Your fault

APOLLO’s P.O.V.

"Stop hurting my wife!" I snarled.

As they witnessed Beatrix being torn apart, left only in her underwear, they began to whip her.

God...

"Hit me instead," I said.

Dad looked at me, unsure if I was truly confident in my request.

I repeated, "Hit me instead of her. I will be her shield."

Dad approached me, walking closer. "You're skinny. Will you be able to endure my lashes?" he asked.

With unwavering confidence, I stared directly into his eyes.

"Yes, I can. Just don't harm my wife," I asserted.

Dad chuckled, a mocking laugh escaping him.

"Stop pretending already. I've caught you, alright?"

I simply nodded, urging him to stop spewing nonsense and start striking me. I tightly embraced Beatrix.

"No... I can handle—" she attempted to protest.

"Shhh," I interrupted, gently running my fingers over her lips. "I'll protect you."

"Oh, no, no, no!" Dad exclaimed. "You must remove your clothes as well, Apollo. How can I fully enjoy seeing you in pain?"

Without uttering a word, I stripped off my clothes and held Beatrix close to me.

I knew Dad had orchestrated this so that some of the lashes would inevitably hit Beatrix.

Therefore, for as long as I could, I would embrace her tightly.

"I never wished for any of this. Don't leave me if you feel you can't endure the torment you're receiving," I whispered.

I felt the waves of pain crashing upon us.

At first, the pain was unbearable, but as I heard Beatrix's whimpering cry, I will try to hold my pain.

Beatrix had just lost her brother, and I couldn't let my father get away with hurting her. I knew how dirty my father plays.

Andrei is in good hands now.

I didn't want to give my father any excuse to harm Beatrix further, as she was already going through a lot.

"Ahck..." I grunted in pain as the whip struck me again.

The blows were becoming stronger, and I could sense that the person who was whipping me was bigger than the former.

"I'm sorry, Apollo, I'm sorry," Beatrix stammered, her voice filled with guilt.

It was difficult for me to respond, but I wanted to assure her that I was alright. "It’s okay, I'm fine. You don't have to apologize," I said, mustering all the strength I had left.

Beatrix whimpered, but no tears escaped her eyes. I held her tighter in my embrace, hoping to provide some comfort.

"This is the least I can do to help lessen the burden on your back," I whispered to her.

Suddenly, Beatrix stood up bravely, confronting my father head-on.

"What do you want from us, Mr. Cartier?" she demanded, addressing my father by his surname, treating him like an ordinary man.

My father looked taken aback, clearly offended by her boldness.

"Why are you hurting your son? You're turning into the monster that I didn’t think you were," Beatrix accused, her voice filled with anger and frustration.

I observed my father's emotions, trying to gauge his reaction.

"It is your fault that he's in this situation, and not me," my father retorted, his voice laced with bitterness.

Beatrix chuckled, "Are you using me as an excuse to escape from your own mistakes? Can't you own up to your faults? Maybe that's the reason you can't keep Apollo out of your company. You can’t kick him out."

Despite the pain, I stood up and pleaded, "Beatrix, please stop. I can handle the pain for a bit. Don't do this to yourself."

I tried to pull Beatrix away from my father, holding her arm gently but firmly.

"I know that you know about me from the very start. But you can't kick Apollo out of your company so you keep it in yourself because you want to protect your pride!

Beatrix…

How could she become this fierce knowing that my father is not as kind as she thought he is?

I held her hand and placed it on my chest.

Finally, she looked at me, and a smile escape from my face.

"I think they're done. Shall we go?" I asked.

She seemed to want to say something again, possibly related to Andrei, but I did my best to delay that thought of her.

If my father ever finds out about Beatrix’s brother, I won't be able to forgive myself.

I want to respect Andrei's memory, especially because Andrei is special to my sister Jade.

---

Charis' P.O.V.

Whenever I look at Andrei, I feel like he's my brother.

Seeing him dead in front of me right now makes me want to hurt myself.

It feels like I failed to protect my brother.

"You're so young," Harley said, his voice hoarse as he tried his best to keep his emotions intact.

"I didn't expect that he would die this soon... If life were a playing card, I would gladly donate it to Andrei," I muttered.

