Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO - Chapter 795

795: Reaped what sowed.

795: Reaped what sowed.

Caden’s heart was anxious, beating hard against his chest, scaring him of something that he wasn’t sure of.

All this while, he was worried for his daughter, his Belle.

But hasn’t she returned already?  Then why was the fear in his heart still there, scaring him with the unknown?  His hand went to press against his chest, trying to ease the anxiety he was feeling inside.

However, it simply didn’t help.  Meanwhile, the man who had stepped to open the passenger door finally pulled it open.

But just as he did, someone sprinted out as though waiting to do that for a long time.  Caden couldn’t catch sight of it first.

To him, for a moment, it looked like some kid had rushed out in excitement.

His brows furrowed slightly, not understanding why a kid would come out from the car that was meant for Selene.  He saw the man closing the door and asked with a frown, “Weren’t you supposed to bring my daughter?

Where is she?”  The two men exchanged a brief look -one that Caden didn’t like -before one of them spoke flatly.

“We have brought who we were supposed to bring.”  “What do you mean?” Caden snapped, his frown only deepening more.  Before he could say anything more, the housekeeper stepped forward, glancing past him -and then gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.  “Sir … sir, that’s o-our young miss.”  Caden turned to her sharply, scowling.

“What are you saying?

Belle never stepped out of that car.

How could she be here?”  “Sir …” the housekeeper’s voice trembled.

But, hesitating, she said, “You should see for yourself.

She is right behind you.”  Caden didn’t understand.

The confusion on his face only deepened.

Still, something in the housekeeper’s tone made him turn.  And then he froze.  A few steps behind him stood a young woman -not some kid he had assumed previously.

Her posture, her frame, even the delicate tilt of her face -they unmistakably looked like Selene’s  But everything else … everything else was wrong.

He hadn’t seen her face yet.

She had her back towards him.

But he refused to believe and shook his head, saying, “She is not Belle.

How could she be -”  However, just when he would have refused it, the woman turned and looked at him, straight in his eyes.  And Caden staggered on his feet, as though almost hit by a strong tide.

“Belle!” he called, still in disbelief.  How could his daughter become like this?

Her once glossy hair -now looked dishevelled, tangled and dull.  Her eyes -those once were sharp, and calculating, mirroring ambition and arrogance -now looked vacant, glassy and lost in another world entirely.  She had a soft, worn-out teddy bear tightly against her chest, swaying slightly on her feet.  Caden blinked.

His lips parted in disbelief.

“No …” he whispered.

“No, that’s not Belle.

It can’t be.”  He shook his head, stepping closer, searching her face for the sharpness he knew so well -the arrogant smirk, the confidence, the pride.  But there was nothing.

Only confusion and childlike innocence.  She looked up suddenly, startled by his movement.

Sensing him coming closer, she stepped back as though on her instinct.

Her lips moved -as if to say something -but the sound that came out was a broken, strangled noise.

A garbled whimper.  Caden’s breath hitched.

His stomach turned cold.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to look closer.

But the next moment, his pupils dilated in horror.  He didn’t want to believe, and to confirm, he stepped forward to check.

Selene tried to move away, but he held her firm, only to make her resist and struggle.  He, however, didn’t mind.

He just needed to confirm one thing.

And the moment he did, his hand fell off her frame and he staggered as he stepped back, nearly losing his balance.  Her mouth … her tongue,  Selene tilted her head, blinking at him curiously -almost innocently -as though she didn’t understand why he looked so horrified.

Then, with a small, aimless smile, she held the teddy bear higher, as if showing it off.  Caden couldn’t look at her like that.

He turned towards the men and growled.

“How could Aiden do something so inhumane?

Go and tell him that I am not going to spare him.

I -”  “Enough!”  A voice from behind interrupted him, and he turned to see his father standing there with his cane in his hand.

“Dad, see for yourself what they have done to her.

And you saying enough to me?”  The old Martin’s gaze shifted towards his granddaughter.

His brows furrowed, not liking how it turned out.

But then he turned and looked at his son evenly, saying, “She has reaped what she sowed.

Be happy that he is alive.

Don’t force him to dig our entire family’s grave.”  “Dad!” Caden could believe his father would still choose to side with Aiden.

“She is the same precious granddaughter you once adored.

She is now like this.

Are you letting this slide?”  The old man looked at him and firmly nodded.

“Even if she was the granddaughter I once adored, I am still the man who knows how to differentiate between right and wrong.

Aiden might have gone too extreme in punishing her, but we couldn’t deny she deserved it for touching someone he held precious.”  “No,” Caden shook his head, refusing to accept it.

“I am not going to let it slide.

I will -”  “You can no longer do anything, son,” The old man interrupted her.

“If you have forgotten, let me remind you, we have lost everything.

We have nothing left with which we could fight anymore.

So, it would be better if you save what’s remaining and focus on taking care of your daughter.

Otherwise, the next would be the grave you will be seeing her in.”  And with that, he simply turned and walked back inside the house.

Caden closed his eyes.

He didn’t want to accept it.

But that was true.

They now had nothing left.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do anything.

The bits that were remaining were only enough for survival.  He slowly turned back to Selene and reached forward to hold her hand.  Her first instinct was to avoid it, but Caden held it firm.

“I am sorry, Belle.

This is what I wanted to save you from.

But seems like nothing I could do could stop you.”  Selene stared at him.

She didn’t say anything.

She couldn’t.  Instead, she gave a soft, childlike giggle -a sound that didn’t belong to her anymore -before she pulled her hand from him.

Turning, she began to hum tunelessly, patting her teddy bear.  Caden’s knees felt weak.

But he held up.

“Take her inside,” he said to the housekeeper.  The housekeeper nodded, and soon two maids came forward to take Selene inside.  The men who had brought Selene here also left.  Caden watched the car roll out of the premises and finally gave up.

He was no longer capable of any revenge anymore.

Not just because he didn’t have any resources anymore, but also because he had come to realize that he couldn’t fight a man who wouldn’t think twice before destroying everything and everyone in the world just to prove his love for the one woman he cares the most.  He has greatly underestimated him.

And he had no capability to underestimate him anymore.  —– Meanwhile, back in Cralens –  Arwen rested for the rest of the day in the hospital room alone.

Jason would drop off occasionally, but most of the time, she would be sitting there alone, thinking about everything that had happened.  The thoughts were making it worse for her, and she knew she should think about it more; however, it was just not in her control.

She didn’t want to think about them, but after every deflection, her thoughts would return back to the same.  And this was why Aiden didn’t want to leave her alone.

But she couldn’t see him like that either.

So, she had forcefully sent him back to get freshened up.  “Wenna!”  The voice took her by surprise, and Arwen stared up towards the door, slightly taken aback.  “Anna,” she called softly, and Gianna rushed in like a gush of air, swift and warm.  “O God, how did you again end up being at the hospital.

Don’t tell me you have grown some kind of affection for this strong smell of antiseptics.” Gianna teased softly all the while checking on her friend to see if she was harmed in anyway.  She didn’t know much and has only come after receiving a call from her uncle, who asked her to visit Arwen at hospital.

Given the dynamic she shares with him, she couldn’t bring herself to ask more and simply rushed her as fast as he could.  Arwen pursed her lips and held Gianna’s hands, shaking her head in reassurance.

“I am fine.

You don’t need to worry about any of such absurd affection because I carry none.

It’s just a coincidence that I ended up her again.”  “Really?” Gianna asked.  Arwen nodded, but just then the corner of her eyes caught something and she paused.

“What’s that?”