AS YOU MELT THIS HEART OF STONE

SHOWDOWN

"This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again...

Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together..."
                 
                                       ~ Adele
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She looked peaceful.

She looked so innocent... Her long eyelashes, caressing her chicks, fluttered softly... The sound of her soft, even breathing... The slight parting of her lips... Her hands carelessly splayed on the bed, in loose fists... Everything about her looked so peaceful and calm.

Any passerby would be deceived by this seemingly mundane scene of serenity.

But I knew, better than anyone else, that it couldn't be farther from the truth.

I knew how crushingly terrible the reality was.

I knew that this sleeping beauty, just like in the fairy tale, wasn't actually in some natural, peaceful sleep. She was in a forcefully induced state of unconsciousness, against her will. And if any part of her mind was still awake somewhere deep down, it surely was screaming and kicking and hurting to be free.

And yet, I couldn't help her in this situation, as it was I who put her there in the first place.

Yes, I drugged her.

I still can't shake off the guilt each time I remember the look of utter betrayal on her face as I pressed the cloth soaked with chloroform over her nose. For a moment she forgot to struggle, as she couldn't believe that I would think of doing such a thing to her. By the time realisations hit her and she started to struggle in my arms, the effect already started to take place.

I carried her to her room in my estate, laid her down on the bed and tucked her comfortably under the covers. I couldn't help but notice the wet lines that started at the corner of her eyes, disappearing into her hairs above her ears.

Heaven's! I didn't want to hurt her. I wanted to see her sleeping peacefully, without those faint lines of tears around her eyes, without the effect of drugs, just natural, peaceful sleep, without a spec of worry.

But for that, I had to clean this mess she landed into, or rather, was dragged by her father.

And to succed in that, it was utterly necessary that I keep her literally locked up somewhere safe while I rushed into the battlefield.

My hand involuntarily moved towards her face. Gently pushing few stray locks from over her eyes, I took in every detail of her beautiful face, memorising each and every dips and curves, engraving it to my memory. My hand moved to gently cup her face as I lowered my face and my lips touched her forehead.

I had no words to say to her. I only wished that the unspoken emotions behind that tender kiss had the power to transcend the levels of unconsciousness and touch the portion of her mind which was awake somewhere deep inside.

Without losing another moment, I marched out of the door, locking it behind me.

Harold and Romeo were standing outside the door. I gave them both a deadly stare and said, "I officially put you two out of the charge of my security for now. Your only and sole responsibility will be to make sure that Charlotte Thorne stays behind this locked door, safe, till I return from Tottenham."

"Yes, sir!" Both of them said in unison, military style.

With a curt node at them and a last glance towards the locked door, I rushed out of the estate, along with my combat team, Epsilon squad.