Chapter 821

“Mr. Johnston, we need to seal the area for further investigation,” the officer told Jace. He exhaled slowly. “Today’s their burial. Please, finish quickly so my parents can rest.”

“Understood, Mr. Johnston!”

The officers combed through every inch of the coffin, dismantling it piece by piece. Their verdict? Evidence—enough to destroy the entire Johnston family—was stashed in its base. Jace, as expected, was brought in for questioning. His one request? To bury his parents first.

We stood side by side, tossing the first handfuls of dirt over Matthew and Lindey’s graves. When it was over, Aaron was gone. Where had he disappeared to? Was he saving Lena? The thought of her being kidnapped made my chest tighten again.

Aaron would do anything to rescue her—I knew that much. But waiting around wasn’t my style. I had to act. And Hayden… I didn’t even know who he was anymore. But I did remember one thing: he said the urn contained a data sync device. Maybe it was finally time to use it.

I booked a flight to Pencetown and went straight to the spot where I’d buried those “ashes” Π years ago. The mound of dirt was overrun with weeds now, the place lifeless and forgotten. It wasn’t a real grave, but still, it hit me hard.

Life’s as fleeting as weeds. That thought wouldn’t leave my head. Soon enough, the earth wouldn’t remember any of us. To keep things low-key, I started digging on my own. But being pregnant, I was wiped out after just a few tries.

“Keira, gotta say, you’re full of surprises. Grave robbing? Didn’t peg you for that,” a voice drawled behind me, sending a chill up my spine. I turned. Cole, smirking with a blade of foxtail grass between his teeth, stood there with four guys who looked like they’d bench-pressed trucks for fun.

Cole. Of course. Neither Cole nor Thorsten showed up for Matthew and Lindey’s burial, which hadn’t felt odd at the time. After all, Thorsten had decked Wayne at the memorial. Drama like that? No surprise if they skipped.

Chapter 821

But now? It all clicked. That punch? Fake. The feud? A scam. The Dragos hadn’t fallen apart—they’d been running their own side hustle while the Johnston mess kept everyone distracted. And what were they after? The data sync device Hayden had hidden.

The whole thing had been a perfect bait-and-switch. Panic rushed through me at the thought of Cole getting his hands on it. If he destroyed it, every shred of evidence against them would be gone forever. Jace had custom-ordered Matthew and Lindey’s coffins, which made this even worse. If the Dragos planted fake evidence to throw off the investigation, Jace could end up taking the fall.

Wayne’s bitter rant at the funeral echoed in my head. If he had even a sliver of loyalty left, he wouldn’t be so hellbent on dragging Jace down with him.

I stepped in front of the grave, glaring. “You’re not touching this spot. Leave. Now.”

Cole sauntered closer, the grass brushing against my cheek. “Relax. I’m just here to help. What if there’s treasure down there? We can split it, fifty-fifty.”

“In your dreams,” I snapped.

He clicked his tongue, brushing the grass across my lips this time. “Still so stubborn.”

I turned away, refusing to take the bait. He laughed, then lunged. Before I knew it, he had me hoisted in his arms. So much for the whole “gravely injured” act—it was just another lie.

“Put me down, you psycho! Let me—” I thrashed against him, but his guys were already on it, digging with shovels and pickaxes.

Chapter 822