Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Winter instinctively looked at the name engraved on the tombstone.
Elsa Lowe.
A photo was set into the black stone. The girl in the picture had pale skin and delicate features. There was a softness in her eyes as she smiled gently at the camera.
Winter was certain she had never seen her before.
Who was she?
The wind cut through her coat, turning her body stiff with cold. Her teeth chattered as she scanned her surroundings in confusion.
There were no other graves. Only withered trees and steep mountain cliffs. The wind howled through the valley like a distant wail. As far as she could see, this single grave stood alone.
This was not a cemetery.
The barren mountains meant they were far from the city. She remembered being taken around two in the afternoon. Now the sky was already turning gray, dusk creeping in far too quickly.
Why had he brought her here?
“Come here p>
Suddenly the man yanked her arm and kicked the back of her knee. She had already been crouched low, and the force sent her crashing down onto both knees.
The frozen ground drove pain straight through her bones. She sucked in a sharp breath. “Who are you? What do you want p>
Bringing her here was not about money.
The man said nothing. He removed a black backpack from his shoulder and set it down carefully. After unzipping it, he took out a small sky–blue fondant cake, no larger than four inches across.
He placed it in front of the tombstone and knelt. Then he pulled a lighter from his coat pocket.
The mountain wind was strong. He flicked it again and again, but each flame was instantly blown out. At first, he was patient. Then frustration crept into his face. When it still wouldn’t light, his expression collapsed into grief. He burst into tears and hurled the lighter away.
It landed near Winter’s leg.
He covered his face and sobbed.
Seizing the moment while his attention drifted, Winter pushed herself up and ran in the direction they had come from.
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She ran as fast as she could. The wind rushed into her mouth, stealing her breath. It sliced across her face like knives but she couldn’t feel the pain. She only knew she had to run.
She didn’t make it far.
He caught her and dragged her back to the grave.
When he threw her down, her forehead struck a stone beside the tombstone. For a split second
everything went numb. Then the pain came, followed by warmth.
Blood.
Dizziness washed over her.
The man grabbed her low ponytail and forced her head up.
Blood streamed down from her forehead, across her brow, and into the corner of her eye. Through the red blur, she saw the girl’s smiling face on the tombstone.
“You killed Elsa! Look at her! She was only twenty–two! She’s dead because of you! Dead!” the man shrieked, his voice bordering on the hysterical.
Winter’s head throbbed. “I don’t even know her. How could I have killed her? You have the wrong person p>
He let out a broken, almost manic laugh. Then he reached into his bag again and pulled out a rope, binding her wrists tightly behind her back.
“You think I am mistaken?” He shoved her hard.
With her hands tied, she lost her balance and hit the ground. The world spun as she saw him take out a bottle of liquor. He took a long drink, then poured the rest over the tombstone.
“Was it you who exposed Jacob’s club p>
Her heart clenched.
So he knew Jacob.
She stayed silent.
He didn’t seem to care whether she answered.
“Elsa was seriously ill. She needed a huge amount of money for treatment. I worked for Jacob. In the first month, he paid me ten thousand dollars. I thought there was hope. I was so close. So close to saving her. And then you ruined everything p>
He smashed the bottle in front of her, tears streaming down his face as he pointed at her.
“You stuck your nose where it didn’t belong and exposed the club. It got shut down. The money stopped. Without that money, she couldn’t get treatment. When Jacob was hospitalized, I begged him. I knelt in front of him and barked like a dog. I humiliated myself just to please him. Finally, he agreed that once he
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was discharged, I could keep working for him p>
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.