madelein | ✔

twenty-eight

Sian shook her head in protest with what Zero suggested. She was tempted to open the little white envelope that he was handing out to her. There were light designs on the envelope screaming its elegance and the expense given at each pack. She gulped and turned her back on her cousin.

"Come on, Sian," there was pleading in Zero's voice as he follows her back into the kitchen.

Her hands were shaking when she stated closing Tyler's notebooks and stacked them atop each other. She almost zipped her finger inside the pencil case when she tried to organize the stuff. She placed Tyler upright on the floor and gave him his school supplies.

"Go to your room, baby, mommy will be after you soon," she muttered almost in a hurry. She saw a glimpse of Tyler nodding as his little feet climbed up the stairs onto the second floor where his room was.

"I insist, Sian," Zero still persistent in handing her the invitation for Duke and Chelsea's wedding but she was as stubborn as him to decline.

She pushed his hand away and decided to look at her feet. "Do you think that I am that heartless to watch him," she pointed to the direction of the door almost as if Duke was there, "get married to somebody else?"

Her shoulders moved up and down hysterically as her knees began to collapse beneath her. Her vision welled up once again as she tried her best not to let another tear fall. But she failed. They were now streaming against her cheeks, down to her chin. She felt drops against her toes. Her mouth full of painful sobs.

"I'd rather thin you're much more of a sadist," Zero backed up when Sian raised her hands in fists and started hitting his chest. Hard. However, it looks like it has no effect on Zero as he didn't even flinch a bit at her fit.

"Stupid... stupid..." she whispered in between her sobs, the side of her fists hitting his thick chest at every syllable, "Why are you doing this to me?!" she screamed before her arms turn limp, her fists staying against his chest, the top of her head in between as her teeth gritted against each other.

Zero's arms wrapped around her shoulders as he pulled her into a hug. Her sobs were stuffed against his chest but her shoulders are still shaking uncontrollably. "I'm sorry... but I won't take my words back..."

"I don't like to see him hurting either," her voice was muffled between her sobs and the suit he was wearing, "I don't..."

"Then why did you tell him to do that?" Zero's voice was soft as his rough hand patted her head. "He was hurt. Not just hurt. Broken. He didn't tell me but I could see it."

Sian stayed silent against his chest. Her sobbing stopped now as well as her tears. Her heart was still thumping loudly against her chest as she bit down her lower lip. She was nervous if it will suddenly bleed but it didn't matter.

She knew Duke was hurting too much. She knew it. His eyes still daunts her up until today. His eyes were in her nightmares slapping her in the face that this was her karma, she had to live with it until all of this ends.

She wanted to endure such task but her heart was already weak. If it were other people, maybe she could've endured it. Just maybe. But this was Duke. Her Law. The person she loved so much even in her hiding.

"This was his last request," he pressed and Sian almost gave up. Duke didn't directly say it but Zero knew, it was Duke's chance to set everything straight with his plan in the back of his mind. "Do it, Madelein. For him."

--

The cameras were already flashing as Duke slips into his suit. He sighed and turned towards Titus who was holding his camera up to him. The rascal did dye his hair pink. He sighed and turned his back on the photographer and approached the window of the hotel room.