Chapter 4 · My Runaway Groom Returned, But Too Late

The sound of the coffin lid opening above me faded away, and my heart raced with anxiety.

Alexander stayed silent, and the atmosphere outside was thick with tension.

"Mr. Grant, over in the side hall..." the assistant whispered urgently.

Alexander replied, his voice cold and sharp, "Go confirm the side hall first."

The footsteps faded away.

Charlotte made sure she was the last one left.

She leaned in close to the coffin, her voice cold as ice as she whispered, "Hear that, sweet sister? Even the guy you counted on the most has left you behind.

"Just stay put in there. Once the ritual starts, I'll take your place, and Alexander Grant will be mine!"

So, I was really not getting out of this one.

The air inside the coffin was growing dangerously thin.

I started to hallucinate. Ethan's voice rang in my ears, crying out, "Mom! Are you in there? I had a bad dream. You were trapped inside a red box..."

The sound of Ethan's sobs grew sharper, echoing in my mind.

Ethan?! How did he come here?

He pounded his little hands against the coffin lid, the soft thumps mixing with his terrified sobs. "Mom! Hurry and come out. I'm scared. The red box is so scary."

I struggled desperately, throwing every last bit of strength I had into banging on the coffin lid.

A guttural, heart-wrenching cry ripped from my throat.

Ethan! Mommy's right here.

Alexander Grant, standing outside the coffin, couldn't ignore Ethan's cries.

He stopped in his tracks.

"Mr. Grant," the assistant hesitated, but pressed on, "The maid in the side hall is certain. She said... Mrs. Grant looked really pale when she left.

"She was clutching her stomach, and there was blood on her dress. It looked like she might have had a miscarriage."

I could feel Alexander's breath coming quick and uneven.

"Watch Ethan closely," he snapped at the bodyguards, his voice laced with panic.

As the bodyguards picked Ethan up, his cries grew shriller, panic rising in his voice as he wailed, "Dad! I want Mom. Please let me go. Mom's in there, the red box! Mom's in the red box!"

Ethan's cries faded into the distance.

Just when I was about to lose all hope, a woman's voice burst in, furious and startled. "What on earth are you doing? Why is my grandson crying here? And what's going on with this coffin?"

It was Alexander's mother, Emma Grant.

Then a man spoke up, his tone calm but commanding. "If Ethan says she's in there, then open the coffin."

It was Alexander's father, David Grant.

They'd actually come because of Ethan's cries.

"Th-this is just an old, abandoned coffin. There's no way anyone could be inside..." Charlotte blurted out, her voice shaky as she tried to keep her composure.

She added, "Alexander already went to look for her. S-she wasn't feeling well..."

Emma's voice rose, fierce and protective, like a mother defending her cubs. "I don't care what kind of tricks you're pulling! Open that coffin right now. I need to see it with my own eyes."

"Mrs. Grant, please, you shouldn't! That coffin brings nothing but trouble..." Andrew tried to persuade her not to go through with it.

"Move aside!" David barked. "This is the Grant family's house. If I say open it, you open it. Now, get to it."

I heard someone step up in response, probably one of the Grant family's own men.

With the last bit of strength I could muster, I managed to get my tied fingers to move, just barely.

"Stop!" a voice called.

It was Alexander. He'd come back! But why?

He must've realized something was wrong with the coffin.

All movement outside stopped instantly.

"Alexander! Just in time. Come look at this, " Emma called out urgently, gesturing toward the coffin.

"Mom, Dad," Alexander interrupted, his tone firm. "Don't bother. There's nothing in there."

"But Ethan—" Emma started, still wanting to say more.

"Ethan just had a nightmare," Alexander interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Take him back and make sure he settles down. Leave the rest to me."

"If Mr. Grant says so..." Charlotte replied, her voice full of relief.

"Open it," Alexander suddenly ordered.

"What?" Charlotte was stunned.

"I said, open it," Alexander repeated, his voice low but full of authority. "Since my parents are uneasy and Ethan had a nightmare, let's open it and put this to rest."

"No, please... Alexander, we really don't have to do this..." Charlotte's voice was trembling with panic now.

