Chapter 258

Although Harper didn't grow up with her grandmother, ever since she and her mom moved back to the country, her grandmother had been incredibly kind to her.

She and her grandmother had developed a close bond.

William set Harper down and walked over to Christina. "Harper gets it. We don't need to shield her from this. Let's have her attend the funeral and say goodbye to her grandmother."

Christina nodded.

This was her first time saying goodbye to a close family member. The process was painful; she watched her mother go from a vibrant person to a small box of ashes.

Next, they had to arrange the funeral. Christina didn't want a big event; she only invited a few close friends and held a small memorial service.

At the funeral, Raymond approached her. "Christina, what are your plans now?"

He had been married to Elisa and knew how much Elisa wanted Christina to marry William. He agreed with that sentiment.

Now that Elisa was gone, as her stepfather, he felt it was his duty to be concerned about Christina's future.

Christina knew what he was getting at. "I'll take it one step at a time. Mom just passed away, and I can't think about the future right now. I need some time."

"Of course, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Don't be too sad. She suffered a lot from cancer these past few years. Her passing is a relief in a way," Raymond comforted her.

Christina understood this reasoning.

But understanding it and experiencing it were two different things.

She chatted with Raymond for a bit, then pulled herself together to greet the guests. William and Harper stayed by her side the whole time.

He didn't say much, just silently supported her.

After the guests left, William asked, "Shall we go home now?"

William knew she was hurting, so he stayed close to her.

In his past life, he hadn't been a good person and missed out on being with her and their child, which led to their child's death.

Even though this Harper wasn't the same as the one from his past life, to them, who had been given a second chance, she was a blessing from above. He was determined to treat this child and Christina well.

Now that he had the chance and the time to make up for his past mistakes, he was going to do it right.

"No, I need to sort through Mom's belongings," Christina shook her head. "You should take Harper home. She didn't sleep well last night and needs to rest."

Christina knew what William was thinking, but no matter how sad she was, she had to be strong. She was her mother's only daughter.

"But Mom, I want to stay with you," Harper looked at her, full of concern.

They say mothers and daughters are connected at the heart, and Harper could feel Christina's sadness.

She didn't know what she could do, but she wanted to help her mom feel better.

"Once I'm done, I'll come home. Tonight, I'll hold you while you sleep. You need to rest and grow strong," Christina kissed her daughter's forehead. "You need to eat and sleep well to grow up big and strong."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, Mom," Harper nodded obediently.

William first took Christina to her mother's place, then took Harper home.

He couldn't leave Christina alone, so he planned to put Harper to bed and then go back to get her.

"Dad, I don't want a bedtime story," Harper said as she lay in bed, not feeling sleepy at all. "I just want Mom to come home."

"How about you watch some TV? When you get sleepy, turn it off and go to bed. I'll go get Mom, okay?" William suggested gently.

Harper agreed.

She was still a child, and once William left and the room quieted down, she started to yawn.

Soon, she was fast asleep, hugging her blanket.

Meanwhile, William returned to Christina. "Need any help with the packing?"

"No, I can handle it," Christina said, not having the energy to deal with him.

She folded clothes one by one and then moved on to other belongings.

In the bedside drawer, she found a diary and a bottle of pills.

With limited time, Christina only glanced at them before packing them away.

As she was about to leave with the packed items, her half-brother Parker Cavendish walked in.

He looked at her with hostility. "What are you doing here?"

Elisa was dead, and with her marriage to Raymond over, Christina, not being Raymond's biological daughter, had no reason to stay.

Parker's face darkened at the thought. He had never accepted his father's marriage to Elisa, and now that he was older, he wouldn't let Christina stay.

"I'm here to pack my mother's belongings," Christina said, not doing anything wrong.

But Parker wasn't satisfied.

What was there to pack? He thought it would be better to throw everything out or burn it. He suspected Christina was just using this as an excuse to come over.

The next moment, William walked out of the room.

Seeing him, Parker swallowed his words. No matter how bold he was, he wouldn't dare upset William.

He watched silently as William and Christina left.

On the way back, Christina asked William, "You came to find me. What about Harper?"

"Harper is already asleep."

"After you drop me off, you can go back to work. Thanks for today," Christina said, closing her eyes to rest, not wanting to talk further.

William respected her choice.

He did have work to handle at the company and couldn't stay with her all the time. After dropping Christina off, he headed to the office.

Christina checked on Harper, who was sleeping soundly. Not feeling sleepy herself, she decided to read Elisa's diary.

It detailed Elisa's battle with cancer and her worries about Christina.

Christina felt a tightness in her chest, an indescribable pain.

At the end, she noticed a line: "Today, the doctor recommended a new medication that might work wonders for my condition. I want to try it."

This must be the bottle of pills.

There was no label on it, just a plain bottle. Was it safe?

Most medications come with labels and instructions. This one didn't. Her mother had seemed to have more time left, but her death had been sudden. Christina felt it was too quick.

And the way everyone reacted to her mother's death...