Harley caressed my back.

"Life is not a joke, Charis. Maybe it’s the reason why it's not represented as some kind of card. There's no cheating in life. We are all given the same life with the same structured body. Although some humans are predetermined, others are made through our choices," he explained.

I was taken aback.

"Wow, so you can talk like a philosopher now?" I teased.

Harley furrowed his brows.

“What do you think? I couldn’t do that?”

“Yes! I never thought that you could talk like a madman!” I said.

"Madman?!" he exclaimed.

I’m now unable to contain my laughter.

His face turned even redder. Now he looked like cooked rice placed in an automatic rice cooker which is now releasing its smoke.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at him. He always had a way of lightening the mood.

We decided to leave the morgue and search for Beatrix.

She was the first person we wanted to meet, but she wasn't there.

No one knew where she had gone.

As we walked down the hospital hallway, Harley suddenly noticed something...

"I know them," he said, pointing towards a group of people.

I followed his gaze, trying to figure out what he meant.

"What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, those were the people I had a confrontation with that night when Apollo hurt Beatrix," I explained.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me you weren’t saying this to stain Apollo’s name?."

Harley's face showed annoyance. "Why would I do that?"

"There's only one reason. You're infatuated with Beatrix," I accused.

He began to throw a tantrum.

"That's not what I intended. We are just friends," he protested.

"Harley, they didn't harm Beatrix. Maybe they were just the reason why Apollo got angry, but it wasn't their fault," I clarified.

Harley couldn't hide his annoyance any longer.

"If that's what you believe, then I won't argue with you," he said, storming off and leaving me alone in the hospital.

Oh, god...

They say hospitals are like haunted places in every country, like a cemetery where the living and the dying coexist.

What if I encounter ghosts?

Golly, I have to run now!

As loud as I can! I shouted after Harley.

"I will damn well kill you if I catch up to you! How dare you leave me in the hospital?" I muttered angrily.

As I ran away from the hospital, I overheard a conversation about the three men that Harley had mentioned earlier.

"Are you sure he's going to be kicked out Apollo out of the company? That's the only reason why I sided with you," someone said.

"I'm sure he will, but if he doesn't, I'll take matters into my own hands. Right now, I’m sure, Mr. Cartier is doing something for his son. He could have beaten up Apollo, but it's not enough yet," I explained.

"But I'm not with you guys, I'm with Beatrix," one replied.

"Then go with her. Why are you still here if you want to be with her?" they questioned.

"It's not like I want to abandon all of you; you're my cousins, after all. I just don't want to cause any more harm and draw more attention," he clarified.

"We've been doing this for ages. Why do you suddenly feel guilty towards someone?" they asked.

I wanted to know who that man was, the one trying to defend Beatrix.

"I mean, I'm fine with everything that we've been through for so long. We've weathered it all," he said.

"You may be fine, but I'm not. As long as Apollo has everything that Mr. Cartier desires, I will never feel satisfied. It's never enough," he admitted, as he clenched his fist.

In the blink of an eye, I found all three of them standing before me, clenching their fists.

"Next time, be careful where you share or spread your information. If you're not careful enough, well, I'll always find you and wipe that dumb expression off your face," they warned.

Before I walked away, I took a moment to examine and memorize their faces one by one. No matter how difficult it may become, as long as I can remember their faces, their essence, it's enough.

"If you mess with me again, I'll kill you next time," I stated firmly, stomping my feet as I stormed away.

Harley was still smirking at me, clapping his hands as if I were a runway model. I couldn't help but feel a little shy because of his actions. I also couldn't help but blush!

Golly…

I wanted to savor this moment with Harley, but I couldn't, as I saw Beatrix and Apollo. They were both bathed in blood.

I rushed to check on Beatrix, but she immediately transfer Apollo to me.

Three men, presumably Apollo's cousins, stood before us, trying to obstruct our path.

"I warned you that you would suffer," one of them sneered.

"What do you mean I will suffer? That's what you asked when it is your fault that my Apollo is in pain like this? You!" Beatrix shouted.

I saw Apollo tightening the grip on Beatrix's arm, seemingly trying to prevent her from saying anything more.

