"What's wrong, Felix?" Feeling worried because of his cousin's change in attitude within a split second, Lexus placed both of his hands on Felix's shoulders and forced him to look at him.

Meeting Lexus black eyes which urged him to speak up, Felix finally realized what was going on.

​​

"I -I need to return." He hardly uttered the words despite the stuttering and turned his back at his cousin. By doing that, his shivering hands had gone out of control which made his phone slipped from his hand.

He immediately bent down to picked up his phone but Lexus strong hands grabbed him on the arm. "Where do you think you're going? You can't even hold your phone properly." Lexus scowled.

It was like talking to a stone as the Prince was already out of his mind the moment he heard Yelena's squeaky voice. "I need to return." He repeated himself, barely breaking free from Lexus strong grip.

"I'll drive you back." Lexus knew the Prince nature too well. Rather than asking him more question, it's best to play along for now. He can inquire him later.

"You have an important meeting at noon. Just let me go. I'll be alright." Felix pleaded. Without even waiting for Lexus response, he was trying to run out of the hotel suite but the Brigadier was too fast compared to him who was not even in his clear mind.

Felix grew more and more anxious! The woman had ended the call when he was lost in his haunting memories which added more to his anxiousness. He needs to return as fast as possible to know what happened.

"Wait for just thirty seconds." Lexus approached the desk next to them but his eyes still watched over his cousin. There was no way he would allow him to run out in that state, no matter what the reason was.

He pressed the buzzer on the desk and a soldier with a uniform and a gun on his hand entered his suite right away. The Private along with two other soldiers were assigned to ensure the safety of the Brigadier during his stay in Silveren.

The soldier firmly saluted him without saying a single word. He was waiting for the Brigadier's order.

"Drive the Crown Prince back to the villa. Make sure that he reach there safe and sound." Brig. Lexus commanded the Private.

"Yes, sir!" The Private saluted Lexus once again and turned his attention to the Prince. "Please come with me, Your Highness."

"Follow him. I will come and deliver your car in the evening." Lexus calmly said to Felix.

"Thanks." Felix glanced at his cousin for once and stormed out of the hotel with the soldier.

* * *

"Where is Yelena?" Felix asked his attendant and personal guard, Matthew who was on the other line.

The Prince was currently on his way back to the villa and he tried calling Yelena many times but she didn't answer at all. His anxiousness almost drove him crazy!

"She is in her room. Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Matthew who was patrolling around the villa immediately responded to the Prince.

"Go upstairs and check what's going on with her. Right now!" He ordered the guard while he could barely sit inside the car. He can't be still. It was impossible at that time.

"Yes, Your Highness." Matthew immediately entered the villa and ran upstairs until he reached the door to the woman's room while the Prince from the other line was nervously waiting for his response.

He knocked on the door several times but... there was no response! Feeling worried, he tried to open the door in his own accord but it was locked from the inside.

"My Lady, are you alright? Please open the door. My Lady! My Lady!" He continued to knock on the door while calling her several times but still, there was no response. No sound could be heard either.

The whole time, the Prince was anxiously clenching his fingers. The fact that he was not there for her suffocated him! But there was nothing he could do.

"Your Highness, the door is lock from the inside and there is no response either." Matthew agitatedly informed the Prince.

"Damn it!" Felix bawled as he hardly bangs the car door. He instantly shifted his gaze to the soldier who was driving the car. "Speed up as fast as you can. Forget about the rules. I want to reach the villa as fast as possible." His left elbow clashed with the car window while he nervously clenched his phone with his right hand.

"I understand, Your Highness." Following the Crown Prince's order, the soldier speeds up as fast as he could, putting aside all the rules and other restrictions. Luckily, they were in the countryside where vehicles were less in numbers and traffic was not much of a problem.

History should not repeat itself. It was the only thing that continuously crossed the Prince's mind throughout the ride.

Losing his loved one for once was more than enough! But if it ever happens twice, he will never be able to be the same again.

The haunting memories lingered on his imagination the whole time. Four years ago, Cara Laria called him while he was on his home. She called his name as she cried. Feeling worried, he instantly rushed to her apartment but... he finds her on the floor of her bedroom with her whole body covered by blood!

He was late as she had already passed away when he reached there!

He used to ask himself the same question for 4 whole years. What if he reached there a bit sooner? Will he be able to save the woman he loved?

Self-guilt.

It was the thing that haunted him all the time!

He should just stay in the villa! He should have brought her with him! Why now of all time?!

He tightly clenched his fist while he felt like dying on the inside. The thing that made him felt that way was the woman calling his name which continuously echoed on his ears.

One hour and fifteen minutes. The car finally reached the villa. Felix stormed out of the car, forgetting everything else including the soldier who drove him back.

He rushed to the villa and to where Yelena room was located.

"Yelena! It's me. Open the door!" He started knocking the door but when he stopped his action, it had become deadly quiet again. "Answer me, Yelena. Are you alright?"

There was no response or sound.

He cannot wait anymore. He decided to break the door and his attendant was very quick to help him. With the strength of two men, the door was broken in no time.

The sound of the door falling on the floor made a loud sound which could startle everyone but the inside was still quiet.

Felix's eyes scanned the room as he rushed in. Then his gaze fell on the woman who was sitting on one corner, curling her body as small as she could. Her hands covered her ears, her face was buried in her thigh and her whole body was shivering.

His heart break at the sight of her! What happened to her?

"Yelena." He called her name and walked to her yet she didn't make any movement.

He sat down before her so that he could match her. "Yelena, what happened?" His voice was gentle yet there was a hint of anxiousness in it. He gradually lifted her head to make her look at him.

"I'm here. Tell me what happened to you." He patiently asked again with his voice gentle than ever. For a split second, he even thought that he would die due to a heart attack!

What happened to that strong and confident woman? What made her shiver like this? He was anxious to know the answer but... she was so fragile for now! He couldn't force her in anything.

Yelena's dim yet teary red eyes looked at him. But her face was devoid of any expression. It reminded him of himself four years ago, when everyone told him that he resembled a living corpse.

"Yelena." He called her name again and gently caressed her face. "What happened?" He asked again for the third time.

Five, ten seconds passed until it becomes a minute. Felix was patiently staring at her the whole time. His hope drained down little by little until... she was suddenly snapped out of her stupor.

Suddenly, her eyes grew wide in fear and she struggled, trying to break free from the Prince's gentle hands but the man tightened his grip on her. "Yelena! Look at me. It's me." He reminded her again.

Hearing his voice, she paused all her movement and lifted her eyes to look at him. "Felix?" She muttered.

"Yes. It's me. Tell me what happened." He asked her in a calm voice.

Her body became stiff when she suddenly realized something. Her mind had slowly become clear again.

"What is it, Yelena?" He asked her for the fifth time, never losing his patience.

She turned her head away from him and looked at the table on the left. She lifted her fingers and pointed at the laptop which was placed on the table. "That. M -My brother..."

Felix eyes flew to the direction where Yelena was pointing at. A video was playing on the laptop. Maybe because he was too occupied by her, he didn't even hear a very low sound coming out from the video.

He stared at the video which was a few feet away from them. He could see some men in it but the sound was not so pleasant. He raised a brow when he finally heard the sound clearer than before.

Was that the sound of someone being tortured?!