The Monarch Crown System

2. A Desperate Condition

Once they stepped outside the building, Elias rounded on Henry Halston, fury burning through him.

“How could you just let him talk to us like that? I should’ve—”

“You should’ve done what, exactly?”Henry snapped at him

“Are you not ashamed? Damien is younger than you, yet look at the kind of power he commands.”

Henry jabbed a finger toward Elias, his voice harsh.

“All you ever do is make empty threats and empty our fridge. Just shut up, Elias.”

“Get in the car and drive us home,”He ordered sharply. “Now.”

Elias swallowed his pride, got behind the wheel, and said nothing the entire way home.

At the Halston Residence

Once they arrived, Henry and Mrs. Halston led Celeste into the sitting room for a “private talk.”

Celeste sat tensely on the edge of the ornate sofa, her hands clasped in her lap. Henry paced in front of her, jaw tight. Finally, he stopped and fixed her with a serious stare.

“Celeste,” he began slowly, “I’ve been thinking about your future. And I truly believe this could be the chance we’ve been waiting for.”

The dread in her stomach deepened.

She already knew this conversation. She’d lived it before.

Before marrying Elias, she had dated four men—each one handpicked because they benefited the Halston family.

And each time a man no longer served a purpose—or a richer one appeared—her parents urged her to let the old one go.

“I guess it’s Elias’s turn now,” she thought bitterly.

Honestly, she was tired. Tired of pretending. Tired of struggling.

She wanted luxury again. A better life.

She had stayed this long only because her parents insisted.

She smoothed her skirt and looked up innocently.

“What do you mean, Father?”

Henry clasped his hands behind his back.

“You’re familiar with the name Damien Kings. The way he was staring at you today made everything perfectly clear.”

Celeste nodded softly.

“Yes, of course. He’s a wealthy developer… I met him in a club years ago. He tried to pursue me even before I married Elias, but I rejected him.”

Henry froze.

“What?”

He stepped closer, voice rising.

“How dare you reject a wealthy man like Damien without consulting me first?”

“But Dad—you were the one who turned him down. You said Elias was a better match.”

Henry’s expression shifted. He remembered.

Back then, he had believed Elias—Northcrest’s assistant manager and the CEO’s son—would rise quickly and bring prestige to the family.

Instead… Elias collapsed right along with his ruined family.

“Well,” Henry said briskly, brushing off the memory, “since you and Damien already know each other, we should arrange a dinner. Next week, perhaps.”

“You mean with… Damien Kings?” Celeste asked uncertainly.

Henry smiled and gently tapped her cheek.

“Of course.”

Celeste’s eyebrows knitted together.

“But I’m already married to Elias. Are you truly asking me to—”

“Elias?” Henry scoffed loudly. “That boy contributes nothing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Damien Kings is powerful, wealthy, influential—everything a smart woman would want.”

“Father, what will people say?” Celeste protested. “They’ll say our family takes advantage of men and discards them when a richer one comes along.”

“And I… uh…”

Her voice cracked. She couldn’t finish.

Henry’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Wait.”

He took a step closer.

“Celeste… are you pregnant?”

Celeste’s hands trembled.

Her father had warned her never to get pregnant without his explicit permission.

And now she was.

Her silence said everything.

“What?” Henry hissed.

His voice dropped dangerously low.

“Celeste Halston… you have always been obedient. Dutiful. But this—this is reckless beyond imagination.”

Celeste blinked, her heart pounding.

“What… what are you talking about?” she whispered, even though she knew exactly what he meant.

"I'm talking about the fact that you've gone and gotten yourself pregnant!" Mr. Park exploded, his voice rising with fury.

"Pregnant for that good-for-nothing Elias! Do you have any idea how this will reflect on our family?"

"But Father, I'm married to him!"

Tears sprang to Celeste’s eyes as she instinctively wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"I—I was going to tell you and Mother. Elias and I... we're so happy. This child is a blessing," she forced out, pretending to cry so she wouldn’t look reckless in front of her parents.

"A blessing?" Mr. Henry scoffed.

