Chapter 131: The Midnight Confrontation
Yunice froze the moment she heard someone approaching. Wyatt leaned against the dirt embankment. The moonlight couldn’t reach them here, so they were perfectly hidden.
Yunice’s head rested on Wyatt’s hip. She didn’t dare move because there were dead branches underneath them. The slightest movement would cause a snap. They had no choice but to wait patiently for the person above them to leave. Yunice held her breath and concentrated on the faint rustling above. The movements were subtle, not like someone being followed.
“Dad, I couldn’t sleep, so I came to check on you.”
Yunice’s brow furrowed slightly. That voice—it was Owen. After a moment of silence, Owen added, “Dad, don’t blame Mom for her decision. She suffered a lot in the mountains. Her mind is fragile now. The living are more important than the dead. You wouldn’t want to see the Saunders family torn apart, would you!
I didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, but ever since I’d agreed to suppress Dad at Lily’s request, I’d been uneasy. That was why I had come in the middle of the night. Even the guard at the gate had seen him and tried to chase me away. With candles and wine in hand, Owen lit the incense. “Dad, I hope you don’t hold a grudge. Everything I did was for the good of the Saunders family.”
Yunice lay on top of Wyatt, his calm heartbeat in her ears, but her own emotions were in turmoil. Her blood was surging. She clenched her fists, almost ready to jump out and fight Owen right then and there. Was he even human! Didn’t he hold a grudge? I had thought he had come to repent at Dad’s grave, but now it seemed he was just looking for comfort for his guilty conscience. Some incense, a bottle of wine, and a pitiful “Dad” were all he needed to feel better?
Whoosh. A breeze blew through the forest. The flame from Owen’s lighter flickered. In the flickering light, Will Saunders’ photo on the gravestone appeared and disappeared. Owen jumped. A second later, the incense he had just lit went out completely. Owen jumped to his feet, his eyes darting around in panic. “Who’s there? Who’s messing with me?”
He wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but his own guilt weighed on him. The more guilty he felt, the more he believed in the supernatural. He stumbled around, looking everywhere. He began to wonder if Lily hadn’t been imagining things. Could there really be a ghost? Was Dad angry about my actions? Had it frightened Mom, and now it was after me?
Crack! Owen wasn’t careful; his foot sank!
His scream echoed through the forest, layer after layer. Yunice rolled her eyes silently, mocking Owen’s so-called anger. When Owen left, Yunice finally sat up from Wyatt. The first thing she did was check her father’s urn. It is perfectly intact. She turned and saw that Wyatt was still sitting on the slope, his custom-made suit now covered in dirt. She quickly reached out to pull him up.
Sometimes I really worried; I’d seen Wyatt in so many unflattering situations. Would he ever get so embarrassed that he’d want to wipe me…
Sure enough, Wyatt shot her a glare and grumbled, “Clumsy.” Yunice quickly dusted the dust off his suit. Wyatt grabbed his cane and used a log to prop himself up as he walked downhill. Yunice followed, slipping a little with each step as they took the back path down from the cemetery. Wyatt called for someone to pick them up.
Jordan’s car was parked across the street from the cemetery. He quickly drove over. From a few feet away, he could see the two of them standing by the mountain road. The tall one stood erect in front. The smaller one had a large backpack and reached up from behind to touch the tall one’s head.
“?” Jordan stepped on the gas and charged forward. Just then, as if sensing it, Wyatt suddenly reached up and grabbed the mischievous hand on his head. He turned and gave Yunice a sharp look. Yunice said, “There’s a bird feather on your head…”
Screeching. Jordan’s car came to a stop. The tires left black marks on the ground. He jumped out. “A man’s head is off limits. A woman’s waist is untouchable,” Jordan teased, smirking at Yunice. “You’re asking for trouble—
Wyatt brushed the feather from his head. Yunice rolled her eyes. So fussy. Wait.