Death is not the end of life. I believe they’re at a better place now.
After the eulogies were delivered, the guests came forward and paid their last respects to the deceased. Everything seemed to be going accordingly as planned. However, when a woman with a dramatic derby hat caught my eye, a bad feeling washed over me.
She had a model-like figure and a pair of sultry eyes that gave off an air of confidence. Taking a closer look, I realized she looked somewhat similar to Anthony.
The said woman walked towards Anthony with her chin held high, and there was no sadness or sympathy in her eyes. She extended her hand elegantly and shook Anthony’s hand. “My condolences.”
Then, she flicked her eyes at me, sizing me up, before following the other guests and placed a flower in front of the deceased’s portraits.
I was not the only one who noticed her; such an eye-catching woman would undoubtedly catch Anthony’s attention as well.
Just as I expected, after the woman walked a distance away, Anthony shot a look at Joseph and whispered, “Follow her.”
“Right away.” Joseph nodded and took off.
After the funeral ended, Anthony and I headed to the garden outside. We were surprised to see the woman from just now.
Wearing a pair of sunglasses on her, she sat on a bench leisurely and watched us approach her with a steady gaze.
We took a seat opposite of her, our figures reflecting on the lens of her sunglasses that shielded the emotion in her eyes.
“I’ve always wondered how my elder brother would look like if I had one. By the looks of it, you’re not as disappointing as I thought you would be.” She broke the silence first.
I was shocked beyond words at her somewhat casual statement. That was not what I had expected her first sentence to be.
If I’m not mistaken, she must be Christopher’s daughter. This means Anthony’s mother may be alive…
Anthony, on the other hand, was calm and collected. He seemed unfazed when he asked, “Where is Mother?”
Years of relationship had made both of us have the same lines of thought.
The woman before us removed her sunglasses and flashed a bright smile. “Does it matter? Don’t you need to know my identity first?”
Anthony fell silent for a while before answering her impatiently, “You’re Nicolas Hall’s daughter. One of the top five hundred richest people in the world, and the youngest candidate in the Forbes list, Tiffany Hall.”
Anthony seemed to have looked into the Hall family after finding out that Christopher was still alive.
Tiffany lowered her gaze and chuckled. “My achievement normally would overawe my peers, but you look so calm. It’s no wonder you’re Dad’s son.”
Anthony’s face fell instantly when he heard her mention Christopher. Worried that he might take out his anger for his father on her, I quickly grabbed his hand to placate him. Then, I looked at Tiffany and said, “Please do us a favor and cut to the chase. Tell us what you’re here for, Ms. Hall.”
The woman had purposely come to meet us on the day of the funeral of Charlie and Helen. Obviously, she was not a person who was considerate of other people’s feelings, so she might as well stop with her small talk.
It was only then Tiffany looked at me from the corner of her eyes. “Oh, you must be Sienna. Your children are certainly a big help to me.”
I felt uneasy at once. Both Christopher and her daughter had mentioned our babies. What do they want from my darlings?
She seemed to have read my mind, seeing as to how she added, “Don’t worry; I mean no harm. I’m only here to persuade Anthony to bring all of you to the Hall family.”
Judging from her appearance and her achievements, she was clearly a career-oriented woman. Why would she ask Anthony to go back to the Hall family and be one of her competitors in the family?
Only the fittest would survive the fierce competition in an affluent family, and Thora was the best example.
Anthony clenched his fists. “Who told you I’m a part of the Hall family?”
His words were filled with anger and extreme disappointment.
A family was supposed to care for one another and stay with each other. But, the Hall family had abandoned Anthony and let him suffer the loss of his parents while they lived happily on the other side of the world.
Tiffany had been pampered since the day she was born; that was why she could speak those words easily. Although she had nothing to do with the scheme of Christopher, belittling the suffering of others was disrespectful and contemptible.
Being able to easily find us here meant that she was not someone ordinary. However, it was beyond me why she would choose the time when Anthony had just lost his family to ask him to return to the other family that had abandoned him years ago.
Perhaps the Hall family members were all ruthless. Fortunately, Anthony was an exception; he did not have their heartless personality traits.
Tiffany probably had not expected Anthony to reject her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes before retorting, “I don’t really like to joke around, Anthony. Even though Dad and Mom did not want you, I still accept you as a Hall. I’m not as narrow-minded as them. We’re biological siblings, so I believe you can definitely get along with us. Although the Hall family’s property mostly belonged to my brother and I, we can surely help you if you need…”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “Are you saying that Christopher has another son?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Anthony’s entire body tensed up. He clenched his fists even tighter.
“Ah…” Tiffany flashed us a small smile. “He tends to keep a low profile, but don’t worry; he’s a congenial person. Don’t you think that it’s better to get together? Anthony grew up alone, but now, we can finally be together and take care of each other. I’m sure our family will become more prosperous.”
As she continued to chatter away, she suddenly paused and looked at Anthony, smiling. “Anthony, don’t you want to be a part of the Halls?”
How could a person who was born into a happy family feel the pain of an abandoned child?
Tiffany’s words were indeed hurtful, but I knew, deep down, that whatever had happened was not her fault.
Anthony, now overcome with emotion, could not take it anymore and left abruptly.
“What’s wrong with him? Does he really have to throw a tantrum in front of his sister?” Tiffany grumbled.
I immediately defended him, saying, “Since you know that he’s your brother, respect him. You have no right to comment about his rights and wrongs. Don’t judge him with your own shallow view of life.”
“Why are you getting so worked up, Sienna? I can understand that Anthony is in a bad mood. That’s because we are family. But you’re not one of us. I don’t like to swallow my anger in front of other people.”
What? Anthony and I have been married for ten years, and yet she sees me as an outsider?
Anthony’s father hated and abandoned his own biological son, while his sister shows no respect to her own sister-in-law. The manners of the Hall family are surely eye-opening…
Fuming, I glared at her and growled, “Joseph, send our guest out.”
Anthony and I decided to go back to K City once everything regarded the funeral had been settled.
Anthony was now the only one left in the Featherstone family. Just like the family home, most of the housekeepers in Uncle Charlie’s villa were dismissed. Only a few stayed to look after the villa.
The Featherstones’ family home was now completely empty.
Before we departed, Anthony sat in the car and looked wistfully at the house where he had grown up in. Holding his hand in mine, I leaned on his shoulder and waited quietly. A few minutes later, he squeezed my hand and said to the chauffeur, “Let’s go.”
As Christopher was still alive, the plan to avenge his death became a joke. Anthony no longer had things to settle in J City and boarded the same plane back with me.
As expected, after we landed, the reporters swarmed us as soon as we reached the gate. Tom and the other bodyguards were escorting us, but still, we could not make it out of the crowd unscathed.
“Mr. Featherstone, you’ve come back here with Ms. Stanhope. Does that mean both of you are getting back together?”
“Is the engagement between Mr. Featherstone and Ms. Ziegler canceled?”
“Do you guys plan to remarry? Is it because of the children?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.