James ended up spending time with his daughter for more than 4 hours. After eating ice cream, he took her to the park, where she played with a few kids her age, and then he brought her back to school.
“Daddy, don't forget the promise you made!” Lilly beamed as she waved him goodbye. 
“I won't,” James said before turning to leave. He slid into the driver's seat of his car, pressed a button to close the door, and was about to start the engine when suddenly, his phone buzzed. Seeing Robert on the screen, James frowned. His father rarely called after his retirement unless it was important—or troubling.
Reluctantly, he answered. "Hello, Robert?"
Even to this day, James couldn't bring himself to call Robert "dad." He had tried again and again, but it just sounded foreign, so he finally gave up. However, he respected Robert.
There was a long pause before his father’s voice broke through, filled with grief. Robert’s voice trembled as he tried to make out some words, “James… your mother… Evelyn… she’s gone.”
James froze, his phone almost slipping from his hand. His heart stopped for a moment, the words echoing in his mind.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” James demanded, his voice trembling.
“She… she passed away an hour ago. The doctors did everything they could, even moving her to a different hospital but her body couldn’t take it anymore.”
James gripped the edge of his desk, his knuckles turning white. “Which hospital?”
“St. Anne’s,” Robert whispered.
Without another word, James ended the call and zoomed off.
---
At St. Anne’s Hospital, James rushed through the corridors, his heart pounding with dread. Bella had already been informed about Mrs. Evelyn's passing and had arrived at the hospital.
She was already dialing James' number when she noticed James rushing in, completely disheveled. She held his hand, silently offering her support cause that was the least she could do.
They reached the ICU, where Robert stood outside, looking older and more broken than James had ever seen him.
James stopped a few feet away, staring at his father. “Where is she?”
Robert pointed to a room down the hall. “In there.”
James let go of Bella’s hand and walked toward the room, his footsteps heavy. When he entered, he saw her—Evelyn—his mother, lying peacefully on the bed, her face peace in death.
For a moment, James felt frozen. He had no memory of his mother, except for the one moment when he first met her. His mind flashed back to how broken, sad, and desperate she had been to hold him and talk to him, even if it meant putting herself in pain.
He didn’t need anyone to tell him—his mom was kind-hearted. He didn't need her to say she'd tried her best or that she wished she'd raised him. Her desperate eyes had already explained those feelings—she loved him.
Slowly, he approached the bed, his hands trembling. He knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Mom…”
Bella stood quietly at the door, tears welling in her eyes as she watched James say his goodbye.
James clenched his fists, fighting back the overwhelming grief. “I should’ve been here. I should’ve done more.”
Robert entered the room, his face swollen from crying and his hair disheveled. 
While Bella stood quietly by the door, giving the two men space to grieve. As James stood, wiping his tears, Robert approached him with a solemn expression, his voice low and a bit cracked.
“She loved you more than anything,” Robert said softly. “Even when she couldn’t be there for you… she never stopped thinking of you.”
James clenched his fist. “I just wish she had more time.”
Robert placed a hand on James’s shoulder. “She passed peacefully, knowing you’d taken control of the company. That’s all she wanted—for you to be fulfilled and happy.”
James swallowed the lump in his throat, nodding. The death of his mother saddened James more than he thought it would. He watched as the doctors covered Evelyn's body with a white sheet, and then her face was hidden, a final, silent farewell. 
***
A few minutes after Evelyn's body was wheeled out, a strange man in a business suit walked into a dark room before answering his ringing phone.
“Sir, I've done as you said. She is dead. What about my reward?” the voice on the other end asked.
“I would send $35,000 to you now for a job well done. I hope no evidence was left?” the man in the dark room replied.
“Do not worry, boss. I made sure to clear all evidence.”
“Good,” the man said before ending the call. He sat at his desk and opened his laptop, his fingers moving swiftly across the keyboard as he processed a $35k payment to the account provided by his accomplice. Once done, he erased the transaction record from his system and deleted the contact details of the person he had hired.
His phone buzzed again, this time with a message: “Payment received. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
The man smirked and typed a short reply:
“Same here. Stay quiet.”
He locked his phone, leaned back, and stared into the darkness. His plan was falling into place perfectly. No one would ever know the truth. And if James got too curious, he could handle him the same way.
****
The funeral took place the next day. It was quiet, and the air felt heavy with sadness. Many mourners, including people from James’s mother’s distant past, gathered around the grave. Some shared kind words, while others stood by silently, their eyes showing sympathy. Despite this, James stayed distant and focused on the casket as it was lowered into the ground.
Bella stood next to him, her hand on his arm, offering quiet support. She knew she could not say much to ease his pain. Her presence was the only way to share in his grief and show him he was not alone. 
Robert stood to the side, his expression unreadable, as if the loss of his wife had drained him out entirely. He couldn’t even look at the casket, his eyes turned downward as he fought to control the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.