Mr Llyod estate.
Above the Top-Brick Mansion, Rooftop.
The table was laid delicately in the middle of the estate garden—cherry blossom trees dancing gently in the breeze, petals littering the trimmed grass like falling memories. Crystal glasses reflected the soft sunlight, but the air was far from peaceful.
Mr. Llyod, Chairman of Llyod Industries, leaned back in his seat, swirling his wine gently.
"Your daughter has grown quite beautiful," Mr. Hovard commented, his voice smooth, but his eyes weighing Viki like merchandise at an auction.
"Haha," Mr. Llyod chuckled with artificial pride. "She's always had that charm."
Viki sat still, untouched plate in front of her, eyes locked across the table with an unreadable gaze. Her lips didn't twitch. Her silence was louder than the clink of silverware.
Opposite her sat *Tenji*, Mr. Hovard's son. He was neatly dressed, posture perfect, but his nervous fingers tapped lightly beneath the table. He'd felt the temperature drop with every second Viki refused to speak.
"I heard her team won this year's Imperial Debate," Mrs. Hovard said sweetly.
"Ha, yes! Such brains she got there!" Mr. Hovard added.
"She definitely took that from you," Mrs. Hovard smiled at Llyod.
Laughter rippled around the table—thin, hollow. Viki's spoon clinked once, unmoved.Then the question came.
"The news about her being proposed to the son of Mr. Williams—seems to be true?" Mr. Hovard leaned forward with interest.
"Ah, yes…" Llyod adjusted his tie. "Mr. Williams. It would be better if I lent my daughter to someone she truly loves, don't you think?"
Tenji's hand clenched under the table.
"A very good decision," Mrs. Hovard nodded with elegance.
"That's just sad…" Mr. Hovard continued. "Our son here, Tenji, seems to be very interested in your daughter."
All eyes turned to Tenji, who gave a soft, almost shy smile.
He leaned forward.
"But... I don't mind," he said. "Even if I can't have her, I request to also be a member of Imperials. I just... I want to protect her."
Lisa—Mr. Llyod's mistress—giggled lightly. "Such gentleness."
"Oh?" Mrs. Hovard's voice lifted. "You did say she's your up-to-be wife?"
"Ah yes…" Mr. Llyod smirked. "Someone needs to take care of Viki for the meantime."
Then came the silence.
Viki lifted her eyes. Cold. Sharp. A still sea before the storm.
"And I asked for it?" Her voice cut clean through the air.
Mr. and Mrs. Hovard froze mid-breath.
She slowly stood, her napkin dropping from her lap like a fallen verdict.
"And this... this whole dumb gathering?" she said, voice low, sharp. "Is. Stupid."Tenji blinked. "Viki—"
"And you fucked up, Tenji," she said, voice rising a note. "You wanna protect me? Would it *still* be protecting if what you're supposed to protect me from... is *you*?"
Her glare slid like a blade toward Lisa.
"And *you*, Lisa. To-be wife?" Viki scoffed bitterly. "How shameless can you be? Sitting here like you're part of this family. You really *were* raised from garbage."
Lisa's face flushed red in embarrassment, but her lips stayed tight.
"VIKI!!" Mr. Llyod snapped—not shouting, but loud .
But Viki didn't flinch. She stared down at all of them, as if the entire table were beneath her heels.
"I'm not some heir to be handed around. I'm not your tool. Not your bride. Not your strategy. And not some spoiled girl to be *handled*."
She stepped away from the table slowly, voice steady.
"Next time you invite me to dinner, make sure it's with people who can chew truth—not just swallow lies."
And with that, she turned, heels clicking against the stone path as the silence left behind was more deafening than any scream.
PRIVATE BACK PATH*
The stone path Viki stormed through minutes ago now felt like a cage—lined with blooming roses, white orchids, everything too neat, too perfect. The kind of perfection that made pain feel... invisible.
"Trash."
She slung her bag over her shoulder, her heels clicking like gunshots in the silence as she walked off without looking back.
Behind her, the laughter had crumbled. Silence pressed on the table like weight.
"Uh… her mother's case isn't giving any new changes. That's why she's acting like this…" Mr. Llyod said, trying to salvage the moment as he rose to his feet. "I'll go talk to her."
Tenji turned to his mother with a hopeful grin. "So… I'm getting into Imperials, right?"
"No," Mrs. Hovard replied, blunt and icy.
Tenji blinked. "What? But I—"
Lisa, trying to play polite, leaned in. "Umm… not to butt in, but—why, though?"
Mrs. Hovard gave her a smile so sharp it could draw blood. "Ha… It would be rude to butt into *family* business when you're just some *mistress*."
Lisa froze, mouth parting slightly, the chill of insult slamming into her skin like ice water. What happened to the polite smiles and gentle compliments?
Mr. Hovard stood up. "We'll be taking our leave. If he gets back, do tell him we appreciated the meal."With that, the Hovards walked away—leaving the garden colder than before.
---
*BACK PATH – BEHIND THE GREENHOUSE*
Viki hadn't made it far.
Her hand trembled slightly as she tried to wipe away her lipstick—smearing it more across her cheek in the process. Her breath hitched. She hated this place. Hated them.
Then—
She felt a pull from behind.
*SLAP.*
The sound echoed harshly off the greenhouse wall.
Her head jerked to the side from the force of it, the sting blooming red across her cheek. Mr. Llyod's eyes weren't angry. They were *disgusted*.
"You disgrace…" he said, voice low and sharp like a knife against glass. "You're really proving to me you're not worth the heir of this family. And trust me—I don't plan on giving it to you."
Viki's lip trembled, but she kept her chin high.
"Me? A disgrace?"
"You're the one who brought a mistress while Mom's in a coma—!"
*.*
This one landed harder. She stumbled backward, landing on the stone path with a thud, gasping.
Mr. Llyod crouched down in front of her, one hand gripping a fistful of her hair, forcing her to look at him. Her lip was cut—blood trailing down in a line that mocked her once-perfect face."You seem to forget," he whispered, too calmly. "Your image… your life… is *hanging* on my name. I could disown you. Send you into the streets, the trash you think you're too good for. You'd be nothing. Understand?"
His grip tightened—sharp pain shot through her scalp.
"Is. That. Clear?"
Her eyes welled. She didn't want to cry. She *hated* crying. Especially in front of him.
"L… Let go of me," she hissed, her voice breaking.
But her tears betrayed her—anger and shame crashing into each other until her strength gave out. She tried to shove him off, trembling, her hands clawing at his wrist.
"Leave me alone!" she cried, voice cracking like her control.
He shoved her back down and stood over her like she was dirt on his shoes.
"Just like your mother," he muttered coldly. "Disgusting."
Then he walked off, the back of his coat flapping like the tail of a vulture.
Viki lay there, her breathing sharp, shoulders shaking. Her hair was disheveled, blood on her lip, mascara running down her cheeks. Her hand slowly reached for her bag—
Then with a scream, she hurled it across the path.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
She let it out—rage, pain, all of it.
Tears poured now, uncontrollable.