Bradley, filled with hope, jumped out of the crystal coffin and hurried to the secret room’s door. He extended his
arms to embrace Esther. He longed to hold her close and become one with her.
But as he reached for her, he found only empty air. Just moments ago, she was a living, breathing person, but she
disappeared like a wisp of smoke when he touched her.
Baffled, he lowered his head and stared at his empty arms as if needing to confirm Esther’s absence.
“Esther!”
Bradley’s voice echoed with despair in the secret room. His icy gaze scanned the room for any sign of Esther, but
all he found was silence.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Bradley!”
It was as if he could hear Esther’s soft whisper, her lover’s murmur igniting a tiny flame in his cold heart.
Desperately, he searched the vast Warner Manor, hoping to find any evidence of Esther’s presence or, better yet, a
sign that she was still alive.
His efforts were in vain. When Esther had been sent to prison, Clark had collected and stored everything related to
her in Warner Manor.
Bradley had initially wanted Clark to destroy all of them, but Clark had been unable to do so. Instead, he had boxed
up everything and placed it in a rarely visited storeroom.
Bradley stood before the storage room’s closed door and gazed at it. Few people entered this area, and even the
service staff rarely ventured in.
The key to this room had been in Clark’s possession, but now it was in Bradley’s hand.
Bradley searched for the key all over his body but couldn’t find it. He remembered tossing it carelessly into the
safe.
He rushed to the bedroom, opened the safe, retrieved the key, and hurried back to the storage room’s door.
Bradley inserted the key into the lock with trembling hands. He turned it gently, and the audible click of the lock
resonated in the silent night.
The door to the storage room creaked open. A musty odor filled the air, and Bradley’s heart pounded.
He stepped into the dimly lit room and flicked on the light switch. The bulb under the green lampshade illuminated
the room as if it were daylight.
The storage room hadn’t been touched in a while, covered in thick layers of dust. There were even spider and
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏminsect carcasses on the floor.
Bradley looked at the boxes scattered around, each bearing Clark’s neat handwriting.
He opened one randomly, revealing wedding photos from his and Esther’s marriage ceremony. Their wedding had
made national headlines.
Even though some considered Esther Billy’s illegitimate child, Thomas had spared no expense for her wedding—
lavish gifts, extravagant gowns, top-tier diamonds, and a luxurious marital home.
Esther appeared breathtaking with her radiant smile in the photos.
Back then, she was young and beautiful. Her eyes sparkled with a dazzling light, like a myriad of stars, as she looked
at Bradley affectionately and passionately in every photo. It was as if he were her entire world.