Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Let Me Stay With You, Okay?
After leaving Cloudmere Manor, Cyrus Hawthorne drove down the mountain.
He forcibly suppressed the metallic taste of blood rising from his throat to fill his mouth, yet the sharp pain piercing out from his very bones could not be contained at all.
It felt as though there was a steep cliff ahead, and with a single leap, he would be shattered into pieces.
Ann, Vaughn, Annie.
These three words lingered over Cyrus Hawthorne’s lips repeatedly, and with each repetition, along with the deep pain, rose an intense sorrow and despair.
The habitual coldness on Cyrus Hawthorne’s face had been replaced by violence and savagery, as he brutally slammed his fist against the steering wheel, making a grating noise.
He glanced sideways at the urn placed on the passenger seat, and suddenly, the image of Ann Vaughn’s tranquil smile appeared before his eyes.
Sometimes she was shy and annoyed, sometimes stubborn and forbearing, sometimes whimsical, sometimes gentle and thoughtful...
Until now, Cyrus Hawthorne suddenly realized that his life and memories had long been filled with her presence.
Nothing existed without her.
He knew so clearly that just by closing his eyes, he could paint every contour and smile, as if she were right in front of him.
Yet, as soon as he reached out to grasp them, everything vanished before his eyes.
Like a beast trapped within Cyrus Hawthorne’s heart, it violently struggled and couldn’t wait to break free into the daylight.
"The road is cold with wind and frost; let me accompany you, alright?"
A soft laugh echoed within the car, carrying an erosive and lingering tenderness, also enveloping an absolute disregard for everything in this world.
As soon as the words fell, the speed of the black Maybach suddenly climbed to over two hundred kilometers per hour, viciously plunging down the slope, without hesitation, aiming straight for the fence—
Bang!!!
The deafening crash seemed to echo across the sky, shaking the ground lightly from the impact!
At barely half a meter from the fence, an Aston Martin blocked the black Maybach from the front with sheer force, forcing it to stop abruptly!
Thick black smoke billowed continuously from the collision point of the two cars, indicating how fierce the speed must have been!
The door of the Aston Martin opened, Sutton Jennings emerged, walked somberly to the driver’s side of the Maybach, glaring fiercely at the man inside the car with bloodshot, peach-blossom eyes.
"Cyrus Hawthorne, I won’t stop you from wanting to die, but what did Ann Vaughn ever do wrong? It’s not enough to kill her and her child, you won’t even let her rest in peace after death!"
"If I had known this would happen, I should have stopped her from rescuing you from the inferno years ago!"
Sutton Jennings kicked the tire fiercely, losing his usual composure and restraint, eyes filled with anger, as if he wished to destroy everything.
Fifteen years ago, when Ann Vaughn stuffed a lollipop into his hand, asking him to call the adults while she ran into the flames, he should have stopped her no matter what.
If not, she wouldn’t have ended up having her heart cut out, unable to preserve her life!
Sutton Jennings had never wanted to kill someone so much; Cyrus Hawthorne was the first and only one!
The man inside the car seemed oblivious, as a trace of blood trickled down his distinctive brow, eyes slightly closed, as his fingertips gently caressed the edge of the urn, seemingly uninterested in everything outside.
Yet, the heavy aura of death and defeat surrounding him was chilling to witness.
Sutton Jennings glanced at the urn in his hand, suddenly understanding something, his breathing halted, eyes overwhelmed with painful realization.
Yet he knew it was nearly impossible to snatch the urn from Cyrus Hawthorne’s hands.
The only reason he stopped him was to prevent Ann Vaughn from being uneasy even in death, that’s all.
Sutton Jennings tightened his grip on the USB drive, changed his mind, returned to his car, and drove the badly damaged Aston Martin away from the scene.
Just as he left, Silas Master Moore arrived shortly afterward, a sudden chill swept over him at the sight, and without even thinking, guessed that the source of the recent shock was right here.
Even before the car came to a complete stop, he jumped out and ran over, knocking vigorously on the Maybach’s window.
"Are you insane? Trying to get yourself killed!?"
"I’ve known you for years, how could I not know you’re reckless!?"
Silas Master Moore eyed the terrifying dent on the Maybach’s front, nearly laughing out of frustration.
Had anyone else done this today, he wouldn’t be surprised, even applauding their bravery.
But damn, he never thought the always calm and wise Cyrus Hawthorne, calm even if the sky were falling, would do such a thing!
Below the fence lies a cliff; if the car crashes into it, death is certain!
Silas Master Moore cursed, knowing Cynthia Vaughn was a ticking time bomb; had he known, he would’ve dealt with her at once!
Yet, no matter how he fumed, there was no movement from inside the car, the person inside not even sparing him a glance.
Silas Master Moore had no choice but to say, "Susie Sommers found a letter in Ann Vaughn’s former hospital room; if you don’t want it, I’ll throw it away now."
The man in the driver’s seat, eyes closed against the seat as if lifeless, slowly opened his eyes, the window rolled down, revealing his hoarse and somber voice.
"Don’t you dare."
Silas Master Moore naturally dared not, but seeing Cyrus Hawthorne finally free from the grip of death, he breathed a sigh of relief, taking out the letter and handing it through the window.
The letter seemed to carry the faint scent of Ann Vaughn, as though she were still alive.
Only when his fingertips squeezed the edge of the letter, causing it to crinkle, did Cyrus Hawthorne snap from his daze, his narrow eyes lowered as he unfolded the letter.
Perhaps "scratch paper" would better describe this sheet.
"Why did Cynthia Vaughn lie to Cyrus Hawthorne, deceiving him with her name?"
"Everyone will think I intended to kill Cynthia Vaughn; I may really not escape this calamity."
"What about Cyrus Hawthorne? Will he believe me?"
"How foolish I am, how would he ever believe me?"
"From the beginning, he told me the Little Prince would remain by the Little Fox’s side only briefly, and eventually, he would leave the Little Fox. Turns out, he wasn’t wrong."
Some of the words blurred and spread by liquid looked indistinct.
But the final sentence burned into Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyes, without missing a word.
He could barely fathom what Ann Vaughn went through during those solitary hours, the struggle and torment, and how she mustered courage only to be met by his cruel mockery.
The mere thought made every breath within his chest ache faintly.
After an indefinite period, with the sun nearly setting, Silas Master Moore finally heard Cyrus Hawthorne’s low, hoarse voice resound again.
"Let’s go."
The sunset light cast his profile with an indescribable cruelty and brutal force, the initial stillness replaced by a depth and clarity impossible to fathom.