Ignoring their mockery, Apollo lead the way toward the emergency room, where someone could attend to her wounds and provide the necessary medication.

Beatrix glared at the three men, who seemed to have some hidden agenda or something was happening that I wasn't aware of.

-----

RIX’s P.O.V.

"Please, not there," I pleaded.

The nurses were trying their best to clean my wound.

"How did you get this in the first place?" one of the nurses asked.

I didn't feel like talking, so I remained silent and endured the pain they were causing as they cleaned my wound.

Now, we were in the emergency room, located in the southern section.

The nurses and officials were busy attending to us, when in fact, they shouldn’t be. Were not emergency patience.

Apparently, Apollo's connections were always present, constantly on the move. That’s why they were so busy attending to us.

I just showed them his ID card, and numerous nurses immediately rushed to accommodate us.

Apollo was just beside me.

I leaned on Apollo and whispered to him, "Until when do we have to keep enduring these questions? Can't you do something about it?"

Apollo apologized with a solemn expression.

"Almost done, Beatrix. We're almost there, and you'll get to see your brother," he assured me.

I smiled bitterly, knowing that my fate was intertwined with his.

In this journey, there would be no Andrei. It was something I had to accept and think about.

There will be no cure for my brother's pain. But there will be another pain for me.

Tell me another way to alleviate my suffering.

This is the kind of anguish that seems incurable, and no one can offer any solace.

Desperate for a remedy, something that could momentarily numb the ache.

Even the spirit of alcohol only brings back memories shared with the lost loved one.

No one can truly ease the pain.

Clouded visions start to form before my eyes.

Realizing that there will be another storm approaching.

Apollo leaned my head into his shoulder.

"I wish I could do something to lessen your burden," he whisper.

I gently tousle his hair.

"Don't try to do anything, just be yourself, and I will take care of my pain. These battles are mine to handle. I appreciate that you consider my well-being. But let me solve it myself.."

Apollo remains silent after I utter those final words.

Perhaps he can't find the right words to respond.

Apollo is like a child, helpless and vulnerable.

I wonder if all men can appear this way.

They exude strength in front of others, but when they are alone, he reverts to a childlike state.

I can't help but find solace in it.

Being with him brings me peace.

Seeing him like this is truly wonderful.

Ha…

But no matter how peaceful I could become whenever I'm with him, no matter how many times I tried to fool myself, the pain is still here.

—

When we left the emergency room, we got into his car, the same one we used when we went to the amusement park.

We sat inside the car, with Apollo leaving the air conditioning on.

Both of us closed our eyes, trying to process everything that had transpired today.

"What exactly happened? How did your father find out about my background? How did he discover our contract marriage?" I pondered, searching for answers.

Apollo seemed lost in thought, diverting the topic into something. "Let's not dwell on it for now. Problems have been stacking up, and I don't want to discuss it at this moment."

We went inside his car again.

I let out a deep sigh. "So you want to avoid confronting the problem again?"

Apollo turned his gaze towards me. "That's not what I mean. Maybe we shouldn't mention it yet, as it would only trigger more stress hormones. I don't want our bodies to release that kind of hormones."

I looked outside, the fresh air went inside my nose.

"I just want to know what lies ahead for us after this. What will be the next target? What would they do next? What if the next attack isn't just a typical assault?" I voiced my concerns.

I felt his warm hands caressing my cheeks, urging me to face him.

"Don't think about it as if it’s a normal occurrence because it never is," he whispered softly.

"If it's not normal, then why is your father targeting us? Even if you’re this old, he’s still hitting you?" I questioned.

Apollo sighed in defeat.

"You don't know my family," Apollo replied with a hint of sadness.

"You wanted me to be with you for so long, yet you keep me in the dark about your family. I want to know more, but it seems like you're preventing me from knowing," I expressed my frustration.

"It's not like that," he muttered.

Neither of us spoke further.

This silence granted me more time to contemplate the identities of those who could harm us.

The only people who knew about our arrangement were his cousins and his butler.

Ha…

I don't want to think anymore.

I do not want to think so badly about them,

I closed my eyes, calming myself.

Should I tell Apollo that I'm pregnant?

Would he be happy?

“Apollo,” I called for his name.

He looked at me.