Chapter 1690

Lamond had come here to make an example out of Rooney—he needed the villagers to know what happened to those who crossed him. He was saying the threat out loud not for Rooney or Matthew, but for every single resident of Neper Valley. Just then, Tommy and Wanda returned. They were completely dumbfounded at the state of Rooney's home. Matthew noticed them and waved them over to help. With three men and one petite woman, they barely managed to hoist the coffin onto the motorized tricycle. Rooney clutched Morell's framed photo, leading the way. Behind him, Tommy and Wanda followed closely, while Matthew drove the tricycle toward the burial site. A funeral with only four people was somber, lonely, and heartbreakingly quiet. The onlookers stood in heavy silence, parting to clear a path as they watched the small procession pass. Lamond sneered at the excavator drivers. "What the hell are you staring at? His dad's dead—what does that have to do with you? Tear down his kitchen! Now!" He c