Hearing those words co out of Childes’ mouth, Rose freaked out. She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "I told you! You’re just like your father. It seems you have no real aspirations for the future, just like him. I was the one who did everything while your father sat on his lazy ass and did nothing. I’ll have no la duck’s son in my family." Every ti she spoke, she got angrier and angrier. She raised her hand, getting ready to slap him again, but this ti she wasn’t successful.
Rose raised her hand above her head and was just about to whack him again. Instinctively, Childe tensed, then he caught her wrist and stared up at her. "How could you be so stupid?" he snapped.
Rose wrinkled her brow and frowned. "I’m the stupid one? Look at what I’ve done! Let go of , or are you finally going to fight back?" She said as she tried to tug her hand free.
Childe tightened his grip. "If you’re looking for a fight, you’ve got one." It was a relief being freed from the bitterness he had carried around all these years, "You will no longer control my life. My destiny is my hands." His voice was shaky, but his tone was firm.
Her heartbeat rose like a dull thunder in her throat. Rose stares at him. Her thinking is fuzzy, and she has to catch her breath, get control of her thinking. There was sothing different in Childes’ eyes, sothing she couldn’t quite make out. The expression on his face was one of grim determination. For the very first ti, she studied his expression, trying to work out what the hell was going on in his mind. Gathering the courage to speak, she asks, "What do you an?"
Childes’ lips turned upward in a devilish grin, his blue eyes danced. "You should know what I an. You tell I’m stupid," he said with sarcasm. "If you make beco the CEO, I will make you watch destroy it. You’ve ruined my life, and not it’s my turn to ruin yours." His tone was cold and indifferent. He felt no emotion as if talking to a stranger, which in essence, he was. He asked himself, ’Is this woman, my biological mother? How could a woman be so cruel to her own child?’
Rose was too horrified, too terrified, to speak, all she wanted to do was run. Her face was hot and sweaty, her palms clammy, and she was shivering violently. She believed every single word Childe told her. All her dreams were shattered, and he would take revenge on her. She stood there, lost in thought, and Childe leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Don’t ever push again, or you will lose your dog forever." He released her hand and walked away.
It was a moonless night, so darkness ca on fast. Edie was looking out the open window, admiring the stars that glittered and twinkled in the sky. She smiled as it brought back mories of Stuart. "I miss you so much," she said out loud. "It’s been three days since I’ve been here. I know Childes’ routine quite well now. He’ll be ho soon." She walked over and sat at the foot of Anne’s bed. "I wish I understood Childe and what goes through his mind. How lonely he must be! He’s lived here in this huge castle by himself. Now there’s Anne and . Still, it doesn’t make any sense? Why doesn’t he have a bed in his room?" Edie lowered her voice so as not to wake up Anne. She gets up and gives Anne a kiss on the cheek and leaves the room.
Edie jumps back, startled by a noise coming from downstairs. ’It’s late! It has to be Childe, but he’s never up until this late,’ she thought. "Maybe, it’s one of the servants," she said, trying to comfort herself. She slowly crept downstairs, but no one was there. "Am I hearing things. I know I heard sothing." Edie shook her head in confusion. Then a loud noise ca from the dining room. She rushes to the door, frightened to go in and says in a low voice, "Childe is that you?"
There’s no reply, so Edie tiptoes inside. She looks down at the floor, and it’s covered in glass. The air was filled with an extrely strong sll of wine, which is almost intoxicating when inhaled. She covered her mouth and nose, trying not to breathe in the mixture of noxious odors.
Edie looks over in the corner, and Childe is sitting on the floor against one of the wine cabinets. His shirt sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, and his face, arms, and hands were covered with blood. The blood was running down the sides of his face. His clothes were almost torn to shreds, and it looked like there were several wounds on his head.
Edie was in shock at first and stood there staring at him. "Childe, what happened to you?" she said in a low and frightened voice. He was about to take a drink from the wine bottle in his hand, and she rushed over and grabbed it out of his hand. "What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to kill herself?"
"Give it back....to ," Childe narrowed his eyes as though he was trying to figure out who it was. He reached out and tried to grab the bottle from Edie’s hand. She backed away, and he stood up and staggered towards her. She looked down at the broken glass and quickly went over to him, afraid he was going to fall. He threw out a hand, and she caught him, bracing him against her. Staggering as he got to his feet, he leaned heavily on her shoulder.
Edie managed to get Childe out the door. He was completely drunk, wobbled towards the stairs, with heavy, unsteady steps. She used all her strength, lifting and pushing him up the stairs ahead of her. It was no easy task, but sohow she managed to get him to his room. Childe didn’t know where he was, and Edie listened to him mumbling to himself, but could not make any sense of what he was saying.
For a brief mont, Edie stood there looking at Childe thinking, ’What better ti than now to escape. He’s helplessly drunk.’ She tried to convince herself, but that wasn’t the type of woman she was. It would make her feel better, more justified, knowing she had done all she could.
Edie went to the nurse’s room and woke her up. "Miss. Kate, would you mind helping . Childes’ been in an accident," she tried her best to keep her voice calm and steady.
Miss Kate had been reading and imdiately ca to the door. "Yes, of course," she said. Edie took her into Childes’ room, and Kate was frightened. "Is he.....still.....breathing. There’s.....an awful lot.....of blood," she said, her voice and whole body shaking.
It was midnight when they had finished wiping the blood off Childes’ face. His face was red and swollen, with a handprint clearly visible on both sides of his cheeks. The tears ca rushing out of Edie’s eyes. She knew sothing really bad happened to him. "I know the pain you must be going through. I’ve been where you are, but it’ll get better. All you need is ti to heal your wounds, both inside and out."
Miss Kate looks at Edie and asks, "Who would do such a thing to him?"
Edie looked at her and shook her head. "I have no idea. I have so many questions for him, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’m pretty sure he’ll be out for the remainder of the night."
Miss Kate was the first one to leave, and Edie wasn’t too far behind her. She took one last look last at Childe and reached to open the door. To her surprise, he managed to get himself out of bed. Edie quickly rushes over to him and shouts, "What the hell are you trying to do?"
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