Chapter36
In the morgue.
Antonio stood stiffly, staring intensely at the corpse that was beyond recognition.
His eyes were wide with terror, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
It took a long, agonizing time before he finally found his hoarse voice.
“No… no, this isn’t Grace. It’s not her.”
The staff exchanged glances, and one of them said in a heavy tone, “Mr. Kaufman, please accept our condolences.”
Antonio grabbed the speaker by the collar and roared, veins bulging and rage in his eyes, “What the hell did you say?!”
The others quickly backed away, trying to console him.
“Mr. Kaufman, we understand your pain, but please stay calm.”
“DNA testing has confirmed this is indeed Mrs. Kaufman. And this pocket watch was found at the scene.”
They handed over the broken pocket watch respectfully.
Antonio froze, his hands slowly dropping, his eyes bloodshot with disbelief.
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His throat tightened, and he couldn’t produce a sound.
How could this be? How could it possibly be?!
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Just this morning, Grace was still standing in front of him, so quiet and gentle.
How could she be gone so suddenly?!
Antonio cried out in sorrow. His body swayed before he collapsed to his knees.
Mylie, who had seen the news, arrived.
She passed by the man kneeling on the floor and looked toward the bed.
With just one quick glance, she covered her mouth, nearly vomiting.
The body had been so disfigured that it was beyond recognition.
Instantly, Mylie felt a surge of exhilaration.
From now on, Grace could no longer compete with her for the man she loved.
“How did this happen?”
Just then, a hoarse, rough, and hollow voice shattered the silence.
The staff looked at the devastated Antonio, and one of them replied cautiously, “Preliminary investigation shows this was an accident. But we’ll need further investigation and the recovery of Mrs. Kaufman’s phone to clarify the details.”
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At the mention of the phone, Mylie felt a sudden jolt of fear.
Grace’s sudden phone call flashed in her mind, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.
Mylie told herself it would be fine. She had deleted those provocative messages from her phone. Besides, she had only used words and hadn’t done any physical harm. So, she believed Antonio wouldn’t do anything to her.
Then, Mylie knelt down, placing her face against Antonio’s back, softly whispering, “Honey, it’s alright…”
Before she could finish, he violently shoved her away, sending her crashing to the floor!
Mylie stared at Antonio in shock, feeling hurt. His cold, murderous aura made her uneasy.
***
In the darkest hours of the night.
Antonio staggered back to the villa.
Shaking with exhaustion, he finally collapsed with a crash.
Antonio gripped the pocket watch in his hand, repeatedly telling himself that the corpse couldn’t possibly be Grace.
All he had to do was sleep, and this nightmare would end.
Then, he would hold Grace close, kiss her forehead, and apologize. He would stay with her and never leave her side again…
In the darkness Antonio curled up on the bed murmuring to
Chapter36
himself.
“Grace…
“Grace, wake me up, please…”
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He was as scared as a lost child, tears rolling down his face uncontrollably.
Suddenly, Antonio went wild, grabbing the hourglass from his bedside table and shattering it!
Glass shards pierced his palm, blood pouring out immediately.
He trembled uncontrollably.
The last shred of hope had been shattered by the pain in his palm.
Even the cold air and the cold ticking of the pocket watch were cruelly reminding him: This was all real.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.