A few days later, Hadi's funeral was held.
Following the tragic accident that claimed his life and left Venice in a vegetative state, the police officially closed the investigation.
Although the surveillance footage showed that Venice had shoved Hadi into the street first, it also revealed that Hadi had struck her first, escalating the confrontation into a physical altercation before Venice dragged him down with her.
Naturally, Linda had no intention of letting the matter end so easily.
However, to avoid another public scandal, the Keir family agreed to shoulder all of Venice's medical expenses. Given her condition, the cost of long-term treatment would be astronomical, and there was no way Nolan Zhi would be willing, or even able, to cover such an enormous amount.
Within the Keir clan, another dispute erupted.
Should Hadi be buried as a Keir or under his mother's maiden name?
In the end, the clan elders announced that the deceased should be forgiven for his past mistakes and allowed to rest in peace as a member of the Keir family.
However, they had overlooked one person.
Shin Keir.
He had no intention of letting the elders make the decision simply to preserve the clan's reputation.
Just as they thought they could use Hadi's funeral to repair the Keirs' public image, Shin released evidence exposing Hadi's attempt to humiliate and assault Yeri, along with footage of his friends participating in the incident.
If, weeks earlier, those accusations had been dismissed as mere rumors, with some even blaming Yeri for supposedly seducing Hadi, this time the evidence was undeniable.
Even more damning was the revelation that Hadi had colluded with Bryce Gate before to hire mercenaries to assassinate Shin Keir.
The news exploded like a nuclear bomb, exposing the power struggles and dirty dealings hidden within one of the nation's most influential noble clans.
Naturally, the Keir elders, including Ellis, were furious.
Unfortunately for them, they had already publicly announced that Hadi would be buried as a Keir. There was no taking it back.
In the end, all the praise, sympathy, and admiration solely went toward Shin.
People praised him for surviving the assassination attempt, admired his composure in allowing Hadi's remains to return to the Keir clan, and regarded him as magnanimous for permitting his burial in the clan's memorial hall despite everything that had happened.
Many even argued that Shin was the finest head the Keir family had ever had, further solidifying his authority within the clan.
Shin, however, couldn't have cared less about any of this matter.
To him, Hadi was simply another dead man. But that didn't mean he would allow Hadi's crimes to be buried alongside him.
Rather than letting people remember him merely as another cheating scumbag who toyed with countless women, Shin wanted history to remember the full extent of Hadi's actions.
-
Outside the funeral hall, countless reporters, photographers, and paparazzi crowded behind the barricades as black luxury cars arrived one after another.
The arrival of Hadi's wife immediately drew the greatest attention.
Serenity.
The reclusive woman who was rarely seen in public stepped out of her car, instantly greeted by a barrage of camera flashes.
A black veil concealed most of her face, making it impossible to read her expression. She wore a fitted black dress paired with knee-high black boots.
Although black had always been her preferred attire, today, at least, she was dressed appropriately for the occasion.
"Our condolences, Mrs. Keir! May we have a quick interview?"
"What's your stance on your husband being expelled from the clan before his death?"
"How long had he been cheating on you? Are you relieved that he's dead while his mistress remains in a vegetative state?"
Serenity ignored every question and walked straight inside without slowing her pace.
Condolences?
Yes, she had felt anger when she first heard of Hadi's death.
Not because she harbored any affection for him but rather she was simply indignant that he had died far too quickly.
He hadn't lived long enough to experience the misery, humiliation, and hardship she had expected would follow once the Keir family's protection was stripped away.
Ellis Keir and his wife arrived shortly afterward.
The moment they stepped out of the car, contemptuous whispers and snide remarks followed them from every direction.
Even the reporters made no attempt to hide their hostility, openly questioning how they could have raised someone like Hadi.
Ellis' expression grew even gloomier.
"My son isn't the person you all think he was!" his wife cried mournfully. "He simply fell in with the wrong crowd and was blackmailed by Bryce Gate! What do you people know? You're all being misled!"
"Madam, are you saying Shin Keir fabricated the evidence?" one reporter immediately asked.
Realizing she was about to make matters worse, Ellis grabbed his wife's arm. "Enough."
Without another word, he hurriedly led her toward the entrance.
"Ellis Keir!" another reporter shouted. "Rumors have been circulating that the person truly involved in Shin's mother's death wasn't Master Keir, but Bryce Gate. Is it possible you've been working with him all along?"
Ellis had only taken a few more steps before he came to an abrupt halt. The blood rushed to his face as he turned around with a furious glare.
