A Replacement Bride

Chapter 305

Joaquin cautiously took the notebook from her, and he couldn't help but think it felt as heavy as lead. Still, he masked his sadness and donned a serious expression as he vowed, "Grandma, I've remembered everything you said. I'll protect Kathy and Noah with everything I have. Nothing will happen to them as long as I'm around."

He seldom made any promises throughout the years. Yet, all the things he swore to do were made to Katherine and the old lady in front of him now.

Jennifer nodded in gratification, and her face turned a shade paler while her breathing also turned weaker. Since she couldn't sit up with her own power, he carefully helped her lay back on the bed.

"Don't talk anymore, Grandma. Just wait a little longer, and Kathy will be awake soon. She'll be heartbroken if she can't see you one last time."

"Good child." Jennifer's voice was so soft that he had to lean forward to hear it well. "I know that all of you are good children. It will only break Kathy's heart even more if she sees me leaving. Please, save it. I can't hold on until then, nor do I want to see her cry in front of me. This child may seem like she doesn't care about anything, but she's more emotionally attached than anyone else. This trait of hers is similar to her mother…" Her eyes gradually lost focus as she spoke, and they roamed around the room aimlessly. She had a dazed look on her face as though she was caught in a memory.

"You know what's funny? I fell for Darren exactly because he valued relationships and was a righteous man. Unfortunately, all these years, he's been buried in Kyoland, and it's my fault that I've not visited him. But it's okay. I'll be meeting him soon…"

"Grandma…" Joaquin had always been reserved, but in such a situation, his voice sounded a little hoarse as he tried to blink back his tears.

Jennifer gave him a weak smile and whispered, "Don't be sad, Joaquin. I'm just going to meet that old man, but there's one more thing I need to tell you. After my death, bury me together with Darren. We vowed to share the same bed in life and the same grave in death."

He pursed his trembling lips and locked eyes with her anticipatory gaze. Finally, he remained silent but gave her a firm nod.

Only then did a satisfied smile spread across her face, and she turned her head, staring at Katherine with reluctance in her eyes. Her gaze swept over every inch of her face as she gradually lost her sight.

A long while later, a single tear rolled down from the corner of her eye, and she repeated in an almost inaudible whisper, "I leave Kathy to you…"

Then, her eyes slid to a close and brought a tone of finality with it.

Joaquin felt a lump stuck in his throat as he felt that she looked smaller than she was in life. He swallowed the sadness choking him for a few minutes before finally croaking, "Okay."

then, Donald burst in with the herbs in tow. However, when he saw Jennifer on the bed without a trace of life, he felt his eyes going blurry with tears, and he dropped the bag in his

and resting his head heavily on the headboard, motionless for

…

unconscious, but she could feel consciousness drifting into a bottomless abyss. So, it took her a long while before she was awake. As she blankly stared at the ceiling, her mind played catch up

to her feet, rolled off the bed,

swung open, and Joaquin came in with the medication. "Oh, you're awake, Kathy. Here, drink

hadn't heard anything as she looked past

at her pallid face, he genuinely couldn't bear to see her in this state. Nevertheless, he placed the soup on a small table at the

you going? You're not even wearing

to see Grandma," she interrupted

with every passing second, pushing her to the

in concern, "Drink the soup first. You overexerted

to budge as she repeated, "I want to see

reluctance, she started struggling to break free, but to no avail. It also didn't help that the unease she felt grew as he kept blocking her way. In

me go! Let me go now!

insisted on seeing it with her own two eyes. Soon, her face turned stark white, and she couldn't reign in the rampant emotions running wild in her heart. Thus, she acted out of the norm and utterly lost it, harshly smacking his hand as she wailed, "Why won't you let me see Grandma? What's wrong with her? Release me! What

how she hit him, he didn't loosen his grip even the slightest and merely stared at her with sorrowful eyes. Suddenly, he

the last thing Grandma wanted was to see you

it finally hit her, her eyes turned bloodshot. Yet, it seemed

Joaquin simply held her tighter, wrapping himself around her as his heart broke for her. He didn't break the news to her bluntly because he knew that,

By the end of it, she was covered in so much sweat

her hand and clutched the back of

"Grandma… Grandma…"