Military vehicles led the way, government cars in tow, as Elizabeth made her grand return to Jindale City in a top-of-the-line luxury car.


    Even though all that was left of her now was an urn of ashes, she still managed to cause quite a stir across the entire city.


    It wasn''t just the regr folks and politicians who took notice-every member of Jindale''s high society felt the tremor of her arrival.


    Elizabeth''s name was anything but unfamiliar among the city''s elite. After all, her whirlwind romance with Kendrick had been the talk of the town back in the day.


    Most of the fancydies in the upper crust never liked her. To them, Elizabeth was just a girl from an ordinary background-she didn''t have the pedigree, the connections, or the family money. In their eyes, she wasn''t even worthy to shine their shoes.


    When news first broke about her and Kendrick, no one thought it wouldst. But then Kendrick turned his back on the entire Bradford family for her, moved overseas, got married, and started a family far from the city''s prying eyes.


    Suddenly, those same societydies were green with envy. In their world, love was in even shorter supply than loyalty. The women who''d never known real affection just couldn''t stand to see someone else adored so deeply by her husband.


    They didn''t even bother to get to know Elizabeth. Instead, they joined in with the Bradford family''s whispers, spreading rumors that Elizabeth was some kind of maniptive temptress who''d cast a spell on Kendrick.


    Then, when Elizabeth and Kendrick were killed in a car ident abroad, the gossip hit a fever pitch.


    "See? Trouble follows a pretty face," they crowed.


    "I said it from the start-Elizabeth was never respectable. Mr. Bradford was bound to run into trouble with her. Guess I was right."


    The tall tales only got wilder from there: Some said she''d been cheating overseas and was murdered by a jealous wife. Others imed she was keeping a boy toy who killed her in a rage. A few even whispered that her marriage with Kendrick fell apart after she got involved with a foreigner, and that they''d plotted to have each other killed.


    No one had a kind word for Elizabeth. Not a single one.


    Even after Tarquin took over as head of the Bradford family, the whispers never stopped:


    "So what if her husband loved her? So what if her son''s a big shot? She died a tragedy—the Bradfords never epted her!"


    "She''ll never set foot in the Bradford estate-not in this life!"


    "She''ll never be buried with Kendrick!"


    "She''ll never be recognized as Kendrick''s wife!"


    But now, here she wasing home in a car fit for royalty, with military honors and government officials making way. It was the kind sendoff that shook the city


    social scene to its core.  s


    ?<fn127a> Chapters first released on F?nd-Novel</fn127a>


    The very same women who''d gossiped about her for years crowded around their


    TV screens with their friends, eyes glued to the live coverage.


    They needed to know: How on earth did Elizabeth, the woman they''d trashed for decades, manage to return with so much honor? Who the heck was she really, to get a military escort through the city?  s


    Inside the luxury car, Tarquin held his mother''s urn as they made their way to Number One Mansion.


    He wanted to show her the home he''d built, to let her see her son''s house and know the way-just in case she ever wanted to visit.


    Next, he took her to the modest three-bedroom apartment where she''d once lived. The ce was filled with memories of Elizabeth''s youth.


    This time, just Tarquin and his mother''s ashes went upstairs. Elysia and the kids waited outside with the others.


    Little Baby clung to Elysia''s hand. "Mommy, howe we can''t go up too?"


    Elysia smiled gently. "This is where your grandma lived a long time ago. Let''s give your dad and grandma a few moments alone, okay? We shouldn''t bother them."  s


    Emmett, ever curious, piped up, "Mom, do people really have souls after they die?"


    Even Evan couldn''t help but ask, "Mom, do you think Grandma knows we''re doing all this for her?"


    Elysia didn''t have an answer.


    Did people still exist after they were gone? Did souls really linger on, watching over the ones they loved? Was there another world out there, waiting for them?


    She could only hold her children close, searching forfort in questions that had no easy answers.