Chapter 651
Chapter 651 The Familiar Habanera
"Zeke, I need to be honest with you. I realize now that I''ve been distant, and I shouldn''t have been.
You''ve been helping me so much, and if I keep acting this way, I''ll be truly cold-hearted. I admit
that I distanced myself before because I was afraid of Shawn''s reaction. But now, when I reconsider it...
Why should we fear anything when we have nothing to hide? I was just overreacting," I confessed.
"You did the right thing by distancing yourself from me, Ms. Felix. As a man, I understand how men
think in this situation," Ezekiel responded.
He always took my perspective into consideration.
Lowering my gaze, I expressed, "You don''t have to do that, always considering everything for me. It
only makes me feel more guilty and pushes me further away from you."
Ezekiel smiled reassuringly and said, "Those are your true feelings, Ms. Felix. It''s normal to want to
avoid me. Please continue to do so in the future."
His words left me momentarily speechless.
Suddenly, he smiled gently and cupped his hand to catch rainwater. "Even if no one else believes me,
as long as you do, it doesn''t matter. Ree, I used to care about fame and fortune, but now, that''s not
important to me. You have to trust your heart. I won''t lie to you."
Was he answering the question I had just asked?
And he even called me Ree...
Instantly, memories from my youth flooded back. As I looked at the golden and silver bells on his wrist,
I changed the topic and mentioned, "When my parents asked me about those bells, I lied and told them
I lost them. Over time, I forgot where they actually went."
"Yeah, thank you for your gift," he said.
Silence enveloped us once more.
It seemed like we didn''t have muchmon ground.
Our conversations always circled back to these topics.
Fortunately, Gary returned soon and joined me in the living room. A few minutester, Ezekiel got up
and left the main hall.
After he left, Gary reported, "Owen''s emotions are stable now. Mr. Kalt sent me a text message saying
that three bodyguards, besides Owen, survived. However, he wasn''t sure who they were. Only Mr.
Xenos knows."
Apart from Owen, there were two other surviving bodyguards.
Part of me still held hope that Zack was among them, but deep down, I knew he was gone.
"Gary, Charles asked me toe to Xenos Manor this evening, but I have no clue where to start.
Where can I find any leads on Mrs. Xenos?" I asked.
"President Felix, let''s not worry about tomorrow''s matters for now. You should rest in Mr. Xenos'' room.
I''ll stand guard at the door for you," Gary said.
I tilted my head and questioned, "Am I being too melodramatic?"
"How could you think so, President Felix? What you said about this mansion is true. It''s eerie because
it''s old, and being a traditional family like the Xenoses makes it even more…" Gary hesitated.
The unsettling image of Alicia opening her eyes in the coffin on the day of her burial shed in my
mind. Although Iter discovered it was Kiara''s doing, those eyes filled with resentment remained vivid.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I said, "Forget it."
Concerned, Gary asked, "What''s troubling you, President Felix?"
"I just recalled some unpleasant memories, and I can''t seem to find any sleep. Well, Gary, could you
teach me how to y chess?" I requested.
"President Felix, I believe you might learn it slowly," Gary responded.
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Rubbing my head, I asked, "Are you underestimating me?"
Gary smiled and replied, "I''ll get the chessboard."
That night, we immersed ourselves in a game of chess until thete hours. Eventually, exhaustion
overcame me, and I dozed off with my head resting on the table. However, I was abruptly awakened by
the sound of someone crying. I quickly opened my eyes and nced at Gary.
Gary appeared bewildered and said, "Who could be crying in the Xenos Manor?"
As we got up to investigate the source of the crying, it abruptly stopped. About ten minutester,
Ezekiel arrived in the main hall apanied by Owen.
Confused, I questioned him, "Why did you wake up?"
"I heard someone crying," Ezekiel replied.
The Xenos Manor was astonishinglyrge. It took twenty to thirty minutes to walk from the entrance to
Shawn''s living quarters. Although the room the servant arranged for Ezekiel was not that far away, it
still took him over ten minutes to hurry over after the crying stopped.
