"M—Miss Yu..." Ji Yan gasped when he saw the stormy expression in Ella’s eyes.
Ella lowered her head, her fingers curling into a fist.
Suddenly, she looked up at the three men and spat one word, "Leave."
On the other side, Adrian looked up at the empty balcony. The dim lights in the room did not flicker but the girl was gone from his sight.
The fireflies had dispersed, only a few twinkled along the way, illuminating their surroundings briefly before they disappeared.
All that was left in front of him was darkness.
Adrian’s fingers curled slightly, and his heart constricted in his chest.
A force so violent curled inside him that his veins popped.
A gentle knock against his back and something soft bumped into him.
Two delicate hands wrapped around his waist, clutching onto his suit jacket.
Adrian’s brows loosened, his fingers opened and his heart skipped a beat.
But within a second, something violent flickered in his eyes as the person who hugged him shook lightly.
The sound of soft sobs filled the garden and soon, a patch of his suit got drenched in tears.
Adrian instinctively moved, "Elle..."
"Don’t move..." Ella mumbled.
She spoke normally, but her voice was hoarse.
"Stay still,’’ Ella added softly, not expecting him to comply.
He never listened. He did what he wanted.
The veins on his forehead bulged, his fingers curled but with utter restraint, he stayed still in his position.
Ella lowered her head, and pressed her forehead against his back.
In her previous life, she hated him with everything she had.
She conveniently forgot everything that happened the night before their marriage and she never bothered to find out.
When her life was in shambles, she opened her eyes to realize that she was married to a stranger and he refused to let her go.
Ella despised him for it. But the truth was, yes, a part of her hated Adrian.
But for most part, she had directed all her anger, all her frustration, the rage of her failures and grief onto him. Ella had treated him like everything went wrong with her life because of him in the first place.
And on the verge of death, she confidently told Esther that Adrian will find her.
Not until she stood at the edge of death did it hit her, perhaps Adrian was the only soul who had ever wished for her survival.
He was the only fool who would hand her a knife and turn his back towards her if she asked him to.
Even in this life, Ella had not treated him with sincerity.
She realized he was good to her. And she also realized that he would not set her free.
Out of gratitude and helplessness, Ella switched her tactics. She was grateful to him so she treated him well, no longer throwing tantrums or trying to kill him.
She was helpless against his authority so knowing that she could never escape him, she decided to coax him into setting her free.
All along, the goal of this life had been revenge. As well as a better life where she could do all that she couldn’t do in her previous life.
Adrian was never her focus. He was never her consideration at all.
In all this rush, she had never stopped to think where she belonged.
Until she sat in that chaos and loud in Adrian’s absence did Ella realize that he had always considered her.
He noticed every flinch of her brows, movement of her hands, shift of her gaze and he cared for it.
The moment those words slipped from her mouth, the man could no longer practice any restraint.
He turned around and tilted her chin, looking straight into her eyes that had reddened.
The clouds parted slightly and the moonlight shone above them.
’’Who?" His voice was coated with a hint of death.
As if all she had to do was utter a name and he would make sure that it will never be heard again.
Amidst her crying, Ella’s lips twitched into a small smile, ’’I just felt a little emotional, can’t I?’’
Adrian froze. His cold aura dispersed.
She thanked him. She smiled at him.
It was new. It was weird. And while a part of him liked it, another disliked it.
"You don’t thank me,’’ his thumb carefully wiped her tear stained cheeks.
"Alright, alright," Ella nodded.
Adrian’s movements slowed slightly.
She was never so obedient.
’’Mhm...’’ Ella inhaled a deep breath and blinked her tears away.
’’Your fingers feel rough," Ella grabbed the hand that was wiping her tears.
When she pulled it back, she froze. Countless cuts, big and small, covered both his palms.
On some of them, the blood had dried. With Adrian’s health condition, nobody allowed him to get injured because it took him an eternity to heal.
If it was some big wound then he would suffer for long.
Ella was certain that Ji Yan was not aware of his injuries or these wouldn’t have untreated.
To think that this pampered princess stepped inside some forest to gather fireflies for her.
"The fireflies were beautiful. Had I known you brought them for me, I wouldn’t have let them fly away," Ella looked at the man as she spoke, her fingers caressing his wounds.
Adrian froze, visibly taken aback that she knew of it.
Ella could not visualize the sight of this broad and tall man, dressed in a rare suit, stepping inside a creek forest to gather fireflies, one by one.
Perhaps, a part of her had never thought of him as capable of wanting to put such efforts for anything or anyone.
And another part of her had never expected him to be capable of such gentleness.
"And I never expected..." She suddenly fell silent.
’’I never expected myself to like the sight of fireflies so much."
"You have always liked them,’’ Adrian said calmly.
When she looked at him, he had looked away from her.
’’Always?" When she spoke, he was already gazing at the moon.