Frank didn't believe him. "If you didn't run away, why are you alone?"
"It's true!" Arian's lip trembled. His blue eyes filled with tears. "I just want Mommy. I came out alone to find Mommy!"
CHAPTER 14
ELIAS VERNAL
Iwas dreaming again.
The same nightmare that had repeated for four years.
Even knowing the truth, I still couldn't face this dream calmly.
Serenity stood right before me. She looked so vivid, so alive. I greedily traced every contour of her face, but her eyes weren't looking at me. She gazed silently down at the rushing rapids below the cliff.
"Don't go," I begged her.
But she ignored me and took another step toward the edge.
"No, wait, Serenity!" I knew what she was about to do. Panic consumed me. I ran toward her desperately, reaching out my hand. But the blood on her dress was so stark, so terrifying, that I couldn't bring myself to touch her.
"Please, don't do anything foolish. We can talk. We can talk about anything!" All I could do was call out to her helplessly.
She heard me and finally looked up to face me.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, her expression blank. "About how you drove me to despair and ultimately cost me my life?"
"I was wrong. I was wrong about everything!" If she'd accept it, I would even kneel before her. But in this dream, my body was always frozen in place. "Give me another chance. Please come back, Serenity. We can start over!"
"Too late." Serenity's voice was soft, but her words cut like ice. "Elias, I hate you. I'm leaving. I don't want to be by your side for even one more second."
She took a step backward.
I struggled with everything I had to rush forward, but the ground between us suddenly split into a bottomless chasm, pushing Serenity further and further away.
She looked at me one last time, then spread her arms like a butterfly and leaped off the cliff!
"No!"
I woke up screaming.
Morning sunlight fell on my face, but I felt no warmth. I sat blankly on the bed, my chest heaving violently, until that suffocating terror slowly faded. Only then did I drag myself out of bed.
Another cold reality.
Another meaningless day.
I walked into the bathroom and faced the man in the mirror. His eye sockets were sunken, his cheekbones prominent. He was much thinner than he had been four years ago. His natural goodlooks were the only thing maintaining a semblance of health on the surface, but years of power struggles and inner torment had long since drained his true vitality.
But I deserved it.
I flashed a mocking, disgusted smile at my reflection.
After washing up and getting dressed, I walked to the vanity in the bedroom. This was where Serenity's belongings used to be kept, but now it was completely empty. She'd taken all her personal items long ago, so when she herself finally left me for good, I couldn't even keep a single memento.
Except for one thing.
I opened the vanity drawer and took out a small box containing a woman's wedding ring. I gently kissed the engraved name. Serenity had taken everything except this. I didn't know if that meant she'd already decided to abandon our marriage back then. But now, this was the only thing I had left to remember her by.
