Spring Beneath the Grave

Elora Griffiths was on her way to drop her daughter off at school when her husband's enemies launched an attack in the street.

The bodyguard assigned to protect them left immediately when the incident occurred.

Both mother and daughter were seriously injured.

Elora frantically called her husband, Rodger Griffiths, but he didn't answer.

Her brother, Hugh Dale, arrived just in time and saved them both.

"How could this happen? Didn't Rodger assign someone to protect you?" Hugh asked.

Elora sobbed uncontrollably, "The bodyguard ran away!"

On the way to the hospital, Elora kept trying Rodger's number, desperate.

One call after another...

Finally, on the ninety-ninth attempt, the line connected. On the other end was the female bodyguard, trembling, her voice barely holding back tears.

"Rodger, it's really not my fault! There were so many assassins. I would've died if I tried to stop them! I was so scared..."

Elora held her breath, waiting for her husband's wrath to thunder down.

But Rodger just sighed.

"Forget it. The important thing is you're safe," he said.

Meanwhile, Elora's daughter's condition worsened in her arms.

The pain was overwhelming.

She held her daughter close, teeth gritted in fury, "Hugh, I'm divorcing him! I'll terminate all business collaborations wit the Griffiths family in Crownport!"

...

Excessive blood loss and overwhelming grief took their toll.

Elora let out a scream before collapsing into unconsciousness.

She dreamt for what seemed like an eternity.

The Dale and Griffiths families had been enemies for generations.

Years ago, Rodger had begged and pleaded with the Dale family endlessly for her hand in marriage, even resorting to extreme measures to prove his commitment.

"I, Rodger Griffiths, will love Elora for a lifetime. "If I ever fail in this, may I face the consequences!"

Elora still remembered the crimson vividly-but the blood flowing from her daughter Franny now was far more horrifying.

Elora didn't know how long she had slept before she finally woke.

The grief muddled her thoughts. Many things were hazy at first.

She was in her old room at the Dale family home, her pre-marriage room.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a photo of her, Rodger, and their daughter hanging on the wall.

Her nose stung for no reason, and tears slipped down.

She frowned, confused.

"How... how did I get home? Where's Rodger? Call him, have him come here."

The maid's hand trembled as she poured water, shaking her head nervously.

"He's already been called. Mr. Griffiths said he's busy."

Elora's frown deepened.

Rodger had loved her so fiercely. When he was abroad negotiating billion-dollar projects, she had said she missed him, and he would drop everything, fly back overnight just to hold her. How could she not even reach him now?

Before she could ask again, Hugh strode in, his face grave.

"Elora, Franny's about to be buried. As her mother, you should give her a proper farewell."

A ringing buzz filled Elora's ears.

She couldn't make sense of his words.

"What... what did you say?"

"Franny was too young. The injuries were severe. By the time she reached the hospital... she was already gone."

Memories from before she lost consciousness flooded back.

Gunfire, being shot, the busy tone on the phone, the male bodyguard...

Tears gushed uncontrollably.

Her heart felt as if it had been ripped apart.

"Ah!!!" Elora screamed, her wails echoing through the room.

She threw off the covers and stumbled out, moving so recklessly that her unhealed wounds tore open, blood soaking the bandages. But she didn't even notice the pain.

At the cemetery, a small urn sat on the table-the color Franny had loved the most.

Elora trembled, reaching out, yet she couldn't bring herself to touch it.

She wished desperately that it was all a dream, that when she woke, Franny would still be laughing, calling her "Mommy."

As the urn was placed to rest, Elora cried until she nearly passed out.

From her daughter's death to cremation to burial, Rodger, the father, had never shown up once.

She remembered the call just before her daughter's last breath.

While mother and daughter teetered on the edge of death, he was flirting over the phone with the bodyguard, Lilah Phillips.

Elora's hands shook as she gave orders, "Prepare the divorce papers. I'm going to Griffiths Group."

She needed to confront him face-to-face. To demand answers.

The car pulled up outside Griffiths Group. Elora ignored the front desk and stormed straight up to the CEO's office on the top floor.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she froze. Inside, Rodger and Lilah were standing close together, their behavior clearly intimate.

"Rodger, Elora called you so many times, and you ignored her to pamper me. Aren't you afraid she'll get mad?" Lilah teased.

Rodger's response was casual.

"You abandoned your post. She's coming for me, asking me to punish you. You really want me to do it? I just can't bear to."

