The Heiress Spoiled by Four Brothers and One Devilish CEO-Chapter 149 Funeral

Brandon stepped closer and looked down at Megan. "Originally, we planned to keep your background under wraps a bit longer—find out what really happened with the switch. But after yesterday’s shooting, we figured it’s better not to drag this out. Thing is, we still can’t go public with it yet. Mom misses you a lot, Megan."

Megan stood frozen. Hearing that the couple who raised her for twenty years actually had no blood ties to her, that even her loving grandfather might not be related—it was like her whole world just cracked apart.

Then the next question hit her. "Is Amelia from the Shaw family?"

Brandon shook his head. "Nope, no relation to them at all."

"Then... where’s the real Shaw child?" Megan asked, her voice low but heavy with a dread she could almost taste.

Brandon glanced at Bernard, who seemed a little better in the face now. "If we want the truth, we probably have to wait until Mr. Shaw wakes up."

Tristan nodded. "Right now, we need to keep him safe and get him treated. The answers will have to wait."

Brandon agreed. "I’ll handle the rest."

He turned back to Megan. "Megan, I know this is a lot to take in at once. But it’s the truth. You don’t have to accept it right away. Mom, Dad, and your brothers—we’ve been hoping to find you for almost twenty years. We can wait a bit longer while you adjust. But Mom... she’s been sick from missing you too much. You’re the only one who can really heal that."

Megan drew in a shaky breath. "I’m sorry. I’ll need some time."

Brandon patted her shoulder gently. "Of course, take all the time you need."

The morgue was cold to begin with, but Tristan’s sharp, icy stare made it feel even colder.

Brandon raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. "Relax, I’m the big brother. No need to get all possessive."

Tristan pulled Megan into his arms. "You go handle everything else. I’ll see to the funeral arrangements."

With that, he led her out of the morgue.

Autumn wind blew sharply, stinging their eyes.

Tristan scooped her up into his arms. "Bury your head in my chest. Try to look a little sadder."

"Okay..." Megan pressed her face against him and let out dramatic sobs—no real tears though.

She never cried easily to begin with, and now with the truth out, it felt impossible to force a single tear.

Once they were in the car, Tristan fastened her seatbelt, taking a moment to glance at her quiet, downcast expression. "I get the feeling Elliot and Diane didn’t know. They raised you like their own."

"They did. They were wonderful to me. Grandpa, too."

Tristan gently ruffled her hair. "The truth will come out sooner or later."

Two days later, Bernard’s funeral was held at the Imperial City funeral home.

Soft autumn rain tapped gently against black umbrellas as Tristan and Megan, dressed in matching black coats, stepped into the memorial hall.

Cameron closed his umbrella and followed right behind. Water rolled off the edges like silent tears mourning the man in the crystal coffin.

The Shaw family stood before the flower-adorned casket, bowing deeply. Inside, Bernard looked as if he were asleep—peaceful, dignified, unchanged.

Megan wore grief like a second skin, her sorrow etched deeply across her face. Anyone watching would’ve believed she had lost a beloved grandfather.

Tristan leaned in with a whisper only she could hear. "You sure you don’t want to be an actress?"Megan covered her nose with a white handkerchief. "Actors really got it good, huh? I mean, kissing scenes? If the guy’s hot, it’s basically a free bonus."

The grip tightening around her waist shut her up real quick—she wasn’t about to keep pushing her luck and risk a lecture later.

"For real though, this dummy looks almost too real."

Tristan let out a soft sigh. "It’s actually a male corpse, no one claimed it. He hanged himself. The guy was wearing a human-skin mask with heavy makeup. Can’t stare too long, or something might seem off."

After viewing the body, it was time for the burial prep.

Funeral staff rolled a crystal coffin into the prep room.

Elliot and the others didn’t take their eyes off the man inside—it felt like they were trying to hold onto him for just a second longer.

Forty minutes later, Elliot stepped out of the cremation chamber, holding a rectangular urn in both hands.

The man, already in his fifties, looked like he’d aged another ten years in just days. His voice cracked. "Let’s take Dad to his final rest."

Diane nodded through tears. Chloe clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably.

Watching them tore Megan up inside. She wanted desperately to tell them the truth, to spare them the grief of mourning someone who wasn’t truly lost to them.

But she couldn’t. If she revealed it now, everything they’d done would fall apart—and Bernard’s life might be in danger all over again.

She gently held Diane’s arm, whispering, "Mom, please don’t cry. The police’ll catch whoever did this."

For the past three days, she’d been forcing herself to accept the reality—she wasn’t born into the Shaw family.

Still, she knew that no matter what, the love and care they gave her for twenty years was something she would never be able to repay.

She swore she’d do everything she could to return that kindness. And as for the Lewis family—they deserved her gratitude too, for bringing her into this world.

Diane sniffled and nodded. "Heaven has eyes. That monster won’t get away."

Kevin finished up some arrangements and came over with two umbrellas.

Megan took one and helped Diane up gently, while Kevin assisted Chloe. Tristan was already holding an umbrella over the grief-stricken Elliot.

The whole group, faces solemn, walked out of the funeral home and hopped into the vehicles headed to Tianyuan Cemetery.

What was a drizzle turned into a downpour. The muddy spray from the tires splashed onto fallen leaves, the whole ride heavy with gloom.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the edge of the cemetery and walked slowly under their umbrellas into the deeper grounds. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The staff helped lower the urn and sealed the grave.

Elliot stood in front of the headstone, pouring his soul into words he never managed to say while his father was alive.

Megan took a deep breath and turned her face slightly away. That’s when she noticed a man in a black trench holding a black umbrella looking in her direction.

He looked familiar, like she’d seen him somewhere before.

Then it hit her—William, the art and cultural studies professor from Meridian University.

The guy had sharp, almost delicate features—honestly, prettier than most women.

He gave Megan a small nod.

She nodded back politely. He must’ve come to pay his respects too.

Tristan followed her gaze and his face instantly darkened. Who the hell was this guy?

He cleared his throat noticeably.

Megan smirked to herself—jealous much?

She turned her head back around, refocusing.

Under the black umbrella, William’s androgynous face softened with a faint smile. She’d acknowledged him, and that was enough to make his mood lift.

Then he felt Tristan’s gaze locking onto him. Karl glanced over and returned a faint nod.

This Tristan guy really was a thorn in his side. Still a shame things didn’t go his way during that ribbon-cutting. A missed opportunity, really.

With that, he turned gracefully and made his way out of the cemetery.