SWNOVELS Chapter 551-560
Chapter 551
It wasn’t until Yolanda showed up that Arabella’s goons finally stopped what they were doing and bounced off without a care.
After getting the green light from the cops, Yolanda had just stepped inside the room when she saw her mom being tortured to the point of passing out.
She was scared out of her wits, rushing over to her mom and asking, “Mom, what happened? Was it those two guys?”
One of those guys Yolanda had seen before. He was one of Arabella’s!
Who would have thought Arabella would be so bold as to pull off something like this in a police station?
Olga was soaked to the skin, crying her heart out, “It’s over. Yoli, we’re done for.”
“Mom, don’t be scared. We still have Dad. He’ll figure something out.”
Olga shook her head in despair. She knew they were caught in Arabella’s web this time.
“Mom, about the land deal, I think Arabella did it.” Yolanda voiced her suspicion. “The shares you sold recently have all ended up in her hands! Plus, with those shares and Grandma’s will, she’s become the head honcho of the company! She even changed the company’s name! It’s called the Moonlight Group now!”
Olga nearly passed out.
“And we got kicked out of Grandma’s villa.” Yolanda filled Olga in on what had happened at the villa gate. “I rented a small apartment- with the money I got from selling my jewelry. We can probably only stay for a short while. The creditors are hounding me day and night.”
“Yoli, it’s all our fault.” Olga hugged Yolanda, crying again. They thought bringing her back would provide her with a better life. In the end, they couldn’t even afford her college tuition.
“Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s all Arabella’s doing!” Yolanda was seething with anger toward Arabella. She wanted nothing more than to smash her to bits.
“Yoli, listen to me.” Olga suddenly seemed to remember something. Wiping away her tears, she urgently said, “From now on, don’t mess with Arabella.”
“Why?” Yolanda asked, puzzled.
–“Because your dad is not Grace’s biological son, I was the one who caused Grace’s death. Arabella won’t let me off that easily. She’ll
torment me, your dad, and even go after you. Remember, don’t mess with her! Otherwise, you’ll end up dead!”
Yolanda was dumbstruck. How could this be?
Her identity as the proud daughter of the Murphy family was a sham.
“Remember what I said, alright?” Olga reiterated, still worried, “Your father has nothing to do with Grace. Arabella started treating us like this after she found out. Remember what I said? Promise me!”
“I got it.” Yolanda bit her lip in defiance.
“Where’s the lawyer? Why didn’t he come with you?” Olga suddenly remembered.
“Mom, I think Arabella spread some rumors. No one wants to help us now.”
On their way home, Romeo noticed Arabella had fallen asleep, her face still wet from tears, probably from dreaming about her Grandma.
When their RV pulled up to the gate of Reflections Villa, Romeo didn’t wake her, letting her sleep on.
If she could see her Grandma in her dreams, that would comfort her.
Considering she had been through surgery from 2 a.m. until 1 p.m., attended an engagement party, worked at the company, and dealt with everything afterward, she must be exhausted.
Romeo gently cradled her in his arms, letting her sleep peacefully.
Chapter 552
The chef watched as Mr. McMillan cradled Ms. Bella to sleep in his arms and wondered if his arms were getting tired.
But seeing the contentment and indulgence on Mr. McMillan’s face, he knew that he was thoroughly enjoying the moment.
Romeo signaled to the chef to fetch a blanket. The chef tiptoed away and returned with it. Romeo gently draped it over Arabella.
Inside the house, Louisa was checking the surveillance cameras. She found it odd that Romeo’s car had been parked outside for quite some time, yet Arabella hadn’t gotten out. She wondered if Arabella was upset and Romeo was comforting her, or if something else had happened.
After a while, Louisa decided to go and check for herself. As she stepped out the front door, the chef got out of the car to report to her.
“Ma’am, Ms. Bella is asleep. Mr. McMillan thought she was very tired, so he wanted her to sleep a bit longer before coming inside.”
Louisa nodded. “I see. I’ll have the kitchen prepare something for when Arabella wakes up. When she does, have Romeo come inside for dinner.”
