The gloomy, gray sky and the sleet added to Bella's feelings of distress. An hour passed before Nigel's car pulled up at the West Suburb Cemetery.
The door opened, and Matt stepped out with an umbrella, helping the frail Nigel out of the car.
Slowly, he walked toward the cemetery, even opting not to use his wheelchair.
"Ms. Bella, the West Suburb Cemetery isn't a high-end resting place; it's where ordinary people are buried," Steven said as he watched Nigel's retreating figure, feeling confused. "Given his status, would Old Master Nigel really have friends who are just common folks? And whoever it is must be someone extraordinary for him to brave this kind of weather just to pay his respects." Bella's gaze darkened as she looked out the window. After hesitating for a few moments, she opened the door and quietly followed behind.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe trailed them without being noticed until Nigel and Matt finally stopped in front of a tomb.
They bowed deeply and placed a bouquet of white daisies on the ground.
From where she was standing, Bella could not make out the nor photograph on the tomb.
Generally, people would cto pay their respects in the early morning or before noon, but Grandpa Nigel had chosen the afternoon. It was a bit unusual.
"Old Master Nigel, it's freezing out here, and you have a history of respiratory problems. You shouldn't be exposed to this kind of cold... Let's head back," Matt urged, full of worry, as he draped his coat over the elderly man.
Nigel coughed and dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand.
"I'm fine," Nigel rasped, his voice hoarse, laden with the weight of guilt. "She was such a good child. It was the Salvador family who wronged her. I don't even know if I'll live to see another year, so letstay with her a little longer." Bella's chest tightened at his words as she hid behind a tree, her heart aching faintly.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a middle-aged woman with a weathered face and graying hair approached Nigel. Her eyes were red with grief and anger as she glared at him.
The old woman yelled, "It's you again?! How dare you... How dare you chere to see my daughter?!" Matt quickly stepped forward to shield Nigel, but the old man gently waved him away.
Bella, watching from her hiding spot, felt her heart pounding faster.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Mrs. Cooper, I've felt guilty all these years about your daughter's passing. Maya was diligent and hardworking when she worked for our family. We all thought very highly of her Nigel took a step forward, coughing heavily, his expression filled with sorrow and humility. Content belongs to en.kikistories"The Salvador family has to take responsibility for what happened back then. Even after all these years, I still haven't been able to find peace about Maya's death. I'm really, truly sorry about this, once again..." With that, Nigel bowed down to the woman, trembling as he did so.
"An accident?" The woman let out a bitter laugh, Ker eyes brimming with tears. "If it was just an accident, why would you sneak over here to pay respects?! You know perfectly well how Maya died! It was Young Master Grant who killed her Content belongs to en.kikistoriesThe accusation crashed like thunder in Bella's ears, causing her pupils to contract sharply.
This woman's daughter must have been a servant for the Salvador family, yet she had died in what was described as an accident. Now, the woman was claiming that the culprit was none other than Grant.
Matt rushed forward, his expression hardened. "Mrs. Cooper, while Old Master Nigel sympathizes with your loss, you can't just make baseless accusations. Otherwise, we'll have grounds to sue you for slander." In the face of such sharp accusations, Nigel remained silent, his face full of anguish.
"Hah... it's been twenty years!" The woman laughed through her tears. "You forced us to cremate her body. What evidence could possibly be left now?! The Salvador family has enough power to do whatever they want! To protect that deranged firstborn of yours, you resorted to bribery and threats, even taking my husband and son hostage to silence us from seeking the truth about Maya's death... For twenty years, I endured humiliation and carried hatred just to survive. Every night, I dreamed of my daughter crying, asking why I didn't fight for justice for her..." Content belongs to en.kikistoriesThe woman wept uncontrollably, pounding her chest in grief. "I failed my daughter. I'm not fit to be a mother! If I don't seek justice for Maya, how can I face her in the afterlife?!" A gust of wind howled through the cemetery, causing Bella to shiver slightly, her gaze dimming.
The woman continued to laugh and cry hysterically, teetering on the edge of collapse. "Now, my husband is bedridden with only a few months left. My son died in a car accident last month... I have nothing left to lose." She continued, "I'm alive for one reason-to seek justice for Maya! I want you and Young Master Grant to confess and pay for what he did!" Bella's heart was filled with an unspeakable melancholy.
A parent burying their child. Fate always seemed to deal the harshest blows to those who had already suffered enough.
But what concerned her more was how Grant, who had only been fourteen years old at the time, could have caused the death of a grown woman.
"Mrs. Cooper... I understand how you feel..." Nigel struggled to breathe, clutching his aching chest as he spoke with difficulty. "But your daughter did die from an accident. It had nothing to do with my eldest grandson..."