The
sun brightly shines into the master bedroom creating a warm glow of natural light
as Celeste Baldwin sits at her makeup table and puts some lipstick on. She purses
her lips together to ensure the colour is perfect as she realizes that in a few
short hours, she will be marrying Mac Rowell, one of the richest men in the country.
She never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be marrying a Rockwell,
but now that she is, she couldn't be happier. And not because of the money, but
because she loves Mac more than anything else in the world.
She turns
around in her chair when she hears a soft knock on the bedroom door, wondering
who could be visiting her. "Come in," she says out loud as the door
opens and Lucinda Rockwell emerges. While Lucinda was kind at the engagement party,
Celeste knows that she can be a dangerous woman if crossed. "Oh, Mrs. Rockwell,
hi."
"Hi Celeste," Lucinda says as she comes into the
room. "I've already told you to call me Lucinda, I don't want to have to
remind you again."
Celeste blushes from the words from her future
mother in law. "You're right, I apologize. You look beautiful in your dress."
"There's no need to apologize but I appreciate the gesture," Lucinda
tells her. "I wanted to see how you're doing before the ceremony. Any butterflies?"
Celeste chuckles a little. "A few," she admits to Lucinda. "If
anything, today makes me miss my Mom. She died when I was young, but I feel her
presence with me today."
"Of course you do," Lucinda grabs
her hand. "And, I know that I will only be your mother in law, but if you
treat my son right, I will be the mother you never had. At least while I'm still
with you."
"Oh Lucinda," Celeste says as tears fill her
eyes and she pulls the elderly woman into a hug. "Thank you for that. It
means so much to me. And I hope you know, that I have every intention of being
the best wife to Mac."
"That's good to hear," Lucinda
replies back to her. "Because after everything Lydia put MacKenzie through,
he deserves to have some happiness."
***
Outside the living room of the mansion, there is a beautiful rose garden.
In the garden, there is a large statue of a man that has water coming out of his
mouth that lands in the base of a fountain, where coy swim around. Next to the
fountain, there is a flowered arch, where the minister stands, preparing himself
for the ceremony. Chairs are lined up just south of the arch, where the expected
guests will be seated for the ceremony.
"It looks like Mac went
all out for this day," Lydia Rockwell tells Kent Blackmore as they slowly
walk through the garden. She can't help but be a little jealous of the set up;
her wedding to Mac, years ago, was far less lavish. Of course, Mac hadn't exactly
established the empire as Rockwell Mining was just starting out under the guidance
of Mac's father. It wasn't until Mac took over that the company really became
the empire that it is today, mostly due to his father's illness.
"Yes,
it does look lovely," Kent agrees with her. "But you know what I'm thinking?"
"Do tell," she purses her lips together.
"How much
more fabulous our wedding will be."
"Oh Kent," she pulls
him into a hug.
"Well, isn't this a sight for sore eyes," Mac
Rockwell announces as he emerges from the French Doors that lead into the living
room. "My ex-wife and her side piece embracing at the sight of my wedding."
"Let's not do this, not today," Lydia waves her hand, which has
a huge diamond ring on it, back to Mac. "Today should be about you and Celeste."
"Yes, it should be," he spits back to her. "You're only here
for the children, Lydia. That doesn't excuse the fact that you brought this man
into my home."
"This man is the man I love!" she protests,
trying not to create a scene.
"It's fine Lydia," Kent tells
her, trying to calm her down. "Mac, I know we haven't gotten along in the
past, but this is a new time in our lives. Can't let the past be the past? The
divorce is final. I suggest we move forward."
Mac chuckles back
to him. "That's ironic, considering just a few weeks ago you stole the Serbia
mine from me," Mac grits his teeth to Kent. "You claim to want to bury
the hatchet, but your actions say something completely different."
Kent laughs back to him. "Aren't you the one who always says 'it's only business'?
The Serbia mine was up for grabs, I happen to outbid on a transaction. You can't
say that you've never outbid another rival company in business?"