The chef responded, “Understood.”
Some time later, when Arabella woke up, she found herself still in the van, with Romeo replying to some texts on his phone. Sensing her movement, he immediately turned his gaze to her, whispering, “Awake now?”
Arabella asked, “How long was I asleep?”
Romeo replied, “Not too long.”
Looking around and noticing that it was already dark, Arabella felt a twinge of guilt. “Your arm must be sore.”
Romeo countered, “My arm’s not sore. I could hold you till midnight.”
Arabella gave his arm a rub, to which Romeo held her hand and said, “I’m kinda hungry now. Your mom invited me in for dinner. Would it be rude if I didn’t go?”
Arabella just chuckled and said, “Go if you want to. And if there’s any urgent stuff you need to sort out, feel free.”
Romeo was quick to say, “I have nothing urgent. Carl’s handling the company stuff pretty well.”
Meanwhile, at the office, Carl had a bitter look on his face, still buried under a mountain of work. He was probably going to pull another all–nighter!
Arabella said, “Then let’s go.” As she stepped out of the car, a suit jacket was immediately draped over her shoulders.
Romeo helped her put on the jacket, saying, “You’ve just woken up. Don’t catch a cold.” He then held her hand as they walked into the house together.
The chef watched them, feeling a pang of envy. He was left to his own devices for dinner in the van.
Arabella’s brother, David Collins, saw that Arabella was back and hurried over, saying, “Arabella, you’re awake? Dinner’s ready, Let’s.go eat!”
Seeing Romeo, he frowned and asked, “Why are you here too?”
Romeo responded, “Your mom invited me.”
Seeing Romeo so cheerful, David was a bit miffed. After a while, he turned to Arabella and said, “Bella, you must be starving! We’ve got all your favorites for dinner tonight!”
He knew about the day’s events: Bella losing her grandmother, the ruined engagement party, and her confrontation with the villain.
He didn’t dare bring up anything related to the day, fearing it would upset his sister.
Arabella suddenly realized, “Why have you been wearing this outfit for the past few days? And your movements.”
His actions earlier were quite deliberate, as if he were striking poses. It was a bit odd.
When David heard her question, he quickly explained, “You said I looked like the handsomest man in this outfit. And those poses, you always said I look cool when I do them!”
Chapter 553
As he spoke, he once again adjusted his hairdo.
He’d dolled himself up really well on purpose; he even put on the clothes his sister liked, just popping up in front of her, hoping to lift her spirits a bit.
Arabella was speechless.
Though she knew his good intentions, it seemed like they weren’t doing much.
At the dinner table, Serena thought she could see a heartbroken Arabella. But no, Arabella was just like any other day, with no signs of sadness, just going about eating and drinking.
She was surprisingly calm, given that her granny, who had raised her for so many years, had been killed. She could still eat and sleep!
How could she be so ungrateful?
At the dinner table, Kenneth and Louisa were carefully asking about Grace’s funeral arrangements when David interrupted.
“Dad, Mom, can you let sis eat her meal in peace?”
He heard that she hadn’t eaten much today. If she pushed herself too hard, her health would take a dip.
“Right, right, let’s eat first. Here, Bella, have some more; it’s your favorite.” Kenneth hurriedly served his daughter some food.
Louisa was initially worried about Grace’s body being stored for too long due to the hot weather and also wanted to arrange for Grace’s funeral as soon as possible.
As for Attlee, Olga, and Yolanda, they didn’t need to be present. Granny wouldn’t want to see them; besides, they had no blood relation to Granny, so they didn’t need to come.
“The location of the burial site is?” Louisa carefully asked again, “Should I find a big one with a good environment?”
“No need; Granny had already picked a spot.”
It was the Murphy family’s burial ground. She wanted to rest beside her husband. That was her wish.
Louisa recalled Grace choosing her burial site when she fell ill before. It was a normal thing, so she didn’t pry further.
“Is there anything we can help with tomorrow?” Louisa asked again, “We’d like to see Grace off.”
