Chapter 96
At Linefort City, the Lambert ancestral home.
Five people decked out in camo gear were sneaking around the graveyard, ducking and dodging every flashlight beam.
Vincent signaled to Belinda Fuller, trailing behind. “Hurry up, watch your step. It’s just a darn graveyard, no clue why Martin’s made such a fuss calling a crowd to keep watch.”
The Fuller couple, aka Belinda’s parents, were bringing up the rear, all miffed, poking Belinda in the back.
“What’s the deal? Why’s Vincent tagging along? Didn’t we agree it’s just us dropping off the stuff?”
They were plotting to secretly stash the Fuller family elders‘ ashes and then just say Old Mrs. Lambert was already resting there, hoping the graveyard’s blessing worked its magic for the Fuller’s future generations.
Poor Belinda was in a pickle!
She was clueless as to why Vincent’s gone bananas all of a sudden, insisting on going back to the homestead to rebury Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes himself.
He was all antsy because he wasn’t there when she was laid to rest, wondering how Noella managed the burial and wouldn’t have peace of mind until he saw it for himself.
Belinda’s mother Debbie’s eyes were all shifty. “Let’s negotiate with Vincent later. The grave’s roomy enough; maybe we can sneak the ashes of Old Mrs. Fullers in, too?”
Belinda’s father, Malcom Fuller, nodded, rubbing his back and following along. Let’s go with that for now. If Vincent ain’t on board, we’ll think of something else.”
Belinda’s stomach was flipping.
Knowing how tightfisted Vincent was, good luck to anyone trying to snag a slice of his fortune!
They were all crouching and creeping in the graveyard.
Beckett’s guards were everywhere with military–grade flashlights, patrolling like there was no tomorrow, worried about troublemakers.
Seeing the setup, Vincent muttered, “What’s Martin’s deal, making a mountain out of a molehill for a graveyard? If we could buddy up with him, our pressing issues wouldn’t be issues…”
His wounds from an unknown beating were still throbbing, and he was feeling all sorts of uncomfortable.
If it weren’t for the graveyard’s sweet location promising a fortune for the Lamberts, he wouldn’t be caught dead checking it out himself.
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10:22
Chapter 96
“Briony, you have been in touch with Milford lately?” Vincent had been spam–calling Milford, trying to chat about the Rosenberg–Lambert wedding, but the Rosenbergs weren’t picking up.
Briony felt guilty: she had been all wrapped up in scripts, getting ready to shoot, with no time for Milford.
“Nope, Milford said he’s swamped with company stuff, no time to hang.”
Vincent was not happy about that at all. “What’s Milford thinking, ignoring his gorgeous fiancée like that? Tomorrow, I’ll personally take you to their place to talk wedding bells.”
“Alright.” Briony buzzed at the thought of marrying Milford.
She would make sure the media was all over their wedding, showing Noella, now just a caregiver for the Schnabels, just how blissful she was!
Milford was the guy she had dreamed of marrying since forever, and soon they would be together.
The mountain path was a mess, especially after rain had turned the graveyard into a mud pit. The family trudged through, deep in mud and silence.
It had been ages since Belinda had been to such a place. She nearly slipped, but Malcom behind her caught her from falling.
“What a dump. This is really a hotspot?”
“What do you know? The grave’s location is top–notch! Didn’t you see Martin’s got a whole crew here guarding it?”
Fair point. Only the good stuff would get guarded like this.
Otherwise, why would Martin drop three million? Surely not just for Lambert’s old shack, right? Or she wouldn’t go there if she was paid.
Soon, Vincent finally found the spot Martin mentioned and whipped out his portable shovel, eager to dig up Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes.
Just as he started, a weird noise hit them!
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
Vincent nearly jumped out of his skin!
With the whole hillside as a graveyard, where was this eerie sound coming from?
“What’s that noise?” Belinda and Briony were scared stiff, huddling together.
“Dunno, maybe we skip digging up Old Mrs. Lambert for now; pop open the grave first?”
They stopped digging, and the banging noise grew wilder.
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Chapter 96
Vincent was freaking out. “Is this, like, haunted or what?”
Malcom slapped him on the back of his head. “Haunted my foot! I–It’s the middle of the night; where would ghosts come from?”
His voice shook as they all huddled, listening to the mysterious sounds.
“Let’s check the grave first. Vincent. I brought some of your mom’s ashes. It should be enough; there’s no need to dig.”
Malcom got his story straight; he would tell Vincent he had Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes on him–Vincent wouldn’t know the difference.
And just like that, the Fullers‘ patriarch could slide right in.
Vincent was tearing up. “Dad, you’re the best!”
His father–in–law must’ve known he would be spooked, so he grabbed some of Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes in advance!
The family resumed their grave–digging.
And with every shovel, the thumping against the coffin grew louder.
Belinda was getting the creeps. “Honey, think that sound’s coming from Mom’s coffin?”
Old Mrs. Lambert’s coffin?
Vincent nearly chucked his shovel in fright!
“Talking rubbish… What nonsense! Must’ve heard wrong; let’s just dig this up quickly and head back down the mountain!”
He never wanted to set foot in this creepy place ever again in his life!
Finally getting the grave opened and prying the coffin lid off, Vincent was gobsmacked!
“Zachary Rosenberg? How in the world did you end up in my mom’s grave?”
Briony covered her mouth in shock, “Zachary?”
Wasn’t this Milford’s dad, the big cheese of the Rosenberg Group, her future father–in–law?!
Zachary, gasping for breath with a ghostly pale face, looked at Vincent weakly.
“How the fuck should I know? Why would I be here out of the blue?”
Briony was puzzled. “Zachary, what’s that you’re holding?”
Zachary said feebly, “It’s my mom’s ashes, for crying out loud. Stop asking and help me up; I’m about to suffocate in here.”
He was just out for a simple grave visit in the afternoon, noticed his mother Valeria’s grave was a bit collapsed, and decided to have it fixed up while holding Valeria’s urn.
Chapter 96
He hadn’t gone two steps before everything went black, and he passed out, waking up in Old Mrs, Lambert’s grave!
Who knew which heartless soul dumped him in a grave and nearly suffocated him to death? He had been knocking on the coffin for ages, and Vincent hadn’t noticed a thing, which really ticked him off.
Vincent squinted his eyes in thought.
That Martin guy claimed he bought this plot for his ancestors to bless his family with everlasting wealth…
And now, here lay Zachary and his mom’s ashes in the grave.
What did that tell him?
“Oh, great! Just great, Zachary, you actually swiped our family’s burial ground, and now you want my mother to have nowhere to rest in peace? That’s some diabolical scheming! You better give me a good explanation today, or I’m gonna give you a piece of my mind!”
Chapter 97
