Villa Nettiea

Chapter 28

Gulf lay weak and gasping, his strength fading with every second. Edgar stood over him, eyes hollow as he looked at the harm he'd caused. There was a flicker of regret in Edgar's eyes as he took in the sight of Gulf, beaten and bloodied, struggling to breathe.

Gulf lifted his head slightly, his voice barely a whisper. "Edgar... why? Why did you hurt my family... all of us... when we once trusted you?"

Edgar hesitated, a shadow of remorse crossing his face. "I didn't... I didn't mean for it to go this far," he muttered, almost to himself. "You had everything I wanted, Gulf. All the love, the respect... everything."

Gulf managed a faint, bitter smile. "And now? You think this will give you what you've wanted?" His voice trembled, both from pain and from the sadness he felt for someone who once felt like family. "You'll only destroy yourself... and everyone around you."

Before Edgar could respond, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Mae appeared, her eyes widening in shock as she took in the scene before her—Gulf, weak and bleeding, and Edgar standing over him with a twisted expression of regret. Thara, her son, stood behind her, frozen in horror.

"Edgar!" Mae's voice was a mix of anger and heartbreak as she rushed toward Gulf, kneeling beside him. "What did you do?" Her voice broke, her hand reaching out to Gulf. "Why would you do this, Edgar? To our family?"

Edgar's face turned dark, resentment seething beneath his gaze. "Mae, stay out of this. You don't understand. None of you ever did."

Mae shook her head, fury and despair filling her expression. "No, Edgar, you don't understand. You've let jealousy consume you, and now you've turned against the people who cared for you. If you don't stop, you'll lose everything—your family, your freedom, your son."

Edgar raised the gun, pointing it directly at her, his face twisted in frustration. "Mae, I told you to stay out of this!"

But Mae stood her ground, her voice firm. "I won't let you keep destroying everything. Gulf and Mew have done nothing but love each other and raise their family with kindness and dignity. I won't let you take that away."

Thara, trembling, called out, "Mom, please... let's just leave!"

Gulf, barely able to speak, reached out weakly toward Mae. "Please, Mae... take Thara and go... don't stay here..."

Mae ignored Gulf's plea, her eyes fixed on Edgar. "If you hurt him, Edgar, you'll answer for it. I won't let you get away with this." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll make sure you pay for every moment of this."

Edgar's face twisted with rage, and, unable to hold back, he fired the gun. The shot rang out, and Mae collapsed to the floor beside Gulf, her face contorted in shock and pain. Thara, witnessing everything, stumbled backward in fear, his feet slipping on the gravel.

"Mom!" Thara screamed, his voice choked with terror as he tried to reach her. But as he turned to run, his foot caught on a loose stone, and he fell hard, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Blood began to trickle from his temple, staining the dirt beneath him.

Gulf's vision blurred as he took in the horror unfolding around him. His heart ached for Mae, for Thara—for the family that had just shattered before his eyes. With the last of his strength, he looked at Edgar, his eyes filled not with hate, but with sadness.

"Was it worth it, Edgar?" Gulf whispered, barely able to keep his voice steady. "Was all of this... worth it?"

Edgar's hand shook, his eyes flickering as the weight of his actions began to sink in. For a moment, he seemed lost, as if waking from a nightmare he couldn't escape. He looked at Mae, at Thara, and finally at Gulf, his mouth opening but no words coming out.