“Sure.” Arabella nodded: “Your presence would mean a lot to Granny. You don’t need to help with anything else; I’ll have it all sorted.”
Her words implied that all they needed to do was show up.
Kenneth never thought his little girl had grown into an independent woman, capable of handling even a funeral and sorting out all the procedures..
How many hardships had she gone through over the years to develop such independence?
“Do I need to teach the Murphy family a lesson? Let them know this won’t be forgotten easily?” Kenneth asked again.
“No need; I’ve taken care of it.”
Although Attlee didn’t directly cause Granny’s death, his excessive greed, only thinking about himself, and allowing Olga’s actions ultimately led to Granny’s death.
Attlee’s backhanded threats and bribes, bullying his company’s people and leading to their mental breakdowns and premature deaths, were enough to put him behind bars.
As for Olga, she was going to spend the rest of her life in prison.
Arabella wouldn’t let her off the hook easily.
About Yolanda.
Chapter 554
Her sex tape with Wilson had gone viral on the internet.
Her pure and innocent image was now in tatters, and she messed up her engagement party.
She can forget about marrying into a rich family; even ordinary guys wouldn’t touch her with a ten–foot pole.
After all, no man wanted a woman full of scars, drowning in debt, and cunning as a fox.
The Panter family had painted her as an unrestrained, malicious, and crafty villain.
This image, no matter how hard she tried to explain it away, was there to stay.
After dinner, Arabella went back to her room and ordered her staff to prepare for the funeral.
“By the way, Yolanda called the cops. She’s accusing you of leaking her tapes online, seriously damaging her reputation.” Arabella couldn’t care less. “Don’t worry about her. We’ll counter–sue her for defamation once the police finish their investigation.”
“Wow, you’re really something.”
Arabella’s staff were shocked that as soon as Arabella found out that Attlee wasn’t Grace’s biological son, she started going after the Murphy family, showing no mercy.
After Yolanda called the cops, it turned out that the original video had been uploaded to a website a year ago by her ex–boyfriend, Wilson. The video had nothing to do with Arabella!
Back then, Yolanda was the daughter of a cleaner and was often bullied and ostracized by her classmates.
Coincidentally, Wilson took an interest in her. His family background was something she could only dream of.
To keep him, she willingly gave herself to him.
She knew Wilson had a fetish for excitement, and to please him, she let him film their escapades.
But she never imagined that those videos would become a hurdle to her marrying into a rich family!
If it weren’t for the Panter family stumbling upon those tapes, she would already be their future daughter–in–law. Even when her parents were in trouble, the Panter family would’ve helped.
Wilson was such a jerk!
Thinking about this, Yolanda unblocked Wilson and started cussing him out.
Wilson retorted nonchalantly via voice message, “You agreed to it at the time. I still have our chat logs where you said I could do whatever I wanted.”
“You shameless jerk, you have no decency!” Yolanda was furious. Later, she heard from the police that Arabella was suing her for defamation.
The next morning.
Arabella got up early. As the sole person in charge of the funeral, she went to the hospital to retrieve her grandmother’s body and brought it to the Murphy family’s cemetery.
She quietly stood by until all the arrangements were made and the grave was prepared.
By morning, many of Grace’s close friends and family started to arrive, all dressed in black and wearing somber expressions.
Some people started crying before they even entered the cemetery. Some older folks were crying so hard they could hardly walk.
Arabella recognized the old woman sitting on the ground, unable to control her grief. That was Grandma Stacy, her grandmother’s best friend when she was alive.
Chapter 555
Arabella moved forward, helping Grandma Stacy up, and said to her, “Grandma Stacy, take care of yourself.”
Even though Arabella was the one hurting the most, as the main person in charge of the funeral, she had to comfort all the guests.
“Arabella, I am so heartbroken. Your Grandma just called me not long ago, saying that after her surgery and recovery, she would come to see me.” Grandma Stacy sobbed uncontrollably, “How could this happen?”
“Grandma Stacy, the floor is cold; get up first.” Arabella tried to help her up, but Grandma Stacy was too distraught to stand.
