Chapter 4

Eloise saw right through me. "I'm glad you came to me. It means you trust me. If you dare to sneak away alone, I swear I'll never forgive you."

She tried to lift my spirits every day, but my health continued to decline.

Late one night, I sat alone on the balcony, letting the cool breeze wash over me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Minnie. She was wearing the same oversized hospital gown from the day she died, the fabric swallowing her tiny frame.

"Mom, why are you ignoring me?" she asked softly.

Tentatively, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her.

The following day, Eloise found my body. As per my will, she placed my ashes with Minnie's.

Minnie and I must have become ghosts. We didn't know why we hadn't moved on to the other side. We could only wander, lost between worlds.

Minnie kept looking at strangers in the square, her eyes full of longing. I finally asked, "Do you want to see Dad?"

She had always gravitated toward people who resembled Christian. I understood why.

Christian was always busy. Whenever Minnie asked about him, I told her he was doing something amazing—something that made her eyes shine with admiration. She had waited for him in the hospital, full of hope, but he never came.

Now that she was gone, what harm was there in seeing him one last time?

Minnie finally saw Christian in his office. She kept staring at Christian she had missed so much. However, she could not touch him, no matter how hard she tried.

In his office, Christian sat at his desk, his expression unreadable as his secretary placed a cup of coffee in front of him. He took a sip, then asked casually, "How's my daughter in the hospital?"

The secretary hesitated before replying, "She's fine. She was discharged some time ago."

I froze. Minnie was dead. Did Christian have another daughter I didn't know about?

Christian said nothing else and turned back to his work.

Back at his workstation, the secretary whispered to a colleague, "Don't you think Mr. Gordon's been acting weird? Didn't he give everyone a bonus the day his daughter's surgery was successful? Why is he asking about her again now?"

"Now that you mention it, I remember. That was on the 8th of last month. Triple our salary!"

I clutched Minnie's hand, my whole body stiff.

However, Minnie's face lit up with joy. She jumped excitedly. "Dad came on the 8th? It's all my fault. If I had held on just a little longer, I could have seen him!"