"Hehe..." she chuckled.The abrupt laughter startled everyone in the room, as doing so was unseemly amid the solemness of the mourning hall. It gave the impression that Lily did not take the deceased or the elders seriously.As the eldest, Jonathan darkened his face and said solemnly, "Lily! Don't be so rude in front of your grandfather's casket! How dare you laugh? How do you honor your grandfather who raised you?!""Granduncle Jonathan, how could I not laugh at this ridiculous soap opera at my grandfather's memorial? If Grandpa is in heaven right now, he’ll have a good laugh at this. Don’t you think so? He just passed away, and some people can't wait to make waves."Henry glared at her. "Who do you think is making waves?""I'm sure the one that’s making waves knows best!" Lily turned the tables on him by boldly staring into his eyes and slowly approaching him. "Uncle Henry! While I call you uncle out of respect for your age and experience, I advise you to be honest.""Everyone
"Well said! If there’s another reason for my grandfather's death, I’ll investigate the truth! So..." Lily looked around. "Let's report it to the police!"She pulled out her mobile phone as she spoke, "Since we all have different opinions, we might as well hand this matter over to the police. It’s the fairest thing to do to get justice. When the investigation is cleared, Grandpa can rest in peace."However, her arm was held against her before she could dial the number. Jonathan frowned and said solemnly, "You can't call the police!""That's right. You can't call the police." The elders surrounding them all spoke up. Surprisingly, they all decided against contacting the police."The Lodge family is a plutocratic family with a century-old foundation. It would be a shame for our family if something like this were to spread, regardless of who was responsible. The Lodge family must resolve things internally, and when we identify the guilty party, we’ll give them a fitting punishment. No
Ignoring him, Justin turned to look at Jonathan standing by them, "The Lodge family has a huge family business, and the family affairs are complicated. That makes it no easier than running a company. However, now that the incident happened so suddenly, I suggest temporarily allowing Granduncle Jonathan to take control. This is to provide reassurance to the others and also for the future of the Lodge family.” "Justin!" Henry shouted angrily, not expecting him to say that. Jonathan probably did not expect it either. He was stunned for a while and then laughed, "Well..."He stopped chuckling for a second, cleared his throat, and said, "Well, I'm getting old and being in charge of the family is tough work. I'm afraid my body can't bear it." "That's right! Uncle Jonathan is getting old and is in poor health. Are you bringing this up on purpose to make things difficult for us? It seems you intend to oppose me, Justin,” Henry said mockingly. "It’s tough work to be the
Glancing at Lily, Jonathan cleared his throat and said, "We must thoroughly investigate your grandfather's death. However, you two insist on your own words, and it is difficult to tell the difference for now, but don't worry. Since I’ve taken over the family, I will give you a satisfactory answer.” Sure enough, Lily wanted to get out of the way, sneering, "Granduncle, everyone understands the truth, but there should always be a conclusion. We mustn’t delay Grandpa’s burial. At least there should be a time limit, right?" "Why are you so anxious? Are you guilty?" Jonathan said unhappily after giving her a side glance."There’s no point in arguing anymore, and it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m guilty. What matters is the result. I only hope to find out the cause of grandpa's death." Lily did not want to take a step back and continued, "The elders are here today. Since Granduncle Jonathan is in charge of the family now, I believe I can convince everyone with actions instead
Alexander smiled and turned Lily’s body to face him. He gently placed her one hand on his chest and said warmly, "The heart is not always cold but also warm. How could you be so pessimistic, my love?"His lovely words made Lily blush, and the one hand he held was motionless, sticking to his chest. Lily’s hand felt warm from the heat of his body. "You knew this was a game and accompanied me through it all. Now you’re stuck here with me. I'm sorry," she sighed in a low voice.Alexander’s eyes sank, and he leaned down to bite her lips fiercely. It was not a gentle kiss, but a hard bite with his teeth, causing her to gasp in pain. After biting and releasing them, he stared into his wife’s eyes and said, "Remember this as a lesson. I'll punish you if you ever talk to me like I’m a stranger again."Lily was silent. ‘He’s such a domineering yet touching man.’She pursed her lips, and they felt numb. Still, the reality is that we’re stuck here, and they won’t give me the answer I want."J
Justin’s doors remained open beyond Lily’s expectations. It was as if he was waiting for her. Although Justin did not close the door, Lily glanced inside the room, raised her hand, and knocked on the door twice."Come in," Justin's voice sounded.Lily noticed only one dimly lit lamp turned on in the room. Justin was sitting on a chair by the window with a cup of coffee in front of him. It smelled fragrant, but it seemed as if he did not even take a sip."Justin.""Sit down," he said. His eyes remained calm as he glanced at Lily.Although there was still no expression on his face, Lily thought his eyes looked much better than when they were in the mourning hall."You..." After hesitating, she wanted to ask Justin something but needed to figure out where to start."Didn't I tell you not to come back? You’re still so stubborn," Justin started the conversation. Although he complained, Lily could hear that he was concerned."Do you think I could still escape if I don't come back?" L
She personally handed the candle to Justin, not thinking that any problems would occur."After you brought the candle back, did you light it up yourself, or did you hand it over to the housekeeper?"Taking a deep look at her as if guessing her thoughts, Justin's lips moved a little, and he faintly said two words: "Uncle Roger."Lily was silent.Roger did not have to explain himself. He was deeply devoted to Wilfred and had spent many years serving by his side. Nobody in the Lodge family would ever question Roger's allegiance.In other words, the doubts about the whole situation fell on the three of them. Since Lily and Justin could not argue, Henry and Jonathan saw this as an opportunity to attack them. At that moment, neither their guilt nor their innocence could be established with certainty."This is a conspiracy!" Lily's hand clenched into a fist. How vicious!It was not just as simple as framing. She wanted to know who tampered with the candle."I must find the real murder
Justin’s answer was not necessary anymore, as his attitude spoke volumes. Lily got back to her room and noticed that Alexander was not there. She had no idea where he had gone, but as he had assured her, they were on the Lodge family's grounds, which were perilous at times but mostly safe. Therefore, she should not worry about him.She had to handle some things urgently, so Lily took out her phone and called Olivia, “Liv, there’s a small candle stick in the safe inside my lab. Could you please send it to the FDA for lab testing?” “Why?” Olivia had not seen Lily in days. She was overjoyed to hear from Lily, but before Olivia could ask how she was doing, Lily made an unexpected request.“I need it urgently. Please help me,” Lily added, “Don’t tell anyone about this. You need to do this personally, and when you have the results, take a photo of it and keep the report safe with you.” “Okay,” Olivia promised though she was still slightly confused. As a perfumer, they were trained to