Chapter 61 No One Would Turn Away Someone Like Her
For a moment, everyone stood frozen as they stared at Chloe.
She stood with a solemn and dignified expression, holding the urn tightly with both hands. Her eyes were fixed on the two tightly shut doors of the memorial hall.
Brian found himself staring too. He couldn’t bring himself to look away.
Chloe’s story was tragic yet radiant.
In that instant, no one tried to chase her away. Her parents were heroes. No one would turn away someone like her.
Even Leonard and Willow were stunned.
To Willow, Walter’s side of the family was just a name on the family tree. She only knew that their numbers had dwindled and that hardly anyone remained. She had never known their past.
Standing next to her was Leonard. His eyes flashed with irritation. He had never expected Chloe to shout in public. Now, everyone in the crowd knew their history.
However, if Chloe were allowed inside the hall, that would be an acknowledgement of her identity as a Quall. That would be a problem for him.
After a moment of thought, he said coldly, “Even if you put it that way, you can’t prove what you’re saying is true. I think it’s better if-”
“It’s true!” Wade interrupted after staying silent the whole time. “I’ve seen Chloe before. I didn’t recognize her at first because she’s all grown up now. But when I heard what she said, I knew she was Walter’s
daughter!”
“But, Wade…” Leonard began, trying to stop him.
Just then, the heavy doors of the memorial hall slowly creaked open. Everyone turned to them in shock.
An elderly man stepped out, leaning on a cane. Step by step, he walked out of the hall and stopped before
Chloe.
“Are you… Chloe Quall?” he asked.
His hair was white, and deep wrinkles lined his face. Still, his eyes held authority. He was Geoffrey Quall, the head of the Quall family.
Chloe met his gaze and answered, “I am.”
Geoffrey stared at Chloe. The faces of his cousins from long ago flashed before him.
They were a generation of heroes.
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He remembered being young and watching seven of his older cousins enlist in the army, one after the other. He had tugged at their sleeves back then. “Can’t you stay? You’ll die out there!”
“If we don’t go, more people will die. Our deaths won’t be in vain. We’re going so that many more people in Alverton will have a chance to live,” one of his cousins said while ruffling his hair.
Back then, he didn’t fully understand what that meant.
By the time he did, six of his cousins had sacrificed their lives. Only one, Jacob Quall, returned, missing a leg. Yet Jacob had never once regretted stepping onto that battlefield.
The sharpness in Geoffrey’s eyes softened into warmth. “Wonderful! How splendid!” he exclaimed. “Your parents belong in this hall! I’d like to see anyone disagree with that.”
He struck his cane hard against the ground.
Silence fell at once. No one dared say another word.
“Let’s go, Chloe. Bring your parents‘ ashes and walk with me!”
“Sure,” Chloe answered.
Just then, another voice rang out. “I’d like to go with her!”
Everyone turned. Brian stepped out from the crowd.
Geoffrey glanced at Brian and said, “This is a Quall family matter. Outsiders should not interfere.”
Brian frowned.
Chloe walked over to him and said gently, “This is the Quall Family Memorial Hall. Everything that happens here is personal. Thank you for caring, though.”
Caring? Brian froze.
Did he care for Chloe?
If it wasn’t care, then why had he spoken up? Why did he want to go in with her?
Brian’s expression shifted slightly. “Then I’ll wait for you out here.”
Those words drew side eyes from the Qualls. Brian Steele, the head of the Steele family, had offered to wait for Chloe. When had he ever waited for someone like that before?
Chloe looked at Brian for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Alright.”
She turned toward Geoffrey, and together, they entered the memorial hall. The other Quall family members exchanged looks before following behind them.
The guards that Chloe had knocked down helped each other up and were sent to the hospital by the Qualls for treatment.
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Meanwhile, the police cleared the crowd of onlookers. Little by little, the people who had gathered at the hall’s entrance drifted away. Only Brian remained at the gate.
Standing before the hall, he couldn’t shake the image of Chloe’s sorrowful, yet resolute face from his
mind.
They were a family of heroes, and it was an honor to stand before them. But how many were willing to pay the price for such a title?
He had once thought Chloe was just an interesting woman. He had hired her as his bodyguard to add a little color to his dull life. But now, something felt different.
Chloe followed Geoffrey into the hall. She had visited the place with her dad as a child to pay her respects, but it felt nothing like it did now.
She carried the urn to where the Qualls placed their memorial plaques. Row after row of plaques lined the
platform.
Geoffrey pointed toward the section reserved for her side of the family. “Your parents‘ ashes will go there. As for their plaques…”
“I talked to Uncle Winston about it. He said they’ll be made here, but I’m not sure if they’re finished,” Chloe
explained.
“Winston?” Geoffrey mused. “That Winston? Where is he?”
The Qualls fell into an awkward silence. Finally, one of the workers at the hall muttered, “I think… he’s out playing poker.”
“Poker, huh?” Geoffrey snorted. “Of course. He’s neglecting his duties and doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Go find out if the plaques are ready.”
“Got it!” Someone hurried off.
Thankfully, although Winston was absent, Walter and Jenna’s joint memorial plaque had already been
made.
Chloe’s eyes reddened as she looked at her parents‘ names engraved on the plaque. She placed it solemnly beneath her grandparents‘ joint plaque.
“Thank you for your sacrifices,” she said, lowering her head at the countless plaques. They were heroes who had given their lives for Alverton.
Geoffrey watched Chloe with a mixture of relief and sorrow. When she rose, he said, “I’ll see to it that justice is given for what happened to you today.”
Then, his gaze snapped to Leonard and Willow. “Get on your knees!”
