Cold Hands Warm Heart (A Vampire Fan Fiction) - Harry Styles

Chapter 6• Shattered Part 1

Carolina's POV

"What were you thinking, child!?"

The bellow of my father's voice reverberated through the grand hall. I stood my ground, my posture defiant, as he advanced upon me. "Father, you must understand that this woman is in dire need of aid; she is in want of a physician's care."

He stopped before me, his finger raised, poised inches from my face. "You do not have the authority to command me," he seethed, his eyes wide with a cold rage I had never before witnessed. Who was this man, and what had become of my father? He had never raised a hand to me, not even in my most stubborn moments.

"I am your daughter," I stated, my voice quivering only slightly, "and as such, I am bound by my duty to aid those in need. I could not leave her to perish in the darkness of the woods without so much as a hope of rescue." My thoughts echoed a bolder sentiment: I have every right to tell you what is just and true.

His fists clenched, the veins in his neck standing out in sharp relief. I felt a fear I had never known for him, a cold dread that seized my heart. I had always believed my father was the keeper of my purgatory, but in this moment, he was nothing but a monster. He had become a stranger to me these past few weeks, a shadow of the loving man I knew.

"You... you..." He raised his arm, his hand poised to strike me. I recoiled, my arms flying up to shield myself from the terrifying creature that children fear will emerge from their closets. The blow came, a loud, sharp crack that rang through the silence. I shrieked, but felt no pain. I looked up, gasping at the tableau before me.

My mother, the light of our home, had stepped in front of me. She had taken the blow meant for me. Even my father gasped, his eyes wide with a dawning horror. "Louisa" he stammered, "I did not mean to strike you."

My mother's gaze was as sharp as a sword's edge, even with the red mark blooming upon her cheek. "You did not mean it for me," she seethed, her finger jabbing at my father's chest. "You meant it for our daughter. That, Victor, is a very different story indeed." He lowered his head, shame etched upon his face. I could not bear to watch this tragic reality unfold. I turned and fled to my room, closing the door with such force that a hung picture frame fell to the floor, its glass shattering.

~

I crouched down and carefully examined the debris. It was a photograph of Harry and me, our very first one. I was primly seated, my shoulders back and chin held high, wearing a faint smile. Harry stood behind me, a serious frown on his handsome face as he looked at the camera. I reached for the picture, a piece of glass slicing my finger. I winced and hissed, a dewdrop of my blood falling onto my face in the photo. It was an omen, a sign of bad luck. My grandmother had always said that if a picture of you is damaged, a great misfortune is sure to follow. But I could not bring myself to care. I would call Aunt Colette to clean the mess.

I slipped out of my room, moving with a quiet caution, hoping to find my parents' confrontation had ended. I made my way to the kitchen, my mind wandering to the mysterious crumpled paper I had hidden and to Harry.

Oh, how I had longed to call him "Edward," a name he disliked. He said it was "un-manly." We would argue over it, and I would tell him how much I loved the name. I missed our arguments, our easy banter. He was right about everything, and I had been a fool. My life, so carefully cultivated, was a construct of perfection, a perfection that I had now shattered.

"Miss Carolina, what are you doing here?" Aunt Colette asked.

"Am I unwanted here as well?" I replied.

"No, certainly not!" she stammered. "I was only curious."

I gave her a faint smile. "I understand. I was only teasing."

She led me to a wooden stool at the long table, where food was being prepared for dinner. I was intrigued by the presence of a beautiful woman, who was devouring the food before her. She must have been hungry. "Rowena, how are you?" I asked.

She wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm alright, Miss Carolina. And you?" she stuttered, her body trembling.

"Let's just say I am not well," I sighed. I was bandaging my finger. "I suppose the problem is me."

"You are a very kind person, Carolina," she said, taking my trembling hand in hers. "You helped me when you did not even know my name. You are an independent woman, and one day, the people you love will look up to you."

"You are lucky she found you, Rowena," Aunt Colette said.

"And I am very thankful for that," Rowena said, laughing. "I almost peed when I saw you with that bow and arrow! I was so frightened."

"I am terribly sorry for that," I said, a smile breaking on my face.

"It was a good instinct."

I let her continue to eat as I sat and thought of the future. I knew that I was the cause of all this chaos, but I did not have the strength to face my problems. I was too weak, too reliant on others.

"Rowena," I said, "do you know how to dance?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Not really, why?"

"Because you are coming with me tomorrow night."

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Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this, especially @SamantaXX; you are a very wonderful human being. May God bless you endlessly :)

Sorry for the very long wait, like for a whole month, my parents are having issues so... I'm not that really well but I'll try to update again for Part 2.

Don't miss it! The story is just getting started MUWAHAHAHAHAHA! LOVE YOU LOTS~

-Nina.