Chapter 221 - 221: They Talked

"Do you hate me?"

"Do you hate me?"

Both of them said those four words, asking each other at the same time. 

Erick and Elle paused for a moment after hearing the same question coming from each other. They were truly a husband and wife, thinking the same thing at that time. Again, the room was engulfed by silence.

Erick was the one who moved from his spot. He stood up, walking towards Elle to face her. Upon reaching her, he immediately fell on his knees in front of her.

Elle's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey. What are you doing? Get up!"

However, Erick just ignored her words, He stayed still on his spot, kneeling and unmoving. Then he held her hand which was hit by the bullet. His eyes darkened as he looked at her wounded hand. It was still covered by a bandage.

"I am really sorry, Elle. I didn't mean to hurt you but I did. I broke my promise. I am really sorry. I hope you can still forgive me. If I could just turn back time…" Erick told her. His voice was filled with regrets and guilt.

Elle's heart tightened on her chest. She had to admit that she felt disappointed after what he had done to her. 

"You doubted me at that time," Elle said to him, pouring out her disappointment.

"That truth was more painful than the physical wound you inflicted on me," she told him truthfully as she smiled bitterly.

Erick couldn't refute her because what she said was true. He just kept silent. looking down on the floor. He regretted it. 

"Do you think I will let you see my bad sides? Do you think I will kill someone in front of the person I love? Do you think I don't care about how you will think of me if I do that?" Elle started to vent her grief and pain after what happened.

Erick felt weak on his knees just hearing her words. He felt helpless. He didn't know how he would be able to redeem himself after what he had done to her. 

Now he was losing his courage to look at her. He was afraid to see her hatred towards him. He was cursing himself inwardly. He released her hand. He felt like he didn't have the right to touch her right now.

Tears were already in his eyes, but he tried to hold it and failed. His tears started to flow from his eyes and fell on the floor like raindrops. He felt horrible. His heart was being torn apart.

Just like Erick, Elle was now also shedding her tears. It continued to seep down her cheeks but she didn't sob. She just continued to speak as she wiped her tears.

"But I couldn't blame you. I know it was hard for you to accept the truth unfolding in front of you at that moment. Seeing me and Selena in that situation, you must be thinking I was the perpetrator and she was the victim, am I right? After all, I am Catseye."

Erick didn't respond to her. He just clenched his fist and gritted his teeth.

"You must be asking yourself why I did that," she added.

"I don't know if you will believe me but I had no intention of hurting her. I just needed her that time so that I could escape and return home, back to the place where my husband was waiting for me. But suddenly you just appeared in front of me."

Finally, after his long silence, Erick spoke up. He started to share his thoughts with her.

"That day, I already knew about your identity as Catseye," he said which made Elle speechless.

She was very shocked to hear that revelation from him. 

'What did he mean by that? He already knew it but how?' Elle pondered to herself.

"I should have confronted you that night but I was still in denial. You prepared a romantic dinner for us, how could I have the heart to spoil everything. I decided to forget about it and enjoy the night with you."

"How did you discover the truth about me?" Elle asked him curiously as she looked down at him.

Erick was still kneeling in front of her but she didn't have the intention to stop him. Deep down, she was still upset about him. She wanted to punish him for shooting her so she would let him suffer for a while.

"The missing necklace which I gave you. It was in Black Shadow's possession. I believe that you lost it during your encounter with Reaper and Black Shadow found it. He was very certain that it belongs to Catseye." Erick explained to her.

Elle did not further ask him how they were able to get that information with Black Shadow. She already knew that the Task Force members were doing their best to catch her. They even got closer to Black Shadow. 

Those agents were capable and competent. They finally found an important clue and Erick was very smart to connect all the dots and succeeded in solving the puzzle. As expected to her husband.

"That night I woke up and I received a call from one of my colleagues telling me that Black Shadow was about to meet Catseye. I searched for you all over the house but I didn't see you. I was worried sick about you. What if you really went out to meet him that night and something bad will happen to you? I was in a panic. Then I received another call from James's assistant. He said you kidnapped Selena. Then I found you in that warehouse."

A light flashed in Elle's eyes. 'So that's what happened.'