Arabella held tightly onto Grandma Stacy’s wrist and, observing her complexion, realized that she was extremely weak.
“She told me that her husband had come to get her, and she had no regrets in her life.”
Grandma Stacy continued to sit on the floor crying; Arabella could only gently comfort her, waiting for her to recover a bit before helping her sit in a nearby chair.
The funeral venue was decorated in black and white, appearing very solemn.
Many of those who came to the funeral noticed that Arabella had grown up. She greeted the guests like a mature adult, and despite the sadness in her eyes, she seemed capable of handling everything on her own.
Despite being only eighteen, Arabella was the most composed person on the scene.
After a while, Alberto Rollins arrived. In just a day, his hair had turned completely white, and he looked lifeless.
His expression was full of sorrow, and the light had gone out of his eyes. An assistant supported him, and he walked into the cemetery with a cane, looking like a walking corpse.
Arabella could feel his sorrow, so she gently put her hand on his arm. He nodded in response and was helped inside.
By ten o’clock, everyone had arrived. Arabella first announced that Attlee was not Grace’s biological son, which shocked all the guests.
The reason Arabella made this announcement was, on the one hand, that she hoped Grace would know that it wasn’t because she wasn’t a good parent but rather because Attlee wasn’t her biological son, hence he naturally didn’t possess the traits of the Murphy family.
On the other hand, it was to let all the friends and relatives of the Murphy family know that they didn’t need to treat Attlee as one of
them.
Next, Arabella announced the fact that Grace had been brutally treated by Olga, leading to her death, and the persecution Attlee and Olga had imposed on those around Grace. Arabella expressed these facts clearly and concisely, shocking all the guests once again.
Some of the guests had attended the engagement party the day before and had seen the video of Olga bullying Grace, so they told their friends and relatives about it.
After hearing this, people were red in the face with anger!
Finally, Arabella succinctly recounted Grace’s life and in front of everyone, had Grace placed in the coffin for burial.
The sound of sobbing filled the air again, seemingly expressing their reluctance to let go.
As the coffin was sealed, the crying became louder, gradually turning into mournful wails.
Grandma Stacy cried so hard that she nearly fainted several times.
Arabella led the crowd, watching the coffin being lowered into the grave.
She stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said earnestly, “Grandma, don’t worry; I will stay strong and live on.”
The crying behind Arabella grew louder and louder.
Images of happy moments with her grandma flashed through Arabella’s mind.
However, despite her overwhelming sorrow, she didn’t shed a single tear.
After the tombstone was erected, Arabella and all the guests bowed to Grace.
Chapter 556
The guests all put their flowers together and then brought them over to Arabella.
Arabella placed the flowers in front of Grace’s tombstone, and then she took out something she had prepared herself.
“These are famous tourist attractions from around the world. I originally wanted to take you to see them. With Grandpa by your side, you could go anywhere you wanted. I’ve even mapped out a route for you to follow.”
She held back her tears as she placed these travel brochures, as well as a scarf that Grandpa Alberto had knitted for Grandma, in front of Grace’s tombstone.
Just then, a figure came rushing over, crying out in grief, “Grandma, I can’t bear to let you go.”
Hearing this, a look of displeasure flashed across Arabella’s eyes. She turned to look at a staff member.
Distracted by Arabella’s grief, the staff member had let his guard down, and Yolanda had snuck in.
Yolanda tried to rush towards the tombstone, but Arabella blocked her way. “Don’t disturb
my
grandma.”
“Arabella, I’m also Grandma’s granddaughter. You held a funeral but didn’t invite me or inform my parents. You invited all the relatives and friends of the Murphy family, but not a single member of our family! How could you do this?”
Before Yolanda could finish, Arabella cut her off coldly: “Does Grandma acknowledge you as her granddaughter? Do you have any blood relations with the Murphy family? Do you need other guests to tell you how Grandma died?“.
Yolanda didn’t expect Arabella to embarrass her in public. She gritted her teeth and said, “I regard her as my grandma. I know about Grandma’s death; my mom bears inescapable responsibility. I came today to apologize to Grandma on behalf of my mom.”