"You know damn well it's more than that between you and I," Mac fumes,
as Cole Rockwell comes outside, hearing the yelling from the living room. "And,
I won't allow you to ruin my company. Not anymore."
"Dad, what's
going on?" Cole asks, coming up behind him. "Today isn't the day to
get into this with Kent. Let's go inside and you can get ready for the wedding.
You and Kent can fight later, but today is about you and Celeste."
"I agree with your son," Kent mumbles back to Mac, who glares back to
him. "Go get ready to marry that beautiful woman."
"This
isn't over Blackmore. Far from it," Mac spits back to him before he turns
around and leaves the garden with Cole following him.
***
Lydia rushes inside the mansion and finds the study, needing a quick breather
following the heated words between Kent and Mac. She walks over to the bar and
pours herself a brandy, just to take the edge off that she is now feeling.
"Rough morning?" a voice calls out from the doorway of the study
as Lydia takes her first sip of the brandy. She turns and sees Lucinda standing
there, wearing large diamond earnings and a matching bracelet.
"Do
you always sneak up on people?" Lydia asks her former mother in law.
"I do when people help themselves to the alcohol in a home in which
they do not live in," Lucinda quips back to her. "Why are you drinking
alone? Where is your fiancé?"
"He's in the restroom,"
Lydia replies to her.
"Good, it will give us a moment alone. We
need to talk."
"Do we? I can't imagine what you and I have
to say to one another," Lydia admits to Lucinda as she takes another sip
of her brandy.
"The other night at the engagement party," Lucinda
begins to tell her. "I warned about revealing your secret and you seemed
rather startled. I know the truth, Lydia, and I refuse to allow you to ruin this
family anymore than you already have!"
Lydia sighs and looks back
at Lucinda. "Do you really think I want the truth to come out? I'm not stupid,
Lucinda. I know exactly the kind of damage it would do if anyone learned the truth."
"Good," Lucinda whispers back to her. "Because, if you even
whisper this to anyone, I will come for you. And you do not want me to come for
you, because you have no idea what I'm capable of."
***
"Daddy?"
Stacey Rockwell asks as she opens the door to the bedroom where Mac is putting
his tuxedo on. He turns and spots his daughter, wearing a sparkling pink dress
and a matching diamond necklace and bracelet combo. "Can I come in?"
"Of
course you can my love," Mac smiles at the sight of her. "You look beautiful
today."
Stacey
blushes a little back to him. "Thank you," she says as she comes up
and they kiss one another on the cheek. "You will make a very handsome groom."
"You're
just saying that because I'm your father," he teases her.
"It's
not too late, you know," she tells him as they exit their embrace. "I
know I was giving you a difficult time before about Celeste being younger than
you but I feel like it needs reminding. You don't have to go through with this.
You can take more time to figure out who you are a man without Lydia as a wife."
Mac
shakes his head to her. "I don't need time," he replies to her quickly.
"You see, your mother and I hadn't been married for a very long time. I learned
long ago who I am on my own. And I love Celeste, Stacey. I want you to know that
and believe that."
"But
she's so much younger, Daddy!"
"One
day," Mac continues to tell her. "I hope you'll understand that sometimes
love doesn't make sense. It doesn't follow rules or a pattern. It just happens.
You can't control to whom you fall in love with, you can just control that you
are in love."
"I
just want you to be happy, Daddy," Stacey tells him as they hug one another.
"I
know that," he smiles back to her as they exit their embrace. "I love
you for caring, but I will marry Celeste. I want you to be happy and accept that."
***
In
the living room, Lucinda Rockwell makes herself a gin and tonic at the bar as
Cole Rockwell and Lex Rockwell come in from the French doors.
"It's
going to be a hot day out there," Lex tells everyone. "A beautiful day
for a wedding."
"That's
why I'm hydrating now," Lucinda quips back to them as she takes a sip of
her beverage. "Don't want to be in that sun and looking for something to
drink."
