The sudden ringtone shattered the heavy silence of the funeral hall.
Jeffrey answered his phone, his voice unnervingly calm as he listened for a moment. "Okay, I understand. I'll be there shortly."
Putting away his phone, he turned his gaze back to the cold, silent memorial tablet.
"I really am your son," he murmured to the empty air, a bitter smile touching his lips.
"Putting a woman above my own life. If I were to be completely abandoned by her, it would feel like losing all reason to live. But I will never end up like you," his voice hardened with resolve. "Absolutely not."
With that final declaration, Jeffrey turned and strode out of the funeral hall.
Outside, Finn's face lit up with relief the second he saw Jeffrey emerge. "Master Jeffrey!"
"Arrange a car," Jeffrey instructed coolly, not breaking his stride. "I'm going to the hospital to see the old man."
"Understood," Finn replied, immediately pulling out his phone.
