Chapter 614 Returning to Serenovia City
Cecilia and Alaric hung out on the island for a week.
Hugo took off early the next morning, figuring that if he didn't see Cecilia and Alaric, he wouldn't be annoyed. Word was, he looked pretty ticked off when he left.
But honestly, no one really gave a damn.
During their week on the island, Cecilia and Alaric were totally cut off from the world. They went sailing, fished, hunted, swam, soaked up the sun, and just had a blast.
It was the first time Cecilia had let herself have this much fun for so long. It felt like all her worries were miles away.
That was until Alaric said, "We're heading back tomorrow."
It felt like a heavy topic.
Cecilia's mood took a bit of a nosedive.
She thought, 'The one who'd have the hardest time with this would be Francis.'
It was rare for him to spend time with Alaric, and from their interactions, it was clear that Alaric and Francis had a great bond. Francis even seemed to lean on Alaric.
Thinking of this, she glanced at Francis.
But she noticed he was eating, pretty calmly, like he had seen it coming, showing no emotion at all.
Maybe, after so many goodbyes, he had gotten used to it.
She replied, "Okay."
And then didn't say anything more about it.
After dinner, Alaric took Cecilia for a walk around the island.
The sky was a bit gloomy, and the weather was a bit chilly.
Cecilia suddenly said, "Alaric, I want to visit Mr. Whitaker and Mrs. Whitaker's graves."
Alaric paused, holding Cecilia's hand.
Cecilia asked, "Is that not okay?"
Alaric remarked, "Aren't you scared?"
"No, aren't the bodies not there?" Cecilia said, trying to sound light-hearted.
Alaric said, "What's there to see?"
Cecilia exclaimed, "Alaric!"
"I'm just kidding," Alaric said. "If you want to see it, I'll take you. It's just a tombstone."
Cecilia nodded.
Alaric led Cecilia through the villa's back garden to a very hidden spot, where they saw an inconspicuous tombstone.
The tombstone had the names of Alaric's parents, Terrence Whitaker and Maeve Whitaker.
Cecilia mourned for a while.
Alaric's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
After mourning, Cecilia said to the tombstone, "I'll take good care of Alaric; don't worry."
Alaric's lips curved into a beautiful smile.
Cecilia thought to herself, "Back then, Terrence and Maeve must have genuinely wanted to take care of Alaric on their own."
"Get up," Alaric helped Cecilia up and said, "You don't need to tell them, just tell me."
Cecilia kicked Alaric.
When she was being so sincere, he was still so casual.
She then asked, "How did Mr. Whitaker and Mrs. Whitaker get married? Mr. Whitaker was a descendant of the Royal Family of Whitaker, but Mrs. Whitaker wasn't, right?"
"My mom actually was too," Alaric said matter-of-factly. "A long time ago, my dad's marriage was arranged even before either of my parents were born. Our ancestors kept their promises, so when they came into the world, it was only natural for them to marry. My mom was also a descendant of loyal supporters of the Whitaker Royal Family, which made the process go smoothly."
Cecilia asked, "A political marriage?"
"But they had a great relationship," Alaric confirmed.
He continued, "I actually envy my parents' relationship. Although I didn't interact with them much, I could feel their mutual admiration."
Cecilia said, "Is it because of Mr. Whitaker and Mrs. Whitaker's influence that you have a longing for love and marriage..."
"No," Alaric denied.
It seemed Alaric had a strong sense of pride.Cecilia thought, 'Is it really that hard to admit you have feelings for Terrence and Maeve?'
Alaric smirked, "It's just because you seduced me that I long for love and marriage."
Cecilia was left speechless.
"Let's go," Alaric said, pulling Cecilia's hand. "I still need to go back and spend time with Francis."
Cecilia frowned.
Seeing this, Alaric asked, "Are you jealous?"
"Francis doesn't seem too reluctant to see you leave," Cecilia pointed out bluntly.
Alaric chuckled, giving her a look that said she didn't get it, and he wasn't about to explain.
Back in the room, after Cecilia lay down on the bed, Alaric left.
Cecilia didn't know how late Alaric came back that night.
Anyway, when he did come back, she caught a faint scent of alcohol.
She figured he must have been drinking with Francis.
Sometimes, farewells between men were just that simple.
The next morning, Alaric took Cecilia on a yacht to leave the island.
Cecilia glanced back, but Francis didn't come out.
Verity said Francis was drunk and still sleeping.
Cecilia glanced at Alaric, who showed no expression, as if he had expected it.
He then had the yacht start and leave.
From a distance, the island got smaller and smaller.
Cecilia didn't know why, but she felt a sense of reluctance.
It was as if, after leaving this island, there would be no more peaceful life.
Back in Serenovia City, there would be a bunch of dangerous troubles waiting for them.
Just as she was about to turn back, she spotted a figure in the distance—a small silhouette, standing there and watching them leave.
Cecilia's eyes suddenly reddened.
She remembered Francis saying that Maeve had watched Alaric leave back then.
She suddenly realized how young Francis could grasp Maeve's complex emotions; he had experienced similar feelings often later on.
Alaric suddenly wrapped his arms around Cecilia, causing her heart to flutter. Swallowing her tears, she said softly, "In the future, let's make sure to spend more time with Francis."
Alaric replied, "Okay."
It always seemed that Francis was far too lonely, a loneliness that tugged at people's hearts.
Back in Serenovia City, Cecilia and Alaric first went back to the Whitaker Mansion.
Arabella had been very worried about Alaric's health and insisted they come back so she could see him.
This time, when Cecilia went to the Whitaker Mansion, it felt a bit different from before.
Before, she thought Alaric was a member of the Whitaker family, but now she realized he wasn't.
Seeing Arabella's concern for Alaric made her realize she might be reading too much into things.
The Whitaker family really treated him like their own.
Alaric's connection with the Whitaker family brought a touch of warmth to his otherwise tragic life.
After dinner, Cecilia and Alaric headed back, both feeling a bit tired. The long flight and the time spent with the Whitaker family had left them somewhat drowsy on the way home.
Until Alaric's pupils dilated, startling Cecilia, who had been dozing off. His sudden alertness took her by surprise.
Augustus quickly parked the car and respectfully said to Alaric, "Mr. Whitaker, a car is blocking our way."
Alaric immediately opened the car door, but Cecilia grabbed him, sensing that danger lay ahead.
"Don't be afraid," Alaric said. "No one would be so blatant."
Cecilia bit her lip as Alaric gave her a reassuring look and walked directly toward the black car that would change their lives forever.