Chapter 658 Wars Aren't Won Without Sacrifice

Chapter 658 Wars Aren't Won Without Sacrifice

Derek raised his gaze to meet hers, his expression calm but resolute, "I'm sorry, Cecilia, but I'm afraid that's not possible."

Cecilia's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat, "W-What?" she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.

Cecilia was visibly taken aback, her face a mask of disbelief, "You're not serious, are you? Or are you being forced into this somehow?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Derek closed his eyes momentarily, a sign of the inner turmoil he was suppressing. When he opened them again, his gaze was steely and resolute, "No. Everything is being carried out under my orders."

Cecilia's eyes widened in shock, "Derek?"

"...but for the greater good," Derek completed with a determined and unwavering gaze.

The weight of his words sank into Cecilia's chest, causing her to shake her head in disbelief, "No... You can't. Please tell me you're not actually experimenting on people—people who trust us to protect them."

Derek sighed deeply, a cloud of regret shadowing his expression, "I told you what we are planning, right? To reach our end goal of eradicating demons, some sacrifices have to be made. If history has taught us anything, it is that wars aren't won without sacrifice. We've been fighting this for too long, and we can't fight for eternity. This has to end, and it better end in our lifetime for the sake of future generations. You know that."

Cecilia's eyes filled with tears as her heart wrenched with the agony of his words, "Sacrifices? But... how can we let our own people die for such cruel experiments? How could you do this behind my back? I never thought you were capable of such things. When did you start doing this?"

Derek took a slow, deliberate breath, his voice steady but laden with a grim resolve, "I've been planning all this for decades... since I became a full-fledged Hunter."

Cecilia's eyes widened in horror, "That's around the time we married..." she murmured, the realization striking her like a physical blow. The weight of her entire marriage felt like a lie, and her heart raced with the revelation that she had been completely unaware of this dark truth.

Cecilia stood silent, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and confusion as she absorbed the gravity of Derek's words.

Cecilia's voice trembled with a hint of despair, she said softly, "I don't think I can... I never imagined you'd be part of something like this."

Derek's grip on Cecilia's shoulders tightened, a fierce determination etched into his features, "You can. If you couldn't, do you think you would have helped us catch Cedric's friends? No. You knew their families would be in danger the moment they were caught. Still, you told me because you wanted to protect this world from Cedric's villainy, even after his death. You wanted to stay true to our Sterling name and ensure justice always prevails."

Cecilia's gaze dropped, her eyes shadowed with guilt, "I never thought their entire families would be murdered like that. I only wanted the ones responsible for sowing chaos to be put behind bars like Irina."

Cecilia remembered giving away and exposing Cedric's friends when they reached out to her, asking her for help to clear Cedric's name. But at that time, all she felt was anger and disgust that they reached out to her to clear an evil person's name who betrayed and tricked them all.

Yet she was shocked and saddened when she learned that their entire families were killed as well.

"But you must have known it was a possibility," Derek replied, his voice steady but laden with gravity. "Even now, fanatics are on a witch hunt for anyone who mentions the 'Golden Prince'. We've both made hard choices for the good of this world. Please don't make me feel alone in this. I wouldn't go this far if it wasn't for you and Rachel. You two matter more to me than anything. The rest of the world comes after. Why else would I push this so far?"

Cecilia's lips parted, her conflicted eyes meeting his. The weight of his words bore down on her, and she struggled with her conscience, "I know you love and care about us and would do anything for us. But I just don't want any more blood on our hands. It was already hard enough for me when I ended up causing the deaths of many innocents after Cedric's death. So, can you promise that this will end after two months?"

Derek's gaze sharpened, his resolve unyielding. "Within just a year or two ... I promise you, Cecilia, I will never make you feel like this again. We won't have to make any more hard decisions because we will be in a better place. Can you trust me and hold on? You're the only one I can rely on for support."

Cecilia sighed, her eyes closing as she grappled with the gravity of his promise. Her heart ached, caught between the loyalty she felt and the moral conflict tearing at her soul. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at Derek, her expression softening into a weary smile. "Okay, Derek. I trust you—as long as we won't ever regret this."

Derek's eyes held a flicker of relief and hope as he nodded. However, a few miles away, two figures, a tall man and a young woman were standing in a dark hotel room.

*Thud!*

Rachel fell to her knees, her eyes widened in shock while Asher looked down at her, his eyes quivering with unbridled, cold emotions, "It turns out your mom isn't really an angel, is she?"