3. The Billionaire’s Funeral

The black Maybach arrived at Greenwood Cemetery with the silent authority of a hearse, its polished surface reflecting the storm-heavy sky like cold steel.

Evie Monroe—no, Evelyn Voss—sat motionless in the back seat, her fingers clenched so tightly in her lap that her knuckles had turned white.

She didn’t look at her reflection. She didn’t want to see who she had become.

Outside, the gates opened.

And power gathered in black.

Not grief.

Never grief.

Men who built empires in shadows stood beneath umbrellas held by other men. Women dressed in silk and diamonds whispered behind gloved hands, their eyes sharp enough to dissect a lie in seconds. Names that didn’t appear in headlines—because they controlled the people who wrote them.

And today they were all here.

For Kael Voss.

***

The car door opened. Rain hissed softly against the umbrella that appeared before she even stepped out.

Evie stepped onto the marble path.

And the world shifted.

Whispers rippled instantly.

Not sympathy.

Speculation.

Calculation.

Predators scenting something new in their territory.

***

She walked forward anyway.

Measured.

Controlled.

Perfect.

Each step deliberate. Each breath timed.

The casket stood ahead—mahogany, gold-trimmed, immaculate.

Empty.

A lie wrapped in luxury.

“Goodbye, my love.”

Her voice trembled just enough.

The performance worked.

“Such a convincing display.” The voice slid in beside her like a blade.

Evie didn’t turn immediately. She knew who it was. The lawyer had told her about the family members.

Victoria Voss.

Evie turned slowly.

Victoria stood there in black silk, untouched by the rain, her posture flawless, her expression composed into something that resembled grace—but felt like control.

Her pale eyes swept over Evie. From head to toe.

“So,” Victoria murmured, “this is the woman my stepson chose to marry.” Afaint smile touched her lips. “Unexpected.”

Evie lowered her gaze slightly. “He chose me.”

Victoria’s smile sharpened. “Did he?” She stepped closer. Close enough that no one else could hear. “But tell me, Evelyn… where exactly did you meet him?”

“At a charity event,” Evie replied calmly. “Private. Small.”

Victoria’s brow lifted slightly. “Of course it was. And how long did you know each other before he decided to marry you?”

“Long enough.”

“How long is long enough?” Victoria pressed. “Weeks? Months?” She circled Evie slowly. “Or did he simply see something he wanted… and take it?”

Evie didn’t move. “He doesn’t act without thinking.”

Victoria stopped in front of her again. “That’s not what I asked. When did you start seeing him?”

Evie met her eyes this time. “Months ago.”

“Months,” Victoria repeated softly, tasting the word. “And in those months… he told you nothing about his family?” Victoria leaned closer. Her voice dropped. “Or did he simply forget to mention us… because you wouldn’t have fit?”

Evie’s grip tightened around the rose. “I fit where he put me.”

Victoria smiled faintly. “Interesting answer. When was the wedding?”

“Recently.”

“And no announcement. No witnesses of importance. No family.” Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly. “How very… private.”

Evie didn’t respond.

Victoria tilted her head. “Tell me something, Evelyn. Did he love you?”

The question landed like a blade.

Evie inhaled slowly. “He married me.”

Victoria’s smile turned almost amused. “That wasn’t my question.”

Before Evie could answer, another presence stepped in.

Damien Voss. Victoria’s son. Kael’s stepbrother. And a man whose gaze felt like a hand you couldn’t shake off.

“So this is her.” His voice was smooth. Amused. Interested. He stepped closer. His gaze moved over Evie slowly. Stripping her down without ever touching. “Kael’s secret wife.” A smirk tugged at his lips. “Interesting. Not what I expected. Less… refined.”

Evie didn’t react.

Damien leaned in. “You wear the name well,” he said. “even if it doesn’t quite belong to you. But I can see why he kept you.”

Evie still silent.

“Beauty,” he murmured, “has always been one of Kael’s weaknesses.”

Evie finally met his eyes. “I wasn’t something he kept.”

Damien’s smile sharpened. “That’s what makes this interesting.” He leaned closer. His breath brushed her ear. “Tell me something, Evelyn… would he mind… if someone else appreciated what he left behind?”

Evie went still.

“Perhaps I should find out,” Damien continued softly.

“I wonder… would you taste as good as you look?”

Evie turned her head slightly. Her voice was quiet. “You will never touch me.”

Damien’s eyes darkened. Interest. “Careful,” he murmured. “I enjoy breaking things that resist.”

Before Evie could turn a voice spoke beside her.

“Boss would hate this.”

Evie froze. She turned slowly.

A woman stood there. Tall. Composed. Dressed in black that seemed to swallow light. Her beauty wasn’t soft. It was precise. Controlled. Dangerous. Her eyes weren’t on the grave. They were on Evie.

“You must be Evelyn.”

Evie held her gaze. “And you are?”

A faint smile. “Ravenna Cruz. I handle things… for him.”

Something cold slid down Evie’s spine.

Ravenna’s gaze moved over her. Slower than Damien’s. “You’re different from what I expected.”

Evie didn’t look away. “Is that a problem?”

Ravenna’s smile didn’t change. “That depends. On how long you last.” Then slightly closer. “You should be careful. Things that don’t belong in this world…” A small tilt of her head. “…tend to disappear.”

Evie’s jaw tightened. “Is that a warning?”

Ravenna’s eyes softened slightly. “A courtesy.”

Then she stepped back. Gone into the crowd. Like she had never been there.

Evie’s pulse hadn’t even settled when it hit again.

That presence. She turned. There. A man with mask stood in the rain. No umbrella. Black suit.

Her breath stopped. Those eyes—cold gray—locked on her. Her heart slammed.

Her phone vibrated. A message.

Stand still.

Don’t react.

Smile if they look at you.

Another vibration.

Good girl.

Her breath caught.

Another message.

Don’t look behind you.

Too late. She moved. Just slightly. He was closer. Watching her.

Another vibration.

I said don’t look.

Be a good wife, Evelyn.

Her stomach dropped.

Slowly—very slowly—Evie turned back to the grave. The rose slipped from her fingers. Fell into the open earth.

And in that moment, Evie understood. She wasn’t burying Kael Voss. She was stepping into his world.

***