Chapter 1042

Gravestone after gravestone came and went. Most of the main grounds had already been covered, but Sadie and Noah were still empty-handed. Sadie’s steps began to slow. Confusion etched itself across her face as she glanced at Noah, silently asking what their next move should be.

Wandering like this was pointless.

The grounds stretched too far, and the faint lighting made the search almost impossible.

Beside her, Noah seemed to come to the same conclusion.

As if struck by a sudden thought, he spoke casually, eyes still scanning the tombstones. “Now that I think about it… I had a friend mention that one of his relatives was buried here. That must have been five years ago or so.”

That comment made the attendant halt and turn around, clearly intrigued.

“Five years?” he repeated, blinking in surprise.

A tight, uncertain smile tugged at his lips.

“I believe you’re mistaken, sir. Evergreen Cemetery was only established three years ago. Before that, this was just forested land. People around here called it Evergreen Mountain. When we developed it into a formal cemetery, any old graves scattered in the area were respectfully relocated to the back hill.”

Noah and Sadie shared a brief, silent glance between them.

So that explained it.

Letting go of Sadie’s hand, Noah reached into his jacket and pulled out a thick bundle of cash. Without a word, he stepped forward and pressed it into the attendant’s hand.

Caught off guard, the man stared at the money, fingers tightening instinctively around the stack.

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It had to be at least thirty thousand dollars, maybe more.

Raising his eyes in confusion, he found Noah still wearing the same carefully crafted expression of grief. “We would like some time to walk around on our own,” Noah said gently. “Just to absorb the atmosphere before we make a decision. Thank you for your assistance.”

For a moment, the attendant stood frozen.

What was happening?

He had given them a short tour, and now he was holding a small fortune? For him, that amount was equal to half a year’s salary, along with bonuses!

This man was remarkably generous in his kindness.

Still stunned, the attendant managed a clumsy smile. “Oh, you two are too kind! Really, it’s just part of my job. But of course, I’ll give you your space. If anything comes up, I’ll be back at the gatehouse.”

Without wasting another second, he clutched the money and hurried off, moving as though they might change their minds if he lingered too long.

As soon as he was out of sight, Sadie turned and picked up her pace, heading quickly toward the back hill the attendant had pointed out earlier.noveldrama

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