The Heiress's Revenge - A Bloody Affair - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: [61 – The Weight of Memories]
This was the first time that Elijah had to wait for a woman for so long to get ready. Well, this was the first time he actually had a woman in his life to wait for while she got ready. His eyes were fixed on the door to Seraphina’s bedroom where she had been from the past few hours getting ready.

He fidgeted with his cufflinks, a mix of anxiety and excitement coursing through him. This wait had its own unique charm that Elijah was experiencing for the first time in his life so far. He was thinking about how his life had changed for better since Seraphina entered his life.

A fond smile graced his lips as he recalled all the memories that he had made so far with his girlfriend and the certain moments in life that he wants to share with her in the future. He was brought of his thoughts when the sound of a door opening fell on his ears followed by the clicking sound of heels.

Elijah turned around, a variety of compliments swirling in his mind, ready to be showered upon his beautiful girlfriend. But not a word was spoken. When Elijah’s gaze fell upon Seraphina, her stunning beauty and the ethereal glow surrounding rendered him speechless.

With slightly party lips, wide eyes, and an awed & dazed expressions on his face, all Elijah could do was stare at the his girlfriend who looked like a fallen angel, extremely gorgeous, out of this world beautiful, a dangerously seductive temptress in that floor length, deep crimson colored, satin gown that shimmered under the lights.

It had a plunging neckline giving him a nice view of her cleavage, adding a touch of boldness and allure. The gown featured black, lace overlays in swirling patters that resembled dark, twisting vines.

The form fitting gown, accentuated her figure with extreme precision, and the skirt flowed out into a slight train that added the right amount of drama to the gown. Around her waist, she wore an ornate belt that was adorned with tiny obsidian gemstones that sparkled under the lights.

She wore black, lace up heels whose pattern matched with the lace used on her gown. She wore a pair of dark ruby earrings, and a diamond and ruby bracelet. Her hair, usually worn loose were now tied up in an elegant up do, leaving a few tendrils of hair loose to frame her face.

Seeing his reaction, Seraphina could not help but smile, a glint of satisfaction entering her eyes. It felt good to see the effect that she had on him. Stepping closer, she slowly twirled around in a circle before asking, “Do I look, okay?” she asked, her voice sounding as if she did not believe that she was looking good and needed assurance.

Though that was not the truth.

“Okay?” murmured Elijah, finally finding his voice, “You look incredible, Sera. Breathtaking. Mesmerizing. Exquisite, Bewitching. Dazzling.” he continued to speak every adjective that came to his mind to describe how beautiful Seraphina looked. But no matter how many adjectives that he used, all of them fell dull in comparison to her.

So he continued appreciating her beauty with every adjective that came to his mind. He only paused for a moment when Seraphina burst into peals of laughter, “Okay, okay, that’s enough! I believe you.”

Happy that she understood what he was trying to convey, Elijah offered her his hand that she gladly took as both of them made their way outside to Elijah’s car.

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They arrived at the venue about an hour later. The grand ballroom was lit with hundreds of twinkling lights and a massive chandelier in the middle and reflecting it’s light everywhere like a halo was the polished marble floor.

Rich fabrics in deep jewel tones draped the walls, interspersed with gold accents that caught the light with every movement. Covered with fine linen, several round tables were arranged in a systematic ordered. Each table had an exquisite flower centerpiece that was adding a touch of nature’s beauty to the grandeur.

With his hand placed on her back, Elijah gently guided Seraphina through the crowd and towards the center stage where he knew his family was along with their closest family friends, the Sullivan’s and the Thompson’s.

Seraphina was doing fine, she had a smile on her face and was prepared to face her enemies with unparalleled confidence and grace but all her preparation, her confidence vanished the moment her gaze fell on the main three culprits of her and her family, standing just a few feet away from her.

Surrounded by all of their family members and friends, Marcus, William, and Daniel were laughing while discussing something. They did not look any different from a normal family, not a care in the world. They looked happy and they all were together.