"I
like the way you think, Nana," Cole laughs with he makes himself a drink
as well. "Maybe we should have a quick toast."
"What
should we drink too?" Lex asks him, as Cole passes him a gin and tonic as
well.
"To
family," Lucinda tells them. "Together, us Rockwell's are stronger than
any other family I know. And, we will continue to be strong with the addition
of Celeste."
Cole
looks at them uneasily before he raises his glass to them. "To family,"
they say together before they start to take a sip of their drinks.
***
Celeste twirls around in her wedding dress, looking at herself in the large
mirror that rests up against the wall. She can't believe how pretty she feels
in the large, princess style dress. The diamond necklace and matching earning
that Mac gave her make her feel even more like a princess today.
"I
can't believe that I'm about to marry the man of my dreams," she whispers
to herself, as she hears a knock on the door. "Who could that be?"
She walks to the door and opens it a little, peaking outside, hoping that
it's not Mac since it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.
Instead, she sees Cole standing at the door, looking dashing in his tuxedo.
"Cole," she says opening the door more so he can come inside. "What
are you doing here?"
"Wow," he flashes his million dollar
smile to her. "You look so beautiful."
"Thank you,"
she smiles back to him. "You look very…" she pauses as she thinks
of the right word. She wants to tell him how sexy he looks in his tuxedo, but
she knows she can't say that to him. "Handsome in your tuxedo."
"This old thing?" he chuckles back to her. "Look, I just wanted
to come and wish you good luck today. I know we had some … run in's and what
not, but I do want only what's best for you."
"I appreciate
that," she nods back to him. "I never meant for things to get complicated
between us, Cole, I hope you know that."
"I know," he
replies to her. "I never meant to make you feel like you were in an uncomfortable
position."
She smiles back to him. "Kissing wasn't uncomfortable,"
she winks back to him.
He blushes a little. "No, it was not. It
was magical."
They look at each other for a moment and he moves
closer to her. His lips lean in and softly touch hers. "That's for good luck
and goodbye in a way," he whispers to her as their lips part. "I hope
this is what you want."
She nods back to him. "It is, Cole.
Thank you for this moment. It's something I'll never forget."
***
The guests sit outside on the chairs in the garden next to the fountain,
as the wedding march has started to take play. The minister is in the middle of
his sermon to Mac and Celeste, as Cole watches from the front row. He feels beads
of sweat form on his forehead; he isn't sure if it is from the sun or from the
fact that she doesn't want Celeste to marry his father. A part of him wants to
stand up and scream at the top of his lungs, but he knows that he can't do that.
His father deserves to be happy and Celeste has told him that this is what she
wants.
"Do you Celeste, take this man to be your wedded husband?
To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"
the minister asks Celeste, as the diamonds on her ears sparkle in the sun.
"I do," she smiles before she turns and quickly looks at Cole.
She looks back at Mac, who is grinning ear to ear. She looks at Mac and tells
herself that she is doing the right thing.
"And Mac, do you take
this woman to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health,
as long as you both shall live?"
Mac nods to him and Celeste, thrilled
that this day has finally arrived. After the years of disaster with Lydia, Celeste
is exactly what Mac needed in his life. "Oh, yes, I do!"
"By
the power invested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife…"
Before the minister can finish, Mac pulls Celeste into him and kisses her
passionately, as the crowd stands and claps for the newlyweds, as Cole awkwardly
looks on.
***
One of the 58 rooms
in the mansion is a ballroom, where Mac and Lydia threw many lavish parties while
they were married. Today, however, the ballroom is the venue for Mac and Celeste's
wedding reception. Waiters are walking around with the best champagne for people
to enjoy, and there are many tables filled with any kind of food people could
desire.
Lydia grabs a glass of champagne and looks around the room. She
has to admit that the wedding has been nothing short of beautiful. She doesn't
want to feel jealous but she can't help it a little bit. It just makes her realize
that she has to make her wedding to Kent bigger and better than this wedding.
