That night Chleo couldn't sleep at all thinking about what happened when she returned to New York. In the end, she decided to take a stroll in the backyard, realizing she wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon.
After taking a thick sweater and putting it on, Chleo walked out of her room. She was sure that all the house residents were fast asleep as now the clock was already two o'clock in the morning.
The sky was still dark, and the atmosphere was as tranquil as the burial area. Only the sound of crickets and a few other small insects could be heard.
Chleo did feel sleepy. She felt physically and mentally exhausted, but her mind was not weary at all. Her thoughts always drifted to her husband and Alexis in turn. Her brain told her that she shouldn't worry and sticks to her decision. But her heart scolded her and begged her to find Axel and save their marriage bond.
If she chose Axel and keep their marriage, she might have a happy ending with her husband. She would open her heart and would do anything to make Axel smile.
Not that sad smile that he often showed her, but a happy smile. The genuine smile reaches his eyes until she could see his pearl-like white teeth.
Chleo couldn't help but smile when she recalled how Axel wanted to see her smile genuinely from the heart. Alas, when she had the mood, their friendship was over.
Chleo felt sure their already broken relationship would get better once they talked about their future from heart-to-heart. She was confident enough she would be happy with Axelard as her husband, but... Alexis wouldn't end his grudge.
Alexis would strike her family to complete his revenge. If Chleo asked Axel for help, would that man help her? If so, how could that man help her? By killing him?
No. How could Chleo let Axel do that? After all, Alexis was the person who once provided her comfort and shelter when her parents abandoned her. She didn't want Alexis to get hurt even though the young man was planning something evil against her family.
She didn't care if Alexis was just using her as a tool for revenge either. She believed that the kindness Alexis had shown was genuine. Chleo holds onto this fact as she has been with Alexis for more than ten years.
Just say she's stupid, but she doesn't care either. It's better to think about the best in someone than to be prejudiced that isn't necessarily true.
"Sis Chleo?"
Chleo tilted her head towards the source of the sound, which turned out to be her only brother.
"You're awake?"
"I just finished the exercise. You haven't slept yourself either."
"I can not sleep. What exercise do you mean? Could it be..." Chleo squinted at Diego with a suspicious gaze.
"It's not like what you thought. I'm training to maintain body shape. I'm a popular model, you see. Of course..."
"Ha? Since when did you become a model? Why have I never heard about this?"
Diego took a deep breath. "Of course, you don't know. You do realize you haven't contacted all of us in these two years, right. You didn't even come to my graduation ceremony."
"Ah... sorry," Chleo mumbled regretfully, though her ignorance wasn't entirely her fault.
All this time, she tried to find a way to contact her family but always failed. No matter she tries to send an e-mail to her family or SOS messages to Uncle Stanley, none of them were sent as if something was holding back the network signal at her husband's house.
It must be because of Axel, who blocked all communication devices in the mansion. Whatever news she sends to America, some program she didn't know held it back so that her e-mails never reach the other country.
It was clear that Axel had forbidden her to contact her family. Chleo was sure of that. But on second thought... was it true that Axel forbade it? Could it be that Axel would have granted her wish if only she had asked nicely?
Now she knew that Alexis tried to trace her, she could understand why Axelard was careful not to let her reach out to the Regnz in New York. He was worried that Alexis would track her and found her location.
If she asked the man to let her contact her mother, would her husband give her?
The lack of communication between them was as great as a mountain, and Chleo had no one to blame but herself. She was the one who closes herself and rejected Axel's presence in her life.
She was the one who always kicked her husband out brazenly without thinking about his feelings every time Axel tried to take her out.
Chleo certainly doesn't like being locked up in the house all the time. But at that time, she felt that being in her room was much better than walking alone with her husband.
Only when Axel went on a business trip was Chleo willing to leave the house.
Remembering the two years of her marriage to Axel made Chleo regret it half to death. If only her hatred didn't blind her, if only she opened up and gave Axel a chance to approach her, maybe she could still communicate with her family. Maybe their divorce didn't have to happen either. Perhaps the relationship between them got better.
Chleo lowered her head, sensing her feeling increasingly clouded. The feelings she was experiencing right now were too heavy. She no longer knew what was right and what was wrong. The more she thought about this, the more her head was about to break.
It felt like a volcano that was going to explode at any moment without being able to predict.
Her chest felt tight, and she sensed that whatever she ate or drank tasted bitter on her tongue. Chleo felt like she was taking some medicine… no. To be precise, it was as if she was drinking a poison that was ready to devour away her soul until nothing remained.
Chleo was eager to tell her parents what she was feeling right now. She wanted to lessen the burden on her thoughts by sharing her anxiety with others. But somehow, she was sure she would not like the reaction of her parents.
What should she do to lessen her stress pressure?