Joseph shoved James aside, bursting with excitement as he pushed through the wall. To their amazement, the wall began to tremble, and then a section slid back, opening like elevator doors to reveal an old lift behind it.


    Joseph''s eyes lit up with excitement. He turned to James, eximing, "It''s a secret passage! A secret passage!" Without hesitation, Joseph stepped in. Harold was about to follow, but James shot him a look and said, "Stay here and keep an eye out."


    Even though Harold was annoyed, he stayed put to avoid arousing Joseph''s suspicion. Once inside the elevator, Joseph showed no fear of the unknown. He kept talking to James, "I''ve been searching for so long, spent so many years, and finally, I''ve found it... James, our family can finally be together forever. We won''t ever have to be apart again!"


    James''s face remained stoic, treating Joseph''s words as nothing more than a whimsical fantasy. Soon, the elevator descended about thirty feet before stopping with a heavy thud.


    As the doors opened, a chilly breeze hit them, and the gleam of gold momentarily blinded them. James instinctively shielded his eyes.


    Outside the elevator was a massive cavern, towering about sixteen feet high. It was filled with countless piles of gold and silver, treasures scattered as if they were ordinary. Gold bars seemed worthless here. Tiny glowing orbs illuminated the cavern, revealing a vast mountain of wealth.


    Even James, who had seen his


    share of wonders, was taken aback by the sight: He understood why the Aldridge family had gone to such lengths to hide these treasures Such immense wealth could easily lead anyone astray. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Yet Joseph seemed unfazed by the riches surrounding him. James watched as Joseph stumbled forward, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "This is it... this is the ce..." Joseph muttered, moving toward


    the center of the light.


    For a fleeting moment, Joseph imagined Ruby smiling at him from afar. "Rose... I''m here," he whispered, his voice barely audible.


    As James frowned, Joseph reached


    the cavern''s deepest part. With his eyes closed, he clutched a sapphire pendant tightly, hoping to reunite with Ruby. He believed that when he opened his eyes, Ruby would be right there, unchanged.


    But as time passed, the chill lingered, and nothing changed. "Why... Why is it like this?" Joseph murmured, startled by the unchanged reality.


    Everything was as it was, with no sign of a fresh start. Joseph stood there, stunned by the sight before him, while James surveyed the calm, unchanged surroundings, with only Joseph looking around in disbelief.