I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 12

I Buried Him for Five Years, Then He Came Back with Another Woman Chapter 12

Adrian turned on him.

“I want to see him.”

Caleb shook his head.

“He won’t see you.”

Adrian’s voice rasped.

“Where is Maren?”

Caleb remained silent.

Adrian stared at him without blinking.

“She isn’t dead, is she?”

“Did anyone leave that boat before the explosion?”

Caleb looked toward the sea.

“Mr. Caldwell.”

“Ms. Hale left instructions for me in case you ever asked about her.”

Adrian held his breath.

Caleb spoke one word at a time.

“A woman who already died once has no reason to meet you again.”

The last trace of light vanished from Adrian’s eyes.

One month later.

Caldwell Maritime entered bankruptcy liquidation.

Hale Group reclaimed all its port rights.

A court ordered the Moonwake sold at auction.

Everyone expected Hale Group to buy back the yacht Maren had once treasured.

But no one from Hale Group placed a bid.

The Moonwake was sold cheaply to a marine salvage yard.

A reporter asked Caleb,

“Doesn’t Hale Group consider that a loss?”

Caleb replied,

“Ms. Hale left clear instructions.”

“A vessel that has been defiled is not worth keeping.”

Adrian attended the auction.

He sat in the last row.

He had not shaved, and his suit was wrinkled.

The once commanding head of Caldwell Maritime looked hollowed out.

He wanted to bid.

But his accounts were frozen, and every asset he owned was pledged to creditors.

He could not afford a single board from the yacht.

After the auction, he followed Caleb into the parking lot.

“Where is she?”

Caleb looked at him, then offered him a small box.

“This is the last thing Ms. Hale left for you.”

Adrian accepted it.

The box was almost weightless.

The heirloom sapphire lay inside.

It had been cleaned until it shone.

The silver compass rested beside it.

Adrian’s throat tightened.

“She was willing to give these back to me?”

Caleb’s expression turned icy.

“You misunderstand.”

“Ms. Hale said the ring belonged to the Caldwell family, so she returned it.”

“You were never worthy of the compass.”

Adrian stared.

Caleb removed the compass, leaving only the ring.

“I allowed you to see it once.”

“It has already been returned to the Hale family with the rest of her mother’s belongings.”

Adrian stared at the half empty box and gave a broken laugh.

By the end, his tears were falling onto the ring.

She would not even leave him her hatred.

Six months passed.

Tessa’s criminal trial began.

She faced multiple counts, including unlawful confinement, falsifying medical records, filing false accusations, and stealing personal property.

She nearly collapsed from crying in court.

This time, no one stepped forward to protect her.

Reid testified for the prosecution.

He fully described his role in guarding Wesley and threatening Maren.

The judge asked him,

“Why are you willing to testify now?”

Reid remained silent for a long time.

“Because I owe her my life.”

After a pause, he added quietly,

“More than once.”

Outside the courthouse, Reid saw Adrian.

They looked at each other across the crowd.

They had once been the Caldwell family’s sharpest weapon and strongest support.

Now one was a cooperating witness, and the other was a defendant awaiting trial.

Adrian asked,

“Do you believe she survived?”

Reid studied him.

After a long silence, he answered,

“Whether she survived has nothing to do with either of us.”

Adrian’s face paled.

Reid turned away.

He never returned to the Caldwell family.

People later said he joined a nonprofit rescue team near the southern border that assisted trafficked women

and children.