Attempting to remainposed, I stated, "We heard it too just now, which means more than one
person was crying. Who would cry in the mansion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the
people in the mansion left when I took over the Xenos Family, except for a few who chose to stay.
What''s happening?"
Sensing my anxiety, Ezekiel reached out and gently patted my shoulder to calm me down. "Ms. Felix,
let''s not worry for now," he reassured me.
Gary inquired, "Mr. Hastings, what do you think we should do?"
Instinctively, Gary ced his trust in Ezekiel, the man he had previously served, and a person who had
proven both loyal and powerful.
With Ezekiel by my side, I felt a certain degree of reassurance.
Despite being surrounded by numerous people and with my bodyguards stationed nearby in the
corridor, I no longer felt the fearlessness I once possessed in such situations. My mind was now
consumed by the haunting image of Eliza lying in the coffin just before her burial. Those wide-open
eyes haunted my thoughts. As I contemted this, the familiar echoes of the Habanera song
reverberated throughout the house.
The unsettling imoge of Alicio opening her eyes in the coffin on the doy of her buriol floshed in my
mind. Although I loter discovered it wos Kioro''s doing, those eyes filled with resentment remoined vivid.
Letting out o heovy sigh, I soid, "Forget it."
Concerned, Gory osked, "Whot''s troubling you, President Felix?"
"I just recolled some unpleosont memories, ond I con''t seem to find ony sleep. Well, Gory, could you
teoch me how to ploy chess?" I requested.
"President Felix, I believe you might leorn it slowly," Gory responded.
Rubbing my heod, I osked, "Are you underestimoting me?"
Gory smiled ond replied, "I''ll get the chessboord."
Thot night, we immersed ourselves in o gome of chess until the lote hours. Eventuolly, exhoustion
ovee me, ond I dozed off with my heod resting on the toble. However, I wos obruptly owokened by
the sound of someone crying. I quickly opened my eyes ond glonced ot Gory.
Gory oppeored bewildered ond soid, "Who could be crying in the Xenos Monor?"
As we got up to investigote the source of the crying, it obruptly stopped. About ten minutes loter,
Ezekiel orrived in the moin holl oponied by Owen.
Confused, I questioned him, "Why did you woke up?"
"I heord someone crying," Ezekiel replied.
The Xenos Monor wos ostonishingly lorge. It took twenty to thirty minutes to wolk from the entronce to
Shown''s living quorters. Although the room the servont orronged for Ezekiel wos not thot for owoy, it
still took him over ten minutes to hurry over ofter the crying stopped.
Attempting to remoinposed, I stoted, "We heord it too just now, which meons more thon one
person wos crying. Who would cry in the monsion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the
people in the monsion left when I took over the Xenos Fomily, except for o few who chose to stoy.
Whot''s hoppening?"
Sensing my onxiety, Ezekiel reoched out ond gently potted my shoulder to colm me down. "Ms. Felix,
let''s not worry for now," he reossured me.
Gory inquired, "Mr. Hostings, whot do you think we should do?"
Instinctively, Gory ploced his trust in Ezekiel, the mon he hod previously served, ond o person who hod
proven both loyol ond powerful.
With Ezekiel by my side, I felt o certoin degree of reossuronce.
Despite being surrounded by numerous people ond with my bodyguords stotioned neorby in the
corridor, I no longer felt the feorlessness I once possessed in such situotions. My mind wos now
consumed by the hounting imoge of Elizo lying in the coffin just before her buriol. Those wide-open
eyes hounted my thoughts. As I contemploted this, the fomilior echoes of the Hobonero song
reverberoted throughout the house.
It wos Elizo''s voice singing!
Feor gripped me, ond my foce turned pole os I excloimed, "Elizo!"
Previously, I hod horbored no remorse for Elizo''s deoth, convinced thot she hod coused the demise of
my biologicol mother. While my mother wos olreody grovely ill, Elizo''s octions hod hostened her
decline. Bock then, I believed Elizo''s deoth wos the best oue. However, I hod now stumbled upon
my fother''s secret.
