A Replacement Bride

Chapter 313

After listening to his explanation, Katherine didn't comment much and just hummed in acknowledgment. "Thank you. I understand what you just told me. I'll be careful."

Josiah then let out a breath of relief in his heart. "I'm glad you understand. Then… if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

She nodded and didn't ask him to stay.

As he reached the door, he hesitated but still stopped walking before turning around to look at her. His eyes, which had seen and experienced many things in his life, were brimming with gentleness.

"Katherine." He stopped addressing her as 'Miss Cornell,' but also didn't address her as 'Kathy,' which would be too intimate, and used a compromise instead.

Katherine's brows twitched slightly. "Yes?"

"If you need anything in the future, you can look for me in the Grant Residence. Whether it's me or the Grant Family, we would help you with all we have."

She was taken aback at his words. After a few moments of silence, she oddly didn't reject his offer and lightly nodded. "Got it."

Then, Josiah left satisfied.

Joaquin, who had been watching from the side, smiled gently as he lifted his hand to caress her hair. "You accepted that pretty quickly."

Katherine blinked a few times. "It's nothing big. Whatever happened with the previous generation doesn't really have anything to do with us."

What they said could only be understood by themselves.

After that, more people came to pay their respects. Katherine greeted them politely as she was grateful for them coming to see Jennifer for the last time.

After the funeral was over and the sun was setting, she stood before Jennifer's gravestone, oddly feeling dazed.

The series of events over the past few days felt just like a dream.

How she wished she could wake up from the dream to see Jennifer still by her side and healthy. However, she knew that it was an impossible wish.

Jennifer had left her, forever.

"Grandma, I buried you beside Grandpa just as you wished. I wonder if you've seen him by now. I'm sure you must be very happy."

Katherine was mumbling to herself. She had been rushed off her feet for the past few days, busy preparing for the funeral, so her delicate face was a little pale and shadows could be seen under her eyes.

Then, she moved her gaze to the side, and it fell on Darren's gravestone as she looked at his photo from when he was younger and much more handsome.

"Grandpa, Grandma is on her way to you. I hope you can take care of her over there. You've been on her mind a lot these few years. I'm sure you must have missed her a lot too. Now, you both can finally

reunite. Even though I am sad, I'm still happy for you both. Please don't worry about me. I'll take good care of myself." Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Beside her stood Joaquin, who was looking at her with his deep eyes. He then turned his head around with a bright glint in his eyes to look at Jennifer's and Darren's gravestones.

"Grandma, don't worry. I'll be by Kathy's side. I won't let her experience even the slightest hardship. From now on, I'll take care of both her and Noah."

Then, he paused and diverted his gaze. "It's my first time meeting you, Grandpa. I'm Joaquin Levisay, the husband of your granddaughter. We'll leave Grandma in your hands now. I hope everything is well over there for you and her."

His words plucked at Katherine's heartstrings silently.

Her eyelids trembled slightly before she looked up at him, the look in her eyes a little complicated, but a warm, tender look quickly flashed past her eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Joaquin tilted his head and just so happened to catch her expression. So, he raised an eyebrow and asked her.

She didn't answer him and averted her gaze before quietly saying, "Let's go."

The corner of his lips twitched, but he didn't push for an answer. Taking a big stride, he held her hand and intertwined their fingers without saying anything.

She struggled a little but couldn't break free. So, she just let him be.

They followed the flight of stairs made of stone in the cemetery and walked down the hill.

As they reached the bottom of the hill, the twilight was at its peak as the setting sun dyed the sky red and the clouds turned a deep orange.

Katherine suddenly stopped walking and turned around to look up at the hill. Right now, she could no longer see her grandparents' gravestones.

Her bright eyes looked like they were dyed red from the setting sun. Her lips parted, and she murmured, "Grandma won't feel lonely anymore, right?"

Joaquin looked at her as tenderness filled his eyes. He stroked her purlicue with his thumb a few times before gently answering, "Yes. Grandma will forever have Grandpa by her side now. They have each other and will never be lonely anymore."

"That's great," she murmured as she nodded after some silence. "Grandma, I'll miss you."

With that, she finally turned her head before breathing in as she walked out of the cemetery.

…

After settling everything and returning to the hotel, she took a hot shower before falling asleep.

A lot had happened in the last few days. Firstly, she had someone to save, and then Jennifer passed away and she had to arrange for the funeral. She was overwhelmed with everything and had been trying her best to hang on. In fact, her body had long gone past its limit.

However, despite being exhausted, she still didn't get a good rest that night.

She had a dream about when she was younger, where Jennifer loved her to pieces and would let her do anything she wanted.

Katherine also dreamed of how she was exiled from the Cornell Family after her mother's passing. With no one to rely on, she only had Jennifer by her side in those dark times.

Even though times were tough those few years, she had Jennifer with her. So, she was the happiest she had been especially compared to the cold treatment she got when she was staying with the Cornell Family.

She even dreamed of Jennifer falling ill, lying on the sickbed. There were a few times when Jennifer almost couldn't make it, but as she didn't have the heart to part ways with Katherine and leave her behind all alone, she endured the torture of the sickness and fought to stay alive.

Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes and flooded the pillow as she unconsciously called out for Jennifer before waking up in a daze.

Looking at the dark room, she was stunned. Then, she felt her soiled cheeks and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. I really… am clinging onto the past too much like a child. If Grandma knew, she would've laughed at me.

She was still lying in bed. As her eyes got used to the darkness, she stared at the ceiling for a long time before quietly whispering, "Don't worry, Grandma. I'll live well."

Just as she was done talking, the room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. The person was being careful with their small movements and tried to not make any sound.

From the light that streamed in through the gap of the open door, Katherine realized that it was Joaquin who came in.

It seemed like he thought that she was still asleep and didn't want to wake her up. He tiptoed and placed a glass of water by the bed.

Then, his gaze moved up to meet her shining eyes. He was surprised and smiled. "You're awake? Why didn't you switch on the lights?"

As he said that, he flipped on the bedside lamp and covered her eyes with his palm to shield them from the sudden brightness.

Katherine blinked and her thick, luscious eyelashes fanned the center of his palm.

That tickled him and as he was about to smile, he noticed the tear streaks on her face. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as his lips tightened into a straight line. "Were you crying?"