doitstory Chapter 263 - 261: Dispose of Her Cleanly
Chapter 263 - 261: Dispose of Her Cleanly
That night, she had curled up in the corner of a small closet, covering her tiny body with a pile of clothes.
She had covered her ears, shaking uncontrollably, and only dared to cry her heart out when he held her in his arms.
He recalled what she had just said to Serena Grant.
It wasn’t hard to imagine how the Grant Family must have abused her back then.
Kian Keller had always known that fate had blessed him with many things—money, status, looks, and more—but it had not given him a compassionate heart.
He knew he was cold by nature, like an empty shell devoid of emotion. But he never thought there was anything wrong with that; he’d never needed such things.
Fortunately, Mia Grant appeared just in time, allowing him to find his way.
Kian Keller lowered his head and kissed her lips.
He rarely expressed his feelings so directly, especially not with words.
He used to think they weren’t important. It was Mia Grant who had repeatedly told him that she valued them and was always waiting for them.
"Yes. I like you. And no matter how much time passes or where we are, I can always say it with conviction."
Mia felt giddy from his words, and the tension in her body instantly melted away.
She smiled and hugged him tightly, initiating a kiss of her own.
—
The weather was nice today, and the temple was crowded with people.
Mia didn’t know he knew a master here, so she pulled him straight into the queue.
The wait was a bit long. "Why don’t you go sit down for a while?"
Mia was worried about his leg.
"You don’t have to worry about that."
He didn’t like her fussing over him.
Mia knew he had a strong sense of pride, but she was genuinely worried his body couldn’t take it.
After waiting a while longer, it was finally their turn.
The room was packed. Mia found a spot and led him over by the arm.
"You don’t have to kneel, I’ll do it. You can wait for me at the side." Mia knelt, holding the prayer beads with a pious expression as she silently recited her prayer.
’I hope Kian Keller’s leg heals soon, and that he’ll be safe, healthy... and happy for the rest of his life.’
After some time, she vaguely sensed a shadow move beside her. She slowly cracked open an eye and peeked over.
The tall figure next to her was already kneeling at her side.
Mia froze.
She had a look on her face as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. Kian Keller looked at her. "Are you sure you want to keep staring at me?"
Remembering there was a time limit, Mia quickly shut her eyes.
When it was over, Mia ignored herself and immediately went to help Kian Keller up.
When they had just come in, someone had backed up and bumped right into Kian Keller.
Fearing a repeat of past incidents, Mia quickly helped him outside.
"Do you want to look around some more? Are you hungry? Or should we go over there and sit for a bit?"
Mia chattered on as she looked around, searching for a corner where they could rest.
She went on and on, but the man beside her didn’t say a word in response.
Just as she was about to ask Aaron and the others to help find a spot, the hand she had looped through the man’s arm suddenly felt warm.
She turned her head to look.
Kian Keller had his eyes lowered, a serious expression on his face as he placed a string of prayer beads on her wrist.
He must have been holding it in his hand for a long time, as the jade-green beads didn’t feel cool against her skin.
Once he finished, she came back to her senses and asked, "When did you get this?"
"I don’t remember." He took her hand and led her forward. "It’s an exchange of gifts. Wear it."
Mia recalled the scene from inside the room just now and raised an eyebrow. "You were praying earlier?"
"Mhm."
"What did you pray for?" she asked curiously.
He kept a straight face and continued walking. "I don’t know."
"..."
Mia was speechless.
"Fine, don’t tell me then. Hmph."
The two of them didn’t stay at the temple for long. After grabbing a bite to eat nearby at noon, they set off for the outskirts of Jynsia.
Perhaps because it was a holiday, Jynsia was packed everywhere.
They hit a bit of traffic on the way, and by the time they reached the resort, Mia was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. Without even taking off her shoes, she flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.
Kian Keller walked in slowly. Seeing her fast asleep just like that, his brow furrowed slightly. He sat down beside her, set down his cane, and helped her take off her shoes and socks.
His injured leg made it difficult to get leverage. He had to pause for a moment before he could lift her from the bed and turn her over.
He took off her jacket and tucked her into the covers.
She must have been too excited last night and gone to bed late, then woken up too early this morning. She was sleeping so soundly now that she didn’t even stir when he moved her.
After settling her in, Kian Keller got up and left the room.
Aaron was waiting in the hallway. When he saw Kian come out, he immediately closed the door for him.
The two of them walked toward the terrace together.
"My apologies, sir. It was my fault. I was going to move her last night, but she was causing a scene. I was afraid of disturbing Miss Grant, so I planned to send her away today after you and Miss Grant left. I never expected Miss Grant would see her."
"If Miss Grant is angry, I can go and explain things later. It was my mistake, after all. Besides, she was the one who provoked the situation first, constantly bad-mouthing Miss Grant. Miss Grant will understand."
"She’s not angry." On the terrace, the man sat down in a chair.
Aaron took his cane and held it. He sounded surprised by the news. "I thought Miss Grant was frightened. After all, on the security footage... it looked like she took a fall."
"She fell?" Kian Keller looked up.
Aaron confirmed it and pulled up the recording, handing it over.
The basement lighting was dim, but the girl’s expression was still clearly visible in the video.
Shock, fear, and confusion flickered across her face.
She stumbled backward, lost her footing, tripped over her own feet, and fell right onto the floor.
Kian Keller frowned.
’That was not a light fall.’
A soft cry of pain could be heard in the recording.
’She should have cried.’
Bombarded by the endless malice from the person opposite her, she didn’t react for a long time, just sitting there stunned on the floor.
’She really should have cried.’
But she didn’t.
As if she had finally snapped out of it, she climbed up from the floor, pretending nothing had happened. She dusted off her skirt, then looked up and smiled at the person across from her.
She straightened her back proudly, her smile bright and defiant.
Kian Keller knew it was all an act.
She just didn’t want to lose.
She didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Serena Grant.
So she did her best to hide her panic and discomposure, not daring to cry, not wanting to cry.
"You should have a better attitude when you’re begging someone. After all, dignity is worthless when it comes to survival."
Her voice was light and airy.
At first, he hadn’t paid much attention to those words. It was only after watching the full recording that he understood their meaning.
He had kept Serena Grant locked up for nearly a week. It was confinement, but not abuse.
He had thought this would be enough to make Serena Grant feel the same helplessness Mia Grant had once felt.
Now, he realized it wasn’t enough.
Serena Grant hadn’t submitted, because she wasn’t being starved or bullied.
Her situation was far better than Mia’s had been back then.
The recording ended. The phone was tossed onto the table.
Kian Keller felt a tightness in his chest, a stuffy, suffocating feeling he couldn’t quite name.
He only knew that he desperately needed to vent this emotion, to find a way to make up for all of it.
"Deal with her. Cleanly."