FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO-Chapter 380: Saying Goodbye
The soft beeping that once sang of life had fallen silent—replaced by a stillness so heavy, it wrapped the room in a suffocating grief. It was the kind of silence that didn't just linger—it mourned.
Nana Shaw lay motionless, her frail body at last free of its burden. Her chest no longer stirred with breath, her lips slightly parted, as if caught mid-whisper. She looked as though she'd drifted into a peaceful sleep.
But there was no waking from this slumber. She was gone. Gone with a whisper of grace, a sliver of joy in her heart, and a prayer lingering on her final breath.
Gregory sat beside her, unmoving—his hand still gently enveloping hers, refusing to let go, as if love alone could hold back death.
His face was a mask of devastation—eyes swollen, distant, and vacant.
The tears that rolled down his cheeks were not just tears of sorrow. They were tears of unspoken forgiveness that had ravaged his soul for years now. Tears of love lost and a perfect home destroyed.
But amid this turmoil, Gregory heart echoed with the sound of his mother final words. She had said,
"Don't make the same mistakes your father and I made. Be better than us. Love with abandon. Turn away from wickedness. Rebuild what remains of our family. And… send my ashes to your brothers before their trial. I love you. I always have."
Each word carved itself into his soul, a cruel and beautiful dagger that stole what little strength he had left.
Blaze stood beside him, silent but steady—a firm hand on Gregory's shoulder anchoring him in a world that suddenly felt too cruel. He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
His quiet presence spoke volumes; respect, reverence and family bond.
Without a word, Blaze had already sent messages to Judith and Henry. He knew Gregory shouldn't endure this storm alone.
"She's at peace now," Gregory murmured hoarsely, his voice cracking beneath the weight of regret. "If I had just… made things right sooner… maybe… maybe she'd still be here."
"You gave her peace, Greg," Blaze said gently, his voice low and full of quiet conviction. "You gave her closure. That's more than most ever get. And now… you have to carry that peace forward—for yourself, for Amelia, for everyone who still needs you."
Gregory could only shake his head, his eyes fixed on his mother's face—so still, so soft, yet impossibly lifeless. He tried to speak, but grief swallowed his voice. And then he broke. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
He wept—not with restraint, but with the raw agony of a son who had just lost the one person who loved him long before he ever understood what love truly meant.
Blaze rose and gently helped his father-in-law to his feet, guiding him out of the room with quiet dignity, as the nurses entered to do what they must—confirm death, begin the solemn rites of post-mortem care.
Shortly after, Judith arrived with her husband and children, trailed closely by Henry.
Together, they encircled Gregory in tearful embraces, their grief shared, their hearts broken in unison.
A prayer was whispered for the dead, and a promise made to the living; you are not alone.
Henry and Blaze remained behind to handle the paperwork and final arrangements, shielding Gregory from the weight of the immediate formalities.
At dawn the next day—far earlier than he'd intended—Blaze made his way back to the island to deliver the heartbreaking news in person to his wife and mother.
Meanwhile, Henry stepped fully into the role of family—both as a trusted friend and as the future son-in-law of two grieving households, doing all he could to hold what remained of them together.
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The sun was already slipping behind the island's horizon by the time Blaze arrived. He had spoken to Amelia just before boarding his flight, yet he hadn't breathed a word about her grandmother's passing. He knew how deeply it would shatter her.
Still, something deep within told him she already knew the bitter truth.
He wasn't surprised to find her waiting—his mother by her side, along with a few members of the beach mansion staff—gathered quietly at the base of the island runway like mourners beneath a setting sky.
Draped in a flowing white maternity gown that caught the last golden rays just right, Amelia looked like a vision painted by sorrow.
Pregnancy had only heightened her beauty, casting a radiant glow upon her skin. But her face—once vibrant, brilliant, and full of wonder—was now shrouded in grief.
Her hazel eyes, normally so full of life, were dulled by mourning, barely flickering even at the sight of her husband.
"Sweetheart…" Blaze rushed to her, a pang in his chest wondering how long she had been standing there in the open, waiting.
Amelia ran into his arms and crumbled, her sorrow bursting free the moment he held her. She wept—grief spilling from her like a broken dam—held back since the night she had spoken to her grandmother for the last time. She didn't need to ask. One look at Blaze's eyes told her all she needed to know.
She was gone.
And the pain of not being there—of not holding her grandmother's hand in those final moments—was a torment too deep to bear.
"Please, don't cry, my love…" Blaze's voice cracked as he pulled her in tighter, trying to swallow his own sorrow. He couldn't bear to see her like this. If he could tear open the veil between life and death and bring her grandmother back, he would've done it in a heartbeat—just to see Amelia smile again.
"I should have… been there," she choked, trembling in his embrace. "I should—"
"Shhh…" Blaze gently pressed his lips to her forehead, lifting her into his arms without hesitation. He met his mother's eyes and gave a silent nod. She understood.
Then he turned and walked toward the ocean shore, Amelia held close, her face buried against his chest, her sobs growing quieter but no less painful.
The sun had dipped low now, bleeding molten gold and crimson across the sky, as though even the heavens mourned.
Waves rolled in with solemn rhythm, slapping the shore with the heaviness of an exhausted heart.
Above them, seagulls cried out—sharp, distant and haunting—like wandering souls calling out into the void. A cool breeze swept over the sand, carrying the scent of salt and sorrow, whispering grief into every breath.
This chapter first appeared on M|V|L^EMPYR.
Even nature, it seemed, was weeping.
Blaze slowly brought Amelia down, his hands wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to the moment.
"Amelia…" he said softly, making her look into his eyes. "You don't have to feel this guilt. Your granny loved you, more than words. You gave her peace. You gave her a reason to smile in her last breath. She died with joy in her heart, grateful to the heavens for blessing her with someone as pure as you."
As her tears slipped silently down her cheeks, he wiped them away with the back of his hand, his throat thick with emotion.
"Cry no more." He leaned in and kissed her gently. "She's in a better place now."
Amelia nodded slowly, tears still clinging to her lashes. Then she melted into his embrace, holding onto him for what felt like forever—soaking in his warmth, his strength, and his love.
When they finally parted, Blaze took her hand and led her to the edge of the water, where the ocean reached for their feet with quiet, cold tenderness.
They didn't speak.
They stood together in silence, watching as the sun sank deeper into the sea, as if carrying Nana's soul gently into the afterlife.
And high above, the gulls cried again—softer this time, fainter—as though they, too, had said goodbye.
