Lucas could sense Cheyenne’s nervousness, so he immediately held her hand and patted it to reassure her.

Since Lucas and Cheyenne were standing in the corner of the hall, they weren’t very noticeable, and Adam failed to see them when he arrived.

With the support of his grandson Adam, Conrad slowly walked toward the casket at the front and let out a long sigh.

“Felix Howard, you old fogy, I told you a long time ago not to expect too much from your children and grandchildren. When you got older, you should have just handed over control to them, lest you have to exert yourself and tire yourself out thanklessly.

“But you didn’t listen to my advice! Look how things turned out now. You’re dead, and your daughter even forced you to retire. You ended up dying in anger. What was the point? You suffered a huge loss!

“Old fogy, I wouldn’t be able to die in peace if I were you!” Conrad said painfully.

What he said immediately made all the Howards have a drastic change in expression!

Conrad’s words were not any condolences to Felix but a direct slap to the face of Florence, the current head of the family!

He was clearly trying to say that Felix’s death was entirely caused by Florence, who forced her father to step down from her current position. As a result of anger and anguish, he died. What he said simply shamed Florence without any mercy.

Florence’s face immediately turned pale.

Although she also blamed herself because Felix probably wouldn’t have passed away so soon if not for her, many matters had happened in the Howard residence yesterday. Besides, Felix was already 75 years old, and now that he had suddenly died from an illness, it indeed wasn’t entirely her fault.

Florence was extremely devastated by Felix’s death, and now that Conrad was accusing her, she felt as if her heart was being stabbed by a dagger.

But Florence gritted her teeth without saying anything on account that Conrad was the former head of the Pier family and her father’s friend.

After paying respects, Conrad suddenly turned around, looked at the Howards, and said to Florence, “Apart from expressing my condolences, I have one more thing to do here.”

Florence frowned but still asked politely, “Uncle Conrad, what’s the matter?”

Conrad looked at her and suddenly smiled. “It’s very simple. Before your father passed away, he agreed to an engagement with me. Although he’s already passed away, I have to keep the promise. So the other thing I’m here for is to propose marriage!”

As soon as he said this, the Howards were shocked.

It was Felix’s funeral, yet Conrad suddenly mentioned a marriage at this juncture.

It was too peculiar!

Besides, Connor said that it was a marriage that Felix had arranged with him before he died. But the Howards were utterly dumbstruck as they looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other’s eyes. They had never heard of this before.

Florence glanced at him and frowned. “I’ve never heard my father mention this before. Uncle Conrad, what exactly are you referring to?”

For some reason, Florence had an ominous premonition.

“It’s the marriage between you and my son Derek! I’m here today to propose marriage to you on behalf of my son!” Conrad said firmly with a determined look.

Boom!

Almost all the Howards were stupefied!

What… what kind of a joke was this?

Conrad was proposing to Florence?

But Florence was now the helmsman of the Howards. How could she marry into the Pier family?

Conrad had clearly come with hostile intentions!

Conrad first mentioned the engagement that none of them had heard about, and then he asked that Florence marry his son. It was ridiculous.

Now, Felix had already died, so he couldn’t come forward to clarify if he had really agreed on the engagement with Conrad. They could only rely on Conrad’s claims.

Besides, if Florence really married into the Pier family, what would happen to the Howards since she was the head of the family?

Would the Howards still be on par with the Piers?

Would the Howards then belong to the Piers?

All the Howards immediately turned to look at Florence.

Now, Florence was already their helmsman, and this matter concerned her marriage. Naturally, she had to be the one to decide how to handle this matter.

Florence was also shocked by what Conrad said.

But she was smart enough to understand Conrad’s intentions immediately.

After pondering for several seconds, Florence gathered her emotions and closed her eyes before saying calmly, “Uncle Conrad, you must be joking. I married a long time ago, and I returned to my maiden family only after my husband passed away. I will never marry someone else now.”

“In that case, you must be an unfilial daughter. You don’t even want to fulfill your father’s last wish?” Conrad said sternly with a cold expression.

As an experienced man who had been a family head for decades, he had always been dignified and austere. But now that he suddenly lost his temper, he was very imposing.

The Howards could all sense the intense pressure from Conrad.

Even Florence’s heart skipped a beat.

But Florence was now the head of the Howards, and her every word and action represented the Howards. She naturally couldn’t show her timidness toward Conrad, even though he was an elder.

“My father has already passed away. Uncle Conrad, do you have any evidence to prove that this is my father’s last wish?

“I can’t marry into the Pier family just because of something you’ve said, right?”

Florence tried her best to speak calmly.

Frankly speaking, Conrad had been extremely hostile toward her as soon as he arrived. He had even accused her of being unfilial. Florence was trying her best not to hold it against him on account that Conrad was her father’s friend and her elder.

But she would never agree to marry into the Pier family just because of a mere agreement that they made before Felix died!

Even if she wasn’t the helmsman of the Howards, she would never marry a man she wasn’t interested in!

After hearing Florence’s rejection, Conrad immediately looked extremely gloomy. “Hah, are you suspecting that I’m making this up to deceive you?”