Witnessing Murder! (1)

Quietly closing the door behind her, Madeline quickly turned on the light switch in order to brighten up their spacious room. She pulled the cupboard open and brought out an anti-inflammatory cream before proceeding to help Cassian take his seat on the couch.

Crouching to the tiled floor on both knees, Madeline took her time to inspect Cassian's jaw where he got punched. To her relief, there was no sign of swelling, the only error was the little bit of redness that painted his cheek due to the effect of Gregory's hit, and she shouldered the guilt.

"This….this is all my fault." Taking her hands away, Madeline felt a heavy thud in her heart, followed by an unquestionable anger as she remembered her uncle's fault in it as well. Just as she is to blame for Cassian's predicament, her uncle and Aunt are also to blame for this.

"None of this would have happened if Auriela hadn't forced my uncle into contacting Gregory in the first place. She's really the mastermind behind everything happening to me. I got married to you to save myself, it hasn't even been weeks and I'm already causing you pain. I hope you can forgive me."

"Frankly speaking, your uncle is really in my bad books." Cassian asserted while staring into her watery guilt-filled eyes. "But not you. We both knew what we were getting into before agreeing to this marriage. We have our reasons but every advantage surely comes with a disadvantage and this…" he pointed at his cheek. "Is nothing."

To be honest, he wasn't hurt from the beginning, he only acted it out to stop the conversation growing between his wife and Orson. He couldn't define the feeling but after finding out his wife once had a crush on his best friend, seeing them together made him uncomfortable.

Annoyingly uncomfortable.

"But it must hurt alot." Moving closer, Madeline crawled forward to stay in between his legs while reaching to touch his cheek. Their close proximity caused Cassian's eyes to widen slightly, and he would have imagined the worse if she wasn't looking so serious and concentrated on his injured jaw.

'I need to get hurt more often.' thought Cassian.

Meanwhile Madeline was currently boiling in her own anger. She knew those two well enough to know they wouldn't stop bugging her till she does something drastic. She was able to endure whatever they chose to do to her, but hurting the man who had saved her from being ridiculed and turned into a sex slave wasn't something she'd fold her hands and watch.

Cassian's eyes followed the woman who finally got to her feet and was currently heading for the door.

"Wait_ where are you going?"

"To Roland's place." She responded while turning around to look at Cassian with all seriousness in her expression. "I hold myself accountable for what has happened today. I am legally married to you now, and so it is my duty to handle this since I'm responsible for your predicament. If I don't do something, my Aunt won't let us be."

She shook her head when the idea of what future disaster might fall on them if she remained quiet. "No more, I have to confront them and this time, they'll have to listen to me."

"Maddie.." she had opened the door and stepped out before he could complete what he wanted to say. Her sudden anger had totally surprised him, and all because he got hit??

Maddie.." she had opened the door and stepped out before he could complete what he wanted to say. Her sudden anger had totally surprised him, and all because he got hit??

"I seriously need to get hurt more often." He revealed a small smile before reminding himself that his wife was going to face her uncle alone.

"Hold on, Maddie." He stood up from the couch and went after her.

By the time he stepped out from the main door and into the front yard, the young lady had already entered one of the carriages and left. Orson, who was busy having a light conversation with Inna in the living room, spotted Cassian's wife making her way outside. It didn't really bother him at first till he saw Cassian going out as well.

"Where are they going?" Questioned Orson who's gaze was fixed on the door. Inna said nothing concerning the two of them, and Orson knew very well that Inna was the last person to ask such a question, and so, he followed the young Lad outside.

"Any problem?" Orson's eyesight followed where Cassian was looking, but there was nothing there except for the gatekeeper who was closing the gate.

"Hey how's your jaw now?"

"Shut up and come with me." Silencing Orson who wasn't sure about what crime he had committed to get the cold shoulders, he quickly called for Amade who got his personal carriage ready, and they went straight to Roland's home.

It took about thirty minutes before Madeline's carriage suddenly reached the house of Roland. The upper west quarters were less busy during the day since everyone had businesses to run to. The morning and evening time were always bustling with people, either returning or going to work since it was a daily routine.

Madeline stepped down from the carriage looking a bit anxious. She stared at the house that has caused her nothing but pain, except today, she's going to confront Roland and his wife. If she doesn't take this step and stand up for herself in front of them, then they won't let her be.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Madeline quickly composed herself before taking a step into the building. She had the intention of knocking, but the moment her hand touched the wooden door, it opened freely to her greatest surprise.

"Is it open?" Looking down at the lock, she realized it was damaged with signs of bruises.

Someone broke the locks??

With her brows knitting questionably, Madeline opened the door with a creaking sound and walked in. Everything about the house was in order, and not a single thing was out of place. It definitely didn't look like someone had broken in, so how did the locks end up being broken?

"Hello." She said, her voice ringing out in the quiet house. It was unusual for the house to be this quiet, to the point of hearing the sound of her shoes connecting with the floor.

No sight of the servants, not even Auriela who was mostly at home.

"Where is everyone?"

The sound of an iron dropping in the kitchen startled Madeline and she stopped walking. Her head jerked in the direction of the kitchen, and from the sound, it was obvious someone was home.

Not having a good feeling about it, Madeline hurried to the kitchen to see what had caused the sound. She slowed down on her steps after making it to the kitchen, already curious to see who was around, yet refused to respond to her greetings when she came in.

Taking her steps one at a time, the sight of a man who had sprawled to the ground was what Madeline saw next, and a frightening gasp tore from her lips.

To her horrific gaze, Roland was lying motionless on the ground, in the pool of his own blood. Two kitchen knives were deeply stabbed into his abdomen, and another one straight at his heart region.

"Uncle?!!" Fear gripped her system at the thought of him being dead. Roland's eyelids forcefully fluttered open after hearing her panicked voice, and Madeline instantly rushed to his side, kneeling beside his body as she tried to pull the knife out.

"What in the Lord's name happened here??" Placing her uncle's head on her lap, she quickly pulled out the knife that had stabbed his heart, throwing it aside. Roland coughed violently after she did that, and Madeline tried to soothe him as she pressed her hand to his chest in order to reduce the bleeding.

"You'll be fine, I'll... I'll get a doctor, or someone, anyone." Looking around the empty house, Madeline couldn't stop the tears from flowing from her eyes as she glanced around wildly, hoping to spot a servant around.

"Where's everyone??" She yelled in frustration, knowing she wouldn't be able to carry Roland by herself. Roland's bleeding refused to stop, and Madeline's fair hands were now coated with his blood.

"Just w...wait for me, I... I'll... I'll get someone, just wait I'll be quick." She tried to stand up to go find help, but Roland shook his head, stopping her from going to call anyone.

"It's too late, run Maddie." His alarmed tone sounded weak, and that was something she couldn't understand. "Run!"

"Uncle."

"Get out of this place, now." Saying this, he tried to push her away from him so she would leave, but Madeline was still adamant on trying to save him.

"What are you saying to me?" Unable to comprehend what Roland meant, Madeline instantly felt someone's shadow behind her and she froze.

Slowly turning her head around to see who it was, she realized it was no one else but Auriela. She held a knife in both grasps as she raised her hands up to deliver the strike.

Madeline's eyes widened, and she screamed when the knife came down on her.

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A/N: New Book Out! Search and add *Bride To His Darkness* to your Library and give it a read! Thank you!