Chapter 376 Posthumous Letter
“Ha! Thanks, but no thanks,” said Kathleen flatly. “My daughter doesn’t require protection from a small bean like you.”
Huh? A small what?
Her crude remark rendered Zion speechless.
Why was I regarded as a small bean?
“It’s way too early for you to act as someone else’s protector.” A half-smile was all Kathleen could muster at best.
Zion grunted in response and shut his eyes.
“Anyway, I’m pretty grateful for your help.” Kathleen expressed her appreciation in the end.
Even so, Zion refused to say anything to her.
Kathleen then turned to look at Samuel and prompted, “Let’s head out.”
Samuel gave her a nod and did her bidding.
As soon as they exited the ward, they were greeted by four bodyguards in black suits.
Of course, it was Samuel who had arranged for those bodyguards to stay on guard.
That would make sense, for Kathleen didn’t have that many underlings.
Therefore, she had no choice but to rely on Samuel for the time being.
As for Charles, his subordinates were all in Zadiff.
On top of that, most of them were members of Blissful Sect.
Charles had to refrain from bringing the power from Blissful Sect into play just for Kathleen’s sake.
Raymond and his gang were coveting Kathleen, after all.
More accurately, they had their eyes on Kathleen’s capability.
Just like Theodore and the others, all of them had only intended to make her their very own magic money tree.
“Let’s go now.” There were traces of exhaustion on Kathleen’s face.
The coldness was apparent on Samuel’s handsome and chiseled face as he inclined his head.
Soon after, they arrived at Charles’ mansion.
Just as Kathleen was about to get out of the car, she caught a glimpse of Samuel’s movement as the latter seemed to be following suit.
Immediately, she clasped his hand, stopping him from unbuckling his seat belt.
With her palm over his hand, Samuel could feel her overflowing warmth spreading through his own cold hand.
He gazed at her with his obsidian-like eyes, asking, “What’s the matter?”
“Today’s been rough. Why don’t you head back home first?” suggested Kathleen as she released her grip.
A hint of displeasure then emerged on Samuel’s face.
“You can come again tomorrow.” Kathleen was flustered. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not burning any bridges here.”
Ha!
An icy expression formed on Samuel’s face. He retracted his hands from the seat belt before uttering with a chilling tone, “Is there a parade of people residing in Charles’ mansion?”
Kathleen was caught off guard by his inquiry.
Getting no response from her, Samuel scoffed, “If not, it must be haunted.”
Feeling speechless, Kathleen relented and dropped her comment. “You can stay here if you insist, but I assure you that it’s not going to be as comfortable as being in your own home.”
With that, she got out of the car.
Watching her leave, Samuel narrowed his frosty yet sparkling eyes to slits.
She has quite the temper, huh? But since she’s given me her approval to stay as I wish, I might as well do just that.
He then exited the car.
In the meantime, Kathleen already set her foot in the ever-so-quiet mansion.
At that moment, only Charles and one of his subordinates were present at the mourning hall.
Kathleen walked over and looked at flowers in the hall.
Charles’ curiosity got the better of him as he posed a query. “Did you find who you were searching for?”
Kathleen nodded to signal her answer. She then asked, “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Macari?”
“We’ve troubled them enough. I told them to go home to get some rest.” Charles sounded rather impassive. “How’s it going?”
“Don’t worry. Dorothy didn’t let anything out of her mouth,” explained Kathleen.
“Some nerve she has, don’t you think? Don’t tell me you’re letting her off the hook just like that?” Charles was baffled.
Right then, Samuel came inside.
Hearing the nearing footsteps, Charles turned to look at the source, only to flash the comer an inexplicable visage.
Kathleen bit her lip upon witnessing Samuel’s presence. “I can’t believe he actually came in.”
“From what I can see, you can’t get rid of him,” teased Charles.
Kathleen said nothing while fishing out the letter that she had been keeping in her pocket.
It was a letter penned by her late grandmother.
In a flash, Charles could already recognize the handwriting on the letter. “Where did you get this?”
“It’s lying on the cabinet next to Granny’s bed,” replied Kathleen.
Charles knitted his brows. “No wonder you’re not even one bit dubious about her passing.”
