Cecilia's heart was racing as she stepped out of the teleportation portal into the expansive garden of the Sterling mansion. The vibrant blue flowers and neatly trimd hedges, once a source of calm, felt almost mocking in their serenity. Her blue bob hair was shiny from the hurried bath she had taken at another hotel, a desperate attempt to scrub away the guilt and sha that seed to cling to her like a second skin. But no amount of scrubbing could cleanse the turmoil that churned inside her.
She forced a smile as the maids and servants around the garden greeted her, their faces a mix of surprise and respect. She nodded absently at their greetings, her smile tight, her mind racing with a hundred thoughts. She was dreading what awaited her inside. Derek must have known by now. He must have. The announcent he made regarding the Mars Vanguard Initiative had only added to the heavy cloud of guilt and confusion that lood over her.
As she pushed open the door to the mansion, she barely took two steps inside before a voice, sharp and devoid of its usual warmth, cut through the air like a blade, "Cecilia. Where were you?"
Her heart froze, and her breath caught in her throat as she turned to see Derek sitting on one of the plush sofas in the hall, his gaze locked onto her with an intensity that made her feel like she was on trial. He rose slowly, his expression unreadable, though his eye held a storm she hadn't seen before.
"Honey... Were you waiting for here?" she asked, forcing a surprised look onto her face, her voice so close to wavering ever so slightly.
Derek's gaze didn't waver, his eyes piercing into her like daggers, "You never ca ho yesterday. Where were you last night? I was so worried that I couldn't sleep or even work." His tone was calm, almost too calm, but she could feel the accusation simring beneath his words.
Cecilia swallowed hard, a soft, apologetic chuckle escaping her lips as she tried to steady her nerves, "Oh... I am so sorry, honey. I was so busy in a eting that I couldn't co ho in ti."
Derek's brow furrowed slightly as he stepped closer, his eye never leaving hers, "You could have called or sent a ssage. But you weren't even picking up my calls. So I had no choice but to send soone to look for you."
Cecilia's heart pounded against her ribcage as she blinked, the tension in her body tightening like a coiled spring, "Oh...you sent soone?"
Derek nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face, "Yes. I was relieved when they managed to find you. But I am confused because they told you walked into a hotel at night. And not long after, Advisor Ash seed to enter the sa building. Was that a coincidence, or... did you call him there?"
Cecilia felt her stomach drop as if she was teetering on the edge of a precipice, his words pushing her closer to the brink.
His eye was so cold, so calculating, that she felt as if he was dissecting her with his gaze, searching for every crack, every lie. Was her husband always like this?
She took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of composure she had left, and nodded, "Oh... it was . I called him because the eting I ntioned was with him. I am so sorry. I wanted to let you know, but I was so imrsed in the discussion that I even forgot to et Rachel."
Derek's gaze sharpened, his head tilting slightly as if he were examining a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit, "What was so urgent that you had to discuss with him at such a ti and in such an unprofessional setting?"
Cecilia felt the knot in her stomach tighten painfully. Her nerves were fraying, but she sohow managed to find her voice, even if it was barely more than a whisper, "I know, but it was urgent. It was regarding the Russians. Since Advisor Ash was with during the eting with Mr. Volkov, he was the only one I could talk to about what to do next."
Derek's eyes narrowed for a mont, a shadow of sothing dark passing over his face before he let out a low sigh, the sound heavy and filled with frustration, "Didn't I tell you to forget about the Russians and to let deal with them? If they haven't conceded yet, they never will. I don't want you talking with them again. Your life could be in danger."
Cecilia opened her mouth to protest, to say sothing, anything that would ease the tension, but Derek took another step towards her, his hand grabbing her collar with a grip that was firm but not painful. He was too close, his breath warm against her face as his fingers slowly tightened and then loosened, his eye locked onto hers.
"It's pointless," he murmured, his voice a low rumble, "Now that you know what we need to do in the future... do you really think it would matter if the Russians give in or not?"
Cecilia felt as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling. She knew exactly what he ant. She knew the terrifying scale of his plans, the catastrophic consequences they would bring. But seeing the determination, the near fanaticism in his eyes made her heart ache. This was not the Derek she had married, the man who had once held her hand and promised her the world.
This was soone else—soone she no longer recognized.
Or did he promise her a different kind of world all this ti and not the one she imagined?
Derek's hardened expression softened unexpectedly as he pulled Cecilia into a gentle embrace, his arms wrapping around her as if he could shield her from the world, "I know you're disappointed about how I planned things," he murmured into her hair, his voice tender and full of conviction, "But believe , I would have chosen a better way if there was one. But this... this is the only way we can get rid of evil and anything corrupt from our world all at once. If we don't do it... nobody else will. We will be dood to end at the hands of demons. But..."
He pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on her shoulders, and offered her a brief smile. His eye was filled with a strange mixture of hope and desperation. "...together, we can make a better world. I will need your help to guide our future generations in the new world. They will all look up to you."
Cecilia forced a tight-lipped smile, her heart twisting painfully with sha and guilt in her chest as she nodded. The warmth of his embrace still lingered, but it felt like the comfort of a stranger—foreign and unsettling.
Why was she suddenly feeling like this? Was it because she spent a night in the comfort of another man? No…That cannot be…
"Alright. It's getting late," Derek continued, glancing at his wrist device, "I have to head back to work. But next ti, I want you to let know if sothing cos up. I love you so much. You know that, right?" His voice softened even more as he cupped her face gently, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks as he looked into her eyes.
"I love you too..." Cecilia whispered, her voice barely audible as she looked up at him, her gaze searching his face, hoping to find a trace of the man she once knew.
He smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, before leaning in to press a soft kiss to her forehead. Then, with a last lingering look, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the empty hall, leaving Cecilia standing there, her hand pressed against her chest, feeling as if she was being torn apart.
She watched him go, a cold, hollow feeling spreading through her as his words replayed in her mind.
She couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of dread that had taken hold of her heart. Rachel's words echoed in her mind, adding to the confusion and fear that had settled deep within her.
'If only I could talk to…'
Her thought halted abruptly as Ash's face flashed in her mind. She felt a sudden wave of disbelief and sha wash over her.
How could she think about him now, after everything that had happened? She shook her head, frustrated with herself, as if trying to shake off the lingering thoughts that clung to her like shadows.
With a heavy sigh, she turned and began to walk away, her mind a chaotic whirl of conflicting emotions.
But she had barely taken a few steps when her wrist device vibrated, startling her. She glanced down and saw a new ssage notification blinking on the small screen.
Her heart skipped a beat as she tapped on the screen, and a small holographic display popped up, revealing a ssage from Ash. Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched as she read the words, [ I feel bad about how things happened. Can we talk? ]
Cecilia's eyes darted around the hall, panic tightening her throat as if soone could see the ssage she was reading, even if it wasn't possible. With trembling fingers, she hastily tapped the screen, closing the ssage before stuffing her hands into her pockets. She quickened her pace, her heart racing as she made her way toward the stairs, the weight of the ssage hanging over her like a dark cloud
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