She changes her thought process when she sees her son, Lex Rockwell, standing
alone by the doorway, talking on his cell phone. She arches her eyebrow, wondering
why he would be taking a business call while at the wedding of his father. She
starts walking up to him with intent, hoping to tell him that this isn't the time
nor the place for a business call.
"Larry, it's Lex Rockwell calling
you back," Lex says into his telephone, as Lydia comes up to him. "I'm
still waiting to hear back from you regarding the Kelsey Lake investigation. Please
call me back as soon as you can."
"Investigation?" Lydia
asks her son as he hangs up his telephone, barely hearing the end of the conversation.
"What are you investigating, Lex?"
Lex arches his eyebrow and
wonders if he should tell his mother about his and Mac's decision to look into
the reason as to why Rockwell Mining lost the Kelsey Lake mine all those years
ago. If she was still married to Mac, he would tell her but the fact that they
are divorced and she is now hooking up with Kent Blackmore, and working at Blackmore
Ltd, he wonders where her loyalties are.
"It's business related
Mom," Lex finally tells her cryptically.
"That doesn't answer
my question," Lydia replies to him, still trying to get to the truth. She
doesn't know why she has this awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that this
is something that could ruin her. "What are you investigating."
"With all due respect Mom, you work for Rockwell Mining's biggest competition,"
Lex reminds her. "Whatever is going on at the company, I can't really share
with you anymore. Just know that we are looking into what was stolen from Rockwell
Mining. We want to know that truth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab
another glass of champagne."
She feels her heart skip a beat as
he walks away from her. "What was stolen from them?" she whispers to
herself. "They can't be looking into Kelsey Lake, could they? I could have
sworn that is what he said."
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" Mac announces
to the crowd of guests that attended the reception. "I won't keep you long
because I want you to enjoy the party, but I do want to make a toast to my new
bride."
Celeste smiles as she stands next to Mac, her eyes, however,
find Cole in the crowd and looks at him for a moment. He still looks so very dashing
in his tuxedo, she thinks to herself. She quickly scolds herself and returns her
focus and attention to her husband, Mac.
"Celeste, my love,"
Mac says to her. "I'm so glad you became my wife today. You've made me the
happiest man in the world today and for that I'm going to love you until the end
of time."
"Oh my, I love you too, Mac," she replies to
him, trying not to cry and ruin her mascara. "I'm so honoured to be your
wife!"
"To my new wife," he raises his glass as everyone
follows. "Cheers."
The newlyweds kiss as the audience claps
one more time. When they part, Celeste sees Cole leaving the party. She feels
sad for a moment that she is clearly hurting him, but then she turns to her husband
and smiles again because he is what she has to focus no, not Cole Rockwell.
***
The following day, Stacey is at
the Kelsey Lake mine in the cafeteria, cleaning up again after the day's lunch
serving. She has been looking everywhere for Houston, but she didn't see him at
the serving today. She knows that Janice told her not to trust Houston but she
can't help feel an attraction to him. She gets to the last table that she has
to clean, when she hears the front door open.
"Houston?" she
asks, seeing him come in with a couple of other guys.
"Hi,"
he tells her. "We were in a mine and were late coming out. Can we get a late
lunch?"
"Of course," she smiles to him, happy to see him.
"Come in, I'll get you guys each a plate, okay?"
"Thanks,
we'd like that," Houston replies to her, as he and the two other guys move
to a table and sit down.
Stacey and Janice soon emerge with three plates
of the food. "This looks fantastic," Houston tells Stacey. "Have
I mentioned what a breath of fresh air you around here? We are famished."
"Easy Houston," Janice snips at him. "This girl isn't gonna
fall for your smooth talking ways."
Houston grins back to Janice
before he looks over at Stacey. "Who says I'm smooth talking her? I like
her, okay?"
