Chapter 419 The Contents of the Recorder
In the quiet house, a sudden knock on the door echoed sharply, breaking the silence.
I shivered instinctively, and Skylar, nestled in my arms, shrank closer to me in fright.
"Mommy, who is it?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with fear.
I tried to calm myself, gently stroking her head, though my voice still trembled a bit. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll go check."
With difficulty, I stood up, my legs still weak, and took unsteady steps toward the door.
Peering through the peephole, I saw Edward standing outside, and my heart began to race.
Why was he here? Right now, I really didn't have the energy to deal with anyone, especially him.
But the doorbell kept ringing, urging me to respond.
After a moment of hesitation, I slowly opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, Edward's eyes, filled with urgency, quickly scanned the room.
Seeing my disheveled state, his eyes instantly filled with concern.
For a moment, it seemed like he wanted to hug me tightly, but he only raised his hand slowly, gently touching my cheek, his thumb softly brushing away the still-wet tear stains.
"Diana, what happened?" he asked anxiously.
Before I could respond, his gaze shifted past me to Skylar, who was hiding behind me.
Skylar looked at him timidly and whispered, "Hi, Mr. Howard."
Edward's eyes reddened suddenly. He reached out, instinctively wanting to hug Skylar, but hesitated, afraid of scaring her, leaving his hand awkwardly suspended in mid-air, looking lost.
I stood quietly to the side, witnessing this scene, a complex mix of emotions surging within me.
Edward seemed to snap out of it, realizing I was still standing at the door. Without a word, he took my hand and gently led me inside.
Each step he took was extremely cautious, as if the room was filled with a fragile silence that could shatter with the slightest force.
As we entered the living room, his eyes swept over the mess on the floor, Skylar's water gun lying carelessly, water seeping into the rug, and his brows furrowed deeply.
"Did Fiona come to see you? What did she say?" he asked, looking at me again, eager to uncover the truth.
I opened my mouth slightly, trying to express my grievances and pain, but the tangled emotions left me speechless. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought to keep them from falling.
Seeing my silence, Edward's gaze turned back to Skylar.
He crouched down slowly, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible. "Skylar, as your dad, can you tell me what's wrong with your mommy?"
Hearing the word "dad," Skylar was momentarily stunned, a hint of confusion flashing across her face. She bit her lip instinctively, her big eyes full of puzzlement.
In her understanding, Edward had always been "Mr. Howard", and this sudden change in address left her at a loss.
After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "Mr. Kingsley left, and Mommy is very sad."
Hearing Skylar's words, Edward's eyes darkened at first, then brightened, a complex mix of emotions flickering in his eyes—understanding of the current situation, mixed with a hint of relief that was hard to detect.
Edward stood up, his gaze locking onto me. I felt a bit lost under his intense stare.
Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Skylar and me into a tight embrace.
In his arms, the tension that had gripped me for so long finally began to ease. I could feel the strength and warmth of his embrace, the familiar scent of wood and a faint hint of citrus filling my senses, stirring up memories and leaving me even more bewildered.
My body trembled slightly, a reaction to the emotional turmoil I had just experienced and the unspoken past buried deep within me.
Sensing my unease, Edward's embrace tightened, his chin gently brushing the top of my head as he whispered, "Diana, don't be afraid. I'm here. No matter what happens, I won't let you get hurt again."
His voice was low but firm, each word landing heavily on my heart.
Edward seemed to remember something, releasing us and pulling a small recorder from his pocket.
He paused before saying, "Fiona came to see me. She gave me this recorder and said it was related to you. She wanted me to give it to you."
At the mention of the recorder, my face turned pale, the blood draining from my body, leaving me cold from head to toe. I stood frozen, fear flooding my mind.
I stared at the recorder, both anxious and curious about its contents.
Edward gently pressed the play button, and after a brief crackle of static, Jeffrey's familiar voice came through, "Diana, what are your plans after returning home..."
My heart sank, as if falling into an abyss. I instinctively looked at Edward.
At that moment, Edward's lips were tightly pressed together, his breathing shallow, listening intently, his face expressionless, as if covered by a layer of frost, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.
Hearing Jeffrey's voice, memories of our time together at The Ends of the Earth flashed uncontrollably through my mind.
We had walked along the beach, the sea breeze gently tousling our hair, our laughter echoing freely in the air. I never imagined that those casual conversations, which I had considered light-hearted chats between friends, had been secretly recorded by Jeffrey.
My mind raced, trying to explain to Edward, to make sense of it all.
"I never thought Jeffrey would record our conversations. It was just casual talk. I never meant..."
I looked at Edward helplessly, my eyes pleading for understanding.
Edward continued to stare at the recorder, his face still icy, but a flicker of anger and frustration burned in his eyes.
His hands tightened around the recorder, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. As Jeffrey's voice continued, Edward's expression grew heavier.
Finally, he slowly raised his head, looking directly at me. His gaze was no longer confused and unreadable but carried a hint of scrutiny.
"Diana," he began, his voice low and restrained, "my mind is a mess right now. It seems there's something I don't know behind all this."
I knew he was waiting for an explanation. But as I looked at him, I found myself at a loss for words.
The memories of the past surged in my mind, and I didn't know where to begin.
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