Chapter 101: Condolences

Emerald’s POV

"All right." Michael’s voice softened. "Take care of yourself, Emerald."

"I will," I replied.

"And call me if you need anything."

"I know." I nodded. The words came out more naturally than I expected.

We said goodbye, and I ended the call.

I looked at the screen for a few moments before another call appeared—this time a group call from Claire and Laura.

I answered.

The moment the call connected, Laura’s face appeared on my screen, followed by Claire’s a second later.

"Emerald. Finally."

I frowned slightly. "Finally?"

"We’ve been trying to reach you since this morning," Laura said. "It’s been a while since we checked on you, so we thought we had to call."

Claire nodded. "We figured you were probably in the lecture room."

I glanced at the time on my phone. They had called around the time I was on the flight to Washington.

"I wasn’t in class," I said. "I was on a flight to Washington."

Their lashes fluttered rapidly as they stared at me.

"Washington?" Claire asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

Laura’s expression changed immediately. "Why? Did something happen?"

They could see my face clearly through the screen. There was no point pretending everything was fine, so I revealed, "There was a family emergency."

I paused briefly, letting out a breath before delivering the news. "My cousin, Vera, died."

A heavy silence descended. For seconds, they couldn’t utter a word. Then, Claire’s eyes widened. "Vera?"

I nodded.

"But how?" Laura asked, her voice suddenly quieter. "How is that even possible? We just saw her at her wedding."

Claire looked equally stunned. "She was fine then. What happened to her?"

I took a slow breath before answering. "Vera was found dead at her vacation home."

Their expressions changed again. Laura’s mouth parted slightly, but no words came out.

Claire stared at me as though she was waiting for me to tell her that there had been some mistake.

"What about her husband?" she finally asked.

"He is nowhere to be found."

The silence that followed was heavier.

They had both attended Vera’s wedding. They had seen the couple together, celebrated with the family, and watched them begin what everyone believed would be their life together.

Now Vera was dead, and her husband was missing.

Laura looked away from the camera for a moment, clearly trying to process what I had told her.

Claire was the first to recover. "Emerald, I’m so sorry."

"I’m sorry," Laura said quietly. "I honestly don’t even know what to say."

"You don’t have to say anything." I clearly understood.

"But how did she die?" Claire asked carefully. "Do you have an idea?"

I hesitated for a second before telling them, "The police are investigating."

That answer was deliberate. I did not want to turn the conversation into a detailed discussion of the investigation.

But I couldn’t explain why I had done otherwise with Michael, whom I had known for only a few months.

"The police have already been involved?" Laura asked.

"Yes. They came to the house today and briefed the family. They are looking into what happened."

Neither of them pushed immediately.

Claire studied my face; her brows were slightly furrowed. The concern was evident.

"And how are you?" she asked.

I looked down briefly before meeting her eyes again.

"I don’t really know. Vera and I weren’t close, so I haven’t been grieving the way some of the others are. But she was still family, and she was so young."

Laura nodded slowly. "I understand."

"When is the funeral?" Claire asked.

"Three days from now," I answered. "Her remains are already here in Washington."

"I assume your family is keeping it private?" she probed.

"Yes. Grandfather wants it that way," I confirmed. "My mother is handling the family’s official statement, so I don’t think much will be made public beyond the announcement of her death and the funeral."

Claire nodded. "That makes sense."

Laura looked at me again before asking, "Are you going to stay in Washington until after the funeral?"

"Yes. I’ll probably return to Boston sometime next week."

"Then we will see you before you leave," Claire said immediately.

"Definitely." Laura nodded. "We need to see you."

I smiled faintly. "I would like that." My friends were the closest people in my life. In fact, they knew me to a certain extent more than my family did.

"We will come to you," Claire said. "Just tell us when you’re free."

"I will."

Laura’s expression softened. "And Emerald?"

"Yes?"

"Don’t worry about anything else right now. Just take care of yourself," she said.

I nodded. "I will."

Claire gave me a small smile. "We are here if you need us."

"I know," I muttered. I was so sure I could rely on them.

We stayed on the call for another minute, but neither of them tried to force the conversation any further.

When we finally ended the call, I lowered my phone and released a deep breath.

I was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

I sat there for a moment, letting the silence of the room settle around me before my eyes drifted toward the small travel bag and laptop bag the servants had already brought inside.

I sighed.

I still had a shower to take, something to eat, and a funeral to help prepare. That was all I could manage for now.

---

After freshening up and putting on the same black dress from earlier, I stepped out of the bathroom feeling somewhat better.

I had just reached for my laptop bag when someone knocked on the door. I had locked it before entering the bathroom, so I walked over and unlocked it.

A servant was standing outside. She bowed slightly.

"Miss Emerald, your mother would like you to come over. She has drafted the funeral statement for the media and would like you to look it over with her. She also said you can have a meal together afterward."

I nodded. "All right. I will be there shortly."

The servant bowed again before stepping aside. I closed the door and walked back to the bed for my phone.

I picked it up and left the room.