Chapter 252 - A silent prayer under the night sky (1/2)

Lillian Grey cried until drought betrayed her eyes. The dry sobbing hurts now, and she could no longer lament in peace.

For the several minutes she cried, Edwin stayed silently, watching his daughter tear down.

Once those tears could no longer breathe, Edwin fought whether to speak or not, but to his startle, Lillian stood up swiftly. Sparring a couple of seconds, she did not glance for anyone, and without a word, walked out. Edwin knew what she did and followed her to the entrance.

”Do you intend to run away again, Lilly?” he asked.

Lillian stopped at his stinging words. She didn't turn or move, but only stood firm to her feet.

”I can't stay here-” she uttered.

Edwin worriedly panicked if the situation gone wild for Lillian to run away anew. To cease his expanding assumptions, Lillian spoke again.

”-at least for tonight, I can't stay here,” she added to her previous statement.

Edwin relieved, yet concerned about the news.

”Are you planning to get drunk again?” he inquired.

Edwin heard a low chuckle with no spirit.

”As if- I am not fooling myself anymore.”

Edwin sensed a new conviction from Lillian's determined words.

”Dad,” she called.

”Take care of her. She needs support more than me. I can't let Lia hate Giselle for this.”

”But-” Edwin faltered.

”Lia has all the right to hate me with every passion and wish me to stay away, but not Giselle- Giselle is her mother, and I don't wish that poor child to dislike her mother for my wrong action.”

Lillian paused, hiding her distress while trying to sound alright. Despite the pain, she mustered the courage to request for help from her father.

”If you can, let Lia know-” Lillian said.

She then left the place on her own, to spend the night wandering the streets and atone in solitary.

..

Edwin watched his daughter leave. Lia is unmistakably the person who got affected the most from the encounter. However, Edwin knew that his daughter is also silently hurting inside. After all, she wished to see Giselle for years, and that kiss was her long desiring dream, to be with her eternal love. In the end, their intimate moment ruined with reality, which left Lillian depressed with herself.

Edwin returned home with a solemn face. As he entered, he noticed Giselle coming downstairs.

They both stopped at facing each other. Edwin noticed Giselle wear an even more crucifying expression than Lillian.

”What happened?” he asked to know readily.

Giselle shook her head.

”What do you mean?” Edwin insisted.

”Lia- Lia is not talking to me.”

Giselle said with much pain that Edwin could sense the gravity of the problem.

”Did you try to-”

Edwin seeks to ask for more details, but Giselle interrupted him, confessing how much Lia refused to even look at her mother, and despite spending much effort to try to talk, Lia ended up not speaking a word to Giselle. She hides under the covers on the bed for the entire time Giselle stayed in the room.

Unable to make a word out of her child or even capture her attention for a few seconds to explain the truth, Giselle left the room. She believed in time that can help Lia to open up to her. There is no point in striving, only to see the one completely shutting down the other.

”Where's Lillian Grey?” Giselle asked after realizing that Edwin returned from outside. She doubted if something happened with Lillian Grey in the absence of her presence.

The issue with Lia let Edwin forget about Lillian for a while until Giselle questioned him. He looked outside to see and found no trace of Lillian Grey, still lingering there. She left long ago without a trail.

”She went out.”

Giselle, disturbed from his response, feared for Lillian, whom she ignored over Lia's appearance.

”Now?” she stormed.

Edwin Grey nodded to his dullness.

”Don't worry! She did it frequently for the past few weeks. Lilly knows the place well and-”