50. Devastating!

Author's POV

Five years later...

Life never felt so devastating before, it was like a man who would get lost in the desert and would look for the water which is nowhere, he would wait for the death but he isn't that lucky.

The misery is a part of life and he has to suffer.

Arthur and Oliver were kind of same. Life without Arabella was like getting lost in desert, there was no end to the misery.

Her scream still haunts them in dreams, there is a pain in the heart which becomes difficult to handle. There is a piercing guilt in the chest which makes them restless while thinking that they could have saved her with more presence of mind.

Lives completely changed after her death, they are no longer boys. They are men now, men with no competitiveness between them. Arthur and Oliver no longer fight with each other but with their enemies. People fear them because they have turned cruel and heartless.

There was hope of saving their humanity until there was a hope to find Arabella but trench was so deep that their humanity died along with her. They couldn't even find the pieces of her body.

"Arthur, stop!"

Rose ordered when she noticed that he is going too hard on trainees. They were struggling to breathe.

"This is not even warm up... You are asking me to stop..."

He looked at her with those cold eyes. There was nothing but pain and hollowness.

"Is this how they are going to fight against our enemies?"

Rose dismissed the training.

"Your blood is boiling that doesn't mean they have the same passion... We all have different bodies and stamina... You are Chief now, don't hurt your position."

"Right! I should care where everyone wants to see me but no one cares where I want to be."

He smiled bitterly.

"My blood boils, Mom... I loath myself for not protecting her. She was my responsibility."

"It's been years and we can't control everything, Arthur... This wasn't your fault."

She gently rubbed his arm. The woman who is usually strict than a teacher feels like her heart is breaking whenever she finds her sons in pain.

Arthur wasn't ready to agree.

"I need to get ready for the day... See you at lunch."

He walked away.

Damian hugged Rose from behind.

"They are still recovering... Give them some time..."

She shook her head sadly.

"It's been five years, if they wanted to then they would have recovered by now but that's not the case. They are not recovering, they are living with this pain and it's wrong... They are just breathing, not living..."

"We did our best, we can't do anything more than this... We can't bring her back from dead, we tried to find her but it didn't work."

He said frustrated.

"You think that I can see them like this?"

"I know it's hard but we have to do something..."

She looked around.

"Arthur is gone but where is the other one... He is the complicated one."

"Rose, Oliver is going on another trek..."

Jack informed her.

Rose shook her head and rushed out.

"Last time he did that, he wasn't back for six months. And we couldn't even track him."

She blocked Oliver's path, looking deadly in his eyes.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Oliver smirked.

"What, Mom?... Now you don't even want me to live my life?... I am just trying to make it easy for myself..."

Rose snatched his bag and tossed it towards Jack.

"Burn it!"

She ordered.

Oliver sighed and shrugged at her order.

"I am not kid anymore."

"For me, you are!..."

She scolded.

"You are not living your life, you are trying to end it... Last time you were missing for almost six months... You can't fucking do this to me... What are you trying to do by getting lost in forests and mountains, you think you will find her?"

His eyes filled with rage.

"Yes! Why not? May be one day she will have mercy on me and will come back. May be!"

His words held nothing but pain.

"I refuse to believe that she is no more... There were so many things which we wanted to do. She wanted to do. Yes, I want to find her and if I couldn't then I'll prefer to die while searching for her... Happily!"

"So you have no love for your family... She died so your life ended. What about your parents? We love you too."

She sounded mad.

"Isn't that why I am still alive, Mom?"

He chuckled bitterly.

"Trust me, you are the reason why I am still breathing."

He kissed her forehead but it didn't feel like a loving child, her boy was broken and it was evident.

"It's been five years, Oliver... Forget about her and move on!"

Rose was dying after seeing her sons in so much pain.

"Okay!"

He started walking away and shrugged.

"I'll forget her... If saying that makes you feel good."

Rose closed her eyes and let her tears escape. Damian saw her and pulled her in hug.

"I am loosing my children, Damian... They don't deserve this pain. All they did was fell in love. Why are they getting punished like this?"

She cried on his chest.

Damian couldn't see her like this. She never cries but whatever is happening was cruel to all of them.

"I'll take care of it, if I can't bring back Arabella then I'll bring someone like her... They have to move on."

He promised.

Everyone gathered for lunch and as usual it was pin drop silent.

Damian cleared his throat and grabbed everyone's attention.

"We have a guest..."

He declared.

Knight brothers looked at the guest and frowned.

"Meet April... She is my friend's daughter and will stay with us till he comes back from his business trip..."

The girl was standing there timidly in sweater which had sunflowers on it. Soft features and delicate frame. She was looking like Arabella.

Rose frowned at Damian and he gave her assuring look.

Both brothers formally greeted her and started minding their business. But Oliver was feeling annoyed by her look, it belonged to his kitten and her sweater was fueling his annoyance.

He scowled when she sat beside him.

They finished lunch and Damian called them in his study.

"You called us?"

Arthur asked and Oliver closed the door.

"Yes!"

Damian focused on them while putting his file aside.

"I'll be straightforward... You saw April, I want you guys to marry her! Both or any one of you. Whatever suits you best!"

Both of them looked at him annoyed.

"Are you in right mind?"

Oliver scowled.

"Yes! Your girl is dead... Now it's time to make the business strong... Her father is great aliance... Think about it and give me answer by end of the day! It's just a deal."

He informed but in reality he was hoping that they might accept April because she is just like Arabella.

They both left his office and went directly to their car.

It was evening and they were still not back.

"Where are they?"

Damian asked Rose when he couldn't contact them.

Rose looked at him madly.

"Congratulations! Till now your one son used to get missing from home but now both are gone and I am not able to track them."

Damian cursed.

"These boys!"

Jack came towards them hurriedly. Panicked and horrified while handing him the phone.

"Damian, Rafael Delgado! He is on call and he has Arthur and Oliver."