CHapter 96


    At Linefort City, the Lambert ancestral home.


    Five people decked out in camo gear were sneaking around the graveyard, ducking and dodging


    every shlight beam.


    Vincent signaled to Belinda Fuller, trailing behind. “Hurry up, watch your step. It’s just a darn


    graveyard, no clue why Martin’s made such a fuss calling a crowd to keep watch.”


    The Fuller couple, aka Belinda’s parents, were bringing up the rear, all miffed, poking Belinda in the


    back.


    “What’s the deal? Why’s Vincent tagging along? Didn’t we agree it’s just us dropping off the stuff?”


    They were plotting to secretly stash the Fuller family elders‘ ashes and then just say Old Mrs.


    Lambert was already resting there, hoping the graveyard’s blessing worked its magic for the Fuller’s


    future generations.


    Poor Belinda was in a pickle!


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    She was clueless as to why Vincent’s gone bananas all of a sudden, insisting on going back to the


    homestead to rebury Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes himself.


    He was all antsy because he wasn’t there when she wasid to rest, wondering how Noe


    managed the burial and wouldn’t have peace of mind until he saw it for himself.


    Belinda’s mother Debbie’s eyes were all shifty. “Let’s negotiate with Vincentter. The grave’s


    roomy enough; maybe we can sneak the ashes of Old Mrs. Fullers in, too?”


    Belinda’s father, Ma Fuller, nodded, rubbing his back and following along. Let’s go with that for


    now. If Vincent ain’t on board, we’ll think of something else.”


    Belinda’s stomach was flipping.


    Knowing how tightfisted Vincent was, good luck to anyone trying to snag a slice of his fortune!


    They were all crouching and creeping in the graveyard.


    Beckett’s guards were everywhere with military–grade shlights, patrolling like there was no


    tomorrow, worried about troublemakers.


    Seeing the setup, Vincent muttered, “What’s Martin’s deal, making a mountain out of a molehill for a


    graveyard? If we could buddy up with him, our pressing issues wouldn’t be issues…”


    His wounds from an unknown beating were still throbbing, and he was feeling all sorts of


    ufortable.


    If it weren’t for the graveyard’s sweet location promising a fortune for the Lamberts, he wouldn’t be


    caught dead checking it out himself.


    10:22


    “Briony, you have been in touch with Milfordtely?” Vincent had been spam–calling Milford, trying


    to chat about the Rosenberg–Lambert wedding, but the Rosenbergs weren’t picking up.


    Briony felt guilty: she had been all wrapped up in scripts, getting ready to shoot, with no time for


    Milford.


    “Nope, Milford said he’s swamped withpany stuff, no time to hang.”


    Vincent was not happy about that at all. “What’s Milford thinking, ignoring his gorgeous fiancée like


    that? Tomorrow, I’ll personally take you to their ce to talk wedding bells.”


    “Alright.” Briony buzzed at the thought of marrying Milford.


    She would make sure the media was all over their wedding, showing Noe, now just a caregiver


    for the Schnabels, just how blissful she was!


    Milford was the guy she had dreamed of marrying since forever, and soon they would be together.


    The mountain path was a mess, especially after rain had turned the graveyard into a mud pit. The


    family trudged through, deep in mud and silence.


    It had been ages since Belinda had been to such a ce. She nearly slipped, but Ma behind


    her caught her from falling.


    “What a dump. This is really a hotspot?”


    “What do you know? The grave’s location is top–notch! Didn’t you see Martin’s got a whole crew


    here guarding it?”


    Fair point. Only the good stuff would get guarded like this.


    Otherwise, why would Martin drop three million? Surely not just for Lambert’s old shack, right? Or


    she wouldn’t go there if she was paid.


    Soon, Vincent finally found the spot Martin mentioned and whipped out his portable shovel, eager to


    dig up Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes.


    Just as he started, a weird noise hit them!


    “Bang!”


    “Bang!”


    Vincent nearly jumped out of his skin!


    With the whole hillside as a graveyard, where was this eerie sounding from?


    “What’s that noise?” Belinda and Briony were scared stiff, huddling together.


    “Dunno, maybe we skip digging up Old Mrs. Lambert for now; pop open the grave first?”


    They stopped digging, and the banging noise grew wilder.


    10:22


    Vincent was freaking out. “Is this, like, haunted or what?”


    Ma pped him on the back of his head. “Haunted my foot! I–It’s the middle of the night; where


    would ghostse from?”


    His voice shook as they all huddled, listening to the mysterious sounds.


    “Let’s check the grave first. Vincent. I brought some of your mom’s ashes. It should be enough;


    there’s no need to dig.”


    Ma got his story straight; he would tell Vincent he had Old Mrs. Lambert’s ashes on him–


    Vincent wouldn’t know the difference.


    And just like that, the Fullers‘ patriarch could slide right in.


    Vincent was tearing up. “Dad, you’re the best!”


    His father–inw must’ve known he would be spooked, so he grabbed some of Old Mrs. Lambert’s


    ashes in advance!


    The family resumed their grave–digging.


    And with every shovel, the thumping against the coffin grew louder.


    Belinda was getting the creeps. “Honey, think that sound’sing from Mom’s coffin?”


    Old Mrs. Lambert’s coffin?


    Vincent nearly chucked his shovel in fright!


    “Talking rubbish… What nonsense! Must’ve heard wrong; let’s just dig this up quickly and head


    back down the mountain!”


    He never wanted to set foot in this creepy ce ever again in his life!


    Finally getting the grave opened and prying the coffin lid off, Vincent was gobsmacked!


    “Zachary Rosenberg? How in the world did you end up in my mom’s grave?”


    Briony covered her mouth in shock, “Zachary?”


    Wasn’t this Milford’s dad, the big cheese of the Rosenberg Group, her future father–inw?!


    Zachary, gasping for breath with a ghostly pale face, looked at Vincent weakly.


    “How the fuck should I know? Why would I be here out of the blue?”


    Briony was puzzled. “Zachary, what’s that you’re holding?”


    Zachary said feebly, “It’s my mom’s ashes, for crying out loud. Stop asking and help me up; I’m


    about to suffocate in here.”


    He was just out for a simple grave visit in the afternoon, noticed his mother Valeria’s grave was a bit


    copsed, and decided to have it fixed up while holding Valeria’s urn.


    He hadn’t gone two steps before everything went ck, and he passed out, waking up in Old Mrs,


    Lambert’s grave!


    Who knew which heartless soul dumped him in a grave and nearly suffocated him to death? He had


    been knocking on the coffin for ages, and Vincent hadn’t noticed a thing, which really ticked him off.


    Vincent squinted his eyes in thought.


    That Martin guy imed he bought this plot for his ancestors to bless his family with evesting


    wealth…


    And now, herey Zachary and his mom’s ashes in the grave.


    What did that tell him?


    “Oh, great! Just great, Zachary, you actually swiped our family’s burial ground, and now you want


    my mother to have nowhere to rest in peace? That’s some diabolical scheming! You better give me


    a good exnation today, or I’m gonna give you a piece of my mind!”