Chapter 152
""Did you find out if they went to a hotel?"" Joseph Hernandez got up, the swirl of fury swirling in his dark eyes.
Walter frowned subtly, his brow furrowing with concern. After trailing Hernandez for so long, he had rarely seen him so visibly upset. Miss Brooks had struck a nerve, and Walter suspected that even Hernandez hadn't realized the extent of her effect on him.
""Drop the search,"" Joseph Hernandez ordered, his voice edged with icy resolve as he clenched his fists. ""Let's see just how long she intends to stay out.""
A shiver ran down Walter's spine.
...
The funeral home was quiet.
Cassie had spent an entire night on her knees in vigil.
By midnight, Robert, along with Helen and Olivia Brooks, had returned home.
In the vast chapel, only she and Arthur Lewis remained.
""Go home,"" Cassie urged, fully aware he had stayed for her sake. Yet gratitude was far from what she felt.
""I'm not leaving,"" Arthur insisted firmly. ""Grandma was always kind to me. It's my duty to be here for her final journey.""
Cassie let out a contemptuous laugh. Arthur Lewis understood the decency of a farewell, yet where was Robert, her blood grandson, or Helen, the granddaughter-in-law loved as her own? It astounded her, the depth of their cold-heartedness.
The chill of the chapel enveloped her in solitude.
When dawn broke, Robert and the others came to join her in escorting Grandma Brooks to the crematorium.
Cassie's eyes were bloodshot from crying. Leaving the funeral home, she remained lost in grief, struggling to grasp the harsh reality.
The final family member who had truly loved her was now gone.
She was truly alone in the world.
Once in the car, Arthur broke the silence, ""You seem upset. How about we go for a drive and enjoy some scenery, just like old times?""
She curtly refused. ""No, I need to go back to the office.""
""But you look…"" he started.
""I'm fine,"" Cassie cut in, a determined edge to her voice. ""I've become strong enough to handle it—all of it—the events of the past year made sure of that.""
Arthur's heart ached fiercely. She had once been fragile, but now she had no choice but to tough it out—it was his own failing.
He drove her to the doorstep of Mason Stone, and as Cassie stepped out of the car, he couldn't restrain himself. He reached out, grabbing her arm, ""Cassie, believe it or not, I'll always be there for you.""
She furrowed her brows, about to pull away when the sudden slam of a car door echoed violently nearby.
A cold, dark voice cut through the air, stern and unmistakable.
""Come here.""
Her body trembled slightly as she turned her face to see Joseph Hernandez standing just a yard away. Clad in a black trench coat over black trousers, his imposing presence made his chiseled features seem all the more striking, reminiscent of a dark warrior, especially with the turbulent depths swirling in his black eyes.
A sense of foreboding flickered through her heart, prompting her to swiftly retract her hand.
But to Joseph, her action seemed more like a feeble attempt to cover up the obvious.
Great. She had been out all night with no word, and he had been waiting since seven o'clock, only to be greeted by the sight of another man dropping her off at the office, clothed in Arthur Lewis's clothes.
She had stepped out of the car, and Arthur Lewis had reached out to hold her hand, their demeanor unmistakably that of a couple deeply in love, reluctant to part ways.
Just the thought of her in bed with Arthur Lewis the previous night sent a blaze of ire through Joseph's veins, a fire so intense it felt as though it could melt a person entirely.
""Joseph Hernandez..."" Arthur Lewis said, taken aback, not understanding why he was there so early in the morning.
""Cassie, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me?"" Joseph warned her sternly once again.
Cassie hurried over, and Joseph pulled her into his arms with a swift motion and then threw the garment she was wearing to the ground."
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