Ch. 140 NEW FAMILY

Emily’s POV

I couldn't control the steady stream of tears that fell down my cheeks as Robert encircled me in a comforting hug. I stood before my grandfather's freshly dug grave, the cold October wind whipping through the funeral hall as mourners gathered behind me.

So many unfamiliar faces had come to pay their respects, yet my focus remained fixed only on the ornate casket that held my beloved grandfather's earthly remains. I remembered the last time he had hired bodyguards to protect me from Robert and couldn't help but wonder what had become of them.

My grandfather had been the father I had never truly known, the one who had scolded my own father for cruelly chasing me out, who had showered me with affection and sympathy. It was that very favoritism that had driven the block between us, my father's hatred decaying like a poison.

Robert's hand gently guided me as I placed the bouquet of lily-of-the-valley, my grandfather's favorite flowers, on top the casket. I tried to pull away, d