"So you knew all along that I am Catseye?!"

Erick just nodded at her.

"And still you slept with me that night?!" Disbelief was written all over her face.

Erick just nodded again.

"How could you do that?!"

"Because I don't hate you even if you are Catseye. I love you as Elle, my wife." Erick responded to her sincerely. 

Elle felt very touched after hearing that but then something popped up in her mind.

Elle shot him a sharp glare. "Is that the reason why you are very harsh to me that night? Because you knew that I am Catseye."

Erick gazed up to see her face. He was confused. 

"When did I become harsh on you that night?" 

They didn't know why but suddenly the heavy atmosphere between them was long gone. As they continued to talk the tension between them was slowly disappearing unlike before. Maybe because as of this moment, they became honest with each other.

Elle punched him on his chest. "You are such a beast! You intentionally exhausted me that night and drained all my energy! Are you punishing me that night?" she complained to him.

When Erick realized what she was referring to he was not able to stop himself from bursting into laughter. He remembered how Elle begged him just to stop.

Seeing him laughing at her, Elle threw several punches again, aiming at his chest. Because of her advances along with his numb legs due to kneeling for a very long time, Erick was out-balanced causing him to fall on the floor backward.

But he was not the only one who fell. He dragged Elle with him. Lying his back on the cold floor, Elle was now on top of him.

Meeting each other's gaze, Erick repeated his prior question to her. "Elle, do you hate me?" he softly said with his serious tone. His eyes were filled with fears and uncertainties.

"I am upset with you but I don't hate you. I already said that I couldn't blame you." Elle replied to him as she looked straight into his brown eyes. Then she saw the relief in his eyes after she said that.

"Can you tell me the truth about what happened that night? Why did you suddenly leave the house? You didn't consider what I would feel when I woke up and didn't see you beside me."

Elle stood up first before she answered him. Erick also did the same. Now they were both sitting on the bed, side by side.

"I should have drugged you that night to make sure that you won't wake up. D*mn, why is it I didn't do it? So foolish of me." Elle whispered to herself.

"What?" Erick asked her as he heard her mumble something but he didn't hear it clearly.

"Nothing."

Erick was now quietly and patiently waiting for her explanation.

"You knew that I have an accomplice right?" Elle asked him. Erick just nodded.

"Arison family is very rich so aside from the police they hired men to search for me just to bring justice to Jorge. They caught my accomplice and tortured him just to get information about my whereabouts. That night, I went to save him. I kidnapped Selena in order to use her just in case I needed to negotiate with them."

'So James lied to me about the money.' Erick thought to himself. He believed Elle.

"Everything was going according to my plan but unfortunately you came into the picture and it was all ruined." Elle heaved a frustrated sigh.

Elle didn't plan on telling Erick about Charles nor about James's involvement in Skull Gang. James and Elle had an agreement that they won't tell others about this even to Erick.

"So you are the one who deactivated the bomb," Erick commented.

"But why did you suddenly-" Erick stopped midway. He was not able to finish his sentence since this topic was very sensitive for them both.

"Black Shadow was on my tail. He was there. He pointed a gun in your direction. I felt alarmed and didn't have time to warn you so I picked up my gun and then-" Elle didn't continue. Both of them already knew what happened next.

Then the deafening silence visited them once again.

"Alright. Let's stop here for a while and take our rest. Tomorrow is another day." Erick suggested to her.

He wanted to know her whole story but he wouldn't force her. Tonight they were already emotionally exhausted. The important thing was she's back to his side.

Furthermore, he finally grasped the situation that night. That shooting incident was really a big mistake, a big misunderstanding between them. But he still wondered about Black Shadow's involvement that night.

'Why is it he didn't shoot after I shot Elle?' he marveled at this thought.

Meanwhile, Elle agreed on his suggestion as they both lay down on his bed. He wrapped her into his arms.

"I am glad that you return home tonight. I miss you so much. I thought I was about to go mad as I didn't see you by my side."

"I remembered that today was the day your parents were visiting, that's why I took all my courage to come home and face you." Elle paused as she gazed up to see his face.

"Besides I am also missing you so much and I am dying to see you." Elle softly mumbled before she buried her face into his chest and hugged him tightly.