Page 137 of Darkest Deception

I see her eyes flutter, but the officers force me to walk away, and I don’t get to see if she saw me pleading for her forgiveness.

She doesn’t get to hear me tell her I believe her and love her.

As they drag me away, my eyes burn with tears that I will turn into knives for every single officer on duty here today.

When I am taken outside, my hair ruffles with the helicopter so low, the buzzing of its blades above me, cars upon cars of MI5 crowd the driveway. An array of reporters is outside the gates, taking pictures, and I make a note to tell Remo to erase all articles of this case.

I look back at the second floor of the mansion, knowing Ambrose is unconscious, and I have done that.

I tore us apart.

40

When people speak of love, they talk about the sweetness of it. They talk about the flourishing of emotions and the way their lives have never been better.

If someone were to ask me what love meant for me, I would describe Helia. I would describe his darkness, his rough yet soft touch, his emerald eyes that hold such emotions that it wrenches out my own. His smiles bring warmth to my heart. I would talk about the small acts of kindness towards me despite his rough nature and everything he has given me.

I have lost my all to him.

I lost my soul, my heart, and my mind to Helia.

And I don’t ever want to have anything back.

Not because I think he deserves it, but because I know he will guard it all from the monsters of this world.

Even if he were to hate me now, if he doesn’t care and despises me, I know deep down, he would still keep everything I have given him safe.

I have lost my heart in this game of deception.

As soon as my eyes crack open, the first thing that floods my mind is Helia’s name and the hatred I saw in his eyes.

The heart monitor goes crazy when I lift my hand to my mouth, tears instantly filling my eyes. I have lost the battle against my mother, against fate.

“Ambrose?” My eyes snap to the side and see my mother.

“Who are you, and why are you here?”

Her face converts into a frown, her eyes going to the other side of my bed towards Aurora.

“What—” Mum starts.

“Why are you still here after destroying my life? What right do you have to be in this room right now?” I continue, my hands clenching at the blanket on me in the hospital bed.

“Ambrose.” I shake my head at Aurora, and her eyes bounce between Mum and me.

“No, Aurora, she’s ruined us before anyone else ever did. She gave us scars first, and Dad abused us while she did nothing to help.” I look away from my mother and fixed my gaze on the white ceiling.

Murmurs of the hospital and the noises of the machines slowly take over my mind, and I cannot help but feel the need to walk out of this hospital to wherever Helia is to tell him it wasn’t me. I want to drag my mother to his feet and force her to apologise to him for destroying his life.

“Mother, could you please leave?” Aurora’s soft voice travels across the room.

“Why would I leave? I am her mother. I have done everything to save you both. I have done so much, and yet this is how you treat me? After your father’s death, I have worked hard every day to help you live a comfortable life,” Mum says, her eyes switching between me and Aurora, not able to understand what she did wrong.

I let out a mocking laugh.

“That’s the thing, though. You thought you worked hard. You thought you did everything to save us and keep us safe, but if you just walked out of this bubble you created for yourself, you would see how much it was hurting us,” I say, keeping my eyes on the ceiling.

“You abused me. You raised your hand against me, the daughter you supposedly wanted to protect. You pushed away Aurora because you couldn’t handle the grief from the loss of your husband. Mind you, he was just as abusive, mentally and physically.”

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