Chapter 154 For Nine Years?
Absolutely disturbed about the ‘incurable disease’ Arabella mentioned, William went to the deep depths of finding its roots and came to meet Luke too.
They were in Luke’s majestic cabin who was smiling at his brother.
“How was the honeymoon?” William sparked a conversation, taking a sip of his tea, “How is Peach?”
“There was nothing much to do, we mostly focused on healing. Peach is much better now though she hadn’t told anyone about the accident.” Luke hummed in response.
“I expected this. She hated showing herself as vulnerable to the world.” William hummed in agreement.
“So is everything good with you guys?”
“For now, Yes. We have decided to take a step forward and focus on our future.” He shrugged, leaning against his seat, “I just hope her father won’t meddle. That man is an ass.”
“You think he will let go of his golden bird so easily? Especially the one who can tilt his darling’s daughter’s whole world?” William smirked.
Luke snickered, “That is exactly the problem. Not only her father. No one can swallow this bitter pill, William,”
“If you need me for anything, I am here.” William offered as per habit, smiling sincerely.
“I know you are, William. You always were but…”
Luke couldn't help but to chuckle nervously, scratching his back, bewildering William who prayed he wasn’t downgraded from his eyes.
“This is time I start fixing my problems myself and not… rely on you.” He said apologetically, “In fact, if you need something, you can rely on me.”
William’s eyes twinkled for a moment, remembering the day he used to call him for every single trouble in his life.
‘When did they grow this much?’ He thought in mesmerization, admiring how much his siblings had grown.
William let out a dry, humorless chuckle, “Sure. Why not?”
“So, what is it?” Luke’s gaze sharpened, resting his elbow on the table with raised eyebrows, “What brings you here? Is Liyah bothering you? Shall I deal with her?”
“No. She isn’t the problem, yet. There is something else.” William took a deep breath, the desperation he was suppressing beginning to leak through his façade.
“What is it?”
“Arabella said she has an incurable disease,” William blurted out, hands trembling slightly, “I was hoping you might know…”
“Incurable disease? Like what?”
Luke tilted his head, a strange glint in his eyes, continuing with an empty chuckle, not taking his words seriously.
“Overly devotional? Or vanity?”
"Don't play with me, Luke…" William hissed, "She has something life-threatening... something that 'takes her breath away.'”
“Take her breath away?”
Luke stared at William for a long, silent moment. Watching how fright was spreading rapidly accompanied by a slight quivering of lips.
“Yes! I have searched every file, called every clinic. There is no record of a diagnosis. I don’t know what is wrong with her. Do you know something?"
Luke blinked, comprehending his words before loosening. His shoulders began to shake. A low chuckle bubbled up, eventually turning into a full, boisterous laugh that echoed in the cabin.
"Incurable?" Luke laughed, holding his stomach, losing his breaths, "Oh, Arabella... you are a genius.”
‘What a way you have found to make him love you.’ Was silent in his statement.
"Luke!" William gasped before snapping, “How can you disregard what I just said? She is dying, and you are laughing?!”
After a painfully long time, William’s emotions slipped, he was no longer in control and Luke could witness the trembling himself.
“You loved her once- or so you claimed. How can you be so heartless?"
Luke’s laughter died down, replaced by a venomous smirk, mixed with compassion. The turmoil of his emotions was amusing to watch.
"I did. So what? It doesn’t mean I am the cause of her disease. Trust me. It's been there for nine years."
William’s eyes popped, his heart sank, body shaking in pure horror, "Nine years?! What the fuck are you talking about?!"
William’s brow furrowed in deep, agonizing confusion, losing his breaths, on the verge of panicking.
"What is it? Is it a blood disorder? Is it genetic? She said I had to find the name myself. Please help me, my brother."
Luke leaned back, becoming serious gradually, “Don’t worry. It won’t kill her- Or that’s what I hope so. But it is as she said- Incurable. She could never recover from this.”
“Is it… trauma or something?”
"Luke, please," William begged, a sound so rare it stiff Luke, "Just tell me the name of the disease. I can't breathe knowing she's suffering in silence."
After contemplating his powerless condition, Luke had one question for him, “Do you love her, William?"
His voice broke, “She is my wife, my life partner. How can I… let her die?”
“Do you love her or not, William?”
“If that’s what will make you spill the bean? Fine. I love her.”
‘Even now,’ A vile smirk came on Luke’s lips, ‘You refused to love her.’
“Oh, William…” Rising from his seat, Luke walked towards his brother and placed his hand over shoulder, giving it a pitiful squeeze.
"Be careful. By the time you find the name of her disease, you might find you have caught it, too."
After receiving vague answers from Luke, William kept wondering: ‘What could it be? That was there for nine years and ‘I’ didn’t see it?’
While on the other hand, Arabella was at home, once again, staring at her things William stole to adorn their room. She was humming to herself and unexpectedly received a text from Luke.
Luke: Don’t think I did this for you. It’s for my brother. I still pray the worst for you, Arabella.
Before Arabella could text back and question what he meant, she recognized the footsteps and left all her work mid-way.
William entered, Liyah was reading a book, Arabella elegantly slipped out of the room and grinned at her man, “Hey, Welcome Home.”
“Oh, the Queen is finally out of her room,” Liyah mocked from behind, flipping the page.
Arabella, as usual, decided to ignore her and walked towards William, smiling beautifully, extending her hands towards him.
William, whose mind was barely functioning, snapped, “So what?! Can’t she come to greet her husband?”
Both women were shocked, staring at the man who, for the first time, didn’t even bother to fake composure and threw his bag on the table and stormed inside his room.
Liyah and Arabella exchanged perplexed looks, having the same question: ‘What’s with him?’