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.

off guard by Moira’s

realization, Rachel felt

Moira directly, saying, “I need to leave with Jeffrey today. Moira, we can settle the issue of him being locked in the basement

to get Jeffrey out and soothe his

would have confronted the

was not about to let them walk away without

sharply, “Block her way. She cannot take Jeffrey with

Moira’s commanding tone, was

shrank back, seeking

felt his fear and realized he

asked, “What happened today, Jeffrey? Tell me everything, and I’ll protect

let

expression aggrieved. “Bad… she accused me…

situation quickly, Rachel confronted Moira with a steely look. “I’m warning you, Moira. My brother would never steal from

and said apologetically, “Perhaps I was mistaken. But you must understand, taking Jeffrey with

a derisive

them, it seemed wealth and advantage

might fail and leave them empty-handed. They didn’t realize Rachel wasn’t

she said, clasping his

darkened as she shouted, “Block

several maids

us,” Rachel exclaimed, shielding Jeffrey with her body and radiating

caused the maids to falter, unsure whether to

standing around? Grab

there was a

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

scoffed, doubting

meant what

tipped over a

cherished jade sculpture, a

we continue?” Rachel

a tense moment,

the sculpture down cautiously

assume she might retract her permission

traveled, Jeffrey dozed off, resting against