Chapter 143
Manuel seemed to sense her gaze. He turned his head to look at her, pride shining undeniably in his eyes.
He set down his water glass. His voice grew more serious than before. "Yesterday at the conference, when I heard about what you've been doing, I had someone look into it. Once I started digging, I was shocked by what I found."
He paused. His gaze filled with admiration. "Felix—the top figure in the domestic research community. Papers cited more times than anyone else for three consecutive years. Products that have won countless international awards. Last year, I wanted to bring him on as a technical consultant for the Douglas Group. I pulled every string I had and still couldn't get in touch with him."
He laughed and shook his head. "And guess what? Turns out it's my little sister."
Dahlia's face went completely white.
Felix.
She'd just been flaunting that name in front of Lucinda.
A legendary figure in the research world. Every invention caused industry-wide shockwaves.
The watch on her wrist was one of Felix's most famous works—used as a status symbol by the elite. Money alone couldn't buy it.
When she'd first put on this watch, she'd felt like she was finally standing at the cutting edge of the times.
Just now, when Lucinda hadn't reacted, she'd assumed Lucinda was some country bumpkin with no knowledge of the world.
But now Manuel was telling her Felix was Lucinda?
Her fingers began to tremble. The watch shifted slightly on her wrist.
"That's impossible…" Her voice was small, almost inaudible. "How could she be Felix… Isn't she a designer…"
Manuel didn't hear her murmuring. His attention was entirely on Lucinda, his eyes brimming with pride. "Our Cindy really brings honor to the Douglas family."
Lucinda set down the newspaper, picked up her coffee, and took a sip. Her tone was flat. "It's nothing. Just messing around."
"Just messing around?" Manuel laughed. "If this is what you do when you're just messing around, what happens when you get serious?"
Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs again.
Valencia and Wesley came down together. Valencia wore a dark green lounge dress, her hair pinned up. She looked refreshed.
She walked to the dining table. Her gaze naturally landed on Dahlia, pausing on the pale yellow dress.
"Dahlia, that dress…" Valencia's brow moved slightly, as if remembering something.
Dahlia's eyes lit up instantly.
She quickly straightened up, her fingers smoothing over the skirt. Her voice carried a hint of anticipation. "Mommy, Manuel gave this to me. It's CASA. Do you like it?"
Valencia looked at the dress. She was silent for two seconds. Then she suddenly smiled.
"CASA." She repeated the name, then turned to look at Lucinda. "Cindy, I just found out a couple of days ago—you're the founder of CASA."
The dining room fell silent for a moment.
Lucinda's hand, holding the coffee cup, paused slightly.
She looked up at Valencia. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
This cover's blown too?
Manuel's water glass stopped mid-air. His mouth hung slightly open. He looked at Valencia, then at Lucinda. Layer after layer of shock washed over his eyes. "Mom, what did you say? CASA is Cindy's too?"
"Yes." Valencia sat down beside Lucinda and took her daughter's hand. Her eyes were full of pride. "I had someone look into it. The founder's registration information for CASA used an alias, but the linked accounts eventually traced back to Cindy. A friend of mine in the jewelry design circle said CASA is the most successful independent designer brand of the past decade. Every piece is a masterpiece."
She patted the back of Lucinda's hand. Her eyes reddened slightly, but the smile lines at the corners of her mouth deepened. "How can my daughter be so outstanding?"
Dahlia stood in place like a wooden post. Unmoving.
CASA.
The dress she was wearing was CASA.
She'd just deliberately shown it off in front of Lucinda, saying it was a gift from Manuel, designed by the most famous designer of the moment.
She'd thought Lucinda, some country bumpkin from nowhere, wouldn't recognize the brand. She'd been secretly smug about it for a while.
And the result?
The founder was sitting right across from her.
She looked down at the pale yellow dress on her body. Just moments ago, she'd thought it made her look like a forsythia flower. Now, that shade of yellow felt so glaring it made her want to vomit.
She lifted her head. Her gaze swept across the dining table.
Valencia held Lucinda's hand, her eyes full of pride. Wesley looked at Lucinda, a smile playing at his lips. Manuel leaned back in his chair, looking at Lucinda, admiration radiating from his eyes.
Everyone was looking at Lucinda.
No one was looking at her.
Her fingers slowly clenched at her sides. Her nails dug into her palms. The pain made her entire arm tremble.
She bit her lip, forcing down the bitterness welling up in her eyes. The polite smile on her face was barely holding.
"Dahlia, why are you just standing there? Sit down and eat." Valencia said offhandedly, not even looking up. Her attention was entirely on Lucinda.
Dahlia slowly walked to her seat and pulled out the chair.
In front of her sat a bowl of congee and a few plates of light side dishes—a stark contrast to the lavish breakfast spread in front of Lucinda.
She picked up her spoon and brought a mouthful of congee to her lips.
The congee was warm, but when she swallowed, her throat felt blocked. It tasted bitter and astringent.
She kept her head down, sipping the congee spoonful by spoonful. All around her, she heard Valencia praising Lucinda, Manuel expressing admiration, and Wesley occasionally chiming in with "She really is my daughter."
Each word pierced her ears like a needle. Her temples throbbed.
She'd wanted to show off.
She'd put on the clothes Manuel gave her, worn the watch Manuel gave her—all so her family would remember how good they used to be to her, and so Lucinda would know that she was the one who was loved in this house.
And the result?
Everything she'd carefully prepared had become nothing more than a backdrop for Lucinda.
She bit her lip. Her eyes filled with resentment.
Just wait.
She wasn't going to let this go.
One day, she'd make everyone see that she, Dahlia, was no less than anyone else.
After breakfast, the sound of a car engine shutting off came from outside the courtyard.
Lucinda's movements paused slightly. Valencia, however, seemed to have known all along. A smile rose in her eyes.
"He's here fast."
She deliberately looked toward the window. Lucinda followed her gaze.
Outside the courtyard gate, a black Rolls-Royce came to a smooth stop.
The car door opened. A tall, upright figure stepped out.
The man looked travel-worn but still carried an air of elegance.
Reginald.