Betrayal At the Altar by Dolores Delia

Old Mrs. Jones noticed a natural charm in Rachel’s expressions, with a hint of intriguing playfulness in the corner of her lips.
It seemed that her grandson wasn’t completely clueless and had some usefulness after all.
If things continued like this, she believed it wouldn’t be long before she could hold her great-grandchild in her arms.
With these thoughts in mind, her gaze toward David softened a bit.
Rachel obediently called out, “Mrs. Jones.”
“Rae-Rae.” Old Mrs. Jones stepped forward, took her hand, and gently patted it. “Why haven’t you been visiting Trinisia garden
lately? Are you too busy with work?”
As she spoke, she led Rachel by the hand towards the couch.
Old Mrs. Jones was born into a prestigious family. She exuded innate grace and elegance in her every move. Despite her old
age, she had taken excellent care of herself, maintaining a youthful appearance with silver hair.
Sitting on the couch, she radiated a commanding presence that needed -no anger to assert itself.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve been losing weight recently. Have you not been resting well?” Old Mrs. Jones reached out and gently
touched Rachel’s face. Her gaze slowly moved downward and settled on Rachel’s belly, carefully observing for a moment.
“You’re so thin. You should eat more regularly.”
Rachel smiled and replied, “I will.”
Old Mrs, Jones hinted with a certain meaning, “This belly should also gain some weight.”
Upon hearing those words, Rachel fell silent, feeling somewhat awkward. She lowered her gaze, and a hint of unnatural redness
appeared on her cheeks.
At that moment, David sat beside Rachel and naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “You’re truly confused, Grandma.
Engagements, marriages, and having children have a specific order. How could you forget the words you said yourself?”
Old Mrs. Jones went speechless.
She glared at David with a touch of annoyance in her eyes, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

How dare he pretended to be a gentleman?
He was obviously contracting himself!
Although he said the order could not be messed up, he had already taken Rachel to bed!
She glared at David with irritation, then took Rachel’s hand and spoke gently, “It’s rare to find a girl as lovable as you. I wonder
why David has the bliss to meet you.”
David did not speak.
Upon hearing this, Rachel glanced at David sitting beside her, pursing her lips and making an effort to suppress the smile that
wanted to form. “He’s very accomplished, and it’s my good fortune to have met him.”
The corners of David’s lips curled up slightly.
Rachel was still his wife, who knew how to care for him and always defended him.
Old Mrs. Jones sneered disapprovingly, wanting to question Rachel’s words but finding the reasons insufficient.
If David wasn’t outstanding, he wouldn’t have become the youngest family head of the Jones family in history.
After all, he was personally chosen and groomed by that old man as the heir.
David’s excellence was evident to everyone.
However, admitting this and acknowledging his accomplishments would make David arrogant. So, Old Mrs. Jones decided to
add, “He is truly outstanding, but he lacks a sense of conscience.”
This time, Rachel did not know how to refute the statement.
What David did last night was indeed quite heartless..
Old Mrs. Jones held her hand and spoke meaningfully, “I’m sorry that this wretched boy has caused you distress.”
Rachel’s gaze flickered slightly.
This was not the first time she had heard Old Mrs. Jones speak like this.

Initially, Rachel thought it was humility, then she believed it was genuine concern, but now she couldn’t shake the feeling that
there was more to her words than met the eye.
Moreover, that exclamation in her tone didn’t seem like an act either.
Gould it be that something unexpected would happen when she was with David?
It was already noon when Old Mrs. Jones finally got up to leave.
“It’s already noon, Mrs. Jones. Why not have lunch before you go?” Rachel spoké, trying to persuade her to stay.
Old Mrs. Jones smiled and said, “You’re such a thoughtful girl, at least you know how to say a word to keep me here, unlike
someone else.”
As the words fell, she glanced at David standing beside her and let out a proud hum, “I’ll leave now.”
After watching Old Mrs. Jones leave, the two of them turned and walked away.
With his arm around Rachel’s waist, David led her toward the room. Suddenly, Rachel paused her steps and exclaimed, “Oh no!”
“What’s wrong?” David’s brows furrowed with concern.
Rachel looked at him, a hint of frustration in her eyes. “I forgot to ask -Grandma about the engagement.”
The engagement had been troubling her all along.
She couldn’t understand how the Johnson family had any connection to the Johnson family in Aureliana. She also couldn’t
fathom where the engagement came from or why her mother Sophia’s photo appeared in Aureliana. Furthermore, she couldn’t
comprehend why her grandfather strongly opposed her relationship with David.
In short, this mysterious engagement had too many unanswered questions.
Moreover, she felt as if something was pulling her in a certain direction as if there was a force guiding her path.
She was already on the road, but as a traveler, she had no idea what the path beneath her feet represented, nor did she know
what awaited her at its end.
“There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,” David said.

Rachel nodded.
In the afternoon, at four o’clock, the two of them set off from Sandalwood Hills towards Tomb Mountain.
Legend said that this place used to be a shooting range and later became an execution ground a long time ago. Many death row
inmates were executed here, hence the name Tomb Mountain.
However, this place was sealed off later on, prohibiting outsiders from approaching.
It was said that daring individuals had tried to explore it, but for various reasons, they never returned.
Those who did manage to come out swore never to enter again.
Rumors began to spread, with some claiming that the mountain was haunted by countless restless spirits, causing those who
entered to be trapped and wandering on the mountain. Others claimed to have heard the roars and howls of wild beasts,
speculating that those who ventured inside were devoured by these creatures. There were even those who believed that it
served as a secret facility for conducting human experiments.
Upon mentioning Tomb Mountain, people instinctively felt a sense of aversion fueled by the various rumors and speculations
surrounding it.
However, Rachel had some suspicions in her heart.
Sensing her gaze, David tilted his head and looked at her. “What do you want to say?”
Rachel lightly pursed her lips, her eyes flickering with a subtle gleam of cunning. “I suppose Tomb Mountain was appropriated by
you many years ago?”
The so-called rumors were likely intentionally spread by David to create an air of mystery and discourage curiosity about Tomb
Mountain
David raised an eyebrow and did not speak.
However, his silence undoubtedly confirmed all of Rachel’s guesses.
After getting out of the car, Rachel surveyed her surroundings.
The entire mountain was covered in dense vegetation, like a mysterious veil that ordinary people couldn’t see through.

She gently closed her eyes and tilted her head, feeling the sunlight filtering through the leaves and the dappled warmth on her
face.
At that moment, David’s voice sounded in her ear, “Do you want to continue walking with me?”