Zach continued, "It's only fair that one pays for the life they took with their own life. There are certain things | haven't disclosed to you because | didn't want to taint the world as you know it. Hayson wasn't a righteous man, and neither am I..." Madelyn had always been striving for a pure life. She had been aware of what Zach was saying.
Hayson had never been a virtuous person. When Madelyn's classmates at school bullied her, hit her, and insulted her, she couldn't bring herself to speak up. She endured the bullying because she was known as Hayson's daughter.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEven if she did confide in Hayson about her problems, he would never empathize. He would merely instruct her to endure it and avoid causing trouble at school. Consequently, Madelyn could only suffer in silence.
Slowly, Madelyn released her bite, leaving fresh blood on her lips. Zach's dark-striped pajamas were also stained with blood.
She responded, "He faced retribution and died. What about you, then? Why don't you die? You've harmed so many people. Why do you deserve to continue living? He deserved to die, and so do you!" Her intense emotions caused a teardrop to fall from her long eyelashes.
Zach gazed deeply at her bloodstained lips. The contrast between her lips and her watery eyes made her look pitiful.
He wiped the blood from Madelyn's lips with one hand and slipped his other hand into her long hair, cradling the back of her head as he held her tightly. They could feel each other's warmth. "I won't die, Madelyn... You must stay with me and live well." Madelyn retorted, "I'll never want to stay with you." Zach responded, "Someday, you'll understand.” Madelyn said, "I don't want to understand. I'll never want to understand. Why does it have to be me? Why must | bear all this retribution? | haven't done anything wrong. Why?! Why do | have to endure so much suffering?" She was lost in her thoughts, ‘Zach's hatred and vengeance against Hayson fell on me, just as Kai's did, and even Rosario, the person | considered as family. They all pushed me to the brink and drugged me... Both in my previous life and in this one...
"I've worked so hard to change everything. But why is it still the same?’ Zach held her in this embrace for over an hour without moving, as the numbness and stiffness in her arms and body paled in comparison to the weight of her unresolved despair.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe thought, "From now on, I'll gradually make amends for the mistakes | made in the past." Madelyn's eyes were swollen from her tears. For dinner, Zach had the servants prepare pasta and deliver it to her room.
In the dimly lit study, with only the desk lamp illuminated, Zach was shirtless. A prominent bite mark marred his left shoulder, stained with dried and scabbed-over blood. In addition to this new injury, several old, shocking scars adorned his body.
He mused, 'She was quite ruthless!" Zach disregarded the pain and carefully applied iodine to the wound. The wound was substantial and vulnerable to infection.
After dressing the wound and putting on his shirt, he made his way into the bedroom where Madelyn was comforting Dalton.
The thunder outside rumbled, and a storm raged on.