The Heiress's Revenge - A Bloody Affair - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: [89 – Chasing Shadows]
The sun had already set when Elijah finally woke up from his deep slumber. His body felt heavy with the remnants of sleep as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his limbs, letting out a yawn. The warmth that the bed provided him, the snuggly comforter and the subtle fragrance emitting made him want to continue sleeping.

But his stomach had other plans. He was hungry, and he really needed something to fill up the emptiness in his stomach. Though the soft and comforting bed tried to tempt him back but as Fang Haoran slowly become more aware of his surroundings, something felt off.

Not in a bad way though. But not in a good way either.

He craned his neck, blinking twice to, and then noticed her. Seraphina was lying beside him, her breathing calm and steady while she held onto his hand. Their fingers entwined tightly.

At first, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; the sight of her next to him always brought him a sense of peace. He had already began associating Seraphina to home, the person, the place where he felt such peace and serenity that he did not feel anywhere else.

Not at his own home either, which was a big thing.

Elijah turned sideways, and was about to brush the hair off her face when his gaze landed on to her forehead, and the smile on his face faded instantly. A bandage was wrapped tightly around her head, stark white against her dark hair.

“Sera -” Elijah’s voice was barely a whisper, laced with concern as he gently touched the bandage on her forehead with his fingertips. Considering the dark colored spot of the bandage that was most probably because of the medicine that had been used on her wound, it seemed like the wound was not small.

Elijah reached out, gently shaking her awake, his fingers trembling ever so slightly, “Sera, hey Sera.” he woke her up gently.

“What, what happened?” asked Seraphina in sleepy voice.

“That is what I was going to ask you.” Elijah frowned, stress lines creasing his forehead as he gently touched her bandaged forehead, “What happened?”

Seraphina’s eyes fluttered open, the warmth of sleep still lingering in them. She took a moment to focus on him, her expression softening into a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing, Elijah,” she said, her tone light and dismissive. “I just had a little accident, that’s all.”

“An accident?” Elijah’s brows furrowed deeply as he sat up, the worry in his chest tightening like a vise, “How did this happen? Why didn’t you wake me?”

Seraphina sighed softly, her hand reaching up to touch the bandage. “I was just trying to not hit a kid who ran into the middle of the road with my car and then this happened.”

Elijah looked at her with questioning eyes, needing a more than that explanation. Seraphina sighed and said, “Actually, my COO, Jaxon, called saying that he needed to discuss something important regarding the quality standards of the materials that we are going to use to design Natasha Carter’s outfits.”

“So while I was going to the company to meet him, this kid ran out on the road from nowhere. And when I tried turned the car around to not hit the kid, I ended up slamming into a massive tress, like it was just too huge in size.” she chuckle while talking about it but Elijah was not happy.

So Seraphina continued, “I did not get hurt except for this wound on my head and a few minor scratches here and there. I was conscious after that but feeling slightly dizzy so I ended up calling the latest recorded entry in the call logs. Jaxon came up, helped me out, took me to the hospital and then also sent me back home.”

“When I arrived, you were sleeping and I felt sleepy too so I just slept.” she said followed by a yawn.

Elijah’s frown deepened as he listened to her explanation, his mind racing. “You’re always getting hurt, and I am never there to protect you.” he murmured, his voice filled with guilt. “You should have woken me up.”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” she replied, her voice tender as she reached out to place a hand on his cheek. “Besides, I was tired too. Also, it’s not that you were never there to protect me, alright.”

He could not help the wave of frustration that washed over him, mingled with the fear that had taken root in his heart since his return. He pulled her gently into his arms, hugging her close as silent tears welled up in his eyes. He did not let them fall, did not let her see how deeply it hurt him to see her like this. But in his mind, a storm was brewing, a storm named Blake.

Since Elijah had returned, everything had started to unravel. He was damn sure that Blake was behind it all. He was the one lurking in the shadows, pulling strings to make others lives hell. Elijah was sure that so far all that had happened with him, his family, his Seraphina, and even to others around him, for everything, Blake was responsible.

The thought of Blake hurting Seraphina, of causing her any pain, made Elijah’s blood boil. He did not know why Blake was doing so, about what made Blake believe that he was responsible for Evelyn’s suicide when he was not even a friend of hers. They were just acquaintances, she was his business partner, his friend’s sister, and his mother’s honorary daughter.

Nothing else! But that madman left no stone unturned to cause harm to Elijah and his loved one. Enough was enough!

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Meanwhile, miles away, Blake woke up with a start, his body aching in places he didn’t know could hurt. The room he was in was dimly lit, and did not look like a police station at all.

After being hit to unconsciousness, the last thought in Blake’s mind was of regret. He was sure that now Seraphina would take him straight to the police station and then he would be arrested for every crime that he had committed so far to bring his sister to justice.

He was regretful that he failed as a brother. But now that he was awake, he was shocked to see himself not at the police station and felt fear envelop him thinking that Elijah finally caught onto him.

Panic gripped him as he realized his hands and feet were bound, and a gag was tied around his mouth. He struggled against the restraints, but they were too tight, biting into his skin with every movement.

The door creaked open, and Blake’s heart pounded in his chest as a figure stepped into the light. “Someone told me we have got a new parcel.” It was Asher, Elijah’s family friend, his face set in a stern, unforgiving expression.

“Asher Sullivan” Blake tried to say, but his voice was muffled by the gag. Asher stepped closer, his eyes cold as he stared down at Blake.

“Why did you try to harm Seraphina?” Asher’s voice was as sharp as a knife, cutting through the silence of the room. It surprised him that Asher questioned him about Seraphina and not about anybody else. Did he really not know?

Blake clenched his jaw, refusing to speak. He knew this was Elijah’s doing, and he was not about to give them the satisfaction of hearing him beg or plead. Asher’s gaze darkened, and he nodded to the guards standing nearby. Without a word, they stepped forward, fists ready, and began to pummel Blake mercilessly.

The pain was excruciating, but Blake gritted his teeth, determined not to give in. He could feel his body breaking under the relentless blows, but he kept his mouth shut, his mind a whirlwind of anger and defiance. He wasn’t going to let Elijah win, not like this.

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Back at Seraphina’s home, Elijah, unaware of what was happening with Blake, and where the man was at this moment, was solely focused entirely on Seraphina, making sure she was comfortable, and tending to her every need. He made her a bowl of soup, the warmth of the broth filling the room with a comforting aroma.

Seraphina hesitated for a moment as he brought the spoon to her lips, even though she had watched him cook the entire thing. But the look of concern in Elijah’s eyes made her relent. She took a sip, the warmth spreading through her body, reminding her of home, of her brothers who used to take care of her in much the same way.

As she settled back against the pillows, feeling the warmth of Elijah’s care wash over her, a thought crossed her mind. No matter what happened, no matter how much pain or trouble came their way, she was going to protect this man, and keep him safe. In a happy world, she dreamed that they could at least be friends. But deep down, she could not shake the feeling that this was going to remain only a happy dream and never come true.