213: [Bonus chapter]Sit in the dark

[Bonus chapter]Sit in the dark

When Hera woke up in the body of Heaven Liu, she embraced this life selfishly. It was a chance for her to live the life she had always wished for. Something she couldn't have in her previous life for the reason she was shackled in that life even before she was born into this world.  0

Hera was unable to take advantage of the escape route created by her mother, Felice, due to the circumstances. 

How could she turn her back on that life when that hell had taken her parents from her? 

How could she walk away when her mother died right in front of her?

That was why… Hera embraced this life even if the entire world would deem her selfish and unfair. Hera wasn't even interested in whether she would ever get an answer on how she got into this body. All that was important was she was alive. Dominic and Sebastian were a bonus that she was very satisfied with.

Everything was good. 

Even if Andrea Ng tried to kill her, Hera was fine with it. 

However, tonight was different.

Heaven gazed down, staring at her palm. She already washed up in the gasoline station, but that didn't mean that was enough to clean her hands. 

'Tonight… I realized I haven't really changed.'Her face crumpled, flipping her hand weakly to see some minor bruises on her knuckles. Her eyes softened as her heart felt heavy, weighing her down. 

It was so easy to delude herself that she simply fought to redeem Axel's dignity. She could say she wouldn't resort to such violence if those rogues didn't touch her brother-in-law. Things were so easy to twist to make herself feel better. To make herself the hero.

But she couldn't.

Because deep in her heart, she knew what she felt. The bloodlust. The thirst. The murderous intent. She knew exactly what she felt tonight.

'I would've killed them,' she whispered in her mind, letting out a deep exhale. 'And I won't even regret or feel bad about it.'

If she was normal, like Axel or anybody else, she would be trembling in fear. Or perhaps she would be sighing in relief for preventing the worse. Heaven felt neither of those. If anything, she felt nothing special in particular.

If emptiness could count, then she just felt empty. 

Even in this second life, even in this body and new identity, she truly hadn't changed. She would always be Hera. 

A changed woman? A new leaf? How ridiculous. 

"There's no such thing," she murmured, weakly laughing in ridicule. 

DING!

Heaven snapped her eyes up, only to see the door opening. However, she only stared at the empty hallway outside before the elevator closed once again. She didn't react or anything as the lift moved down, stopping on a certain floor. 

Heaven just glanced at the two people who went in, watching the man press a button from the corner. 

DING!

When the two people, whom she assumed as lovers, left the lift, Heaven watched it close again. She stayed in the lift, going up and down and watching people come and go. One would think she was losing her mind, but honestly, she just couldn't move her feet. Or rather, she couldn't find the strength to go home. 

Home. 

A safe place for her husband and son. How could she go home right after almost killing a few people?

"I don't know how they did it. Probably because they're mad," she murmured, referring to her parents, who didn't care if they still have blood on them as they would go home, regardless. "Or maybe because they had nothing to hide."

She couldn't do what her parents could do. Especially if in her eyes, Dominic and Sebastian were angels who would never have a place in hell where she belonged.

'I don't have a face to show him.'

DING!

As the elevator produced another ring, Heaven kept her eyes down. She didn't know what floor she had stopped this time or who was coming. It didn't matter. 

"Where… have you been?" suddenly, Dominic's voice caressed her ears. 

She slowly lifted her gaze, only to realize she was back on the penthouse floor. He was standing outside the lift, hand on the door, worry gleaming in his eyes as he looked at her. 

"Where are you going?" she blurted out quietly.

"To find you." Dominic didn't even take a breath, as he had given her an honest answer. "Axel called and apologized for being late. He was asking about you, but you weren't home yet. So I got worried since he said it had been ten minutes since you guys arrived."

"Ahh…"

"Ah?" Dominic frowned slightly, assessing her mood, which worried him. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Here."

"Hmm?"

"I've been standing here since I stepped foot in this lift," she clarified quietly, maintaining eye contact. "I don't think I can go home right away."

Dominic frowned slightly, sighing. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't want to go home right away." Heaven blinked ever so tenderly. "I'm not saying I will never go home. It's just… I'm not okay, Dom. I am currently having an existential crisis, which was why I was paralyzed in this lift."

Dominic pressed his lips into a thin line, studying her face. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly those eyes were telling him, but he could feel her sullen mood. The air she exuded was enough for him to distinguish how serious her claims were.

"I see…" he rocked his head in understanding, peeling his hands from the door. 

But instead of giving her space or telling her he would wait for her, he stepped inside. He wordlessly walked beside her and then plopped his butt down on the floor. He rested his back against the wall, bending his knees where he rested his arms on top of them.

"What are you doing?" she gazed down, staring at him with furrowed brows. 

"If you're stuck there, you should at least sit down." He tapped on the space in front of her heels. "Come. Or am I not allowed to accompany my wife?"

Staring at him, her eyes softened as the corner of her lips curled up subtly. Heaven slowly bent down, sitting beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. As she did so, she felt his fingers slipped in between her fingers.

"Thank you," she whispered, making him smile subtly. 

"If you can't look at the bright side, I'll sit with you in the dark." Dominic rested the side of his head on top of her head, planting a kiss on her knuckles. "Thank you for telling me you're not okay."

And just like that, the two of them sat in the corner of the lift without care if someone goes in to use it. 

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