Chapter 431 Clenched Hands


    Finn’s grip tightened, and the chill of the metal seeped deep into his skin.


    Down below, the taxi that carried Tess and herpanions sped down the road. Not far behind, Finn stepped into a ck Maybach. The car rolled forward in silence, trailing them at a steady pace, never too close, never too far.


    The cemetery rose ahead, its rows of stone markers stretching beneath the gray sky.


    The moment Tess saw them, a strange calm settled over her.


    She stepped out of the cab and walked slowly through the solemn grounds. She kept going until she stood before her grandmother’s grave.


    Tess lowered herself onto one knee. To her, Lyra and L had faded from the world.


    Her hand trembled as it touched the cold stone. “Hey, Grandma.”


    Her voice was so soft it was nearly lost to the heavy air.


    Clouds pressed low above them. The chill of the wind brushed across the rows of


    Yet there was no fear here, only stillness.


    graves.


    Even L, so full of life on most days, had fallen quiet. His eyes slid often toward Tess, uneasy and worried.


    “Ms. Ember, please forgive me for intruding.”


    Lyra bent down and ced a bouquet of white flowers at the grave.


    She had bought them the night before. Droplets still clung to the petals from the florist’s spray.


    She only knew Tess’s grandmother by herst name, nothing more.


    “Ms. Mnie Ember, it has been so long.”


    L crouched lower, his tone respectful. Heid a small patterned box beside Lyra’s bouquet.


    The white blooms and the decorated box glowed against the stone.


    Tess’s brows drew tight. She turned sharply to him.


    “What did you just call her?”


    Her eyes locked on his, sharp and demanding.


    She had never told anyone her grandmother’s name. Not even Lyra knew.


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    And the words “so long” struck like a de. Is he repeating the thoughts of his grandfather?


    “Ms. Mnie Ember was my grandfather’s first love.”


    L’s voice was calm, almost tender.


    Tess’s eyes widened.


    He shrugged lightly. “They met when they were young. Fate tore them apart. My grandfather never stopped thinking about her. But the ocean stood between them, and the letters he sent never reached her.


    “When he died, he made me promise to find her.”


    Lyra’s eyes shifted between them, her face shadowed with thoughts she kept to herself.


    L was not her blood. His grandfather had loved someone else. Did he ever think about the pain his grandmother must have felt?


    L caught her gaze and smiled faintly.


    “The truth is, my grandmother was part of their separation. Our family carried that wound for years. I came here only to carry out my grandfather’sst wish.”


    Lyra nodded slowly. Doubt lingered, but she held her tongue. It was not her ce to ask.


    The three of them fell silent, their eyes fixed on the grave.


    Tess ced a bouquet for her grandmother as well. She set a cushion on the ground, sat on it with her knees, and put her hands in a prayer for her grandmother. Then she stood up. “See you, Grandma.”


    She rose to her feet. Lyra and L followed. Together, they walked toward the small house near the cemetery.


    “You wanted to see my grandmother’s home, didn’t you?”


    Tess’s voice was faint, stripped of strength by the weight of the graveyard. She pointed ahead.


    Lyra’s heart tightened. She cast Tess a worried look.


    They stepped through the gate. The scent of wild grass and faded flowers drifted on the air.


    Tess breathed in and turned toward the pond.


    The water’s surface was scattered with fallen petals.


    They came from the flowers her grandmother had once cared for.


    With no one left to care for them, the blossoms had withered and fallen into the water.


    Her eyes shook, but she forced herself onward.


    She pushed open the door, and a wave of dust rose, sharp and heavy.


    It had not been long since herst visit, yet the smell of emptiness had grown strong in the rooms left without life.


    Even L, usually restless and bold, slowed his steps. His shoes creaked lightly against the wooden floor.


    “Why did youe here? What are you looking for?”


    Tess lifted her head, her eyes clear and steady.


    The sight of her gaze sent a ripple through L’s chest. He tried to steady it. He shook his head.


    “I came only to fulfill my grandfather’s wish. I’m not looking for anything else.”


    The truth burned in him, but he held it back. He was searching for someone, not something.


    He swallowed the words.


    Tess frowned but turned her gaze away.


    Lyra, however, had spotted something.


    Her pace quickened. She walked straight across the room.


    Confusion flickered across Tess’s face, but she followed close behind.


    Soon, the two women stood before an old wooden table with a pane of ss fixed on top. Beneath the ssy photographs, pressed t and waiting to be seen.


    Lucia Morh


    <strong>Lucia Morh</strong> is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.