His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 46

No one had ever dared to speak to Conrad that way, especially not in public. Everyone braced for an explosion of anger, but instead, he simply lifted his hand and peeled Serena’s fingers from his arm. In a chilling voice, he ordered his bodyguards, “Get her out of here.”

Serena was dragged from the funeral hall, her cries echoing with misery and despair. “Conrad, how could you do this to me? You’re so cruel…”

Once she was gone, the hall, which had been filled with somber music, finally fell silent again.

Yazmin and Beth arrived soon after. Upon hearing how Yelena had hired a call girl to harm Marcus, Yazmin cursed both her and Serena. Then, she took Annika’s hands, her voice thick with self-reproach. “Annika, this is all my fault. If only I had known about the Sargent Group situation sooner.”

Yazmin wasn’t completely in the dark; she simply didn’t understand the business and had left it to her son. That trust had been misplaced. But he was still her son. No matter how much she complained in private, she couldn’t bring herself to say it to Annika’s face. The young couple's relationship was already on the verge of collapse and couldn't withstand any more gossip.

“This isn’t your fault,” Annika replied, her expression unreadable.

Marcus was buried shortly after, laid to rest forever in a Seafall City cemetery. Annika had chosen the plot herself, right next to her mother, Nadine.

Annika hadn't slept in two days. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her father's weary face, his eyes filled with tears as he told her, “Forget about Sargent Group, Annika. Just live a good life with Conrad.”

But she knew those weren't his true feelings. The company had been his lifeblood. If it weren’t for Sargent Group, he never would have fallen ill, much less lost his life.

Beth’s loyalty had always been with Annika, but her behavior since Marcus’s death was deeply concerning. She would just stare at the ceiling for hours, lost in thought. Beth had tried to talk to her, but Annika remained silent. She was getting desperate. That morning, before Conrad left, he had specifically told her to report any unusual behavior. Beth wasn't trying to be a tattletale; she was genuinely worried Annika might do something drastic.

Annika strode into the Sargent Group building and took the elevator up to the tech department, passing through it to reach the executive offices. Employees greeted her along the way, their demeanor far more somber than usual.

She had barely settled into her office when Harvey rushed in, holding several prototypes. “Take a look at this! It’s a new smart robot from R&D. The technicians were sent over from Beryl Group—top tech talent handpicked by Mr. Beryl himself.”

Harvey finished his enthusiastic pitch with a flourish. “If we take this to market, it’ll be a massive hit.”