Chapter 63

The car rolled to a halt just outside the cemetery gates. Powell family bodyguards stood sentry at the entrance, their presence making sure the grounds were empty except for Julian and Yvonne.

Sheets of rain swept across the gravestones, turning the cemetery into a gray, lonely world. Each drop seemed determined to keep Yvonne in her sorrow.

She managed to keep it together during the drive, directing most of her irritation at Julian. Stepping outside,though, the damp air and drifting mist pressed in on her. Her vision blurred, and she faltered, tears springing to her eyes.

Julian reacted quickly, slipping an arm around her waist to steady her as she leaned into him for support.

A simple nod from him brought Morton over, who pressed a bouquet of fresh flowers into Julian's free hand.

One of the bodyguards rushed over and opened a black umbrella, shielding them from the relentless downpour.Julian cradled the bouquet and led Yvonne gently beneath the umbrella, his other arm still steady around her.

Silent tears spilled down her cheeks as they moved together through the wet grass. When her strength gave out, she collapsed against his chest, her sobs muffled by the storm. She didn't cry out, but the grief in her trembling shoulders spoke for her.

Julian wrapped his arms around her, uncertain and awkward. He had come into'her life years after her parents were gone. Their names were rarely spoken, and he'd never seen her fall apart-at least, not like this.

Every year, something had always kept him from joining her on this day. He had told himself she would be all right, that she was always just a little quieter.

He had never realized how much pain she kept hidden away.

Just a few more steps would bring them to the gravestone, but her strength was spent. He paused, concern flickering across his face. "Do you need a moment? We can wait here as long as you want."

Yvonne shook her head, barely able to hold back another wave of tears. Her lashes fluttered as a single drop slipped down her cheek.

Her voice came out ragged. "I'm all right. Let's just keep going."

Concern flickered in Julian's eyes, but Yvonne pulled herself upright and moved ahead without his support.There was a steadiness to her steps, quiet but unwavering.

They reached the grave at the heart of the cemetery. It was Julian's first time seeing where her parents rested.

Yvonne lowered herself to the ground, pressing close to the cold marble for comfort. She let her voice drift over the grass. "Mom. Dad. I came to visit you."

Years of regret never quite left her, no matter how many times she tried to let go. In her mind, the blame for their loss always circled back to her.

When the Ellis business had been booming, her parents, Wilson Ellis and Tessie Ellis, had spent more time in boardrooms than at home. Neighbors raised her, and their own house became little more than a layover between trips.

School was brutal. Kids pointed out her parents' absence like it was a badge of shame. Even when Spencer defended her, those words still left scars. A quiet resentment lingered in her heart.

One evening, right before her eighteenth birthday, frustration spiled out in a shouting match over the phone.She begged them to come home. She even threatened she'd never forgive them if they didn't.

They never made it back. The accident claimed them both.

She wasn't given a chance to say goodbye. The wreck left nothing for her to remember them by except grief.

The Ellis fortune collapsed soon after. The relatives she once saw at every holiday began to keep their distance, leaving her isolated and adrift. Spencer's parents were halfway across the world and couldn't come back to help..

Rodger was the only one who stood by her, arranging the funeral, making sure she finished school,and helping her piece together some sort of life.

Gratitude for Rodger ran so deep that even if Julian had never entered the picture, she would have called Rodger family.

Lost in memory, she didn't see Julian bend down to set the flowers by the stone.

He gazed at the names, his words steady and sincere."My name'sJulian Powell. I'm Yvonne's husband.I should've come sooner, and I promise to look after her from now on."

For a brief moment, Yvonne saw him as the only bit of hope breaking through the sorrows.