“Get her out of here.” Arabella didn’t want to see her or hear her nonsense.
Two staff members immediately grabbed Yolanda by the arms.
The other guests were all blaming her for her shamelessness. Grace was already gone, yet she still came to disturb her peace.
So that was her real purpose for coming today!
Just when Arabella was about to blow her top.
If it hadn’t been for someone telling her about the engagement banquet, she would have never suspected that Grace’s death was related to Yolanda’s family!
They were the ones who kept pestering Grace for shares and savings. It was Olga who hit Grace and tortured her, leading to her heart attack and rupture.
And now this girl dared to attend the funeral and expected Arabella to let her parents off the hook? Absolutely shameless!
Yolanda had originally planned to go to Grandma’s tombstone to complain and then try to win people over with a sob story, hoping that with the help of other relatives, Arabella would stop going after Attlee and Olga.
Yolanda didn’t expect all the guests to be blaming her and scolding her.
The staff members chased her out of the cemetery, even hitting her. Her injuries worsened, and she was in immense pain.
Arabella’s gaze returned to the photo on the tombstone, her anger gradually fading, leaving only deep sadness and reluctance.
Chapter 557
Arabella was up front, giving a bow of gratitude to all the guests present.
“The funeral is over, and the family wants to express their thanks.”
Arabella turned around and bowed to each guest as they leave the cemetery.
All the guests were invited to the nearest restaurant to the Collins family to enjoy the funeral feast, which Arabella had specifically prepared for them.
When the guests leave, Arabella turned back to look at the tombstone, can’t help but walk over, knelt down, and gently touched the name on it.
At this moment, Arabella recalled the details of her time with her grandma, thinking of her grandma’s kind face.
Time didn’t leave deep traces on the old woman’s face, only the gentleness and elegance between her brows.
Arabella can’t control her grief, which had almost drowned her strength several times.
She touched the name on the tombstone and said gently, “Grandma, Grandpa will always be with you. You won’t be alone. I will try to learn medical skills to save more people. Don’t worry.”
Just then, someone came to Arabella’s side.
Arabella turned her head and saw Romeo’s profile.
“Granny, I haven’t formally introduced myself. I’m Romeo, Bella’s fiancé.”
Arabella didn’t expect him to stay. She looked at the tombstone again and said gently, “Grandma, this is Romeo, who I told you about. He treats me well.”
“Granny, you can leave Bella to me. You and Grandpa can rest assured that I’ll take care of her, protect her, and cherish her. My Grandpa likes her too. She’s the bride chosen by the McMillan family. I’ll make sure she lives well in our family.”
As Romeo said this, he held Arabella’s hand and asked, “Shall we bow to Granny together?!
“Okay.”
Arabella and he bent their bodies together, bowed, then stood up, saying goodbye to Grandma together.
-When they left the cemetery, they saw an old man standing outside the fence, looking at the tombstone, reluctant to leave.
“Grandpa Alberto, are you still here?” Arabella got closer and found that Alberto’s eyes were full of tears.
“I’ll wait a bit longer.” Alberto said this, his voice somewhat choked and his hand clenching a handkerchief. He wiped his tears and said sadly, “You guys, go ahead and attend to the guests; I’ll be there in a bit.”
ༀ ༤
Arabella nodded and said, “Take care of yourself.”
After saying that, she looked up to Alberto’s assistant and said, “You must take good care of Grandpa Alberto.”
“Okay, Ms. Bella.”
Romeo accompanied Arabella into the car and looked back at Alberto, whose silhouette was bent over. Grace’s death had made him incredibly sad.
His silhouette looked so helpless and desolate.
Recalling the day Granny died, Alberto cried so sadly in the hospital; surely it wasn’t just the emotion between friends.
Could it be that Grandpa Alberto had feelings for Granny, or was secretly in love with her?
Thinking about this, after getting in the car, Romeo said to Arabella, “Grandpa Alberto looks really sad. Was there something between him and Granný?”
