Chapter 398

Chapter 398:

Hope sparked within Sadie. She expressed her gratitude to the elderly woman and quickly departed from the area.

She flagged down a cab and directed it to the temple on the city’s edge.

As Sadie entered the temple, the air was dense with the aroma of incense, a ritualistic element of the temple’s practices. The scent permeated the ancient structure.

With each step toward the main hall, Sadie’s pulse raced.

She pushed the heavy wooden door open; a wave of sandalwood scent welcomed her. In the subdued light, the deities’ statues stood solemn and majestic.

“Excuse me. Have you seen this woman?” Sadie presented a photo of her mother to a monk mid-prayer.

The monk studied the photo, then slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I have never seen this woman.”

Disappointment washed over Sadie, dousing her flicker of hope. Could her mother have vanished without a trace?

“However…” The monk hesitated, a memory surfacing. “A few years ago, a woman resembling her stayed here briefly. She left something behind.”

Hope sparked in Sadie’s eyes again. “What did she leave?”

The monk disappeared into the inner hall and returned with an old key. “This key. She mentioned it might be useful in the future.”

The key, cold and styled in an ancient design, lay heavy in Sadie’s hand. She turned it over, searching for clues yet finding none.

Just then, her phone rang, shattering the temple’s serene silence.

It was Noah. “Sadie, where are you?” His voice was laced with urgency.

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“I’m at the temple on the outskirts,” Sadie replied, her voice slightly hoarse.

“I’ll pick you up,” Noah said, and then the call ended.

Standing at the temple entrance, Sadie gazed out at the distant mountains, her emotions swirling.

What secret did the key her mother had left behind hold?

A black Maybach soon pulled up. Noah stepped out and quickly approached Sadie.

“Did you find anything?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“Just this,” Sadie said, handing him the key.

Noah took the key, examining it intently as his brows knitted together.

“Let’s get in the car first,” he suggested.

He assisted Sadie into the vehicle and then got in himself.

As the car pulled away from the temple, Sadie looked back at the receding structure, her heart heavy with uncertainty.

Kyla, hidden in the shadows, watched the car disappear into the distance, her eyes flickering with a mix of jealousy and curiosity.

She hadn’t expected to run into Noah and Sadie in Slimron.

She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

“Sadie, what is it about you that makes Noah care about you so deeply?” she muttered bitterly.

Inside the car, Noah held the aged key, deep in thought.

The design of the key was oddly familiar.

“This key looks a lot like the one from a pendant my grandmother used to wear,” he remarked suddenly. “But that pendant has long been missing.”

Sadie’s heart raced. Could this key have ties to the Wall family?

“Your grandmother?” she inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity.

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