Chapter 14 - The End of the Stone Family

The Stone family is facing its biggest crisis with falling stock prices and Eleanor's disappearance causing panic throughout the company. John has also recently stumbled upon a real estate project he invested in turning into a coal mine that collapsed,burying 32 workers alive - 10 injured,15 seriously injured,and seven dead. With illegal mining resulting in fatalities,John is about to face prosecution. Even if the entire Stone family were sacrificed to save him,it would be futile.
The accident became widely known within a day. Sebastian watched as things developed and prepared to go pick up Eleanor for this spectacle.
John's court ruling was at ten o'clock in the morning. He planned to take Eleanor to witness her father being sentenced to death because he thought her expression would be particularly interesting then.
Originally supposed to keep Eleanor for three days,Sebastian didn't go get her until seven o'clock on the fourth day.
Sebastian was feeling good as he drove with a smile on his lips. He went straight to the bedroom when he returned home; the whole villa was quiet and made one feel like there wasn't anyone else there.
Keys jangled in his hand as Sebastian walked slowly through each room before finally finding the key for their bedroom at the end of his keychain. He turned it counterclockwise twice towards the lock hole; only hearing a click did he push open this door slowly while pressing down on its handle.
The room was dimly lit with curtains blocking all windows so that light couldn't come inside properly. Sebastian looked around but saw nothing except for Eleanor curled up into a ball on their bed cornered off by herself.
He turned on some lights which caused slight vibrations making this woman tremble slightly under covers; furrowing his brows tightly together upon seeing this sight.
What was she doing? How could she not react even though he had already entered?
"Eleanor." Sebastian walked over and lifted the covers. Eleanor,who had been locked up for nearly four days,was pale and haggard with lips that were a lotus color. She looked like a fragile item; as if she would break at the slightest touch.
Sebastian had never seen Eleanor so weak before. When he touched her arm with his finger,he realized that her body was cold like ice.
Eleanor was severely dehydrated from being locked up without water for so long. Coupled with the torment of illness,she looked like a wilted flower - too weak to even speak properly. She struggled to say two words in a hoarse voice: "Where to?"
Sebastian carried her to the parking lot: "To the hospital."
"I don't want to go to the hospital." She didn't like going there since childhood because it always seemed like tragedies began there; her mother died inside one after all. Besides,if she went now and got checked out by doctors then Sebastian would find out about her illness.
"Do you want to die by not going?"
"I'm already dying," Eleanor coughed several times which caused pain in her stomach making it hard for her to breathe properly while holding back tears as she said shakily: "Let's go get divorced at Civil Affairs Bureau."
"You still want a divorce from me?"
"What else? I can live without you."
Sebastian pursed his thin lips together tightly; originally standing next to their car door but after hearing this conversation between them he strode over quickly towards the passenger seat where he hugged Eleanor with one hand while opening the car door on another side before putting the person inside the vehicle.
"Since everything is fine then let's go somewhere else." He originally wanted to take her straight away but seeing how things are now made him think otherwise.
Eleanor didn't know where Sebastian was taking her as they drove fast past the scenery on both sides of the road. She grew up in Los Angeles and was familiar with city routes,looking at roadside signs.
Sebastian,are you taking me to court?
There were many people crowded outside the courthouse entrance with over ten police cars parked there strictly making it impossible for anyone to get close. Besides police cars,Eleanor also saw journalist vehicles which made her feel increasingly uneasy.
Eleanor's legs didn't have much strength left so Sebastian hugged her waist tightly; seeming intimate but just dragging her along because she walked too slowly.
"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" Eleanor gritted her teeth as she spoke; deep down inside she had already guessed what would happen next,but just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
"Once we go inside,then you'll know. Why are you panicking?"
"I don't want to go in! Sebastian let me go! I don't want to go in - I want to go home!"
"Eleanor,you've already guessed." Sebastian held onto her waist firmly while walking faster and faster towards their destination; his smile becoming more mocking by the second.Her eyes were lifeless as if swallowed by darkness; hopelessness took hold while vitality crumbled away.