I didn’t like hearing what she said, so I quickly excused myself before she could say anything more.
I went to visit my friend Blink in his stable. Blink is my white-haired horse. When he saw me, it was as if he could talk—he would probably have asked why it took me so long to visit him. I stroked his head and face, and he seemed restless, showing that he missed me too.
“Good morning, Miss,” greeted a stable hand.
“Good morning to you, too,” I replied politely.
“Would you like to ride, Miss? I’ll prepare Blink for you.”
I smiled at him and nodded. I checked the time and saw I had enough.
As I was mounting Blink, my vision suddenly darkened, and I felt nauseous and dizzy. Luckily, he was able to catch me before I hit the ground.
“Thank you, Lucas,” I said.
“Miss, you’re so pale,” he said, holding my cheeks gently.
“I’m just lacking sleep. I’ll ride next time,” I replied and turned away from him.
I took large steps back to the mansion. Inside, I saw Mom talking to two women—I assumed they were the fashion designers Mom mentioned. One of the women looked about the same age as Big Sister Violet. Mom called me over when she saw me.
“I’ll be back, Mom,” I said before running upstairs to my room.
When I entered my room, I immediately searched for my sling bag. I remembered buying something yesterday but couldn’t recall where I placed it. I tore through my room, not caring if I broke anything in the process.
I couldn’t control myself and screamed like a madwoman.
“Where’s my sling bag? Find it for me!” I yelled loudly.
Mom, Dad, and other staff members rushed into my room, shocked by the mess I had made.
“Who took my sling bag?!” I asked angrily.
“What’s going on?” Grandpa’s voice called out. He stood watching me. I faced him boldly, even as Dad tried to stop me. I yanked my arm free from Dad’s grip.
“Where is my sling bag, Grandpa? If you want me to face your guests properly tonight, then have your staff find it right now!” I said firmly.
Everyone was shocked that I had dared to order Grandpa around. I could see his hands trembling as he gripped his walking stick tightly.
“Find my granddaughter’s bag,” Grandpa ordered.
“Lily , what’s happening to you?” Mom asked as she pulled me to sit on the edge of my bed.
“Miss, is this what you’re looking for?” a man said as he entered the room.
I stood up and quickly snatched the bag from his hand.
“Where did you find it?” Grandpa asked.
“In the car, Mr Davis,” the man replied, his voice trembling as he nervously faced Grandpa’s scolding glare.
“What were you doing? Don’t you clean the inside of the car?!” Grandpa yelled at them. They bowed their heads in shame.
“We didn’t notice it, sir,” one of them replied.
“Get out of my sight! Make sure nothing goes wrong tonight. Do you understand me, Lily ?” Grandpa said with authority.
“Don’t worry, Grandpa,” I replied as he and Dad left the room.
“Mom, please leave me alone for now. I know you have questions, but not now,” I told her, dismissing everyone from my room. I also told them to clean up the mess in my room later.
LILY
Everywhere I turned, there were cameramen. It felt like they were taking pictures of our every move. If only I could, I would have gone inside and left the crowd in the wide garden of our mansion.
“You don’t drink, do you?” a voice from behind me said.
“So what?!” I snapped at Nick Dawson.
Nick was tall and had a well-built physique, tanned skin, a sharp nose, and cat-like eyes. He was handsome and always smiling. Since his arrival earlier, I hadn’t noticed any unpleasant behavior from him. He seemed like a gentleman. Whenever there were questions from the media that I didn’t like, especially about us, he would take the lead in answering. He skillfully avoided any off-topic questions.
“You’re even more beautiful in person. No doubt I agreed to your grandfather’s wishes,” he said calmly while sipping his drink.
I was about to respond when Grandpa spoke into the microphone and called our names.
All the prominent guests turned their attention to us. Many couldn’t believe they were seeing me for the first time.
I could see the happiness in Grandpa’s eyes as he stood next to Nick’s grandfather. They were happily chatting away. I was startled when Nick held my hand. My heart began to race.
The cameras flashed continuously at us.
