Duke put Adina onto the bed. He then sat on the couch beside the bed and watched her in silence. He could already guess what happened, but he did not dare to ask her. Some things could not be answered, even if he posed questions. Daylight was emerging as the bright sun rose from the east.
A new day had come. The pain at the back of Adinaâs head had gotten worse. She lay on the bed, about to break down.
Duke clenched his jaw and looked at his phone. âWe were able to spot Earl last night. Indeed, he was just around here. âHe changed cars three times, and in the middle of it, we lost track of him. But heâs definitely in Sea City. He couldnât have gotten far.â His gaze darkened.
âItâs my fault. I shouldâve insisted on following Adina downstairs.
âIâve only given Earl another chance to meet her⦠Duke pursed his lips guiltily. He went downstairs to cook a plate of pasta. He then came back upstairs. âAddy, eat up.â âI told you not to talk to me! Get out!â She pulled her hair and screamed hysterically. As soon as she said this, she came back to her senses. She held her head and said in pain,â Duke, Iâm sorry, I didnât mean toâ¦â
She felt herself splitting into half. On one end, the command wanted her to throw Alden out of the Winters familyâs mansion. On the other end, she tried to go against it.
Her head was about to explode. She could not hold it anymore. âEarl is ruthless.
âNot only does he want me to harm Duke, but he also wants me to hurt my own child tooâ¦
âNo matter how sensible or considerate Al is, he will definitely be hurtâ¦
âIâd rather die than make him go through this. ââDuke, please leave me alone. Close the door, and lock me up hereâ¦â
âWith that, even if I canât control myself anymore, I wonât be able to go find Alâ¦â
Duke was saddened.
He approached and hugged her as he whispered, âAddy, what did Earl command you to do?â
âIf he asked you to hurt me, just do it. Itâs okay. I can stand a little injury.â
He comforted her as he took out the dagger under her pillow.
Somehow, he started getting used to knowing that a dagger would always be hidden under Adinaâs pillow, in the drawer, in the crack of the couch, in the pocket of her clothes, and even in her sleeves.
âNoâ¦â She shook her head. âHe asked me toâ¦â
Before she could finish her sentence in between her pauses, they heard lively voices from downstairs.
It was the childrenâs laughter.
She froze suddenly. âDuke, you mustnât let me see the children. I must not see them. You can tell them that Iâm still sleepingâ¦â
She pulled the blanket over her head and hid in there.
Duke patted her back gently a couple of times. âAlright. Iâll go downstairs and have a few words with them and send them back.â
Mabel was chatting with the children in the living room, with her luggage at the front door.
âI brought the children out for New Year shopping, and we happened to pass by here,â Mabel said with a smile. âThey say they havenât seen both of you for a long time, so I brought them here for a visit. I hope Iâm not bothering both of you.â
Duke said calmly, âAddy is still sleeping. Take a seat, everyone. Have a cup of tea before leaving.â
Harold said cautiously, âDaddy, can I sneak in and look at Mommy before we go?â âIâve been behaving very well for the past two weeks. I didnât make a fuss. Today, George and Al finally gave in and let Grandma bring us here for a visit. Since weâre here, Iâm sure we can definitely at least meet Mommyâ¦â