A Funeral To Attend

Inside a towering office building somewhere thousands of miles away in another country.

A man in mid-fifties with short grey hair and light stubble stepped out of the VIP elevator on the top floor. He was wearing blue winter jacket over his custom made suit and a scarf around his neck as he made his way inside.

As he walked past the secretarial desk at the front, a young woman dressed in a blazer over a white top and pencil skirt hurriedly stood up and greeted him formally. "CEO Jerry."

The man didn't even glance at her and continued walking towards the office on the other end.

As she saw that, the young woman's face paled and she ran after the man anxiously as she blurted out in a feeble tone. "S-Sir, you can't go in there. He doesn't want to be disturbed."

Perhaps the man didn't hear her weak voice, or perhaps, he just didn't care – either way, he moved forwards with large steps and reached the door. There was a golden name plaque attached to the door reading 'Isaac Rubenstein' in bold letters with 'Chairman' under the name

Instead of knocking to announce his presence, CEO Jerry directly opened the door and barged in as he called out. "Father, we need to talk."

- -

The office was large and spacious, but the pale gray walls, and dark granite flooring exuded a dull, cold vibe. Despite the large floor to ceiling windows on the side wall fully open and allowing the light in, there was still a brooding darkness lingering inside.

The main wall in the room was fitted with a large cupboard, showcasing first edition books, numerous awards, trophies and some rare, antique sculptures, attracting the attention of everyone who would enter the room.

And below it, in a leather chair, sat an unassuming old man, with a pen in hand and his gaze on the documents placed on the dark wooden office table in front of him. There was a monitor set up on one side of the table and a few pen holders, and three landlines placed on the other end.

The old man appeared to be in his mid to late-seventies with a lanky frame and gaunt face. His head of grey and white hair was combed back neatly and he gave off a stubborn, orthodox vibe in a dark button down suit with mandarin collar.

Isaac Rubenstein, the chairman of the multimillion dollar conglomerate, 'Rubenstein Stronghold'.

CEO Jerry came to a stop in front of the table and waited for the old man to grant him his attention. Although he came there in a hurry, he stood there quietly as if he wouldn't dare to make any demands to the old man.

"S-Sir, you can't-" The young woman was two steps behind as she rushed in, but she soon stopped and realized it was already too late.

She was halfway inside the door as she stood there awkwardly, unable to retreat or move forward. Her heart was already pounding in her ears and the heavy silence in the room was pulling her nerves taut.

But despite the discomfort, she stood there contemplating the situation and awaiting the consequences she knew she couldn't avoid.

After three long minutes of silent mental anguish, she heard a calm, amiable voice.

"Miss Tallis, is it?" the old chairman spoke serenely, his eyes still focused on the documents in front of him.

The young woman hesitantly stepped into the room, her fingers curling up in nervous anxiety as she looked at the old man with panic-stricken eyes.

But just as she gathered her courage to answer, Isaac spoke again. "What were your orders?"

CEO Jerry, who stood a few feet ahead frowned as he looked back at the young woman with a cold sneer. He then scoffed at her and turned his head away as if her current predicament had nothing to do with him.

"I'm s-sorry, sir. I-"the young woman, Miss Tallis began with an apology but before she could continue, the old man finally looked up from the documents and glanced at her.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" he asked her with a smile, his soothing voice betraying the cold intent in his hawk-like eyes.

Miss Tallis felt a heavy pressure bearing down on her and she gulped down all the apologies and excuses. "D-Do not let a-anyone in until y-you say otherwise." She repeated his instructions while trying to keep her voice from breaking up.

"The finance department will settle your dues tomorrow." the old man declared impassively as he turned his head back to look through the papers spread on his table. "You can leave now."

"I-I'm really sorry, sir. P-Please give me another chance." Miss Tallis began to plead, her eyes tearing up as she decided to abandon her dignity and beg him if she had to.

The old man Isaac didn't even bother to look up again as he stretched his hand to the side and pressed a few buttons on the nearest landline placed there.

The call was immediately connected and a low, cold voice spoke up. "Yes, boss?"

"Come and remove the trash in my office." Isaac instructed apathetically and pressed a button to end the call, while his eyes were on the documents on his table.

Hearing those words, Miss Tallis' face paled with fright and she lost all hope of holding onto her job. She hung her head low, turned around and rushed out of the office without another word.

With her retreating footsteps, the office fell into silence once again. But neither of the men inside seemed to be in a hurry to speak. The old chairman went back to leisurely sort out the documents one by one while CEO Jerry continued to stand in front of the table without a word of complaint as he gazed out of the window at the side.

"When did you come back?" a calm and distant voice spoke up, causing Jerry to look at the old man seated in the leather chair on the other side of the table.

"I just landed an hour ago." answered Jerry, in an equally distant tone as he observed his father.

The old man merely nodded his head indifferently and didn't even spare a glance at his son. His wrinkled but sharp eyes were carefully scanning through the documents as he occasionally added some points wherever necessary with a pen in hand.

Jerry seemed to be unbothered by his father's behavior and instead felt placated that he was finally acknowledged.

He took it as a permission to speak and asked tentatively. "Who is that woman? I haven't seen her here before."

"Just some useless intern." replied the old man coldly

"Intern?" Jerry frowned as he looked around the room. "Where is Mr. O'Brian?"

"He is busy handling the delegates and will be unavailable for a while." Isaac answered calmly which surprised Jerry and a flicker of envy and hatred flashed in his eyes before he forcefully calmed his emotions.

Jerry knew he can't keep on with the small talk and sighed as he decided to get to the matter at hand "Did you know that Professor Charlie passed away?"

"So I heard." replied Isaac curtly, without even a trace of emotion on his face. And when he didn't hear anything else, he looked up and glanced at his son. "But that's not why you are here. So, what is it?"

Jerry calmly took out his phone and fiddled with it for a moment before handing it to the old man.

Isaac took the phone into his hands and his gazed turned cold as he saw a picture of a couple having meals on a rooftop restaurant with a smile on their faces.

The couple in the picture were Lucian and Violette enjoying their lunch on the roof of Royal Green just a few hours ago. The picture seemed to be taken from a close vicinity as the couple were clearly visible. Violette's face was shielded by her hair but Lucian was clearly recognizable.

"Before he passed away, Professor Charlie, he…"Jerry trailed off, as if unsure whether to say it or not. But that hesitation only lasted a moment as he took a breath and finished his sentence. "It seems, he convinced Lucian to agree to a marriage."

The old man looked away from the phone and glanced at Jerry with a sharp gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I confirmed it with my contacts at the office of Civil Affairs at Silver Bay." Jerry sighed and clarified it. "Lucian is legally married as of yesterday evening."

Isaac was silent for a long while before he let out a low chuckle and shook his head. "A busybody until the end."

"What should we do now?" Jerry asked, apprehensively. He was extremely upset and disappointed since he received the news. "If the Roarks were to know of this, all the deals will be held off and we will suffer severe loses."

"No need to fret." The old man stood up and walked towards the floor to ceiling window and calmly looked down at the bustling city. "Find out everything about Lucian's bride first. We will know what to do at that time."

Jerry nodded in understanding and decided to do as his father said. As long as they have all the details, they can easily solve the issue before it becomes serious.

"Book a ticket to Silver Bay for tomorrow." Isaac's voice made Jerry to look at his father. And when Jerry saw a smile on his gaunt face, he felt a cold chill down his spine as the old man muttered. "I have a funeral to attend."