No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

"Life is fleeting; cherish the here and now."

I got the message loud and clear, and it only deepened my unease.

This meant that the investigation into my parents' car crash might implicate someone who was still alive.

He was telling me not to harbor resentment for the living because of the dead, especially not those who've been kind to me.

"Detective Sampson, I understand what you're saying, and I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few days," I conveyed my stance.

I wasn't trying to deceive him, nor was I rushing to get the results. Ever since I stumbled upon the contract in my dad's old journal, I've been lost in a sea of speculation and struggle, but I've come to terms with a lot.

"It seems the wait wasn't for nothing," he said, making me realize why he'd been feeding me tidbits of information without ever revealing the whole picture.

After he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

He didn't hand it over right away but continued, "You know a guy named Ernest, right?"

Instantly, I remembered Ernest was also digging into his father's death, and I blurted out, "He came to you too?"

"Yeah, he did. Looking for the same thing," Detective Sampson's words made me catch my breath.

does he... know

slightly, sending a shiver down my spine as I eyed

soon as I finished speaking, footsteps echoed from the staircase behind

umbrella in hand. My heart was

but also

it was just an unfortunate accident, or maybe it

reached us, standing two steps below, his gaze briefly meeting mine

by our side,

amid the sound of rain, facing the names engraved on

a while, Detective Sampson spoke, as if to my parents,

sorry. It took

to step forward and give

made my heart sink, clearly indicating that the car crash wasn't

an urge to stop him from

causing my umbrella

eyes met, and I could see the turmoil in his, darker than the

Detective Sampson

both adjusted our umbrellas

us, "Here are