survival in waters like that.
Just then, someone in the crowd shook their head and sighed. “What a tragedy. Miss Wirkola almost drowned when she was
trying to save Mr. Sanders back then. Ever since then, she wouldn’t even go near a swimming pool. Who would’ve thought she would end up dying in the sea.”
It was like someone had struck Grant over the head with a bat. He turned toward the voice in disbelief. “What did you say?
Ashlyn… Ashlyn was afraid of water because she almost drowned saving me?”
By the time he reached the last few words, his voice was trembling.
The woman frowned slightly, as if surprised he did not know. “Yes. After she pulled you out, she collapsed from exhaustion. It was someone named Jessie or something who showed up afterward and took you to the hospital”
“No, that can’t be true,” Grant murmured and buried his face in his hands and sobbed.
the woman at the center of all the recent
Just then, someone in the crowd recognized him and realized the deceased was ti headlines. Whispers rippled through the onlookers.
Someone muttered that I deserved to die for being shameless.
Like a lion driven into a rage, Jeremy lunged at the speaker and landed a punch square on his face. “Lies! My sister…”
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The words caught in his throat, because suddenly, it hit him. Was he not the one who caused all of this?
He was the one who spread the rumors and sent men to violate his sister.
All of it was for Jessie.
“It’s all our fault. We’re the ones who killed Ashlyn. It’s our fault. All of it.” Jeremy suddenly fainted while saying that.
However, regret changed nothing-
I sat in a car not far from the scene and watched everything unfold with cold detachment. After a long while, I said in a low voice, “Let’s go.”
From that moment on, I had nothing to do with the Wirkola family or Grant Sanders ever again.
The rescue team searched for days but found nothing.
Jeremy and Grant refused to believe I was gone. They clung to the idea that I was still alive and waiting for them to come find me. No one could convince them otherwise.
Many people came to see them out of concern. One elderly man looked at them and sighed. “She was such a good girl, what a pity. Gone, just like that. And you, what kind of brother are you? You’re useless. When your family was in trouble, that girl went around begging people for help, bowing to everyone she could find. Even I felt bad for her. And now that your family is back on your feet, you let something like this happen to her at such a young age…
‘Jeremy’s face went completely pale. There was disbelief written all over it. “Mr. Dever, what are you talking about? When did
Ashlyn ever plead with anyone for help?”
The old man frowned. “What do you mean when? If it weren’t for that girl pleading with everyone she could find and kneeling before them, do you think anyone would’ve stepped up to help your family?”
“We were wrong. We were so, so wrong,” Jeremy murmured. Then, he turned toward his assistant. “Look into it. I want a full report, everything Ashlyn has been through over the years. Find out all the details!”
His voice trembled as he spoke. Grant was no better.
They were finally starting to realize just how unforgivably wrong they had been all along.