“They were once a couple who were forced to part.”
Sure enough, just as Romeo had guessed.
Chapter 558
“You should take good care of him; all his hair has turned white.”
This wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t overwhelmed with grief.
Romeo, knowing the pain of losing a loved one, gently touched Arabella’s head and said, “You should take good care of him now.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The day after the funeral, Arabella visited the place where her grandmother used to live.
The garden was neglected; most of the plants were withered, and the cobblestone path was covered with fallen leaves and wilted flowers. It was as if everything had lost its vitality after her grandmother’s departure.
Arabella had the whole villa cleaned up, then she went to her grandmother’s room. She twisted the wall lamp, and the whole wardrobe moved aside, revealing a small hidden room.
This room contained all of her grandmother’s treasured belongings. Some were valuable items that Arabella had given her; some were her own property and other stuff; and some were her lifetime collections.
These were all gifts left for Arabella.
There was also a safe in the corner. Arabella entered the password, and after successful verification, she took out the contents.
It was a ring that her grandmother intended to give to Romeo, but now her grandmother was no longer with them.
It took Arabella a long time to open her backpack and pack everything in. These were things her grandmother had protected with her life; she definitely couldn’t leave them for Attlee and his gang.
In the hidden room, Arabella also found a big box. Inside were all the doodles she had drawn from childhood until now and letters she had written to her grandmother.
The letters mentioned that when she grew up, she would take her grandmother around the world to give her a better life.
Upon seeing these, Arabella felt a lump in her throat. She didn’t expect her grandmother to treasure these naive promises, storing, them in the hidden room.
In her grandmother’s heart, her granddaughter must be more important than any treasure, right?
With this thought, Arabella remembered the kind old woman and their past life together.
Finally, she slung the backpack over her shoulder, picked up the box, and after restoring the wardrobe to its original position, she went downstairs and handed the box to her servant.
“Take it to Villa Cascada, to my bedroom.”
“Did Grace leave you so many valuable things?” Arabella’s servant, wide–eyed and incredulous, took the box and couldn’t help but lift the lid to peek inside. “What’s this? Drawings by kindergarten kids?”
There were many other things in the box, including handmade items she had given her grandmother when she was a child and small gifts she had made herself. All were preserved intact in the box.
“Yes.” Arabella didn’t say much but looked nostalgically at everything in the villa and said, “Remember to change the locks after you finish cleaning.”
She absolutely couldn’t let Yolanda have the chance to come in.
“Notify the property management about Yolanda.”
She absolutely couldn’t let her take advantage of the situation!
“Attlee, that fool, must have been here before. There are traces everywhere of him rummaging through things.” Arabella’s servant also couldn’t understand; they never thought there could be such a person in the world.
Arabella’s eyes grew cold. Attlee would never know that there was a secret room behind her grandmother’s wardrobe.
That’s why they couldn’t find any valuables here before.
“Did your grandmother also leave this villa to you?”
“Yes.”
But if she could, Arabella didn’t want any of her grandmother’s belongings; she just wished her grandmother could be alive and living a good life.
After leaving the villa, Arabella got in the car and handed the ring to Romeo, saying, “This is a gift from my grandmother to her future grandson–in–law.”
Romeo didn’t expect that her grandmother had prepared a gift for him before her death, and he felt a bit sad.
“You should keep it.” Arabella leaned back in the seat and thought of the past again, feeling even more upset.
This long summer vacation was coming to an end.
About a week before the start of school, Arabella suddenly received a phone call.
“Ms. Bella, please come quickly; Mr. Rollins is going to do something foolish! No matter how I persuade him, he won’t listen to me!”
Romeo, who was by her side, asked softly after she finished the call, “What’s wrong?”
“I need to go to Switzerland.” Arabella got up to go, looking very anxious. “Grandpa Alberto is in trouble.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Romeo provided a private jet, and they arrived at Alberto’s private estate as quickly as possible.
The butler rushed up and said, “Ms. Bella, Mr. Rollins is not doing well! This is?”