Chapter 4

The sound of the coffin lid opening above me faded away, and my heart raced with anxiety.

Alexander stayed silent, and the atmosphere outside was thick with tension.

"Mr. Grant, over in the side hall..." the assistant whispered urgently.

Alexander replied, his voice cold and sharp, "Go confirm the side hall first."

The footsteps faded away.

Charlotte made sure she was the last one left.

She leaned in close to the coffin, her voice cold as ice as she whispered, "Hear that, sweet sister? Even the guy you counted on the most has left you behind.

"Just stay put in there. Once the ritual starts, I'll take your place, and Alexander Grant will be mine!"

So, I was really not getting out of this one.

The air inside the coffin was growing dangerously thin.

I started to hallucinate. Ethan's voice rang in my ears, crying out, "Mom! Are you in there? I had a bad dream. You were trapped inside a red box..."

The sound of Ethan's sobs grew sharper, echoing in my mind.

Ethan?! How did he come here?

He pounded his little hands against the coffin lid, the soft thumps mixing with his terrified sobs. "Mom! Hurry and come out. I'm scared. The red box is so scary."

I struggled desperately, throwing every last bit of strength I had into banging on the coffin lid.

A guttural, heart-wrenching cry ripped from my throat.

Ethan! Mommy's right here.

Alexander Grant, standing outside the coffin, couldn't ignore Ethan's cries.

He stopped in his tracks.

"Mr. Grant," the assistant hesitated, but pressed on, "The maid in the side hall is certain. She said... Mrs. Grant looked really pale when she left.

"She was clutching her stomach, and there was blood on her dress. It looked like she might have had a miscarriage."

I could feel Alexander's breath coming quick and uneven.

"Watch Ethan closely," he snapped at the bodyguards, his voice laced with panic.

As the bodyguards picked Ethan up, his cries grew shriller, panic rising in his voice as he wailed, "Dad! I want Mom. Please let me go. Mom's in there, the red box! Mom's in the red box!"

Ethan's cries faded into the distance.

Just when I was about to lose all hope, a woman's voice burst in, furious and startled. "What on earth are you doing? Why is my grandson crying here? And what's going on with this coffin?"

It was Alexander's mother, Emma Grant.

Then a man spoke up, his tone calm but commanding. "If Ethan says she's in there, then open the coffin."

It was Alexander's father, David Grant.

They'd actually come because of Ethan's cries.

"Th-this is just an old, abandoned coffin. There's no way anyone could be inside..." Charlotte blurted out, her voice shaky as she tried to keep her composure.

She added, "Alexander already went to look for her. S-she wasn't feeling well..."

Emma's voice rose, fierce and protective, like a mother defending her cubs. "I don't care what kind of tricks you're pulling! Open that coffin right now. I need to see it with my own eyes."

"Mrs. Grant, please, you shouldn't! That coffin brings nothing but trouble..." Andrew tried to persuade her not to go through with it.

"Move aside!" David barked. "This is the Grant family's house. If I say open it, you open it. Now, get to it."

I heard someone step up in response, probably one of the Grant family's own men.

With the last bit of strength I could muster, I managed to get my tied fingers to move, just barely.

"Stop!" a voice called.

It was Alexander. He'd come back! But why?

He must've realized something was wrong with the coffin.

All movement outside stopped instantly.

"Alexander! Just in time. Come look at this, " Emma called out urgently, gesturing toward the coffin.

"Mom, Dad," Alexander interrupted, his tone firm. "Don't bother. There's nothing in there."

"But Ethan—" Emma started, still wanting to say more.

"Ethan just had a nightmare," Alexander interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Take him back and make sure he settles down. Leave the rest to me."

"If Mr. Grant says so..." Charlotte replied, her voice full of relief.

"Open it," Alexander suddenly ordered.

"What?" Charlotte was stunned.

"I said, open it," Alexander repeated, his voice low but full of authority. "Since my parents are uneasy and Ethan had a nightmare, let's open it and put this to rest."

"No, please... Alexander, we really don't have to do this..." Charlotte's voice was trembling with panic now.