"Don't worry. Let her cool down for a few days, then I'll handle it. I'll make sure she doesn't blame you."

Elora froze at the doorway, her body trembling as if she were holding a block of ice.

Their only daughter had died, she herself had been gravely injured, and the man who claimed he would love her forever was entangled with another woman.

A single tear slid down her cheek.

The man who once loved her enough to sacrifice everything-even his life-was gone, vanished without a trace.

At fifteen, Rodger had spent all his money at an auction to buy the final bracelet just because she said she liked it. She still wore it on her wrist.

At eighteen, when he first brought her home, he defied his parents to protect her when they mistreated her, even threatening to cut ties with the Griffiths family so that his parents would apologize.

At twenty-two, while traveling with her, he had shielded her from an ambush by the Dale family's enemies, sustaining serious injuries himself, unconscious for half a month, while she emerged unscathed.

And now, at twenty-seven, he had moved on.

Everything tied to Elora no longer mattered.

Elora rubbed her sore eyes to keep from crying.

She picked up her phone and typed a message, "Recall all arms sold to the Griffiths family now. I will return in a week to take charge."

The home screen still showed the three of them smiling together.

Seeing Franny's bright smile, Elora's chest ached violently.

She hesitated, then changed the wallpaper to a photo of just her and her daughter.

She didn't need that man anymore.

Her daughter was the embodiment of their love.

And now, with her gone, that love felt shattered.

Elora closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, they were filled only with icy resolve.

She booked a flight to Ravencrest seven days later.

This five-year-long absurd marriage needed to come to an end.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots shattered the silence of the office.

Elora blew away the smoke curling from the barrel and walked toward the pair step by step.

"Elora, have you lost your mind?!" Rodger frowned, instinctively shielding Lilah behind him.

"You're still protecting her?" Elora's voice rose sharply. She reached behind Rodger, yanked Lilah out, and slapped her twice, left and right.

Before Rodger could react, Elora roared, "Do you have any idea that because she ran away at the critical moment, our daughter is dead?!"

Rodger looked as if he had been struck by lightning. The anger drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, Elora... "

He slapped himself hard, then wrapped his arms around Elora.

"Hit me, Elora! I'm a piece of trash! I shouldn't have missed your calls. I was busy, my phone wasn't with me, it's all my fault!"

Elora pushed him away with force.

She sneered coldly, "Busy? Busy comforting your terrified little girlfriend?"

Her icy gaze locked onto Lilah.

Once, Rodger had personally arranged a female bodyguard for her-someone he claimed he had trained himself-to protect both her and their daughter.

When Elora found out Lilah had been bought from an auction house, she had even felt jealous.

Rodger had laughed, indulgent and helpless.

"Why are you acting like a little animal guarding its food? I only see her as a subordinate. Besides, my wife is so beautiful. If I put a male bodyguard next to you, I'd get jealous too. Lilah's professionally trained. With her there, you and Franny will be perfectly safe."

Elora had believed him.

Believed him enough to let her daughter die because of it.

Elora snapped back and pointed straight at Lilah.

"You only see her as a subordinate? So what? Does the Griffiths gang kiss their subordinates now?!"

Rodger's face turned pale.

With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees in front of Elora.

"Elora! I swear I'll never do it again! It's my fault. I wronged you, I caused Franny's death! I repent... punish me however you want!"

Looking at the man crying in front of her, regret spilling from every pore, Elora felt nothing but numb, hollow pain.

"Two things," she said flatly. "Do them, and I'll let this go."

She flipped the divorce papers to the final page and slammed them onto the table.

"First, sign this! Second... "

She raised her hand and pointed at Lilah.

"She must face the consequences for Franny's death!"

"No!" Rodger refused without hesitation.

The moment the word left his mouth, he realized something was off. He hurriedly grabbed the papers, scrawled his signature across them, then scrambled to justify himself.

"What I mean is Lilah wasn't feeling well that day. She left early without informing you, and that was her fault. But she was unwell, so leaving her post is understandable. You don't need to push her to death."

Elora laughed.

He had sworn again and again that Lilah was highly professional.

For a bodyguard, loyalty was everything. Clearly, Lilah had failed. And failure meant death.

"Fine," She raised her hand, pointing directly at Lilah.

"Then I'll deal with her myself."

As Lilah cried out, Elora moved decisively.

