city. In places where Elias didn’t want to reveal his identity to put things in order, Matt does the job.

He bowed deeply. “Master.”

Elias turned his gaze to him. “How shall we proceed to finalize dealing with the Halstons?”

Matt straightened slowly. “Shall we strip them of what little influence they have left and burn them to the ground finally?”

Elias’s eyes gleamed.

“Prepare for the next phase,” he said calmly.

“The real nightmare is about to begin.”