Penelope shot him a re. "What are you even saying? She only has one daughter. She went through so much just to raise her. When a parent loses a child, it''s not something you can move on from, not even after decades."


    As a mother and grandmother herself, Penelope truly understood what Nishay was feeling.


    If she had been the greedy type, she would have found a way to demandpensation from the Fullbuster family, bleeding them dry.


    Honestly, just asking for a few million would set them up for life, and the Fullbuster family wouldn''t even refuse.


    But Anneliese''s grandmother was a tough one. Maybe she was a bit extreme or stubborn, but it only showed how deeply she cared. Penelope actually felt sorry for her.


    So when Penelope heard Nishay refused to acknowledge Anneliese''s rtionship with Jonathan, she didn''t feel offended or think she was being unreasonable.


    All she cared about was how to help her own grandson get this solved-she was hoping for Jonathan and Anneliese to give her a great-grandchild.


    Derek noticed Penelope''s re and just snorted.


    "That olddy is just being unreasonable. Jonathan wasn''t the one who killed her daughter! With everything Jonathan has going for him, why should she be so picky? Her granddaughter has been married before, and did Iin when Jonathan brought her home?"


    Penelope found his rant tiresome and waved him off.


    "That''s enough. What age are we in? So what if a woman''s been married before? That just means she has more life experience. I think you''re the one stuck in the past. Honestly, I can''t even talk sense into you. Just tell me, did they ever figure out what caused that fire all those years ago?"


    Derek''s grip on his cane tightened. "It''s been so many years. How would I remember? But it was just an ident."


    Penelope nodded and let it go.


    "I still haven''t bought my ticket to Oceanton. I''ll have someone get it for me."


    Derek said, "Book two."


    Penelope turned back in surprise. "You''reing too?"


    Derek stood up. "I want to see what''s so great about Oceanton that you keep running off there and never want toe home!"


    With that, he huffed out, leaning heavily on his cane.


    Penelope knew exactly what Derek meant he just didn''t want to be separated from her anymore.


    But after all these years, she knew he could never say anything nice. Stubbornness was just part of who he was.


    Penelope didn''t bother to argue with him. She just went off to arrange the tickets.


    Nishay only rested one night at Maple Bay before she had Anneliese take her back to the hospital.


    Before she left, she insisted that Anneliese take her bank card and withdraw some money to give to Maisie and her assistant.


    Anneliese didn''t dare argue and took her grandmother back to the hospital.


    After she settled all the paperwork


    for admission, she heard her grandmother say, "I don''t need you to stay with me Go back, Go back, pack you things, and move to Jess ce. Call me on video once you''re settled."


    Anneliese''s old apartment had already gone to Sylvia, and her grandmother wouldn''t let her live at Jonathan''s ce anymore. She suddenly had nowhere to stay.


    She told her grandmother she''d just crash with Jessica for a few days.


    Of course, she knew the whole video call thing was just her grandmother''s way of making sure she didn''t sneak back to Jonathan''s.


    Pushing down her frustration, Anneliese nodded.


    "Okay, I''ll call you once I''m moved in."


    She picked up her bag to leave, but her grandmother''s voice stopped her again.


    "Anne, don''t me me. I just can''t ept you two being together. Every time I see him, I remember the sight of your mother covered in blood back then. But it''s not just that, either.


    "You and Jonathan are from totally different worlds. Families like the Fullbusters are out of reach for people like us.


    "Zacharias was just the boss of a listedpany, yet Melody and Lenora already made things hard for you. Still, that''s nothingpared to a family with as much power as the Fullbusters. They''ve been established for generations.


    "They might seem kind and weing on the outside, but once you actually marry in, you''ll see the truth.


    "They may act like they ept you because your dad saved Jonathan, but in their hearts, will they see you as someone cashing in on a favor? What will outsiders think?


    "No one will say Jonathan married you for love, or that he married you because you''re outstanding—they''ll just say our family used your parents'' deaths tond this marriage.


    "Besides, Jonathan could have any woman he wants. Why is he so set on you, a divorcée?


    "Are you really sure it''s not out of guilt over what happened to your parents? Maybe he''s just trying to make things right.


    "But guilt is a double-edged sword. With so much baggage at the start, your rtionship is never going to be pure. Over time, his feelings will change The longer this goes on, the more things will fall apart between you."