n

n

nA few days after Cassidy was brought to the hospital, Adrian returned home on his own - with the absence of his wife mirroring the absence of life within him all the while.

nDuring his phase of denial, dead silence weighed over the place. It was worse than before, and as time went by, it only got more and more unbearable. Ever since, it is hell for everyone in the Millicent's household - hell that is ironically wintry and freezing cold.

nEverything is no longer the same. With her disappearance, all of it changed in only a snap.

n

"Welcome, Sir Edward. Thank you for coming...

" Mia solemnly greeted their guest at the entrance of the mansion alongside the other maids and menservants.

n

"Really, we appreciate your timely visit, Sir. We have been having a difficult time with the President for a while now.

"

n

"Again...?

" Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

n

"Don't worry. I'll go talk to him.

"

n

"Yes, of course-

"

nThen, she paused.

nOnly when Edward started walking in did they realize that Olivia was behind him all along. Unlike the last time she was here, she was no longer cowering in fear. Instead, she looks firm. The side of her face where Cassidy slapped her actually left a bruise, but she only let it be instead of covering it - pair that with her unwavering gaze and tenacious expression, she appears quite commendable.

n

"G-Good day to you, Ma'am Olivia,

" Anthony took the lead to greet while everybody else followed.

n

"Good day to you, too. May I ask where our brother is?

" Olivia questioned to which he only gestured for them to trail after him.

n

"Not in the usual this time. I'll lead you there.

"

nEventually, they learned that Adrian finally left his bedroom and went for a change of setting - the location turning out to be the grand aquatic vivarium that he built for Cassidy.

nLike before, they find him in a complete mess. Bottles of wine are keeping him company in the middle of this imposing waterfall display where he once had dinner with his wife. He is staring off into space and sitting around in complete silence. His mind seems to be drifting off far from that place.

n

"That is his sixth one for today...

" Anthony started once more, referring to the wine bottle that Adrian was holding.

n

"We kept talking him out of it, but he never listened. And it's barely past noon yet.

"

n

"I understand. Thanks for your hard work. We'll take it from here,

" Edward reassured him before sighing for the nth time since he arrived.

n

"Irish will be coming later. She is still at work. Can you lead her here?

" Olivia asked to which the manservant only nodded in return.

nWith that, he excuses himself and makes his way out of the conservatory, leaving the two behind. For a moment, they only continue watching their brother from a distance. They can't help but feel bad and sympathetic towards him, especially with how he keeps acting like it is the end of the world.

nIn all actuality, Adrian did feel that his world had ended the moment Cassidy left him.

n

"Take care, Adrian. Please, don't look for me anymore. I'll be fine on my own.

"

nThose were her last words to him before they parted ways.

nAs much as he didn't want to recall it anymore, he couldn't forget how much that pained him. He felt like dying over and over again in every word of parting that she said - it was crueler than death. Ever since, he came to believe that he truly died. He is nothing but a walking corpse at this point, unable to feel anything but pain.

nHe badly wanted to stop her right then - to keep her from leaving. In fact, he was dying to take a hold of her and never let her go. But then, the remaining sensible piece of him had kept him locked into place. He was too numb to move or to further any utterance.

nAnd so, Adrian could only watch how Cassidy walked away from him. The fact that he didn't even have an idea where she was going had made him feel worse. He felt like a pathetic, useless waste of space who deserved not a single ounce of love nor sympathy, and he knew he was doomed to suffer without her by his side.

n

"As if staying absent from work for a long time is not enough, he has not been eating much lately. He no longer goes out of the mansion either. Day in and day out, he has been drowning himself in alcohol, which is something he never did before,

" Olivia muttered, feeling worried and distressed by his depressed state.

n

"What's more, he didn't want to accept any visitor. Even Mother couldn't get in. If words reach Grandfather, things are bound to get messier...

" Edward trailed off with a downhearted tone.

n

"As much as possible, I want this entire thing to be between us for now. Having more people around will only worsen his condition, considering that the only person he really wants to see is Cassidy.

"

n

"It has been days now, huh? I still can't believe that she left right after being discharged from the hospital. It all happened too suddenly.

"

n

"The boys were devastated by the news. I did not plan to let them know about her departure, but for some reason, Damien got ahead of me. Hugo ended up crying for hours straight while Joshua were in a bad mood the whole day.

"

n

"My poor nephews... And to think that their uncle has it a lot worse... This family is in shambles.

"

nWithout them noticing it, Irish already arrived and went after them to the conservatory.

nSince she is standing behind them the entire time, she gets to hear their conversation. She is one to announce her entrance in the grandest way possible, but this time, she has decided to walk up to them without making any sound. When she cleared her throat in hope of being acknowledged at last, she ended up throwing them off guard more than she intended.

n

"Irish, you're finally here,

" Olivia blurted out while Irish only waved her hand dismissively.

n

"Yes, of course, I'd finish work earlier than usual. This is my lil' bro we're talking about. How is he, by the way?

"

n

"Either worse or the same. It's bad either way,

" Edward replied and shrugged before slackening in exhaustion.

nAs Irish went closer and took a peek at Adrian, she found herself being pierced through the gut and wincing for a moment before remembering the encounter she had with a certain someone a while ago.

n