After arriving home, Lily headed straight to her room to freshen up. Meanwhile, her parents, Selina and Mark, headed to the kitchen to prepare a quick meal, knowing Lily hadn't eaten anything since the long flight. Once refreshed, Lily changed into comfortable clothes and emerged from her room, drawn by the familiar sounds of sizzling and the savory aroma of cooking wafting from the kitchen.
A smile rose on her lips as she walked towards the kitchen, her stomach growled. She lifted the lids on the dishes, "It smells delicious! I'm hungry." she exclaimed by placing a hand on her stomach and urged her mother who's still frying something "Hurry up, Mom, I'm really hungry!" Her parents exchanged amused glances, chuckling at Lily's eagerness. "Five more minutes, sweetie, we'll be done," Selina replied, smiling warmly.
Lily showed her a okay symbol with a smile and nodded her head as she waited for the meal to be ready. Her father, Mark, who was washing his hands, smiled and said, "My princess, let's arrange the dishes to the table." Lily nodded and assisted her father, while Selina finished her last dish.
Once everything was ready, the family seated themselves around the dining table and began enjoying their meal. The atmosphere was harmonious, filled with the food and brief conversations in between.
"My Princess, we're off work today, so why don't we plan a evening date and have some fun outside?" Lily's face lit up, and she agreed enthusiastically, "That's great Dad!!! okay then. We're going out!" However, Selina interrupted them, "Are you sure, sweetie? You took a long flight, and after getting off, we directly went to the hospital. You've barely had time to rest. Won't you be tired if we go out? Why don't you take a nap today, and we'll go another day?"
Lily felt her mother's concern and replied with a reassuring smile, "I'm fine, Mom. I already slept on the flight." Mark, however, felt a pang of guilt after hearing his wife's words and not considering Lily's weariness earlier. "Hmm, I think your mother is right my princess. Let's change our date plan to another day," he said softly as he was placating a small child.
Lily smiled helplessly and tried to explain, "I'm really fine, Dad. I still have so much energy." However, Mark was firm "No, LILY. I know you must be tired from that night flight and didn't get quality rest on the flight. Listen to us; let's change our plan to the weekend. And you're taking rest today." Lily sighed and shook her head dramatically before agreeing, "Fine, fine, I'll rest, Dad." Mark called her name directly means he was firm and no room for negotiation or arguments.
After lunch, Lily's parents settled into the living room to watch a comedy show together, and Lily spent some time with them before heading back to her room to take a nap.
•••
The sky had turned dark by the time Lily woke up from her slumber. She took out her phone from beside her bed and checked the time. It was already past 7 pm. With a huff, she got up from her bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
After taking a shower, she changed into her night wear and picked up the phone again. As soon as the phone unlocked, missed calls flashed on the screen. She raised her eyebrows slightly and dialed the number. After two rings, the phone connected, and a frustrated voice echoed from the other end, "UNBELIEVABLE, LILY? HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO CALL YOU?"
Lily pulled the phone away from her ear, holding it at arm's length due to the loud voice. Once the person on the other end paused, Lily put the call on speaker and calmly replied, "Calm down, Aria. My ears might actually be damaged one day from all your yelling."
Aria's voice came through calmly this time, "Don't worry, I know how to fix them. But I doubt I'll ever get the chance." Lily could almost imagine the smirk playing on Aria's face as she said that.
"Uh-huh, Why is that, pretty lady?" Lily teased her lightly.
Aria's voice dripped with sarcasm as she replied, "I doubt your robust bat ears need damage fixation."
A hint of amusement danced in Lily's eyes as she responded to Aria's sarcastic remark. "Seriously? 'ROBUST BAT EARS'!!! What a unique metaphor for my hearing, pretty lady?" her tone turned playful. " Why make fun of my keen ears, Just say the word, and I'll help you train your hearing exactly like mine. What do you say?"
Aria voice was low with tinge of irritation as she abruptly shifted the topic "Spare me from that hellish idea of yours, Mam. Let's get to the point , 3-KNIGHTS is celebrating it's fifth year aniversary in four days and don't give me your damn excuses, you are attending because you've already missed last year anniversary and there's no room for negotiation."
Lily's eyes flashed with surprise before she squeezed them shut, a habit when she forgot something. Her mind scrambled to recall the forgotten date. A few seconds passed before she opened them again, her tone sheepish. "I totally forgot, Aria. Thanks for reminding."
Aria snorted as she replied "Hmph, as we expected, you're to busy to remember. I don't need your thanks. But here we all were eagerly waiting for your arrival. So don't forget again and break our hearts. And as I said before don't give us your damn excuses. Yours kindly - 3 Knights and rest of all together."
Lily chuckled, clearly amused "Wow, what a kind welcome!!! It's more like a warning than a request, pretty lady."
Aria reply was swift "Whatever, we expect you to be here in two days. This time, we won't hesitate to try new things, even going so far as to kidnap you to get you here."
Lily suppressed a laugh at Aria's words and exclaimed "Oh my god!!!! Don't plan something like that, I'll definitely be there to check if any horns have grown on your head. Happy now???"
Aria tone turned brisk "Good. Now, I'm busy. Bye and see you in two days." With that she hung up the call. Lily shook her head with a smile as she thought. "This lady isn't even afraid of me anymore and directly hung up on me."
