A Replacement Bride

Chapter 413

Chapter 412 Maiden in Love

Katherine got even more sheepish. She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. "None of your business."

Noah blurted, "Oh, I know. That must be Daddy. She only looks like a maiden in love when she talks to Daddy."

Maiden in what now? Miffed, Katherine poked Noah's forehead. "And where did you learn that from, young lady? I am not a maiden in love!"

Noah held her forehead and relented, "Okay, I was talking nonsense." Then, she chuckled and huddled closer to David. She whispered, "She did look like a maiden in love, didn't she?"

I can hear you, Noah! In case they teased her again, Katherine changed the subject. "How's Corey doing? Is he awake?"

David nodded. "Just woke up. We came to summon you."

They went upstairs. Corey was looking a lot better, and he could even walk. He was pacing around the room, and when Katherine came in, he smiled. "You're here. Your meds work wonders. I feel a lot better now."

She looked at him and nodded. "I can see that, but you shouldn't move too much. Take it slow. The poison ran deep, and it stayed deep for quite a while. You need time to recover. Taking it too fast will put a lot of burden on your body, which leads to slow recovery."

"Alright," said Corey. A moment of silence later, he stopped smiling. "I've heard what happened to Gray Corporation. Thank you for what you did."

Calmly, Katherine answered, "It's all right. You'd do the same if I were in trouble. We're friends, after all."

Corey sighed, his eyes filled with melancholy. "I've been thinking. Blood really does mean nothing, does it? The people whom I call family see me as nothing but a bargaining chip. They'd go so far as to threaten my life to get what they wanted. On the other hand, the people whom I'm not even related to could go so far just to help me. This is ironic."

Katherine understood his feelings. She fell silent for a while before saying, "Don't lose hope. There's always light at the end of the tunnel. Like me, you have a deadbeat father. Jorge was cruel to me, too. He never saw me as his daughter. Don't feel sad over pieces of scum like them. You have other people who love you."

Corey was reminded of his mother, and he frowned. "Wonder how Mom and Grandpa are doing."

Katherine and David exchanged a look, then Katherine answered, "Your grandfather almost had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. Your mother is fine, but I heard your family had gotten into a big fight for you." She mused over something for a moment. "So, when will you go back to them?"

Corey pursed his lips and thought about it for a moment before answering, "Not sure. If I go back as I am now, he's going to use me again. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. I don't mind suffering, but I don't want to be used against you, so I'm not going back for the time being."

Katherine could understand that, so she didn't say anything. "Sure. Stay as long as you want. Heal up."

…

Katherine took Noah to the cemetery that afternoon.

Noah held her mother's hand and walked up the stairs. "Are Great-grandpa and Great-grandma buried here, Mom?"

Katherine nodded. "Yes. Grandma wanted to be buried together with Grandpa, and that's what we did."

They came to Jennifer's grave. Noah looked at Jennifer's photo, and she teared up. She went ahead and touched Jennifer's photo. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "I'm finally here, Great-grandma. You promised you'd only go for a stroll, but you never came back. I waited for so long…"

A pang went through Katherine's heart as she heard the girl's words. She felt something glistening in her eyes. Noah talked a bit more to the grave, then she went down on her knees and bowed. "Don't worry, Great-grandma. I'm alright now. I can be like the other kids now. You wanted that, didn't you? I know you'll be happy if you know. Mom, Daddy, and I are doing fine. We'll be together now. You don't have to worry anymore."

Noah said a lot. Then, she turned to the other grave. She looked up at her mother. "Is this Great- grandpa?" She wasn't born when Darren died, so she didn't know him at all.

Katherine nodded. "Yeah, it's him." Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Noah moved to that grave and went down on her knees again, paying respect the same way she did for Jennifer. "Hi, Great-grandpa. This is our first time seeing each other. I'm your great-granddaughter. You were handsome back in the day. As handsome as Daddy. You must be in heaven now, happily with Great-grandma. Take care of her. She really missed you. She had always told me about you. I'm really happy that you guys are together now."

Noah was still feeling sad, and she started to shed some tears. "Mom." She stood up and held Katherine's hand, staring up at her. There was sadness in her eyes. "I miss Great-grandma a lot."

Katherine held her sadness back and wiped Noah's tears away. "I miss her too, but it's alright. The ones we love never truly leave us. They live on in our hearts."

Dusk descended, and Katherine took Noah back, but the moment she stepped foot into Silver Gardens, the look on her face changed.