SWNOVELS Chapter 419
Chapter 419
Chapter 419 The Real Edward
There was a moment of silence in the restaurant as Freya stared at Edward in disbelief.
Edward’s entire demeanor had changed; he was no longer the sunny and vibrant young man he usually was. He sat there as if nothing had happened, but there was a hint of coldness in
his demeanor.
In that instant, Edward and Jamie truly looked like brothers.
She had always believed that these two brothers were nothing alike. Edward was innocent, cheery, and full of vitality.
But at that moment, she realized that she had never truly known him.
Was this the real him?
The veins on Jamie’s neck bulged as he forced out a laugh. “Edward, are you done pretending?”
There was a hint of iciness on Edward’s face as he responded, “Jamie, you know very well that I like her. Yet, you kept her locked up here. You’ve gone too far.”
you find out?!”
Edward gentled the look on his face when he looked at her. There was even a glimmer of fondness for her in his eyes.
Her heart trembled, and she snapped her head toward Edward. “When did
“Do you remember the first time we went for a stroll in the backyard after I regained consciousness?” Edward said.
She frowned, unable to figure out just when he had discovered the truth.
Jamie had always been a meticulous man. So, he had ordered all the servants to treat her as the mistress of the villa whenever they were around Edward.
Edward naturally sensed her confusion, so he patiently explained, “That day, we saw some flowers in the yard. I asked you if there were still roses in this season, and you said yes.”
She suddenly recalled that particular detail and she pursed her lips. “What of it?”
Edward turned to look at Jamie coolly. “Those weren’t roses; they were peonies. Strictly speaking, they were tree peonies. If you were truly the owner here, the servants would have chosen flowers according to the owner’s preferences. How could they choose a flower that the owner doesn’t recognize?”
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His attention to detail was no less than Jamie’s.
Edward curled his lips into a faint smile, and there was a hint of regret in his eyes. “Tree peonies are my brother’s favorite flowers. That was when I started questioning everything. It all turned to head when you gave me the injection. I noticed needle marks on your neck.”
Freya balled her hands into fists as she hadn’t expected Edward to possess such keen
eyes.
“I know you all think that since I’m always in the sick room and never leaving the house, I wouldn’t notice a thing. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Lies always leave traces.”
He lowered his head and continued, “When I first noticed those clues, I deliberately ignored them. Perhaps deep down, I was being selfish and only wanted you to accompany me. So, I intentionally overlooked those clues. However, your recent mental state has been poor. Now, I have no choice but to let you go.”
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He smiled and looked at her. “Even though my brother hasn’t breathed a word about his plans, the servants in this villa treat me too well. When I told them to remove the wine, they did as they were told. Their actions showed that you are nothing but a guest in this place. My brother may have arranged everything perfectly, but he forgot about that little detail. Who the servants regard as their employer.”
She looked at Edward and realized that she had never truly known him.
Then, he forged on, “Freya, I promise I’ll set you free.”
She turned her attention to Jamie, who was already losing consciousness. He was clearly struggling to keep his focus on the two of them.
The servants in the dining room had just been dismissed by Edward, leaving only the three
of them.
Edward looked at Jamie and said, “Jamie, the drug will only cause you to lose consciousness for a while. You should rest for now. I need to take Freya away. I’ll apologize after that.”
Jamie bit down on his cheeks and used the pain to fuel his consciousness as he hissed, “Edward! How are you going to recover without her? You can’t let her go!”
Edward rose to his feet, his body trembling as he did.
He turned to look at Jamie, his gaze was clear and impassive,
“Jamie, I recognize the way you look at her. It’s the same as when you used to play with your favorite toys as a child. You liked them so much that you would dismantle them and reassemble them until the toy became what you wanted. There’s no way I would let her stay.”
Jamie had already collapsed onto the table.
Edward pursed his lips and turned to Freya. “Let me take you away from here.”
She hadn’t moved a muscle throughout the siblings’ altercation. Although she knew that this. was a rare opportunity… If she left, Edward’s illness would truly…
“But your illness…”
Edward looked at her and smiled. “You truly are the best person in the world, Freya. I’ve known for a long time that my illness is incurable. It’s terminal. Still, you need to leave right now. This is your last chance. Otherwise, my brother will never let you go after my death.”
He loved Freya. Yet, there was no denying that he understood his brother best and vice versa.
When he saw that she was still hesitating, he approached her and boldly held her hand for the first time.
Then, he led Freya out of the dining room, passing through the hallway.
In the hallway, Monkey had just returned and was surprised to see Edward and Freya. Nevertheless, he still respectfully bowed to Freya and greeted, “Miss Kaufmann.”
Edward’s eyes flickered with disdain as he was aware that this was Jamie’s subordinate. So, he put on a sunny smile and said, “Sir, my brother drank too much and fell asleep in the dining room. Could you
please help me take him back to his bedroom?”
Monkey immediately nodded.
Then, Edward took Freya’s hand and went straight to the backyard.
Once he was certain no one was around, he whispered, “I know my brother. So, I’m certain that the men guarding the entrance have been given explicit orders to never let you out of the premises. So, even if I take you with me, we might not be able to escape. But the backyard should be safe. I’ve scouted this place a few times. There’s a large plane tree next to the wall. You can climb over the courtyard wall from there.”
She became anxious. “But what about you?”
He continued walking, but his tightened grip on her hand betrayed his concern.
“I was already destined to die. It doesn’t matter whether my ending comes sooner rather than later. Besides, I no longer have any regrets after today.”
His wish was for her to know his feelings.
Freya gritted her teeth and suggested, “Edward, let’s go together. I’ll take you back to Caltun and treat you there!”
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“I’m not leaving. I can’t betray my brother. He has done many evil things for me, so I can’t leave him.” He turned to look at her. If he followed her, Jamie would chase them to the ends. of the earth.
He had to stay and prevent Jamie from doing anything drastic.
As they spoke, the two of them had already arrived at the tree. Edward looked up at the tree and crouched down, patting his shoulder. “Come on. Step on my shoulder; I’ll give you a
boost.”
Freya’s body shook. Alas, this was not the time to hesitate.
Plus, the most important thing was to get away from Jamie. She could either return and continue her research or find a way to save Edward from this suffocating mansion.
“There’s no need for that. I can climb up by myself.”
Although she was exhausted, climbing a tree was not difficult for her.
Still, despite her bold words, she struggled to ascend the tree. When she reached the first thick branch, she looked down.
Edward was standing below the tree as he gazed up at her with adoring eyes. They were focused on her and filled with a love as deep as the ocean.
Freya closed her eyes when she caught sight of the look in his eyes. After that dinner conversation, she couldn’t believe how blind she was when it came to Edward’s feelings. toward her.
The courtyard wall was over three meters high, and she had to keep climbing.
Just as she was powering through her exhaustion to climb her way to freedom, a sudden surge of pain coursed through her body. Her body swayed, almost causing her to fall off the
tree.
Her body trembled at the most inopportune moment, and the waves of pain that crashed over her inadvertently clouded her consciousness.
Edward’s face darkened as he nervously watched her from below. “Freya, are you okay?!”