Slide by Michelle Congdon Read Free Book Online

heavily on my shoulders, Connor and I now had to help with the funeral arrangements. I had no idea what that entailed but I helped out the best I could. I tried to be there as much for my brother, since he had known my father far better than I had, while the guilt continued to build up inside of me with each passing day.
    We’d spent almost an entire week arranging the funeral. My father had known a lot of very important people in the fashion world, and supported a lot of charities his entire life, as well as, a few professional sporting clubs. Connor notified each of them about his untimely passing, even though most of them knew already. It was going to be a difficult day for everyone.
     
     

CHAPTER 6
     
    By the time Friday came I was a nervous wreck. I spent the morning trying to calm my nerves by taking a long, hot bath and listening to upbeat music. In the past, I found that music often helped but today wasn’t one of those days.
    It was the day of my father’s funeral. Even though it meant that I’d get to see my grandparents again, I also had to confront my biggest fear: the spotlight. After today, the short, quiet life I’d become accustomed to would no longer exist and I’d get thrown back into the media mess that terrified me. There was no way reporters would miss this event for anything.
    Many people around the world had adored both my mother and my father, not only because of their remarkable high fashion culture but also for their admirable generosity. They were great humanitarians. No matter how demanding their own lives were they always found the time to give money and help out hundreds of charities all around the world.
    It shocked the world to learn that they’d lost a great woman twelve years ago and now, it was the death of multi-billionaire, Rupert Montgomery. Nobody would dare miss this.
    I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I didn’t have any other choice; I had to be ready for this.
    I checked myself in the mirror once more and adjusted the small veil that just covered my eyes, and then smoothed out my black Chanel pencil dress before heading out the door.
    Connor had arranged for his driver, named Clifford to come pick up both Derek and I. Only Derek had decided to meet up with a friend of his late last night, which meant I had to travel to the other side of the city to get him from the hotel he stayed at. I silently prayed that this little detour wouldn’t cause us to be late.
    During the car ride, I wondered if anybody was expecting me to make some kind of speech. Connor hadn’t asked me to and he would never force me to do something I wasn’t comfortable with doing. Even if I had wanted to say a few words, what would I say? And how would I handle standing up there, with thousands of eyes all on me? Watching me… Judging me…
    Goldie , the twenty eight year old, gold-digging girlfriend was making a speech. The very thought of her having held my seventy-year-old father’s hand brought up a vile taste in my mouth. She was only two years older than Connor, and would’ve been one year younger than my brother, Alex, if he were still alive!
    Arriving at the front of the hotel, I asked Clifford to wait while I hopped out of the black Bentley, and walked into the lobby of the fancy hotel where Derek had told me to wait for him. Jeez, that boy knew how to get by. Judging by the look of this place, the ‘friend’ he met up with was loaded with cash.
    The young girl at Reception informed me that Derek would be down in a moment so while I waited, I went over to explore the large fountain covering the center of the entrance hall. A large, in-ground, rectangular pool, about ten feet long, stretched out across the lobby floor. Large, colorful koi fish swam around, unmoved by the short spurts of water that spat out spontaneously from the jets and landed on top of them. The longer I stared the more I realized that there was a pattern forming between the spurts of water― like