Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 55

Third Party's POV:

Esme leaned against the cold hospital wall, her hands buried in the pockets of her hoodie. Her head turned sideways, she gazed into the hospital room through the small glass area of the door.

Inside, Elysia sat on a chair beside Sandra's bed. They were engrossed in a lively conversation, laughter filling the room. Everything appeared strangely normal, until the memory of today's unsettling incident lingered in Esme's mind.

Esme's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to decipher Elysia's overly cheerful mood. On their way to the hospital, Elysia had been distant, lost in thought, unwilling to talk, and kept staring at her hands like they didn't belong to her. However, the moment they entered Sandra's room, Elysia's demeanor took a sharp flip, as if the earlier dissociative episode hadn't happened at all.

Sandra, oblivious to the recent events, didn't notice Elysia's unusual behavior. But Esme did. Feeling the need to gather her thoughts, she excused herself for a while, leaving the room to contemplate the complex emotions swirling within her.

Leaning her head against the hospital wall, Esme let out a small sigh. Her thoughts drifted back to the reason she rushed there—Elysia's phone location. Esme had installed GPS as a precaution, after Elysia's trip to Spain and it was beneficial for these type of situations.

Her thoughts wandered back to the conversation she had with Ares earlier in the day. The revelation that he was delving into Elysia's past actually caught her off guard for a moment, and worried her at the same time.

As far as the case was concerned, Ares wouldn't make much progress without a lead. The reason being, Esme had personally wiped every digital trace of that incident. Years ago, at Dean Lawson's request, Esme undertook the task of erasing any lead that could potentially lead back to them or, more importantly, Elysia. She didn't fully comprehend Lawson's motives at that time but dutifully carried out her part.

Dean claimed to have already eradicated the physical records. However, dealing with digital records involved a discreet and traceless hacking into government systems; in short, Esme's expertise.

If Esme had not read the files before discarding them, she would have remained oblivious to what really happened to her. Elysia seldom spoke of that period in her life, not because she didn't want to, but it was a torment for her; discussing anything about Nova, and so she opted for silence.

Esme closed her eyes, fingers running through her shiny black hair. Despite being the closest person to Elysia, the weight of the things Esme concealed from Ely burdened her deeply.

The moment Esme spotted Ares' injury, she understood the reason behind Elysia's intense reaction. It wasn't merely the sight of blood or violence – Elysia had seen more during the years they spent together. She had tended to Sven and Esme's wounds countless times, and it never bothered her.

The trigger for Elysia wasn't the immediate situation; it was Ares himself. Seeing him in danger unraveled something deep within her. Whether Elysia admitted it or not, her heart still beat for him, even after all these years, even when he was miles away, even when she never uttered a word about Ares—much like how she didn't utter a word about Nova, yet kept him buried in the deepest part of her heart.

Perhaps it could be for the best?

Ares might be able to break through Elysia's defensive walls and pull her out from the deep abyss she is drowning herself in...?

Maybe... Just maybe...

Esme could have disclosed to Elysia, about Ares' investigation into her past, but she chose silence, swayed by the power in his eyes...