Hansel got down from the car and walked along the pathway. He finally stopped right before the ditch where I’d been murdered.
The surroundings were quite dark, with the only light source coming from a single dim street light in the far end corner, casting a warm yet eerie glow onto the black water below.
This place was just a little over a mile from where Hansel’s yacht had been. I had called him for help, but he chose to ignore me, and I eventually died amidst his scorn and disdain.
I stared at the place where I’d been brutally killed and felt a surge of fear within me.
At first, I thought that dying was the end of everything. As it turned out, I could still feel pain, sadness, and even cry tears. However, I was the only one who knew about my feelings.
I recalled the bloody night when the murderer had plunged the knife right into my abdomen. I had been so terrified then, and even the mere recollection of it made my soul shake.
The people who had killed me were two tall, burly men.
They wore masks on their faces, leaving only their eyes uncovered. However, their eyes were cruel and horrifying. It was as if there wasn’t a single ounce of emotion in them. Instead, their eyes glinted coldly and sharply in the dark, instilling fear in anyone who dared to look them in the eyes.
They carved my body open while I was still conscious, and the pain had been so great that I just fainted from it. While slipping out of consciousness, I heard one of them say in a low voice, “Be careful. Don’t hurt—”
I hadn’t managed to finish listening to him when I eventually died from the sheer pain.
I thought that what they said was a little weird. If they were out to kill me, then why did they have to be careful about it? What did they mean by not hurting some part of me?
I wanted to continue listening to them, but the excruciating pain had completely overwhelmed my senses.
The next time I woke up, I had transformed into a ghost, now seemingly bound to Hansel wherever he went.
I had no clue what had happened over the past five days while I lay dead. I didn’t know what my murderers had done to me or where they had hidden my body.
However, this ditch had been the primary scene of the crime.
So, was Hansel here because he wanted to search for clues?
I looked at the man before me, his face cold, ruthless, and emotionless, and his figure tall, dark, and brooding. I then felt a gush of warmth in the depths of my heart.
He most probably still cared about whether I was still alive or not.
“Did you come here to apologize to Lara?”
Someone suddenly spoke in a deep voice behind me, asking Hansel that question. The voice sounded powerful and authoritative. Anyone who heard him for the first time would immediately be full of awe and respect for him.
I turned around.
The newcomer was a handsome man who looked to be in his early 30s. He also had a calm demeanor about him. He was dressed very neatly in his fitted suit and looked nothing less than the leader of a nation, demanding respect wherever he went.
If Hansel had an authoritative and overwhelming aura about him, then this newcomer didn’t fall short, either. In fact, they gave off the same type of energy, the domineering kind that would not let anyone else have the last say.
The newcomer was none other than my uncle, Mason Cosgrove, whom I hadn’t seen in years because he had been living abroad for a long, long time.
He was born out of wedlock to my grandfather, Zachary Fairlight, by his mistress. Uncle Mason took on his mother’s last name instead and started building his own business empire by himself.
His business ventures were a huge success locally and internationally, and he started accumulating vast wealth and riches. The Fairlights were pretty successful on their own, but they couldn’t even hold a candle to Uncle Mason’s riches.
If anyone were to pitch the Fairlights against Uncle Mason, even someone like Hansel would be no match for him in the business world. In other words, the true business tycoon of the century wasn’t Hansel. It was Uncle Mason, though he always kept a very low profile.
In my memories, Uncle Mason hardly ever showed his face at Fairlight Mansion. Every time he did, he was always grim and expressionless. But whenever he saw me, he would smile and chat with me for a while.
Alas, since Uncle Mason was naturally a cold and aloof person, his only way of showing me his warm and caring side made me fear him even more—even if he had saved me before.
When Violet locked me up in the attic back then, Uncle Mason was the one who found me and let me out.
I had been locked in the attic for days. I was scared and hungry. As soon as he unlocked the door, I immediately ran toward him and threw myself into his arms without even seeing who he was. Then, I hugged him tightly and began to sob.
He patted me on the back and spoke gently like the warmth of a summer breeze.
“Don’t be afraid anymore. I’m here now.”
It wasn’t until he introduced himself that I realized I’d been hugging the coldest and iciest member of the family.
