Chapter 19
526 Words
Leo’s POV
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I should’ve known Eleanor wasn’t done screwing with us.
The first task—organizing her second funeral—was already ridiculous enough.
But this?
This was just pure insanity.
"A treasure hunt?" Sienna’s voice cut through the office, sharp and disbelieving. She was reading the lawyer’s email out loud, her brows furrowed so hard they could touch. "She left behind a list of clues, and we have to find—" She paused. "Wait. What the hell are we even looking for?"
I leaned forward, reading over her shoulder. "'A priceless relic from my past.'" I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Fantastic."
Sienna groaned, tossing her phone onto the desk. "I swear, this woman is laughing at us from the afterlife."
She probably was.
Eleanor Hawthorne was a menace, and even in death, she refused to let us live in peace.
The lawyer had sent over ten cryptic clues, all leading to some mystery item hidden somewhere on the estate. And knowing Eleanor, it wouldn’t be anything remotely normal.
The last time she had us on a scavenger hunt, we ended up knee-deep in a mud pit looking for a ‘priceless antique’—which turned out to be an old, broken typewriter from her college days.
I was still traumatized.
Sienna turned to me, arms crossed. "Well? Where do we start?"
I shrugged. "Clue one?"
She picked up her phone and read it aloud. "‘Where love once bloomed but never took root, seek what remains beneath the wood.’"
We both stared at each other.
Then, at the same time, we groaned.
The goddamn gazebo.
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The Gazebo | 30 Minutes Later
"I hate this. I hate this so much."
Sienna grumbled as she crouched down, sweeping her hands over the wooden planks of the gazebo floor.
"Trust me, I’m right there with you."
The gazebo was ancient. The paint was chipping, the floorboards creaked under every step, and vines twisted around the columns like they were reclaiming the place.
But more than that—it held history.
Our history.
A history we didn’t talk about.
I shoved my hands into my pockets, watching Sienna as she pressed her palms against one of the loose boards. She hesitated.
Then, in a quieter voice, she said, "Do you think she knew?"
I frowned. "Knew what?"
She glanced up, her dark eyes unreadable. "That this was where we…" She trailed off, biting her lip.
I knew exactly what she meant.
This was where I nearly—
I shook my head, clearing the thought. "She probably did."
Sienna let out a short laugh, but there wasn’t much humor in it. "Figures."
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
Just the sound of the wind, the rustling leaves, and the creaking wood beneath us.
Then—
"Got it."
Sienna pulled up a small wooden box from beneath the loose floorboard, her fingers dusted with dirt.
I crouched beside her as she slowly opened it.
Inside, wrapped in faded yellow fabric, was—
A wedding ring.
Her breath hitched.
I swallowed hard.
And somewhere—wherever she was—Eleanor was definitely laughing her ass off.
- Writer
