Stolen By My Billionaire Brother-In-Law-Chapter 54: Untamed Loiness

[Next Day]

The funeral was held privately in the old Faye mansion. The sun hid behind thick clouds, creating an even somber mood in the almost dead garden. Things had been arranged quickly last night by Callum, from cleaning the entire old mansion to arranging security and entry for only designated people.

Rafaelo reluctantly walked over and stood beside the casket where the dead body was laid. He was wearing all black like everyone else, but his expression was not of sadness or mourning, but more of frustration.

"Wipe that scorn off your face," Gianna scolded him. Yes, Emmerich did them dirty, but he was still her husband. Paying him respects and sending him off well was her responsibility, and she was here to fulfill it dutifully.

Rivana observed everything from afar. Guests paid respects, some friends cried, some workers wailed at their chairman’s death, while a few stood in silence in front of the casket for a few minutes. The hospital had delayed finishing their procedures and delivered him quite late in the night, so they had postponed the funeral to this morning.

The event staff came to her with a tablet in their hand. Rivana finalized and signed a few things, and they walked away.

Azrael, who was standing beside her, glanced at her and suggested, "You should get some rest."

"I will once everything is over," Rivana replied with a sigh. They had sent Leonora and Ezekiel to get some rest, but Azrael didn’t leave her alone. He would follow her wherever she went, make sure she drank water from time to time, and never took his eyes off her. And she seriously felt bad for him.

Turning to him, she placed her hand on his arm and suggested, "You should get some rest. Nora will be here soon, you should go once she is here."

When Azrael stubbornly shook his head, she sighed and added, "I know this is hard for you. Don’t push yourself too much." She knew it brought back his most haunted memories—his mother’s funeral and the drama that had disrupted the peaceful event. She didn’t want him to feel it all through again.

Azrael reluctantly nodded with a sigh.

A few minutes later, Leonora was back, and Rivana sent Azrael away.

"Where is your mother?" Leonora couldn’t help but wonder about it. Amerie hadn’t shown up at all, and neither had Rubina. It was a little nerve-wracking. She just hoped they weren’t planning something awful on such a day too.

"I don’t know," Rivana murmured, heaving another sigh. She had been sighing so much since last night that even that felt tiresome.

Leonora gave her a side hug and touched her head with hers. "You are doing a great job. I would have fainted hours ago if I were in your place."

"Trust me, I am trying not to," Rivana murmured, closing her eyes.

A few guests came to greet her, and she straightened up. Getting up from her seat, she bowed and exchanged a few words with them.

"He made the right decision. We will be here to support you, don’t worry," one of the shareholders said, a few agreeing with him. Among the three children, Rivana, though two years younger than Rafaelo, had the potential to run the Faye Groups. And Emmerich might have realized it too, leaving it in her hands to follow his legacy. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Leonora received a call from Ezekiel and excused herself, sensing everyone in the group was good people.

"Rivana!"

Someone shouted Rivana’s name and came barging toward her. The group turned around and moved away, realizing who it was.

Mallory Faye. She was Emmerich’s mother.

Rivana looked at her with a frown, her eyes then fixing on Amerie behind the older woman. Amerie wore a smirk, and that disgusted Rivana even more. For God’s sake, this was a funeral, and they needed to end it peacefully.

Pak!

Mallory slapped Rivana, making the guests gasp out loud. The shareholders took a step back, sensing some family feud. Rivana was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize what was happening until it hit her.

Leonora rushed back at the commotion. Holding Rivana, she asked if she was alright, then glared at the woman with white hair. "How dare you hit her?"

"Why? Do you need one too?" Mallory asked and raised her hand.

But before it could hit Leonora, Rivana grabbed it. She flung it away, causing the woman to stumble back at her strength. "Don’t disrespect his guests," she fumed, her frustration visible.

Mallory scoffed out loud. Looking around, she shouted, "Who let this bitch run this funeral? How could a filthy child like her get involved in my son’s last moments?"

