The room had been buzzing with chatter and laughter, with everyone watching the drama unfold. But as soon as Holden arrived, silence fell. People instinctively stepped aside to make way for him, not daring to utter a word.
Sarah lifted her gaze to meet Holden’s.
He wore oversized sunglasses, concealing any hint of emotion. The cold air blowing through the hall made his pale face look even more detached, but his presence remained as arrogant and indifferent as ever.
Reuben’s expression showed a flicker of panic. Then, scanning the crowd, he forced himself to speak. “Holden, so you do remember to come back! Do you even realize Grandpa’s last wish was to see you? He passed away with regret!”
Some of the older relatives chimed in, their tone sympathetic.
“Holden, you already have so much. Just give the old house to your uncle and grandma.”
“Yeah, it’s all family-what’s it to you?”
“Young people should know when to let things go, Holden.”
“Your grandpa just passed, how can you treat them like this?”
And on it went, voices layering guilt upon guilt.
Sarah frowned slightly, anxiety creeping in. She was worried these words might sway Holden.
Holden let his gaze slowly sweep across the room, meeting each person’s eyes. Under his cold stare, everyone fell silent, visibly uncomfortable and second-guessing their earlier remarks.
With an indifferent tone, Holden said, “Before he passed, Grandpa transferred at least ten properties to Grandma Nicola’s name. Together, they’re worth over 200 million. She’s not exactly homeless.”
Nicola kept her head down, too afraid to meet his eyes.
It was true-Old Mr. Smith had given her those properties. But she’d sold them all to pay off the Lewis family’s debts, leaving her with nothing.
“As for my uncles…” Holden continued, his voice steady.
Samuel and Reuben both tensed, unease flickering across their faces.
Holden glanced between them. “You two fought over the inheritance so badly you drove Grandpa to collapse from anger. Are you seriously going to pretend you didn’t get anything?”
Samuel shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Holden’s gaze. He hadn’t expected Holden to know about something so private.
But Reuben wasn’t ready to give up. What he’d received might be a fortune for most people, but compared to what Holden had, it was mere pocket change. They were all part of the Smith family-how could Reuben accept being cast aside like this?
Some of the older relatives, hoping to stir things up or squeeze out some advantage, dared to speak up again, banking on their seniority.
“Come on, Holden, what they got isn’t much. You’ve got the lion’s share-why not be a little generous with your uncles?”
Holden gave the man a cold, measuring glance, making a mental note of his name.
“This house,” Holden said calmly, “was built by my grandparents as their wedding home. Most of the items inside were collected by my Grandma during her lifetime.” His voice remained emotionless. “I don’t intend for any of her things to end up in the hands of people who had nothing to do with her.”
Silence fell over the room like a heavy curtain.
Even those who wanted to argue found themselves with nothing to say. After all, it was perfectly reasonable for Holden to keep the home and its contents tied to his grandmother’s memory.
The real issue, they realized, was Reuben’s shamelessness for asking in the first place.
Those who had supported Reuben moments earlier now felt the sting of embarrassment.
Seeing his plan fall apart, Reuben flew into a rage. “We’ve lived here for so many years-what does she even have to do with it anymore?”
The other relatives, now eager to cover up their earlier missteps, jumped in all at once.
“Reuben, you can’t think like that. If something doesn’t belong to you, even if you live in it for a hundred years, it still won’t be yours.”
“You father already left you plenty. Don’t get greedy.”
“The whole company only got where it is today because of Holden. Your father gave you your share-don’t fight Holden for the old house. It was his grandmother’s, after all.”
The same people who had tried to guilt-trip Holden earlier were now turning on Reuben, scolding him to curry favor with Holden.
Reuben’s face flushed red with anger, his eyes burning with frustration.
By evening, only close relatives stayed to keep vigil, while distant relatives and friends began to leave.
Holden called in the house manager to go over the burial arrangements. When he finally took off his sunglasses, the redness in his eyes was clear. He looked cold and distant-so different from the warm and approachable image he usually projected.
Sarah knew Holden was exhausted. With the loss of close family on both sides, even someone as strong as him was bound to feel vulnerable. Old grudges and conflicts had a way of fading when death was involved.
Later that night, Sarah knocked on Holden’s door.
There was no response for a long time, and just as she was about to leave, the door opened.
Holden stood there in a black robe, his wet hair dripping onto his shoulders.
Sarah held out a cup of warm milk. “Here, this is for you.”
Holden glanced down at it, his expression unreadable.
“I promise I didn’t take a sip,” Sarah joked.
Holden let her in, took the cup, and drained it before setting it aside.
Sarah felt uneasy. Now that Old Mr. Smith was gone, there was no one left to interfere with Holden’s personal life. By all logic, divorce should be the next step-each of them returning to their own worlds, never to cross paths again.
Holden already knew what had happened during the days he was away, thanks to Butler Ted’s updates. He hadn’t kept in touch with his maternal grandfather in recent years and wasn’t aware of the man’s failing health. But even before leaving for the funeral abroad, he had suspected that Old Mr. Smith’s time was running out as well.
Sarah had handled everything perfectly.
Holden raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, then pulled her into his arms.
His wet hair dripped cold against her skin, and his slightly chilled body pressed against hers, making her head spin.
In truth, Holden barely had any family left now. Almost everyone he was related to by blood was gone.
So if Sarah ever dared to leave him-
If she ever dared-
He’d lock her away, make sure no one else could ever see her again.
And he knew, with complete clarity and logic, that it was the right decision.
His voice was low and carried a dangerous edge. “Sarah, will you always stay by my side?”
Sarah hesitated.
She couldn’t really agree-she had a career to maintain, and movies to shoot. Sure, the life of a trophy wife had its perks, but every now and then, she needed to work for herself, too.
But she knew Holden needed comfort right now.
With a determined smile, she answered, “Of course! As long as you need me, I’ll always be by your side.”
Holden pulled her even closer, like he wanted to fuse her fragile body into his.
Sarah could feel her bones aching from how tightly he held her, but she didn’t push him away. Instead, she waited patiently for him to calm down.
After a long while, Holden finally said, “Don’t forget what you promised me today.”
And if she did forget? He’d make sure, by any means necessary, that she remembered-so deeply it’d be etched into her very bones.
On the surface, Holden seemed gentle and harmless, like the shimmering ocean under the sun-warm, bright, and inviting. But once you were pulled into his depths, you’d realize there was no escape. Bit by bit, you’d be dragged into the cold, unforgiving sea.
Meanwhile, Reuben still had plans to stir up more trouble, trying to rally a few relatives to make some noise. Before Holden showed up, these people had been loud, insisting that they couldn’t let Holden take everything from the Smith family.
But the moment Holden arrived, they all fell silent. No matter how much Reuben pushed, no one dared step forward.
Once Old Mr. Smith was buried, Samuel wasted no time. He grabbed his inheritance and fled abroad, unwilling to spend another second in the country.
Reuben and Nicola, however, stayed behind.
Reuben wanted to build a business in the country. As a member of the Smith family with some useful connections, he believed he could make it big.
Samuel didn’t have that kind of ambition. All he cared about was blowing through his money-buying cars, partying at nightclubs, and hanging out with shady friends. The fortune Old Mr. Smith left him would last several lifetimes at that rate. And if it ever ran out, Samuel figured he could always go crawling back to Holden. Let Holden mock him all he wanted-Samuel wasn’t above begging if it meant easy money.
But Reuben was different. He wanted to build something from scratch and prove himself while he was still young. He dreamed of taking Holden down.
Meanwhile, Nicola was still running around, trying to pay off the Lewis family’s mountain of debt.