Chapter 713 Quiet Goodbyes
Leaving the cemetery, Yunice slipped the caretaker some money and asked him to keep Melina’s grave tidy.
She rented a car and drove past Crawford Corp. As one vehicle turned out from the gates, the back window half lowered, Yunice caught a glimpse of Freya and Carl in the rear seat. Carl frowned into his phone, busy with business, while Freya smoothly accepted the file he passed her. A moment later their car disappeared down the street. Victor then stepped out of Crawford Corp, pausing to address someone with his usual dignified air before striding into his own car.
Everything moved along in order. Life went on for everyone else. One person’s absence didn’t shake the flow. That thought eased Yunice’s heart.
She next stopped near Quinton’s home. In the yard, Bobby was building a swing, hammer clumsy in his small hands while Quinton guided patiently. “Yes, that’s it. This is a mortise and tenon joint, the size has to be exact. Here, I’ll hold it while you–ah! Careful, you hit my hand.”
Bobby scratched his head with a sheepish grin. “Daddy… hand, hurt. I… dumb!” Then he bent over and carefully struck again. With Bobby’s autism, the fact that he spoke so directly was already a great leap forward.
From the Ford family’s house, Yunice continued on to Cloud Consumers. Sister Gill’s skill with prepared foods was unmatched, and once the sales channels opened, business took off. Though inexperienced in trade, she leaned on her connection with Yunice and managed to find her footing. Wyatt, for all his ruthlessness, had spared Yunice’s friends even after her disappearance. Gill stood with her order book as a truckload of vacuum-sealed goods rolled out, reminding the handlers, “Be careful with storage. This batch is for export, it can’t be spoiled.” Dressed in designer clothes with her hair slicked back in a sharp style, she looked every bit the formidable businesswoman. Yet when she watched the trucks leave, her face softened with longing.
“I’ll land more export orders, fill containers overseas with Cloud Consumers goods. That way, wherever Miss is, she can still taste home.”
Her assistant, puzzled, asked, “Ma’am, if you miss your young lady so much, why not persuade her to return?”
Gill only said, “The most important thing is to be happy. She prefers her freedom.”
As evening fell, Yunice went again to the old Saunders family plot where her father had once been buried. It lay abandoned now. After Yunice secretly relocated her father’s grave, Owen and Lily hadn’t even bothered with appearances. They never returned. They had no idea the ancient books they coveted still lay hidden there. This visit, Yunice came not only to settle Melina’s ashes, but also to retrieve those texts. Here, she had no need to hide. No one else would come.
Lifting her skirt hems, she walked the desolate path. Grass had grown tall in the unused path, winter’s frost leaving it brittle and yellow. As she neared her destination, a sound startled her. She slipped behind a tree, heart tightening, and peeked out.
It was only the noise of weeds being pulled. Someone knelt at a grave, working diligently. Hands tugged at the stubborn roots, ignoring how the brittle stalks shredded gloves and left palms bloodied. Yunice stared, then recognized the man sweating through his shirt in the chill of February.
Oscar.
Since his release, he hadn’t returned to the Saunders estate or the hospital grounds. He rented a small flat and launched a modest workshop based on his overseas research. The returns were meager for now, but it was a start. Among the Saunders family, only he lived in relative peace.
After clearing his name and walking free, he had visited the prison. Owen had attempted suicide and been resuscitated, but prison life had ground him down. When Oscar saw him, one side of Owen’s face was hollowed by illness, the other swollen from a beating. He wore handcuffs, said little, and sat listlessly. The two brothers, one inside and one out, sat in silence for ten minutes until guards led Owen away.
Oscar had also gone to see Lily. For helping Owen imprison and abuse Timothy, she had been convicted as an accomplice and sentenced to three years.