Chapter 48

　　Rejection… 　　The word carries its own weight. 　　Celeste felt like her tongue was seared by the word. It was as if the word was a hot coal that she had to spit out, or it would consume her. She could feel the lump in her throat, threatening to choke her, but somehow she managed to say it out loud without a pause. 　　Jeremy's body tensed, but he nodded slightly and didn't seem to be surprised. It was as if he had been expecting this, but that didn't make it any less painful. He looked up at her. She caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness in his eyes before he turned away. 　　In truth, they both knew that rejection was the only option. 　　Fate was playing a joke on them. How could she and he be both siblings and mates? They could only choose one. 　　It should not be a difficult decision, and both of them knew very well what they were going to choose eventually. 　　But when they had to choose, it was difficult. 　　And it was somehow painful. But neither of them would admit it. They had built up