Chapter 5

Russell took out a wooden box from the car and waved it in front of me. It was my grandmother's urn.

My blood froze in an instant.

"You..."

Russell smiled. Her smile was as gentle as on our wedding day.

"Didn't you say your grandmother loved you most when she was alive? Do you think if she knew her ashes were scattered on the highway, she'd be angry enough to come back to life?"

Leonardo stood beside her, his tone light and airy.

"Russell, don't. At least she was an elderly person."

Russell ignored him and held the urn high, pointing it at the livestream camera.

"Everyone, want to watch me scatter ashes live? Fifty cents per person. Crowdfunding. When it hits a thousand, I'll scatter them."

The livestream completely exploded.

"Holy shit, Miss Russell is serious!"

"Fifty cents? I'll give five hundred!"

"Quick! I want to see!"

"This is too exciting."

"Already donated! Miss Russell, scatter them quick!"

The comments flew so fast the screen lagged.

Leonardo pulled at the corner of his mouth, his voice neither loud nor soft.

"James is usually so filial. I bet he'll kneel and beg Russell now."

Russell glanced at him and nodded.

She turned to look at me, her hand already reaching into the urn.

"James, if you kneel now, there's still time."

My voice was hoarse, my whole body trembling.

"Russell, that's my grandmother! You can't!"

"Why can't I?"

She tilted her head to look at me, her tone flippant.

"You won't even kowtow. I'm giving you motivation, and you're still not happy about it?"

I clenched my fists, my eyes reddening as I stared at the urn.

"Russell, don't touch my grandmother."

Leonardo crouched down and tilted his head to look at me, his face full of false sympathy.

"James, stop being stubborn. It's just kneeling, isn't it? You don't want her to die without peace, do you?"

He leaned closer, lowering his voice.

"Kneel. I'll put something down for you. It won't hurt."

I stared at the urn in Russell's hand, my lips trembling, unable to speak.

Russell raised the urn higher, her hand already grasping a handful.

"Three, two, one..."

She flung it outward. The instant the ashes flew out, suddenly a hand steadily caught the falling ash.

Most of the ash that leaked through Russell's fingers was caught.

Russell's smile froze on her face. Leonardo stepped back.

She didn't have time to curse.

Because overhead, three helicopters were slowly descending.