Chapter 19: Money
Just as Lilia's father was about to speak again, a knock on the car window interrupted him. He rolled it down, revealing a chauffeur standing outside. The man nodded politely, his well-tailored suit and pristine uniform exuding an air of elegance and authority.
The interruption did nothing to ease Lilia's nerves. She sat stiffly, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. No one had needed to tell her outright that it was time for her to leave for her new home—her unexpected, out-of-the-blue new home. If anyone had asked her, she would have called this a flash engagement.
But who would ask her? Who would care?
Lilia knew better than to place the blame on anyone but herself. She had been the one to point at him at the ball. She had sealed her fate with a single, foolish gesture. Her own hands had dug this grave.
And now, here she was, being given away without so much as a second thought by the people who were supposed to protect her. She didn't need anyone to spell out the truth: her father had agreed to this arrangement for one reason only—to protect his precious public image. He couldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
It wasn't just about appearances, though. Her father had seen something else in Zethan—something he knew he couldn't find in anyone else. Power. Command. Wealth. The kind of wealth that opened doors her father had only dreamed of.
Lilia's chest tightened as she thought about the business deals her father would soon boast about. How many influential people had he already met because of this engagement? She didn't want to know.
Her father's faint smile broke through her thoughts as he addressed the chauffeur. "She'll be there in a minute," he said.
The chauffeur nodded but didn't move. He stood tall, his posture unyielding, like a soldier waiting for orders.
Her father turned to her next, his tone clipped and emotionless. "You may go."
Lilia stiffened. Was that it? Was that all he could muster? A curt dismissal, devoid of even the slightest hint of affection. The love she had once believed he had for her now seemed like a cruel joke.