The surrounding light was too dim, and the drizzling rain obscured visibility. Leland widened his eyes and ran while shouting for someone.
The driver stopped the car, grabbed an umbrella and a flashlight, items they always kept in the car for such emergencies. Being prepared meant there was nothing to worry about.
When the driver saw Leland’s figure, he knew that Leland must be filled with regret at that moment.
Leland felt anxious and uneasy. He ran through the rain to Gregory’s grave, but there was no sign of Winifred. His heart sank into despair.
The driver hurriedly approached with the umbrella and flashlight. “Mr. Burns, it’s raining too hard. Please use the umbrella.”
Leland ignored him, snatched the flashlight from his hand, and with its beam, his vision became much clearer.
“Go find her,” Leland commanded before running off again. He pulled out his phone, but raindrops on the screen hindered its operation. He wiped it on his chest and activated the locator. The watch’s location was still moving rapidly. After checking the previous positions, he looked around to determine the direction and dashed off.
The sound of rain drowned out his heavy breathing.
…
Leland had imagined countless scenarios of finding Winifred, wondering what misfortune had befallen her to make her silent.
But he never expected to find her lying in the mud, almost submerged in muddy water. Her green dress was unrecognizable, her hair dirty and disheveled, obscuring her face.
In this state, he couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.
Leland’s breath almost stopped; his brain felt oxygen-deprived and unable to think. His feet instinctively carried him forward.
Rainwater flowed from his hair and forehead into his eyes. Initially cold, it turned warm as it trickled down. He reached Winifred’s side and shone the flashlight over her from head to toe.
Winifred was covered in wounds. Leland didn’t know how to lift her without causing more harm. He knelt on one knee and carefully supported her head. “Winifred…”
Hearing his voice brought a sliver of consciousness back to Winifred. She squinted her eyes open and seemed to say something, but the rain drowned out her words. Leland leaned closer to hear.
She said, “My hand hurts…”
Leland quickly checked her hands. Her right hand was full of bruises and wounds, fingers twisted-clearly broken. Her left hand was even worse; it was completely deformed from wrist to fingertips, and the watch on her wrist was gone.
That custom-made watch was worth millions due to its design and materials, but more importantly, it had a built-in locator. Made from special materials, Leland had personally put it on Winifred for her eighteenth birthday; it couldn’t be removed without his permission.
Leland had never intended to take it off. Winifred had tried various methods to remove it, even resorting to self-harm but failed.
Even when seeing Winifred’s injured hand, Leland hadn’t removed the watch. He once believed it would stay on her wrist forever. But today, it was gone from her left hand.
Her entire left hand was twisted; someone must have forcibly taken the watch by breaking her bones.
The watch symbolized his affection for her, meant to record every moment they spent together. It wasn’t supposed to be removed this way-so brutally different from what he had imagined. The thought of that scene pierced his heart like a knife, causing excruciating pain that made even his eyes ache with redness.
But no matter how much he hurt, Winifred hurt more. He lifted her gently; she lay silent like a corpse.
He had just brought Winifred back recently, taken her to Autumn Joy Estate where he asked her to paint a picture of him-not as a replacement for anyone else.
Winifred had never painted him before… But now, with both hands injured, could she ever hold a paintbrush again?
Not just painting; she also played piano and violin, and danced…
His arms tightened around Winifred instinctively.
“It hurts…”
Leland’s expression tightened; deep in his eyes swirled guilt, regret, and remorse.
If he hadn’t brought Winifred here tonight or if he had stayed outside the cemetery instead of leaving her alone, none of this would have happened.
Why hadn’t he listened to the driver? Why did he leave Winifred alone? He knew she was afraid of the dark; anyone with common sense knew it was dangerous for a girl to be alone outside at night. Why did he take such a risk? Why was he so arrogant?