Happy.

Together.

Alive.

The words kept began ringing louder and louder with each step that she took towards them. Her breathing quickened and all the confidence and courage that she had in her seemed to have vanished the moment she actually came face to face with all three of them together.

It wasn’t the first time that she was seeing them this close. Over the years, while spying on them, Seraphina had hid in the shadows or worn a disguise while she watched over them. But this was the first time that she was seeing them in such a happy, celebratory setting where the three of them were surrounded by their loved ones. Their family, their friends.

Happy.

Together.

Alive.

Seeing them like this, Seraphina was reminded of her own happy family. There was a time when she had a family of her own, when she had people around her who loved her truly, who cared for her and protected her. The flashes of Marcus, William, and Daniel mercilessly killing each of her family member flooded her mind causing rise to the feeling of panic inside her.

The sound of gunshots, the sound of her brother choking on his own blood, the scene of her grandfather struggling to save himself, the sight of her parents’ dead bodies on the marble floor, the haunting memories of her own abuse. Everything came to hit her like a relentless storm, each memory crashing over like a tsunami wave, drowning her, pulling her down in the depths of her past.

Sad.

Destroyed.

Dead.

Seraphina’s breathing grew shallow, her chest tightened causing her to clutch at her chest as she struggled to breathe. Those memories were still painfully vivid that it felt real. She could almost feel the world spinning around her, the metallic scent of blood and the pungent smell of decaying bodies heavy in the air.

Her body began to trembled and she gripped Elijah’s arm a little too tightly while trying to steady herself that it caused to be alert and worry, “Is everything okay, Sera?” he stopped to look at her, his voice cutting through the dense fog of panic that surrounded her, grounding her momentarily.

Sad.

Destroyed.

Dead.

The words kept on repeating in her head just as the images of her family members being killed flashed behind her eyes. Elijah looked up at her with concern etched on his face, his hand hovering near her, unsure whether to touch her or give her space.

She looked like she was feeling troubled for some reason. Her eyes were slightly unfocused and she was taking shallow breaths. She looked panicked and it caused Elijah to grew more concerned for her, “Hey, don’t be nervous! I promise they will like you.” he believed that she was having cold feet and tried his best to assure her that everything was going to be fine.

Over the years, Seraphina had learned to not let her panic attacks overpower her senses. She needed to be in control all the time which is why she learned how to manage through these attacks without make them noticeable to the other people.

She forced the panic down, and tried to regain her composure. Using the techniques that she had learned over the years, Seraphina managed to calm herself momentarily, forcing herself to smile as she said, “Yeah, I know I am just panicking for nothing. I am fine, I just got a little too nervous.” she chuckled despite herself.

Elijah felt a tiny wave of relief wash over him now that Seraphina had assured him that she was fine. She even looked better than before, “Are you sure you are okay? I mean you don’t have to meet them if you are not feeling comfortable yet.”

Seraphina straightened up, breathing better than before. There was no chance that she would let her enemies see her vulnerable self. She was not going to falter in front of them. Taking a deep breath, Seraphina grabbed Elijah’s hand and said, “I need to use the washroom.” she said with a sheepish smile on her face though she was still going through a panic attack.

Elijah offered to go with her but Seraphina declined politely and hastily walked out of the ballroom, her heart pounding in her chest. Instead of going to the washroom, Seraphina ran out in the garden and found a secluded corner, far from the noise and people.

Seeing no one around, she let the tears that she had been holding back, fall down her cheeks as she sank on the group, her body trembling because of the waves of panic rolled off her. It was too overwhelming for her to be in the same vicinity as those three especially in such a festive setting because it reminded her of what she lost at their hands.

Following the breathing technique, Seraphina tried to calm down herself. She was trying to distract herself from the build up panic by focusing on other things when cutting through the dense haze came a very familiar voice, “5 things you can see?” the masculine voice asked as she felt a hand on her shoulder.