Chapter 173 Seeking Her Help
William was finally asleep, though his brow remained furrowed in a permanent state of worry. Arabella sat beside him, her hand resting on his chest, feeling the steady pumping of his heart.
“I am here, I will never leave. I swear.” She leaned down, whispering promises into the quiet room.
Vows that they would face the coming storm together, no matter how dark or harsh circumstances become.
Restless and starving, she eventually slipped out of the room.
The house was quiet, the air cool. She found her way to the back stairs, staring out at the garden as the sun rose but the weather was chilly.
"It’s cold out here," a voice said.
Arabella didn't turn. She knew the cadence of Luke’s voice. He stepped forward, draping a soft wool shawl over her shoulders before sitting a respectful distance away on the steps.
“Didn’t you go to work?” She asked quietly.
“No. Not when my brother needs me.” He replied coldly.
They sat in silence for a long time, the weight of their shared history hanging between them like a barrier. Luke stared into nothingness, everything for a moment flashed in his mind.
She cheated. She married William. She was always William’s.
"You were right," Luke said finally when the realization broke through, "To seek what I have lost is foolish.”
His gaze lowered, his hands in a powerless fist, his lips quivered. That relationship was his shore to eradicate his pain of Peach.
It was a bubble that burst.
“But... I think I’ll always hate the fact that you dated me while you were still in love with my brother. That I was only an 'available option'."
"I was desperate to move on from him, Luke. And desperate people do desperate things.”
Arabella pulled the shawl tighter around her, her body flinching. The time only emerged as remorse.
She felt like she had failed herself, that her love failed. If she hadn’t, if she had waited… Only if she knew.
“I thought if I chose someone else- the fire for him would finally go out."
"Why did you want to move on in the first place?" Luke asked genuinely curious, looking at her sideways.
"He was always looking at you. You two always looked… ‘perfect’ together."
"Helena told me differently," Arabella whispered, a bitter smile touching her lips.
"She said William only thought of me as a sister. There was no hope left for me, I didn’t want to embarrass myself. You saw my desperation too, remember?"
Luke let out a sharp, dry laugh, shaking his head and remembering how Helena made him choose Arabella too.
"That Helena... always giving the worst advice to the people who need it most. She did the same to me. She told me to go after you too…"
"She just wants me to be her sister-in-law," Arabella smiled weakly.
“I still wonder how you managed to convince William to marry you.” He sighed, “But then again, he is a man too. How long he could have resisted.”
She didn’t correct him. She willingly accepted the blame. A beautiful smile adorned her lips, tugging her hair behind her ear.
Luke noticed. He waited for an explanation that never came. His theory solidified: She waited for her ‘real’ love to return. When he did. She tricked him into marrying her.
Another long silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant sound of the wind through the trees.
"Luke..." Arabella started, her voice trembling.
"What is really happening? Why is William so terrified of Liyah? It’s more than just money or childhood trauma, isn't it?"
Luke stood up, brushing the dust from his trousers. He looked down at her. For a moment, he looked like he might tell her everything, the true trauma, the ache of silence.
But he just shook his head. He couldn’t. Not when William hadn’t.
"It’s not Liyah he’s scared of, Arabella," Luke paused.
"He’s afraid of his own self.”
With the final enunciation, he walked away, leaving her on the stairs, sinking in a confusion pool.
She went back to the room and stayed by William’s side for the rest of the day.
In the evening, Peach returned from her hectic work schedule. She glanced at Luke suspiciously, wondering if his feelings overflowed or not.
But, he was too busy working on the files and the second she arrived, he rushed to her side.
“Peach. I need your help.”
She smirked, brushing her knuckles on his jaw, “Anything for you, my love.” He frowned when she held him. He lowered her wrist and turned to the table.
“Can you–” He stopped, curled his hand in a fist, pulling back.
“Never mind. I will handle it myself.” He shook his head, turning back to his files, moving with a cold, piercing precision.
“I don’t think I trust you with my brother’s biggest secret yet. Especially not when you have tried to separate me from him once.”
She reached out to hold his arms, forcing him to face her. Her emerald gaze narrowed with desperation.
“I kept the secret that William married his brother’s girlfriend. Not a single soul knows. What makes you think I won’t keep this one?” She asked sternly, blinded by the intense desire of gaining his trust.
Luke’s jaw twitched. He wanted to believe her, but the risk was too high. One leak could crumble his bond with William forever.
“William is trusting me. He's asking for my help for the first time in his life. I can’t disappoint him.”
“Then let me help, please! I won’t disappoint you. Give me a chance to prove I'm on your side.” She whimpered, her hands sliding around his waist, clinging to him, her body trembling
Luke blinked, looking down at her, observing her desperation, “Are you truly that desperate for my forgiveness, Peach? Or is this just another act?”
“I want you to be mine again,” she whispered, her eyes filling with a rare, honest moisture.
“I will do anything for you, Luke. I can’t lose the only man who ever truly noticed me. Who was there when my father wasn't... when I wasn't even there for myself.”
She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his racing heart. Her devotion was transparent, flickering in the very way she breathed.
“Tell me,” she whispered. “What can I do?”
Luke stared at her for a long, agonizing moment.
Slowly, his stone-cold heart began to melt. His hands moved tentatively, resting on her shoulders. For the first time in years, he decided to gamble on her.
“I need a lawyer. The best one.”
Peach’s face glowed with a dark, triumphant light, “Of course. For what? To settle the assets? To crush Liyah? Or for–”
“To wipe the blood off my brother’s hands.”