?Chapter 490:


    The elderly woman yelling at Katelyn trembled with a mix of grief and frustration, as though they were pulling her apart. Her eyes were swollen and red, and she pointed an using finger directly at Katelyn.


    “This is a family-only farewell. Someone get this outsider out of here.”


    At her words, heads turned toward Katelyn and her twopanions, the crowd’s attention now fully focused on them.


    The butler stepped forward, his tone respectful yet firm.


    “Mrs. Reynolds, thisdy here was a close friend of His Lordship. She was personally invited to the funeral.”


    Heather Reynolds squinted, doubt clouding her expression.


    “I don’t recall my brother having any friends like this one.”


    It was then that Katelyn realized—Heather and Earl Poulos were family. She looked more closely and saw the resemnce. Around the eyes, Heather did indeed resemble Earl Poulos.


    But why had Earl Poulos never mentioned any family ties? People had always thought of him as an odd, solitary man who kept to himself.


    The butler’s expression turned cold, his voice losing all warmth.


    “Mrs. Reynolds, you and His Lordship have been distant for years. It’s no surprise you’re out of touch with his recent life. Your role here is simply to pay your respects, not to meddle in other matters.”


    Heather’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, clearly stung by his bluntness.


    A young man nearby stepped forward, his voice sharp with arrogance.


    “You’d better watch your tone with my mother. You’re just a servant my uncle hired, nothing more.”


    L?t?st chαpt?rs ιn g??l??ovе???.????


    His smugness was evident, a sh of disdain in his eyes as he clearly looked down on the butler. Without a word, the butler turned away from him, his expression softening as he addressed Katelyn with far more respect.


    “Miss Bailey, if you woulde with me, thewyer will be here shortly.”


    Katelyn nodded, though she couldn’t help but scan the room, still processing everything around her.


    “Where is Austen?”


    Was he really going to miss Earl Poulos’ funeral? The butler let out a tired sigh, almost as if he had anticipated the question.


    “The young master stayed by His Lordship’s bedside all night,” the butler said softly. “He passed out from exhaustion at dawn. Someone’s already been sent to get him.”


    Katelyn nodded, understanding. She knew Austen didn’t need more regrets weighing him down.


    Heather’s son, Westin Reynolds, overhearing this, raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard.


    “What young master? My uncle never had a son!” Westin barked, irritation evident in his voice.


    Byw, if Earl Poulos had no wife or children, the estate would pass first to his sister Heather, and then to her son, Westin. He hade a long way, expecting to inherit a good portion of his uncle’s wealth. If there was a legitimate heir, however, Westin wouldn’t see a penny.


    Heather, realizing the significance of the information, quickly pressed the butler. “What do you mean by that? Who is this ‘young master’?”


    The butler, fully aware of their desperation, gave a small, knowing smile.


    “Oh, I almost forgot to mention—His Lordship found his real son. That’s who the young master is.”


    His wordsnded like a bombshell, leaving the room thick with tension.


    All the rtives, who had been counting on their share of Earl Poulos’ fortune, now saw their hopes slip away. With a legitimate son in the mix, they had no im to the inheritance.


    Heather’s anxiety spiked as she fired off more questions. “When did this happen? Did my brother leave a will? How is the estate going to be split?”


    In just a few words, Heather’s greed became painfully clear, and even Katelyn frowned, clearly disappointed by the scene unfolding before her.


    Perhaps Earl Poulos had seen through the true nature of his rtives, which might exin why he had cut ties with them.


    The butler stayed silent, but Heather’s tone grew increasingly desperate.


    “Speak up! Did my brother leave a will? Did he mention me? How much of the estate am I supposed to get?”


    The butler shook his head slowly, maintaining his calm demeanor. “That’s a private matter for His Lordship. I have no right to discuss it. If you want to know what’s in the will, you’ll have to wait for thewyer.”


    Hearing this, Westin could no longer contain his anger. He lunged forward, gripping the butler’s cor, his fist raised in a threatening gesture.


    “Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson about being a servant!”


    But just as Westin’s fist was about to fall, another hand shot out and stopped it mid-air.


    .<fn885b> Official source is f?ndnovel</fn885b>


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