They hurried to Panama overnight and saw Stella sitting by the French window. Her posture, movements, and expression were exactly like Erinâs. She was using this way to redeem herself and to tell Tom and Erin that she still loved Erin.
When Andrew saw the lifeless Stella, he dropped to his knees in front of her. He, who had never shown his emotions before, was now crying uncontrollably.
âStella, itâs all my fault. I didnât care for you or protect you at all times. Itâs my negligence as your cousin that led you to this, and itâs my existence that brought you disaster. I made you a scapegoat. Itâs all because of me.â
Full of self-blame, Andrew raised his hand and slapped himself hard. Mia, who was beside him, quickly stopped him and then slowly squatted down, holding Andrewâs arm and silently crying with him.
Amelia let go of Jamesâ supporting hand and walked up to Stella. She stared at that familiar face for a long time but couldnât speak a word.
Just a month ago, Stella was running on the beach with Grace, her radiant smile and the fluttering of her skirt in the breeze, all showing the vitality of life. How could such a vibrant life suddenly be gone?
She couldnât believe it and squatted down, gently touching Stellaâs face. It was cold and stiff, without the warmth it used to have.
She had cried all her tears on the way here, and now she could only look at Stella, feeling an indescribable sadness that made it hard for her to breathe.
Beside her, Eva held Stellaâs hand and desperately rubbed it, trying to warm up the stiff body with her own body heat, but it was futile.
âStella, you promised Grace that you would be her godmother forever, that you would be there as she grew up. How could you bear to leave like this?â
Eva held onto Stella, her voice trembling, unable to hold back her tears.
Stella was dead, following Erin, and that was a fact that could not be changed. They had no power to reshape time or bring back the dead. All they could do was helplessly watch as the police took Stellaâs body away.
Before the cremation, Stellaâs lawyer arrived on the scene and read out her will:
âAmelia, Iâm sorry. I canât continue to treat you, but my teacherâs medical skills are better than mine. He will definitely help you conceive a child. If you have a child, I hope one day you can have them call me godmother too.â
âEva, I also want to apologize to you. Jayden, whom I introduced to you, wasnât as good as I thought, and he almost hurt you like he hurt me. Iâve always felt guilty, Iâm sorry. Also, I think Paul is actually a good guyâ¦â
âCousin, Iâm also sorry to you. I left before your child was born, but I believe you can understand. Iâve been used my whole life, and I killed the person I loved the most. How can I go on living? Death is my best release, so please donât cry. In my eyes, youâre just a big block of wood, and wood doesnât cry, right?â
âLastly, Mr. Evans, thank you for saving me and raising me. Although youâre only one year older than me, in my heart, youâve always been like a mentor. I hope in the next life, I can still be your subordinateâ¦â
âAnd, meeting all of you is the luckiest and most wonderful thing in my life. Even though Iâm gone, you will forever be with my soul, living on and onâ¦â
After the lawyer finished reading the will and handed over the property documents to Andrew, he told everyone that Stella had requested her ashes to be scattered into the sea, any sea would doâ¦
Andrew made calls everywhere and found out that Karen had scattered Erinâs ashes in a deserted area, an uninhabited island, but they didnât know where exactly.
Thatâs why Stella left such a will. She also wanted to become a lonely ghost, hoping that in her wandering, she might encounter Erin who was still lingering in the worldâ¦
Then, in a soulful reunion, she would tell Erin, âMy love came late, but Iâve always been here. Please forgive my delayed follow-up.â