After receiving her grandmother's ashes, Nevaeh used all her savings to buy a cemetery plot.
She wanted her grandmother to watch over her as she sought out the murderer.
As she shoveled handfuls of yellow earth into the grave, her tears flowed freely.
"Grandma, I can't bear to let you go. Please don't leave me."
"Grandma, who did this to you? I will find out and make them pay in blood!"
She cried her eyes until she felt she'd cry blood, exhaust and empty, she stood up and left.
By the time she returned to the Bennett family estate, it was already ten at night.
The starry sky and the moonlight draped the estate in a silvery veil, creating an atmosphere of deep loneliness and solitude.
Nevaeh stepped up to the door, and as she entered, she remembered how late it was and deliberately slowed her pace.
"Young Miss," Hussein's voice suddenly broke the silence, "Have you eaten? I had the kitchen prepare something."
It dawned on Nevaeh that she hadn't eaten all day, no, to be precise, she hadn't eaten in four days, just a bowl of thin porridge.
Her stomach was growling in hunger, yet she found it impossible to eat anything.
"No, thank you."
After saying that, Nevaeh turned to head upstairs.
Hussein's voice called out from behind, "The young master is waiting for you in the study."
Nevaeh paused, her breath catching in her throat. "Got it."
She placed her grandmother's framed photo back in her room, opened a drawer, took out a document, signed it, and made her way to the study door.
Nevaeh's heart raced inexplicably. She didn't know why, but the thought of seeing him soon filled her with fear.
She raised her hand to knock on the door but hesitated and pulled it back.
"Get in here!" Cassius shouted angrily upon hearing her footsteps.
Nevaeh took a deep breath, her steps heavy as she slowly walked inside.
Cassius lifted his gaze to meet hers.
Their eyes locked, and sparks seemed to fly in the air.
However, when he noticed her swollen eyes, which looked as if they had been frozen in ice, Cassius's anger inexplicably softened, and his voice lowered.
"What's the matter? Feeling wronged and looking for someone to cry to?"
Nevaeh acted as if she hadn't heard his sarcasm.
With a blank expression, she stepped forward and placed the divorce agreement on his desk, opening the side where she had signed her name. "Let's get a divorce, Cassius."
She had lost her grandmother and her hope; all she wanted was to leave this place and investigate her grandmother's death to seek revenge.
The divorce agreement was already signed by Nevaeh.
This woman had actually signed it.
Cassius's eyes darkened. "You disappeared all day, and now you come back so late. Do you think that makes sense?"
Nevaeh's voice was flat and devoid of warmth. "It was my mistake to cling to the marriage before. I've come to realize that you are the exalted Cassius, while I am just a discarded daughter who doesn't deserve you."
The pain of her grandmother's death had dulled Nevaeh's senses, leaving her numb. No matter what Cassius said, she felt no pain anymore.
Cassius sat silently, his brow furrowed in displeasure as he listened to her unusual words.
Just before, she had been willing to starve herself to refuse to sign, yet now she was impatient to leave him.
What was this woman thinking?
"The Bennett family is not a place where you can come and go as you please," Cassius said coldly, his gaze fixed on her with intensity.
Nevaeh seemed not to hear him.
Instead, she pulled out a delicate brocade box from her pocket and placed it gently in front of Cassius. "The black card is returned to you. This is a gift from grandpa, and I'm giving it back to you. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
Cassius's eyes fell on the brocade box.
It was a family heirloom, worn by the matriarchs of the Bennett family for generations, worth a fortune.
It was clear how much his grandfather cherished her.
"Who gave you the right to make decisions on your own?" His voice cut through the air like ice, laced with authority. "Without my permission, you will not leave the Bennett family. Guards! Keep an eye on her; she is not to step out of this room."
Nevaeh was taken away by the bodyguards and brought back to her room.
Standing in the empty space, tears suddenly streamed down her face again.
Why?
Why couldn't she control her own fate?
He said divorce, and it was divorce. He didn't her want to leave, so she couldn't leave.
What was this?
Her weak body slid down against the wall, and tears fell like pearls from a broken string, one by one, hitting the floor.
She crouched down, hugging her knees tightly, crying silently.
She no longer had her grandmother, the one who had given her warmth, hope, taught her medicine, and helped her grow up healthy.
Her grandmother was gone forever.
From now on, she was all alone.
Determined to leave, Nevaeh stood up, packed her things, and carefully placed her grandmother's framed photo inside her bag before slinging it over her shoulder and heading out.
However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw a maid standing at the entrance.
Realizing she was being watched, she reluctantly turned back.
Glancing around the room, her eyes landed on the window of the balcony.
She opened the window and climbed out, skillfully making her way down the outside pipe.
Once she landed safely, Nevaeh hugged her bag tightly, relieved to see no one around.
She crouched low, using the shade of the trees to conceal herself as she cautiously made her way out of the estate.
Just as she was about to exit the estate gates, she spotted a red car approaching.
Nevaeh instinctively tried to dodge.
But the car had already spotted her and came to a stop right in front of her.
The window rolled down, revealing a woman in a strapless red dress with a strikingly beautiful face. "You're the woman who's supposed to bring good luck to Cassius."
"You've got the wrong person," Nevaeh said, turning to walk away.
The woman jumped out of the car and grabbed her arm. "It's definitely you! I won't mistake you. Your name is Nevaeh."
Nevaeh turned back, scrutinizing the woman.
Under the moonlight, the woman's sultry eyes were filled with anger, as if she wanted to devour her whole.
Suddenly, Nevaeh remembered. "You're the mistress who tried to kiss Cassius in the hospital that day."
"Who are you calling a mistress? My name is Elizabeth," the woman replied, tilting her head proudly. "I've known Cassius for a long time. He's the one who wants to marry me."
Nevaeh chuckled coldly at her words. "Oh really? Then why didn't you marry him to bring him good luck when he needed you to?"
"You!" Elizabeth was momentarily taken aback, her voice rising in frustration. "He could never like you! His heart only belongs to me."
Nevaeh had heard grandfather mention that Cassius had someone he liked.
But judging by Elizabeth's desperate need to prove herself, it was clear that the woman Cassius truly cared for was definitely not her.
"Are you done? If you are, move aside!" Nevaeh said as she pushed her arm away and turned to leave.
"What's with your attitude? Stop right there! Did I give you permission to go?" Elizabeth shouted, grabbing Nevaeh by the hair in an attempt to stop her.
She was like a rooster, flapping her wings and trying to assert her dominance.
However, the moment her hand grasped Nevaeh's hair, her voice suddenly cut off.
She stood there, mouth agape like a fish, but no sound came out.
Touching her throat, she stared wide-eyed at Nevaeh. What had this woman done to her that she couldn't speak?
Nevaeh adjusted her backpack, her expression calm and unfazed.
She tied her ponytail neatly and said, "You liking Cassius and wanting to marry him is your business, not mine. If you come to bother me again, it won't be that you can't speak; it'll be something much more quick and permanent."
Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock, tears welling up in her eyes from fear.