Anastasia and Cassian picked up Elisabeth and her caregiver from the hospital and headed to the cemetery together.

When they arrived at her mother’s grave, there was already a bouquet of flowers there – white lilies, her mother’s favorite.

Elisabeth looked at the flowers with a wistful expression. “That person always beats us here.”

“Yeah,” Anastasia said. "Missed them again."

Every time she visited the cemetery, her mother’s headstone would have fresh flowers and macarons – her mom’s favorites. She’d always been curious about who was leaving them, but somehow they always missed each other.

Cassian said, “If you really want to know who it is, I could look into it for you.”

Anastasia shook her head. “No, that’s okay. If they keep avoiding us, it means they don’t want to meet. Let’s respect that. Maybe someday fate will bring us together.”

Elisabeth nodded — she felt the same way.

Cassian agreed. Since Anastasia and her grandmother had made their decision, he wouldn’t interfere.

“Come here, Cassian,” Elisabeth said, pulling him to the front. She spoke to the smiling woman in the photograph. “Sheila, this is your son-in-law. Ana and Cassian are married now and they’re very happy. You can rest easy.”

Looking at Sheila’s photo, Cassian spoke carefully, “Mom, I’m Cassian, Anastasia’s husband.”

He felt like his throat was closing up with nerves – more nervous than he’d ever been during billion-dollar negotiations.

“I promise I’ll always take good care of her,” he said solemnly.

Both Anastasia and Elisabeth had tears in their eyes.

Then they heard footsteps approaching.

Anastasia turned around to see Sharpson and Whitney, with Jasper and Valeria behind them.

What the hell are they doing here?

Jasper happened to look over at that moment and saw Anastasia’s red-rimmed eyes. His heart clenched, immediately assuming Cassian had done something to upset her.

Valeria caught every micro-expression on Jasper’s face, and her own expression darkened like a storm cloud. She was grinding her teeth so hard they might crack.

Typical Jasper – wanting what he can’t have. He used to always complain that Anastasia was boring, but now that he’d lost her, suddenly she was amazing again.

Men are all the same – what they can’t have becomes precious, what they have becomes worthless.

But Valeria didn’t blame Jasper – she blamed Anastasia.

Look at her playing the victim, all fragile and pitiful. She’s obviously trying to seduce men!

Elisabeth’s expression hardened when she saw Sharpson. “What are you doing here?”

Sharpson put on a sorrowful act. “Mom, today is Sheila’s anniversary. I came to pay my respects.”

“You don’t deserve to!” Elisabeth snapped. “Someone like you being here just pollutes the air.”

Elisabeth was so worked up her chest was heaving.

Anastasia quickly went to comfort her grandmother and said, “Enough! You’re living it up with your happy little family, and now you want to crash my mother’s memorial too? You think this gives you some kind of relevance? In the old days, Whitney would’ve been just a concubine who’d have to kowtow to my mother, the legitimate wife. If you can’t do that, then get lost! Every second you stay here is an insult to my mother’s memory. Get out!”

Whitney’s eyes filled with crocodile tears, looking like the picture of wounded innocence.

She looked at Sharpson with a trembling voice. “Honey, I was Sheila’s friend. I just wanted to pay my respects. Is that wrong?”

Sharpson was already furious. He comforted Whitney gently. “I know, I know.”

Anastasia’s expression got even darker. These two are putting on a show right in front of my mother’s grave. Absolutely disgusting.

“I said GET OUT!”

Anastasia grabbed a branch and swung it at them.

Sharpson barely dodged it, his face dark with rage. “You ungrateful daughter! Is this how you treat your father? I order you to apologize to me and your stepmother right now!”

In his anger, Sharpson forgot why he’d come here in the first place.

Anastasia laughed coldly. “Have you ever been a father for even one day? What gives you the right to act like one now?”

“Leave, or I won’t be responsible for what happens next!”

“You…” Sharpson was speechless with rage.

“Leave.” Cassian’s voice was ice-cold, his eyes radiating menace as the temperature seemed to drop around them.

Sharpson felt like he’d been thrown into a freezer. Shivering, he led his group in a hasty retreat.

“It’s okay now, Grandma,” Anastasia said softly, kneeling beside Elisabeth.

Elisabeth nodded, gripping Anastasia’s hands tightly. “Yes.”

What should have been a somber memorial had become even more depressing. None of them felt like staying longer, so they left quickly.

Shortly after Anastasia’s group departed, a shadowy figure quietly appeared at Sheila’s grave.