Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Rachel followed the maid down to the basement.

Upon discovering that Jeffrey had been locked in there, she was seething with anger.

With a forceful kick, she burst through the door and entered.

“Jeffrey?” she called out, scanning the room but finding no sign of him.

Eventually, she spotted him hidden under a heap of discarded items.

The sight of his pale, frightened face and wide, scared eyes intensified her fury.

“It’s me, Jeffrey. You’re safe now,” she reassured him as she enveloped him in a comforting embrace.

In the dim basement light, Jeffrey recognized her and clung to her, his tears flowing freely and soaking through her clothes.

“Don’t worry, Jeffrey. You’re not alone anymore,” she reassured him. “We’ll leave this place soon, okay?”

He nodded eagerly, his face breaking into a relieved smile.

“Alright, dry those tears. We’re heading home,” Rachel coaxed.

“Okay,” he murmured.

Hand in hand, they walked back up to the living room.

Once there, Rachel said to Moira, “Jeffrey is coming with me.”

“What did you just say?” Moira gasped, leaping from the couch. “Rachel, have you lost your mind? Jeffrey is nothing but trouble. Do you really think Brian will marry you if you’re saddled with such a burden? Will the White family ever accept you? Go ahead, ruin your own life, but leave the Marsh family out of it.”

gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s．çоm takes you away

Rachel’s gaze was cold as she retorted, “I’ve warned you about using ‘burden’ to describe him. And I mean it—Jeffrey is coming with me today, no matter what.”

Had her father and Moira not clung so stubbornly to Jeffrey’s custody, Rachel would have rescued him much earlier.

It was only after her family discovered her impending marriage to Brian and repeatedly assured her of their good intentions toward Jeffrey that she allowed herself a sliver of comfort.

was caught off guard by Moira’s cruel treatment of Jeffrey, her deceit

Rachel felt no

leave with Jeffrey today. Moira,

immediate concern was to get

confronted the issue head-on

let them walk away without a

way.

hearing Moira’s commanding tone,

back, seeking

fear and realized he was

happened today, Jeffrey?

finally let his emotions

his expression aggrieved. “Bad… she accused me… I didn’t take…

you, Moira. My brother would never steal from you.

apologetically, “Perhaps I was

a

wealth and advantage

fearing the marriage might fail and leave them

his hand

as she shouted, “Block their

several maids encircled

to stop us,” Rachel exclaimed, shielding

chilling gaze caused the maids to falter, unsure whether to

you just standing around? Grab them,”

was a loud

smashed a vase on the floor, its shards scattering everywhere. With a chilling smirk, she warned, “Unless you want your cherished possessions destroyed, let

scoffed, doubting

meant what

over a

hand was a cherished jade sculpture, a legacy from her

continue?” Rachel

resolve wavering. After a tense moment, she conceded. “Alright, take him—but

vigilant, setting the sculpture down cautiously only after

character, it was prudent to assume she might retract her

dozed off, resting