"This is a disaster, Celeste. You've ruined everything with your selfish and irresponsible behaviour." He shook his head in disgust. "I thought I raised you better than this."

After a long, chilling silence, Mr. Henry spoke again.

"Abort it."

"What?" Celeste blinked.

"Father... are you asking me to—"

"Yes, Celeste. You heard me right."

"You will get rid of that bastard you're carrying so you can marry a befitting man. I’m giving you three days to go to the hospital and take care of it."

With that, he turned and left the room.

"I knew it!" Celeste hissed later, rummaging through Elias’s belongings.

"There’s no way that useless man would ever leave cash lying around. We feed him, clothe him, and even give him shelter, yet I never know where his salary goes."

"I think it's high time Elias starts contributing fifty percent of his earnings to this family," she muttered as she tossed items aside.

"Well… it won’t matter soon anyway," she smirked.

"As soon as I get rid of this pregnancy and marry my dream man, I won’t have to be stuck with this good-for-nothing loser."

Celeste and Elias had been married for three years, and Elias lived in the Park household as a live-in son-in-law.

He worked for their family company and was paid peanuts—barely enough to buy decent clothes, let alone rent a place of his own.

"Wait… what’s this?" Celeste paused as her fingers brushed against a Manila envelope stamped with a hospital’s address. It was tucked carefully under a stack of others.

Hoping she had finally found money or at least his hidden salary, she tore the envelope open—only for her eyes to widen at what she read.

Elias was suffering from lung cancer.

"What?"

"Lung cancer?"

"Elias has a terminal illness?"

Her heartbeat quickened as she flipped through the pages.

The doctor had written that Elias needed a staggering 12 million dollars for treatment—otherwise he would die in six months.

"Twelve million dollars?" she whispered.

"That’s outrageous."

Then the last line hit her harder than the rest.

"Six months?"

"Isn’t that… too soon?"

Clutching the report, Celeste hurried into the sitting room where her parents were watching television. Nearby, Elias was clearing the tables and preparing dinner.

The moment Elias recognized the envelope in her hand, he rushed forward and snatched it away. He had never wanted the family to know about his illness—he already knew exactly how they would react.

But Celeste announced it anyway.

“Mum. Dad.”

“Elias has lung cancer.”

“According to the report, the doctor gave him just six months to live unless he pays twelve million dollars for surgery.”

At the mention of twelve million, the room fell into a thick, heavy silence.

Elias swallowed nervously and finally spoke.

"I didn't want to burden anyone with this. I can handle it on my own."

Celeste’s mother, Susan, was the first to react. With a dismissive wave, she scoffed:

“Burden us? Why would we waste twelve million on you when it’d be cheaper for you to just die?”

Celeste’s father, Henry, burst into hysterical laughter and nodded.

"You're nothing to us, Elias. Even if you survive, we can’t justify spending that kind of money on you."

Elias had expected cruelty… but not this level of brutality.

"But I’m your son-in-law. And if anything, the work I put into building your company every single day is worth far more than twelve million. Don’t tell me you’re really going to abandon me like this?"

“Son-in-law?” Susan scoffed.

“You’re nothing but a burden. We took you in out of pity, and now you want us to pay your medical bills? Absolutely not!”

“I never asked you to pay,” Elias muttered. “I didn’t even want you to know.”

Celeste snapped immediately.

“Excuse me? Are you talking to my father like that?”

“You are nothing but an ungrateful brat. If we cut you off, you and your wretched family will suffer until you die. So you’d better show respect.”

Henry leaned back comfortably in his chair, a contemplative smirk pulling at his lips.

“I’m a very generous man, Elias. You should know that by now. How else would someone as lowly as you be allowed to live under our roof?”

He paused, his eyes gleaming with something sinister.

“But…” Henry continued, “there is one condition under which I’d be willing to help you.”

Elias’s heart leapt with desperate hope.

Was he really going to help? Was there a chance he could live?

“Anything,” Elias said quickly.

“Please. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Henry cleared his throat, a sly grin spreading across his face.