Elias' headache worsened as he listened to the discussions around him. He turned to look at a bodyguard and ordered, "Get him out of here!"
"Yes."
With that, Oscar was lugged away from the funeral by the bodyguard. He bellowed at Elias, "Is this how you repay Old Mr. Winters for doting on you? His cause of death is still not identified, so how could you bury him without getting to the culprit first? Don't you think about why he rolled down the stairs all of a sudden? How are you supposed to lead the Winters Family? All his love for you was for nothing!"
Oscar's harsh words deeply hurt Elias. How was it possible that Howard's love for his grandson was all for nothing? Elias wouldn't let the cause of his grandfather's death remain a mystery forever, but he was afraid that if he looked into the matter, Amanda might turn out to be the culprit.
He knew that he shouldn't doubt Amanda, but the incident was too coincidental. Although his rational mind told him he should get to the truth, his instincts told him he should trust Amanda unconditionally.
Faced with the older man's accusation, Amanda looked around and realized everyone was glancing at her in a way as if she was indeed the murderer.
If she didn't make herself clear, everyone in Imperia would get wind of the rumor that she had killed Howard by the very same night. She turned to look at Elias and said, "You have to get to the truth so that Old Mr. Winters will truly be at peace in heaven, and it'll also prove my innocence. Since I've done nothing wrong, I'm not afraid of anyone looking into the matter."
With that, she left the funeral with her child. Elias was startled for a moment before feeling ashamed that he even doubted Amanda in the first place.
He had repeatedly told himself that he had to trust the woman, but still, he couldn't help but suspect that she might have killed his grandfather.
Behind the door, Grace had been hiding the entire time. When she saw what was going on, she was anxious. If Elias looked into the matter, he might find some traces and get to her.
I can't let that happen! I have to twist the evidence so that it'll point to Amanda! Moreover, she's the prime suspect now, for she was the one who discovered Old Mr. Winters' death.
As a sinister glint flashed across Grace's eyes, she turned around and muttered, "Don't blame me for being ruthless, Amanda. You were unlucky to be present at the scene at that time."
…
Rain was pouring down on the cemetery. The clouds appeared so heavy that it was as if the sky was about to come crashing down. One would feel depressed just by staying under such weather conditions.
Elias held a black umbrella and stood in front of Howard's grave while looking at his photo. He had been standing in the rain for a long time.
Somewhere near him, Yacob had been keeping him company with an umbrella. He had been Elias' subordinate for years, so he understood his temperament very well. Elias didn't need any consolation at that moment. As a subordinate, he just had to stay by his side in silence.
Elias had to sort out his emotions, and no one except himself could do that.
While standing in front of Howard's grave and glancing at his photo, Elias finally said, "I have to take my leave, Grandpa. I can't keep you company anymore, for I have to deal with many things. I have to find out the truth of your death and manage Winters Enterprise. By the way, I've sent my mom back to the nursing home. I hope you won't blame me for it. She'll be better off staying there, and it's a way of protecting her as well."
Regardless of what Elias said, the hot-tempered Howard would never reply to him again. Only the endless silence and the sounds of pouring rain responded to him.
Elias felt his heart getting twisted. He was in so much pain that he could no longer say anything. Despite his young age, he had experienced the pain of losing the people closest to him twice.
After standing in front of the grave for a while longer, he said, "I'll visit you again."
Then, he turned around and left. When he passed by his father's grave, he couldn't help but let out a laugh, for he found everything laughable and ridiculous.
He didn't believe that curses existed in this world, but there was no way it was a coincidence that he repeatedly lost his family members.
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