Chapter 214: Meeting Mei again

​Once the sisters stepped back, Nat, Xavier, and Alexander slowly approached the plot one by one.

​Alexander walked up first, laying his white roses softly beside the grave. "Rest in peace, Mrs. Gabriel," he murmured quietly.

​Xavier followed, placing his heavy bouquet of lilies with practiced, solemn grace. "You were a strong woman. May you find eternal rest."

​Finally, Nat stepped up. He placed the orchids down, looking at the casket for a long, quiet moment. The playful, dangerous syndicate lord was entirely subdued, his eyes filled with rare, genuine sincerity.

"Rest easy," Nat drawled softly, his voice low and reverent. "I’ll make sure your daughter is happy... with me."

Xavier and Alexander both shot him sharp, warning glares from where they stood, but Nat ignored them completely, keeping his eyes fixed on the resting place of April’s mother.

​Standing beside her twin, April let out a quiet, tired sigh, her dark eyes flicking over to Nat. Even at a funeral, the man couldn’t help himself. Yet, looking at the fresh orchids lying neatly beside the lilies and roses, she couldn’t bring herself to snap at him. Beneath the inappropriate comment lay a genuine promise of protection, and she knew it.

​Emily softly wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, taking a deep, shuddering breath. She looked at the mound of earth, then up at April, her expression steadying. The heavy, suffocating weight of three years of helplessness had finally shifted into something quiet and settled.

​"Let’s go," Emily whispered, slipping her arm through April’s. "We’ve kept Mother long enough. She can rest now."

​April gave her twin a soft, quiet nod. They turned their backs on the grave, stepping away from the cypress trees and heading down the stone walkway toward the parking lot where the cars were parked.

​Nat, Xavier, Alexander and Oliver fell into step several yards behind them, maintaining a respectful distance while keeping their eyes peeled on the perimeter.

​As they neared the edge of the paved lot, two figures turned the corner from the main street, walking briskly toward the mortuary entrance.

The woman was busy looking down at her phone, laughing loudly at something her companion—a broad-shouldered man in a flashy designer suit—was saying. And then suddenly...

​Bump!

​Without looking where she was going, the woman slammed hard into Emily’s side.

​Emily stumbled slightly from the impact, her heel catching on the edge of the curb. Before she could fall, April’s hand shot out, wrapping around her sister’s waist and pulling her back into a steady position.

​"Watch where you’re going!" the woman snapped rudely, adjusting the leather purse on her shoulder before even bothering to look up.

April froze for a second and frowned. ​"Excuse me?" Her voice cut through the air like an arrow.

She knew that voice.

​The woman lifted her gaze, a sneer already forming on her lips, but the moment her eyes swept past April and landed on the tall, impeccably dressed figure of Samuel standing right behind them, her face contorted in disbelief.

This woman was ​Mei.

​April’s eyes narrowed. The very same parasite who had thrown Samuel away in a fancy restaurant like garbage just to go to a man who will end up abandoning her during the apocalypse.

The very Mei that was also one of her team mates who voted on her to be tied to a pole.

Just why in the world did she have to meet her again?

April thought she would never see Mei again before the apocalypse and she would end up grovelling at Samuel’s feet, wishing to be let into his safe house—if she ever finds the location of it.

But unfortunately, here she was... being a nuisance.

​"You?" Mei scoffed, clutching her new boyfriend’s arm tightly as she stared at Samuel. Her lips curled into a disgusted, self-righteous smirk. "What, are you stalking me now? Is that why you’re hanging around a cemetery? Unbelievable, Samuel."

​Samuel’s rigid, corporate posture went instantly stiff. The color drained slightly from his face, but true to his training, he kept his jaw set, choosing to completely ignore her and look straight ahead as if she were made of glass.

​Mei, taking his silence as weak desperation, let out a loud, mocking laugh, squeezing her new man’s arm even tighter.

​"Look at you, still wearing that pathetic, stiff suit, trailing behind people like a ghost," Mei sneered, leaning heavily into her companion. "I came here to visit my boyfriend’s mother’s grave! See this?" She showed her finger with a ring on it. An engagement ring and it made Samuel’s throat go dry for a second.

He had already decided to follow April’s advice, forget her and live with purpose that didn’t revolve around pleasing Mei and yet... the sight of that ring was like a jab to his heart.

"This is what a real man does." Mei continued. "My Sebastian didn’t wait for years to wear me out with unfulfilled and broken promises. He actually takes time out of his day for me no matter how busy he is! He shows me real care, real attention, and takes me everywhere! In the last three weeks we’ve gone to ten countries. He is ten times better the man than you will ever be, Samuel! You could never compare!"

Sebastian, preening beside her in his flashy suit, let out a dry, arrogant chuckle. He looked down his nose at Samuel, resting a condescending hand on Mei’s shoulder.

​"Let it go, babe," Sebastian drawled smoothly, his tone dripping with wealthy condescension. "Some men are just born to be glorified servants. Running errands for corporate executives doesn’t leave much room to satisfy a high-class woman like you. You can’t blame him for failing to measure up."

​Samuel stood there in absolute silence, swallowing the stinging humiliation as he prepared to just take it and let them pass. He wasn’t about to cause a scene in front of Miss April or disrupt her mother’s funeral day.

​Behind them, Nat’s eyes flashed dangerously behind his dark lenses, his hands digging into his trouser pockets as he wondered what this commotion was about, while Xavier’s face hardened into sheer, cold fury at the utter disrespect being shown in front of April.

​Before any of the men could step forward, however, April snapped.