Chapter 245: GRIEF - A STRANGE CONCEPT

After one long hour of trying to get Dream to calm down, she finally fell asleep in Fay’s arms.

Fay didn’t last too long either. Soon as her daughter found peace in the arms of sleep, she also slept.

She woke up to the sound of her daughter moving away from her.

"Dream!" She jerked up in alarm.

"Good morning, mummy!" Dream replied in a chirpy voice that got Fay confused.

"Good morning, baby. Are you okay?" She asked the little girl that had rolled out of bed, and was making her way out of the room.

"I’m fine, mummy," she replied with a little shrug of her shoulders.

"Are you sure? Come here, let’s talk."

"But I have to get ready for school."

Fay’s mouth hung open, not exactly sure what was going on.

"Are you sure you want to go to school today? You don’t have to," She said cautiously.

"But I want to. Why can’t I go?"

"Dreamy, what you saw—-"

"Daddy is fine!" She protested firmly.

"Dream, but—"

"He’s really fine, mummy. Remember? He left me a video saying he’ll be back. He’s fine. Those people don’t know what they’re talking about."

"Drea—"

She ran out of the room, screaming behind her shoulders, "Nanny, come get me ready for school!"

Fay sighed, both confused and worried. She ran her fingers through her hair, as she thought of the next step to take.

Her daughter was clearly in denial, and that was much more difficult to deal with.

Grabbing her phone, she hastily dialed her doctor.

"Fay? Good morning," she answered on the second ring.

"I know I’m not supposed to see you today, and you’re really busy, but can we talk please? Somebody has happened," she went straight to the point.

"I’m glad you called me, Fay. I saw the news. You can come in today."

"Thank you," Fay said, and ended the call.

She breathed in right after, before stepping out to find Dream.

"Dream, you really don’t have to go to school," she said some minutes after, as she brushed her hair.

"Mummy, don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about daddy either. He’s fine. I know it."

She hopped out of the chair, and grabbed his picture into her hands..

Kissing the picture, she smiled widely, before returning it back to the table.

Fay felt short of breath. She felt as if the walls of her world were closing in on her.

There was no reason for a little girl to be that strong.

She wanted to burst into tears. To call on to the one thing that used to give her some semblance of comfort.

But the tears were non-existent, and she could only watch her daughter with sadness in her eyes.

Seth walked into the room, and Dream turned to him.

"Are you ready to take me to school, PawPaw?" She asked innocently.

His heart instantly shattered to pieces. He wanted to protect her so badly, but he didn’t know what to do.

"Are you sure, Dream?" He asked.

"I am." She nodded confidently.

He swallowed hard, and glanced at the direction of Fay.

The sadness in her eyes, further made him angry and hopeless.

"Do you mind?" He asked.

"No, take her to school. That’s what she wants," Fay said.

Walking up to Dream, she kissed her forehead, then turned around immediately.

She couldn’t watch her go to school like nothing had happened.

It was just too difficult for her to take in.

"They’ve been trying to reach you from the Atticus mansion. If you can, place a call to them," Seth said, before leading Dream out of the room.

Fay moved only when their footsteps faded.

She grabbed her phone she had kept on Dreams bed, and quickly dialled Gabrielle’s line.

Sophie was the one to pick. Immediately Fay heard her voice, she was washed with a fresh wave of sorrow.

"So– Soph," she called, trembling.

"My mum fainted, Fay. The matriarch had a heart attack scare. Everyone is mourning, Fay. It’s so painful!" She cried out.

"I’ll be right there."

Fay hung the phone, and dashed into her room.

Moments later, she was out again, and headed straight to her car.

"Going somewhere, ma’am?" Cade stepped in front of her.

"Get out of my way, Cade," she ordered in a warning voice.

"I can’t do that ma’am. Sir Ace said not to let you out of my sight in times when things are looking a little rough. Judging by yesterday’s news, things are going to be rough outside. I even sent some bodyguards to hover around Dreams school," he explained.

"Look, I don’t have time to do this with—- what did you just say?" She asked, when something he had mentioned registered in her head.

"I had some bodyguards go to Dreams school, just in case," he said.

"No, the part about Ace."

"Oh, you didn’t know? The other night he came here, he thanked me for always protecting you, and Dream. He said he won’t always be around, so on days like these, I must make sure to protect you."

Fay’s expression went from shock to disbelief.

There was no way Ace would make that kind of arrangement behind her back, right?

Why did he always confuse her? Even in dea—

She shook her head vigorously. She couldn’t bring herself to think about that awful news.

"Fine, then you drive," she said, getting into the car.

"I’ve got this!" he screamed at Gerald who was already making his way towards them, before entering into the car.

Fay was disgusted by the masses, as the car finally rolled into the Atticus mansion.

She couldn’t believe despite this kind of horrible news, they were still trying to get their gossip in.

The street of the Atticus mansion was lined with civilians, the military, and the press respectively.

The military she was certain were hired to keep the civilians and press away, as they harassed everyone that tried to get to the family.

She flung the car door open, and jumped out in haste.

"Fay!" Leighton called to her the second she stepped out.

She ran to her, and hugged Fay into her body.

"Where’s Dream?" She asked, when she finally released her.

"School," Fay replied.

"School?!" Leighton asked, completely shocked.

"Yeah, I had the same expression when even after she saw what happened in the news, she asked to go to school this morning. She doesn’t believe her father is—" she paused again, unable to say it.

Leighton nodded in understanding. "All hope is not lost. They’ve declared an intense search. Maybe they’ll find—"

Leighton also couldn’t complete her thoughts in words.

It was too gruesome. Too painful to think, or talk about.

"Let’s go in," she said instead.

Fay sniffled, as they walked into the house.

It was like a dooms entrapment camp inside of the Atticus mansion.

Sophie ran to her, on seeing her walk in.

"Where’s Gabrielle?" She asked, whilst hugging her.

She was directed towards Gabrielle’s room.

As she walked in, and saw the condition of the woman, her heart further broke.

She sat beside her, and Gabrielle opened her eyes.

"Fay, is that you? I’m so sorry," she said, bursting into tears.

"Sorry for what? Please don’t further break my heart," Fay said in a sorrow filled voice.

"It’s all my fault. You don’t deserve this kind of pain."

"And you? He’s your so-n," her voice broke.

"And the father of your child," she jolted up. "Where’s Dream?"

"Shhhh, no please. Relax," Fay said, gently laying her back on the bed. "Dream is fine," she said reassuringly.

"Are you sure? Does she know?" She asked, and resumed crying.

"She does."

Fay explained everything to her, and when she was done, she had a woman crying hysterically to deal with.

Leighton stepped into the room, and aided by providing some sleeping pills for Gabrielle.

She took them, and slowly, fell unconscious.

"Is that okay for her health?" Fay asked Leighton, as worried lines marred her forehead.

"It is. She’ll be more composed when she wakes up. Do you want to see the matriarch now?"

"Yes please."

The matriarch was still unconscious when Fay arrived in her room.

She grabbed her hands, but words failed her.

Thick mass of air clumped around her throat, making it hard for her to speak.

"I—"

She couldn’t take it anymore. Turning around, she fled out of the room, ran past the living room, and went to her car.

Cade, who had seen her run out, quickly entered the driver’s seat.

"Get me out of here, Cade!" She screamed. "Just get me out!"

Ace’s family had run after her, calling out for her to return.

Closing her eyes, she ignored them, as Cade turned the car around.

The gate guy sensing how unfair it was to stop her, opened the gate, and Cade sped out of the mansion.

"Where to?" He asked.

"Ace’s house. Take me to his house," she said, her heart pounding loudly against her chest.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read