On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 172

Gabriel looked down, his hands clasped together. “A bracelet,” he said, his voice low. “She said I’m at an age where I should be thinking about marriage. If I’m married, I can give it to my wife. If not, I can save it for her.”

Catherine smiled. “Mrs. Smith was always so thoughtful. Gabriel, you can tell she truly raised you as her own. She still thinks of you. Even though she made some… mistakes, there’s no doubt she loved you.”

Gabriel let out a cold laugh.

“I know that deep down, you still care about her and Jessica,” Catherine continued. “No matter what Jessica has done, you two grew up together.”

Gabriel didn’t respond.

Catherine patted his hand. “When you think about it, the dead are gone, but the living remain. The living are what’s important. Gabriel, just think about it. I’m going to bed.”

She stood up and left. Gabriel sipped the warm milk, his face a mask of conflict.

Finally, he picked up his phone and called a friend. “The smear campaign I paid you to start a few days ago… take it all down.”

A few minutes later, his friend called back. “The posts I bought have already lost traction. Someone else is paying for new ones about Jessica Brown. It’s a much bigger campaign than ours.”

Gabriel frowned. “Who is it?”

“How would I know?” his friend laughed. “But they’re spending a lot of money. They’ve even buried trending stories about celebrity affairs. Your cousin must have really ticked someone off.”

He was still grumbling when they pulled up outside Rebecca Jones’s apartment building.

George went straight to her door and began ringing the bell insistently. When no one answered, Nathan muttered, “You don’t think she actually murdered her and hid the body, do you?”

George shot him a withering look, and Nathan sheepishly rubbed his nose. “Probably not. Here, let me help you knock.”

The combination of knocking and ringing continued for a full twenty minutes before the door finally creaked open. Jessica stood there, her cheeks flushed, her eyes red-rimmed and unfocused. She stared at them blankly, her words slurring. “Who’re you lookin’ for?”

George’s eyes scanned her from head to toe. “Jessica, are you alright?” he asked, his voice deep.