Chapter 752: Moving the Grave

The next day, Audrey took Grandma Whitmore to the cemetery. They bought flowers from a roadside shop and took a taxi there. The cemetery was usually deserted, with almost no one around.

It was Grandma Whitmore's first time standing before the tombstone. When Audrey said, "This is it," the old lady choked up before she could speak, tears streaming down her face. "Isabella, Isabella," she cried, unable to suppress her grief any longer, trembling as she clung to the tombstone.

Audrey worried about Grandma Whitmore's health and tried to comfort her, "Grandma, don't cry. If Isabella knew you were this sad and hurt yourself, she wouldn't be at peace."

"Isabella, why is heaven so cruel? Isabella was so young. Why didn't it take my life instead?" Grandma Whitmore was heartbroken and couldn't forgive herself, feeling that life was unfair.

Seeing the tombstone made her sorrow uncontrollable. It took a long time for her emotions to settle down. Audrey helped Grandma Whitmore sit by the tombstone; the old lady refused to leave, wanting to spend more time with her granddaughter-in-law.

"Grandma, if you are this heartbroken and in pain, how much more would he be if he knew?" Audrey said, deeply concerned about Sebastian's feelings for Isabella.

Wiping her tears, Grandma Whitmore replied, "Yes, how could Seb accept this?"

She looked at the nameless tombstone and felt even more guilty. This was their family's granddaughter-in-law buried in a foreign land without even a proper inscription.

"Audrey," Grandma Whitmore said, "I want to move Isabella's grave. I want to bring her ashes back to Riverton. That's where she grew up; that's her home."

"Of course," Audrey agreed. "Grandma, you can move the grave anytime you want. I also hope Isabella's ashes can return to Riverton. We believe in returning to one's roots; it's too cruel for Isabella to die in a foreign land."

"Thank you," Grandma Whitmore said, holding Audrey's hand. She had always wished Audrey were Isabella.

Moving the grave would take time, so Grandma Whitmore needed to stay here for a few more days. After nearly two hours at the cemetery, she finally agreed to leave. As they departed, she touched the tombstone and said, "Isabella, Grandma is going back now. Once everything is arranged, I'll take you home. Don't worry about Rowan; he's doing well. I'm sorry for everything; our family owes too much to yours."

Her voice choked up again as she spoke.

Grandma Whitmore loved Isabella not just because she was her granddaughter-in-law but also because she was the descendant of someone she loved dearly-Isabella was Grandpa Hamilton's granddaughter.

Seeing that all of her loved one's descendants were gone left Grandma Whitmore deeply saddened. Now only Chloe remained from the Hamilton family, but she was in a vegetative state; Grace had been executed by firing squad; Patricia had been murdered; and Isabella had died in an accident.

Thinking of this made Grandma Whitmore's heart ache even more.

"Grandma, let's go home," Audrey urged gently as she supported her.

On the way back, Grandma Whitmore seemed listless and sickly. She didn't say a word and occasionally shed tears thinking about Isabella.

Once home, Audrey urged the old lady to rest immediately, fearing any mishap.

Meanwhile...

Selene and Andrew had also arrived at Blue Ridge. Selene didn't go directly to the Flack family's residence; she had gathered information beforehand and went straight to their neighbor's house instead.

Investigating from an outsider's perspective often yields more genuine insights.

Selene didn't recklessly approach the neighbor but posed as a community worker gathering information while bringing a bag of rice and a barrel of oil as gifts.

The neighbor was a middle-aged man living alone who made his living by fishing.

Andrew was new at this kind of work and remained silent, acting as Selene's assistant while she calmly engaged the man in conversation.

"How long have you lived here?" Selene asked. "Do you have any suggestions or needs? Feel free to share them with us."

"I've been here for almost five years," the man replied with a smile. "The city government is really good now, caring so much about us common folks. I don't have any suggestions; everything is fine."

Selene then steered the conversation towards her real purpose: "By the way, do you know where your neighbors went? I knocked on their door earlier but no one answered. How many people live there?"

"You mean Spencer's family? Spencer can go out to sea now. There are just two people in his family left-him and his daughter-I haven't seen his daughter for over half a year," the man said. "His daughter used to rarely go out and was often hospitalized due to heart problems. Their financial situation is tough; otherwise, Spencer wouldn't work so hard to earn money. Last year he even borrowed several thousand dollars from me for his daughter's surgery."

Hearing this news, Andrew and Selene exchanged glances.