Chapter 168
Chapter 168:
“She told me she wanted to leave you something. An inheritance that you would receive when you turned eighteen.” Lionel stared off into the distance, caught in old memories, and let out a heavy sigh. “I should have realized something was wrong. I was buried in work back then, and I thought she was only planning ahead for you. I didn’t give it enough thought. Looking back now, this is on me. If I had paid more attention to how she was feeling, maybe none of this would have happened p>
Kailey did not respond.
Dagmar curled her lips into a mocking smile. “If you think it’s all your fault, why don’t you go apologize to Auntie p>
Lionel froze. What kind of child had he raised? She was either tearing him down or saying things that sounded like a curse. His mouth twitched as he searched for a response, but no scolding came out.
Kailey said gently, “Uncle, my mom wouldn’t blame you.” She knew that someone who had already given up on life would not have changed their mind because of a few comforting words. Back then, her mother might have seen death as the only escape.
A faint spark flickered in Lionel’s eyes, fading just as quickly. He forced a bitter smile and shook his head. “Maybe she wouldn’t blame me. But I can’t forgive myself p>
Dagmar suddenly snorted again, and the sound pulled their attention back to her heated game. Worried she might say something else out of line, Lionel snapped, “Take that game upstairs and play in your room p>
Dagmar lifted her eyes and glanced at him. Without a word, she got up and walked out.
Lionel waited until her footsteps faded upstairs. Then his expression hardened. “She’s becoming impossible. Once I get through this busy stretch at work, I’ll straighten her out p>
Kailey had heard words like that before. Ryan used to say the same thing. For reasons she could not explain, she felt a sudden flicker of sympathy for Dagmar.
J𝘰𝗂𝗻 th𝖾 𝘤𝘰𝗆𝘮𝗎ո𝗶𝗍𝗒 𝖺t 𝗀𝗮𝗅ոo𝘷e𝗅𝘀.сo𝗺
Lionel seemed to realize he had spoken too harshly, and he quickly steered back to the matter at hand. “Looking back now, your mother must have given you the only thing she had left. It’s a piece of land in the southern part of Jucridge. To be exact, it’s an entire mountain p>
Kailey blinked in surprise. “A mountain p>
“That’s right.” Lionel rubbed his palms together and lowered his gaze. “It’s a large area, but there’s nothing developed around it — no businesses, no projects. From an economic standpoint, it doesn’t hold much value.” He pulled out his phone and opened a map to show her the location. It sat close to a highway, yet the nearest commercial district was still dozens of kilometers away. Only two small villages were nearby, and neither had many residents.
“The trees could still be useful,” Lionel continued. “After all these years, they should be fully grown. They could be sold as timber. If you don’t have the time to handle it, I can step in and help you with everything p>
“I won’t sell it,” Kailey cut him off before he could finish. “It’s something my mom left for me, so I have no reason to sell it. You don’t need to trouble yourself over it p>
For a brief moment, Lionel’s expression stiffened. He recovered quickly and smiled. “Of course. Since it came from your mother, you should take good care of it. When you have time, I’ll take you there to see it in person p>