CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX: IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS BEING CONTROLLED

Mason’s POV

The morning sky was gray and heavy and it was a perfect match for the mood that hung over the Lancaster family.

Lydia’s coffin sat at the center of the quiet cemetery yard, surrounded by people dressed in dark suits, black veils, and the hushed voices of people were occasionally heard. The ceremony was small, as only family members and close friends were in attendance.

I stood a few feet away, watching as the priest murmured the final prayers. My hands were deep in my pockets, eyes hidden behind black shades. I wasn’t close to Lydia, but her sudden death had thrown the entire family into chaos.

Mira stood beside Jasper, her hand clutching his sleeve tightly. Her face was pale, lips trembling and her eyes were red and swollen. She looked like a shadow of herself, broken and fragile, like one more push would make her shatter completely.

Christy stood quietly next to Kendrick, holding his hand. I could tell by the way she glanced at Mira that she was slightly worried as well. Lydia’s death was too sudden.

My grandfather, as the Lancaster patriarch, was at the front with my father and my mother. They were all stone-faced and their grief was buried deep under the layers of dignity that came with being Lancasters.

We all had to be present as Lydia’s husband, my late uncle, left her and Mira in our care before his passing.

I didn’t say anything, I just stood there, watching the coffin being lowered into the ground. The sound of the dirt hitting the wood echoed sharply in the quiet air, and I saw Mira flinch.

She made a small sound, like a muffled sob, and Jasper pulled her closer.

Gary came later with Anderson, an old friend I hadn’t seen in months. They stood behind me quietly. Anderson gave me a small nod, the kind that said, I’m here if you need me, but I didn’t respond.

The priest finished his words, and everyone started placing flowers on the grave. I watched Christy step forward, her hair blowing lightly in the wind as she placed a single white rose on top of the coffin while Kendrick wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders.

When it was my turn, I dropped a small handful of soil into the pit and whispered, "Rest easy, Aunt."

I didn’t feel much grief, just a strange sense of finality. Lydia wasn’t a saint, she was very far from being one, but her death had stirred something in everyone. Fear, guilt and suspicion were all tangled together.

For a moment, everything stayed calm as everyone paid their respects to the deceased.

The sound of heels clicking against the stone path drew everyone’s attention. We all turned to see Lauretta.

She moved arrogantly like she owned the place, she was dressed elegantly in black silk and dark sunglasses. Her lips were painted deep red, and her presence alone sent a wave of unease through the crowd.

Even my grandfather straightened a little when he saw her. She wasn’t part of the Lancaster family, but she was someone people learned not to underestimate.

She walked straight to Lydia’s portrait, her heels clicking sharply on the stone floor. The bouquet in her hand was pure white lilies.

Without saying a word to anyone, she placed them down and looked at the photo.

"I hope Lydia is smarter in her next life." she said with a mocking sweet voice.

The silence that followed was brutal as everyone froze in shock.

Mira’s head snapped up immediately. She turned toward the sound of Lauretta’s voice, and I saw something in her eyes, something wild and unhinged.

"You killed her!" She screamed with no hesitation.

Before anyone could react, she lunged towards her, as she screamed maniacally.

"Mira!" Jasper yelled, trying to hold her back, but she slipped out of his grip and charged at Lauretta.

She slammed into her with both hands, her fingers clawing and pulling. Lauretta staggered back, startled, but didn’t even scream. She just tried to shield her face while Mira kept hitting, sobbing and shouting, "You killed my mother! You did it! You... "

Two guards rushed in, and Kendrick and I moved at the same time. I grabbed Mira from behind, wrapping my arms around her trembling body as she kicked and screamed.

Her nails scraped my wrist as she tried to break free and her voice cracked with every word.

"Why did you kill her?! What did my mother ever do to you?! Say it! SAY IT!"

Lauretta didn’t answer, she just straightened and adjusted her coat, she simply looked down at Mira with a calm and superior stare. Her face was scratched and her lipstick was smudged, but her eyes were cold.

She didn’t even look angry but just mildly irritated.

"Control your niece, Ethan," she said to my father softly, brushing off a strand of hair that had fallen out of place.

My jaw clenched and my father didn’t respond. Mira was shaking in my arms, sobbing uncontrollably and whispering her mother’s name over and over again.

The guards finally took her from me and led her away while Jasper followed behind with a pale and worried expression.

My grandfather exhaled heavily and turned toward Lauretta. "Mrs. Black, forgive her outburst, Mira has been... deeply affected by her mother’s death. She isn’t herself." he said with a restrained tone.

Lauretta’s lips curved faintly. "Of course," she said smoothly. "Grief makes people say strange things."

She gave Lydia’s portrait one last look, turned, and left without another word.

Everyone stayed quiet for a long time after that.

Christy was holding Kendrick’s arm tightly and she looked tired. My mother was whispering to my father, probably telling him to end the ceremony before something worse happened.

Eventually, everyone started leaving.

When we got back to the Lancaster mansion, the house felt unusually quiet. No one spoke, even the servants moved quietly, their faces heavy with the tension that hung over everything.

I found myself walking toward the east wing, where Mira’s room was.

Her door was slightly open and the lights were dim. She was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly at the wall. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were red and hollow.

She looked up when I entered but didn’t speak.

I sat down beside her without saying anything. The silence stretched between us for a few minutes.

After a while, she finally spoke with a low and trembling voice.

"I’m not crazy, Mason."

"I know," I said simply.

She turned her head slowly to look at me. "Everyone thinks I am, but I know she did something to my mom."

Her voice cracked at the end, but she kept going.

"She said something... something before she died. She told me that if anything ever happened to her, I should remember one thing, and that’s to never offend Lauretta."

I frowned. "She said that?"

Mira nodded slowly. "She was scared of her, Mason. My mom always acted brave, but around Lauretta, she was different. Always nervous and obedient. Like... like she was being controlled."

Her words made my stomach twist and I frowned.

"What do you mean controlled?" I asked carefully.

She looked down at her shaking hands. "Lauretta made her do things and she used her severally. I overheard them one night before her return. My mom was crying, saying she didn’t want to do it anymore, and Lauretta told her she would ruin her if she stopped."

I went still. "Do what?"

"Spy on our family and inform her of our every move." she whispered.

Her words hit me like a punch.

I stared at her, my mind racing. It made too much sense, the strange way Lydia always seemed to know too much, her loyalty shifting whenever it suited her, her nervous glances during family events.

"She said she didn’t have a choice," Mira continued quietly. "Lauretta helped her once, a long time ago, and she said she owed her. But I think it was blackmail. My mom was terrified of her. She did whatever Lauretta asked."

She looked up at me then, her eyes wide and wet. "So when she died... I knew. I knew it wasn’t an accident."

I didn’t speak as I allowed everything to sink in slowly.

Her voice broke again, trembling as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "No one believes me, they all think I’m losing my mind, but I saw the way Lauretta looked at her photo today. Like she was proud.... Like...Like... she was saying she finally won."

I swallowed hard as my jaw tightened. "You are not wrong for feeling that way."

She looked at me, her lips trembling. "Do you think she did it?"

I sighed and leaned back slightly. "I think Lauretta doesn’t do anything without a reason."

We sat there for a long time, neither of us said anything else.

Eventually, Mira’s breathing evened out, and she leaned her head on her knees, her body still trembling.

I looked at her, at the broken girl who had just lost the only person she had left and felt a familiar burn of anger settle deep in my chest.

Lauretta had crossed a line, and Mira wasn’t wrong to sense it.

Somewhere in the middle of all this tragedy, there was a truth buried deep, and I was going to find it.