Chapter 77

Chapter 77
Lila

Back in the lounge, exhaustion hit me like a physical blow. As the adrenaline drained away, I finally understood what I'd just done—publicly rejected the Ashford family's apology, openly challenged the unspoken rules of high society in front of hundreds of elites and dozens of media outlets. My hands began to tremble, the composure I'd forced under the spotlight finally crumbling into something close to panic.

My phone vibrated. Elias's name appeared on the screen.

I took a shaky breath before answering, trying to sound calm but failing. "Hello?"

"Lila." His voice was low, controlled. "I just finished watching the livestream. Every second of it."

My heart plummeted. I bit my lip, anxiety flooding my voice. "Did I... did I go too far? Will this cause problems for you? For the company, your relationships with other families?"

Silence. That brief pause made my heart leap into my throat. I closed my eyes, bracing for criticism.

But when he spoke again, his voice carried unmistakable pride, even a hint of emotion I'd never heard before. "You did wonderfully, Lila. Absolutely wonderfully."

I froze, unable to process what I'd just heard.

"I'm so proud of you." His voice deepened with emotion he was trying to restrain but couldn't quite hide. "You defended your dignity and upheld the Voss family's integrity. That compensation is rightfully yours—don't feel guilty about it. As for the apology—if you don't believe they're sincere, then there's no need to accept it. You did exactly the right thing."

He paused, his tone softening. "Lila, you don't need to compromise yourself for anyone, including me. Do you understand?"

I blinked hard, but my voice still came out choked. "But... the media, those people... they'll say I'm ungrateful, that I don't know my place, that the Voss family is arrogant..."

"Let them talk." His tone became harder, unquestionable. "Tomorrow's news will prove that the Voss family won't be fooled by false apologies, and we certainly won't compromise ourselves for social harmony. I'll handle everything. You just need to rest and wait for me to come home."

I took a deep breath, feeling the anxiety melt away, replaced by warmth and security. "Thank you, Elias."

"Don't thank me." His voice gentled with loving certainty. "My wife should have exactly this kind of confidence. You don't owe anyone anything, Lila. Remember that."

After hanging up, I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting those words settle. Sofia came over and took my hand, beaming. "I told you Dad would support you. You were amazing up there, Lila! I've never seen anyone talk to Victoria like that—you're my hero!"

I opened my eyes and smiled, genuine and relieved. Elias's words had confirmed that I wasn't fighting alone. Someone had my back unconditionally. No matter what the outside world said, I was no longer that isolated girl who had to bear everything alone.

---

After leaving the lounge, Sofia and I chose a secluded service corridor to the parking garage, hoping to avoid the media. The passage was dim, lit only by a few yellowish wall sconces casting long shadows on the fire equipment and exposed pipes.

Halfway down, sharp heels clicked ahead, echoing in the empty hallway. A tall figure emerged from around the corner—Victoria, her champagne gown gleaming coldly in the weak light. She walked alone, her expression taut with barely controlled irritation. Behind her, at the far end of the corridor near the stairwell entrance, I caught a glimpse of two dark-suited figures standing at attention—her security detail, positioned at a discreet distance but clearly within earshot if summoned.

Sofia immediately positioned herself protectively in front of my wheelchair. I gripped the armrests, remembering the boutique confrontation and tonight's staged performance.

But Victoria simply stopped a few steps away with a cold smile, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Relax, it's all over now. I'm not going to do anything. There's no media here—attacking you wouldn't benefit me. I just wanted to have a private word."

She smoothed a wrinkle in her gown, her tone turning sarcastic, eyes flashing with undisguised resentment. "Oh, and I should 'thank' Mr. Voss for his demands. My wedding to Leo was supposed to be next spring, but now it's been forcibly moved up to three months from now. The wedding planner is going crazy, the honeymoon has to be rearranged, the dress re-commissioned, all the timelines thrown into chaos. How thoughtful of him."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she studied my face. Then her expression turned knowing, suggestive. "Actually, I suspected long ago that you and Mr. Voss had an unusual relationship. After all, to make him go to such lengths for a mere family tutor—confronting the Whitmore family, forcing us to move up our wedding, even risking offense to the Ashford family..."

She paused deliberately. "Tsk, Mr. Voss's taste is certainly unique. I'm quite curious what methods you used to make that cold-blooded Wall Street titan go to such extremes for you."

The implication was clear—in her eyes, I was nothing more than Elias's kept mistress, a common girl who'd climbed into power through manipulation, a wealthy man's passing fancy.

Sofia exploded, her face flushing red. "How dare you! Lila and my father—"

"Sofia." I calmly interrupted. I looked up at Victoria with clear, steady eyes, without panic or shame. "Miss Ashford, you're free to speculate about my relationship with Mr. Voss. But I should remind you that malicious slander carries legal consequences. If you don't have concrete evidence, I suggest you use those insulting terms more carefully."

I paused, a faint smile appearing. "As for why Mr. Voss would do these things for me, that's between us and requires no explanation to outsiders. You only need to know that every decision he makes has sufficient reason. And those reasons have nothing to do with your speculation."

Victoria's mocking expression froze, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Interesting." She let out a cold laugh, her eyes turning hostile. "You have more backbone than I expected. But Lila Reed, I advise you to be realistic. High society isn't a place where just anyone can establish themselves, especially those who don't belong here." She emphasized the words with undisguised contempt. "You think having Mr. Voss's backing means you can rest easy? When he gets bored, when he realizes you're just a nobody with no background and no value, do you think he'll still protect you the way he does now?"

She walked past us on her high heels, deliberately slow, leaving her heavy perfume lingering in the air. Her footsteps faded around the corner, and moments later I heard the quiet murmur of her security team falling into step behind her, their presence a subtle reminder of the world she inhabited—one where even a private confrontation required armed escorts waiting in the wings.

Sofia shook with fury, eyes reddening. "Lila, why didn't you let me tell her the truth?! You and Dad are legally married—why did you let her insult you like that?! We could have told her right there!"

I took Sofia's hand, feeling its warmth and trembling, and gently shook my head. "Now isn't the right time, Sofia."

"Why not?" Sofia looked at me in confusion, tears pooling. "She insulted you, called you Dad's mistress, said you don't belong here—those words were horrible! Why should we tolerate it?"

I sighed, looking up at her with calm wisdom. "Because going public now would only create bigger problems. Think about it—if we told her the truth right now, what would she do? She'd immediately spread the news, the media would swarm us, your life would be disrupted, and your father's company would be affected. And besides..." I paused, my voice gentling. "I don't need to prove anything to Victoria. I know what my relationship with your father is, you know it, he knows it—that's enough. What she thinks is her problem, not mine."

Sofia bit her lip as tears rolled down. "But I don't want you to be wronged."

I reached out and wiped her tears, smiling tenderly but firmly. "I'm not being wronged, Sofia. Really. Victoria's words can't hurt me because I know the truth. And your father just told me I don't need to compromise myself for anyone. So I'm choosing to go public when the time is right, not because she's forcing us to. Do you understand?"

Sofia sniffled and nodded vigorously, voice still choked. "I understand. But Lila, if there's ever a day when you can't take it anymore, you have to tell me. I'll always be on your side."

My heart filled with warmth as I squeezed her hand. "I know. Thank you, Sofia."