Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 52

**Warning:** This chapter involves explicit scenes of violence, death, physical abuse, brutality and murder themes. It could be seriously triggering to some readers...

Elysia's POV:

A peculiar impulse surged within me, compelling me to step out of the car and approach them, my heart thumping irregularly. I observed the traffic light, seconds away from turning green. With hurried steps, I crossed the road just as Sebastian called my name when the signal changed.

Glancing back momentarily, I found him, getting out of the car and navigating through the passing cars. My focus, however, snapped back to the direction where I last saw Ares. My heart raced with anxiety, unable to spot him anymore.

"He's going to be fine. Don't be paranoid, Elysia!" I muttered to myself, fingers tightly clutching my clothes as I scanned the passing alleyways. Why was Ares in this area? He typically commutes to the office in his car. I couldn't have been mistaken; it was undoubtedly him.

Spotting a familiar Audi parked nearby, panic surged within me. I anxiously searched for him, repeatedly straightening my already neat sleeves. Countless unsettling scenarios filled my mind, paranoia scratching at my neck. Rubbing my nape, I approached his car. Ares wasn't inside; he must be somewhere around, surrounded by them. The disconcerting thoughts intensified.

What's happening to me?

Why are these irrational ideas occupying my mind?

As my breaths quickened, I hastily opened my purse, fumbling for my pills. However, my efforts to calm down seemed futile, as if my body refused to heed my brain's instructions. Retrieving my pill bottle, I discovered it was empty.

"I forgot to buy..." I trailed off, closing my bag once more. In the past few days, juggling between worrying about mom's surgery and work, I forgot to take my medicines, neither feeling a need for them, and hadn't paid attention to refill my pills.

"Ma'am!" I turned to see Sebastian sprinting towards me. "Never do that again, please, it's dangerous. Mr. Knight has given me your responsibility—"

"Sebastian, it's his car. I saw some people around him. They seemed weird; there was definitely something wrong with the way they were surrounding Ares. We need to find him; he could be in danger at this moment. Let's search for him," I interjected, looking at him expectantly.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, averting his gaze. "Okay, ma'am, I will look for Mr. Knight, but I need to send you back before that, and I promise I would come back here."

"Are you hearing yourself? I told you he could be in danger right now, and yet you're saying you'd drop me first?" I asked incredulously.

My mouth hung open when he stayed silent. How could he? Ares is his boss.

Moving my gaze away from him, I looked around the streets. It was still early in the morning, and it wouldn't be so hard to find them since there weren't many people around.

I ignored Sebastian, turning the other way, scanning the surroundings. He kept following after me, insisting I listen to him and go back to the car, but I turned a deaf ear to his requests.

My ears pricked up when I heard a groaning noise of a man, along with an audible thud. With rushing footsteps, I turned the corner, halting in my steps.

My breathing seized, seeing Ares standing in the middle, surrounded by six guys, his back to us as the man in front of him said something.

"Get back, ma'am!" Sebastian ordered, coming forward.

I saw the man in front of Ares looking past him, at us and said something in Ares' ear, causing him to look back towards us.

His eyes widened, finding me here. Before I could react, a sudden movement around him caught my attention, my wide shocked eyes shifting my gaze to the man behind him who pulled a knife, stabbing Ares.