Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“No, it doesn’t. I’m not happy, but with how the situation was, I didn’t want to tell you. It would distract you.”
The self-righteous tone in her voice nearly made him laugh in anger. “You are the person I care about the most. Do you think I would be happy if you were upset?”
Her voice was hoarse as she softly hummed in acknowledgment.
“That means you should have told me about it, alright?”
Elspeth thought she was being a little too sensitive right now. She actually felt like crying when she heard him say that.
“Alright.”
“Are you willing to tell me all about what happened?”
His voice was serious as he stared into her eyes.
While he knew this would tear open the wound once more, his goal was to cure her. He did not do this simply to see if she was hurting.
“Okay.”
She pulled him over to a bench by the water and sat down.
Then, she began to give him a detailed account of what happened.
When he heard about what Helia did, his hands clenched into fists.
Elspeth must have been through a lot during that time.
Be it physically or emotionally, she had suffered a huge shock.
After all, watching the family member she loved most die before her while being powerless to do anything would absolutely have traumatized her.
“That’s about it. It’s all in the past, and I respect her decision.”
She took a deep breath as sorrow flashed across her eyes.
“Through your eyes, I can see that you’re not happy with it though,” he said.
Her smile turned icy. “Of course, I’m not happy with it. Things did not need to be so complicated. There has actually been someone adding fuel to the fire all along.”
He instantly understood what Arthur meant earlier that day.
Ah, so this was the truth of the situation.
“You’re back this time to torment Arthur, aren’t you?”
Her eyes sparkled with clarity. “Of course. I’m not only going to torment him. I also want him to suffer the greatest agony ever.”
He would definitely be made to suffer as much as she had.
“What is the reason for the sudden increase in hatred for him?”
She closed her eyes in pain as she recalled the letter she found in the book.
“He had found my mother early on.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Not long after I came back, he found my mother and even wrote to her. His condition for helping her with her treatment was for her to arrange a marriage.”
He quickly understood what she meant. “You read the letter, didn’t you?”
“I did. Every word in that letter was a threat to force her to take the offer. If she did not do as he said, I could never have found my mother. From what I know of her, she would naturally object to that. That’s why…”
Disgust and hatred filled her when she recalled the fact that her mother was threatened by Arthur.
He was absolutely despicable.
“Don’t worry. It’s all in the past. He will never get to threaten you again,” he softly reassured her as he tenderly pulled her into an embrace.
She clutched at the corners of his shirt. “I know. As things are right now, I don’t have the right to be weak anymore.”
She had to stand up and fight; she must make Arthur pay the price for his actions.
“If he dares bully you again, I will never forgive him.”
That was a promise from him to her.
He was equally as angry as she was, after all.
She nodded and forced a smile. “Thank you, Callum. I know you will always be by my side.”
He could not resist wrapping her in another hug when he heard that.
“Don’t be upset. Your mother will surely want you to live a good and happy life.”
It was her first time ever hearing him reassure her for so long. Warmth swelled in her heart as she gave in to the urge to hug him back. “I know. Thank you.”
“You’re keeping me at a distance by thanking me.”
His heart felt uneasy to hear her continue to be formal and call him Callum.
He had to find a chance to make her change the way she addressed him.
Lost in her emotions, she did not realize that the thoughts of the man beside her were starting to wander.
“What do you plan to do next?”
Her heart trembled. “I plan on striking at what he cares about the most,” she sincerely replied.
He instantly understood what she meant by the look on her face. Still, he was not that happy about it.
“That is why you came back to me. It was partially because you wanted to use me to make him jealous. He wants you, so you’ll get together with me and make him anxious. Correct?”
There was a sliver of danger in his voice.
Hearing that, she gulped. “It’s not entirely because of that…”
Before she could finish speaking, his face immediately darkened.
Elspeth had the urge to run away.
Staying where she was might lead to her dying or suffering really badly.
However, Callum’s reaction made her too afraid of acting rashly. All she could do was cautiously observe him.
He forcefully suppressed the fury boiling in him and stared deep into her innocent-looking eyes. His voice was cold when he eventually spoke.
“Close your eyes.”
Although she was confused, she still nodded and closed her eyes.
Was she going to be beaten up?
The next thing she knew, a hot and wet kiss overwhelmed her entire mind.
His kiss was so hard and heavy that it felt like he was punishing her instead.
She did not dare open her eyes. Her only choice was to act as a conduit for his anger.
It was a few long moments before the lips pressing against hers suddenly vanished. She dazedly opened her eyes to see the dark look on his face had somewhat vanished. It was only then that her anxiety lessened.