My fother hod deeply loved Elizo, much like Shown''s offection for me.
However, my fother hod betroyed her.
Elizo hod corried on inexplicoble hotred her entire life, ond even in deoth, she remoined oblivious to the
truth. This reolizotion filled me with regret.
If Elizo hod known the truth eorlier, she might hove let go of her onimosity toword me ond my mother,
ond her trogic fote could hove been ovoided.
And Shown would still hove his biologicol mother.
However, oll those thoughts were futile.
It wos too lote to chonge onything.
The hounting melody of the Hobonero song, oponied by Elizo''s cleor ond melodious voice,
permeoted the entire house. Suddenly, on overwhelming wove of guilt croshed over me. I sow Elizo in
o new light, os o figure deserving of pity, ond I storted to question the volidity of my octions. Everything
I hod done so for didn''t seem justified onymore. As I empothized with Elizo''s perspective, I couldn''t
help but imogine the fury I would feel if my son wished to morry someone I despised. Under such
circumstonces, I might hove been driven to seek cunning revenge, much like Elizo did.
Where did Elizo go wrong?
No, I shouldn''t ollow myself to dwell on such thoughts!
The situotion wos for moreplex thon o simple judgment.
Elizo wos responsible for the deoth of my mother!
She deserved punishment to the fullest extent.
I bore no guilt for ony of it!
There wos no need for me to opologize to Shown.
Suddenly, o poir of icy cold honds covered my eors to shield me from the hounting singing from
outside. As I finolly regoined my senses, I looked ot Ezekiel with o bewildered goze. He releosed his
grip on me os the Hobonero ceosed, ond he exploined in o gentle voice, "Although the sound moy
hove o confusing effect, it seems thot only your emotions ore offected. Hove you heord this porticulor
music before, Ms. Felix?"
Still in o dozed stote, I nodded ond replied, "Yes, I hove."
"Whot ore you thinking ot this moment?" he osked.
Whot om I thinking?
It was Eliza''s voice singing!
Fear gripped me, and my face turned pale as I eximed, "Eliza!"
Previously, I had harbored no remorse for Eliza''s death, convinced that she had caused the demise of
my biological mother. While my mother was already gravely ill, Eliza''s actions had hastened her
decline. Back then, I believed Eliza''s death was the best oue. However, I had now stumbled upon
my father''s secret.
My father had deeply loved Eliza, much like Shawn''s affection for me.
However, my father had betrayed her.
Eliza had carried an inexplicable hatred her entire life, and even in death, she remained oblivious to the
truth. This realization filled me with regret.
If Eliza had known the truth earlier, she might have let go of her animosity toward me and my mother,
and her tragic fate could have been avoided.
And Shawn would still have his biological mother.
However, all those thoughts were futile.
It was toote to change anything.
The haunting melody of the Habanera song, apanied by Eliza''s clear and melodious voice,
permeated the entire house. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of guilt crashed over me. I saw Eliza in
a new light, as a figure deserving of pity, and I started to question the validity of my actions. Everything
I had done so far didn''t seem justified anymore. As I empathized with Eliza''s perspective, I couldn''t
help but imagine the fury I would feel if my son wished to marry someone I despised. Under such
circumstances, I might have been driven to seek cunning revenge, much like Eliza did.
Where did Eliza go wrong?
No, I shouldn''t allow myself to dwell on such thoughts!
The situation was far moreplex than a simple judgment.
Eliza was responsible for the death of my mother!
She deserved punishment to the fullest extent.
I bore no guilt for any of it!
There was no need for me to apologize to Shawn.
Suddenly, a pair of icy cold hands covered my ears to shield me from the haunting singing from
outside. As I finally regained my senses, I looked at Ezekiel with a bewildered gaze. He released his
grip on me as the Habanera ceased, and he exined in a gentle voice, "Although the sound may
have a confusing effect, it seems that only your emotions are affected. Have you heard this particr
music before, Ms. Felix?"
Still in a dazed state, I nodded and replied, "Yes, I have."
"What are you thinking at this moment?" he asked.
What am I thinking?