Chapter 326: What Goes Around Comes Around

Emma's POV

The pain in Eleanor's eyes was unmistakable—not from his words, but from the knowledge that her son believed she didn't love him. I could almost hear her thoughts: she loved all three sons, but Gavin, being the youngest and most expressive, had naturally received more visible attention.

Eleanor's hands trembled slightly. "I should have seen your unhappiness sooner," she said quietly. "I should have considered more carefully before sending you away."

Martha returned with the medical kit, but Aiden was already walking away, not giving her the chance to even open it.

"Unbelievable," Rachel muttered beside me. "The man is impossible."

I nodded toward Alaric, who was standing quietly in the corner. "Can you check on him? I think he's staying to protect you."

The night was long and restless. Rachel and I barely slept, the tension of the day lingering like a fog that refused to lift. Eleanor kept vigil by the casket all night, despite Gavin's gentle attempts to persuade her to rest.

"Where's Aiden?" Rachel asked as dawn broke. "Do you think he ran?"

I shook my head. "He won't run. But he's planning something."

A soft knock on our door announced Eleanor, perfectly dressed despite her sleepless night. "Breakfast is ready, dears. I've supervised the chef myself."

Rachel shot me a mischievous look once Eleanor left. "Think she poisoned the food?"

"Don't even joke about that," I replied, though the thought had crossed my mind.

The breakfast table was immaculate, with a place set for Aiden though his chair remained empty. Eleanor moved around the table, personally serving everyone. She placed a pumpkin cheese quiche—my favorite—on my plate.

"I remembered how much you enjoy these," she said with a tired smile.

Despite the abundance of food, none of us ate much. Our minds were elsewhere, on the funeral to come.

At 9 AM, we gathered for the service. Aiden was still nowhere to be found.

"His phone goes straight to voicemail," Gavin reported to his mother. "Should we proceed without him?"

Eleanor checked her watch. "Let's wait another thirty minutes."

At 9:20, just as we were about to begin without him, Aiden finally appeared—with Blake by his side.

"Is that Blake?" Rachel gasped.

I turned and my heart stopped. Blake looked thinner, his tan deeper than before. He stood straight and tall, with a solidity about him that reminded me of bedrock. His eyes met mine briefly before focusing straight ahead.

"Why would he bring Blake here?" Rachel whispered. "Is he using him as a hostage?"

I had no answer, only a gnawing fear in my stomach.

"Let's begin," Gavin announced, his calm demeanor strangely detached, as if he were merely an observer rather than a son burying his father.

Aiden took his place in his black mourning suit, while Blake stood to the side, positioned like a family friend, though everyone knew the unresolved complications between him and the Reynolds family.

"Why is Blake being so compliant?" Rachel murmured. "Do you think Aiden drugged him?"

"Or he has leverage," I whispered back.

Halfway through the service, Aiden looked around with a frown. "Where's Mother?"

A chill ran through me as we all realized Eleanor wasn't present. I volunteered to check her room, a sense of foreboding growing with each step I took down the hallway.

I shivered involuntarily as I pushed open her door. "Mrs. Reynolds?" I called. No response.

"Mrs. Reynolds?" I tried again, moving closer to the bed.

There she lay, her face pale and peaceful, with traces of something at the corner of her mouth. I stood frozen until Martha entered behind me and gasped.

Gavin and Aiden rushed in. I reached for Eleanor's hand—still warm, yet cooling.

"Call an ambulance!" Aiden shouted.

"Don't bother," Gavin said softly. "It's too late."

"What do you mean?" Aiden demanded.

Gavin looked at his mother with sad understanding. "Mom wanted to join Dad. She wanted to be with him... There's nothing left in this world that she cared about or that needed her."

Aiden grabbed Gavin's collar. "What did you do? What did you say to her?"

"I did nothing," Gavin replied calmly. "But perhaps she couldn't bear Dad's sudden passing. He was devastated after learning what you've been doing."

I felt overwhelming guilt for my recent distance from Eleanor. She had begged me to come home, secretly bought my favorite macarons, prepared my favorite breakfast just this morning... and I had kept her at arm's length.

Eleanor had planned this. The realization cut through me like a knife.

Gavin knelt beside the bed, gently smoothing the pain lines from his mother's face and wiping away the residue from her lips.

"Mom," he whispered, "go now. Go be with Dad."

The funeral was delayed by an hour. The Reynolds family living room became a double wake, with Jonathan and Eleanor lying side by side. Gavin had placed their hands together, making them look as if they were merely sleeping.

I no longer worried about what Aiden might do. All I felt was profound sadness.

For ten years, I had been part of this family. Eleanor had taken me to social events, proudly introducing me as "my future daughter-in-law." She had wanted me to call her "Mom" just once. Now it would remain her unfulfilled wish forever.

With tears blurring my vision, I approached Eleanor's casket. "Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Rest well."

My tears obscured her face, and with them, Eleanor vanished from my world forever.

At the cemetery, as the service concluded and the coffins were about to be lowered, Rachel leaned close to me.

"Nothing's happened," she whispered.

I realized she was right. Whatever Aiden had planned for the funeral hadn't materialized. Had Eleanor's death changed his mind?

I glanced around. Aiden's eyes were red and swollen from crying. Gavin's expression remained unchanged, neither grief nor pain visible. Blake stood apart, his face masked with emotions I couldn't read. He hadn't approached me once.

"I just want this to be over," I murmured. "So Eleanor and Jonathan can rest in peace."

The priest invited everyone to remove the white roses from their lapels and place them in the grave. Aiden and Gavin knelt, preparing to offer the first handful of soil.

That's when the sirens started.

Aiden's hand visibly trembled. FBI vehicles swarmed the cemetery, and dozens of agents rushed toward us with weapons drawn.

"We've received a tip about illegal activities at this location," a lead agent announced loudly. "Everyone stay where you are."