Ethan Sterling’s fingertips held the last of the cigarette, the glowing tip fell to the ground, extinguished by Ethan’s foot: "Ryan Sterling brought my mother’s friend to the villa with the purpose of provoking her illness, and then he could use the police to kill her."
Seraphina Redgrave sat silently, listening intently.
"After my mother died, Ryan took advantage and married that woman into The Sterling Family, then chased my sister and me from the old mansion, forced us to live in Hibiscus Garden. I believe he actually hoped we, the descendants of the mentally ill, would simply disappear, erasing his unspeakable deeds from memory."
Ethan Sterling recounted the past slowly, then pointed towards the garden not far away: "You know what happened next; my sister died in the garden, right there."
Seraphina Redgrave looked up as if returning to the snow-covered garden.
So young, she ended her life amidst endless despair.
"After my sister died, her body lay there, covered in snow, until I begged Ryan to bury her peacefully, but he left without even a glance," Ethan scoffed, his face full of sorrow, "I was just a child then, afraid to cremate her for fear of not being able to gather the ashes, so I dragged her body to the lakeside to bury her."
Seraphina stared unconsciously at his wrist, the black cat there no longer seemed sinister.
"I was too young, didn’t know I needed tools to dig such a large hole, so clumsily dug with bare hands through day and night."
Ethan’s voice was hoarse but devoid of emotion, only flipping his hand before his eyes: "Fingers worn and nails gone, I cried to my sister about the pain, but there would never again be warm embraces or anyone to comfort me. My sister lay silently on the ground, eyes closed, not looking at me."
"It’s all in the past."
Upon hearing this, Seraphina realized she was comforting Ethan.
"In the past?" Ethan turned to Seraphina, laughing mockingly, "I can’t move on, I forever remember the cold dirt by the lake, crying until my vision blurred, still hoping she’d awaken, hug me once more, but until that pit was dug and filled, until I could no longer see her gentle face, she never opened her eyes."
At this point, Ethan’s eyes finally showed emotion, extreme sadness.
Seraphina gazed into his amber eyes and finally understood why Ethan disliked departures.
Such a request might be welcomed by other women, but she was Seraphina.
Ethan looked back at Seraphina, the night’s breeze touching her pure face, as she simply watched him, he felt immense security.
Suddenly, he grabbed Seraphina’s wrist, pushing her onto the cold ground.
Seraphina leaned against the steps, feeling uncomfortable, but Ethan held her wrist firmly, pressing her against the steps, gazing at her pure face, voice low.
"Seraphina, why haven’t you acted yet?"
Seraphina looked at Ethan.
Their eyes met intensely, Ethan showing an emotion she couldn’t understand.
He knew Ryan had approached her.
No wonder he was acting strange tonight.
Seraphina spoke calmly: "Young Master Sterling holds great power, naturally I dare not easily believe others’ words, otherwise I might fail to kill you, costing my own life."
On the rooftop, she knew it wasn’t a good plan.
"You don’t want to act against me."
Ethan fixed his gaze on Seraphina’s eyes, words deliberate.
Having spoken, Ethan pressed beside Seraphina, his presence overwhelming.
Hearing this, Seraphina’s gaze became resolute.
"Ryan wants to kill me, surely promised you irresistible benefits to act willingly, with your ability, there are many ways to kill me, yet you haven’t acted."
The night was dark, Seraphina could only see Ethan’s suddenly bright eyes: "Because you simply don’t want to act."
The courtyard was silent, only Ethan’s voice echoed.
"Yes, I didn’t intend to act."
Seraphina responded openly, though lying on the steps was uncomfortable, she pushed against Ethan’s chest wanting him to rise and stop pressing her. But Ethan showed no intention of moving, pinning her to the steps.
"Reason." Ethan stared into Seraphina’s clear eyes, full of surging emotion, "Do you think it’s pitiful I have such genes?"
Seraphina responded swiftly.
"What other reason could there be? You have feelings for me, can’t bear it?"
Ethan asked again, looking at Seraphina, his long eyes appearing even more beautiful from her angle. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel_fіre.net
Ethan seemingly determined to get an answer today.
"No," Seraphina responded, a bit helpless, "Can you get up first? The steps are uncomfortable."
Ethan released Seraphina, but his gaze remained fixed on her.
Seraphina struggled to sit up, adjusting her rumpled sleepwear, speaking slowly: "No one lives without ever falling ill in life, colds, fevers, life and death are human nature, you are merely ill, why should I pity you."
Ethan scoffed: "How can a genetic disorder compare to a cold?"
"Is there a difference?"
"Since childhood, servants called me a little nutcase, my food always spoiled because they deemed me unworthy of normal food. They said my eyes were creepy, forbidding me to look at them," Ethan’s voice was hoarse, "My sister feared her own genes too, teaching me to be gentle and kind, believing it would prevent bloody actions, yet she still fell ill, killing all the servants in the villa."
No matter how gentle and kind originally, when ill, one becomes uncontrollably demonic.
"How could that be like minor illnesses?"
Ethan scoffed in self-deprecation.
"Do illnesses have statuses?"
Seraphina looked at Ethan with an uncomprehending gaze, having not a hint of impurity in her eyes.
She was the first to view him this way.
Seraphina sensed Ethan’s gaze gradually warming, seeming to burn her, awkwardly turning to face the garden, suddenly recalling the previous incident in the car, couldn’t help but speak: "Previously, you made me take birth control pills, was it fearing the illness would pass on?"
She originally thought it was Ethan’s usual way of dealing with women.
Now reflecting, the reason was likely also this genetic sickness.
Ethan sneered: "I would let you bear children, but fear if ever born, you’d only give birth to another sick madman like me."