732 Chapter 731
Jake looked at the message on his phone and understood immediately.
Lewis had been keeping tabs on them for a while, just waiting for his grandmother to pass before dealing with each of them one by one.
A chill ran down Jakeâs spine for a moment, but he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was thankful heâd finally wised up in the past few months and stopped going against his uncle.
Jake quickly replied, âThank you, Uncle,â and pulled up the location Lewis had sent him.
He then drove with Oliver to the given address.
âŠ
Oliver was in denial until the very end. Following Lewisâs directions, they arrived at the address and saw the car parked out front.
The second they stopped, Oliver bolted out of the car and rushed to the door, bursting inside without hesitation.
Through a large window, Jake stood watching as Oliver stormed in, seeing the shocked and panicked expressions on Marisa and the driverâs faces and how Selena took a frightened step back.
He saw Oliver grab Marisa by the arm, violently yanking her toward the door in a fit of rage.
He was screaming, red-faced, and desperate, but somehow, he didnât seem threatening anymore.
The man who had once terrified Jake as a child, the father who seemed so untouchable, was gone. The man inside that house now was small and pitiful.
Jake found himself laughing softly. He couldnât understand what he had been so afraid of all those years.
With a quiet chuckle, Jake turned away and walked off.
He didnât look back.
That man wasnât worth looking back for.
Two days later, Jake received another message about his father.
Oliver was dead.
The driver had accidentally killed him during a scuffle, and Marisa and Selena had helped bury the body in the basement.
All three were arrested.
When news of Oliverâs death reached the Horton family, Jake was stunned. Even Melissa was taken aback for a moment.
Lewisâs assistant, Tom, handled Oliverâs funeral arrangements, eventually handing over the ashes to Jake and Melissa.
After a brief discussion, they decided. Since Oliver had hated being confined to the family home so much, it seemed only fitting to set him free.
They scattered his ashes into the ocean, letting him go where the wind would take him.
Oliver Hortonâs story had finally ended.
âSo, does your mom still need to move back into the main house now that sheâs technically still part of the family?â In the Horton residence.
Lewis asked Jake after hearing what he had done with the ashes.
Jake shook his head. âNo, weâre fine staying where we are.â
The concept of the Horton familyâs divisions had ceased to exist. The house and everything in it now belonged to Lewis. Jake saw no need for him and his mother to return. It would only force them to face people they had wronged, and living there wouldnât feel right.
Lewis gave a nod in response.
Without saying anything more, Jake turned to leave, but before he could take another step, a frail voice rang out behind him. âHow could you treat your father like that?! You ungrateful brat! No altar for him, no remembranceâheâll be forgotten!â
It was Nathan who had overheard the conversation and stormed out of his room, looking like he had aged ten years overnight.
His posture was hunched, and his once proud frame weakened.
Old Mrs. Horton was buried the day before, and Julius hadnât taken Nathan away yet.
Jake stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. âDo you think thatâs what he cared about?â
Nathan froze.
Jakeâs voice remained calm. âWhat he cared about was why you abandoned my grandmotherâhis mother.â
Nathanâs face twisted in confusion, his brow furrowing.
Jake shook his head. âIn the end, he was just a miserable man. But all of this? It was your fault. You were a coward. You shouldâve stayed out of Clance, never reached for power. If all you cared about was your empire, you should have been crueler, but you couldnât even manage that. You werenât soft, but you werenât ruthless. You were the worst kind of manâone who couldnât choose.â
Jakeâs words cut deep, and with that, he left without looking back.
Nathan, shaking with rage, tried to call after him, but the words wouldnât come. Instead, he collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood before passing out.
It was soon confirmed that Nathan Horton had Alzheimerâs.
On the day he left Clance, he sat in the car wearing an adult diaper, laughing foolishly at everyone around him. He didnât recognize anyone anymore, and as he saw Lewis, he grinned and said, âSon, Iâll come back to visit you!â
Lewisâs expression stayed cold as he looked at Julius. âTake him back to the Oceanion estate.â
Julius nodded silently, then sighed as he glanced around the now-empty house.
When they had first come here, the family had been whole, with old Mrs. Horton still alive.
Despite the bickering and tension, it had been lively.
Now, with her gone, the family was scattered.
Julius climbed into the car, and they disappeared around the corner.
Lewis stood watching the road for a moment. He was lost in thought when suddenly he felt warmth in his hand.
Surprised, he turned to see Keira beside him, her smile instantly softening his gaze.
âWe should go home,â she said, her voice gentle.
HomeâŠ
Even though his grandmother was gone, he still had her.
As long as she was there, he was home.
Lewisâs voice was hoarse when he answered, âYeah, letâs go home.â
Hand in hand, they walked back into the living room, but no sooner had they stepped inside than Erin appeared, unusually serious and without her usual pistachios.
She frowned at Keira. âYou two need to quit the whole redemption drama. Keira, somethingâs happened!â
Keira froze, her brow furrowing. âWhat happened?â
Erin stepped closer, her expression tense. âItâs your mom.â
Keiraâs heart skipped a beat, and before she even realized it, she had grabbed Erin by the collar, her eyes wild with panic. âWhat happened to my mom?â
Erin looked startled, clearly not expecting Keira to snap so quickly.
At that moment, Erin had a terrifying realizationâif something had truly happened to Keiraâs mom, this petite woman might just tear the world apart.