Chapter 252: The Weight She Carried
Her lips twitched in displeasure. "My brother is going to die by my hands."
Edward let out a breath that was half a laugh, half in resignation, "I suspected as much."
And that did it, a soft, breathy laugh escaped her. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, her elegant shoulders began to shake lightly, "I am so sorry," she said, still laughing. "He truly lives to cause suffering."
"I am beginning to see that," Edward replied, a gentle smile finally breaking through his mortification. "I thought I had faced many trials in my life. I was unprepared for Damien."
They laughed together until their eyes met and something gentler settled between them. The embarrassment lingered, but it softened. Cece brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "For what it is worth," she added quietly, "it was all in his head, right?"
Edward met her gaze, his eyes calm as he replied, "Right..." Even as he said it, there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
They continued to look at each other until Edward shifted a little closer, "I was trying to say something earlier," he said gently.
"Yes?"
He hesitated, studying her face, before his expression softened. "We....haven’t really spoken about what happened in Dartmouth."
Cece’s eyes widened slightly. "Did we miss discussing something?"
"We did." Edward stepped closer until only a single step separated them.
Reaching out, he took her delicate hands in his warm, larger ones and spoke gently. "It is about what you saw in there. I know you are a strong woman, Cece, but I also know that what you witnessed in that chamber must have been deeply traumatising for you."
"Edward, I..." Cece replied softly, momentarily stunned as her mind was once again flooded with the horrifying memories of those innocent women rotting away in the dark dungeon. She swallowed hard and shook her head lightly. "It is nothing....really."
"Cece..." Edward called to her softly, lifting his hand to cup her cheek, which made a fresh bloom of colour rise to her face. He continued gently, "Do not hide it from me. I am here... if you want to talk. I will never judge you."
His thumb brushed lightly over her cheek as he lowered his voice and whispered, "I only want to help you lighten the weight you have been carrying since that night."
Cece’s eyes wavered at his tender touch and caring words, and slowly her lips began to tremble as raw emotion welled up inside her. There had not been a single day since that night when she had not been plagued by nightmares of the infamous chamber in Dartmouth.
Though Cece was strong-willed and composed by nature, she had still been relatively sheltered from the darker side of the world. Born into a noble family of pure-blooded vampires, she had seen many things in her life, yet nothing had ever been as haunting as that.
It had always been her father, Regulus Silver, and Damien who were more exposed to that grim reality, deliberately keeping Cece’s exposure to a minimum. It was their way of protecting her from the filth and cruelty of that world, allowing her to live as normally as possible.
But Edward had seen through the calm, strong facade she had maintained over the past three days since their arrival at Dracoria Palace. On the first night when Damien had disappeared to attend to certain matters within the palace, issues related to spy infiltrations, Edward had remained behind in the room while Cece slept in Ivan’s bed. That was when he heard her sobbing softly in the middle of the night.
At first, he thought she was awake. He called out to her a couple of times, but when she did not respond, he rose from the couch where he had been resting and approached her.
It was then that he realised she was still deeply asleep, caught in the grip of a nightmare. He had moved to wake her, but her sobs subsided before he could reach out, so he chose not to disturb her rest.
However, his concern grew when the same thing happened night after night.
Knowing she was putting on a brave front, Edward had never mentioned it while Damien was around, which, more often than not.
Now, with Damien finally gone, leaving the two of them alone, Edward had found the opportunity to bring it up, because he could no longer bear the thought of her suffering in silence any longer.
When she remained silent, he realised she was still holding back, so he prompted softly, "Talk to me, Cece..."
Cece’s heart shuddered at his gentle voice, heavy with concern, asking about wounds she had never intended to share with anyone. As she looked into his beautiful pale blue eyes, so reminiscent of a calm lake, they helped centre the storm of emotions colliding within her.
Her dark crimson eyes brimmed with tears, and the sight of this strong woman in such a vulnerable state tightened Edward’s chest. Without a word, he tugged the hand he was holding and drew her into his warm embrace. Cece’s breath hitched before a sob escaped her lips. Her hands, which had hung limply at her sides, slowly rose to clutch the back of his robe, and for the first time in a long while, she finally allowed herself to release the emotions she had been holding back.
Tears streamed silently down her face, her shoulders trembling with each quiet sob, yet not a single sound left her lips as she tightened her grip on Edward’s hand. Edward held her with a grave expression, his arms firm and steady around her. He could not even savour the closeness, because her silent sobs alone were enough to unsettle him deeply.
He knew Cece was the type to carry far too much within herself instead of letting it out as others might. Some might see that as a sign of strength, but Edward understood all too well how damaging it could be, slowly suffocating a person from within. And he was not about to let that happen to her.
So he held her close in silence, allowing her to let it all out. They remained like that for a long while, unaware of how much time had passed since she had begun to cry.
When she finally started to calm down, his gentle gaze lowered to her as she continued to hide her face against his chest. His expression softened at the sight. Slowly, he lifted one hand and brushed it over her head, his fingers threading through her soft, long blonde hair, quietly enjoying the way it felt beneath his palm.
After a moment, he chose to break the silence and asked softly, "Feeling lighter?"
Cece sniffed against him and nodded slowly in response.
Edward smiled faintly before adding, "Why don’t we take a seat, and you can share whatever you feel comfortable with?"
Cece nodded wordlessly, her head still lowered as she tried to hide her dishevelled state from him.
Reluctantly, she loosened her grip on his robe and stepped back, only to notice the damp patch her tears had left on his pristine white attire. She whispered softly, "I-I am sorry for ruining your clothes."
Edward smiled warmly. "Do not worry about it." Then, in a lighter, teasing tone, he added, "You can ruin as many clothes as you like."
Her face, which had paled, once more warmed with a blush at his words, yet a small smile curved her lips. She wiped away the remaining tears discreetly before finally lifting her gaze to him.
"Thank you....Edward."
With a few tears still clinging to her cheeks, Edward gently cupped her delicate face and brushed them away with his thumbs. "There is no need to thank me, Cece," he said softly. "You should know I will always be there for you. Anytime you need someone to listen, I will be here.....just like now. You can tell me anything you wish, and I will listen without judgment until you feel lighter."
Cece’s heart did a somersault at his words, fluttering with a mixture of relief and warmth at their closeness. She needed it more than she had realised. His warmth was...so addictive, and she could not help but gravitate towards it.
He guided her to the couch beside the fireplace and returned with a glass of water, which she gulped down eagerly. Edward then settled himself in front of her, waiting patiently as she calmed her breathing. When she finally spoke, she told him about her recurring nightmares, how she always saw the innocent girls being slaughtered, only for that deranged queen, Viva, to fill the tub once more with their blood before stitching their necks back together and dressing them like dolls.
She swallowed hard before continuing in a trembling voice. "After that....all I remember is that somehow I am trapped in that horrible room, surrounded by their rotting stench, with no door or window to escape."
Cece drew in a shaky breath as the grotesque images resurfaced, shaking her head slowly. "I do not think I can ever forget it. I thought I could move past it, but... how can someone move past something like that?"
She rubbed her hands along her arms as a chill ran down her spine. "Every single time my mind returns to it, I feel my skin crawl."
Lifting her gaze to Edward, who had been listening in silence, she asked quietly, "Will I....ever be able to get over it?"