"Who said that?" he snarled. "Spreading false information and defaming me... do you all think I'm someone you can use for your entertainment?"
An official statement had already cleared his name, and yet the rumors refused to die.
Unfortunately, with so many reporters gathered together, the person who had shouted the question had already disappeared into the crowd.
Unable to identify them, Ellis could only instruct the security personnel to deal with the situation before storming inside.
Besides the Keir family, representatives from many other influential families also attended the funeral.
Most had come simply to pay their respects while others were there to watch the inevitable drama unfold.
Lianna originally had no intention of attending. However, since her son, Sean, remained the heir apparent of the Neri family, she accompanied him as their representative.
"I thought you said you wouldn't be able to attend the funeral," Lianna said while they were still inside the car.
Zahn smiled gently. "That was the plan. But my patient's surgery was rescheduled. Hospital work is unpredictable."
Lianna: "..."
She truly couldn't understand this man anymore.
Had someone secretly replaced him? Or had he suddenly developed an interest in acting?
Just a few days earlier, she'd been awakened by panicked servants informing her that her ex-husband had fallen asleep outside her front door, reeking of alcohol.
A renowned surgeon and the current head of the Neri family. Yet he had been found sprawled on the ground like some washed-up drunk.
Ever since then, his personality had seemingly flipped overnight.
Often smiling and unsettling enough to give her goosebumps.
"Well, you should've told me," Lianna replied. "Sean could've just come with you instead."
"He'll feel more comfortable with you around," Zahn answered with another warm smile. "It's a funeral. What if he gets scared?"
Lianna felt another chill run down her spine as she simply got out of the car with Sean.
The moment the three of them appeared together, the reporters were visibly stunned before frantically raising their cameras.
Click! Click! Click!
Lianna frowned. This was exactly the kind of attention she had hoped to avoid. Fortunately, she had chosen to wear a face mask.
"Isn't Zahn Neri divorced? Who's that woman?"
"Who else could she be? Look at the child she's holding. Isn't that Sean Neri? She has to be his ex-wife."
Questions flew one after another as reporters eagerly asked whether the former couple had any plans to reconcile.
Zahn merely responded with his gentle smile, refusing to answer.
Once the three of them had entered the funeral hall, one reporter quietly muttered,
"...Was Zahn Neri always like this? I don't know but he feels different somehow."
As more people arrived, the crowd outside gradually began to thin. Yet there was still no sign of Shin Keir.
"It's not surprising if he doesn't come," one reporter speculated. "The deceased wasn't one of the clan elders. Besides, would you attend the funeral of someone who tried to have you killed?"
Several people nodded in agreement.
Others, however, argued that regardless of what had happened, Shin was still the head of the Keir family. If anyone should appear, it should be him.
Just then, another black sedan slowly pulled up.
"Master Keir!"
The reporters immediately rushed forward.
"Why are you attending the funeral of someone who tried to kill your own son?"
"Hadi Keir was involved in the assassination attempt against Shin Keir. Does this have something to do with the conflict between your generation? Why did you argue with Ellis Keir at the hospital?"
"Is Ellis connected to the death of Shin Keir's mother?"
The barrage of questions suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
Because Master Keir hadn't arrived alone, standing beside him was a little boy.
Master Keir held the little prince's hand as the child calmly stepped out of the car.
Dressed in a tiny black suit, Xati looked every bit the well-mannered young master.
Master Keir had originally refused to bring him. Somehow, however, the child had learned about the funeral and relentlessly begged to come along until he finally gave in.
"Master Keir! Who is that child?"
"Is he a member of the Keir family?"
The questions exploded one after another.
The reporters had thought they had already gathered every worthwhile story from the people who had arrived earlier.
But now...
Where had this little boy come from?
As far as the public knew, there wasn't a child of his age anywhere in the Keir family. At least, none that had ever been revealed.
Master Keir frowned and motioned for the bodyguards to tighten the security around them.
This was a funeral. Not a press conference or a banquet.
Once Master Keir and Prince Xati disappeared inside, the reporters immediately crowded around their cameras.
"Did you all get a clear shot of that kid?"
"Who do you think he looks like?"
"Who in the Keir family's circle has the closest connection to the clan?"
One photographer zoomed in on the photos he had just taken before suddenly widening his eyes.
"Tristan Felan!" He raised the camera for everyone else to see. "These features are unmistakably his!"
"You're right!" another reporter exclaimed. "That child looks about four or five years old. So... who do you think the mother is?"