84 Family introduction
Clarke family funeral, 9.00 AM
Elena immediately locked her lips tightly when she arrived at her destination, she really didn’t expect Christian to take her to the Clarke family cemetery which is so forbidden for foreigners to visit. The cemetery which is in the Clarke family’s private area is so well maintained. Every tombstone in the cemetery even looked brand new, as if all of them buried there were only buried yesterday.
“Give these flowers to the row of graves in the front row,” Christian said quietly as he handed over a basket filled with red roses that he had prepared beforehand.
“Me? Are you sure?” asked Elena in a half whisper. “I’m not part of the Clarke family, I don’t think I deserve to...”
“Soon you will become part of this family, so there’s no reason for you to do this simple task, right?”
Elena’s heart literally almost burst out of her chest cavity, the words Christian just uttered so shaken her faith. The sweet-mouthed man is really good at making women melt.
“Christ, I’m serious!”
“I’m more serious,” Christian replies curtly. “Hurry up, you don’t want to make all my family members who rest peacefully in this place wake up and scold you, right?”
Elena’s face immediately turned pale. “Don’t be crazy! How could something like that happen, huh!”
.....
Christian laughs amused, his intention to tease Elena even greater. “Want to prove it?”
Elena, who is very afraid of all things related to ghosts or scary stories, then rushes to carry out the orders that Christian previously gave her. Even though there were currently three tomb guards accompanying them, Elena was still not calm. Her trauma from the funeral still haunts her.
Not wanting to do anything wrong, Elena carefully placed the two lower flower stalks on each of the neatly lined headstones. While placing the roses, Elena had time to read the inscription on the tombstone in the shape of a large cross that was on it. All of those lying in eternity in that place actually used Clarke’s last name, except for one grave. One of the most recent graves that Christian is currently staring at without blinking.
“Yes, I have given all the roses to all of them,” said Elena softly, a guard immediately approached Elena and asked for an empty basket in her hand.
Christian smiles. “Thanks, Elena. They’ll be delighted to meet you.”
“Christ.” Elena immediately gripped Christian’s arm tightly. “Don’t talk nonsense, I’m afraid.”
The smile on Christian’s face gets wider when he hears Elena’s words, Elena’s fear of ghosts really brings Christian benefits.
“All of the Clarke family’s ancestors are buried in this place,” Christian said quietly, starting to speak with his left hand wrapped around Elena’s waist. “Except for my grandparents, who are buried in Geneva. In the Muller family cemetery.”
Elena immediately lifts her face towards Christian. “The Mullers, how come? Aren’t they members of the Clarkes?”
“I’ll tell you the reason later, for now let me explain who is in this place. You want to be patient waiting for an answer to your previous question, right?”
Elena nodded slowly, even though Elena actually wanted to refuse but Elena felt a strong urge asking her to follow Christian’s wishes at this time.
Christian takes a deep breath, before long he recounts his predecessors to Elena in great detail. Several times Elena screamed when she heard the terrible story about the death of Allan Knight Clarke who incidentally was Christian’s uncle, Elena’s grip on Christian’s hand grew stronger when she heard how the cause of Christian’s father’s twin brother died.
“And Luis Cobb, he is a former special police officer who dedicated his life to my great-grandfather, David Clarke. And until the end of his life Luis continued to take care of the Clarke family by raising me,” Christian said softly with teary eyes, remembering his togetherness with Luis that he had thought of him as his own grandfather. “Luis really kept his promise by taking good care of the Clarke family until his last moments on earth and that’s why I decided to bury him here, side by side with his master, David Clarke.”
“You were raised by your great-grandfather’s assistant, not by your parents?” asked Elena in surprise.
Christian shakes his head. “Yeah, I was raised by Luis who I consider my own grandfather.”
“Why? What is the reason that you have to live separately from your parents, Christ?”
Christian purses his lips. “I don’t know the exact reason, but what I do know is that Luis wants to make me a true Clarke like my late great-grandfather wished. That’s why I live in Luxembourg while my parents and sister live in Geneva.”
