Chapter 255

Cordelia paused, her curiosity piqued. "And then what happened?"

Yates sighed, "Then... he clammed up, didn't say a thing."

Cordelia was silent, a puzzled frown crossing her face.

Yates' brow furrowed in frustration. "The old man's stubborn as a mule. If he's not talking, no one can make him."

Little Flame had specifically come over to share this with her. Cordelia thought for a moment before asking, "So, you think you've got a lead?"

Sure enough, Little Flame nodded, his red hair as defiant as ever. "I've been thinking... our family, the Griffins, we've always been good to folks. Here in Greenmeadow, we've always lent a helping hand to our neighbors and colleagues. My granddad, bless his soul, never cared for expanding the family business. There wasn't really any competition to speak of, so why someone would have it out for me..."

Yates scrunched his face in thought.

His life had always been carefree, under the lax oversight of his grandfather who prioritized happiness over discipline. No competitions, no challenges; if he wanted to play video games, he played. He did whatever he felt like, which left him somewhat lacking in both connections and capabilities now.

But he knew enough about the Griffin family's dealings to have asked the butler some pointed questions yesterday, confirming they had no known enemies.

Yates stroked his chin. "I've been thinking... as a kid, my granddad wasn't always this indulgent. He was loving, sure, but he had his limits. Made me take up boxing; I wouldn't know how to throw a punch otherwise."

He paused, realizing that his fighting skills wouldn't impress Cordelia in the slightest.

Catching his breath, he saw no mockery in her eyes and continued, "But everything changed after my parents died."

His eyes narrowed slightly as if he were peering into the past.

They were standing beside a tree near the playground, its leaves a crisp yellow, branches swaying in the wind. Yates seemed lost in his memories, a distant look on his face. "And then it hit me, about my parents' car accident."

His parents were more of a concept than a memory to Yates.

rare occasions they did come home, his mother would apologize for her absence,

for the photographs at

Back then, the Griffin family's fortunes were modest, living in a

Yates learned his parents had died in a car crash. All he saw were

had looked it up secretly; car crash fatalities were

doubted it until recently, until

all connected to my parents' deaths. But it's been six years. It's going to be

named Skyler? The policework is nationwide, right? Could you ask him to

gravely.

some classmates watched from

"Look at her with Yates, all

Juliana just scowled, silent.

boy,

smirked. "She'll be dumping

eyes sparkled. "What do

"I overheard my, dad and granddad talking. That pretty boy crossed Bill, sought. refuge in Greenmeadow. Somehow, Bill found

one with

"Exactly, that

in the gossip. "Wow, Cordelia really picked a troublesome pretty boy. And now clinging to Yates, hoping the Griffins would bail her

as they headed back

flaunted a

ring, catching Hayley's

it to me. Said it's not fitting to wear

while I'm still in

or

given me my grandma's 3-carat

quality, that's

envy in their classmates' eyes

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