“Nah… A letter doesn’t prove anything. Perhaps she hadn’t been forced to swallow the sleeping pills. Then again, we wouldn’t know if there was anybody mentioning anything else to her before her demise.”
As Charles listened to his sister’s words, he was taken aback.
“It’s just like what Vivian had been through,” added Kathleen as she lowered her gaze, concealing her emotions.
Then came Charles’ hoarse voice. “What’s written on it?”
Unfolding the letter, Kathleen began reading aloud its content.
“Charlie, Kate, when the two of you read this letter, I must’ve already gone with the wind. Don’t grieve for me. I’ve long expected this. I’m also not in pain, so you don’t have to be upset. I’ve fallen for the wrong men in this lifetime. Be it Trevor or Hector, none of them have been truthful to me. It’s okay, though, because I don’t regret my decisions. I owed only to your mom, Rebecca.”
Kathleen paused for a bit before going on, “Not only have I never carried her in my arms, but I was also never given the chance to watch her grow up and build a family of her own. Despite these regrets, I’m finally going to meet her, hug her, and tell her how much I’ve missed her. Kate, I know you’re aware of the Hoover family. Even though that family blood runs deep in you and your brother, I want both of you to know that you have my permission to lay a finger on them if they ever try to put you both in harm’s way.”
She then arrived at a suspenseful sentence. “Also, relay my message to Samuel.”
Kathleen stopped making a sound abruptly as she spared a sidelong glance at Samuel.
The latter met her gaze. “Say it.” His dark eyes were as deep as the oceanic abyss.
Hanging her head low, Kathleen proceeded.
“Samuel, when some opportunities were missed, they would never be provided again. Kate is my precious granddaughter, so I guess she more or less inherits my character. If she’s been utterly disappointed, you would never be able to make amends and salvage the entrance to her heart. Let her go, please.”
At the end of the letter was Frances’ signature.
Samuel’s attractive face was still giving off a rather faint yet imposing vibe. He appeared to be emotionless. No words came from his mouth.
“That’s all.” With that said, Kathleen kept away the letter.
“Hmm… It seems as though Granny really didn’t come across anyone or anything recently.” A glum look washed over Charles’ face.
“I think so.” Kathleen’s eyes began to water. “I don’t understand… Why did she end her life like that?”
Her brother patted her shoulder and consoled her, “Maybe she had finally accepted to be at peace with herself. Or, maybe she had come to realize that there was no more reason for her to keep going on.”
Deep down, Kathleen was moaning in pain.
Charles reminisced about the past. “Ever since you got into trouble, Granny had been missing you dearly. She often got hung up unwittingly on you when she looked at Eil and Desi. Now that you’re back, the kids have you around, so maybe she figured it was about time.”
Kathleen sniffled and tried to retort. “So what gives? She still had us by her side.”
At that juncture, a black checkered pattern handkerchief came into her sight.
Running her gaze along the man’s slender hand, Kathleen eventually met his eyes.
“Thanks.” She grabbed the handkerchief to wipe her tears away.
“Old Mrs. Yoeger hadn’t been in the pink of health for a very long time,” Samuel piped up with his deep voice. “In particular, her condition had worsened recently. My grandma even told me that Old Mrs. Yoeger confessed to her that she couldn’t even remember stuff sometimes. Worst still, she also couldn’t cater to her own needs. She didn’t want to be stripped of her dignity before breathing her last.”
Kathleen was startled by that sudden revelation.
“Everybody has their own take on life. To your granny, she must’ve deemed her decision the best one,” comforted Samuel.
Kathleen took a deep breath. “I still don’t think she’d be willing to depart from this world, especially when the incident with the Hoovers had just gotten blown up. Not only was she cheated on by Trevor, but she was also used by Hector and got separated from her child. She had never wished for any of that. I bet she simply wanted to avoid staying intertwined with the Hoovers, knowing that we would someday send the Hoovers packing. Even so, I don’t suppose she would’ve taken this path.”
Something doesn’t add up.
Holding his sister’s shoulder, Charles elaborated on his view instead. “Kate, it could also be that Granny was exhausted with all this, considering her age. Like what Samuel said, it was her decision.”