A sharp sound echoed.

Elora stared in disbelief at her wrist, now throbbing with pain.

Rodger lowered his hand, expressionless.

"Elora, you need to calm down. If you weren't so out of control, I wouldn't have had to stop you."

Elora's heart felt shattered.

The pain from the gunshot in her hand was nothing compared to the agony in her chest.

She remembered how, before their marriage, anyone who so much as made her frown would get a bullet from Rodger as a lesson.

And now, the gun he pointed was at her.

Her heart bled.

Just as Elora was about to speak, the office door was suddenly slammed open.

A small boy charged into the room and threw himself into Lilah's arms

He poked his head out, curiously sizing up Elora, and asked Rodger, "Daddy, who is she? Did she bully my mommy?!"

The boy glared angrily at Elora. "Go away!"

Elora froze, staring at the little boy who looked strikingly like Rodger.

Her heart felt utterly broken.

How many things had Rodger been hiding from her all these years?

Elora pointed at the little boy, enunciating every word, "Is he Lilah's child with you?"

Rodger's face darkened instantly.

He never imagined that the illegitimate child he had with Lilah would show up in his office, right in front of Elora.

But now, there was no point denying it.

Rodger closed his eyes.

"Elora, listen to me. This was an accident. What's done is done. We should look forward, not dwell on the past. And besides... Franny is gone. Don't you remember what the doctor said? The injuries you sustained were severe, affecting your health permanently. We won't have children anymore. He... might be the only child I'll ever have."

The words struck Elora deeply.

Her body swayed. Her face turned deathly pale.

Memories came crashing back.

Years ago, during a sudden attack, in the chaos, a sharp blade lunged toward Rodger's back. Elora hadn't hesitated for even a second before throwing herself in front of him.

She was injured in the abdomen.

Through the searing pain, all she remembered were Rodger's bloodshot eyes and his heart-rending screams.

When she woke up, she was told the injury had serious long-term consequences for her health.

She had been shattered. And Rodger had held her tightly, repeating over and over, "It's okay, Elora. As long as I have you, that's enough. Franny is all we need..."

The pain and guilt in his eyes back then had felt so real.

So it had all been an act.

Rodger spoke again, yanking her out of her memories.

"This child... he's my only son now. And he'll be your support in the future. Elora, let the past go. From now on, treat him as your own. Raise him like your biological child. He'll take care of you when you're old. Isn't that better?"

Elora froze.

Something cool slid down her face. She reached up, and her hand came back wet with tears.

Yet her heart felt eerily numb.

"Treat him as my own?" Elora laughed.

So while she had been breaking apart over her daughter's death, silently mourning the loss of her ability to conceive... the husband she had loved with her whole heart had already had a son with another woman-old enough to walk and talk.

"Rodger, you want me to raise the son of the woman who got my daughter killed... as my own? You disgust me."

Rodger suddenly pulled her close.

She struggled, but he held her firmly, trying to calm her.

"Alright, alright, Elora. Take it out on me. It's my fault. I'll take it all."

She didn't know how long she fought before finally breaking free from his arms, gasping for air.

"Lilah, take Elora downstairs to the clinic and get her wounds treated. I'll finish up some work and come find you. You two... talk things through. You'll be seeing each other for a long time. Don't keep fighting. People need to move forward."

Elora tugged at the corner of her mouth in a faint, hollow smile.

She was exhausted. She didn't want to fight anymore.

When the heart was already dead, what was the point of arguing over love?

As Elora had her wounds bandaged, Lilah stood unusually quiet at her side, not stirring up trouble for once.

After some time, Rodger appeared at the stairwell.

Suddenly, Lilah screamed and slammed hard into a nearby medical cart.

Equipment scattered everywhere, scraping her exposed skin.

"Madam! I'm sorry, I will definitely leave Mr. Rodger alone and never entangle with him! Please spare my life, Drake is so young, he needs his mother!"

The words hit Elora like a knife.

Drake, Rodger and Lilah's son.

Five years old. A full year older than Franny.

Which meant Rodger had already cheated on her before she was even pregnant. How dare he?

Elora confronted Lilah, about to demand answers when a tearing pain exploded at the back of her head.

She turned. Rodger firmly held her back, his face expressionless as he reprimanded her.

"Elora! I've told you a hundred times, stop bullying Lilah and learn to get along with her peacefully! Do you not understand human language?!"