Chapter 580 Falling Out
Cordelia gasped, "You broke his leg?"
Zander turned away, his voice dripping with venom, "I shot him in the kneecap! And another one in the chest! He’s not gonna make it!"
Cordelia's body swayed violently. Her vision blurred, and she felt her strength drain away.
Zander stepped forward, reaching out to steady her.
Cordelia dodged away, "Zander! Why do you hate him so much?"
Zander looked at his empty hands, his eyes filled with pain, "Cordelia, you know I've loved you for years! Why did you agree to Gerald's demand to marry Michael? Couldn't you wait for me to make something of myself? Do you look down on me?"
Cordelia's face was stern, "Zander, I've never looked down on you. In my heart, you're like a brother to me, just like Victor. I've never had romantic feelings for you. If I have any feelings for you, it's sibling affection."
Zander pointed to the motionless Gerald on the hospital bed, "Cordelia, he's your biological father. How can you be so calm about his death? Do Michael and I together mean less to you than him?"
Cordelia let out a cold laugh, "Don't think I don't know how you all talk about me behind my back. My father claimed to love me. How did he show it? To him, I was just a useless person, a tool for carrying on the family name! My only purpose in the Murphy family was to give birth to an heir! That's it!"
"As a father, he looked down on his own daughter! Is that what a father should do? His attitude towards me was just to praise me when he was in a good mood, saying I was pretty and well-behaved. Could I afford not to be well-behaved? If I didn't act well-behaved, would there still be a place for me in the Murphy family?"
Cordelia pointed at Zander, her voice sharp, "And you! Zander! Stop pretending to be a devoted lover in front of me! You're not convincing at all! Don't take me for a fool! Do you think a few small favors would make me like you? I'm not as stupid as you think! Don't think I don't know you're after the Murphy family fortune!"
"When Victor was alive, you had no chance to get a share of the Murphy family assets. Now that Victor is dead, you think marrying me will give you a legitimate claim to my father's inheritance! Zander, did you ever think that after marrying me, you could quietly get rid of me? That way, the entire Murphy family would be yours!"
Zander stared at Cordelia in shock. She still had that sweet face, those doe-like eyes, and a harmless appearance, but now, her beautiful cherry-like lips were spouting such heartless words.
Zander opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
Cordelia snorted, not wanting to deal with him anymore, and turned to walk towards the emergency room.
The servant followed her silently, step by step.
Zander finally snapped out of it and chased after her, shouting desperately, "Cordelia!"
Cordelia stopped but didn't turn around, her tone icy, "My dad has passed away. As his godson, it's your responsibility to handle his affairs, prepare his body, and arrange his cremation and funeral. Now, you can get busy."
Zander watched her back as she walked away, then turned helplessly towards Gerald's room.
A Murphy family bodyguard approached him, speaking softly, "Mr. Murphy, you..."
Zander let out a bitter laugh, muttering, "Mr. Murphy? What kind of Mr. Murphy am I? Aren't I just a loyal watchdog for the Murphy family? She’s always seen me that way. So, what does all the affection I've given over the years count for?"
He sat down by the hospital bed, despondent, and instructed the bodyguard, "Notify the hospital to send Gerald for cremation."
The bodyguard was shocked, "No autopsy? After all, Mr. Gerald Murphy's death was so sudden."
Zander snapped, "Gerald was severely injured and died from his wounds. No autopsy needed."
The bodyguard immediately complied, "Yes, Mr. Murphy."
After the bodyguard left, Zander was alone in the room. He reached out and closed Gerald's wide-open eyes.
"Gerald, don't worry about the Murphy family and Cordelia. I'll take care of everything. I won't let Cordelia suffer, and I won't let the Murphy family fall."
Zander brought a basin of water from the bathroom and gently wiped Gerald's hands and face with a towel, his movements tender.
"Gerald, don't blame Cordelia. She might have been spoiled by us since she was young and can't tell right from wrong. She'll realize it in time and regret it. She still loves you. She's just scared and can't face you. Rest in peace, don't blame her. If you must blame someone, blame me. I failed to protect you and Cordelia, allowing bad people to take advantage."
He took a suit from the wardrobe and changed Gerald out of his hospital gown.
"Gerald, you look best in a suit, sharp and spirited, just like when you were young. As you leave, you should look dashing. I will see you off."
A bodyguard knocked gently, "Mr. Murphy, the funeral home staff are here."
Zander stood up, "Gerald, it's time for you to go."
He turned to the bodyguard, "Let them in."
Aurora Bay, Whispering Pines Estates.
Elizabeth was giving Francis a bath. He splashed happily in the tub, laughing at the bubbles.
Pearl stood nearby, recording a video on her phone.
"Mom, Francis is so cute! Was Nolan this cute when he was little too?"
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, "Nolan didn't smile much as a child, always acting like a little adult. But you, Pearl, you loved to smile from a young age. Nolan was very considerate, though, always making things easier for me and Grandma."
Pearl suggested, "Mom, Dad hasn't seen Francis taking a bath yet. Should we video call him so he can see? He'll think Francis is adorable too."
"Sure, but your dad often can't take video calls. You should call him first to see if he's available, then video call him if he is."
Pearl nodded happily, "Okay!"
She asked Francis, "Francis, do you want to video call Dad?"
Francis was too engrossed in playing with the water to respond.
Elizabeth laughed, "Francis is still too young to understand."
Pearl giggled and ran off to dial Michael's number.
A few seconds later, a strange woman's voice answered, "Elizabeth?"
Pearl froze, completely taken aback. Her mind raced with questions.
Who was this woman? Could she be Michael's new partner?
"Who are you? Why do you have my dad's phone?" Pearl's voice rose, filled with obvious displeasure.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