“Romeo, my fiancé.” Arabella was brief and clear and quickly moved forward, asking, “What happened to Grandpa Alberto?”
The butler nodded to Romeo, then followed Arabella: “Since Mr. Rollins returned from the funeral, he often doesn’t eat, sleep, or drink water. He just stares at Grace’s photo.”
Arabella entered the hall, and many servants immediately bowed to greet her. It was clear that she had been here before; the servants knew her and respected her.
Arabella nodded in response, then quickly entered the elevator. “And then?”
The butler pressed the second floor, then continued, “Every time you call to check on him, Mr. Rollins pretends he’s fine, but he’s really not. He didn’t let us tell you; he just keeps saying he doesn’t want to live, that living is meaningless.”
Why would this happen?
Arabella called him every day, sometimes even video calling.
“I forgot to tell you.” The butler added, “Every time he video calls, he has someone do his makeup to make him look more lively.”
Because of the phone screen and because Alberto always kept his distance from the camera, either pretending to be gardening or showing Arabella the scenery of the estate, coupled with his deliberately hearty laughter, Arabella really didn’t notice his abnormality.
It’s been a hot minute since Grandma’s funeral, and all Arabella knew was that, post–funeral, Alberto had given Attlee a piece of his mind at the station.
Attlee wasn’t her grandma’s biological son, so she didn’t sweat it too much.
Looking back now, it seemed Grandpa Alberto both chewed out Attlee and put Olga through the wringer, all while checking up on her daily over the phone, reminding her of things, almost like he was dropping hints about his last words.
She knew Grandpa Alberto was going to shack up in Switzerland, but Arabella didn’t think twice about it because he had properties all over the place, sometimes jetting off to Dawnstar, sometimes to Italy.
But Arabella totally didn’t see it coming that there was a law in Switzerland, which was exactly why Grandpa Alberto came here!
The butler added, “Mr. Rollins stopped eating, stopped drinking, and then applied for euthanasia.”
In most countries, euthanasia is a no–go!
But in Switzerland, applying for euthanasia is legit, but the person had to do it themselves. If someone else lent a hand, that’s straight–up murder.
Chapter 559
During the process of a patient’s self–administered euthanasia, it’s necessary for a court worker and a notary to be present, and the whole thing needed to be recorded on video.
This recording must be handed over to the police afterwards to prove that it was the patient’s own decision to choose euthanasia, and that no one else was involved.
As long as Alberto hadn’t injected himself with the drugs, he can stop this process at any time. But Alberto really had had enough of life, and just before going to his death, a glimmer of light finally flashed in his eyes.
Grace was his reason for living; without her, he couldn’t find a reason to keep going.
His whole life had been a struggle for Grace!
After he’d signed the euthanasia paperwork, he turned on the drip and waited for death.
The whole thing took only four minutes.
If the butler hadn’t given Arabella a heads up, and if Arabella hadn’t rushed over on a private plane, she wouldn’t have been able to see Alberto in those last four minutes.
In the bedroom were a court official, a notary, a family doctor, a nurse, and a servant.
The large, bright bedroom was deathly quiet; everyone looked downcast.
Arabella didn’t even know how she had managed to walk to Alberto’s bedside; she choked out, “Grandpa Alberto, are you leaving me too?”
“Bella.” Seeing her, Alberto actually smiled, then looked at Romeo and said, “You’re here too.”
It must have been the butler who leaked the news.
“Don’t leave me alone.” Arabella knelt by the bed, feeling utterly heartbroken.
She knew that to stop this process, Alberto himself had to agree, so she grabbed his hand and pleaded, “Grandma has grandpa with her; you going won’t change anything; you might as well stay with me.”
Alberto smiled even more peacefully. “I’ll just watch over her from afar without disturbing her. Wherever she is, that’s where I’ll be. That’s all.”
Arabella knew that with every passing second, his chances of surviving decreased, so she got up to try to stop the injection process
But Alberto grabbed her hand and said, “Bella, grant me this one wish.”
Arabella froze.
“This is my decision, a decision I’ve thought long and hard about. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in pain and suffering. I want to be free.”