"Son?" Rivana scoffed out loud. "Yeah, you loved him so much that instead of seeing him, you are here fighting with me."

Amerie quickly passed the papers in her hand to Mallory, getting her back on the main job. Guests whispered among themselves, and Mathew shook his head. This family was sick in their heads! He thought, walking over to support Rivana.

Just then, Azrael returned, a frown tugging at his lips. Placing the juice bottle he was carrying on the table, he scanned Rivana and asked, "What happened?"

His eyes moved to her left cheek, slightly red from the slap’s impact. His expression darkened, and he glowered, "Who slapped you?"

Everyone flinched in their spots at his dangerous voice. Amerie squeaked behind Mallory, while the older woman looked at the young man, her expression slightly wavering when he turned to face her.

Azrael took a step forward, but Rivana grabbed his hand. When he turned around, she shook her head, conveying she would fight it her way. Stepping forward, she crossed her arms and waited for Mallory to finish her drama.

Mallory threw the papers on Rivana and demanded, "My son must have been drunk while writing his will. Here, sign this and transfer back everything to my grandchildren, Rubina and Rafaelo."

Gianna couldn’t hide her smile. She glanced at Rubina, hoping she would sign it.

Rivana looked at the papers that had fallen to the ground. To everyone’s surprise, she squatted down and picked them up. Was she really giving up? many thought and murmured among themselves.

"It will be against laws if you force her like this, Mrs. Faye," Mathew tried to state, unwilling to let Rivana lose this easily.

Mallory ignored him and smiled as Rivana picked up the papers. Even Amerie smiled, proud of her quick thought process. But their smiles faded quickly at Rivana’s next actions.

Rivana tore the papers into pieces and threw them back at Mallory. "Why would I?" she questioned, her expression dark.

"Why would you? This shameless woman!" Mallory scoffed out loud. Glaring at Rivana, she continued, "Because you are born out of wedlock. You are not legally his child!"

"But he was also never legally grandfather’s child, grandma," Rivana stated facts, reminding everyone again that Emmerich was no pure child just like her. When Mallory stared, Rivana added, "Did you forget that you were a mistress too before you were kicked out of the family?"

Emmerich was born to a mistress of his father. And since his wife couldn’t conceive, they had taken the child and Mallory. But over the years, when she kept picking on his wife, he threw her out. Luckily, his wife didn’t show her anger on Emmerich because of it and took care of him as her own son. They shared a very special and great bond that Emmerich wished to lay right next to her. And Rivana just reminded everyone of it again.

"And you were also cut from the family tree by your own son a few years ago. So, you have no right to speak in this matter," Rivana ended, her words surprising everyone.

When Mallory came back and tried to claim the madam’s position in the Faye mansion now that the real one was dead, Emmerich had thrown her out instantly. He knew his biological mother’s character well and couldn’t let anyone stain his foster mother’s reputation.

Azrael and Leonora smiled at Rivana’s back, proud of her stance. Others were equally stunned by her courage.

Rivana took a step forward and declared, "Be glad that I am letting you stay until the funeral is over. If you cause any trouble, trust me, I won’t hesitate to call the guards and take you away like a stray dog."

Patting Mallory’s shoulder, Rivana added, "Try me if you are eager to get embarrassed in front of everyone."

Mallory’s face turned red with anger, and Amerie couldn’t hide her shock. Mathew sighed in relief. As long as she knew how to step up for herself, he didn’t need to worry about her in the future.

"And let me be clear again, no matter what cheap tricks you try to pull, I will never step down from this position," Rivana addressed everyone. She glanced at her mother and continued, "So bring it on. I won’t go easy even if it’s my own mother."

With that, Rivana turned around and left the garden. Amerie fumed red, gritting her teeth and glaring at her disappearing back. For the first time ever, she saw that Lioness, Rivana’s real mother in Rivana, and that pricked her even more.