The Return of Special Forces Queen novel Chapter 6

Once she finalized her parents' burial, she was going straight to the border to find her brother!

After ensuring the urn was secure, Jocelyn walked out of the columbarium. A steady drizzle fell from the gray sky.

As she opened her umbrella, she overheard a few people whispering nearby.

"Look at all those cars. Did you see the government officials earlier? Which VIP died?"

"Do you live under a rock? The patriarch of the Barrett family passed away. They're holding his memorial service here!"

"Oh my god, the Barretts? Who's going to take over the family now?"

"Who else? That ruthless lunatic who holds all the power, obviously."

Jocelyn finally understood why the streets outside were lined with police barricades. It was the funeral of the Barrett family patriarch.

In Aethelburg, the Barrett family was a terrifying monolith. Everyone knew of them, and absolutely no one dared to cross them.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she saw a sprawling fleet of sleek black luxury cars, a blatant display of the deceased's untouchable status.

Suddenly, the door of the luxury car nearest to her swung open. A bodyguard in a sharp suit immediately stepped forward with a large black umbrella. A tall, imposing figure stepped out of the vehicle.

The umbrella shadowed the upper half of the man's face, but Jocelyn could clearly see his strong, chiseled jawline. He had a perfectly straight nose, pale, thin lips, and hands that were long, defined, and wrapped in an aura of chilling lethality. They were the hands of a man intimately acquainted with violence.

In that split second, Jocelyn's gaze locked with a pair of dead, pitch-black eyes.

They were striking—deep, narrow, and sweeping up slightly at the corners. But the sheer emptiness inside them was terrifying. It was as if nothing in this world was worthy of being reflected in his gaze.

He was here to attend a funeral, yet his face was completely devoid of grief or emotion.

"Yes. It's done," she replied flatly.

"My mom is older and has her superstitions. She wasn't deliberately targeting you," Carter said, stepping forward and pulling Jocelyn into a gentle embrace.

"Jocelyn, I'm sorry. I know you were wronged today. I promise I'll make it up to you," he murmured softly.

Make it up to her? A wave of profound sadness washed over Jocelyn. His embrace felt warm, yet it chilled her straight to the bone.

She wasn't the one who had been truly wronged today—her parents were! Fallen heroes, banned from entering their own daughter's home by the very man whose empire was built on their blood. How could Carter possibly make up for that?

Once, she had craved the warmth of his arms. But now, she felt utterly repulsed by this counterfeit affection.

Jocelyn shoved Carter away, looking dead into the eyes of the man she had once loved. "Carter, let's get a divorce."