Whispers in the crowd increased in volume and frequency, with conjectures painting Darian in an increasingly negative Light.

"Something's amiss! Halt the proceeding: shaky, face pale, and forehead dotted with beads of perspiration.

Darian barked, his voice

He gestured at the priest on the pulpit and ordered his bodyguards, “Quickly, seize this Lunatic who is spouting such blasphemies!"

Regardless of his frantic and infuriated state, the bodyguards around him remained stationary, appearing to not have heard his commands.

Instead, they formed a circle around him.

Darian recoiled in surprise, shouting, “What are you doing? Is this a mutiny? Don't forget whose money you're pocketing!"

His black-suited bodyguards remained impassive.

The priest looked at him and with a serene smile, suggested, “Mr. Anderson, if you find this hard to believe, you may verify it yourself at the coffin. See for yourself whose funeral it is today."

Darian was dumbstruck. He glanced at the black coffin and felt a chill down his spine, but simultaneously, the prospect of Aimee being in it seemed too far-fetched to him.

He refused to believe it, so he bolted to the stage and peered into the coffin.

Upon seeing the occupant, he let out a shrill shriek, crumpled to the ground, and with a horror-stricken face, bellowed, "No! This can't be! It is impossible! This woman has been dead for fifteen years!"

Ariana was equally taken aback at this revelation.

Given Darian's reaction, it seemed highly probable that the person inside the coffin was indeed Aimee.

As Darian mentioned, Aimee had been deceased for fifteen years, but his immediate recognition of her implied that her body was incredibly well-preserved.

Ariana recalled the difficulty faced by the pallbearers earlier when lifting the coffin. She speculated that it must be laden with preservatives, accounting for its extraordinary weight.

Was Theodore's ultimate objective in orchestrating this elaborate ruse to hold a belated, grand funeral for his mother?

Thinking of such a possibility, Ariana's heart raced.

Jasper too realized that something was wrong and he was about to rush to stop the priest. However, before he could take a step forward, he was pressed to the ground by the bodyguards.

Bodyguards standing next to the Anderson family suddenly turned and surrounded them.