Chapter 198
She continued her sentence after waiting, but her grandfather said nothing.
Lilian was increasingly convinced that something was going on there.
“Grandpa, I know my dad wants to introduce me to his friend.” Lilian smiled as she heard her grandfather take a deep breath and continued, "But I wonder why they called you back home? And what made you rush back there!
That was what confused Lilian. If her father was planning to marry her off, he should have asked her grandfather to take her too, right? But he didn't. Or, if her father couldn't call because she had blocked his number, he could have just called her grandfather's phone and talked to her.
Lilian felt that something strange was going on.
Silence fell, as Carlos seemed reluctant to tell her what had happened. He had planned to sort things out there before flying back to the capital and talking to her.
But it seemed he couldn't keep his granddaughter waiting.
After taking a deep breath, Carlos finally replied:
"You're right; your father has already arranged a marriage for you. I imagine you already know who he is?
“Yes, I know,” replied Lilian. Benjamin had already revealed the old man's identity to her, and just reading the person's profile was enough to make her dizzy.
Another long, deep breath was heard before Carlos explained everything to Lilian.
"My dear Lilian, don't be surprised. Your father and uncle accepted the proposal through a business collaboration of fantastic value...“
Lilian was shocked.
Don't worry about anything, dear. I'll take care of this here and return to the capital in a few days. We'll talk about it in detail later...”
Lilian opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound. She was overcome with anger toward her parents.
How could they do this to her?
Not only did they hide the engagement, but they had also already closed a deal.
“Do they see me as something that can be sold?”
Determined, Lilian realized she could no longer take it lightly. She couldn't let them continue plotting behind her back. It was time to act.
She would no longer consider them part of her family, as she had lost respect for her father and uncles after what they had done.
“Lilian, my dear, are you still there?”
Her grandfather's voice brought her back from her reverie. She squeezed her cell phone tighter before answering:
“Yes, I'm here. Grandpa, we'll continue talking about this when you get back.” The calmness in her voice contrasted with the hurricane she felt inside.
“Okay. I'll take care of this as quickly as possible and fly over there. I need to talk to you about this in person... and I also need to see my little Théo. He must miss me, right?”
Lilian's smile slowly appeared as she heard his last words.
“Oh, yes. Theo misses you very much, Grandpa. When he woke up this morning, he asked to visit you and was a little disappointed to learn that you weren't home.”
Carlos was stunned.
He saw no need to continue the conversation with Lilian; he ended the call and then initiated a video call with his great-grandson.
Matthew entered the office and walked over to Lilian's desk.
However, he stopped when he heard Laura's voice in the living room.
“S-Sir, I'm sorry... I need to talk to you...”
Matthew turned to the secretary and was shocked by her expression. The joy and serenity he used to see in her eyes were no longer there; there was only fear and confusion.
Curious, he walked over to the living room and sat down in front of her. After placing his coffee on the table, he looked at her seriously.
“Is everything okay, Laura?”
From the young woman's expression, Matthew was sure that something serious had happened.
Although they had only been working together for two months, he already knew enough about her. Laura had always been calm, cheerful, dedicated. She never complained, even under pressure.
That's why the change in her expression surprised him so much.
“S-sir... something happened at my house, and my parents asked me to come back immediately.”
Laura tried to explain calmly, but her trembling voice couldn't hide her concern.
She didn't want to go, but she had no choice. It was urgent. She needed to take a few days off.
Matthew was surprised. He leaned forward slowly, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together, attentive to what she was saying.
“Sir, I know you've been very busy lately, and it's not right for me to ask for time off for personal reasons... but this is very important. So, I... I need to take a few days off to—”
“You can go. It's okay.” Matthew interrupted her when he saw her beautiful brown eyes fill with tears. She was about to cry.
How could he refuse in the face of such a sad expression?
Laura blinked, surprised at the speed of his response, almost unable to believe she had heard him correctly.
Before she could say anything, Matthew continued:
“I'll take care of everything here. Carla and John can help me during your absence, so you don't need to worry about work.” He smiled, trying to put her at ease.
Laura stood up and bowed ninety degrees, as Koreans do to their elders. She felt immensely grateful.
“Thank you, sir. Thank you! I really appreciate it. I promise to resolve my family's problems as quickly as possible and return the day after tomorrow.”
Matthew choked with surprise at the bow. He found it funny; he had never seen a woman do that for him before.
“Laura, please don't do that. I'm not your mafia boss to accept bows. Sit down...”
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead to hold back his laughter.
“Oops, sorry, sir.”
I got too excited when I heard you gave me permission. I didn't think... Laura blushed and sat back down.
She knew how busy Matthew was, dividing his time between Globs Entertainment and EnergiaSust. For the past two weeks, she had worked tirelessly alongside him preparing reports for the CEO, Ms. Arbex. She was even there on weekends to help him.
“Laura, I already told you: don't worry. Someone will take care of everything while you're away. Go home and relax. And if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you, sir...” she replied, her eyes brimming with gratitude.