Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Elizabeth's soul floated in the air. She could clearly see a scalding tear sliding down from the corner of Matthew's tightly closed eyes.
In that moment, Elizabeth's heart shattered too.
"Matthew, don't be afraid..." she cried silently, "You're not alone. You still have me, and our child. Even if the whole world leaves you, I'll stand by your side."
Three days later, Shadowpine, Evergreen Memorial Gardens.
The sky was overcast, dark clouds blanketing the entire city as heavy rain poured down.
On the mountain road leading to the cemetery, a long line of black Mercedes sedans stretched far into the distance.
All the influential figures in Shadowpine, dressed in black and holding black umbrellas, gathered outside the memorial hall with solemn expressions.
In the center of the hall stood Steven's enormous black-and-white portrait, surrounded by white chrysanthemums.
Matthew wore a black suit with a white flower pinned to his chest, standing straight in the front row of the family receiving line.
As the eldest grandson presiding over the funeral, he was announcing to everyone that he, Matthew, was the next leader of the Moore family.
Guests came forward one by one to bow. As they passed Matthew, they were intimidated by his powerful presence, not even daring to meet his eyes.
Elizabeth's soul stood quietly beside Matthew, watching him handle everything alone.
Just then, a sharp screech of brakes came from outside the memorial hall.
The guards at the entrance were forced to step aside.
A middle-aged man in a dark gray suit and black overcoat, surrounded by a dozen bodyguards, strode into the memorial hall.
The man was probably in his fifties, bearing six or seven points of resemblance to Matthew, but with a more sinister look in his eyes.
This was Philip, Matthew's biological father.
As soon as Philip appeared, guests stepped back, afraid of getting caught in the conflict.
Philip walked straight up to Matthew and stopped.
They were about the same height, but their presence was completely different.
One was restrained yet deadly, the other arrogant and brutal.
"My dear son." Philip spoke first, laughing quietly. "You moved pretty fast. While I was away, you went ahead and arranged your grandfather's funeral. What's the rush? Eager to announce to the world that you're in charge now?"
Matthew showed no expression, his eyes not moving an inch.
He looked coldly at the man before him, his voice steady: "Grandfather left orders before he died. Philip is disobedient and unfilial, with no right to participate in any core affairs of the Moore Group. Including his funeral."
He looked at Philip with contempt: "Everyone here today is a guest. If you want to pay respects, go line up in the back. If not, the door's behind you. Don't let me keep you."
"You!" The men behind Philip immediately drew their guns.
Almost simultaneously, the bodyguards John brought raised dozens of guns, all aimed at Philip's head.
The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
"Stand down." Philip raised his hand, signaling his men to lower their guns.
He wasn't angry. Instead, he laughed harder, his eyes full of madness.
He leaned a step forward, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "You think getting your grandfather's shady businesses means you can fight me? Matthew, you're too naive. Your grandfather was confused. Does he really think those old guys who've been sleeping for decades will listen to you?"
Philip stared hard into Matthew's eyes, trying to find a trace of panic on his face, but he was disappointed.
"And..." Philip changed his tone, speaking viciously, "Pregnant Elizabeth still hasn't woken up, has she? Poor thing. She probably won't wake up for the rest of her life. Nothing good comes to those who stay with you."
Hearing Philip mention Elizabeth, Matthew, who had been expressionless, finally showed intense killing intent deep in his eyes.
However, Matthew didn't lose control as Philip expected.
He slowly pulled at the corner of his mouth and finally spoke: "Philip. Do you believe that within three days, my mercenaries abroad will take over your three arms warehouses? Within a week, the seven people you planted on the Moore Group's board will all be sent to prison for embezzlement and leaking secrets?"
The smile on Philip's face froze.
Matthew looked at him and continued: "You think what Grandfather left me is a trump card? Wrong."
He stepped forward, his presence overwhelming: "Those are just small chips I'm using to play with you. Since you think I'm as easy to bully as my mother, let's see who dies first."
"Watch that head on your neck. In this world, you're not the only one who knows how to play with lives."
Philip's face instantly turned livid, his facial muscles twitching constantly.
Philip finally realized that the Matthew before him had become more cold-blooded, more patient, and more ruthless than himself.
"You're asking for death—" Philip growled through gritted teeth, his voice low.
Matthew couldn't be bothered to look at him. He simply turned and walked toward the exit of the memorial hall.
"John, show him out. If he dares cause trouble at the funeral, break his legs and throw him out. I'll take responsibility."
The rain fell harder. John opened a black umbrella, shielding Matthew as they walked into the rain and got into the bulletproof Maybach parked by the roadside.
The car door slammed shut, blocking out the sound of rain and commotion outside.
Only then did Matthew's tense expression finally collapse.
Elizabeth's soul floated into the car and sat beside him.
She turned her head, her pupils contracting.
She saw that the man who had just pushed his biological father to anger in the memorial hall was now leaning helplessly against the seat.
His long, slender hands were clasped tightly together, trembling uncontrollably.
Matthew closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
His mind was filled with Philip's words: "She hasn't woken up yet, she probably won't wake up for the rest of her life." Those words had pierced him.
"Elizabeth..." he murmured, his voice weak.
Elizabeth's heart tightened.
She finally understood that all of Matthew's toughness just now had been forced.
He had just lost a loved one, faced threats from his biological father, and had to endure the torment of not knowing whether she and their child would live or die.
"I'm here... Matthew, I'm here!"
Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. She reached out her phantom hands and slowly covered his trembling fists.
Though she couldn't truly hold them, the moment her soul touched his hands, Matthew's trembling slowly subsided.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at his clasped hands, as if feeling a familiar tenderness.
"To Serena's Haven." Matthew ordered John in a deep voice. "Drive fast. I need to see her right now."
The car roared through the storm, speeding toward the hospital.
The rain had stopped, and morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the room.
The room was very quiet, with only the regular beeping of medical equipment maintaining the life of the pale girl on the bed.
Matthew sat on the sofa by the bed, massaging Elizabeth's slightly swollen calves.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from the corridor.
The door was pushed open.
John was breathing hard: "Mr. Matthew Moore, something's happened! Mr. Philip Moore... he's gone crazy!"
Matthew's gaze remained on Elizabeth's sleeping face: "Speak."
John swallowed, his fingers trembling as he lit up the tablet screen: "Half an hour ago, Mr. Philip Moore sent an announcement through the Moore Group's overseas PR department to over three hundred media outlets worldwide. He... he announced..."
"You will officially marry the heiress of the Carter family, Hazel, on the fifteenth of next month."