Danielle returned with Niki to pack a few essential clothes.
Alexander stood waiting at the door, impatience written in the set of his shoulders.
As Danielle came out, arms full, Alexander stepped forward and took the bags from her hands.
She frowned and looked up at him.
A fleeting smile touched his eyes. “You’ll have to get used to it.”
Danielle’s brows drew together.
Used to what, exactly?
Only later would she come to understand—he meant getting used to having him around.
She didn’t ask for clarification, simply followed him in silence as they walked to the car. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of her grandmother.
The car moved steadily along familiar streets, but her heart was in turmoil.
In that short drive, memories flooded her mind—so many thoughts, so many things from the past.
Danielle sat in the backseat, glancing at the man driving. Alexander’s gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, his expression calm and unreadable, saying nothing.
A heaviness pressed against her chest. She wanted to ask him something, anything, but with Niki there, it didn’t seem right.
In the end, her questions dissolved into silence as she turned to stare out the window.
—
They arrived at the old family house before long.
The grand front doors stood open, the red paint faded with age. White lanterns hung at the entrance, swaying gently in the wind. Pale ribbons curled around the columns, draining all warmth from the courtyard and cloaking it in somber stillness.
Standing at the foot of the steps, Danielle held Niki close. Her fingers were ice-cold; even her breath felt chilled.
The old woman in the photograph wore a midnight-blue dress, her lips curved in a gentle smile, as if she were only sleeping.
“Mommy, why is Great-Grandma sleeping here?” Niki looked up, wide-eyed.
A sharp ache pierced Danielle’s heart. She set Niki down, guiding her to the front of the memorial. Lighting three sticks of incense, she handed them to her daughter.
“Niki, kneel for Great-Grandma. Tell her we’ve come to see her.”
Niki mimicked Danielle’s movements, kneeling awkwardly on the carpet. She bowed three times, then carefully placed the incense in the holder, her face serious and intent.
Just then, a sharp, mocking voice cut through the hush. “Well, if it isn’t the former Mrs. Alexander from the Davidson family. What’s the matter, darling? Divorce not enough for you? Still think you can waltz in and out of our family home like you own the place?”
Danielle turned to see Paula Davidson standing nearby, dressed head to toe in black. The sneer on her face was anything but subtle.
Paula, Alexander’s cousin, had always been close to Millie—and never missed a chance to make Danielle’s life difficult.
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