Chapter 150: Rest peacefully
Zethan stood under the shower, the water cascading over his silver hair, trailing down his neck and over his well-defined abs. It flowed along the sculpted lines of his back, revealing the perfection of his form.
He had been standing there for nearly an hour—the blood that once stained his body now long gone, replaced by clean skin.
The tiles that had soaked up the red water were white again. Still, he remained motionless—fists clenched, jaw tight, eyes closed—as his hands pressed against the wall, which seemed to be cracked from the force of his fist.
Slowly, he ran his hands back through his wet hair. The cold water offered no relief; the tension in his skin remained, unbroken.
A slow sigh escaped his lips. He moved and then stopped at the door. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist, then took a smaller one to roughly dry his hair. As he stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes were immediately drawn to the framed photograph in the middle of the room—a picture of him and Lilia on their wedding day. For some reason he couldn’t explain, he wanted it there. He had personally requested it be placed, and it had remained there for weeks, just the way he wanted.
There was another photo too—smaller, more intimate—resting on the bedside table. It had been taken unknowingly, on the day of their engagement. In it, Lilia held up her hand, showing off the ring, her expression caught mid-smile and surprise. That one was just for him.
Zethan dried the rest of his body, then pulled on a black shirt, boxers, and pants. Once fully dressed, he walked to the bed and sat on its edge, brushing his almost-dried hair back. His gaze shifted to the wedding photo on the wall, then slowly to the smaller picture by the bed. He reached for it, holding it carefully in his hands.
Her face—so beautiful, those golden-brown eyes like crystals at sunset—stared back at him, frozen in time. There had been surprise in her expression that day, the kind that made her eyes widen slightly. He chuckled softly, remembering how that moment had been interrupted over and over by flashes, yet somehow, this photo had captured something real. She looked breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking.
"As always," he chuckled again, face-palming himself.
His chest tightened. Slowly, he stood and moved, walking out of the room.
He then moved quietly walked down the hallway, his expression unreadable. His footsteps echoed, slow and steady. At the end, he reached out and pressed his fingers to the wall panel. A soft chime sounded as the elevator doors slid open. He stepped inside, and the doors closed behind him. The elevator descended, the silence inside stretching until—ping—it came to a stop.