Chapter 297

Chapter 297
When Frank returned to the funeral home's resting room, Henry was already awake.

The family doctor had successfully revived him, but he looked terrible—leaning back against the sofa, dark circles under his eyes, his brows tightly knitted together.

Henry couldn't understand it. His grandfather had adored Sophia, and she had always claimed to respect him, treating William as her own grandfather. Yet she hadn't even shown up for his funeral.

What kind of heartless woman wouldn't come to say a final goodbye?

When Henry noticed Frank returning, his gaze darkened further.

"Let me guess—you didn't even get a clear look at his face, did you?"

Frank opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally, he gave Henry a meaningful look and simply nodded.

Henry's lips curled into a bitter smile, his face filled with contempt. "I underestimated my opponent," he said flatly. "Forget it for now. Let's just get through Grandfather's funeral first."

The IV solution flowed steadily into Henry's veins as he deliberately increased the drip rate.

Soon, the medication was completely absorbed. Henry removed the needle himself and looked at his two friends. "Let's go!"

Today was momentous for the Harding family—the day William would be laid to rest. Nothing could go wrong.

When Richard emerged carrying his father's urn, Henry immediately stepped forward to walk beside him, holding an umbrella over his father's head. In his other hand, he carried William's portrait photograph.

As they exited the hall, the rain intensified. A bodyguard rushed forward to shield Henry, but he pushed the man away.

His tall, slender figure disappeared into the downpour alongside Richard, both men looking utterly desolate.

Richard seemed to have aged a decade overnight, the hair at his temples turned completely white. He cradled his father's urn, fingers gently tracing its edges, the cold sensation penetrating to his core. If Henry hadn't been supporting him, he might have collapsed entirely.

Grace walked behind them, holding Billy's hand, sobbing uncontrollably. Despite her frequent complaints about William's favoritism toward Sophia, she couldn't accept that he was truly gone.

At the burial site, the rain miraculously stopped. Richard held the urn of his father's ashes, placing it in the small burial vault, and finally broke down, weeping openly.

William's funeral was grand and formal. Having made enormous contributions to New York's development, everyone who heard of his passing came to pay their respects.

Before long, the grave was surrounded by mountains of white chrysanthemums.

With professional guidance, the interment proceeded quickly. Within half an hour, William was laid to rest.

Henry stared at his grandfather's smiling face on the headstone, his eyes bloodshot. He stepped forward, gently touching the photograph, and whispered: "Grandpa, don't worry. I won't let anyone who's hurt the Harding family go unpunished! No matter who they are!"

Since William's passing, Richard had fallen gravely ill.

Wanted posters for Sophia still covered every street in New York, and online discussions raged without resolution.

Yet at the center of this storm, the Harding household remained eerily calm.

Grace had voluntarily taken on the responsibility of caring for Billy, escorting him to and from school daily with a security detail of over twenty guards. She wouldn't leave until she personally saw him safely in his classroom.

After dropping Billy at school, she would go straight to the hospital to care for Richard. Though her father repeatedly insisted she needn't trouble herself, she persisted in showing her filial devotion.

Beyond that, she had found Sophia's notebook and followed the recipes to prepare various nourishing soups for Henry. She had even saved Dr. Violet Perez's number and would call immediately at the slightest sign of Henry's heart acting up.

Since Sophia's disappearance, Henry's health had deteriorated significantly, with frequent chest pains. After his grandfather's death, the shock had caused him to lose considerable weight. Already lean, he now looked skeletal.

He tried to numb himself with work while simultaneously searching for Sophia and caring for Billy, utterly exhausted. Yet he never stopped looking for her.

Although Billy enjoyed spending time with his aunt, he desperately missed his mother and would constantly ask Henry: "When is Mommy coming home?"

Henry could only respond with silence. He didn't know where Sophia was or if she would ever return.

Looking at Billy, who resembled Sophia more each day, Henry's resentment had long since vanished.

All that bullshit about Sophia being a replacement! About Billy not being his son! To hell with all of it!

He just wanted Sophia back, safe and sound. Everything else could be completely forgotten!

Sometimes, when he missed Sophia unbearably, he would search his phone for her photos.

To his surprise, he didn't have a single one.

Finally, he would end up rummaging through storage rooms in the middle of the night, finding old pictures of Sophia with Sam, staring at them until dawn.

Before anyone realized it, spring had ended. By late May, summer heat had begun to settle in, and most people had already shed their spring clothes for cooler summer attire.

Betty was concerned about not having summer clothes, so she went shopping alone. Standing outside a familiar women's clothing store, she hesitated, unable to take that final step inside for the longest time.

This brand wasn't high-end, but the quality of materials and craftsmanship was excellent—not inferior to luxury brands but much more affordable. It had been a favorite of both hers and Sophia's.

Betty suddenly froze, spotting a familiar silhouette trying on clothes inside. She stared dumbfounded at the slender figure, afraid to blink lest the vision disappear.

She thought she might be hallucinating, so she kept blinking repeatedly, unwilling to look away. The woman trying on clothes inside was oblivious to Betty watching from outside and continued asking the sales assistant for different outfits.

After trying on a second outfit, four burly men approached her. They whispered something in her ear, and she immediately stopped trying on clothes, asking the clerk to package everything she had selected. When she turned to pay with her credit card, her face was visible from the store entrance, giving Betty a clear view.

Upon confirming it was indeed the face she'd been longing to see, Betty wanted to call out her name.

But noticing the four intimidating men surrounding her, she quickly covered her mouth.

The woman completed her purchase. The men took the bags, thoroughly inspected everything, then handed them back to her, growling menacingly: "Behave yourself! Or you'll regret it!"

The woman remained silent, carefully rearranging her clothes in the shopping bags before heading toward the exit. Soon, she spotted Betty standing frozen at the entrance.

Seeing Betty, the woman seemed startled for a moment.

Then, quickly averting her face, she pretended nothing had happened and coldly walked past Betty without acknowledgment.