**Suburban Cemetery**
A black Mercedes-Benz slowly came to a stop. The car door opened, and the passengers stepped out one by one.
Andrew, dressed in a pure black handmade suit, looked tall, straight, and handsomely aloof. Isabella wore a black dress and held a large bouquet of white lilies.
The four of them walked step by step up the hillside along the stairs. Eleanor’s grave was halfway up the hill. It didn’t look much different from the last time they had visited. The tall pines and cypresses were still lush, swaying slightly in the wind. Because it was winter, the perennial flowers weren’t blooming, making the scene somewhat bleak.
On the tombstone, Eleanor’s photo still smiled as brightly as ever. Perhaps only death could freeze a moment in life.
Isabella slowly knelt in front of the tombstone, her trembling fingers gently caressing her mother’s photo.
“Mom, I’ve come to see you. How have you been?”
But the only response was the cold wind and the rustling sound of the breeze passing through the leaves.
Isabella rested her forehead lightly against the tombstone, her expression tender as if she were a child again, snuggling in her mother’s arms.
But she could no longer feel her mother’s warmth. Her gentle and kind mother had turned into a handful of cold ashes and a lifeless photo on the tombstone.
“Mom, I’m here to tell you some good news. I’m getting married…” Isabella’s voice choked with emotion.
Andrew came over and knelt beside her. He placed the flowers he was holding in front of the tombstone and wrapped an arm around Isabella’s shoulders.
Isabella wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile at Eleanor’s photo on the tombstone. “Mom, his name is Andrew. He’s a very, very good man. He loves me a lot, and I love him too. We will be happy together. Mom, you will bless us from heaven, won’t you?”
Andrew’s warm blue eyes looked at the photo on the tombstone as well, his tone gentle and respectful. “Mom, I’m Andrew. Rest assured, I will take good care of Isabella. When she’s happy, I’ll be happy with her. When she’s sad, I’ll cheer her up. When she cries, I’ll wipe away her tears. I’ll do my best to make her the happiest woman in the world.”
Isabella leaned on his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Andrew, it’s all my fault. If I had told Mom about us earlier, she wouldn’t have had a relapse because of Emily’s nonsense. If she were still alive to see me get married, to see us live happily together, it would be so wonderful.”
“Isabella, it’s not your fault. If Mom knew you were blaming yourself like this, she wouldn’t be at peace in heaven,” Andrew comforted her.
She leaned against him, wiped away her tears, and nodded.
William walked over and patted Isabella’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort.
With Andrew’s help, Isabella stood up. Emma handed her a tissue.
Isabella lowered her head and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Then, in a hoarse voice, she asked, “Uncle, what about Grandpa’s matter? Have you found anything?”
William sighed and shook his head silently. “I’ve been looking into it, but after all these years, there’s really no lead. The ambulance driver from that time has passed away. Although we found the doctor who treated your grandpa, he sees so many patients every day that he doesn’t remember something from so many years ago.”
There was a hint of frustration in William’s tone. They Knowed who the perpetrator was but being unable to find evidence-would they have to let David get away with it?
“Andrew, do you have any good suggestions?”
Andrew pondered for a moment before responding, “It’s very difficult to find any traces of events from over a decade ago. I think the key to breaking through lies with Charlotte.”
“You mean to let them turn on each other?” Isabella thought for a moment and then shook her head. “Although Charlotte was expelled from the Harris family, Victoria and Emily still rely on David as their father. Exposing David doesn’t benefit her at all; Charlotte wouldn’t do something so foolish.”
Andrew, listening, affectionately flicked her forehead with two fingers. “If Charlotte could be expelled from the Harris family, so could Victoria and Emily. When they’re desperate, they’ll naturally turn on each other. I believe Charlotte might have more dirt on David than just this one thing.”
“Getting David to expel them from the Harris family isn’t that easy. It will require the right timing. Who knows how long that will take,” Isabella said, feeling somewhat frustrated.
“Haste makes waste,” Andrew replied.
William nodded in agreement. “Justice has long arms. David will eventually pay for what he’s done.”
Leaving the cemetery, no one brought up these mood-dampening topics on the way back.
William was more concerned about their wedding plans.
…
David was still suspended and cut off from information, making him one of the last to know that Isabella had already registered her marriage.
Isabella wasn’t one to keep things hidden. On the night they registered, she posted on Instagram: “Today, I marry you,” along with a picture of the red marriage certificate and her diamond ring.
This post caused a sensation in their circle, and by the next day, it was trending and featured on the front pages of major newspapers and magazines.
The topic of a popular actress marrying the heir to a vast fortune was hot enough to stay in the spotlight for a while.
When David saw the news in the newspaper that Isabella had registered her marriage, he was so furious that he smashed an entire set of porcelain cups.
Mrs. Ada, enjoying the spectacle, added fuel to the fire. “I’ve told you before, or you could simply withhold the household registration to pressure them. We’ve raised Isabella for so many years; we shouldn’t let her go without compensation. Other families demand hefty dowries when marrying off their daughters, but we got nothing. Now, with a fake household registration, you’ve given them leverage and completely ruined the relationship.”
“Mom, I’m upset right now. Can you say less?” David impatiently kicked over a chair. His chances of promotion were slim, and he wasn’t even sure if he could keep his current position. He had also indirectly offended Andrew.
David was in a dire situation.