Chapter 85 Closed coffin
“Excuse me, I think you have the wrong person, Katherine. I'm not your daughter," Karen said seriously. Katherine's face fell, and Gordon felt ashamed.
They couldn't even wait to disown her, and now they think they can reclaim what they discarded?
Regret came too late, and this time, there was a barrier they couldn't cross. Karen belonged to the Dawsons and that made her untouchable.
"Karen, we are sorry, but you are our only daughter. Everything we have is yours," Gordon said with remorse. However, looking into his eyes, Karen was only reminded of the last slap he gave her, which was the final straw.
After teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, they now wanted her to have it all?
"Dad, I'm not here to sympathize with you," Karen responded directly, keeping her voice low to avoid attracting attention.
They had already drawn enough eyes, and she didn't want any more. "I only came to confirm if Tonia is really dead. If not, then I'll kill her right here, myself," she said heartlessly, though her voice was almost a whisper.
Katherine and Gordon exchanged glances, fear swirling around them. This girl was not the Karen they raised. She was ruthless, with a hardened expression.
"Karen, don't speak like that. Tonia was adopted, and we only treated her better because we saw her as our good luck charm. A year after adopting her, your mother became pregnant with you, but after realizing we had been deceived, we even had plans," Gordon explained.
Karen pretended to be interested. "I don't understand how you were deceived. You don't seem like someone who can be easily fooled. Or am I mistaken about you?"
She stared at them as if they were strangers she had never encountered before. Gordon sighed. "Can we sit and talk after the ceremony? There is a lot we need to tell you."
Both her father and mother had grown ten years from the last time she saw them and she couldn’t tell if it was because of Tonia’s death or something else.
Even her mother was no longer the fashion freak she once knew. Karen was about to refuse, but Roger agreed. "Sure, we are already here anyway."
As they sat in the VIP seats, they noticed from a distance that the coffin was closed.
Roger immediately signaled to the funeral director, and when he arrived, Roger asked, "Why is the coffin closed? I don't think we are late."
During funerals, the coffin typically remains open for a specified time to allow guests to view the contents. However, things were different here, confirming Roger's suspicions. It's at the family's request, sir. They believe the condition of the victim is too terrible to witness."
"Well, I want to see," Roger insisted, leaving the funeral director feeling helpless. "Alright, I will speak to the family."
Roger glanced around at the unfamiliar faces, intensifying his curiosity. He stopped the director and whispered something in his ear, causing the latter to smile nervously before leaving.
"What did you tell him?" Karen inquired, and Roger didn't hesitate to share.
"To bring me some hair, nails, or any identifying item he can find," he shrugged, noticing Karen's slight frown. "Are you sure he will comply? I thought we agreed to handle it ourselves."
Roger let out a frustrated sigh, realizing she wouldn't understand. "There are suspicious individuals," he whispered. "If they are involved, our proximity to the body could raise suspicion. It's better to make them believe they have won."
Karen nodded as the realization sank in. Roger had a better grasp of security matters, so she decided to go along with his suggestion.
As the event drew to a close, Karen observed men in black swiftly carrying the coffin while the funeral director discreetly slipped something into Roger's pocket as if passing on information.
"We have what we need. Let's leave now," Roger announced, rising from his seat. The Dawsons, seated in different areas, stood up simultaneously, but Katherine hurried over to them.
"Karen, aren't you coming with us to the cemetery?"
Karen shook her head. "Sorry, I don't have time."
"What about the Company? It's all yours now," Katherine hinted, causing Karen to purse her lips. "I have too much on my plate. I'm not interested."
"Please," Katherine pleaded, briefly grabbing Karen's arm. Karen turned to face her. "Look, find another daughter to adopt. I'm not interested in the Fletchers," she said through clenched teeth, her eyes cold. However, she noticed a group of law enforcers entering as they approached Clara.
In the next moment, cold handcuffs were being secured around her wrists. "What's happening now?" Karen questioned, and Katherine tearfully explained.
"We set it up. When we wanted to adopt, we sought an orphan, and she directed us to the farm knowing Tonia was hers. She orchestrated the fire, resulting in her sister and brother-in-law's deaths so Tonia could be adopted by us. I believe they deserve justice."
For the first time, her mother seemed to have done something right. “You are right about that. They deserve justice.”
Katherine smiled and lowered her head, her hand holding Karen dropped. Before she lifted her head, Karen and the whole Dawson squad had all left.
Only the murmurs remained. “It seems the Dawsons only came because of the Fletchers' second daughter.”
“Indeed, and they seemed to be in a hurry,” someone else said. Gordon was depressed.
“How the heck do we make her forgive us?” he asked his wife in a whisper, leaving both of them helpless.
Roger and Karen had barely reached the car when Roger passed the remains to one of the Dawson’s bodyguards. “I want to know whose remains these are.”
The bodyguard nodded and left before Roger opened the car door for Karen. Arriving home, a surprise awaited Karen.