Chapter 216 Shattering

This bonus chapter is dedicated to @edi_o!! Thank you so much for the supergift!!!

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Sitting quietly without moving around, Elle kept glancing over at Sebastian. The car was already speeding out of the Queza and she did not know yet where they were heading towards. She and Sebastian were in the back seat while Lucas was driving.

Sebastian did not say anything yet since the moment they had left their room. Since they entered the car, he quietly sat next to her, his head down, resting his forehead against his palm. His free hand was gripping hers so tight like he was afraid someone would snatch her out of his grip. He seemed to be having a lot on his mind and it was as though he needed to sort out his thoughts before being able to explain what was happening to them.

She stared at his hand that was clutching hers, and the wedding band around his ring finger. Elle felt her heart swelling once again just at the mere sight of it. She had not even told him yet how happy he had made her feel tonight most especially when he had given her the chance to finally slip this precious ring onto his finger. The actions were so significant to her. It told her that he was now willingly acknowledging her as his wife and was announcing to the world through this wedding band, that he was now off limits to other women, and belonged to her alone. Words were no longer enough to express all the emotions she had gone through until... until he...

It was shattering and heart wrenching. That scream. His scream. She actually thought that it was more of an inhuman wail rather than a scream. The sound had come so suddenly and had pierced her heart and crushed her soul when she realized that it had originated from her husband's mouth.

Elle did not know what happened. What made him suddenly shriek and react like that out of nowhere. Just one moment ago, they were both so happy and content in each other's arms, and the next moment Sebastian was... She totally had no idea at all on what had brought that episode on. There was only one thing she knew at the moment – that whatever he just went through was something extremely traumatic. She could swear she had felt the utter horror in that one word he had yelled so agonizingly. The sound of that scream shook her entire being and sent a lancing pain through her heart and soul so excruciatingly. And then that look in his eyes... lord... what was it that this man was going through?

For a man like him to react that way, to be so horrified like that... Elle could not even imagine how deep and how awful whatever the damages inflicted on him were.

Her heart ached so bad. When she felt him trembling in her arms... when he was fumbling while buttoning his shirt... and even now... she just wanted to gather him to her and hug him so bad, to soothe whatever it was that was torturing him. If she could, she would do anything for him.

Gently, she began to run her thumb in large relaxing circles against his hand. Elle was careful to do it slowly and with just the right amount of force, making it into a very repetitive and relaxing movement. She did not want to disturb him as she knew that he must still be trying his best to recover from whatever it was that he had gone through earlier. But she also wanted him to know that she was just here, right next to him. She wanted to wordlessly remind him that she would always be there beside him as a comforting presence.

She heard him take another sharp breath before he finally moved.

"Come closer to me, baby." he called for her. His voice was a little hoarse.

Elle scooted over to him, leaving just slightly less than an inch of a distance between them.

"Closer, baby." He reiterated.

Once again, she obeyed and moved closer until there was no more space between them. She was literally stuck to his side.

He then gently pressed her head against his shoulder and whispered. "Sleep. This trip will be long."

"Can I ask a question?" she thought for a while before asking hesitantly. "But... it's also okay if I can't right now."

"We'll talk in detail once we get there." He told her.

A short silence passed before Elle nodded understandingly.

However, Sebastian suddenly continued. "One question. I'll answer just one question for now. Give me the easiest one... for now..."

She shifted to her side and looked at him.

Her gaze studied him as she decided on the easiest question she had wanted to ask. She had millions of questions... but she knew that this was not the right time to ask them. Not only because he was obviously not ready yet, but also because Lucas was there with them. She wanted to ask him her questions only when they were alone together.

"Do you feel... a little better now?" this was the question that came out of her mouth. She had thought of asking where they were heading to, but she had at the last minute decided on this one instead. She did not really care much on where he was bringing her. He could bring her anywhere he liked, as long as she was there with him. Right, she needed to know if he was alright. He clearly was not, but she still wanted to know if he was at least feeling a little better now. She felt his trembling had stopped.

He reached out and kissed her head. "Yes." He whispered close to her ear. "Now sleep, Iza. You need to rest."

"Mmm. You too, Sebastian." she muttered and he simply made an 'mmm' sound.

Soon, Elle drifted off to sleep.

A couple of hours later, she was fjolted awake by a series of a loud crashing sounds filling her ears.