Chapter 6
Zelea took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again,they were clear and calm.
She wouldn’t act recklessly anymore. If Luke disrupted her plan,the consequences would be far more severe than simply lashing out at Sovia.
She would use this trip to the mental hospital as an opportunity to fake her death,completely severing ties with the Gritorn Family and escaping as far as possible.
Not far away,Luke’s gaze fell on her.Seeing her now–thin figure,a wave of panic surged in his heart.
When had she become so thin?
“Zelea,if you…if you beg me now, maybe it’s not too late. “He didn’t know why,but a trace of fea crept into his chest and in a moment of desperation,he blurted out what was truly in his heart. Zelea turned back to look at the man she once loved to the bone and said lightly,” And you?Dc you want me to stay?”
No matter his answer,she had already decided that she would fake her death and leave.But before she vanished from this world,she just wanted to put a period at the end of their story. Luke’s hand clenched the edge of his jacket unconsciously,with a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.But at the thought of the child,his expression turned cold once again,distant and forbidding “You’re overthinking it. Whether you come back or not,it’s not up to you. I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life atoning for Jose. You’ll live in eternal guilt,wishing you were dead.”
Zelea’s gaze dimmed slightly,a trace of self–mockery surfacing in her eyes. “Then if I die…would that satisfy you?”
Time seemed to freeze. After a long pause,Luke finally spoke slowly with a cold voice“Even if you died ten thousand times,it still wouldn’t appease my hatred.”
“Fine.As you wish.”
The psychiatric hospital’s vehicle stopped at the villa’s gate. Without a moment’s hesitation,she calmly got into the passenger seat.
When she closed her eyes,scenes from when they were in love flashed through her mind- fragments of their time together and the once happy,sweet moments of their family of three. In the distance,a semi–truck roared down the road,charging straight toward them.
An explosion rang in her ears. Amid the blazing flames,Zelea swallowed the fake–death pill she’d hidden in her mouth. In an instant,her body was engulfed in fire and her eyes shut tightly.
‘Luke,just as you wished. This time,I’m truly dead. I return all those memories and feelings to you.Goodbye.’
The explosion was deafening. Even the Gritorn Family villa,over ten kilometers away,could hear it clearly.
Luke put down his documents and glanced out the window, a sense of unease gnawing at his chest.
Chapter 6
10.50
3:10 pm G
“Sounds like boulders tumbling down the cliff. Probably nothing is serious,“someone offered casually.
Sovia smiled with smug satisfaction,continuing to tidy up the papers beside him. When she saw a photo of him and Zelea tucked into a newspaper,she wordlessly tossed it into the trash.
No matter how she looked at it,that face of Zelea was an eyesore.
It had been so long already. Things and people that shouldn’t stay should be wiped away clean.
A glint of slyness flashed in her eyes as she stepped out of the study to speak with Carol about the child,bringing up the idea of giving the baby a proper name.
Of course, Carol was delighted to agree. She had never liked Zelea anyway. Now that another woman could finally enter the door and give her a grandchild,she had no objections.
The two chatted and laughed as they discussed wedding venues,neither noticing the dark,brooding look on Luke’s face.
“Luke,Luke!What are you thinking about? This venue looks perfect. It’s just right for your wedding.‘
“Wedding?“Luke snapped back to reality,surprised.“When did I say I was going to marry her?”
His gaze shifted to Sovia,a hint of questioning in his eyes.
“Are you really going to let this child be born without a name or a proper identity?Let me tell you,this is my eldest grandson and I have the right to decide!”
Luke,not wanting to argue with his mother,stood up in frustration and began pacing by the
window.
His phone screen lit up and then faded out again.
Logically,the car from the mental hospital should have arrived by now and they should have contacted him.
Why hadn’t he received any news yet?
Unable to suppress his anxiety,Luke dialed the number. But all he heard was the busy signal.
Behind him, Carol’s footsteps drew closer,her voice tinged with impatience. “Son,tell me honestly,are you still hung up on Zelea?”
Luke felt a sharp pang in his heart as his mother hit a nerve. He didn’t want to respond,turning his gaze away.
“Now,Sovia is carrying your child. You can’t just disregard her. And Zelea is a crazy woman who killed her own child! Have you forgotten what she’s done?”
This was what frustrated him the most. He couldn’t let go of Zelea. He couldn’t let go of her six years ago and he still couldn’t let go of her now.
Clearly,she had caused the death of their child, yet his eyes always stayed on her,unable to see anyone else.Even the photos of their trips he posted were nothing more than a petty attempt to provoke her,to get her to soften,to make her rely on him again.
“Got it.”
Luke pursed his lips tightly,his expression filled with impatience as he quickly ascended the stairs to Zelea’s bedroom.
His gaze swept across the room,but something felt missing.
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He crouched down and began to search, only to realize that all of Zelea’s belongings had been thrown away.
This room, which had been left untouched for six years, was now empty.It meant that she had discarded everything herself.
Luke’s heart raced,a sense of unease creeping up on him. As he absentmindedly glanced over,he spotted a torn photograph in the trash bin.
It was a family photo taken when Jose was two years old.
Now,it was ripped in half.
For some reason,an image of that cold,distant face suddenly flashed through his mind.
An ambiguous, bitter smile appeared on his face.
“Fine,as you wish. “Luke furrowed his brows tightly,his fingers unintentionally gripping the photograph harder,the edges turning white under the pressure.
Just then,an urgent ringtone shattered the stillness in the room.
It was Zelea’s phone.
“Hello,is this Mr.Gritorn? The owner of this phone has been in an accident and sadly passed away. When would be a convenient time for you to come by?”
Luke stood paralyzed, the phone still pressed to his ear as the words echoed through his mind. The room tilted around him,reality warping with each heartbeat and a surge of disbelief thundered through his veins.