Stacey can't help but feel butterflies in her stomach.
"Janice, it's fine," Stacey tells her. "I can take care of myself.
Besides, I've always made it a rule not to get involved with co-workers,"
she tells everyone, even though this is her first job. "It can get so…messy."
"Ain't that the truth," Janice agrees with her. "Look fellas,
we gotta go start clean up. You holler if you need anything, okay?"
"I'll call for you Stacey," Houston winks at her. "If I need anything,
that is."
***
"You won't
believe what happened at the wedding reception," Lydia tells Kent as they
sit on the patio of the country club having lunch together. She wanted to tell
Kent about what she overheard the previous day, but he didn't stay for the reception
because he didn't want to have more heated words with Mac on his wedding day.
By the time Lydia got home, Kent was asleep and he went into the office early
for a meeting, so it is the firstr time that they are seeing one another.
"Let me guess, Celeste threw the bouquet?" Kent teases her before
he takes a sip of the pinot grigo that they are drinking.
"Very
funny," she laughs back to him. "Seriously though, I overheard Lexington
on the telephone about an investigation. When I asked him about it, he refused
to tell me what was going on because I no longer work at Rockwell Mining."
"Well, dear, that does make sense," Kent replies to her. "Why
would they give you any information regarding the company when you work for their
rival company now?"
"I know all that," she waves her hand
at him. "The point is, he told me that they were looking into something that
was stolen from Rockwell Mining. Do you think they could be looking into how they
lost Kelsey Lake? I swear I heard Lex say those words on the telephone."
Kent sighs and wonders if Lydia is right. "Even if they are, Lydia,
there's nothing to uncover. Mac lost the mine so many years ago, what could they
possibly do? There's no proof of anything that you did, right?"
"Not that I know of," Lydia replies to him quickly.
"So,
just relax," he coaches her before he takes another sip of his wine. "The
only way they could uncover anything is if you start to lose it and blow the cover.
Keep cool and act like nothing happened and this will go away."
"My God, I hope you're right."
***
"That was amazing," Lex tries to catch his breath as Jarek Williams
peels Lex's legs off his shoulders and Jarek moves next to him on the bed, fresh
from making love. "I needed that so bad."
"I could tell,"
Jarek smirks back to him. "You were certainly asking for it a lot more than
usual."
"I missed you the past couple of days," Lex admits
to him before he leans up and gives him a kiss. "Let's not fight anymore,
okay babe?"
Jarek chuckles back to him. "It's like I said the
other day, our sex life is off the charts Lex, but I do want more than just hot
sex with you."
"I know, I know," Lex replies to him. "Once
things calm down at work, I will tell my Dad about us, okay? It's just, we have
this Russia deal and it really will make or break the rest of our year. I can't
make my Dad be preoccupied by us right now."
"I get that,"
Jarek tells him back. "But I'm holding you to this, Lex. I want more than
just this. Even though this is amazingly hot."
Lex kisses him passionately
again. "Yea, it is hot, because you're so sexy," he purrs.
"Easy,"
Jarek says in between a chuckle.
"No,"
Lex insists with another kiss. "I wasn't kidding when I told you I missed
you."
***
"I'm glad I
caught you," Celeste announces to Mac as she comes into his office unannounced.
"I know you told me at breakfast that I might not see you again before you
leave for Russia to close the deal you're working on, but I did want to speak
to you about something."
"Anything darling," Mac stands
up and hugs his new bride. "And, you're always welcome here. Can I get you
a drink?"
"Sure, I'll have a brandy," Celeste replies
to him as she sits on the sofa in the office. "I've been thinking."
"Do go on," he tells her as he comes over to her with two brandy's.
"Well, before we were married, you told me that after the marriage you'd
consider opening a new division of Rockwell Mining where I could start a design
firm. You know that I've always wanted to design my own jewellery."