Elena shakes her head slowly, she still can’t accept Christian’s excuse. It felt like the excuse Christian had just told him was far-fetched.
“I’ll tell you more after I introduce you to them,” Christian whispers quickly with a smile. “Right now you just need to be nice, I’ll formally introduce you to them before I take you to my parents’ house in Geneva.”
“Christ...”
Elena’s words stop immediately when Christian begins to speak, as if introducing a living person. Christian officially introduces Elena to all members of his ancestors, Christian even clearly mentions Elena as his future wife when he again speaks in front of Luis Cobb’s grave. Elena actually almost fainted when Christian said that, she couldn’t believe being introduced as Christian Clarke’s future wife in front of his ancestors. One thing that Elena had never imagined before.
“I hope you all like this fierce, very timid girl and continue to watch over us all from up there,” Christian said quietly ending his words with a smile.
Elena, who had been locking her lips tightly since ten minutes ago, was forced to speak again when Christian gestured for her to speak. Elena stammered a little to speak so politely, her chest tightened at the mention of the names of the Clarke family ancestors who lay in front of her. Because the main goal has been completed, Christian then invites Elena out of the cemetery to his car which is parked neatly in front of the entrance of the cemetery.
“So what do you want to ask me?” Christian asks Elena quietly as they both get into the car.
“A lot, but I wonder why Calvin and Megan Clarke aren’t buried here. Aren’t they Clarke too, right?”
Christian smiles, he slowly takes Elena’s hand and squeezes it gently. “Only you, Elena. I do this while I’m with you, I swear to God if you are the only girl I take and introduce in person to all the Clarke family members who are in this place. So in the future, never doubt I. I’m really serious about you.”
Damn Christian!
Elena can’t speak again, the string of words that just came from Christian’s lips manages to make all of her voice catch in her throat.
“Calvin and Megan, who in fact were my grandparents, were not approved by my great-grandfather at first, the difference in status between the two was the main reason. However, because my grandparents loved each other so much they still married without their blessing. Until finally my grandmother was pregnant with twins, Allan Knight Clarke and Jackson Patrick Muller, my father. My father used the last name Muller which was given to him by his adoptive father at the time. And when he found out that my grandmother had given birth to two boys, my great-grandfather came and brought one of the children to him to care for and raise him as a Clarke true, but human plans are still plans, because in the end God decides everything.My uncle, Allan Knight Clarke actually died in a tragic accident planned by his friends and not long after that God sent my father to my great-grandfather who was found in critical condition at that time before my father married my mother.”
Christian stops his words, he gives Elena time to digest all the sentences he just said.
“My grandparents died with Muller’s name on them.” Christian resumes his story. “That’s why they weren’t buried in this place, even though my great-grandfather could have moved the graves of both of them to this place but my great-grandfather didn’t do that. My great-grandfather didn’t want to disturb the long slumber of his only son and his daughter in law who were already peaceful in Geneva.”
Elena blinks her eyes, the explanation Christian just said makes her head hurt even more. She really didn’t understand.
“Why? Still incomprehensible, huh?” Christian asks softly.
Elena nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m very confused. Your family lineage is too much, I’m really dizzy remembering one by one the names you’ve mentioned before.”
“It’s hard to just say his name,” Christian says quietly with a smile.
“You mean?”
Instead of answering the question that Elena just gave, Christian starts the car. “You’ll know the answer soon enough.”
After Christian gave a stern warning, the maids who had previously been delivering food and drinks in turns to the living room finally walked away. None of them dared to approach the living room anymore, even Jorge, who had previously led the servants to disturb Christian and Elena also finally decided to continue with his other work.
“They really need to be taught a lesson,” Christian growls in annoyanc
Elena smiled. “They’re just doing their job, don’t be so fierce.
Continue
“They weren’t just doing their job, they were teasing me on purpose
“Teasing you? Why are they teasing you?”.”.”e.
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