On the display was an old picture, one that caused the tears brimming in Felipe’s eyes to fall.
It was the same smile he had engraved into his memory—the very one that haunted his dreams for the past decade.
Felipe wanted to smile, but his vision became blurred from the tears.
His arm drooped limply, and the red string fell to his feet. He then went down on his knees, kneeling in front of Cathy’s grave.
‘It was you all along, Cathy.
‘You were the girl who pulled me from the dark.
‘I’ve been searching for you all these years when you were right there by my side.
‘Yet I’ve done such ruthless things to you.
‘Why was I so stubborn even when Eveline told me she was not that girl?
‘Why did it take you leaving me for good for me to realize that you had already burned your existence into the deepest part of my heart? Why was I so late?
‘Why?’
He scoffed self-deprecatingly as indescribable ache tugged at his heartstrings.
Felipe stayed at the cemetery for a long while.
Cathy’s death had already broken him from the inside.
Now, coupled with the knowledge that Cathy was also the girl from before, the pain Felipe felt in his heart was all-consuming.
He stared at the tombstone for a long time before he made the decision.
“I’ll bring you home, Cathy. Back to where we first met.”
He would bring Cathy’s ashes with him.
“Felipe.”
After dashing to the cemetery, Kendrick felt his heart clench when he saw Cathy’s name engraved on the tombstone.
He strode up to grip Felipe by the collar and glared fiercely at him. “Even if you didn’t like Cathy, that doesn’t mean you had to kill her in cold blood. How could you kill a girl who’s been in love with you for over a decade?!”
Felipe quirked his thin lips unfeelingly. “Did you not hurt Eveline the same way all those years ago? Who are you to teach me a lesson now?”
“You’re right, I was downright horrible to Eveline and I did so many inexcusable things. But I never tried to kill her.”
Felipe sneered in disagreement. “What proof do you have that I was the one who killed Cathy?”
He did not want to admit it, let alone face the fact that he had indirectly killed Cathy.
Glancing at Cathy’s tombstone, Kendrick pushed Felipe away. “I’ll find evidence that it was you. I will find the truth for Cathy, and I will avenge her death.”
“Avenge? Ha.” Felipe smiled meaningfully. “Do you think that Cathy would be fine with me being in a state like that? She wouldn’t. That’s why even at her dying breath, she begged for us to start over.”
An aloof smile graced Felipe’s features, fueling the furious flames in Kendrick’s eyes as he took in the irony of the situation.
“Eveline was right. None of the Waldburg family men are good men. If any one of us were even half the man Grandfather was, perhaps the women who love us so much would not have been so deeply hurt.”
He raised his frosty and fierce gaze.
“I’ve already turned over a new leaf, Felipe. What about you? Will you not own up to your mistakes? You would go and surrender yourself if you have even the slightest bit of conscience left in you. Or you can wait until I hand the police the evidence they need.”
Kendrick warned solemnly as he gave Cathy’s tombstone one last look, his deep gaze filled with hurt. Then, he turned to leave.
Dazed, Felipe stood in the wind with Cathy’s ashes held preciously in his arms. A deep swirl of emotions flashed in his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I promised you, so I’ll make sure it happens. Wait for me.”
He left with the wind blowing in his face and her urn in his hands.
…
Niamh took care of Lillian in the hotel until Kendrick returned at nightfall.
She prayed that Kendrick would tell her that Cathy was still alive, that the certificate of cremation was a lie. Instead, all he could give was a confirmation of the dreaded news.
The next day, Niamh and Kendrick arrived at the cemetery to visit Cathy’s grave.
They had wanted to pay their respects but instead found her grave disturbed and her urn nowhere to be found.
Niamh and Kendrick had no other choice but to leave.
Getting into the car, Niamh received a call from Fabian. “I received news that Felipe has just boarded his private jet to Glendale, my lady. Are you guys returning to Glendale too? Does that mean I’ll never get to see you again?”
While Niamh had not put the call on speaker, Kendrick could still hear Fabian’s comment as he was sitting by her side.
He took Niamh’s phone and replied coldly on her behalf, “You’re always welcome to visit Glendale, Mr. Johnson, and I promise I’ll settle you right in. However, my wife’s rather busy, so it’d be best if you called me instead next time.”
He then hung up the phone and sent his number to Fabian.
Kendrick returned the phone to Niamh to find her staring at him with a questioning look in her eyes.
Realizing that his actions may have gone overboard, Kendrick quickly explained himself, “I just… I don’t like seeing you too close to other men, Nia.”
He said sincerely, “I felt really uncomfortable when I saw you with Daniel all the time back then. It was only long later that I realized it was because I liked you, so I—”
“So you were jealous.” Niamh finished his sentence.
The tips of his ears burned. “Yeah, I was jealous. I wanted you to belong to me and only me.”
Niamh’s heart warmed. This was the first time she had seen him getting jealous. Only now did she know that he had truly misunderstood her and Daniel all those years ago.
With Lillian in tow, Niamh and Kendrick returned to Glendale.
Eloise and Sean were shocked to find a healthy and safe Lillian!
Having been told the whole story, the couple were furious for they had never expected Felipe to be such a complex and scheming person.
Finally meeting Jackson, Lillian was beyond elated.
The two held hands as they played happily together.
Kendrick felt his heart warm at the sight, but he quickly grew despondent.
His own daughter was still calling him ‘mister’.
While he may claim that it was alright, his heart yearned to hear her call him ‘Daddy’.
At that moment, Kendrick held Niamh’s hand as they made their way through Waldburg Manor again.
Standing by his side, she entered the house elegantly and full of poise.
Having received Kendrick’s call that he was going to bring his wife home to meet Grandpa and stay for dinner, Karen immediately went to the kitchen to cook up a feast.
Hearing activity from the living room, she came to greet them with a smile. After setting her eyes on the people by the entrance though, her expression immediately fell. “What’s going on, Kendrick? Didn’t you say you’re going to bring your wife home for dinner? Why is she here again?”
Kendrick raised his arm to pull Niamh into his embrace.
“This is my wife. I, Kendrick Waldburg, have and will only have one wife—Eveline Montgomery.”
His gaze was heavy, and his tone left no room for argument as he reminded Karen.
“I do hope that you wouldn’t treat my wife how you used to, Mom. I don’t expect you to be a great mother-in-law, but at least treat her with basic courtesy and respect.”
“…” Stunned, Karen’s expression darkened. She turned her head to see Niamh smiling faintly at her and the flames within her flared. “What’s happening, Kendrick? You just told me that you were getting engaged to Yvette? Why are you with her again? Did you forget what she told you before? She’s only doing this to get revenge!”
A sour feeling filled both Niamh and Kendrick’s hearts at Karen’s mention of Cathy.
Kendrick tightened his grip on Niamh’s hand as he explained solemnly, “I’ve always seen Yvette as my little sister, just like how she saw me as an older brother. There was never anything romantic between us. The only one in my heart this whole time is Eveline.”
Kendrick then brought Niamh inside by her hand.
No longer in the mood to cook, Karen turned around and called Winston. Her expression remained displeased until dinner.
Seeing Niamh and Kendrick sitting by each other’s side, Old Master Waldburg did not comment on the past and opted to say with a meaningful smile instead, “I’m glad to see the two of you happy and alright.”
“Don’t worry, Grandfather. Nia and I will continue to be happy.” Kendrick promised as he helped Niamh to the dishes.
Niamh asked the old master if she could take a trip to his room after dinner and was naturally allowed.
Not understanding why she asked, Kendrick followed Niamh to the room. He watched her pick up a picture frame from the desk before staring seriously at it.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.