A Replacement Bride

Chapter 306

Katherine's query meant that she was ready to accept the fact that Jennifer had passed away and that she was going to bid her farewell.

Joaquin knew that she was immersed in her grief, so he spoke in an especially slow and soft tone to take care of her feelings. When she heard that Jennifer would like to be buried next to Darren, she felt tears brimming in her eyes.

A few minutes later, she croaked, "Grandpa is buried in Mount Southpeak, which is located on the outskirts of Kyoland."

"Okay." He slowly rubbed her back as he comforted her gently, "I got it. Just leave this to me." Then, he asked, "Would you like to take a look at that notebook now?"

She nodded before finally humming in agreement.

At her acquiescence, he reached out, retrieved the notebook from the bedside drawer, and passed it to her.

Katherine stared at the thick notebook in her hands and ran her fingers across the surface reverently. However, she didn't open it right away as she held it to her chest, as though she was giving Jennifer a last hug.

This was the only legacy Jennifer left for her, and maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, but she thought she could still feel the last embers of Jennifer's soul.

The moon hung in the night sky, and she asked, "How long was I out?"

"Ten hours," Joaquin answered honestly. "It's almost 9.00PM now."

She didn't reply to that, and after a couple of minutes, she murmured, "Where's Grandma?"

There was a short moment of silence as he lowered his gaze, watching her with a profound look. "She's in the room next door, and Donald is with her. Are you ready to visit her?"

She sat up without a word, felt the thick notebook in her hands again, and nodded with lowered eyes.

Joaquin didn't stop her this time. After all, she had to face this sooner or later, so he accompanied her, saying, "Give me a minute."

A confused Katherine raised her head at him, and he sighed helplessly, "Grandma would be sad to see you like this."

She swallowed her parched throat as bitterness welled up within her. Still, she didn't cry and watched silently as he walked out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with a hot towel in his hands.

She remained motionless like a doll as she allowed him to clean her face carefully with it before tossing it on the table. When he deemed her ready, he held her hand and squeezed it gently as a show of silent support. "Come on, let's send Grandma off."

Meanwhile, Jennifer was lying on the bed peacefully. She seemed asleep if only one could ignore her not rising chest.

Katherine stood next to the bed and stared at Jennifer for a long time before she finally muttered, "Grandma, don't worry about me. I'll take care of myself, so go ahead and reunite with Grandpa on the other side."

Then, she gently lifted the sheet on Jennifer's chest and covered her face.

"I'll miss you, Grandma…"

Katherine couldn't really recall what she went through that night. All she could remember was Joaquin coaxing her into taking the medication before eating. Then, she drifted off to sleep without a fuss.

Her body had overexerted itself on this day. In addition to her emotional breakdown and the effects of the medication, her body couldn't handle the stress she had put it under. So, it was without surprise that she eventually slipped into unconsciousness once again.

Jennifer's figure was wispy in her dream, but her voice echoed in her mind. "Don't cry, Kathy. I've already met your grandfather. You have to promise me you'll live well because we're watching you from above. Everything is fine as long as you're doing well…"

When she opened her eyes, it was already daytime. Yet, as she stared at the sunlight pouring through the window like golden liquid, she felt as though she was in a whole new world.

"You're awake?"

A familiar voice sounded close by, and she turned her head to the source only to see Joaquin dressed smartly and sitting at the side.

"Yeah," she answered. Unfortunately, her voice was still rough, which caused her to frown in discomfort.

The next second, a cup of warm water with a tea bag soaked inside appeared in front of her. Clearly, he prepared this beforehand. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

She slowly pushed herself up, accepted the cup, and took a few sips. "Thanks," she said softly.

Joaquin quirked a brow as he asked warmly, "Have you calmed down?"

Katherine paused for a beat. Then, she bit her bottom lip lightly and nodded softly.

"Yesterday…" she trailed off midway, not knowing how to continue.

Yesterday was the only time she had felt such strong emotions in all these years, and she could vaguely remember that the last time something like this happened was during her mother's death.

Joaquin's eyes flickered at her sorry state. He could deduce her thoughts, so he raised a hand and ruffled her hair affectionately with a soft expression on his face.

"You gave me a shock yesterday because I've never seen you that way before. Or is this how you used to be?"

His question caught her by surprise, and she stared at him in dumbstruck silence.

A smirk tinged his lips, but there was a tinge of sadness in his warm eyes.

"There's nothing bad about it. Even if you're used to being distant and putting on a strong facade in front of others, I still wish you'd remove all of your so-called strong fronts when you're with me. If you're sad, you can do as you did yesterday and cry in my arms all you want. You don't have to worry about getting mad, and it's even better if you can find it in yourself to laugh heartily. I like you for you."

He ditched his usual curt demeanor as he said all those things. She couldn't help but feel that it sounded like both a confession as well as words of comfort.

Katherine was flabbergasted and didn't know how to reply, which rarely happened to her. Therefore, she ended up gaping at him for a long time without uttering a word.

On the other hand, Joaquin waited patiently for her in silence.

A few minutes later, she parted her lips, lowered her eyes, and mumbled, "It's not appropriate for you to say such things now, don't you think?"

He had never expected that she would come up with such an answer, so he was startled before curling his lips into a resigned smile. "Yeah, it's not appropriate." His deep, dark eyes danced with tiny sparkles as he gazed at her. "But I still want you to hear it."

She scratched her nose awkwardly, but she knew that this was his way of comforting her, and she felt warmth blooming in her cold heart. "Okay," she grunted and rolled off the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, following after her.

She slowly wore her slippers, and when she lifted her head again, she had recovered her usual demeanor. Still, her calm and collected eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

"It's time to take care of Grandma's funeral," she said in a dispassionate tone.

Since Jennifer said that she wanted to be buried together with Darren, Katherine would have to stay in Kyoland. Her mind was running a mile a minute as she compiled a list of tasks she had to consider, such as contacting the cemetery and funeral homes as well as holding the funeral.

Even though Jennifer's death was sudden, she was in Kyoland, after all. Besides, she wanted to complete everything perfectly as a way to show her love for Jennifer.

Joaquin sighed inwardly at the sight of her lonely yet resolute silhouette and casually said, "I've already contacted the cemetery and bought the plot next to Grandpa. As for the funeral home, I've also contacted them, and Grandma will be delivered there in a while. So, you don't have to worry about the funeral, just inform the others about Grandma's death and let's fix tomorrow as the funeral date, as it's better to hold it early than late."

As he listed those things in an orderly manner. she turned to him in surprise as her eyes widened in shock. "You… When did you make all these arrangements? Didn't Grandma just pass away last night?"