Chapter 194

[Cecilia’s POV]

How could this have happened?

Ever since Arthur had stormed out of the lounge, I remained in the same position for what felt like hours. I must have fallen into a complete daze and not even realized it. By the time I moved, the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon.

I was stunned. Shocked. Numb.

It all felt so surreal, standing in the midst of the wreckage Arthur had caused. I carefully stepped around the broken shards of glass and splintered wood. I hadn’t batted an eye at the mindless destruction around me.

I’ll admit to Arthur having a nasty temper at times, but I was the one who taught him how to control it. He, of all people, knew how important it was to always remain calm and resolute—to never let anyone know what you were feeling and thinking.

Arthur had gone on and destroyed several decades worth of history...All because of that Liam boy?

It didn’t make sense.

Everything I’d done to prepare him for becoming the next head of this family had somehow fallen to nothing. It was like he didn’t even care.

How could he think about leaving the family? How could possibly utter the words that he was forfeiting his title?

If he were to do that then Liam would end up as the new head of the Winslow family. The mere thought caused my blood to boil and my nerves to jumble up into knots. No. No, I refused to let that happen.

Of course, he didn’t mean anything. He’s just upset. He’s just gotten over midterms. He’s exhausted.

Arthur was simply making a mistake. Clearly, he became somehow attached to Liam and he was merely upset about almost losing him. That’s all.

In fact, I had every inclination to believe that what brought on this erratic episode was all because of Ella Belmont. She must have found a way to twist his mind and screw with his thoughts because the Arthur that I knew and raised would never have thrown something so important away.

Never.

Here I had thought I had found a way around the long-standing Winslow Family’s prejudice against the Moon Wolves...Instead of fearing them, we could have utilized them. Used them to strengthen our bloodline and change history for the better.

But, clearly, that just wasn’t possible anymore.

“Perhaps, I need to just go back to my original plan,” I muttered under my breath.

Everything Arthur and I had worked for had been going so smoothly until Ella came into the picture.

If I can't ensure that Arthur will become an Enigma then I will make it so that no other Alpha will either.

BOOM!!

The sudden sound of the main front doors slamming open caused my muscles to flinch once more. For a split second, I truly believed that it was Arthur coming back to possibly tear up another room.

However, I was graced with the unpleasant sight of Aaron, barrelling into the room. The bags under his eyes were proof of his apparent exhaustion along with his disheveled clothes and hair.

The various inhuman sounds that came from his chest were a clear indicator that I was about to get an absolute earful.

“Well, good morning to y—”

“Have you lost your fucking mind?! My son??” he growled.

“He’s alive, is he not?” I asked dryly.

Aaron’s face twitched with repressed anger. He glanced around the room, suddenly noticing the mess. Reaching down, he picked up one of the cracked picture frames Arthur had torn off the wall.

“I take it that this was Arthur’s work.”

“Yes, he was here earlier. Where the hell have you been?” I asked accusingly.

“At the hospital,” he bit out. “Liam needed a transfusion. The blood loss was so severe, he wouldn’t have made it through the surgery otherwise. Your little stunt came this close to killing him.”

I fell silent and uncomfortable tension filled the room. After a long pause, Aaron spoke out. He sounded exhausted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Cecilia, I have no idea what to do about this situation...Honestly, I think it would be best if you stayed somewhere else for a while.”

Was he being serious? There’s no way I was just going to pack up my life here. For Christ’s sake, I was the Mistress of the Manor. I was the only reason why anything ever got done around the place.

“I’m not leaving,” I scoffed, indignantly.

The tone in Aaron’s voice was proof of his insistence. He tossed the broken frame off to the side, causing another sharp crack to shatter through the silence.

“Oh, yes, You are,” he said darkly. “Hell, if it were up to me, I would be serving you divorce papers and in the current process of putting a warrant out for your arrest. You put an actual fucking hit out on my son.”

“You can’t prove that I had anything to do with that attack,” I countered.

“Does it matter? If you know what’s good for you, you will leave. Preferably sooner rather than later. Arthur told me about his decision to step down.”

I simply waved off the ordeal as though it was nothing serious. Because I truly believed that it wasn’t. What Arthur was feeling right now was going to pass in a day or two.

“Simply something he said in the heat of the moment.”

Aaron stared at me with a blatant expression on his face. “I’m fairly certain that he was being entirely serious.”

“Arthur merely needs to focus on what’s truly important in his life.”

I had full confidence that once he properly cooled down and got his Midterm grades back, he was going to come around and recount his earlier remarks.

“Tell me, Cecilia. Out of the two of us, you clearly seem to know Arthur best,” he noted.

I proudly nodded my head.

“Has Arthur ever let his anger get the better of him to this degree?” he asked.

He lifted his hand out, gesturing to what was left of the lounge. I pursed my lips in irritation. Of course, we both knew the answer to that question.

Arthur was many things, but a recklessly violent person was never one of them. Maybe on the ice at times when he was playing a match, but not like this.

I arched a knowing brow and placed my hands on my hips. “This isn’t Arthur’s fault. If anyone is to be blamed, it’s that damn Belmont girl.”

“You mean Ella?” I rolled my eyes and sneered. “What the hell could you possibly be blaming her for?”

“She found a way to get under Arthur’s skin and screw with his mind,” I claimed.

“Or, could it be perhaps that he’s finally started listening to the real voice inside of his head and not yours?” he questioned sharply.

I refused to think that I was being replaced by some pompous bitch.

Aaron turned his head toward the door. “Cecilia, I can hardly stand to look at you right now. I’m telling the maids to gather some of your things together. I want you out of this house as soon as possible. I don’t care where you go, as long as it’s away from here and away from Eastwood.”