“There are lots of ways to find peace. I can take you out and about. I can take you to every place that Grandma wanted to go. I can transplant Grandma’s plants into your garden. And aren’t you supposed to watch me grow up? See me in my wedding dress.”
Arabella continued pleading, “Grandma’s biggest regret was not being able to see me in my wedding dress. Can you do that for her? Can you see me in my wedding dress?”
Alberto smiled and shook his head, looking at her lovingly. “There are old friends who can watch you grow and witness your wedding. Let me go. You can stop this once, but can you stop it countless times?”
He really wanted to go to another world, even if he could only watch over Grace from afar.
Arabella held his hand tightly; her eyes were red.
“Romeo.” Alberto called Romeo’s name: “My granddaughter, I’m leaving her in your hands; if you dare to mistreat her in this life, I won’t let you off even if I’m a ghost. She still has a dozen friends; they’ll help me teach you a lesson. You must make her happy.”
Romeo knew that once Alberto made a decision, it was hard to change it.
He knelt on one knee by the bed, holding Alberto’s other hand, and just said quietly, “This is cruel to Bella.”
Chapter 560
About a fortnight ago, she had just lost her grandma, and now she has lost her grandpa.
“Sorry, I know I’m being a bit selfish.” Alberto knew his time was running out; he clutched Romeo’s hand tightly. “Romeo, you haven’t yet agreed to my request.”
Romeo felt extremely heartbroken. “I promise you, I’ll do my best to protect her and treat her well.”
“Good.” Alberto closed his eyes in peace. He was glad to have his granddaughter and grandson–in–law by his side before his departure. Whether he was going to heaven or hell, he wouldn’t feel lonely or regretful.
Seeing him close his eyes peacefully, Arabella couldn’t help but lay beside him, silently shedding tears.
The courthouse staff and the notary finished recording and said a few words before leaving.
The family doctor and nurse also bid farewell to Arabella with heavy hearts.
In the bedroom, only Arabella was left by the bed, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Romeo gently stroked her back, hoping to provide some comfort.
The butler covered his face, and he tried hard not to cry out loud.
They all knew Alberto’s love for Grace was too deep, a love that transcended the boundaries of life and death.
After an afternoon of grief, the butler gave Arabella the things Alberto left behind: “This is a video recorded by Alberto before he passed away; he told me to give it to you.”
Arabella knew it must contain his last words; she took it and played it in the living room.
In the video, Alberto’s kind face was seen, he first explained why he chose to leave the world this way: because living was too painful for him.
The only thing he couldn’t let go of was Arabella.
He told Arabella not to be sad and to live well, and then he arranged his affairs.
“I know you’re still young; you’re already carrying a heavy burden, but please forgive me; I want to be selfish for once, wilful for once. After I die, all my property will be yours for you to inherit. This suit I’m wearing, I was planning to wear it to your wedding. What a pity.” Alberto said this with a smile: “I was planning to wear this suit to your wedding; I would have looked more dapper than those old guys. Look at this suit and this hairstyle; don’t I look handsome?”
Arabella’s tears started to flow.
“I’ve arranged for them to be notified after my death, and I’ve also recorded a video for them. They will come to send me off, Bella, study hard, be a person who contributes to society, take good care of yourself, and be happy.”
At the end of the video, Alberto waved goodbye, saying, “Next life, I still want to be your grandpa.”
Arabella started crying uncontrollably.
Romeo held her, comforting her, saying, “This was Grandpa’s own choice; don’t be too sad. Grandpa died happy.”
Arabella knew this was a relief for Grandpa Alberto, but after losing two loved ones in a short span of time, she was still very sad.
“I’m still here.” Romeo patted her back sympathetically, like comforting a child, and said, “Stop crying.“!
Arabella cried in his arms, as if her world had collapsed, until the other relatives arrived. They held a simple funeral together, bidding farewell to Alberto.
In the blink of an eye, the summer vacation was over. This sweltering summer took away her two loved ones. The heat of the summer drifted in the wind, making Arabella miss them dearly at this moment.