••••
At the Second City Hospital, Eli sat on the couch opposite his grandfather's patient bed, working on the laptop his assistant had sent over that evening. Meanwhile, Grandfather Allen had just finished his dinner, served by Allen's butler, Davidson. He looked at his grandson and said "It's already late. Go home and have dinner. David will take care of me."
Eli looked up from his laptop and glanced at his grandfather before closing his laptop "How's your headache?" he asked calmly before standing up to give his grandfather prescribed medication and some water.
Grandfather Allen took the medicine and swallowed it with water before replying calmly, "It's better than this afternoon, there's just a little pain. Don't worry, it'll be gone once I sleep." Eli nodded and said, "Then I'll leave after you're asleep. Rest now. I'll come again tomorrow morning with breakfast."
Grandfather Allen usually didn't respond to anyone's authority and did as he wished, but as an exception he always behaved a little submissively and chose his words wisely in front of his eldest grandson, Eli. Everyone in the family was accustomed to this odd behavior of Grandfather Allen towards Eli and felt relieved that at least someone in the family could get him to listen. Especially his three sons felt a big mountain lifted off from there shoulders from the past 15 years after he started listening to Eli. It wasn't that Grandfather Allen was too strict, it was more like the opposite - he was more like a teenage rebel even at his age.
With a resigned sigh, Grandfather Allen lay down on his bed and berated his grandson in a low voice, "Just like a Old man, too naggy."
Eli's eyes narrowed slightly and his voice came with an edge in his tone like he was warning him, though he was not in actual anger, "I heard you, Grandfather." Grandfather Allen snorted and murmured, "Drive safely," before closing his eyes. Eli hummed in response.
Eli glanced at Butler David and said, "Uncle David, Go and have your dinner." Butler David, who was trying hard to suppress a smile at his master Allen's obedient behavior, nodded at Eli before leaving the ward to eat. Eli took the chair beside his grandfather's bed and watched him until Butler David returned from dinner. Meanwhile, Grandfather Allen had already fallen asleep.
Eli stood up from his chair to leave and said, "Uncle David, take care of him. Call me if anything comes up." Butler David gave a nod and replied "Okay, first young master."
•••••
At Lily's cozy home, after a call with Aria, Lily went out of her room to have dinner with her parents. After dinner, the three of them sat together in the living room to watch a reality show and chatting casually during the commercial breaks. Amidst their conversation, Lily mentioned, "The day after tomorrow, I'm going to ALHAI Country to attend an event, and I'll be back in 5 days."
Selina who heard her words asked lightly, but her expression betrayed with apprehension "So you're leaving in two days?"
Lily could feel her mother's sadness, and she felt a little guilty because she had just come home after a month and now had to leave again for an important event. She knew she was busy because she wanted to reach her goal as soon as possible and make her parents and little sister happy. However, in the process, she wasn't spending much time with her parents. Feeling overwhelmed with guilt, she lowered her head, her eyelashes falling, and uttered, "Sorry, Mom. Sorry, Dad."
Lily parents exchanged surprised glances, Selina turned off the telivision and Mark who was sitting beside Lily, slightly patted her head and inquired calmly "Why are you apologizing, my princess?"
Lily looked up, her eyes locking onto her parents' faces, before replying. "I know I'm giving you very little time. I'm really..." Her voice trailed off as Mark's gentle hand on her shoulder silenced her. "Don't, Lily," he said softly and continued with a voice filled with heaviness. "Don't apologize to us. We don't deserve your apology. We actually know the reason."
Lily's eyes widened in surprise as her father's words caught her off guard. It took her a moment before realisation dawned on her, and a flicker of doubt crept into her gaze, 'may be it's not what I think' she thought internally. Her face masked with feigned innocence and confusion as she asked her father, "Dad, what are you talking about? What do you mean you know?" She frowned slightly, and her lips parted in a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
Selina, who had been quietly listening to them, could sense the unexplainable heaviness her husband was carrying in his words. Because, he wasn't alone in this burden, having shared it with him for many years, she knew how heavy it was to them. She walked over to his side and gently squeezed his shoulder, the pressure of her touch a silent reassurance that she was with him. Mark glanced at his wife, his eyes locking onto hers as he blinked, seeking permission for something unspoken. Selina's nod was almost imperceptible, yet it conveyed her agreement. Meanwhile, Lily's frown deepened as she observed their exchange, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.
Mark's gaze met his daughter's again, and he opened his mouth to speak, but the words faltered on his lips before he closed it again, the silence between them thickening. He repeated this gesture several times, his eyes searching for the right words. Lily, sensing her father's struggle, remained still with patience. She didn't press him for an immediate answer and allowed him the time he needed to gather his thoughts. The air was heavy with unspoken words, and Lily's eyes remained fixed on her father's, filled with anticipation.
Selina took her husband's hand in hers and gave it another squeeze, then began speaking in his place. "Sweetie, we actually have something we want to tell you." She paused a second before continuing "We.. We actually know about your deal with my father." Lily's eyes turned blank, her expression frozen in shock, as she processed her mother's words. A question escaped her lips almost instinctively, "Yo...You know?" Her voice trembled slightly, the words barely above a whisper. However, Mark's firm and simple reply "YES" snapped Lily back to reality. Lily's gaze darted between her parents, her mind racing to understand the implications as she inquired them "But how?"