BACK TO THE PRESENT
"I've signed our divorce papers, Princess Izabelle." Upon hearing those words that left Sebastian's lips, an unbearable silence reigned inside the study.
She did not make a sound nor made a single move. He knew that his words must have made her paralyzed. Maybe, it had shocked her so badly that she could not even respond.
He fought to keep his breathing even. To keep his stance as relaxed and uncaring as much as possible. He needed to end this quickly so she could finally leave this place. To leave him. He needed her gone now before he started to waver.
"Since you've already signed it beforehand, I've already sent it to the court for processing. It should be officiated soon enough." He rcilessly continued, breaking the silence once again. "I expect that the result should arrive in a few minutes."
"Look... look at ." Her shaky voice made his heart shudder in pain. The raw tornt and tears that he could hear in them... he swallowed as subtly as he could, trying his hardest to stop himself from whipping his head around to look at her. It was all that he could do to stop himself from falling to his knees before her and beg her for forgiveness.
"Please... look at , Sebastian." She sounded like she was trying her best to keep herself from crying. Every sound she made were like serrated daggers piercing into his chest before being twisted cruelly to cause the most extre pain possible.
But he shook his head. He could not allow himself to look at her. Because the mont he does, his ticulously put up façade might shatter beyond repair. Moreover, this could be the best move that would make Elijah believe he and Izabelle were truly over as husband and wife.
"Sebastian..." she weakly called out as she took a trembling step forward as she lifted a shaky arm, when he shut his eyes closed and his entire body tensed up. It was so obvious that Elle could visibly see him stiffening up.
"Don't. Don't co any closer." He hissed out rather sharply. "You promised never to fight over this issue. Did you not rember our agreent? This is the ti to honor your vow, Princess." He reminded her heartlessly. Though he knew that was a vicious move, he still did it.
Another unbearable silence crept through the walls. He could almost hear her heart breaking into shards that he could never ever repair. Or was that breaking sound coming from his heart? It seems, both their hearts were going through the sa tornt. But he truly hoped he was going through agony that was far worse than she was. He wished Iza's pain was still tolerable. He wished that she had not fallen for him way too deep yet.
"Look at and... tell that to again. Say it while looking in the eyes, Sebastian." She broke the silence this ti. Utter hurt was still in her voice but this ti, she spoke with firmness. He knew she was obviously trying to steel herself from breaking down. "Otherwise... I'll go back to our room and pretend I did not hear anything. That all of this did not happen at all."
Sebastian clenched hisfists. He hated how his heart just rejoiced at her words. At the fact that even after the hurt she was experiencing, she was still holding on and refusing to just back off as she was told to. His treacherous heart was already starting to f**king betray him.
When he heard her move to turn around and leave, his voice echoed a little louder.
"I just f**king can't!" he rose and braced his arms against the window. Dropping his head so low as he gritted his teeth. "I can't anymore. I can't... look at you anymore."
That was a big fat lie and he knew it as clearly as he knew his own face. Despite what happened, Sebastian never saw anyone else's face on Iza's the mont he snapped out of his nightmare. He had stared at her for so long that night until Alexander had brought her back to the Black Forest.
That last statent was a total lie, but he knew that it would be the final blow. The final blow to make her leave him. The final blow to end everything between them. The one and only thing that would make Elijah believe that he was truly and completely done with Izabelle. And the one and only thing that would make Iza believe they were truly over. He knew what it would an when he said those words, but it needed to be said.
She would believe that the incident in that dungeon has made him unable to look at her the sa way anymore. That he was traumatized by that incident. That the one he was seeing whenever he looked at her was the face of that monster.
This lie was going to kill every hope in her that the two of them would still be possible. That they might still have a chance. It would crush her with hurt but... he knew Iza would recover. She was a strong woman. Stronger than anyone else. She would stand again and finally be free. Free to live her life without the shadow of danger following at her heels.
He had already thought of what her life would be once she was back in Dalenn. With the amount of fortune she would receive as alimony and compensation from their divorce, no one - not even her own father - could treat her like a useless and powerless princess anymore. Izabelle was not a fool and he knew she would know how to utilize the fortune she had in her hands to her advantage. With the disappearance of Brandon Haze, she no longer needed to worry about him anymore either.
Izabelle was going to be alright. He knew she would. Even without him.
The vibrating sound of his phone pulled at his attention. He already knew what that notification was. The result he was waiting for was finally here.
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