Chapter 14: Funeral

*Shelly's PoV*

I decided to try to talk to the four-eyes and walked over. He glanced at me again, then turned away, pretending to look at his phone.

"Uh, hi. I'm Shelly," I said, holding out my hand, despite his rude gesture. "Nice to meet you, Sir Alexander."

He looked at my hand, then up at me. "Shelly? Who are you? The help?"

I gulped. Wasn't he supposed to be shy? He sounded like a jerk. "S-sorry?"

"Are you the help?" he asked again, his voice emotionless.

I shook my head. "N-no. I'm Damien's friend. I was invited to the funeral."

"Oh. I see," he said, nodding. "Sorry, I thought you were a servant. I've never seen you before and you were with Lady Zara, Damien's personal assistant. Anyway, nice to meet you."

He didn't even shake my hand. "Uh, nice to meet you, too. So... how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," he said, then turned back to his phone and kept walking.

I sighed and walked back to Zara and Toren, feeling a little hurt. I was trying to make a new friend, and he just brushed me off. At least he didn't call me names like Cassian.

Zara raised an eyebrow. "That was interesting. He usually doesn't talk to anyone he doesn't know."

I frowned. "He thought I was the help."

"Ouch," she said. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," I said, sighing. "I was a waitress at a diner before. I'm used to people treating me like trash."

Zara nodded. "It's good that you're so resilient. Not many people can brush off insults and keep their composure."

I smiled. "Thanks. I guess. That's a compliment, right?"

Zara chuckled. "It is. Now, let's go."

As walked, several more people arrived. All the men and boys were dressed in suits, while the women and their daughters wore long, black dresses and veils. They all looked like they were from a fashion show or something. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, despite my dress being just as fancy. Maybe it was the lack of jewels.

We stopped in the large sitting area in the lobby. Several women were crying, while the men looked somberly at casket. Among the weaping woman was elderly woman older than grandma, hugging the casket. Was she the widow of our grandfather?

I gulped and looked away. I didn't want to look at the casket. I wasn't ready for that. I was already struggling to keep my composure. I was scared and nervous. I couldn't handle looking at a dead body.

I turned my attention back to the crowd. Cassian was staring at his watch, a look that said he had more important places to be on his face. Next to him was a girl a bit younger than me with golden curls and a cute face. But he expression was as cold as ice.

Next to the girl sat a blond woman who resembled both Cassian and the girl. She was probably their mother. I couldn't see her eyes behind her veil, but she kept blowing her nose on a hankerchief.

Toren was clinging to me, eyes wide. He was probably overwhelmed by all the new faces. Or was he just scared of the casket?

"It's okay," I whispered, patting his head. "I'm here. You're safe."

"Okay..." he said, looking around. He smiled as soon as he spotted Damien who sat at the very back, close to where we were standing.

"Can we get this thing moving a little faster?" an older man said in the crowd. He was tall and muscular, with short gray hair and a trimmed beard. "I have places to be. I'm a busy man, you know."

Zara sighed. "That's Sir Frederick. He is a retired general. He is the second oldest son of your grandfather. He is a military man through and through. He's a tough, no nonsense type of person."

I gulped. "He's not the type of person I want to cross paths with."

"He's not," Zara agreed. "He's a hard-ass, but he's fair. As long as you don't get on his bad side, you'll be fine."

Cassian's mother sighed. "Brother, please, can you at least act like you're sad that Father died? This isn't the time for you to act like a brute. Have some respect for our late father. He was the head of the family. Show some decorum."

Frederick huffed. "We've been here for hours and nothing is happening. I just want to get this over with. The old man is dead, and there is nothing we can do about that. Let's just get to the burial and then get on with our lives."

The older woman by the casket kept crying. "Son, please, have some respect. Your father died. He was the pillar that kept this family together. He deserves some respect."

He scoffed. "Mother, please. We all know most of our extended family is only here because of his wealth. All of you could care less about him."

Cassian's mother stomped over to him and grabbed him by the necktie. "Brother! You're the second eldest! Show some respect! Stop embarrassing yourself in front of your relatives! You're not a child!"

"Fine," he said, shrugging her off. "But, I'm going outside for a smoke. I can't stand the sight of the dead." His eyes were somber. If he was a military man, maybe he had seen a lot of death.

Cassian's mother glared at his back as he walked outside. "What a disrespectful man."

A man in a suit came in, followed by two women and a man in their twenties.

"Is this the family lawyer?" I whispered.

"Yes," Zara said. "He will be reading the will. The family is gathered here because they were instructed to by the late patriarch. Granted, not everyone is here."

I hummed. "Who is missing?"

"More like you two. Cassian gets his womanizing ways from the late patriarch. He had at least a dozen more lovers and a few bastards with them. Although, like your mother, it appears those children have been dealt with. The grandkids who've managed to survive opted not to come."

I frowned. This family sounded worse the more I learned about it. I didn't want to hear this, but I had to. I needed to know what I was up against.

"Family and friends," the lawyer said, clearing his throat. "Thank you for coming. I know this is a difficult time, but I'm sure that Alistair would want us to continue on with the proceedings. As you all know, Alistair Veyron de Luthaine was a man of great vision, great power, and great wealth. He was a great businessman, and a great leader."

"He was a great man, alright," I whispered to Zara.

She nodded. "Indeed. He was a great man, but not a good man. He was ruthless and cruel. He would do anything to achieve his goals. But, he was also a brilliant businessman and a skilled negotiator. He was a force to be reckoned with."

I gulped. He sounded scary.