"It was love that allowed to realize that Edie’s life was more important than my own, and if the need ever arose, I would lay down my life and cease to exist," Stuart said, looking at Childe with utmost sympathy in his eyes. "You need to start living for yourself. You’ve been wearing a mask and molding yourself into the person you think your mother wants you to be. If you continue as you seem intent on doing, you will eventually pay the price," he said as his voice was getting weaker and weaker.
Childe fell silent, thinking about what Stuart said. His mind opened, undefined thoughts and emotions welled and surged through his being. He looked with an envious eye on his brother. Stuart had a pained expression on his face, and he was getting weaker by the minute.
Childe nods his head. "I understand. I hate everything about myself, but one of the biggest things I truly hated and couldn’t get over was you and what you had. Your weakness is my strength. I’ve struggled against everything. I’ve tried to contain and control everything, and life beca a battleground, a constant struggle. The war is within ," he said in a somber voice.
All fell quiet. Stuart’s heart was in his throat. A thin smile broadened its lines in a pose of hope. "With your mind, you can free yourself, and with your mind, you hold yourself down. The choice is yours." Then he turned around to leave.
The sight of Stuart and his white face pinched with pain was almost too much for Childe. He lowered his head as if he were ashad. Stuart slowly opened the door, pressed the wound with his hand, but there was a good bit of blood, and the blood felt cold. He had no idea how long he was inside.
Wilson entered the room and sighed heavily, "Stuart’s gone."
Childe raises his head slowly. "All this ti, I believed Stuart was incapable of feeling." He looked at Wilson, and his eyes were full of tears.
Wilson tried to make Childe understand. "We’re human, we feel. One mont we’re angry, the next mont we’re sad. We all have strengths and weaknesses."
"But it’s Stuart," Childe’s eyes opened wide in confusion. "For so many years, I thought Stuart was a monster, but he’s just an ordinary man." His face is grim; his eyes hollowed with sadness.
Wilson looked at him and shook his head. "It isn’t Stuart’s or your fault. It’s your mother’s. You two grew up not knowing who each other were. As much as you wanted to destroy him, deep in your heart, you always knew you couldn’t," he said helplessly. "Stuart sacrificed his life for Edie, and there’s nothing wrong with that because he loves her," Wilson sighed.
Childe grew angry, and its color changed. "That doesn’t make any sense. How could a woman be more important than the L. N. Group or money or power?" he growled.
"Why did you give it up then?" Wilson asked.
A shiver coursed through his body. Childe begins to question himself. ’Why did I give it all up? Maybe I felt there was hope for after all? Or did I do it because I thought Start was more qualified?’ These thoughts played in his mind.
"Sotis, emotions can be unexplainable. You wanted Stuart to pay, but in the end, you couldn’t do it." Wilson paused to take a deep breath. "Stuart loves Edie, so he was willing to let go of the L. N. Group! It had nothing to do with money or power, and it was because of love." Then he hesitates. "Your mother only cared about power... Can you honestly say she loved you?" his voice softened. Wilson could see the pain on Childes’ face, and it broke his heart.
Childe looked at Wilson and grinned weakly. "I would like to be alone. Please tell everyone not to disturb ," he said wearily. He stood up tottering, made a step or two toward the stairs, and stopped. "Take care of Annie for . I made her a promise, and I hope I can keep it," he smiled unnaturally, and Wilson could see the look of disappointnt on his face.
Back at the villa in London, the doctor’s worked slowly and carefully to remove Stuart’s clothes. Then the doctors began to unravel the bandage from around Stuart’s stomach. Edie saw the wound for the first ti and was horrified. She gasped and began to cry. Then the doctors rolled Stuart on his side, and Edie saw the marks of stripes on his back. "He’s been whipped," she cried out. She felt so helpless because there was nothing she could do to relieve his suffering. "How could the family enforce this type of punishnt? They treated him like a slave," she muttered, looking around, trying to get her bearings.
Mr. Bates tried to comfort her. "Master is strong, and He’s going to be okay. You should get so rest," he said in a low voice.
"No, I’m staying until Stuart wakes up," she said determinedly. Then she clenched her hands into fists, not knowing the exact cause of her fears...
Mr. Bates looks at Edie and can see how frightened she was. "It’ll be so ti before the Master wakes up. When he does, and he sees you haven’t gotten any rest, he’ll bla ," he said with a concerned tone in his voice.
Edie couldn’t control her tears. They were flowing uncontrollably. "I’m so....scared," she said, her voice quivering as she spoke.
"It’s..." Mr. Bates was interrupted. They heard a different sound, a sharp click, and a mont later, they heard the door begin to open.
Mada Yates stepped inside. "Did you forget what I said," she said sternly. She checked to make sure Stuart was still breathing, and his pulse was strong. "Sounds fine," she said as she stood up. She never treated Stuart like a son, but always treated him like a subordinate. As she turned toward Edie, her stare turned into a scowl. "Co with ," she said firmly.
As Edie got up to leave, Mr. Bates gently held onto Edie’s arm and said, "Mada, it’s okay to talk in here," he said nervously.
With a frown, Mada gave a sniff. "In front of Stuart?" She points at him. "Do you think he will hear ?" She shakes her head. "No, follow ," she said to Edie.
Edie could see the worried expression on Mr. Bates’s face and said, "It’s okay. I’ll be back shortly." She was secretly determined to deal with any punishnt Mada Yates was to give her.
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