Chapter 70

Nicole wore an innocent expression. “What? You want to give me your shares? That doesn’t feel right. All I need is the love of my parents and brothers. What would I do with all those shares anyway?”

“You’re such a sweet child. Of course, we love you. Take them as a little compensation for the hard times you endured growing up. We’ve heard you had a rough childhood.”

“That’s all behind me now,” Nicole replied, shaking her head. “With your love, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. But if my sister comes back, she might be really upset.”

“Why should she be upset? We’re giving these to you willingly. It’s none of her concern. The Kennedy family wasn’t built by her.”

“Mom, Dad, you’re just so good to me.”

Nicole leaned on my mother, and in a secluded corner, I saw her lips curve into a subtle smirk. It was obvious the shares weren't a coincidence; she had strategically pursued them.

I couldn't understand it. She had Chase's affection, was the darling of the Kennedy family, and could have anything she desired—like the millions of dollars worth of jewelry Mom gifted her on a whim. She already possessed immense wealth. So why the shares? First, she targeted Grandma, and now the entire family.

I thought my death was the end, but now I felt a profound unease. Nicole’s ambitions extended far beyond my demise. She seemed to be orchestrating something much larger, perhaps involving the Kennedy or Reyes families. Nicole, what exactly are you planning?

“Tomorrow, I’ll get the lawyer to sort this out. You should get some rest, Nicole. Just come by to sign the papers when they’re ready.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

“Silly girl, we are a family. Consider it an early wedding gift from us.”

Nicole handed the bowl to Mom. “Mom, the chicken soup has cooled down. You can drink it now.”

“You’re such a sweetheart.”

Standing aside, I desperately wanted to intervene. “Don’t drink it, please don’t!” But no one heard me. I could only watch helplessly as my mother drank the chicken soup from the bowl that held my ashes.

Nicole then urged my brother and father to drink the soup, but they refused.

“Come on, it’s a token of our daughter’s kindness. Once she’s married, you might miss moments like these.”

“Alright, let’s have a little then.”

The family seemed so happy, making me feel like an outsider. Heartbroken, I left the Kennedys, determined to find the rest of my body. My skin had been made into a book, and my bones ground into powder. But what of my flesh? Was it fed to the dogs or ground up and tossed into the sewer?

When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a dark sky and the deafening roar of thunder. I wasn’t indoors. Was I at my burial site? Shocked and relieved, I looked around to assess my location. It was familiar; right behind me stood the house I shared with Chase. Walt, why am I here? Could they have been audacious enough to bury me at my own marital home?

I had invested so much time buying and decorating that place. I loved gardening, and even before moving in, I had planted many flowers and plants, enriching the soil in both the front and back yards. A chilling thought struck me: Had my body been used as fertilizer for the garden?

“BOOM!” Lightning ripped across the sky, followed by rolling thunder. In that moment of chaos, I noticed something new in the front yard.

Chapter 71