There wasn’t really anything secretive, but Alice didn’t want to share everything she had discussed with Nathan. It could be a sensitive topic for Ryan.
“We still have a bit to go, so try to get some sleep.”
At Ryan’s words, Alice nodded and leaned her head back. She held onto her bag tightly, afraid it might fall, and quietly closed her eyelids.
After dozing off for a moment, Alice squinted at the notification voice from the navigation system indicating they were near their destination.
It was a place where mountains and trees harmonized. The view got better as they climbed higher.
As they entered the columbarium, Alice was taken aback, her mouth agape in surprise.
“This is the columbarium?”
The well-manicured garden was so large it seemed to be the size of a soccer field.
Ah, this must be a place only for those with top-tier wealth.
It was a space beyond premium.
The place they entered with Ryan had a different interior from a typical columbarium. It was arranged in a way that allowed for privacy without interference.
“This is the space for Mobid.”
“You bought this many in advance?”
Just looking at it made it seem like one should die soon.
As she looked around, she saw names of well-known conglomerate chairpersons and founders.
When she shifted her gaze back to the Mobid area, someone caught her eye.
“Is that your mother?”
A simple face with long, flowing hair was striking.
The name ‘Harlow Iglis’ was inscribed on a plaque, and unlike the others, it was just a frame and an urn.
It felt too bare for a Mobid urn.
As if it were completely neglected.
Alice set her bag down and rummaged for something.
“Vice President, here.”
***
A kind smile lingered on Nathan’s face after hanging up the phone.
“That rascal, Ryan.”
He had been somewhat skeptical about Ryan’s lukewarm attitude toward Alice.
But now he was taking her to greet his mother. It seemed Ryan’s feelings for Alice were deeper than he had thought.
‘If only it weren’t for Lincon.’
In fact, if it weren’t for Lincon, Nathan wanted to announce Ryan and Alice’s marriage.
Having failed in love himself, he didn’t want to oppose the woman Ryan had chosen to marry.
Thinking back to how he had successfully persuaded Lincon to accept the marriage using the weakness of being a grandchild, he couldn’t help but smile.
Nathan thought Alice suited Ryan well.
Her unwavering confidence and composure, even in the face of Lincon’s fierce disapproval.
Despite the differences in their backgrounds, Alice showed no signs of being intimidated.
The only regret was that no matter how much he showered her with beautiful things like a daughter, she seemed completely uninterested. He wanted to at least give her a dot of affection, but she stubbornly refused.
Nathan was increasingly troubled by Lincon’s refusal to accept Alice. At this rate, it seemed his son would remain unmarried until he had a grandchild. It was becoming a limit to keep rejecting marriage proposals for various reasons.
“Manager Kai.”
Nathan called Manager Kai into his office and whispered secretly.
Ryan recalled the events of the morning as he alternated between looking at the photos of Alice and Harlow, who were rummaging through their bags.
Ryan sprang up from the bed and wiped his face with his large hands.
“Haah…”
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
He gulped down the water that was beside him, washing away the bile that had risen.
By this time, it was a nightmare he was having.
An unlucky and filthy dream. Memories of a past he wished to forget.
If Harlow were alive, he wanted to ask her why she had neglected him so much as a child.
Harlow had not revealed her true colors from the beginning.
It seemed to have started when Ryan was about seven years old. She had become careless about the home.
Then, that incident happened.
On that day, Ryan woke up in a dark space devoid of light, shaking his head to dispel the hazy feeling.
He got out of bed, still groggy, and stumbled as he reached for the doorknob.
When he opened it, darkness greeted him once again. In the midst of it, he could faintly see the stairs.
Rubbing his eyes, he stepped down the stairs with his small feet, which were just beginning to grow.
A faint sound of laughter reached his ears.
A blend of male and female voices, and the child was drawn to follow the sound.
The place he arrived at, lured by the unfamiliar noise, was the master bedroom.
Ryan flung the door wide open.
“Who is it!”
The child shielded his face for a moment, unable to open his eyes properly due to the sudden influx of light.