"I remember the conversation very well," Mac nods back to her before
he takes a sip of his brandy. "We are married now darling, I'm afraid I cannot
commit to anything like a new division right now. All of my focus must be on this
Russia deal. Rockwell Mining cannot lose this mine," he tells her
Celeste uneasily nods back to him, trying to hide her disappointment. She had
hoped that Mac would jump on her division so she could have more purpose in her
life. She doesn't want to just waste away at the mansion. "You promise me
that once this Russia file closes, we can talk about my design department?"
"Of course I do," he whispers as he leans in and gives her a kiss.
"I want you to be happy. You understand why I have to wait, right?"
"I suppose I do, yes," she nods back to him.
"Good,"
he says back to her.
Before she can respond to him, the office door opens
and Cole and Lex emerge inside the office. Cole and Celeste's eyes immediately
lock on one another but they try to pretend that they eyes didn't lock for htat
second.
"We aren't interrupting, are we?" Lex asks his father
and new step mother.
"No, I was just leaving," Celeste says
as she stands up and looks at Mac. "Travel safe my love. We'll chat when
you get back."
"I love you," Mac tells her as Celeste
leaves the office. "Okay guys, what is the latest? I'm about to leave for
Russia. Have we come up with something that will sweeten the deal?"
"I still think this is a horrible idea," Cole announces to them, as
he crosses his arms. "It's not too late Dad to just make a bid and see what
happens."
"We've already been over this, Cole," Mac replies
to him quickly. "We have to ensure that we have this deal in the bag. If
we don't do everything we can, Rockwell Mining could have it's worst year in years."
"I've decided that we should offer the Russian's a portion of the profits
we make," Lex reveals to Cole and Mac. "I know that it is something
we have never done, but Dad, if we give them say, 5%, that still leaves 95% for
us. We could easily afford to lose the 5% and we know that Blackmore Ltd won't
offer that to them. We are giving up front capital and then additional capital
through out the year. It seems like a no brainer."
"I like
that," Mac nods back to him before he shakes Lex's hand. "Great work,
son."
Lex smirks as he looks over at Cole, knowing that he is the
one who impressed Mac and not Cole. "Thanks Dad. Touch base when you get
to Russia, okay?"
"I will, I need to be getting to the airport.
I'll keep you two posted."
***
"Earth to Stacey," Janice tells her, as she sees Stacey sitting
in a chair in the kitchen looking a million miles away.
"Sorry Janice,
what did you say," Stacey snaps out of it. She has been trying to fight thinking
about Houston, because Janice has told her that he is player, but she can't help
herself from thinking about the young man. He has caught her attention, and the
fact that he flirts with her on every chance he can get, makes her feel like he
likes her too.
"What were you thinking about just now? You looked
a million miles away."
"I guess I was," she reveals to
her. "I know you don't want to hear this but I was thinking about Houston."
"Oh girl, that boy is trouble," Janice chuckles. "But he is
cute, so I can see why you're smitten."
"He's cute and he's
funny and he's…charming," Stacey replies to her. "Gosh, listen
to me, I sound like a school girl or something."
"No shame,
hunny," Janice laughs back to her.
Before Stacey can say anything,
they hear a loud explosion. Stacey stands up as she feels the earth move beneath
her feet. "What was that?"
"Your first explosion?"
Janice asks her. "They just blew out ground to create a mine that they can
field the diamonds. They obviously needed more territory to dig around in."
"It was so loud, everything shook, like an earthquake."
"You'll get used to it," Janice smirks back to her, as they can hear
a siren going outside of the cafeteria. They both look at each other with concern
and then rush over to the door. They open it and see men running away from the
mine. "What's happening?" Janice asks, as the panic around her means
more than just an explosion occurred.
"There was an explosion in
the mine, an unwarranted one," one of the miners yells back to Janice.
"Is everyone okay?" Stacey asks concerned.
"We don't
know, Houston was in the mine when it exploded!"
"Houston?"
Stacey asks shocked by his response. "No, not Houston! Where is he? Is he
okay?"
