Chapter 25

As soon as Dylan stepped into the mourning hall, he spotted Chester right away, his hair completely white. Violet sat there, looking blank in her wheelchair. Dylan held a bouquet of lilies as he stood before Mandy's portrait, paying his quiet respects. He set the lilies in front of her photo and gazed at it, getting lost in his thoughts for a while. His feelings for Mandy were a mess. He was grateful to her, but she'd burned five years of his life. He hated her, yet she had also been there for him financially, helping him keep his studies going. But there was no bringing the dead back, and with Mandy gone, everything they had together faded away quietly. Dylan glanced at Mandy's portrait one last time before turning to Chester and giving him a nod. "I'm sorry about your loss, Mr. Padden." Chester nodded back but stayed quiet. Then, Dylan walked over to Violet. He stared at her for a moment before quietly saying, "I'm sorry for your loss." Violet forced a bitter smile and didn't