I quickly broke free from the hug, but my tears and snot were already smeared all over his shirt. He didn’t get mad at me, though. He just patted me comfortingly on the head and gave me a piece of cake.
“You must be hungry. Eat up.”
I was ravenous. I took the piece of cake from him and started stuffing it into my mouth, not caring one bit that my face and hands were streaked with dust and dirt. I finished the cake in just a few bites.
Uncle Mason then produced a handkerchief and wiped my mouth and hands with it.
His head was lowered, and his lips were slightly pulled in a straight line as the afternoon sun rays peeked out from behind his figure.
I couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle Mason, did you purposely come here to rescue me?”
He remained calm as he replied, “I just happened to pass by.”
I hadn’t thought much about it then.
That was the only time I remembered being so close to him. Even when I saw him a few times after that, I still feared him. Later on, Mom divorced Gaston, and Uncle Mason left to study and venture into business abroad. I hadn’t heard from him since.
It had been ten years. Uncle Mason now looked even more mature and domineering than ever.
Even though I was just a ghost, I could feel the fear growing in my heart.
Why did he ask Hansel a question like that? Did Uncle Mason also know that Hansel and I were involved with each other?
However, I hadn’t met or contacted him ever since I left the Fairlight household. So, how did he find out about my latest situation?
Had he been paying close attention to me?
While it was true that I referred to him as my uncle, we were simply strangers to each other who happened to be related by blood.
Uncle Mason walked up to Hansel. They were about the same height, and their auras were almost as intimidating. However, Uncle Mason had the upper hand. His slightly taller figure towered over Hansel, his presence a lot more intimidating than the other.
Hansel wasn’t planning to lose out either. He replied in an equally cold voice that was full of disgust, “Is she even worthy of it?”
I was stunned.
The slightest bit of warmth I had felt earlier completely dissipated.
How forgetful could I be to think that this heartless creature had a conscience?
Uncle Mason’s lips slightly curled upward. His facial expression didn’t change much, but the cold, icy look in his eyes intensified. It was very intimidating.
He turned slightly to the side and looked at the ditch next to us. The frostiness from his eyes glinted brighter than the light reflecting on the lake’s surface.
He was staring at the precise location where I’d been murdered. However, the crime scene had to have been cleaned up by the perpetrators as there wasn’t a single speck of blood to be found anywhere.
The water in the ditch was still and quiet, as if a certain murder hadn’t just taken place here a few days ago.
Uncle Mason tilted his head slightly as he softly said, “Lara had better be alright. If not…”
He then turned to look at Hansel and gave him a cold, icy smile that hid a thousand knives.
Hansel narrowed his eyes and chuckled coldly. “What, are you going to get your hands dirty and bloodied for the sake of your little niece, Mr. Cosgrove?”
Uncle Mason didn’t say another word. He turned around and left. His footsteps were slow, steady, and unhurried. Yet, each step he took felt so heavy and powerful that they could probably move mountains.
His tall figure eventually melted into the shadows and disappeared into the dark of the night, just like a beast retreating into its cave for the time being.
I didn’t understand what Uncle Mason meant by his words to Hansel, but I could feel the warmth surging through my soul. At the very least, Uncle Mason still thought of me. He wasn’t like the other Fairlights, who didn’t care the slightest about my disappearance.
After Uncle Mason left, the cold grin on Hansel’s face immediately dropped.
He went quiet for a while. Then, he suddenly took out his phone, found my contact number, and made a call.
I was shocked.
Then, I burst into laughter.
I was dead! He’d never be able to reach me! Wasn’t it too late for him to finally remember me now?
After a flurry of busy dial tones, Hansel finally hung up. He then opened up the messaging app and typed out a message. He typed out a few words, deleted a few, and then retyped them out again.
Finally, he sent out his text message to me.
“Elara Fairlight. If you don’t come home within the next 24 hours, don’t bother returning anymore.”
I scoffed.
Who did he think he was to order me around with that text message? What a joke!
My deepest apologies, dear Mr. Frost. But forget about the next 24 hours—I wasn’t ever coming back, even if you waited an eternity for me!
